What Do You See?

Daniel took the position as their leader, navigating the streets as he planned a surprise. Somewhere along their travels the three had taken into a line gripping the other for support as they swung back and forth barely stable by the chain they had created with their arms. Daniel ached with a euphoric laugh each time he glanced over his shoulder.

"Hey!" Shouted Gan. "Where did Jacub and Sammm go?"

"Oh… J-Jacob had to use a restroom, so S-Sam w-was showing him one."

"Yeh? I bet that's all they're doing." Gan enticed placing his hand on Claire's backside while Daniel's fists tightened at the provocation but left it alone. The guy was drunk but more so was a friend of Kage leading to Daniel supplementing the rage with condescending the fool as a babbling idiot looking for some excitement.

Yet, in his indecisive moment. Kage's eyes prickled Gan's hand with a piercing fervor as it stayed on Claire.

In partial reflection, Daniel continued directing the group out from the cramped alleyways, junk stashed streets then into an open area filled with the dewiness of wet synthetic grass. Meanwhile, the chitter of beetles stealthily awaited the invaders' next action.

Newly planted trees were erected as pillars at a consistent interval creating wide doorways between each. Where one would never see the clear sky blocked by pollution and the muck of the lower district, here remained an exception. It was a tranquil place with huddled couples as well as lone strangers sat, gazing out to the stars transcribing their significance in whatever way brought peace to their minds.

This partitioned land separated itself from the upper district which laid across a brief river. Glistening in the moonlight the water reflected rays at the car windows across the way, in turn, directed back to the forgotten on the other side. A side plagued by dreamers and lost souls tempering their hardest to escape the growing decrepitness that swallowed whole the morality in this treacherous water.

What appeared to be a college student with golden locks draped over his back while also tangled in the baseball cap on his head flipped page after page in his study book. Nails drawn, at the ready, to tear away his sanity. Homeless women in nothing but their self doubts tickling the fancy of the other in the open.

Inebriated, Kage still maintained his wholeness not succumbing to the sight. They were lost but others were firm. For example, a grandfather adjusted the valve to his oxygen tank during a bit of fishing but was unable to twist it on account of the shaking to his hands. Daniel bent to the device twisting it at the correct interval and was appreciated with little more than a nod from the gentleman. Misguided children decorated by bruises rolled in the mildew tagging their friend fleeing in this game of athleticism.

All corners of the world there among the vile a bit of normalcy pronounced itself. The academy jammed packed with truth seekers, egoists, and self-proclaimed arbiters of health touched nothing below themselves in their endeavors.

Here was a collective that felt no impact from the Heroes saving life after life in the richest parts. Kage knew that no understanding could exist between him and someone in this collective. His life had been painful for different reasons but never had he seen greed in his actions. Never had his parents sold him nor Lisa for drinking money only to gamble it away then die in a gutter days before enslavement. Although he saw no way to comprehend the immense pressure to steal a quarter of stale bread, there in the forefront was sympathy before apprehension.

Experience stacked together, and through it a centerpiece never left the root of all this waste. A system crumbling at the seams which would take over, trapping the rest who shall survive the thick of it into a perpetual conclusion of mayhem.

If there was to be change, then someone from that place beneath and unseen should be at the front guiding it.

Kage relinquished himself, toppling to the grass nuzzling close to the soggy soil. The reflection across the water was not of the office lights to the many skyscrapers, nor did it paint the image of some spectacular heaven, but was of a lone boy beside him.

Once an orange bowl of hair drooping past the eyeline now had been smoothly shaven down to a fuzzy buzzcut. The contrast between the months startled Kage. A child was what had entered the gym requesting his aid not long ago but that person had rebirthed into a stronger being.

Kage wanted to remark that it was all because of his training and insight into Daniel. However, he could not bring himself to take upon a lie so grave.

"Hey, Kage?"

"Yes?"

"Do y-y-you think I should ask Sam o-ou-out?"

Kage made sure that Gan and Claire were still their foolish selves dancing back and forth attempting to grope the other. A tinge of a grimace burst forth at Gan swiping at her breasts. "Out?"

"Yeah, out."

"Like, on a date?"

Shifting toward Kage, Daniel wrapped his knuckles on his own skull. "Come on, take this seriously."

"I'm sorry, but I assumed the two of you were already dating."

"Well, we're n-n-not."

"Then go for it."

"What if she… ya know."

Kage perched himself up on his elbows, "No, I don't."

"If she rejects it."

Befuzzled, Kage squinted at Daniel. "How many guys do you think she really knows? Whenever I see her she's showing off to some of the girls at how strong she is. You have to be literally the only person to think of her in this way. I'm pretty sure you have little to no competition. Then again, I don't really have wisdom on this subject."

"Well… alright then." Beaming confidence broke out like a bad case of acne from cheek to cheek demonstrating the cavernous dimples to either corner. When it seemed he would lie back he instead perked up again, his attention lain on Kage. "Wait, aren't y-you and S-Sophie together?"

A nervous chuckle fell from his throat. Kage waved off the confusion, "Nah, not yet."

"So, you want to?"

"I don't really have time for it."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't keep up with them."

"What do you mea-

"Fuck, I forgot how many questions you ask." Daniel's eagerness did not subside at the comment but he did cease his talking. "I guess, I just don't think I'm the best there could be for someone. Have you seen me? I'm a walking disaster. What with getting my bones broken, stabbed, and possibly dying every other week that would just cause too much on someone else. If I knew that Lisa was getting as hurt as me every single one of my steps would shake and every loud noise would stumble my heart into capitulation."

Daniel dug up some of the soil to be greeted by a worm wriggling from between his loosened palm. The dirt mixed with fertilizer, soiled by toxins keeping the fake green spectrum to the grass. Even through the dead of winter in the harshest of conditions this hue would persist. Due to this "advancement" the insects and bugs that wallowed near adapted withstanding the changes brought to murder them.

"I think you w-w-worry more for her than y-yourself. I don't really know if that's good or b-bad because I do the same, b-but we should have something for ourselves every now and again."

Kage contemplated those words. This had been his mindset when he first met Daniel. How easy it would be to manipulate this fellow while the selfish gains conceded with barely any effort. Manipulation which was gone no more than an afterthought to what had occurred.

"Maybe."

"Maybe you should ask her out?"

"How?"

It was now Daniel's turn to look baffled at Kage. "Oh, stop it with that and just tell me."

"Sorry." Daniel squeezed out in the middle of a laugh. "I g-guess since I've asked one person before I c-c-could k-kind of help you. Don't know how well that'll go though. Y-You'll need to pick a date and make it extravagant enough so that she won't refuse."

An idea lit up in Kage's mind. "Why not on Valentine's."

"Really?"

"Sure, gives us a month and some time to think of a plan to practice." Proud of his idea Kage continued, "Chocolates will be an easy gift as well so we won't have to think about anything too major."

"Wait… we?"

"Yes, we. I'm not doing this crap by myself. So, you're going to be put through the same hoops I'm doing."

Daniel plopped the back of his head onto the ground, arms outstretched making some type of dirt angel. "That could work."

"Let's hope it does." Kage imitated Daniel caught by a whiff of dizziness due to the alcoholic fumes exiting his own mouth.

The stars above blinked in and out of existence. Kage was not an astronomer but remembered playing games with his sister when younger. The two of them made up names for constellations that were situated the night of. Some took the place of satellites and when they disappeared Lisa always pouted at the edge of tears if not for his comforting grasp on her shoulders. Bad nights were those when they looked at the stars. Constant yells situated amongst the crash of plates never ceased far into the morning. To cover the fact, Kage played the music especially loud over his radio.

In comparison, the night was not as awful.

He held out a finger pointing toward a series of five stars in a crooked circle. "You see those ones there?" Daniel hummed in affirmation, "That's a lasso, it's called Indi's Lasso."

"Really?"

"Of course, try to find some on your own."

"I don't know any p-patterns."

"Neither do I, so which do you see?" Kage winked at Daniel offering for him to play along.

Cracking his knuckles Daniel surveyed the vast abyss dotted by the bulbs overhead. He raised both hands in the shape of a triangle outlining eight which followed. "That's the B-Bermuda triangle."

"What's that?" Attention drawn to the placement.

"Something I heard on the h-history channel. Supposedly ships and planes go missing around there every y-year. Apparently, there were some Evolved teleporting the crew on deserted islands and stealing their c-c-cargo. They would then shrink the vehicles down into the size of models storing them away."

"Weren't they the Berry Twins?"

"YEAH! That was them!" Childlike spectacle shone in his expression.

Smirking to himself, Kage pushed a bit, "Pretty sure one of them ate the other in prison."

"What the fuck?" The look of disgust plastered onto a furrowed brow.

Kage went back to the stars leaving Daniel stunned by that comment. Whereas Kage found it difficult to retain a breakdown at his reaction.

The night passed, subsequently, without difficulty. Claire fell to Gan's slumbering stomach exhausted and drearily awake watching Kage as well as Daniel tickle themselves fancifully at the made-up designs they discovered. Ones in which not another soul could understand.

Hundreds blotted themselves at their fingertips that swirled to form gestures. Such uplifting memories decorated the trees in their homes and presents handed days later.