Not so Ordinary World

[Kwokinator]

Maki gathers his feelings and stops his tears during the silence, and contemplates whether he's on the right path or not, as Isegami puts it.

"So," he sits up and looks at the man in question. "Do you think I'm on the right path?"

[Liddo-kun]

"The only one qualified to tell you if you're on the right path is you yourself," Isegami replies.  "Other people can tell you what they think, but you'll know instinctively if you're going down the right path if you listen to your own heart's intuition."

[Kwokinator]

"What about people whose intentions are evil?" Maki asks. "To them, their hearts may well be telling them to do evil, but that doesn't mean it's the right path."

[Liddo-kun]

"Each person makes a decision as to what is right or wrong to them," Isegami begins, taking on a contemplative look.  "Call it fate, destiny, or what have you, but I feel each person walks on a path that takes them to the goal they were meant for."

"Perhaps it's too simplistic a view?" he asks you, wearing a curious look.

[Kwokinator]

"So you believe in fate?" Maki looks at Isegami with something of a disapproving look.

"You believe that we're brought here," he continues, stretching his arms out dramatically. "To this god-forsaken world, because we're meant to?"

"That's a really pessimistic view," he then comments, shaking his head, then clenches his hand into a fist and brings it up to eye-level to emphasize his next point. "I believe we as human beings are capable of shaping our own fate, or destiny, or what we may call it.  The world, our lives, our fates, is what we make of it.  What we can do is only limited by our abilities, not by fate."

[Liddo-kun]

Isegami nods at your words; however, "I don't believe there's anything pessimistic about my view, really," he returns placidly, not matching your volume nor rising to the level of your passion.  "What if we were meant to come into this world to change it?  What if we were meant to make this a better place to live?  To save other people who are trapped here?  What then?"

[Kwokinator]

"I don't believe in being 'meant for' anything," Maki replies with an emphatic shake of his head, calming back down. "I think that we were brought here because of freakish accidents of this world swallowing up random people and things of our original world.  Whether we try to save people who are trapped here or try to make this world a better place is actions of our own choosing.  Like I said, the world is how we make it."

[Liddo-kun]

He laughs softly, in that smoothe low tone of his.  It's not out of derision, but one of pleased amusement.  "It is good to see that you have a strong opinion - one that you don't seem keen on abandoning so lightly it seems.  Whether it's in ourselves or in some unseen force, we all need something to believe in."

"For now, we shall agree to disagree.  What say you?" Isegami asks, not losing a fraction of his seemingly cheerful demeanor.

[Kwokinator]

Maki nods at Isegami's words, seeing no use in pursuing the matter further.

"So," he begins, changing the subject. "What brings you here to sit beside a newbie like me?"

[Liddo-kun]

"Just seeing how our newest visitor was doing," Isegami returns.  "As I tend to do with everyone," he adds.

"You seem to be doing better than I would've imagined.  Probably a sign of the strength of your spirit," he says.

[Kwokinator]

"What?" Maki asks, curious. "Do people end up a sobbering wreck who can't do anything when they end up here or something?"

[Liddo-kun]

"In some cases, yes," Isegami tells you without hesitation.  "We don't have enough people skilled in repelling attacks by those Soul Eaters, so those that do seek shelter here have often times suffered great loss.  As you yourself did."

[Kwokinator]

Maki simply stares at Isegami, the look in his eyes a mixture of pain and blame, at Isegami for bringing the subject back up.

"I've only met Shia, Urui and Gaira so far," he says after a moment. "I know Shia can, because she was the one who saved me.  Urui seems to have some powers, but don't know about Gaira.  How many other people have powers that can at least fend off the Soul Eaters?"

[Liddo-kun]

"Those who have any chance against the Soul Eaters, there are thirteen," Isegami stops to corrects himself.  "No, twelve.  There are twelve of us."

[Kwokinator]

"Why the sudden change?" Maki asks, raising an eyebrow. "You said thirteen first."