The devil in the details

"But mom! All my co-workers had their moms running after them with sandals!" Natasha protested.

Roxy blinked, not used to be the receiving end of crazy sentences.

"I love you child, but I would be lying if I said I understand you..."

"But that's not fair!"

"It's not a game...Ugh fineee!"

She ran after her with a jelly sandal in her hand, Natasha laughed like a happy kid.

Karaza sipped her milk coffee, less regular activities for seven in the morning but nothing too crazy. Somehow she and Natasha are getting acquainted, hanging out more.

The smoking buddy should be done with his work so she headed to the hospital.

He was indeed done with work, seemingly exchanging pleasantries with a former patient who gifted him a box of fresh shrimp.

"Not a fan of shrimp?" She walked up to him, commenting on the troubled expression after the man walked away.

"..Well, my cousin's fiancé is allergic so I can't take it home."

"I see."

"Care to help a poor medical care provider?" He reached the box out with fake puppy eyes.

She stared the big box before taking it.

"I would've tried some but I really can't." He added.

"So you love shrimp."

"It's more of a tradition to eat gifted food, even a little."

"...There's an orphanage that will love this." She remembered from the food waste management.

"...I love you~" He teased with cuter puppy eyes and a seductive head tilt.

"I think we should see other people." She deadpanned. He just laughed.

She walked to the location, thinking about traditions.

'He meant a tradition in his family not in the land as a whole right?' She took some in a bag.

"Good morning. Enjoy! Bye" She did the job as fast as possible. The place was near Ai, the love monster and she wasn't taking chances.

"Why I'm doing a tradition anyway?" In her flat she asked the lemon bowl, putting half the ceviche in a plates for her and the lemon bowl.

The lemon's mixed their portion with coconut charcoal, they don't care about traditions anyway.

"So coconut charcoal is your favorite?" She looked at various bags of charcoal in the kitchen, she made the bowl it's eating area to save her dresses.

She looked at the tabbouleh salad the building manager shared with her.

"Nooo, we don't work together!" She emoted with a spoonful of the salad.

"If it's you and me we can make it happen!" The ceviche made up voice argued.

"...I shouldn't play with food.."

Thought the lemon bowl was invested in the drama.

After intense mental preparation she brought a plate to share with the building manager.

"Oh my, thank you!"

She just nodded welcome nervously.

"It's your day off today? I don't see ya at this time often."

"My supervisor said I should rest sometimes."

"I see? You definitely should. Anyway if insects appeared in your place tell me, someone found really big white insects."

"Okay."

She walked back, something in her mind clicked.

'White insects?'

With the axe and lemon bowl attached to her hexagono she took a stroll in the city, picking up voices.

'They usually appear when many people are about to make a wish.'

She let a sigh, expression a little defeated.

'Please people, don't wish for anything disastrous.'

She saw Natasha from a distance, having lunch on a bench. The bag of food matched the logo of the restaurant across the street.

It wan't visible to most but she was staring at her wish scroll while chewing absently.

She felt a complicated mixture of emotions.

She walked away.

"Mom, if you had a wish what would you wish for?" At the shabby apartment she asked Roxy. The evening breeze cooled the room through the open window.

"A flying broom for sure." She said nonchalantly, wiping her plant's leaves.

"...Like you can wish for anything, many things probably!" She tried to stimulate the conversation.

"Then a flying broom and a box to put my stuff in."

"Just that?" She hugged Mr.Garlic, disappointed.

"Well the broom shall have a pillow so it's comfortable to sit in. And the box should fit everything I put in!"

" I thought about... like saving the world or wishing for everyone to be happy?"

' Nobody have enough points for such grand wishes. She read the instructions right?' Roxy thought.

"So mom, what would you do if you had a limited wish, too small for what you actually want?"

'So she read it, Fweh.'

"I would get something fun."

Natasha stared forming the -I shouldn't ask to begin with face-

"Think about it! Why wish for something you need when you can wish for something you'll never have otherwise?! Maybe you could wish for an Intricate mushroom shaped hot ballon that teleport you instantly."

Natasha was more intrigued by the idea than she would like to admit.

Ryu was intrigued by the conversation too, albeit busy covering his belongings with wide thin tendrils to make them invisible like himself.

Almost no one knew about the roommate thing after all.

'Be more serious you dingus! I don't wanna deal with another incorrect wish again!' He frowned slightly, recalling the whole art disappearing fiasco.

"Or maybe you should wish for a pillow that gives you nice dreams!" Roxy joked and he lost hope.

'Why she spits the good advice jokingly?' He turned into a sad blob.

'She's right in a sense, grand wishes tend to be vague and nothing more dangerous than a vague wish. A fun tool with many details is safer.' He turned into human again, stretching his limps.

'If she can tell her she can draw a detailed draft on paper of what she want she would get a nice wish, but that would expose she made a wish.'

An invisible tendril nudged Roxy's shoulder. She opened her treasure box under a tendril for him to put his thing in.

Then the winged invisible blob flew away to his brother.

"Anyway let's have a sleepover tonight!"

"Trying to get back to the nest child?" Roxy raised an eyebrow.

"Ehh! Just this time!"

In her flat Karaza deactivated her axe powers, laying on the ground and chewing on sour candy. The lemon bowl on her stomach.

The lemons tried to levitate the candy to their mouths but she took it away. They tried to protest but she was zoning out in deep focus. Contemplating a decision.

Demanding attention they levitated her belongings out of her suitcase in the air, wise enough to not mess with dresses or hair dyes.

"You can't have that, it's a lemon flavor you cannibals- Ouch!"

A rose gold Casio women's watch fell on her, one lemon levitated it to not hit the floor.

"Woah, that brings memories." She fiddled with the watch.

----

She remembered the time she heard Henry mentioning looking for a Rolex watch model and not finding it, her face got redder as the memories flowed.

She knew she can't give it to him, a gift from a lowly worker is taken as an insult at best. And if a noble couldn't find something they want that usually means such something doesn't exits.

But she still spent a week roaming the shops, high end and scrap shops looking for the rare watch. Sweet delusions about leaving it on his desk once she find it.

Sweet delusions that morphed into a scenario of a comedic romance novel.

"Hello! I just eavesdropped on you and found the Rolex watch you want! I swear I'm not creepy I just really really love you ~~"

In that scenario Henry would laugh and hold her hand dearly.

----

She got up and walked in circles, attempting to wash off the embarrassment.

"Listen! It's not youth if you didn't embarrass yourself for a man who doesn't know your name!" She justified for the lemons who just wanted some candy.

As she polished the watch she remembered how much she loves it, how can a frustration purchase be a loved trinket.

In a tangled mess of thoughts that made something in her brain click.

Next day she walked up to Natasha as she exited the government office.

She took her to the side, practically snatching her. They sat on the edge of a pavement in quite street under the shade of a palm tree.

" I think you want to make a wish." She cut to the chase.

"..."

"Listen, no matter what you wish it's gonna bite you back at some point."

Natasha frowned a little, like a kid tired of lectures.

"But I can't tell you to not wish, you probably won't listen to me anyway."

"Then what's you gonna tell me?"

"You see, I was looking for a Rolex once but I ended up with a Casio... and that stupid Casio was the best watch if I say so."

"I actually don't like metaphors..."

"You don't grasp what you fully want yet and that's fine, you still a kid, but don't make a bad decision. Make a draft on paper of your wish. Something you like or good at. Then choose a possession you love as a vessel. You'll get the most stable wish."

"And for the wish itself?"

"Something simple and clear."

"Simple huh?"

"You don't need a Swiss knife, you just need a knife."

"Metaphors..."

"Sorry."

Natasha looked upward, the bombarding info was strangely refreshing.

"Thanks I guess."

" Whatever, please don't fuck up."

The casual speech found a home between them.

"...So what's your wish?"

Karaza realized she indirectly exposed herself.

"Mind yo business!" She scoffed thuggishly.

'Dang, she really took one for the team.' Roxy thought, eavesdropping on them through the palm tree.

In the road to the general hospital she realized how little she had conversation like these. Tough, necessary but honest at the end.

"The machine is broken still." The voice of the floating surgeon brought her back to reality.

They walked aimlessly while he held the axe keychain, day not over yet.

"Thanks for the other day."

"No prob."

He saw her concealed disappointment over the lack of tabaco.

"Let's hang out before the sunset, my treat!"

He dragged her, to her surprise to a Shisha café.

"I love youu~" She said after a long drag that scratched the itch.

"I think we should see other people." He joked.