I hated admitting it. The scene of the sun embracing the cosmic darkness in the fallen heavenly court was so much more beautiful in Nashi. The twins were on the other side, looking at the runes with the same expression. We didn't know the whole story, but the scene was so beautiful and heart wrenching in Nashi.
"This is why pictorial are the best," Dia said in a voice drenched in grief.
"Stop crying," Pratt told Dia, laughing as she tried glaring at him and failed. "So, don't you love pictorial too," he asked me.
I nodded.
"Just this once, Nashi is better," I relented.
"But Vikari is still the best," Dia completed for me.
And we were all smiling.
"So, I think you should get some sleep now."
He was looking behind me. I knew without turning, it was Catarina.
"Good night, you two," Catarina said to the twins before ending the call.
"And you," she said to me. "What are you doing still up?"
I showed her my notebook. And I saw her eyes widening in seconds.
She flipped the pages with Nashi quickly, pausing for longer on the page with the translation of the third tablet in Vikari. She was reading for far too long though.
"What is it," I asked.
It wasn't as if she hadn't read the story on the tablet before. I was sure the first tablets were already translated, in common tongue too. Why did she look so excited?
"Nothing," she said, shaking her head clear of all expression. "This is really good. I can't bring myself to be harsh. Still, you need sleep."
Dropping my notebook onto the table, she dragged be by my hand to the bed in her room.
"Imagine me as mommy, and sleep," she said, as she hugged me close.
"Why are you being so clingy?"
She didn't miss a beat answering.
"Because I'm certain you'll run away if I let go."
I was embarrassed at being read so well.
After a brief silence, she asked softly.
"Was that pictorial runes?"
"Yes. Nashi."
"You learned tonight?"
"Yeah. Dia taught me. She's very good."
"Yeah, she is. But I think she'd agree with me about who's better."
"Who?"
She laughed in reply. And silence returned. Less than a minute later, she was asleep. With her arms around me.
Where were the normal people? Why were none of them around me? Why was Catarina as crazy as Jerry? Did he say something to her? Why were they all so like Denise?
Denise made me smile. I hadn't thought of her in days. She would be so angry if she knew. Did she forget me too? As if that was even possible. I laughed at myself, and closed my eyes.
I was alone in the bed when I woke. It was bright. And late. Nisha had already gone to class. Catarina was at the table, translating the third tablet.
"Wash first," she ordered as I neared her.
I shot her a look, which she couldn't see because I was behind her. Ignoring her order, I sat by her. And peered at her work.
"I don't get it," she said as she finished. "What were the three of you going so crazy over last night?"
I looked at her strangely. She saw me this time. And gave me the same look.
"What did you see last night that got you so excited?" I asked. "Don't tell me, nothing. I know what I saw. And you know I saw."
She cleared her throat and answered, reluctantly.
"That particular tablet had a few characters we were conflicted about. We hadn't deciphered the tablet fully. You just cracked it, like it was nothing. Let me tell you, what you did back there was unmask several of the characters of long arc that were still a mystery."
I was impressed. At myself. Confused too. To me, all of the characters were the same. New. Didn't she get that?
I was surprised too. How could she not see a scene so grand?
"We didn't know what the war was. We didn't know the whole story. But we still felt the sorrow in the scene, when the sun embraces the cosmic darkness, when the composed husband embraces the distraught wife. It's so touching."
"It's not a storybook," she commented. "It's history. It's the runes that matter."
"I just knew you were going to say that," I said with a knowing smile. "I guess we'll always be distant."
"I think it's a generation thing. Also an environment thing. You see the romance, like no true academician would."
"Don't make it sound like it's a bad thing. I only study runes for the stories."
She had trouble believing me. I could see the words in her eyes. She wanted to call me shallow. I was preparing for a conflict, when she shook her head and smiled.
"We're from different worlds. Doesn't look like we'll collide. This is a good thing. Maybe the differing perspectives would get us somewhere."
I was surprised.
"Maybe," I repeated.
"I think we should keep running with the tablets. Sprint to the end. And then, maybe we can compare with other translations. Verify our accuracy. I think we'll be able to decipher long arc within a week. You do realise that makes you the finest archaeologist of our time, don't you?"
"High praise, I admit. But not one that really means much."
"I know," she said before I could. "You just want to be average. I'm going to figure you out, one day."
"I'm not such an interesting mystery."
"You most definitely are. Especially when you act like this, like now."
I fell silent. Why was she twisting everything I said?
She laughed away the awkwardness.
"I mean it. Go. Wash. We'll have cocoa by the lakeside, which you like so much. And then, we'll get started. You might be fine to start off immediately. I'm not. I need cocoa by the lakeside. Indulge the beautiful old woman please."
How could I not agree?