Precognition.
If I were to think of a cheap cartoon depicting characters with varying degrees of superpowers what are the common ones that might appear?
Super strength is a given, the utterly basic and uncreative augmentation of natural bodily performance is the barest of the superpower genre bones. Elemental alignment and control as well as ESP and other extra mental abilities might appear too I suppose.
Then, the question becomes, why not precognition? Why not the ability to see into the future?
In a sense it is because the power itself is too fantastical. Usually when one thinks of the ability to part the veil of time and peer into the unknown at will one thinks of a more high fantasy genre. A story where a chosen hero journeys to an ancient Sage for guidance.
Even then it’s not the hero himself who has that ability but the often times cryptic guide character who does.
Simply put if any of the main characters in a story have precognition then the writer himself becomes that much more limited.
Or rather in writing that ability into the story the writer runs the risk of proactively writing plot holes into whatever story arcs they have planned.
Whenever the main characters lose or misfortune falls upon them the question then becomes, “Why didn’t the precog see this coming?” After all if one of them could see the future then they should be able to mitigate the majority of problems set in their path.
In a sense it has the power to end stories before they even begin.
And this kid who was sitting across a table covered in spilled milk was claiming to have access to such an overbearing overpowered ability.
Jirard who had been ever so diligently wiping down a mug stood transfixed where he was. His hands which usually seemed like autonomous cleaning devices were frozen mid action.
Boss’ newspaper had lost all of its tension and was flopping over on itself and his unlit cigarette was doing a fantastic balancing act on his open mouth.
Both of them had completely frozen, their attention glued to the boy sitting across from me.
I’ll admit even I had been taken aback.
I’d heard of some people being able to do weird stuff in my time but this was the first time I’d heard anyone straight up claim to be able to see the future.
For a second I forgot the hardened demeanor I’d resolved myself to wear and let my tensed body relax.
All three of us waited for Tiran to say something, anything.
However he didn’t, whether it was due to nerves or simply because he wanted it to completely sink in he maintained his silence, and just like that an oppressive weight was placed on each of us.
The room that had so been full of tension was now hushed into stillness. If it weren’t for the occasional car driving along the main road nearby I’d swear I had stumbled my way into a photograph.
However.
As strange as this turn of events was it wasn’t nearly enough to facilitate a turnabout. Whether this kid could see into the future or not was none of my concern.
Even if it was something that wasn’t conventionally true, if it was something he believed with all his heart then it didn’t matter whether I believed him or not.
Or rather, if that was how things were going to turn out there was no use questioning it either.
So at that moment I decided to follow the presupposition that this high school boy before me was indeed a precognitive.
That sudden realization however, did nothing to solve his original case. He was still troubling Boss and Jirard.
Therefore, it was still my duty to see to his departure.
“Kid, I don’t care if you CAN see the future. This place is no place for minors. Sure it’s a nice quiet space but that is hardly a rare commodity in a town like this.”
Or rather, your presence is disrupting my happy quiet space, my solace.
“Or rather, you still haven’t answered my question.” I pressed.
“Ah, I’m sorry… could you tell me the question again…?” Came his response, as meek as ever.
Although given his possible access to visions of the future I couldn’t help but suspect this might be a calculated response.
I’m the kind of person who when presented with staunch resistance will stubbornly grit my teeth and hold my ground. If there’s a wall between me and my goals I would much rather punch a hole straight through it than go around. If there is a sea between me and my destination I would rather swim across than take a detour even if I drown in the process.
“You are the kind of person that thrives in adversity.” Is what She used to say.
However,
Conversely that means the kinds of things I have the most trouble dealing with are those things that are firmly within the category of weak.
A person who gives way at the slightest touch, a person who lacks the conviction to stand opposed to me, and a boy who meekly accepts any force exerted upon him.
If I were to describe the sensation I get from those types of people it’d be the feeling when you’re walking down a staircase you’ve climbed and descended many times, however in carelessness born of familiarity you overstep and skip the last step without meaning to.
That sort of feeling as your entire body weight is forced forward and your foot effortlessly passes through what should have been solid ground.
That sickening feeling was etching itself into my gut as I confronted this kid.
As I gritted my teeth and stared him down I couldn’t help but wonder if this weak front he was putting up was nothing more than a facade.
“Why are you here? This isn’t some two bit scifi show where there’s some terrible event that’s going to raze a chunk of this town to the ground and its point of origin is here.”
Well… I suppose I didn’t exactly mind that kind of premise.
“Give me your reason why you absolutely HAVE to be here.”
It seems like he was finally understanding what I was saying, though whether he was ready to tell me everything or not was up to him.
“Alright, but before that would you mind if I clarified something?” Came his quiet response.
This was exactly the kind of thing that set me on edge. Neither a clear denial nor assent, instead of immediately responding to my question he decided to clarify and further refine the question.
Rather than meet me head on he instead decided to change the direction we were going, like a matador to a bull.
If we were to borrow the line of thinking from earlier, to the likes of me an existence such as this boy’s is too weak. The weakest of the weak.
And yet, rather than passively giving in or curling up into a ball to protect himself he uses that weakness to try and move things in a manner he finds more favorable.
In that same sense I would call him my natural enemy.
Realizing he was waiting for me I spoke up again. “I’m listening.”
Short and to the point, the less words he could twist back on me the better.
“I suppose we should start… Ms…” He stopped and took a glance at the nametag on my apron “Mei. What exactly do you think of time?”
“Time?”
“Yes… how do you suppose it functions?”
“Mmm…” If I had to completely be honest my only experience with time was those cheesy dramas where a girl lives a squalid boring life but then slips through time back to the start of her youth to try and do things properly this time.
Though I suppose those kinds of stories can have their merits too.
“I guess… Like a film strip. It goes from the starting advertisements to the ending credits.”
“I see, so what do you think my ability to see the future does using that metaphor.”
“Well obviously it lets you skip all the boring melodrama and get straight to the big climax where the main character realizes his love for the heroine and throws himself in front of her car to keep her from marrying someone else.”
“Oy what are you some kind of hopeless romantic? I’m not drunk enough for this.” I heard Boss mumble behind me. “Jirard get me some booze.”
“After hours, Boss.” This was met with a “tch” from Boss and then quiet descended back upon us.
“I-I see… how specific.”
Oy kid you’re lucky I’m at work right now.
“But what if there was a version of the movie where he never met her to begin with? Let’s say he met someone else instead?”
“Oh like if his lover died and he’d call into a radio show to find a new wife and a reporter hears him and falls in love?”
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“I-I guess?”
“Or like if he’s business rivals with a lady that he unknowingly chats with using an online chat program and so they end up falling in love and having to reconcile their rivalry?”
“I-I think we’re getting a little off track here.” The kid said his face flushing a little. “The point I’m making is time isn’t just one straight line, there are spots where it branches off creating parallels.”
“Parallel dimensions?”
“More like parallel world lines.”
“Like timelines?”
“I really really can’t take this sober Jirard, please have some mercy.” Boss whined
“You’ll take it like a gentleman or you’ll do something about it.”
This was accompanied by the creaking of the floor as boss came and leaned heavily on the back of my chair.
“Alright kid you’re giving the adults here a headache and this one is too dense to absorb any of that theoretical stuff you’re throwing at her. How bout you skip to the point?” As he said “this one” he put his hand on my head and mussed my hair about a bit. The hell did he think I was, a dog?
“Hey I can get the gist of it!” I replied, shaking off his hand and glaring back up at him.
“It’d be like if that famous actress from all those old romantic comedies was actually playing the same person each time, just each movie was its own world.”
“Oy… what kind of cinematic multiverse are you starting?”
“S-she isn’t too far off though…” The kid said looking at me a little strangely.
“Ha! See Boss? I can understand something like timelines easy.”
“World lines.”
“Whatever.”
Ah! Boss had distracted me from the truly important matter at hand.
“Getting this stupid brat out of here.” I muttered accidentally saying my feelings out loud.
“Uh… huh?” It seems like once again I’d left the kid at loss for words.
“None of that matters. Just finish what you were saying before.” I stealthily re-hid my uncovered malice.
“W-well… if we call each of those alternate outcomes a possibility then my future sight allows me to see every possibility at once… though there’s a cutoff of about ten years or so.”
“A cutoff?” Boss jumped in, he was apparently taking Jirard’s words to heart.
“Yes, I can only see a set distance ahead in time...and rather than viewing them all at once like watching a movie I could say it’s more like looking through a kaleidoscope.”
Yes, a kaleidoscope and not a telescope.
Out of all the stupid things Tiran and I said that day that one was the most important. If all of these infinite and branching world lines flowing side by side were to be likened to a great tree then rather than cutting it lengthwise to craft lumber he was cutting it widthwise to observe the myriad rings.
He was like a helmsman, steering his way through this sea of life with nothing but a kaleidoscope as his navigational tool.
It was less a matter of poor vision and more one of active obstruction.
But well,
At the time I still hadn’t realized that yet.
Just as we were about to dive back into this rather troublesome case that’d dropped itself off on our doorstep Jirard gave a light cough.
“I believe the boy will be late for the last bus if we keep him any longer.” He said matter of factly.
An hour had passed faster than I’d thought! Maybe I’d just been so used to the tension these past few days that I’d forgotten how fast time usually passed in this place.
“Would it… be alright if I came again?” Tiran said as he gathered his things and made his way to the entrance.
“Well, we’ll at least hear you out. After that I’m not going to promise a thing.” Boss said giving a sigh and returning to his stool and newspaper.
“Now go on, get out.”
It was a good ten minutes after the boy left before any of us said anything.
“What do you think Boss?” I asked, tentatively breaking the silence. “I’m not sure about that looking into the future stuff, but I get the feeling there’s something off about that kid…”
“Oh? Is that your instincts or your theoretical physics telling you that?” Boss said turning to me, one of his old grins plastered across his face.
As much as he pisses me off I’d rather have this Boss than the one who mopes around every day.
“I’m being serious, it’s just the feeling I got talking to him…”
“And what good will it do knowing that?” his sharp tone caught me off guard. “Everyone has problems Mei, this isn’t one of your romcoms where everything can be solved and brushed aside like dust.”
Seeing my silence Boss stopped himself a bit and gave half hearted sigh before smiling at me.
“Look Mei, you’re as straightforward as they get. I know that, but not everyone thinks the way you do. Let’s say this kid spills his guts to you, what will you do?”
“Well…”
“Will you solve it for him? Then what? What if he runs into another problem? Will you just take responsibility for him for your whole life?”
I don’t think he knew it at the time, but those words really struck home for me. Like the cold peal of a bell cutting through the cold morning air.
‘Take responsibility for the rest of my whole life’ huh?
For a second I could feel my stomach drop and my heart slowing down under its own weight. Only for a moment though, this was my place of solace after all. What good is solace if I spend it walking on eggshells?
So once more I swallowed those feelings and pushed those restless thoughts to the back of my mind.
He appeared to be waiting for me to reply.
“I don’t get what you’re saying…”
To be honest I was a little distracted, so this was the best I could muster.
“Jeez don’t look at me like that, I’m not some bad guy alright?” He said, still shadier than an email from a friend telling you about this new dietary supplement.
“I just want you to think a little before you get any more involved. You’re dealing with someone at their most vulnerable, whatever you say or do under the banner of helping them will have a profound effect on them, and you’ll need to ready to take responsibility for that.”
I let his words sink in, it wasn’t because I necessarily agreed with him but rather because I recognized the weight of them.
It might be true to some extent, but if I didn’t take any action and they didn’t either then in the end what would happen?
Nothing.
Hey Boss, is it really okay to let things go on like this?
Did you hear the words he said, “I can just disappear from the world.” Is it really alright to just ignore that kind of sentiment?
Hey Boss, is it really alright to ignore such an obvious cry for help for your own self preservation?
Those were all thoughts that were floating through my head, and like fall leaves on a fast flowing river they were gone before I could give voice to them.
Though the feelings remained, I hid those embarrassing insecurities away before they could force their way out my throat.
Boss wouldn’t listen to me, in fact he’d made his position clear with that last warning. He was refusing to get involved.
If that was going to be the case then what about Jirard?
No, if it was Jirard he would do it more out of moral obligation than out of any sense of true caring. That kind of paternal attitude of his must have caused him to bear similar burdens like this in the past. In his twilight years that man deserved a bit of peace and quiet.
Besides, what kind of waitress would I be if I left all of the customers up to him?
Those were the feelings that gently floated down my river of thought as I idly swept the bar while Boss watched me.
Our previous conversation had just kind of ended where he’d left it.
I wasn’t exactly in the mood to respond and so he just let it go. He seemed to have a bit of suspicion as to whether I was taking his words to heart but…
It wasn’t like he was the kind of guy to force others.
If Jirard was the kind of parent who gently chides a child and stops them before they make a mistake, then boss is the kind who would watch their kid touch a hot stove and while treating the burn laugh and say “serves you right.”
What I’m saying is I suppose it’s for the best that Boss is single.
Finally I heard Boss let another of his sighs before speaking to me again.
“So, I never expected you for the chick flick kinda girl. Pretty surprising if you ask me, what do you think Jirard?”
Jirard wisely kept quiet and continued supervising my efforts at cleaning.
“What’s that supposed to mean Boss? You got a problem with it?” I replied, sounding a bit like one of those cheap thug characters in those old school dramas.
“Not really, but I mean… isn’t that hobby a little too girly for you? I mean most of the other things you do are kinda mannish… just look at your hair.”
Who’s fault is that Boss?
“Please, I never understood why they’re called chick flicks anyway. A lot of them have male protagonists, and at the very least they set up romantic relations better than most action movies.”
“That’s exactly why!” Boss said, reclining on his stool. “Who knew you were so preoccupied with romance? You’re more of a maiden than I thought. Didn’t you know the philosophy of modern movies is giant action set pieces and CGI over complex human relations and romance?”
“You’re more of a meathead than I gave you credit for Boss.” I muttered back, glaring daggers at his neck.
“Hey hey, I never said those were the kinds of movies I watched.”
“Oh yeah? Then why can’t I picture you watching anything that doesn’t have explosions or scantily clad women?”
“Oy, cats are important too y’know!”
“Boss you aren’t exactly denying what I said… also what do you mean cats are important too? It’s not like they make movies centered around them, they’re usually just more or less a part of the set.”
“Ha ha ha! That’s where you’re wrong my dear Mei, not only have they starred in animated movies but they also have entire platform all to themselves!”
“What?” I was willing to concede that there were animated movies starring cats, but a whole platform devoted to them?
“Yes, not only have videos of them dominated the internet for years now but on some sites certain cats have a whole page dedicated to them bringing them the coveted title of celebrity.”
“Oy, I’m not talking about that silly shit. Those don’t even count as movies.”
“Hmph” Boss pouted, spinning on his stool, “You’re only saying that because they lack the plot, understanding of shot composition, use of symbolism, and technical skill involved to be considered high art.”
Uh Boss, didn’t you just practically take your own argument out behind the bar and shoot it?
“But I’ll have you know back in ancient Egypt mankind worshipped cats, so rather if we look at these videos as an extension of that line of thinking aren’t they more an important cultural art?”
“No, I’d say they’re just random videos the owner posts because people like animals. Rather you still haven’t defended yourself in regards to your taste in movies.”
If I followed that ridiculous point I’d just end up falling down a pitfall of Boss’ design. Rather than adapting to his twisted logic it’s better to return to more solid ground and drag him with me.
“Fine fine, if I had to describe the kinds of movies I like it’d have to be… the kind where the grisled stranger comes to a town where a problem is happening. Then after solving it he either passes away or leaves the grateful people behind as he continues on his personal journey.”
“You mean like those Westerns? I guess they’re alright.”
“It’s more than just westerns! There are tons of samurai movies like that too! They depict the manly spirit and solitude of the warrior.”
Boss, aren’t you even more of a romantic than me?
“Furthermore they never have those phoned in happy endings we see nowadays. If you ask me rather than tying everything up with a nice bow these events feel more like one small part in that person’s life. Life is full of loose ends and happy endings that never came to be.”
“If you ask me they were just trying to set up for a sequel” I muttered back at him, watching his face light up with indignation.
“Do you know how much it cost to make a movie back then!?” Boss shouted, going off into another one of his tirades.
Truth be told I was rather fond of a lot of those movies, though I wasn’t going to let him know.
And so with that awkward air between us gone I went about the rest of my shift with a frown on my face and a smile in my heart.
As loud and annoying as he may be I still preferred this Boss to the troubled and sulking one i’d seen for the past few days. Even Jirard seemed put at ease by our usual bickering.
I didn’t have the knowledge to help Jirard with bartending nor the finances to support the place like Boss does so this was the very least I could do.
If you ask me, this was the kind of place The Devil’s Solace should be, and this was probably the kind of environment those two envisioned.
Even if I was just some mediocre employee who was always late if I could help make this atmosphere come to be then maybe I was worth something after all.
At least that’s what I thought.
And so, even as I planned to disregard Boss’ warning, I quietly thanked him for giving me a place to rest. A place to feel like it was better to stay than move on.
In all honesty it meant more than anything to me, though I’d never tell him that myself.