2. 離れてみて気がついた

[shadow]

Hmm... as mentioned way earlier, not quite in character. ^^; It's even worse in English as certain language aspects are lost between the two languages as well. I think this is the only Naru POV topic for this series, which is good. He's very hard to write! >.<;; Mai's much easier. :P


It has been two weeks since I returned to England. There's little difference between the work I'm doing here now and what I did in Japan, but what has changed is that I don't go on investigations as often. My real job has always been to analyse the data collected during investigations.

Granted, life in England is different from that in Japan. However, those differences bother me little and is of little consequence to me. I'm not that interested in the country I'm living in as long as I can pursue my research. Likewise, I don't particularly miss living in Japan now that I've returned.

However, there is one difference between my usual self and the way I am now. I noticed it a few days after returning, but it's nothing major. Madoka, however, has also noticed it. And most likely, so has Luella.

Lately, I almost never drink tea.

Even more than actually noticing this change, the fact that I changed so easily is not like me. However, it did happen.

And for whatever reason, Madoka noticed it as well, and seems to enjoy inviting me for tea.

It's a stupid game, and if I drank tea, no doubt Madoka would soon stop. But for whatever reason, I don't feel like drinking tea right now.

Luella's been a bit worried about it, but so far, she hasn't said anything about it.

If I were to move out of that house, she'd probably stop worrying about it. However, besides this one difference, my life there hasn't changed at all since I was last living there.

Except for tea.

......Taking the future into consideration, things could become... not so much bothersome as a bit difficult though.

But just moving will not stop Madoka's games.

When I was living in Japan, I never thought twice about drinking tea, but right now, unless I make it myself, I won't drink it. ......No, I can't drink it is probably closer.

It seems I can drink anything other than tea. As a result, I've since started drinking coffee during these past two weeks. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten completely used to coffee's bitterness.

Every now and again, I still go through an instant of distasteful realisation that rather than drinking tea, I'm actually drinking coffee. Just how long is that going to continue?!

It's been two weeks. Yet for something this foolish to happen...

I never once thought that I'd become addicted to Mai's tea.

It's ridiculous to think that I actually miss tea.


More to follow later. :P

Comments

[sekitx2.livejournal.com]

But WHY did he leave Japan?

Likewise, I don't particularly miss living in Japan now that I've returned
Awww... glad this wasn't/doesn't include the people he was working with. :(

I don't go on investigations as often.
What,the control freak doesn't go to make sure everything is set up precisely so as to get valid data? ^^

Yeah, ficcage. Yeah, have to rush now for work ^^

[arianataniyama.livejournal.com]

So the real reason he returned to Japan was to get his tea fix! Of course, why didn't I see it sooner? XD

I agree with sekitx2 though, it's hard to imagine the control freak not insisting on making sure the cameras and stuff are all in the precise place he wants them.

[yumenokage.livejournal.com]

I figure he left because of work. For all that his sponsors did support and pay for the office while he searched for Gene, unless that office was meant to be permanent, sooner or later, he would leave. And paying for such an empty office in Shibuya is bound to be extremely expensive. *shrug*

*laughs* Naru's on the theoretical research side. How many established researchers do you know of that actually do data gathering? That's tech work. Usually researchers analyse data and come up with theories to explain the data and then work on proving or disproving the theories. (Newer non-established researchers or those with smaller budgets may do some lab work themselves, but once they're established and have full labs, I'd expect them to be in their offices going over data or writing most of the time.) If the data's going to vary between tech A and tech B doing the measuring despite both techs being properly trained, it suggests that the data may not be particularly reliable and thus not necessarily valuable/valid in the first place. I can't see Naru being particularly interested in that sort of unreliable data. Remember, part of research is also luck--luck in getting key, significant data.

[yumenokage.livejournal.com]

*shrugs* Your opinion. Quite frankly, gathering data is very time consuming and shouldn't change greatly depending on who's gathering it. I see Naru more interested in examining/analysing data than necessarily gathering it himself.

[sekitx2.livejournal.com]

But then wouldn't make sense to keep SPR open after he left the first time (or just deny him from going back if didn't think was still viable) ?

I suppose but this is Naru... why spend (waste) time analyzing data that wasn't taken properly? He doesn't have to DO the set-up or do the gathering, just lord over those who are ^^ (which wouldn't be so different to SPR in Japan).

Just my thoughts... just ignore.

[(Anonymous)]

I guess it depends on how much he trusts the team he works with, and the team in England is probably pretty experienced. Do the books focus more on his research work? The manga doesn't really go into what they do with the information they collect on their cases, so I hadn't really thought much about how he uses it to come up with a scientific hypothesis.

[yumenokage.livejournal.com]

Not necessarily. Remember, the first time Naru came back, he's the one who requested to be able to come back because something about Japan allowed for being able to get good, clear data. At that point, he'd been there for less than two years, which isn't all that long for research. By the time he's going back permanently, we're talking another five years later, by which time he should have managed to gather some good data. It's also a reasonable time frame for people to say, okay, it's time to come back and concentrate fully on your work over here. If he really pushed for it, he might've been able to convince people there to keep the office open under another researcher, or even himself, but ultimately, I see him going where his funding is/takes him. And if it's not there in Japan (and by novels' end, it's still firmly in England), I don't see him necessarily staying there. (If Naru actually started working on getting himself Japanese backers and funding, I could see him staying there, but I don't particularly see that happening, hence why I sent him back to England.)

The thing with the situation in Japan that makes things a bit different from how I see them in England is that there aren't many actual SPR members there. Lin's the only other full-time member, which means Naru has to do some of the gathering/set up himself. If he's not setting up/gathering himself, why would he waste time being on site? He should be burying himself in his beloved data. :P (Remember, even when on investigations in Japan, he didn't have any problem with leaving the site in order to check out other things (relevant to the investigation) and leaving things to Lin or the others. It's the equipment that's recording the data, after all.) Naru's not really going to care about what the others see or hear, he's interested in actual audio, visual, or other measurable physical evidence.

And if the data wasn't taken properly (sic is unreliable or an artefact), I don't see him wasting his time with it at all. I also see him either tearing a strip out of the tech for incompetence, the tech being retrained properly, or even getting the person fired depending on how bad the situation was. Ouch! ^^;

[yumenokage.livejournal.com]

His trust in the team's competence will be an issue, but I figure he'll assemble his own tech team once he's permanently in England which means they *better* be good or else! ^^; The books don't go hugely more into the research end; they might've given a bit more background about 'Oliver Davis', but I'm not entirely sure. The thing is, he's known (other than for having both PK and psychometry) for his research (sic his papers), which means his primary focus will likely be in writing/analysis and not data gathering.

[sekitx2.livejournal.com]

Like I said, just ignore my misguided thoughts :(

I said if wasn't viable... but it was. And no doubt Naru can be very persuasive if he thought it was worthwhile ^^

I don't see him wasting his time with it at all Yes, exactly. But he'd have to analyze it to figure that out... Why I was trying to say he'd just be there and make sure it is done how HE wants/expects it to be done... less tech hide roasted later on :) Virgos are extremely particular about details.

[yumenokage.livejournal.com]

I think we'll just have to disagree on what's the bigger waste of time for him. IMO, what you're talking about having him do sounds more like a head tech's responsibilities than an actual researcher's. Alternatively, I'd expect it more of newer, less established researchers (assistant researchers maybe?) with greater budgetary constraints. Of course, I'm also assuming greater establishment of paranormal research than I expect happens in reality since the GH universe does assume an actual lab/institute affiliation for the SPR and has clear departmentalisation of their staff, not to mention Naru's supposed level of funding.

[akinarei.livejournal.com]

Naru, dear, to cut the bitterness of coffee, use a packet of hot chocolate.

[akinarei.livejournal.com]

Since when has Naru ever been a control freak? He doesn't strike me as all that concerned about what's recording the data, so long as he's getting that data.

[yumenokage.livejournal.com]

*laughs* You know, that thought never once occurred to me? ^^; Mind you, in my GH 'verse, Naru doesn't like sweet things much. (Actually, I figure he probably doesn't really care one way or the other, unless it's cloyingly sweet, whereupon it's a no-go. :P )

[yumenokage.livejournal.com]

Personally, I don't think he is, but I can see how others might tweak his personality to suit that if they think he is (especially when you take into account how secretive he was when he was hiding his identity). I agree, the main point would be that he get good, reliable data.

[akinarei.livejournal.com]

=P It help, believe it or not. I can't stand how bitter coffee is either, so I have to add something to it.