PaRappa's Hat Ties

Quality Time

Before PaRappa went to his date, or so he thought of it to be like one, he had some time to himself. He wasn't backing out now. He was just wondering if he should wear anything special, or would that make it more obvious that he thought it was a date? He decided to stay it safe and just wear the clothes he was already wearing. His dad walked shyly into the room.
"Hey sport what's going on?" Papa said sitting down on PaRappa's bed next to him.
"I'm just going to go visit Sunny soon," PaRappa said.
"Oh, that's nice. Are you two going anywhere special?" Papa asked.
"No, I'm just going to her place to hang out," PaRappa said. He wasn't afraid to look his dad in the eye.
"You know when I was your age I didn't really connect with other people around me," Papa said.
"Why?" PaRappa asked tilting his head.
"I was very Independent. I didn't really like being around people all that much, even as a kid," Papa explained.
"Well what did you do about it, like where are you going with this?" PaRappa asked.
"Well i'm just really glad that you have good friends that you can lean on. I haven't really been there for you lately, and i'm just really sorry. It's just been really topsy turvy lately, and to be honest you're the source of my topsy turvynesss. I've been avoiding you and that's not right, So, honestly, how are you feeling?"
"Um, i've been feeling really confused and empty lately. I get lost really easily, like I got lost in backstage of Club Fun even though it's only like four rooms. I get really tired a lot and my anxiety is killing me. How am I gonna be like when this is all over? I'm really frightened by that. It's coming so quick that there really isn't anything left to do other than wait. I still do what I can to make these moments precious but sometimes I stop caring and just sorta drift. Drift in hot water," PaRappa unloaded.
"Get what you're talking about son. I get anxious too, but I usually get anxious about death. It's a mysterious question that no one can answer. Sort of like your condition PaRappa,"
"Yeah. I have been comparing it to death a ton. I don't really know how to feel, or, what to say. It's a mess that I don't really care about, because I don't have any time to clean it up," PaRappa said. He looked at the clock, "Oh, uh sorry dad, but I told Sunny i'd be right there. I'll see you later tonight!" PaRappa got up and headed over to his bike.
"Oh, uh are you sure you don't need a lift? You said you get lost easy," Papa asked.
"Nope, that was before. I think i've got a way of navigating that will cancel out... the whatever," PaRappa said.
"Well ok. Tell Potter that I said hi for me if you see him!" Papa said as PaRappa went out the door.
"Got it!"
PaRappa had found out on his way home that by using his nose he could never get lost. In his mind's eye he could see all of PaRappa town just by smelling it. He saw it almost like a minimap in a videogame. If he ever got confused as to where he was, a whiff could get his mind back into place. He was very grateful for this new skill, but sometimes told him too much about something. An example would be piss, rotting garbage, and worst of all: the smell of corpses at a graveyard. He could even smell things under the corpses too. 40 feet underground didn't feel so mysterious anymore.
His hands were more pawlike than ever. His dad had saw earlier, but he didn't say anything. He could barely move them anymore, and he had no thumbs. The same has not yet started with his feet. PaRappa hoped his feet wouldn't go anytime soon. It would be a giveaway that he was turning into a dog dog (his shoes would be too big for his goddam feet). He didn't even think of what would happen to his face. Despite him not usually seeing his own face, he felt like it was a part of his identity. He desired deeply not to have his own face changed. He knew that it was dumb to hope that his face wouldn't change. It was better to believe than to not he had thought.
When he arrived at Sunny Funny's house of sugar water smells, he smelled something funky. It was like sour candy. In fact he almost stepped onto a red sour candy on his way to in. It was as big as his hand and wrapped up neatly like a taffy or a tootsie roll. It had no label's but was red and black. He decided to put it in his pocket so he could decide whether to eat it or not. PaRappa knew he probably wouldn't eat it, but he didn't want to pass the opportunity.