Breaking the ice?

As nearly always, he once again found himself being early, this time by a good 20 minutes. Ah well. At least he would never be blamed for being late to a meet up? That was a good thing, right? He kind of liked being the first one anyway. It just felt better for some reason. Nevertheless, it also meant he now had to wait for the other to get here as well. Which is why he'd make a stop by the ice ring itself, leaning against the railings and just kind of enjoying the view for the time being while he was alone.

He made sure to not be too far off from the entrance of course, so that the other wouldn't have to search too hard to find him. It's not like he was trying to play hide and seek here. He seemed to be dressed in black pants, a white shirt and a light gray sleeveless button-up jacket. Almost as if he was wearing formal clothes, though he did have the top buttons on his shirt and jacket unbuttoned, and his sleeves slightly rolled up, so he obviously wasn't trying super hard to look like he was about to attend a meeting here or something. Unlike in most cases, this time around he wasn't wearing hoop in his ears, opting for a pair of diamond-like stud earrings instead. Outside of that, there was his new face look, of course. He seemed to be sporting a more or less medium length stubble. Longer beard types weren't really for him, so he was going for a more rough look in a way. It seemed to suit him pretty well, though it did certainly make him look slightly different, and in a way a bit older/more mature. Especially when combined with him being as tall as he was, and what he was dressed in right now.

At any rate, he would continue staring out at the ice, somewhat spaced out as he simply waited for the other to show up.

The other would only have to wait approximately 10 minutes before the demon arrived on the scene. The demon was wearing a nice pair of black boots, black pants, and a button up black shirt. It could appear to be formal to some, but there were things like the way he did not tuck his shirt in or the fact the first few button at the top of the shirt were undone that suggested the guy wasn't trying to be super formal with it. the long sleeves were cuffed at the elbow as the only colors that broke the black color scheme were the subtle red on his nails and the red on the cross pendant that hung from his neck. If one looked closely there could also be seen under that wild lock of black hair red fanged earrings that were decorated with small feathers. The only other odd touch the look was a very faint line of red at the eye lash line at the top that came out in a small curve at the end. The make up used to enhance his eyes which were a deep green versus his usual red.

Yet despite all this, he was subtle in the way he had this all displayed using each piece to enhances himself versus over whelm his natural looks and make it look like he was trying to hard to be out there, gay, or over the top. In a nutshell, he looked like a guy that cared about how he looked and nothing more.

In any case, as the demon came into the area he would look around taking in the people and the sounds around him feeling a bit anxious. Doing a good job of not letting it show, the demon would move further in scanning the area until he finally found his target leaning against the railing of the ice ring. Approaching casually enough the demon would move to the railing next to the other leaning back against it casually before looking over at the other taking in his face and the beard there.

"Well now. That is quite the look you got going there," he would say finally breaking the silence between them in his usual odd way.

Well, he was lost in his thoughts enough for it to take him a couple moments to notice that he had company all of a sudden, which meant he wouldn't respond all too much until around the moment the other spoke up to him. At which he would blink a couple times before turning his head to glance at the guy. "What, don't I look stunning?", he'd poke at the other with a faint smirk before tilting his head slightly. "I didn't know you wore make-up? Is that a new thing?" He couldn't really recall having seen the demon painted up before, but maybe he just had bad memory. He couldn't be sure, to be honest.

Perhaps the demon was getting use to the other's slow reactions at times or maybe he was simply expecting it due to the fact that the guy did seem spaced out when he approached. Whatever the case was, the demon would give a light snort as he gave a smile back to the other. "You always look stunning to me. Though, I must admit I am gonna have to get use to the beard," the demon would say as he observed the other's face up and down. The hair did age him a bit, but it wasn't bad either. Just odd because he wasn't use to seeing it. Anywho...

The demon would look down a bit at the question with a faint smile. "It is rare I do it, but occasionally I do like to wear a bit of it," he said before looking up at the other. "Do you like it?" The question was delivered in a calm fashion as the demon studied the other with a faint smile upon his face seeming relaxed now that he had something familiar at his side in the sea of strangers.

Shifting a bit to stand up more straight instead of leaning against the railing, he would scratch at his cheek slightly. "Do I look that weird?", he would question, somewhat curious as to what was the guy thinking when he said he would have to get used to it. And yes, he did look a bit older, but it wasn't really a huge difference. He could sure pass for 5 or so years older than he was if he wanted to, but he certainly didn't look 40 or such.

"Erm...I'd say it's okay. Though you look just fine naturally anyway.", he would shake his head with a mildly amused huff as he attempted to poke the guy's nose. To be honest, he generally just did not think about make-up. Personally, he did not think he could make it work, as he just wasn't feminine enough to have it look good on him instead of it being pure silly. And when it came to others, he could deal when it was in moderation, but he generally preferred people's normal looks.

The demon would look up at the other and shake his head. "It is not weird in a bad way. Like you still look good as always, but it just takes a moment to get use to a look that is new for me is all. Not a bad thing. Just a small adaptation window." Kind of like seeing someone bald all the time and then on day they have hair. It changed the look and took a moment to get used to seeing. It wasn't bad just his mind's way of log new information is all.

in any case, the demon would stay in his spot for a while longer as he gave a lopsided grin to the other's comment. "Hmph. I'll keep that note in mind then," he would say feeling his insides becoming warm from the words. He liked the compliment and didn't seem to mind the other poking him on the nose as he looked down a bit shyly as faint blush crossed his cheeks as he shook his head a bit to clear it before pushing himself to stand up straight. He would approach the other and lift hand. If allowed he would attempt to touch the beard.

He would snort at that. "Says the guy who flips his entire visage without a care about how it comes off to others." Not that he was seriously complaining here, but it was a thing. The other had done way more changes up until now than him, really. And it wasn't like he didn't notice the eye color change either. He just chose not to comment on it.

"Please do." As much as he could handle this, he would probably want to hang himself if at any point the other came around looking like he dipped his face into a bucket of make-up. He honestly just didn't understand the people who slathered their face in it like it was a godsend or something. It's not like you can wear it 24/7 anyway, so your real face will be seen sooner or later. At any rate, he would observe the other with a somewhat amused look on his face, albeit he wouldn't say anything. Nor would he really protest when the other tried touching him.

The demon would chuckle. "Well yes. I do do that, but I guess I am used to it since I've done this for a long while now. However, just because I am numb to my own changes most of the time that doesn't mean I won't react to others. Especially when I've never seen hair on you like this." Well at least the demon was being relatively calm about this, his behavior showing amusement and intrigue versus agitation or being overly flustered about what the other had said.

That aside the demon would just give a nod to the other's comment. The guy honestly didn't have to worry. The demon rarely wore make up and when he did he typically choose simple colored lines above the eye or a lipstick so faint you'd never know it was there. He was not fond of make up so much that he'd over do himself to the point he was unrecongnizable. No even with make up he let most of his natural self show. Make up aside, the demon would step foward and reach for the other, his left hand touching the beard testing its feel against his finger.

"Hmph," the demon would make the sound in a soft amused sound as an amused smile crossed his face. He gently stroke the side of the other's face where the hair was feeling the sensation of the semi-soft hairs there as he nodded. "I think this will be just fine." He would say softly seeming to accept the beard as a thing for the other now. And that...that was okay.

"I'm just pointing out the discrepancy.", he would remark, sticking his tongue out at the other. If you kind of expect others to accept your changes left and right, you should probably try to adopt a similar attitude too. Or risk coming off as a bit of a hypocrite. Though, he didn't necessarily mind as long as he wasn't going to be harassed about being suddenly different. It was just a line of thought, that was all.

And well, as long as the other stuck to being more or less simple, he'd likely be fine. He himself would most likely never wear anything more girlish, to be honest. It just didn't go well together. Just imagine a guy with a beard and pink lipstick or something. Horrendous. It didn't fit his style at all. The most he ever did was nail polish, but even then it was kinda rare, and he went almost exclusively for black. He'd leave prettying up to the guys who could actually wear it properly.

For a while, he would just kind of stand there awkwardly, letting the other pet him on the face. Well, he couldn't really do much, as speaking would require him moving his jaw around, and he wasn't trying to go and chomp on the guy's fingers, really. "Hrm.", he would just make a small gruff sound at the back of his throat, watching the other with faint amusement.

"Oh. Is that what you were doing?" the demon would say not minding this at all. It was an odd quirk considering he could change his appearance on a a whim, but then again it was what it was. Regardless of that, the demon would roll with his odd quirks having fun with the situation that was clearly expressed by the way he playful teased back or the fact that smile given was genuinely natural and not forced to cover up some negative emotion.

That aside, the make-up topic seemed to lay its own self to rest easily enough as things transitioned to the beard petting? Well he guess that happened though as he petted the other's hair he would take notice of how the other was not relaxed with this. The body positioning suggesting maybe confusion, but the face suggesting he having fun in a way? He did detect amusement there. And that hum? Hmmm.

Amused about this, the demon would rest his hand on the side of the other's face briefly as he looked up at the other his voice lowering to where only the other could hear. "You know, you could lean your head into my hand. Kind of like a snuggle you know. If you want," he would say observing the other with faint smile. "Though I am curious about something. In the chat, you said you were being romantic, but I took notice of the kissing icons. Did you really want to kiss me?" He would watch the other with open curiosity there his heart beat becoming a bit quicker as nerves hit him along with that strange cross between joy and happiness that had hit him when he had first seen those icons. Even so, he held his ground well enough as he waited to see what would happen.

"Nah, I was secretly trying to sue you. Obviously.", he would snort faintly with a shake of his head. He was just saying, really. It's not like he was trying to turn this into an actual argument after all. That would make for a rather bad start of the day.

Anyway, he was just..awkward with this, that was all. He wasn't actually tense or such, but he simply had no idea what to do while it was happening. "...am I a kitty now?", he would comment in a half-amused tone when the guy asked him to snuggle. No offense, but this only reminded him of a cat rubbing up against its owner when its head was being petted. Outside of that, he kind of didn't want to look too odd in public.

Speaking of odd, the next question definitely fell well into that category. It certainly managed to catch him off guard as it was hardly something he expected to be asked out of the blue. For a moment, he would proceed to blankly blink at the guy a few times. "Um..." To be honest, he didn't even have an answer to that. He hadn't been thinking about whether he wanted to seriously do it or not, as he was obviously not going to be smooching his screen there. It was just chat. He didn't have to ponder the reality too hard when it was happening. Shit. Though, he got the cue. He wasn't dumb enough to not understand why the demon was asking. If the guy didn't care about it and didn't want a kiss, he likely wouldn't bother inquiring about it. It was basic logic, really.

Err, options? Go along with it? Hmmmm, sure, check. He would mumble something incoherent under his breath, offering the other a somewhat awkward smile before moving one hand to rest it against the back of the demon's head and dipping down in an attempt to give the other a chaste kiss, his other arms resting loosely around the other's waist.

The demon would chuckle at that one. "Sue me huh? I don't know what you were looking to win out of that," the demon would say his tone the whole time non-argumentative. He was just rolling with what he heard and poking at the other lightly when it seemed appropriate. It was play and nothing more.

"A kitty?" the demon would say with a raised eye brow. "I am sure there is some part of you that is, but I wasn't trying to make you into a pet. It was just a suggestion." Because honestly some did do that to show affection, but hey if the guy didn't want to go that way then the demon wouldn't complain at all. He just let what happened happen.

And for the most part that seemed to work well until the kissing topic came up. It seem the question might've caught the other off guard? The demon would let his hand drop from the other's cheek as he tilted his head at the other's blank blinking more curious about what was on his mind than anything; however, before he could be left alone to worry, the other made a move.

The demon did not resist as his head tilted a bit and even tipped toed slightly to meet the other half way, his arms resting against the other's chest for support. And when their lips touched? The demon was in complete happiness. This simple act or cuddling was all he really wanted, but had resisted doing to avoid triggering something with his actions. The fact it was done now was like releasing a bird that wanted to fly and while it did bring great joy to the demo, he did not go over board as he returned the kiss in a fashion that matched the other's.

"I just like being proven right." Which was not even really a lie. It was nice to have people admit they're wrong and take some responsibility for their actions. When the matter was serious enough, of course.

He would shrug weakly. "Sounds like an awkward thing to be doing out in public. Maybe that's just me though." There were things he had no problem doing outside, but this one specifically just kind of came off a bit embarrassing to him. He'd rather even hug than go rub up against someone in any way. Ah well.

In any case, he would let the kiss linger for a while, letting it be a mostly simple one. No need to start making out heavily right here and now after all. Eventually, he would lean away a bit, pausing for a moment to plant a small kiss on the tip of the other's nose before straightening himself back up, resting both his arms around the demon's waist for now. "Enjoying yourself?" Well, he seemed to be in a good mood today at the very least.

"Well what happens if you are proven wrong?" The demon didn't mind admitting when he was wrong or taking responsibility for what he did; however, he was not fond of someone that always had to be right. He didn't think Sharaku that sort of person, but still the question seemed appropriate for the conversation at hand. So he asked and let the conversation go where it would.

As for the next subject, the demon would give the other a lopsided smile. "I suppose it can seem odd, if you're not used to it." To be honest he found this not awkward at all, but everyone had their likes and dislikes so this difference was okay in the demon's mind. He just made a mental note of what the other did not care for in public and in turn would learn to adapt to that, so he wouldn't make this awkward all the time.

In any case, this small matter would soon be far from his mind as he let himself enjoy the kiss until it came to an end. When he recieved the kiss on his the demon would give a bashful smile as a slight hint of red crossed his cheeks. Was he enjoying himself? The demon would hum softly as he moved so he could lean against the other his eyes closing as he wrapped his arms gently around the other.

"Yes I am," he would say staying where he was for a bit before leaning back a bit to look at the other. "Are you?" Well the demon most certainly was in a good mood despite the kiss giving him an unexpected whirl. He was indeed very happy.

"I guess...nothing really. I mean, I usually don't even try to fight a battle where I know I'm wrong. I'd prefer to focus on things I can succeed in." It's not really worth it, unless you want to get yourself stomped over, and he didn't particularly enjoy that. If you're clearly on the losing side, it's better to not start a fight.

"Well, people usually don't pet my face." It was kind of unusual to be doing that to begin with. Guess there was a bit of a reason now due to the hair, but he didn't have it before, so people really generally didn't even touch his face. What for after all?

He would tilt his head with a faint huff. "Good.", he would remark in an amused tone as he glanced down towards the other. "Hmph. I guess." It wasn't like he hated it after all. "Though, maybe we should get moving unless you plan to stand here all day.", he would snort a bit as he moved one arm to ruffle the guy's hair briefly.

"At least you choose your battles wisely." Where as it took the demon a while to learn that lesson. He had the tendency to want to keep fighting even if he was losing. He'd wear himself out in the end, but over time he suppose he got tired of being well tired and tried to reel that in along with his worry. It was still a work in progress, but at least he was doing better than before.

"No, but occasionally I like to stroke the cheek or face. Your chin was a target because of the hair. Does it bother you?" Perhaps everyone didn't do this, but for someone who was more on the physical side of the spectrum touch was kind of a way to express affection for him. A gentle caress of the face here or holding of the hand there. Simple stuff like that that had no other purpose than to connect physically with the one he was with in that moment. There was no sexual intent behind it. It was just a simple touch that he used to show he cared.

That aside, the demon would find himself smiling as the other seemed pleased he was enjoying himself and that smile only became brighter when the other said he was enjoying himself in his own way. "I am glad to hear that," the demon would say accepting the words as they were. Though as much as he would love to keep holding the other, they were in a public space and well they didn't exactly come out to cuddle. If that was the case, they could've stayed home. Just as the demon was thinking this, the other seemed to think the same as he spoke.

The demon would give a lopsided smirk as he ducked his head slightly not to get away from the rub, but rather just reacting to it as chuckled a bit. "It would be fun to do that, but I think ice skating was our purpose here," he would say as grinned up at the other not caring that his hair was a bit messy from the ruffle. In any case, he would hold the other for a moment longer before shifting to stand by the other's side as his eyes scanned the area. "I suppose we should find the skate rental desk."

"It's no fun to fight a losing battle." It's better not to. Unless you absolutely have to try to win for some reason. Not that it makes it much better though.

He would furrow his brows slightly as the other spoke about the face petting. That wasn't really it. It didn't seriously bother him. He just kind of found it weird right now. He had no idea how to explain it though. "Umm, no. It's just kind of awkward, that's all." Maybe it was the situation or just the fact that they were casually standing here doing that. He wasn't exactly sure to be honest.

He would purse his lips slightly, still kind of amused by the whole thing. "You would be." Though of course, having the other in a good mood was much better than the opposite of that. That much was obvious, so it's not like he could complain for real. "I'd be worried we'd start growing roots here." Well, not seriously of course, but he personally was not the biggest fan of standing around all day. He'd start getting restless in time. He would need some sort of distraction to keep his attention for such a long stretch of time. Nevertheless, he would hum faintly when the other let him go. "I think I saw it somewhere that way.", he would wave a hand in a direction briefly, before shifting a bit to grab the other's hand and tug him along.

"It took a couple of falls and stumbles to get that message through my head." At one point in his life he just submitted to everything and then at another rebelled with every part of himself. Thankful most of the fight had died out of him and now he only did it to protect others or to defend himself if he knew he was in the right. It was rare he'd keep the battle going and wear himself out in the past, even if the tendency to do so did flare up hear and there. He resisted the urge the best he could for everyone's sake.

As for the face petting thing, the demon would let out a soft snort as he looked up at the other with an amused smile. "Alright. I'll take that for what it is and memorize that note." If that was how the guy felt about the matter well there was no magic fixing it, so the demon wouldn't continue to do what made the other uncomfortable or what not out of respect for the guy.

Petting aside though, the demon would give a smirk at the first comment. "Of course. This is nice," he would say before letting out a soft chuckle at the next thing. "Well if that happened we'd be together so that is a plus...though I don't think I want to become a tree with ya in a public place. That is a bit odd." And destroyed the privacy barrier if everyone could just pass by and gawk. He was a little too selfish to share a moment like that with the world.

Anyway, those ice skates.

As the demon moved away from the other, he was looked in the direction the other was pointing and nodded. "Alright," he would say at first focused until the other grabbed his hand unexpectedly. At first the action stunned him his mind not believing all this was happening as his mind whirl about what this was all about. On one hand he was hoping this was a sign that the other was letting him in that they were moving onto something wonderful and new, but the other half was worried.
Due to what he knew of the guy, he couldn't be sure if this was just a one time thing or something more. He was...confused alright and wanted to poke at it; however, not right now.

For now, he would go with it as his hand wrapped around the other's and he let the other guide him to the skate rental counter. Once there he would look over at the rows of skates as the guy at the counter dealt with some other customers before coming over to ask them what sort of skates they needed. Looking up at Sharaku, the demon would gesture for him to go first with his request.

"I think I wouldn't want to be a tree period. Sounds like a sad existence." Trees can't move around at all. That would be the most boring life ever, honestly. No matter what situation it happened in.

And yes, he was a very confusing person. Not even he himself would deny that fact. Nevertheless, it seemed like the other didn't want to raise any sort of protest to what was happening so far, so he wouldn't spend time wondering about the confusions for the time being. If it came up later, he'd deal with it then. He kind of figured it was going to sooner or later, to be honest, as he was aware he probably came off odd compared to what was normal in most cases.

That aside, time to get busy with skate picking. Well, kind of. He knew what he wanted anyway. He was definitely sticking with figure skates here, and outside of that, all he needed was a fitting size. He didn't particularly care much about the design or such. It's not like he would be keeping these anyway....

"It would depend on how you looked at it." It was true. Trees couldn't move, but wasn't living in harmony with the one you loved and the world enough to last forever? Hmm..Maybe that was just his way of thinking. Either way, the demon wouldn't push the matter any further as he focused on walking to the counter instead.

Once they were there, the demon would let the other start the business of getting the skate ordeal ready. For himself, he would also choose the figure skates keeping the color scheme black just because he could rather than being picky. They would try on a few until just like Cinderella they'd find the perfect match for them. Once booted up, the demon would stand from his position and easily enough walk to the entrance standing off to the side as he looked at the ice. Hmm...this may be tricky. However, for once he took the lead as he carefully stepped out on the ice and for the moment was fine. Look he even managed to get to the rail more or less fine. Heh this was okay...granted he was mostly just trying to balance in one spot right now...

...hell no. Not with a conscious mind. You'd just become insane in time from being stuck and unable to do anything except thinking. Unless you'd become a real tree, but then you wouldn't even be aware of the fact that you're with someone else or that there is any meaning to your existence. Point in case, neither was very attractive.

That aside, he would follow after the other once they were done picking out the right skates, watching the guy for a few amused moments before getting on the ice himself. Unlike the demon, he didn't rush for the rails as he didn't really want to depend on them. He was able to stand pretty well on his own, even if a little stiffly as he wasn't used to this. For now, he would kind of just root himself in a spot near the other, blinking. "You alright?"

Perhaps becoming a tree that had conscious mind was curse and then again perhaps it was a blessing. The same could be said of becoming a full tree. It was all a matter of who was looking at the subject. In any case, the demon would let that one pass as trying not to bust his ass on the ice took over.

While it was true he did go for the rail, he wasn't wrap around them like someone fully dependent on them. He held onto the railing with one hand as he gave himself a moment to balance himself. Once he thought he was good, he would slowly release the railing and stand stiffly in his spot. Smiling a bit, he would look up at the other and give a nod. "Yeah, I am just trying to balance. It is a bit harder to do without a tail, but I'll live." And so he would. He would stand more or less fine on his own, so that part seemed to be more or less mastered. "Now then..." he would say as his face became one of concentration and he attempted to move. The first step was stiff careful baby step followed by another, the demon using his arms for balance as he literally moved probably less than a inch with that. Still he was still standing so he tried again. One little baby, two little baby steps. Heh. He was moving at snail pace, but that was okay. Now to try a few before stopping. One baby step, two baby steps, three baby steps. Wait wait wait. Wobble, wobble, phew. No fall. Alright. Where was I oh yes. For baby steps, five baby steps, six baby -- Shit wobbling, wobbling, WOBBLING!! We are tilting, tilting, tilting. Nononono!

And so after trying so hard to rebalance himself, the demon would tilt slightly to the right and with a light gasp he would topple over landing to the hard ice below on his ass...

He would snort at the comment about using tails for this. "Get used to it. That's how most of us do it." The majority of people did not have a free appendage to help them balance themselves. Was it hard? Well, perhaps, although it really depended on the person and their natural balancing skills. Luckily for him, he was good at that, giving him an advantage in this, although the slippery surface was still odd to stand on, so he couldn't say he had the most confident stance just yet.

He would stay still for a while longer, watching the demon wiggle about like a snail with a raised eyebrow. "You seem to be having a good deal of trouble there from what I see..." Which was only enhanced when the other promptly fell on his ass. He wasn't sure whether to be concerned or not...

"Yeah, yeah. I know," the demon would say in gentle tones not bother by the comment at all. He let it be what it was before falling into full concentration on the act of trying to skate. Yes, he was moving at a snail's pace, but that was because he was getting used to this. While he could balance more or less alright, he was never the most graceful even with a tail, so yeah. He tried to save himself from embarrassment, but you know what? Life didn't want him to be spared and what do you know. Before he knew it he was on the cold ice, a very faint whimper escaping him not from the impact, but rather the sheer embarrassment. He wish he could just go through the floor right now so no one would see this, but here he was.

As for the comment that followed, the demon looked over at the other briefly before moving to get up carefully. He was very unstable at first, but manage to stand once more and though stiff to keep balance, he would fix his shirt with a light frown.  "Well...I haven't exactly been one ice skates a ton. And ice is a bit tricker than solid ground," he would say as he looked over his shoulder at the other. The part of his face not hidden by hair a slight shade of pink from the mishap. Either way, he wasn't over reacting or being moody about his tone remaining more or less calm and friendly despite it all.

He would frown a bit, scratching the back of his head slightly. "Try not to break something though, okay? It'd be kind of bad if we ended up getting out of here not in one piece." It was possible to fall in an unfortunate way after all. Which would not be a happy end at all. Then again, the other did agree to come out here, so he guessed he couldn't really be blamed for ruining the day if something did happen. He would rather it did not though.

He was tempted to keep an eye on the guy in case he needed to assist in something, but he couldn't really stand in one spot the whole time either. He was just going to get cramps that way. Hmm, perhaps he could just try to keep close by. Which he did his best at as he tried to move as well, albeit in a more forceful manner than the other. He could do simple strides without toppling over, though he could certainly use to work on the gracefulness but eh. And the stopping. Or better put, calculating the right time to brake. Doing it wasn't that hard...just shift the blades sideways to put resistance towards the motion. Do it right though or you'll do the dumb thing and skid right into the wall. Not at full speed anymore, but still. That was exactly what happened as he ended up hugging the wall beside the demon quite intimately with a grumble. "Why is there a wall in the way..."