Lake Adventures

You know how you have one thing planned and then shit happens to make said thing go anything accept accordingly? Well, that is kind of what happened here. You see, while the blonde did indeed manage to get home and crash in the hammock on the porch, the wake up was anything except normal. He wasn’t sure why, but the first thing he had to contend with was a meeting with the hard surface of said porch. And why was that? One word: Eva.

As he faceplanted with the ground thanks to the cat deciding to ambush him in human form, he found he would be receiving no mercy as he went from worrying about his face to worrying about his back as the girl latched onto him from behind with a rather uncomfortable "hug".

“Where were you this earlier this morning? You weren’t inside or around here, so I had to sleep with that horrible woman when I got scared. And now here you are out here like it is fine to leave me alone with her. How selfish of you!” She growled the words as she took to pulling his hair.

Being half sleep still the fight back was a sluggish one. Damn it...she had the upper-hand for now and boy was she not letting up on it. “How dare you make me suffer!”

She would wrap her arms around his neck in a choking fashion causing him to gag a bit before going limp. As he slump to the ground in a submissive fashion, Eva automatically became concerned as her grip loosened a bit and she rolled off. Yeah, she knew she had gone a bit far there, but at the same time she remained bold enough as she crawled in front of him. She would lay down so that when he did look up from the ground they were eye-to-eye.

He would give her a moody stare that held something within it that she understood for a second later she was baring fangs in disgust.

“I didn’t hurt her one bit and for that and making me suffer, you owe me big. I ain’t letting you out my sight bub. You belong to me all day!” She would finish her statement with a smirk before getting back to her feet and heading back towards the house. “Come on, Jezzie. We have a whole day ahead of us and we already lost some time, so hurry up and get up and ready. We have lots to do.”

And with that command the cat went back inside leaving the creature quite distressed about this. It had a plan….but now it looked like it would have to replan. An unfortunate turn, that would probably throw the other party off thanks to what was going to occur, but in order to keep Eva from ruining this...this unfortunately had to happen…..


An unhappy two hours later, Eva was busy dragging around Rika when Tamiki looked down at a watch he had with him. They needed to be at the lake soon, but….Amber eyes would look back at Eva who pretty much had Rika wrapped up - literally - with some game she was playing. The blonde just went along with it to keep her happy, but honestly if they were to go to the lake; he would’ve preferred to be more pulled together you know? However, the cat did not let go just as she had promised. It honestly looked like there was no way for Rika to get out of that one at the moment and with time running out, Tamiki kind of had no choice, but to abandon the blonde to make it to the appointed area within the time frame given. Yes, it was bad that he literally wasn’t pulled together, but what could one do?

Eva could be a pain in the ass when she was like this and he much rather take flack from being a half rather vs being a whole than deal with whatever hell the cat could come up with for ignoring her demands...Besides...it wasn’t just himself he was thinking about when doing this. Mother was still a thing here and at least with Rika there, she would be protected from the cat’s wrath. An annoying thing of the family that he wasn’t sure how to fix yet, but he supposed he would figure it out in due time. Right now he had to focus on getting to the lake.

Using the excuse he was done playing and going somewhere to chill Eva let him go easily enough. It was typical behavior from the dark haired male, so she didn’t think anything of it as long as Rika remained the victim. Leaving his twin to deal with the cat on his own for now, Tamiki would take the path back to the house, but as soon as he was out of seeing range he would make a quick detour that took him to the lake instead.

He made good timing and got there about five minutes before noon. Looking around the area he would eventually find the person he was suppose to meet and felt himself become a bit uncomfortable. He hated having to approach him like this, especially when the other was probably expecting to meet him as he was a few hours ago. It was a sad state of affairs to be sure, but that did not stop the young man as he took a moment to straighten out the light blue shirt he was currently wearing and dust off his black jeans. He couldn’t do much about the messiness of his wild black hair, but at least he could make himself look a bit more presentable...though he couldn’t get rid of the beat up look. Man...what a day...

Far from perfect conditions indeed, but he did show up and that was what counted….Or at least he hoped that would be enough. He and this male had already had two less than smooth encounters...so...like….this would be fine right?

He would sigh inwardly at that one, his optimism hitting an all time low. This was not going to be good is it….?

That was all he could think as he braced himself for anything and headed over to the other under the tree. He made sure his approach was loud enough for the other to hear, so he wouldn’t startle him and when he was within hearing range, he would speak.

“Hey there. I...uh….hope I didn’t make you wait too long,” he would begin bracing himself for anything, but found himself quite derailed from things as he saw a black cat hanging off the front of the other’s clothing. Not expecting that, he would blink a few times as he frowned a bit and observed the cat. Then with the expression softening a bit, he’d rub the back of his head uncomfortably as he gave the other a shaky smile. “It looks like your day isn’t going according to plan either, huh?”

Talk about being awkard as hell. Could this possibly get any “better”?

It was pure instinct what happened next.

As the guy performed his turn and look, Tamiki automatically stopped in his tracks, his friendly air evaporating like a water droplet on a hot stove as his expression became steely. His stance remained fully relaxed and ready for anything should the man actually attack him. It was an instinct that had remained quite sharp despite his mostly peaceful life. He didn’t come here to fight, but if the other came at him he would defend himself. It was as simple as that.

“....”

The tension between them would last for a few seconds as Tamiki kept his eyes on the other; however, when things seemed to shift and the man became a bit more calmer, the dark haired male expression would become less hostile as it settled into a relaxed state once more. Out of habit, he would tug at the ends of his of his untucked shirt, an action done more so to calm himself rather than anything else.

“Well...forgetting time or not did you really have to give such a scary face back there?” he would ask his tone calm despite the moody expression. He wasn’t mad with the other just a bit ruffled from the action; however, in time he would calm down to a reasonable level as he took to observing the cat bib on the other as it actually acknowledged him.

Cats…

While he tolerated most animals, cats were often a strange subject for him. Considering his predicament back home and now this, he honestly didn’t know what to do with them half of the time, so he just kind of played it by ear. When he was whole at least he was a bit better at this, but that was because his other half was more well versed in this matter. He wasn’t bad with animals, but at the same time he wasn’t great with them either. It was always an odd affair...even if they were unlawfully cute. Though this one was a bit different. Cute as it was, there was an vibe from this cat that told him this probably wasn’t your typical sweet house cat. No...it seemed like the type to claw you if given a chance….and that look it gave did not make matters any better. Even so, he supposed as long as it was just hanging there maybe this wasn’t so bad….though he had to wonder if that wasn’t uncomfortable for the other. Just how did the guy get into these situations? First the shirt and staying somewhere thing and now this….What a very strange fellow.

Eh?

Amber eyes would look from the cat to the other as he heard his words.

“So are saying you are magnet for cats? Or that that one likes you so much it literally clings to you?” he would ask with a raised eyebrow. He was honestly curious about this. While he was no expert on cats, he never heard of them clinging unless they liked you... or attacked and got stuck like that. The behavior was odd, but even more questionable than the cat was the man’s words. He said them as if he was used to this happening frequently….

Well, wherever that went the dark haired male would nod a bit as his eyes turned to the lake.

“Mmm. Time does fly when you have something to keep you from thinking about it,” he would agree and then hearing the other part, he would sigh as a bit.


“Yeah...about that. I didn’t exactly plan on coming here like this. If I had, I would’ve been courteous enough to have given you a heads up since trying to swallow what I am is a bit hard, but a little situation came up back home that gave me no choice, but to do a split. It was the only way to keep to the appointment and ensure all hell didn’t break loose on top of that,” he would state and then giving the other a reluctant look, he would do his best to keep eye contact. “Sorry.” He would get the word out and then look away. It was one of those odd things for him, apologizing was, but he truly meant it. If things had gone smoothly the guy wouldn’t have had to deal with this unexpectedly. Ah well…

Tamiki would look up over at the other with a moody glance, but for the most part didn’t snap as he clicked light his tongue lightly before actually speaking. “Alright. You got me there.”

He admit the other had a point rather reluctantly. He probably wouldn’t have done such an action if the instinct wasn’t so ingrained into his being, but that was not the case. Even so, he didn’t seem to be bothered too badly by the counter, so maybe somewhere deep inside he already acknowledged this bad trait about himself. Who knew?

However, the rough spot was thankfully brief as the matter shifted to the cat that hung upon the other. While it was an odd case to see cats do this, Tamiki was going along with logic when he asked his question and to what he heard, he would tilt his head lightly as he looked at the other.

“Felines in general, huh,” he would repeat as he thought for a moment and then shaking his head, he would look over at the other once more. “That sounds like a dangerous affair, but perhaps you are lucky to only have to deal with the small ones if that is the case.” Yeah. A normal person had it bad enough when it came to large cats that saw humans as food, but attracting said cats for some unexplained reason? He wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. It placed his mind in an odd corner for sure, his expression a bit unsure of how to react to the situation. Regardless of that the answer seemed to sedate minor curiosity, but there was one thing that was not quite settled yet. One that would be expressed out loud as his amber eyes refocused on the other.  “Not to be overly nosy, but um...Is there a reason for the felines coming to you?”

A pry at the mystery that was the other, but would he get an answer was the question. And if no would it really make the young man mad? Not really. It would just mean it wasn’t time for him to discover whatever secret the guy held or maybe a sign he just simply wasn’t supposed to know. He didn’t always like the dark, but at the same time he understood that not everything in the world was brought to light. Disappointing, but that was life at times. He'd get over it. Regardless, he’d leave the question there for the other to deal with how he saw fit.

As for the mutter, Tamiki would give the other a light shrug.

“Well, better early than late or not showing up,” he would say. It was an automatic response to the words that did not suggest he was trying to make conversation out of that one as his eyes went to watching the landscape for a moment. He would watch as a bird swooped low to skim the lake’s surface before flying back upward again. Heh. An elegant creature, but one that did not keep his attention for long as the other spoke in response to his apology.

“Hmph. Tell me about it...” he would grumble. It was annoying things turned out like this, but on the other hand….maybe this was a good thing. While he could indeed warn the other from time to time if he was going to be split or not, more often than not him being one or two was random. Some days, he was simply himself and other times he was divided between his two halves. It was something he didn’t always have control of no matter how much he tried to hold himself together. Some days, he just automatically split and there was nothing he could do about it until at some random point his body decided it was okay for him to be one again. This random splitting was something that caused concerns when he thought how awkward that would make a relationship should he find someone that he could trust and one that accepted this aspect of him. It was an issue for sure, but one the guy would have to get used to if he decided to hang around him in the long run. It was a rather odd pill that needed to be swallowed, but was unfortunately just something that came with dealing with him. At least the other didn’t seem too mad, so that was good and it helped put Tamiki back at ease a lot quicker than if the other got up in arms about the ordeal.

That aside though….

“Mmm. I don’t mind,” Tamiki would begin as he heard the question posed and then becoming quiet for a bit, he would think. It wasn’t that he had an issue answering this considering the circumstances, its just it took him a moment to figure out how to word it. When he thought he had an reasonable answer he would continue.

“We live with two others. One is human and the other is not. I guess you can say my peeps are quite strange, but family is family, so can’t complain too much,” he would say easily enough, though inwardly he prayed that would be enough for now. He didn’t exactly want to have to try and figure out how to explain his family or why it was the way it was. He much rather save that for another time when he actually knew the guy well enough to tell such a tale. So for the moment he left the answer as it was. Short and sweet.

“How about you?” he would ask as he shifted in his spot a bit and then moved to sit on the grass below making sure he wasn’t about to sit in ants or something beforehand. Once settled, he would look back over at the guy watching as the cat decided to move to the man’s shoulders. Heh. Cute, but nothing the dark haired male would poke at for now as he simply waited to see what would occur next.

What?

Tamiki would give the other a frown in response to his question as he shrugged, the moodiness there as always.

“I don’t know. I’ve been like this since I was young so I guess it is just who I am. Being whole only changes the way it is presented, but not erase the fact that moodiness is a trait of mine.” It was an honest answer. He honestly didn’t know, but ever since he could remember he had always been the aggressive one when separated. Sure he could be sweet and calm here and there, but that was rare. Most of the time, his moodiness was always present...though he did ease up the closer he got to a person. On the flip side, Rika was his opposite and probably more to a person’s standard when defining something as calm or non-hostile, but that side came with its own share of problems too. Regardless, moodiness was an issue no matter if he was whole or separated. The only thing that changed was how said moodiness was presented. An issue? Maybe. It really depended on how the other handled said issue and how much of a problem he made it for himself.

Regardless, he answered the question well enough, not biting or anything like that in response showing that despite being mostly frowns, he actually wasn’t trying to harm nor was he angry. No if he was either, the presentation would be much worse, but so far the guy hadn’t done anything to warrant such actions.

Mood issues aside, the conversation would drift back to cats and the guy’s strange ability to draw them to him. As for that response, Tamiki would give the other a very faint amused smile. “Ah, so they tear up your clothing. Is that why you didn’t have a shirt a few hours ago?” he would ask and then after waiting for an answer, he would close his eyes a bit as he would look down as he shook his head. “ Though even if they aren’t attacking you that seems like a bother on so many levels. Why do you let them do that if you know what is going to happen?”

This seemed a bit illogical to the dark haired male. Yes, he understand that there was an attraction or whatnot going on there, but even so wouldn’t it make more sense to like stop the cats in some fashion from getting close enough to that? He wasn’t thinking animal abuse or anything like that, but wasn’t there a way to stop a cat from clinging to you and tearing your stuff up? Could cats be trained? It was intelligent being no?...so maybe? He wasn’t too sure, but he was pretty sure having to buy clothes all the time wasn’t a pleasant ordeal. Yes, new clothes were nice, but honestly he rather keep the clothing he had for a while rather than have them torn to shreds by a random cat...Then again maybe the other didn’t care...and if that was so that begged other questions.

Leaving that matter to float for now, Tamiki would see the shift from the other when he asked for the reasoning behind the cat’s attraction to the other and when he got his answer, he was at first anticipating further information; however, what he got in turned left him disappointed. He could’ve been a spoiled a brat about it and like actually complained and whined to see if he got anything; however, luckily for the man Tamiki saw reason when he brought up a pretty valid point.

Despite how he could behave, this creature understood gambling and business terms well enough and as a result of this understanding, he would give the other a neutral look as he responded back and reeled in the disappointment.

“Fair enough,” he would state seeing no issue with the current situation. His own matter was personal and wouldn’t be the easiest to share further without getting to know the other more. Maybe the reasoning behind said words was also the same despite the way he worded it. Maybe the subject would come up again later or maybe it would not. Either way, he decided to let time work that one out for now as he focused on the more immediate things before him.

Though it would seem immediate meant a small drop in conversation as the words spoken turned into mutterings, short answers, and a nod. There was honestly not much to say on the matter of punctuality since it seemed they agreed and the words weren’t meant to go into anything deep to begin with. Basic logic was basic logic. End of story.

Despite the small lapse in chatter, the other would actually get a small chuckle from the dark haired man as the conversation on him being half somehow continued. He found it a bit of a relief that the other was taking the matter so well considering this could’ve gone all sorts of wrong if handled differently. Thanks to the approach taken, Tamiki would actually remained relaxed rather tensed as he responded back.

“Well that is true. Though I find it hard to imagine anyone being able to represent myself properly. I highly doubt they could mimic us, let alone be prepared for you.” His eyes would narrow lightly with the small smile he gave the other. A small tease perhaps, but just as soon as this small window opened, it closed as his expression became serious once more and he continued. “Seriously though, even if someone could do the former, I wouldn’t use them anyway. I am a creature that takes responsibility for my own shit rather than shove it on someone else.” Yeah. He could be spoiled and moody all day for sure, but in the end, he knew when to man up and not play around. He found the idea of running from his problems a bit silly as they would just follow him until he either turned and faced them or they bit him in the ass somehow. So rather than wait for the latter to occur, he took the punches head on. It was just better that way. “Anyway, I am glad you’re not bothered by this mess. Though that makes me wonder.... Are you used to odd or are you really just mellow when it comes to these things?” A valid question considering he would think a normal person would wig out finding out all this….and now that he thought of it, this was the first time he actually told someone outside of his family and one special case in his friend ring about his ability to split, but then again...Up until now he never had been forced to elaborate on this aspect of himself either. It was a peculiar enough that had occurred, but to get someone chilled about the ordeal and with an odd quirk here and there of his own to boot? That was beyond peculiar and so made the male more interested in the other than before.

Now whether the other would part with such information was another matter. He knew the whole cat thing would have to wait, but he wonder if general questions like this would get the same treatment. Heh. He would just have to wait and see wouldn’t he?

In any case, the conversation would turn to family and while the other became quiet at first seemingly lost in thought, Tamiki was patient enough as he let the guy go about his thinking only interrupting when he posed his question before sitting down.

As he settled on the ground, he was pleasant surprised that the other actually crouched down. While he didn’t show it, he was actually appreciative of the action. Even if it was for personal reasons, he was glad he wouldn’t have to crane his neck to look up at the other and also that the other had enough decency to not stare down upon him. An action that irked him to no end no matter what form it was presented in…

That aside though, everyone including the cat seemed to be comfortable enough as the other continued on. As he listened, Tamiki would give the other a light nod as he heard the words.

“I see and I suppose you are right. In the end it is still about respect on that end too... even if you do love them to death….” he would trail off there as he contemplated the situation back home. It was true he loved mother and the kid equally, but at the same time maybe he was a bit too soft on them. In the end, he did let them get away with things that he typically wouldn’t let others get away with. He was mostly submissive to them and didn’t say much unless they really got on his bad side like Eva had done a while back. Even so, he never pushed back much against most things and kind of just dealt with the burden that came along with dealing with family. He saw it as just a part of life, but now that the other had brought up the point he had to wonder…

The reason he didn’t act or speak out….was it really because he just saw it as just a part of life?  Or was he actually concerned about seriously hurting them and in turn either destroying them or chasing them away? Was he afraid of being alone or guilt? It was a strange thought that sunk in with that, but it was one he decided to try to figure out later as he refocused on the other and pushed that thought away rather quickly. His silence would only last a few seconds as he shook himself mentally and tried to focus on something else by asking a general follow up question.

“I don’t think I’ve ever tried living on my own. Is it easy?”

To the words heard, Tamiki would actually become quiet for a moment as he watched the other with a serious, yet surprisingly calm expression.

“I’ve never thought to keep it in check. The handful that have actually gotten close to me simply worked around it and never seemed to have an issue with it,” he said and then blinking he’d tilt his head lightly at the other. “No one has ever asked me to change my ways and I figured the ones that just fled or got overly upset were simply not worth my time or effort either.” His eyebrows would furrow a bit with thought. “Though now that you bring it up...does it bother you that much that I am like this?”

It might’ve been obvious that is was a bothersome point for the otherwise he probably wouldn’t have brought it up. Even so the dark haired male wanted to be sure of things first and thus he asked. In all his life, he always had people run for the hills or become overly sensitive to his behavior. The ones that stayed managed to weather through the heat until they actually found the real him underneath. Not once had he ever been challenged in such a fashion. Never been forced to stop and actually see that maybe he was a bit out of control with his behavior. No one ever told him it was wrong or suggested he may want to fix it...until now that is. It definitely caught him off guard, but even so he didn’t flare as he instead took to actually contemplating a situation he never knew existed until it had been pointed out.

That matter aside though, the dark haired male would raise an eyebrow when he got the response about what happened with the shirt. Okay...so he lost one shirt to a cat and now he had one hanging off of him and that was okay because…? The answer to that thought would come a second later as the man continued on with a faint sigh and an air of sadness that caused the shorter male to give the man a contemplative look rather than make some smart remark in response to his words.

“Complicated, huh...” he would say his tone surprisingly soft and gentle, the complete opposite of his usual behavior. He didn’t make the repeated word a question. He wanted to pry, but if he had learned anything thus far then it was that the man was a private individual and would probably not give the reason behind the way he behaved away so easily...Even so Tamiki left it open enough that if the other did want to explain further he could. He didn’t push the matter this round too much seeming to pick up on something that kept him from going too far with this one. If the guy, had been stuck with Rika things might’ve been different, but Tamiki did not poke as much as his more feely counterpart did. For better or worse was left to be seen, but for now the man was safe from any additional prodding.

And not prodding seemed to be a good thing in another case. Tamiki caught onto the faint smile the other gave when he let the subject of cats and the man’s ability go when the man did not fill him in any further on the matter. An understanding of some sort had been reached in that moment that let the issue pass on easily enough. That made it okay that maybe one day, the creature would actually open up to the other and share some of its story with him and maybe in turn the other would do the same. It was just today was not that day.

Going past that small silence, Tamiki would glance up at the other as he spoke and found himself mildly surprised at was heard. Well, well would you look at that. This one actually had a sense of humor and could take a joke. Either that or he was rather lucky in the moment. Regardless of luck, Tamiki would respond naturally enough to the other’s words.

“I thought you were already wearing one,” the dark haired male would poke back just a bit, not because he was being mean or anything. Quite the opposite. The guy did give a vibe off that he didn’t really want to be bothered and depending on his mood said vibe could intensify and become a bit uncomfortable to be around….or at least that is what Tamiki had found in these last few encounters. Regardless of that, the other sign that he meant no harm was the fact he actually gave the other the first genuine smirk of amusement since they met. Jokes aside though matters would shift once more as the matter rolled back around to the matter of sending peeps to stand in for themselves. To what was said, Tamiki would blink a bit as he absorbed that concept and then shook his head a bit.

“Hmm...well.... I am not saying I am rude or anything, but if I don’t make it, I just don’t make it. I wouldn't have thought to send a messenger for myself to apologize or explain my absence. ...Then again,” he would pause as he shifted a bit to get to the cellphone in his back pocket. Once it was in hand, he would hold it up slightly to emphasis his next point as he gave the other a sheepish smile. “I never thought that said person, I was meeting with wouldn’t have given me a number to text them or call them on in case I could not make said appointment.” With the point made, he would rest the phone on his leg for now as he continued on. “Though to answer your question, I just wouldn’t show and hope we would meet again, so I could apologize and explain face-to-face. I wouldn’t think to send anyone...because to be honest while I do live with folk, the reason I wouldn’t be able to make it to an appointment would be because of them or if I was sick to the point I couldn’t get out of the house. And if we get sick said peeps ain’t gonna leave my side. Even if something else happened that somehow was not related to them or body errors so to speak, I still wouldn’t think to send them to do that not because I don’t trust them to carry out a task, but rather my mind wouldn’t have settled on such an idea in the first place.”

Well at least he was honest. He understood that just not showing was a bad thing and that maybe leaving things to chance was risky, but even so in his mind, the option of not showing was valid and logical to him considering he honestly would not think to send a representative to apologize for his absence. Now how well this would go over or how that would make him look to the other he did not know and honestly wasn’t too concerned about it. Could one really beat him down for simply not seeing that option? He would think not, but in the end he would leave it up to the other to decide how to handle that one.

That odd matter aside it would seem that things would slip further in complexity as the guy actually answered his small pry about his relationship with oddness. To the words heard, Tamiki would nod lightly as he spoke. "Is that so," he would begin and then taking another step forward mentally, he would would follow this up with another question. "May I ask, how it is you learned of such matters?"

Another question he was unsure about when it came to receiving an actual answer, but one he would ask anyway as the matter veered into more curious avenues. Regardless of what happened, the subject matter would drift into silence as the subject of families was brought up. If the other had something to say, he most certainly didn't make it known as he performed the head tilt, but spoke nothing out loud. While Tamiki caught the head tilt, the only reaction he would have to it was to look away. He honestly...didn't know how to try to put into words what he was thinking...and even if he could word it, he had no desire to dive further into a matter that was a little too close to home for him.  He couldn't just share with a stranger his thoughts on the matter. He was actually more relieved than upset the other remained silent on this one as it saved him the trouble of trying to maneuver on whatever awkward ground that could bring up...at least it saved him for the moment. Who knew if this would come back again to be visited.

Moving along the next topic was a bit easier to react back to as the young man watched the careful actions as he listened to him speak.

"I see, but perhaps that independent nature is a good. At least you can handle yourself. As for me, I am not too sure, I can do it. I mean i guess I can do somethings, but I've never really lived by myself before and I've kind of always had help around, so I am unsure what would happen if I were to place myself in a position where I didn't have them anymore. On top of that I think it being just us would take some getting used to since I am kind of use to the whole full house thing. "

Yeah. He was never alone in his life and typically had people around him that did stuff for him. Something that probably wasn't that great for him in the end, but at the same time he didn't mind it. After all, he had been trained that all he need to do was sit back and relax and let mama take care of the rest. She allowed him to do small things yes, but was enough to hold himself up if he was ever on his own? He wasn't sure as he never really had to test that. He suppose in a way he was a bit more dependent on others than the male before him, but how bad that really was hard to say as Tamiki didn't go too much deeper in to the matter for now.

Tamiki would hear the words and remain quiet as his mind filtered through what was said one piece at a time. First off, the guy was not exactly making a complaint about something, but rather brought the topic to light to be discuss in an open forum between them. A light nod was a sign the dark haired male swallowed that one easily enough. That was pretty simple; however, what was a bit harder to swallow was the next bit about his behavior. This one kind of stopped him in his tracks as he was actually forced to face something he never really considered before.

“Hmm….” He would let the words play in his head for a bit before shaking himself mentally to pull him back to reality. “I suppose I see your point and maybe I am the problem too and didn’t realize it... I find it hard to work with someone when the first thing they do the moment you do something displeasing is run. I don’t fancy the idea of chasing people or being sweet as pie to keep someone around. It not me.”  He would say with a frown. What the other was asking would indeed take some work...correction a lot of work. The guy was talking about changing years of embedded habits, but at the same time….Tamiki would rub his chin in thought as he continued on. “Even so, I’ll take this little morsel and nibble on it a bit more. Not sure if I’ll actually find a solution to the problem, but at least it gives me something to improve upon…”

In the end, there was no easy fix to this. While he could get a better handle on his temper and aggressiveness that would not erase the fact that the trait was there and would show up here and there. That would not change the fact that he’d need someone that could hold their ground and weather the bad too. He could change a bit yes, but at the same time, he wouldn’t bend in a way that would make him the easiest to approach or befriend, but maybe the small change would help. He honestly wasn’t sure at this point and wouldn’t be sure until he put something into play and observed how things panned out. In any case, he took what was heard easily enough and did not rebel, so perhaps that was a good sign.

Regardless of that somewhat complicated matter, the issue would move from his own little quirks to the man’s as the focus returned to cats. As they circled back to this topic, Tamiki would push his own thoughts away as he gave a light shake of his head at what was said. “If you say so,” he would state still not fully swallowing this whole cat clinging issue there. He would remain skeptical enough of the words, but at the same time he didn’t push the matter further. He had gotten enough of explanation for now, so he left the matter of the critters and their behavior around the man alone.

Moving from cats and silence, the air around the pair would surprisingly shift to a bit playful as small jabs were made at the taller male and the hard to approach air around him. He seemed to take well enough to the jabs even going so far as to make faces along the way. The behavior was unexpected for sure, but was just the right thing to get Tamiki to drop his guard enough to show genuine emotions as he gave the other a grin as he tilted his nose slightly in the air as he looked towards the lake.

“I dunno how it got there, but I would say whoever made your sign did a pretty bad job of making invisible. I see it quite clearly,” he would say as he observed the lake as he relaxed easily enough in his spot for a second or two. Then turning his eyes back to the other, his mock cockiness would end as the grin settled into a softer smile of appreciation. He hadn’t expected the other to play, but the fact that he did made a world of difference, but even so Tamiki had his limits to play and for now it would come to an end as the  matter shifted to the more important matters of life...like appointments and punctuality.

“That is very true. I did walk out of the house without it and apparently my brain too. If I had at least one of those with me at the time, I think I would’ve covered my bases a bit better when planning.” Yeah. Even without a phone, he could’ve asked and even remembered numbers given, but in the end he had not thought to ask. “In any case, the comment is more a bad on my part than yours. I am usually more organized than that, but meh. It worked out in some fashion, so no harm done. At least we’ve discovered we’re both people of our word, so that is good.”

Yeah, it was a gamble whenever you relied on someone’s words, but in the end it also showed something about the other’s character if they did manage to keep to what they said and if they couldn’t keep to their words, then they should at least take responsibility for the consequences. It was funny how the simply things could speak volumes about a matter...while the more complex things seemed to throw things all over the place. About this messenger thing man…

Well it would start of well enough.

“Probably not,” he would say as rubbed the back of his head in response to the whole sending relatives in his stead thing. That would probably be a nightmare now that he thought of it, but that was another matter entirely. Regardless,  Tamiki was in a good mood for a few seconds, but  it would quickly shift back to moody as he actually cringed a bit at the question posed. “Friends? Well, I...uh….l-let’s see here,” he would take a second to collect his thoughts before continuing. “One is gone. Another is retired and has moved elsewhere. And the last is a traveler that I keep in contact with here and there. So yes. I have friends, but...uh…” He would pause and bite his bottom lip a bit as he looked down at the ground a bit, thinking. “Outside of them and family? There is no one else.” He would look up at the other with a rather sad smile. “I told you before didn’t I? I am the troublemaker...and quite frankly not too many would want to be associated with that you know? But its not so bad. It kind of works out in the end. Though just not for planning.”

It was a bit bothersome yes, but at the same time worked. After all, life would be much more hellacious with a large social ring around him...That would add complications into the equation that was already hard enough to keep balanced as it was. Sure he thought of the normal high class life here and there with friends and all that, but in the end, this smaller ring worked best for him on multiple levels. So while it did sting a bit when forced to compare reality to dream life, he was okay with not having many at his side. At least the ones he did have he knew he could trust, respect, and love...and in the end that was all that mattered to him.

That complicated matter aside, it would seem that the conversation would circle back to one that got semi- closed doors, but then again this was fine for the dark haired male. Yes he pried a bit, but he wasn’t expecting full explanations and the short one he received in regards to how the man knew about the odd, the young man would actually accept as he gave a light nod as he spoke .

“Ah. Okay.” That was all he would say before leaving the matter alone entirely. That was enough to hold him over for the time being.

Now then where was this going? To family? Alright then.

“Heh, it can feel that way at times and in turn cause a bit of pressure here and there. Though I am not too sure about the whole "do things for me" thing. Maybe some are okay with it, but I am sure there are plenty that would rebel against it like you do. I personally never had an issue with it, but then again outside of a few rough patches in life, my family has been my support through it all and I was brought up in a ring built of respect and openess. I can’t say much about the whole knowing what’s better for me bit because honestly if I do something to please family it is because I want to do said thing rather than them actually forcing it on me. In a fashion I am the opposite of you, I like my space and can deal with being on my alone here and there, but for the most part I also like at least the presence of some people around  me too. I guess I like the background noise,” he would give a light shrug and smile at this one. This was probably something he and the other would not agree on. He got along with his family relatively well despite some hiccups here and there and while they could drive him up the wall, he didn’t exactly mind them being there and never saw the need to be rid of them or to flee from them. While he wasn’t a crowd person by any means despite his profession or how well he could play in that arena, he didn’t mind the presence of the few that were close to him being there. It was comforting. Plain and simple.

That aside, Tamiki would focus a bit on the other due to him moving, but seeing he was only sitting he did not react too much to the action as he saw the guy move the cat from his shoulder to his lap. As the creature let out a meow, Tamiki would give the cat a glance, but nothing more as his eyes drifted away from the animal and back towards the scenery as a light wind blew through the area.

Well yes that was true. Regardless of moodiness and aggressiveness being a part of him, he could change. He was a person after all and so could bend to a certain degree. He wasn’t saying he would change to something he was not. No way. He would die if he became what he was not and quite frankly he liked living. Even so, what was proposed was still nothing easy to do. He would probably fail for a bit before he actually got a handle on it. It might improve things if he could master his aggressiveness, but again he would have to see with time. In any case, he had some clarifying to do.

“Yeah no. I said it was something to improve upon not that I was thinking of deconstructing who I am and build into myself into something fake. That would not work in the end. Even if I did manage to put up some sort of fake imagery it will be only a matter of time before myself would crash the party and to be honest after being in a prison that would not be a good thing.” Yeah...that would be hell for sure for whoever was around to get destroyed by that volcano. Letting it flow was one thing, but penting up said emotions? Not too smart. “Anyway, while I was a bit wordy with it, all I was saying was that I didn’t think it was something to work on until it was brought up is all.” Sometimes you didn’t see things that you either lived around or were so close to daily. Sometimes all that was needed was a fresh pair of eyes to see the flaws or differences there. Ah well.

Tamiki would blink at the question as his expression went from skeptical to serious once more.

“Cats are alright. Not a favorite of mine, but at the same time, I don’t mind them. Even so, that doesn’t change the fact that the situation between you and them is a bit fishy, but whatever. I’ll get over it eventually, I suppose,” he would say with a light shrug. Cats were fine and all, but even so he was going to need a bit more to drink to flush down the odd sandwich that was the relationship between the man and the clinging cats. Perhaps he’d have to finish that sandwich another time though. Moving along.

“Maybe so,” Tamiki would say his tone easy-going enough as he observed the other with a thoughtful expression. When he first met the guy, he wasn’t sure what to do with him and quite honest he would’ve never penned the guy as having an ounce of playfulness in him. It was true he was probably pinning him down too fast to one type, but the guy did give off the vibe he was a stick in a mud at first, so he was glad this joking incident had occurred. At least with this theory was proven wrong and showed that maybe it just took time to see this aspect of the other. That or a lot of luck. Whatever the case was, Tamiki didn’t question this good thing too much lest it be tempted to turn sour. He just accepted it and went with the pleasant flow of things.

That time aside, it would seemed that planning was still a topic of discussion.

“Eh. I can do last minute planning though something is bound to get screwed up in the madness if you try to get all complicated with it. I prefer planning ahead of time, but sometimes I do things in the moment too. Usually, I plan for meetings, but that time round my gut said not to and just go for it, so I did. Risky maybe, but it seems to work out most of the time when I listen.” ….That might open a can of worms, but honestly it was the truth. He was organized...maybe even overly so considering how many notes and calender's he had to keep up with things. Even so...there were times when a small voice in his head asked him to do things out of his box and when he rebelled he regretted the choice and when he listened the results were pleasing. Not all the time, but more times than not. It was an odd thing intuition and what not. It was hard to put into words, but that is just how he worked. That aside though, it seemed that topic would come to something a bit simpler than intuition as it turned to keeping ones word. “I can agree there. I don’t like being made out to be a liar either. Thus why I try my hardest to show up...even if I may not be always in a form expected.”

Despite being well versed in lies and deceit, the creature didn’t like to use the tactic on a normal basis or when trying to do something serious like meeting someone that was not a target or trying to make a real connection. He liked being honest in those cases saving the other “skill” for business unless he had no choice, but to use the skill as a way to survive. However, his personal life vs. his business one was another matter entirely and was not relevant to any of the topics here.

So placing that into a box and moving onto more current matters, he would catch the look given when the subject of friends came up. While the subject was a sore spot, the reason he was uncomfortable was because he honestly felt embarrassed to say that out loud. Usually these sort of words got funny looks and questions no matter what because depending on class or whatever one was suppose to have friends like a normal person...and when you failed to meet those standards? Everyone questioned you like it was a sin or something was wrong with you….or at least that was how it had come across to him in the past even if he did use the excuse that a bad ass such as himself needed no one. He could play it off in normal situations, but when a bluff wouldn’t work (like here) or confronted with family or someone he trusted, the matter became a bit iffy. So yeah...admitting that fact to the guy was a bit uncomfortable considering he was unsure of what form of judgement the other would toss at him. It was a bit nerve wrecking to be vulnerable like that, but he let it happen for some reason he couldn’t quite explain and now that it was out there, he waited for whatever would come.

....And it would appear drilling was to be had, but not in the normal fashion of questioning why he didn’t have said friends. To what was heard, Tamiki would shift slightly in his spot as he moved his left leg so that he could rest his right arm against it. Leaning forward, he’d rest his head lightly against his arms as he thought a bit. He still wore a moody expression, but he was less bothered by the subject matter and more focused on trying to word what he wanted to say properly. When he finally opened his mouth, the words would come out calmly as the wind tussled his hair.

“The assumption is not wrong, but it is not right in the fashion you think. I do desire more friends. To be specific at least one or two good ones that weren’t always so far away. Long distance is nice and all, but also puts a bit of strain on things. You can’t call a long distance friend and ask them to hang out if you wanted to go to a movie or lunch here and there. You can't just go them if you needed something or desired have other company outside of the family. They can’t be there like that or easily accessed and while family is great and all. They don’t fill the space that a friend does.”

He didn’t ask for much to be honest. Two or three friends was fine, but someone within that ring needed to be by close. Long distance was nice, but that did not change the fact that sometimes you needed someone to be physically close by to hang with or go to when family just wasn’t the answer. This was also something he needed to keep his life making sense and balance. It was just how he ticked.

The friend issue and dying subjects aside, the conversation would eventually shift towards family.. another matter where it would seem they were different. To the words heard, Tamiki would give a small smile as he nodded in understanding. They were different yes, but he got it because he could relate to a degree.

"People are exhausting and take a lot to maintain when there are a lot of them. That doesn’t change whether it be friend or family. I personally don’t mind being around people because I like the energy they give off just by being around; however, to be constantly bothered them is not what I desire. I like my space, but I don’t want to be isolated either. I am okay sitting on my own in a crowd just listening and observing. If someone decides to be bold enough to chat that is fine. I can deal with that here and there. I was never really was bothered by that when it did occur more frequently. As for the pleasing bit, I not in it to gain anything outside of their smiles. Rewards and what not are nice, but it is their joy I appreciate the most. When the family is happy everyone is happy and that in the end is what matters.”

A bit soft in comparison to the other? Perhaps, but it would seem their life styles and preferences were night and day. The other preferred independence, privacy, and being alone while Tamiki was a bit more laxed on the rules and let a bit more in than the other. Did this matter in the long run? It was hard to say. It did give insight into the way the pair behaved and what they reacted to in a way, but was it enough to tear this seemingly good day apart? Probably not... unless someone went and made a scene about it.

In any case, the conversation would begin to trickle down and as it got quieter Tamiki would zone out slightly as his eyes drifted towards the lake to watch the sun play off the surface of the lake for a bit. However, he would look back over at the other as he posed a question. To this, he would get a laid back response.

“We’re kind of doing what I desired when I proposed the meeting to begin with. I honestly wanted to sit and chat with you a bit to get a better of understanding of who I was dealing with. Outside of that, I didn’t have anything big planned,” he would say and then leaning his head to the left on his arm to observe the other from a different angle he would continue. “Why? Were you looking for something specific?”

This interpretation dance. They would need to work on it to get around some bumps here or there it would seem. When he thought the other over-explained, the other stated that it was simple facts and now when it seemed that explaining was needed to clear up some things, the guy was saying that was it was unnecessary. The flip and flop of missed cues or whatever was happening here was slightly bothersome which Tamiki displayed with a light frown.

“Neh,” the sound escaping him was a light groan rather than anything to respond to as he scratched his head a bit. “Well, pardon me for over-explaining. It just seemed there was a gap there that needed clearing, but maybe I simply heard what you said the wrong way.” He would shrug at that. No big deal right? I mean sure this whole translation thing was apparently a snag between them and something that might cause hiccups here and there until he actually got a handle on the other and the way he worded things. Was this bad? Not really and despite the grumpy face, the young man was actually taking this pretty well. He wasn’t exploding and at least accepted the differences between himself and the other well enough, so maybe this wasn’t all so bad.

Though it would appear the snags would continue as the subjects came back to cats and apparently himself too. It seemed he had unexpectedly hit a nerve somehow with the other by calling the whole cat cling fishy. To the look and the words heard, Tamiki expression would become hard as he watched the other with a steady gaze.

“Did you really think I would just swallow your words and roll with it so easily?” he would begin as his eyes narrowed and he let out a huff as a hand went to his hip. “Look. I am not trying to be rude or disrespectful when I call something fishy or suspicious. I am stating what it is. You see without further explanation it will remain that way in my eyes - fishy. Suspicious. This does not mean I don’t trust what you’ve already told me. It just means that I don’t get because I don’t have all the facts to plug up the holes. I don’t have anything to make it make sense in my head. Yes this is a one time occurrence and I am sure things don’t always pan out this way, but even so right now this cat thing is still cloud for me. And unlike my counterpart who could swallow and flow with this like it was an everyday occurrence, I am more skeptical of things that don’t make sense to me, but even so that doesn’t mean I am jumping to conclusions so fast. It just means I need more to smooth out the missing pieces. What is wrong with stating that aloud?”

The delivery was calm enough, but the heat was there underneath. It wasn’t so much being questioned about being skeptical that got him. No. It was the disrespect part that ruffled his feathers a bit. How was he being disrespectful and making assumptions all of sudden? He had simply stated how he felt about a matter he just didn’t get. Was there really something wrong with that? And if so then what the hell did this whole cat business mean to the guy that it triggered negativity like this? It was all rather confusing when a huge chunk was missing to clear the picture...and confusion did nothing to douse the flame that was there. Even so, the moody male would hold his ground as he watched to see what the other would do or say. While he wasn’t asking the guy to pour his heart out all of sudden, he did need clarity if the other wanted him on the same page and to understand why he was suddenly getting upset over cats. Otherwise this could get bad….though it was now entirely up to the other if that occurred or not.

Well whatever hellfire that was about to call up, the situation would eventually go back to calmness as joking turned to observations and a question. Watching the other for a bit more with a small amused smile, Tamiki would shake his head lightly as his eyes drifted away from the other.

“Nothing,” he would say in relaxed tones not sharing his thoughts so easily despite the light pry, showing that while the guy could talk and be open some things he kept to himself unless the other party pried at it enough to get him to share. The answer wasn’t blocking though just a simple answer to a simple question as he let his mind drift somewhere else for a bit.

He would remain pretty relaxed and quiet until the subject of appointment preferences came up.

“Mmm. I can agree the heads up is the best tactic for us too. It definitely helps when your life is already a mess of things. Even so, I find while I hate things going in unplanned fashions I adapt well enough with the changes and take whatever blows to the knees come along the way even if they can be a pain in the ass at times.” Planning was nice. It made things nice and neat, but life seemed to like unplanned better, so rather than flip a lid over things he just went with it when things got a bit out a hand. Even if he couldn’t plan, he could somewhat control how things went down when life’s randomness cropped up. He couldn't handle it as gracefully as something planned in advanced of course, but meh. Life wasn’t always perfect so what did one do?

Fall into silence apparently as another topic died off and a new less simple topic took the floor.
To what was heard Tamiki would close his eyes a bit as he let out a light hum of a thought before becoming quiet for a moment to think. When he reopened his eyes, he would observe the grass between them as he spoke.

“Perhaps some are shallow and perhaps some aren’t. While the benefits of hanging around person is great for one side, I don’t think I would call it friendship if the other half of the equation is not enjoying it. A friendship is a two way street like any relationship. It should be beneficial to both sides and both sides should be open enough to support one another. It doesn’t have to be about hanging out and doing things all the time. Doing stuff is nice, but even more than that is just being there. A friendship is a open communications, acceptance, and a form of love that is different from family or romance love. It’s that dude or girl you can go out to a party with, but at the same time you are fine with simply being around each other from time to time not really doing anything accept enjoying each others presence,” he would say and then looking up at the other he would sigh a bit. “I am not sure how to make it more simpler than that because friendship, like all things related to relationships, is complex and made up of layers that just can’t be described in words. It is a connection that is made that when it is right it works beautifully even with all the bumps and bruises that may come. True friends don’t leave your side no matter how far apart you may be physically. They are always right there.”

Welp. The guy asked and he answered, but whether he’d respect that point of view or nor was yet to be seen. Tamiki honestly didn’t know what the man wanted when asking these things nor did he know how he’d react once given something. So leaving himself open to whatever would come, the topic moved from friends to family.

For the most part it was settled, but the other had a question bout the smile bit at the end. To this Tamiki would shift a bit to bring his other leg up too. “Well no,” he would say as he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around his legs as he leaned his head against his knees a bit. “It isn’t about just pleasing the other or doing things so one side benefits from it. No one is happy doing that and quite frankly it becomes a pain in ass to do those sort of things. I am not speaking to that when I speak of smiles gained from pleasing the family. The smiles I am talking about are ones were the joy or loved is shared between the parties. No one is miserable because they are doing what they enjoy. I am doing what I am enjoy, so there is no reason to frown about what has happened. Smiles that are genuine and not gained for praise or what not. Those are the ones I speak to when I say I enjoy their joy.”

Did that make sense? Would it help matters? Probably no on both fronts, but how does one explain in words those sort of emotions that pure joy and love created? You didn’t and when you tried it came off awkward, all over the place, or even just down right fell in the wtf catergory...or maybe that happened because of the way Tamiki spoke. Whatever the case was, he had tried to explain it the best he could, but who knew if that was what the man was seeking or if it was acceptable to him. Much like the friendship matter, Tamiki found himself having to wait and play this all by ear.

It was a bit nerve wrecking on one front considering they were treading in a territory now which could become a bit dangerous if tread on wrongly, but on the other, Tamiki allowed that door to stay open so it seemed he didn’t mind speaking on the topic as long as the other didn’t go overboard and trample carelessly in the space he was currently in.

Regardless of what happened there, things would slowly become quieter as conversation material became a bit more sparse starting with the whole expectation things.

“Mm. I see,” was all the other would get when he gave his response back to what he was expecting out of the situation. The answer was acceptable enough and really didn’t give any wiggle room for that topic to go any further than it had. So letting it be, there would be a moment of silence as the taller male laid down and the cat became comfortable on his chest. Heh. It was kind of cute watching the interaction, but even so the laid back expression on Tamiki’s face did not change as his eyes observed the cat for a bit before glancing over at the man as he asked his question.


The answer given was automatic and spoken without hesitation. It was a well practiced answer that held true by normal standards, but if one were to go beyond normal and start trying to get the creature’s exact age right he’d probably come out a year or two over that, but luckily they weren’t going that deep. So his simple answer would have to do.

Tamiki would give the other a cold glare at the comment as he literally bit his lip as he looked off to the side steaming. He could make a scene about this and make this something unpleasant if he honestly did not care about the matter. However, he did care. If he didn’t he wouldn’t have stepped out of his box in this fashion. Wouldn’t have invited the other out and wouldn’t have been trying to understand the other now. His fiery personality versus this one’s more complex rather than just calm one was a dance that while it didn’t show on the surface was very draining. Tamiki did express things on the outside, but a lot of the other stuff was harbored internally causing the stress caused by the struggle to become wearing after a bit, but even so he did his best to weather it and not chase the other away with all his snappiness. Did he think the other couldn’t handle it? No. He was sure the other would “handle’ it alright, but out of trying to remain respectful he reeled his instincts in a bit...even if it was hard as hell to do that. It would take a bit, but he would eventually calm enough to respond to the last part.

“Yeah. I can agree there,” he would grumble as he gave a light nod still not making eye contact with the other for now as he took a few more minutes to calm down some more. He didn’t mind speaking on things and honestly problems were resolved better when they were out in the open, but that did not change the fact he was going to flare at times. Unlike the other, he couldn’t put on a calm face when bothered. No he growled and bared fangs even depending on the situation, so while it may have been hard for others to swallow his personality, no one ever took a step back to think maybe the issue wasn’t just some pleasant matter for him either and was perhaps more weighty on himself than one thought. He was highly aware of his flaws and when trying to connect with someone, he did try extra hard to be flexible and accommodate the fact he had another to contend with. Most of the time the accommodation while slightly tricky had worked out and he made a real connection with said person, but this situation now?

This was hell. He was trying, trying harder than one would believe, to not go after the guy, but the guy just kept doing things to fuel the fire. While the grumpy old man comment was one thing, the fire extinguisher one got a reaction as golden eyes snapped back to the other as he gritted his teeth.

“Tch. You really think that would help matters?” he would growl back.

He understood sacarasm and what not, but honestly this wasn’t about that. This was about how the other handled this particular matter. The guy had spoken about considering how his temper impacted others earlier and while it was a good point, that consideration was hard to implement or consider when said party seemed to turn around and not consider how their own words may impact himself. Now he could be all wrong and what the other was doing was intentional….and if that was the case he was indeed being a full class asshole at the moment, but the fact remained that the approach wasn’t a rather good one. He was already wound up enough and when he felt that his efforts were failing or were being disregard as if they were nothing, the being got really ruffled because not only was it a waste of time, but the emotional toll just wasn’t that fun to take on. He didn’t like this sort of game and did not understand what was being accomplished by this. How was he suppose to give a bit when the other decided to be a wall or troll? It just didn’t work...and in turn started the fires going.

They were still burning when the other made his comment in regards to cats. Whoo boy.... That was not what he had been getting at with that one.

“See that is thing. You assume I am closing you off when I was just stating I was a bit curious, but was for now letting it go. Okay yes. My wording may have been a bad choice, but even so that doesn’t mean I am closed minded or what not. I just have a different way of swallowing the weird pill than you even if I myself am an oddity. In fact, this whole thing isn’t even about the damn cat anymore. The cat cling is odd, but it is not anything I was strung up over. The subject matter I was poking at was something I did not expect to get to the bottom of anytime soon and goes way beyond this incident here. Honestly I was going to leave it there and move on; however, it seems that matter has gone in a completely different direction than intended. So here we are....”

He would stop himself as he caught a hold of the build up occurring. Caught it and decided to not bow to its whim. Not this time. Yes he was upset, but the other was probably hurting or distressed too. His personality definitely did not make this easy for either of them, but he had a choice as to how far he would let this go. After all, if he couldn’t start a change now then he never would.

He could feel the emotional stress as he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose to help levitate both the pressure and the headache that was building there as he mentally counted to five to calm himself even more. The pause was brief, but when he dropped his hand and refocused on the other, his expression was less riddle with rage as he narrowed his eyes at the other a bit to focus on him better. He was doing his best to adapt.

“Look…” he would stop as he looked down and shook his head, trying to word this right. He honestly didn’t know how to say what he wanted to say, but he had to try. So with a small sigh, he would look back at the other his expression agitated and distress all at once, a clear sign this wasn’t easy, but he was trying.

“I understand where you are coming and I apologize if my wording has triggered you in some way. That was not my intention and I wasn’t trying to make you out to be something untrustworthy either. I just worded things wrong and perhaps I need to work on what I say or how I present it to others. I am honestly unsure of what to do at this point to make it better. However, I do know this constant clashing cannot be good. I mean it is fine to discuss things and place them on the table, but there has to be a different way we can approach this without making remarks or saying things that is going to unintentionally trigger myself or you. I just…don’t know what that way is and would appreciate it if I had some help here. I cannot read you so I honestly don’t know how to approach you properly and won’t know unless you work with me here….”

He was not asking for pity here and maybe by making himself vulnerable he might seem weak to the other; however at this point he was running out of ideas on what to do.…This was probably not going to end well, but what else could he do except acknowledging the problem head on? He hadn’t been dancing around or being dishonest beforehand, he honestly thought he was being clear, but hang ups like this showed there was a disconnect somewhere, so rather than continuously poke at an already angry and cornered animal, he tried a different approach to try and settle this issue between them. After all, if they could not work around the differences that made them clash, how would they ever get to a point where they could actually talk about other things that were maybe more complicated or touchy? This blow out thing wasn’t pleasant for himself and he sure the other wasn’t having a great time either. His tolerance for it was wearing thin and it showed in the way his body seemed a bit more slumped and the grumpiness that came with simply being tired of fighting against something that was overwhelming.

Yes. He knew he was a pain in the ass and hard to deal with, but seriously did this guy not bend? Calm conversation or not, this was not translating into anything calm in his mind. Perhaps it was the way he thought or approached things, but this was more of a challenge than he had expected. That was already frustrating enough, but add uncertainty and more push back than help on top of that?... This was becoming a ride he was not expecting to go on. Even so, he didn’t storm away or give up on the matter no matter how unpleasant it was. That alone was proof he was not joking about trying to learn about the other…

Now where would all that lead he had no clue, but he would eventually let it go as the waves came in to wash that topic out to the sea. In the absence of one topic came a bit of silence, the small pry exchange not going beyond short answers and maybe that was a good thing. At least the pause gave the Tamiki some time to clear out his thoughts and get himself back in a state of mind that was more reasonable and calmer than before, so when the conversation did finally pull itself out of the Valley of Silence, he was able to knock away the negative air between them away easily enough and approach the next subjects in a more laid back way. What was said well…

“I don’t think there is one truth when it comes to the matter since it varies from person to person. I can’t say if what is seen is genuine or fake, but at the same time I try not to think too hard on others' personal matters. If on the surface they seem happy, I just go with that rather than creating thoughts like that about someone because in the end it is none of my business and also I don’t know how those involved translate friendships and love, so I leave my mind open to their happiness. Even if I don’t understand it is okay. I don’t have to know if I am not involving myself with said persons and maybe the reason it looks so easy is because those people are just more social than yourself or I,” he would say with a light shrug. Those matters never really bother him and due to so many unknowns he didn’t seek to understand it fully unless he was bored enough to tackle the topic, but....… “On that note. With that sort of standing, what is friendship to you? What do seek from it?” The other seemed like a challenge to get close to for various reasons, so if he was firm in his way, then how did people get close to him? Surely, he didn’t want to be alone and was capable of connecting with someone, right? It was hard to say at this point, but the dark haired male did not think too much on it as he decided to let time answer that one.

The conversation would shift to the subject of happiness from there...though the frown from the other made it seem like they were talking about something not so pleasant. And maybe from the words spoken it wasn’t that pleasing. Who knew?

“It would depend on the level of misery I suppose. Sometimes things are done that are unpleasant, but they are kind of necessities that go in hand with protecting a family. That sort of misery I’d gladly take, but to do something outside of that that displeased me to make those around me happy? I would have to say no. I do not agree with sacrificing yourself or what pleases you to make the world around you happy. You’d need to do things that make you happy too otherwise the negativity will destroy you,” he would say and then closing his eyes a bit he would continue. “Mmm. Well that can make it harder and also your mindset on said subject. I personally enjoy helping those around me, so it doesn’t bother me much. Kind of just leaves a warm feeling inside I like.” Yes lending a helping hand was nice and while he mostly kept it to family, here and there he did decide to reach out to others to help. Not so much as a split individual, but as a whole beng. It was an odd trait of his, but it just happened that way. In the end, it seemed that on various fronts when it came to the personal, they were like night and day. Though maybe that was alright. Differences could always reveal new things to one another, right?

Perhaps and perhaps not. The situation would in time move from heavy conversations to more quiet ones as time ticked on. Things remained chilled between them until the subject matter of age came up. While Tamiki did give the answer he understood as true, he had to wonder if what he gave was a truth or not. He understood birth dates and all, but his life before this was...far from normal, so what really counted as a birth date for him? And if it was not what was told then...how old was he really? It was always a wandering and somewhat surreal thought that crossed his mind when anyone asked him about his age. Even so, the wandering didn’t show on the outside as his face remained neutral until he to got an answer from the other about his own age.

“19 huh? From behavior I had pegged you a bit older,” he would say with a small smile and then uncurling himself, he would reposition himself on the ground becoming comfortable before attempting to speak again.


A curious pry, but wasn’t this what this was supposed to be about in the first place? Learning about each other?

When it came to figuring out Tamiki and why he snapped at things when he really shouldn’t, the matter became complicated. For you see, he didn’t exactly understand this trait of himself fully. In fact, if one was completely frank with the matter there was a lot of things about himself he either didn’t understand or know.

He knew where he came from (or at least he thought he did) and knew his childhood well enough, but even so all the details of the hows and other matters were not known or explained to him. He simply knew who he was via what he had experienced or had been told up front. He didn’t think he was living a lie per se, but that did not stop the fact that somewhere he knew not everything about himself had been placed on the table. With that being said, the unknown would add another layer of complication to the matter at hand - his snappy and grumpiness. He had lived with this all his life and while he was very capable of showing other emotions outside of rage and being pissy in general, more often than not he came off as aggressive in such a way that it felt unnatural to contain it. Now for the sake of the situation here and trying to get along with the person before him, he did try to do the unnatural and get some grasp on the wild flames, but even so his efforts would not seem apparent to the person observing him.

To them, he probably came off as just too sensitive and touchy for his own good. A truth in some cases, but to be honest he wasn’t even mad in the sense that the expression gave off. To him this was calm, but apparently he was at a disagreement with the world’s standards of calmness? He wasn’t sure and would have to consult with his other half who probably could untangle this better than he could to find true clarity. In the meantime though, he would try and figure this current situation out. It seems there was more of a disconnect in the understanding than he originally thought.

While the silence of the other went by easily enough while he spoke, when he was done he would become somewhat quiet as he did his best to calm himself down. As he did this, the other seemed to think and when he finally did speak, Tamiki did not say anything until the guy had finished speaking. He would take a moment to absorb it all and then another to sort how he was going to respond to that. It was quite a bit.

Welp. Here goes nothing.

To the first part, the other would get a stormy glance as the words sunk in and the dark haired male processed it a bit more, a small frown came across his face as he tried to wiggle around this, but in the end opted for the truth of the matter.

“A bit more moody is an understatement and something I think I need to clear up right here and right now. I am 99% of the time grumpy. The response is grumpy, the method is aggressive….it is all there. Yes, I have learned to reel it in a bit with people I am close to and some days I even do better than usual. When I am split like this, this half of me is just like this. I cannot explain the triggers or what not because they just happen even if I don’t want them to. There is just something within me, I don’t really get that makes me flare and go after whatever is said. It only gets worst and out of control when I don’t get something, so discussions end up like this...a mess. I...can change, but unfortunately it is not a quick fix or something that will be seen due to one encounter with the matter. I am not very good at showing much out of anger at first, but I do get better, but...it takes time…. ”

He would look up at the other with an almost bitter smile as he continued onward. “...Time that most won’t bother with because of your point exactly. Tolerating. I understand your standpoint more than you know. I know people don't want this and quite frankly I wish there was an off switch for the mode, but there isn't. As a result of this, I am not sure what to do to make the matter easier or simpler cause it is not an easy matter to just patch up with talking alone. To make it worse, in my eyes you're a challenge for me, so I honestly will flare naturally…..I can try taking a breath beforehand to see if it calms me a bit, but….I just don’t know honestly. I just don't see myself being able to come across super calm, but I am willing to give it whirl to see if the pause improves the matter. As much as I hate to admit it...I too wouldn’t want to be bothered by me….if all I got was negativity…”

Despite not understanding why he was this way fully, he was not blind about the problem and maybe that is why the bitter truth was a bit easier to swallow when spoken out loud. He couldn't see any easy fix for this because honestly the ones that did get close to him had taken the time and effort to truly get to know him to work around this problem, but this was a stranger and one he wasn't sure would stick around long enough to see the truth of the matter. As they stood now they were at odds with each other and while Tamki could not see the light at the end of the tunnel, he did decide to try....and that alone was proof that he really was trying to work with the other on the matter. He wasn’t aiming to cause fall outs here, so he tried to work with what was there. The words being said weren’t falling on deaf ears, They really weren’t. He heard loud and clear, but even so that did not change the fact this would take some work. The question was how long was the other willing to stay and weather this?

As for that last part, the steam was there again. It was riddling his body and could be felt, but as much as he wanted too just snap, he understood he couldn’t so while it was difficult, he bit his tongue and took a moment to calm the fire that was building before answering. His expression was still stormy as he looked over at the other, but it wasn’t hostile. Despite how he had been behaving he was not pissed at all. Agitated yes, but that matter went beyond the man before him…

Even still he tried his best not to flare again. So when he opened his mouth and the words came out his response wasn’t explosive despite the dryness to the words that simply came from getting worn down from fighting with one self. He needed to get a handle on this for this work out. So he might as well start trying now...

“No...If you stopped talking and walled me off that would be much worse than what is happening here. I can tell you now, I am a mine field with too many triggers to even explain. Your way of speaking is...difficult, but I can’t fault you for being you...and to be frank...I suppose outside of one or two times, I haven’t really tried hard enough to not snap or steam. I guess I didn’t really care for those I was interacting with in those case, so didn't attempt to put my best foot forward….” he said his voice trailing off at the end. The rest was pretty much self explanatory. This round he did care otherwise he would not be sitting here trying to work with the guy before him. He wasn’t sure if any of his points were clear or not, but he had at least tried showing they could place things on the table and with a bit more effort on his part, the end result didn’t have to be explosive. Regardless of how this turned out though was back in the other’s court now. If the other couldn’t understand this as a genuine try then he honestly didn’t know how to be clearer….

Outside of that mess there was a different one when the subject of friendship came along. Though by this time the heat had died down enough to leave Tamiki in a rather calm mode, so opinions flowed smoothly between them despite difference.

“I suppose I don’t think on the matter because I auto assume when dealing with people if it isn’t just to brush off the other or a casual hello, then those that call themselves friends are working in their own ways to discover each other and settle the differences. While some blow outs happen on the street, I think most of the time we only view the moments of peace between them and those blow outs probably happen when its just them or they are somewhere more private than the public. I can understand wanting to understand a person and somewhere inside of this mess that is me, I have an open heart and mind to that. I just don’t pick that hard at the matter and let it come naturally. I don’t go super deep unless I am investing my time and energy with said person by trying to making a connection of some sort whether it be friendship or not. I am good with general understanding leaving deeper ones for those I seek to know better or be closer to.”

He didn’t need to pick everything apart to figure it out. He actually preferred to just go with the flow of the matter and let it grow or do whatever it was going to do from there. Maybe he was less analytical than the other or perhaps had differences on where he applied focuses. He wasn’t sure, but their views on the lovely matter of friendship was definitely different that was for sure.

As for what the other expected of friends….

“I see." He could accept the difference easily enough. "So what sort of activities do you like to do then if not typical?” he would ask with a small tilt of his head as the other opened a new door. From their the conversation would come back to happiness and family. Though to what was heard, Tamiki would give a small nod.

“Well that does change things,” he would say having nothing more to actually add onto that. There was really not much else to say on the matter. Him and the other had different perspective on the matter and no amount of discussion was going to make them agree with the other when it came to family, happiness, or friends. Tamiki saw it one way and the man the other. It was as simple as that.

Tamiki would look down at the grass a bit at that last statement as he thought.

“If they can do for themselves then yes, I agree. They should make some effort to try if they can, but sometimes people just need help and while I wouldn’t consider myself fully invested in the task. I do reach out from time to time when I see someone struggling. Even if it is only to get help them stand up again.”

He wasn’t a volunteer or by no means a caretaker, but on occasion he found himself going out of his way to help an elder with a task or taking the detour to a store or restaurant to get the homeless a meal. He did small things because he liked to see others happy in the end and if he could help than he would. Despite how he could come off as on the surface, in the end he was a lot more opened-hearted than one would think thus allowing him to bend in ways that others that may have a different stance or life couldn’t. It was an interesting division for sure, but one he observed mentally rather than try to make a fuss about. In his mind there was no point to do that. Personal preference was personal preference. End of story.

Moving along the conversation would come back to a small silence as the age comment was responded to with a short answer and having not much else to poke at there, the young man would give a let out a light hum in response, but nothing else before he settled into his position on the ground and took a moment to enjoy the weather before speaking again.

“I was speaking on facts mainly, but if you prefer the figurative as home, then I’ll accept that too,” he would begin. After all home was where you made it no matter if you were born there or not. As for the rest well….

“I travel, but have only traveled once over seas, but that was a long time ago. I don’t recall much of that trip, but then again it did happen in a rather muddled part of life. So that is that. Outside of that we move around a bit, but haven’t gone outside of this country here. I would love to go though just to see what was out there and what else I could learn.” Travel was a pretty big dream of his, but he hadn’t gotten to the point where he could fly on his own. Not yet…

Traveling aside though, Tamiki would pull himself out of his thoughts as his eyes drifted over to the one laying down as he got his vague answer and even a taste of a different language. To what was heard, the dark haired male would frown slightly perplexed as his ears heard the language, but only figured out one word due to the similarity of it to a English word. Outside of that the language while pretty had no meaning to the mind that could not translate it, but even so that did not seem to bother Tamiki much as he spoke.

“Not from around here, huh? From that last one I assume that is hint as to where you are from? It almost sounds like some variation of French, but with differences here and there. I can’t pinpoint it, so what language is that and like what does it mean?”

He didn’t mind the guessing game. In fact, he liked games and gambling a lot; however, when he was out of his league or simply could not win by normal means, the creature knew how to submit gracefully enough and even ask when lost. High and mighty he may seem, but in the end that was just a front. It took time and moments like this to get him to show a bit of his true self underneath it all.

Not from within? Then where did it come from? Was it a learned thing due to something else? Or did he have a serious problem and didn’t realize it? Having the issue brought up in such way definitely gave the dark haired male a reason to pause as his gave a frown and looked up at the sky in thought.

“We aren’t mentally unstable, last I checked, so that notion can be thrown out the window. Though now that you ask, I can safely say. No,” he would let his hands dropped as he looked back at the other. “No I never sat down to actually figure out what made me so angry. I just know that it is what I do automatically when face with difficulty. When I think back on the past….” He would pause as he wracked his brain for something that could’ve started this a long time ago. He tried, but things would get jumbled once he tried go back further than Olivia. Why was he having difficulty seeing that? It couldn’t be because he was a half because he had tried going back before his life with the woman when he was whole and still….he could not remember. It was like something was there, but hidden behind some screen that made everything hard to decipher. It was scary to be honest...having a memory there he could not unlock. He didn’t understand why that was. What happened to him before he turned 10? What had made his memory such a mess?

“....” He would ponder in silence a bit more before finally giving up on the matter as he refocused on the other and gave a shrug. “I can’t think of anything that would cause this.” He would say the words easily enough and while they would suggest he was unbothered by the matter, there was a small window where he did give a look of distress on the matter, but it went by so quick unless one paid full attention to him and could read the emotion, it would be missed. It did bother him, but he tried to put on a brave face and at least not let it show too much in front of this guy. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of the truth...just this wasn’t the time or place to get swept away by that.

That mystery aside, things would move on surprisingly smoothly as the other spoke on the challenges of dealing with others and not running. Tamiki was mostly quiet as he nodded a bit at what was heard. “Well that is true….and I suppose a relief hear considering the matter could’ve gone other routes,” he would say his tone calm still as he absorbed and responded to what he heard well enough; however, at the suggestion posed, he would tilt his head as he raised an eyebrow. “Do something else? Like what?” he would begin and then waiting a moment he would get his answer. An answer he did not expect or could quite understand.

He saw the action and heard the words, but his own reaction was quite stunned as he forgot how to speak for a second and just stared at the other a bit slack jawed and dumbfounded for a moment. When he did recover, he would give the other a rather confused frown.

“Yes, I did say it helps to let it out, but...isn’t doing that what you didn’t want? Are you telling me to not hold back when I flare anymore? Or are you suggesting we actually fight for a bit before continuing?”

What was this guy doing? While it did help to get things off his chest right away and that he did have the tendency to be way more calmer after a good fight, he was uncertain how to respond to this. Before the guy had been about a calm approach, but now he was changing his mind? This was hard to wrap his head around for a moment and without full clarity he really wasn’t sure what to do.

...Though if the other did want to go a round he had to admit he would not turn it down. Fights were a good way for him channel the aggression though typically it was released via business orders; however, on some occasions he did get the rare pleasure of tackling other things. In each case, he willingly started fights or went in knowing they were going to come to him. He loved a good fight and so if he found a way to get one going he very well could take advantage of it just for the fun, but this offer here? This was something unusual. No one really challenged him out right let alone gave a window for him to just attack to get the aggression out of him early. He didn’t mind the challenge. In fact, he was actually quite honored someone would do that if it was genuine, but that was the problem. He was unsure, so before taking what he was offered he had to know what it really was the other was doing or offering. So until answered he would remain in a state of confusion and not taking any action.

How long that confused lasted or what happened after that was an unknown. What was known was that the conversation would eventually drift to some form of a calm on its own as topics revolving relationships with people came about and that in itself was going from normal to more scientific somehow. At least this whole process of friendship was. Despite the odd change, Tamiki was able to go along with it...Well more or less. He would find himself a bit perplexed at the other's explanation.

“I suppose if friendship was that straightforward or had a trend to follow, I could follow that logic. I am not sure if there is really basics for it. Maybe some general rules, but outside of that I think the only way one gets better is to let people in and learn to deal with them that way. I think its more of an adaption thing rather than actual method for that. Though I suppose if you are poking at the psychology behind it, then maybe there is some answer I don’t know about. I never took a scientist approach to the matter, so I could be wrong. I’d be kind of curious to hear the findings of such a matter though. I think it would be an interesting study.”

An interesting study indeed, but practical he wasn’t too sure. People and the relationships seemed too complex to be able to unravel via science. It seemed that human nature dictated that arena and while some could study said behaviors and what not in the end, he didn’t believe one could slap rules on emotions and attachments. Sure things could impact nature or shift them here and there, but never really change them. Science surely couldn’t help with that could it? Well maybe it would give a different viewpoint, but could said viewpoint be used to better the situation or process? An unknown that might not be answered any time soon. Regardless of differences, Tamiki didn’t seem to mind this sort of chat as he remained non-hostile and relatively calm since the other wasn’t doing anything he found threatening and the topic was actually kind of fascinating to discuss considering the doors that were being open by this new viewpoint. Science and theories aside, the conversation would come back to personal preferences as his other question was answered. Unlike before his response came out with ease.

“Heh. We actually share some similarities there. I don’t like crowds or too much of anything. While I might go to a party or club here or there, I much rather chill. Now despite the fact that I desire friends closer, we are not so clingy that I need to be around someone all the time. I am alright with occasional meetings or light chat. I can agree I do better one-on-one also and am cool with going out or if you prefer just sitting and doing something quiet. I can handle people, but I must admit I like breathing room too.”

Yeah people were interesting and while the tendency was to go in large groups, he found himself kind of getting a strange mix there. He could enjoy it yes, but boy the aches and pains that followed from dealing with large amounts of people and trying to be comfortable afterwards? That was a killer...and an odd trait considering how he was supposed to naturally be able to handle that situation. Guess no one considered that a stage performer could have social anxiety, huh? Oh well. At least he wasn’t alone in the boat, so that was a plus and a nice thing to know. At least on that front the pair seemed to be on level ground.

From there, they would fall into a bit of silence as the views on families and how they impacted things came to some form of rest for the moment. They seem to be okay with not fully agreeing on the matter and was able to move on to the matter of helping others instead.

Tamiki take note of the bitter smile and hear the words spoken before closing his eyes as a small smile crossed his face that held understanding, but another emotion there that was hard to place. He remain silent for a bit before reopening his eyes and speaking again.

“At one point I could agree with that logic and I still don’t believe in helping when the person clearly can do something about the problem and just doesn’t. We don’t like wasting our time, so we won’t; however, we are open to not receiving help in turn. I do the task because I enjoy it. It is true some may be putting on a show and while it is good to be cautious, I found that help sometimes comes from the least likely of sources. I am not saying it happens all the time, but sometimes miracles do happen to challenge that line of logic. So while I understand, I don't follow it as closely as before.”

His voice was soft and laid back layered with mystery, but the dark haired male left it as it was for now and let the other decide to do what he wanted with it. In the end, he couldn’t fully agree with the logic because on his side at least it had been proven wrong in a way that caused him to be a bit more open to the idea that maybe people weren’t as selfish as they seemed. Did that mean he trusted them right off the bat? No, but at least he considered them a bit differently than he used to, so yay there he supposed.

In any case, whatever developed from that would happen as the conversation turned from relationships to what one considered home. To the other’s light laugh, Tamik became slightly more alert as he tilted his head curiously at him not sure what the other found so funny; however, when he heard the response back, he found himself smiling a bit.

“Alright. Keep your secrets then,” he would say his tones surprisingly holding no bite as he let the guy dodge the question for the moment. Perhaps it was his relaxed air or some thing else that allowed the guy to get off the hook easily this round. It was hard to say and probably best not question. The conversation would continue on smoothly enough as it went to travel.

“True. True, but at the same time despite the challenges, I still want to go,” he would say and then blinking a bit as something hit him, he would ask. “Oi, you travel much?”

From the way Sharaku spoke it seemed that way or maybe the other considered possibilities differently or was just more worldly. Either way, the dark haired male had gone from relaxed to curious as the conversation between them seemed to be open water for the moment with nothing dangerous to be seen. The situation would seem to remain this way as the other prop himself up with a thin smile when it came to the subject of where he came from.

When they made eye contact, Tamiki expression would be remain written with open curiosity for a while longer only shifting into an amused smirk as the other failed at speaking French.

“It was off, but a good try nonetheless.” he would say as he watched the other with a curious eye. He still didn’t get him. On one hand the guy showed he could be a handful to deal with, but then he’d turn around and do something like this, showing that despite the headache he could be, he could play around, come off as awkward, etc. He was an mixed bag of things like any person, but what kept the being interested in him was the fact that much like his wandering friend, this one could not be read. Their personalities were different, but they shared that same mysterious quality. Strange.

Tamiki would only linger on that sliver of amusement for a short while before pushing it to the side as he focused on the rest of the conversation.

“So people have said,” he would say with a light nod. He had heard tales of travel before and while stories and pictures were nice, he would like to make some of that magic his own one day. However until he could, he would settle well enough with the stories told.

Pausing a bit to shift and roll onto his belly, he would adjust his body so that he remained propped up on his arms in a more comfortable position before. Once he was comfortable again, he would glance back over at the other. He had taken note of the straight answer rather than a game that had come along. He wasn’t too bothered by not having a game to play since he got what he wanted in the end. In any case, his curiosity remained opened about the other as he resumed speaking.

“You speak Portuguese fully? And if so, is Portugal your birthplace? Or did you like visit there or something?”

While he hadn’t meant to think too long on the subject, there was a brief delay as he tried his best to see into his past to see if there was indeed something that caused him to flare or feel threatened by tiny things. He was conscious of the other and tried to shut the process down before it got out of hand...And maybe he did okay for the other didn’t seem to be bothered by the fact and even responded back when he did speak. Unfortunately for the other, Tamiki’s answer would be rather short.

“Yeah. Maybe so.” If it was a known fact to himself, he probably would remember something to give a clear answer, but he didn’t. Even so it was still a bit bothersome he couldn’t go beyond that certain point in his head. Anyway, despite a bit more pondering, he did his best to clear the thoughts away and not turn this into something more complicated than a simple matter of questions and answers. He was not prepared to go to deeper level on the matter with the other just yet and while it had taken him a while to figure out an answer or speak again that did not mean he wanted this to become sort of help session. No. With this he would prefer to figure it out on his own, but just not today.

Moving past that snag, Tamiki would hear the response to the subject of relief and would give the other a faint smile. “Heh. Oh that’s good then. Very good,” he would say his voice soft yet amused. Well, the guy wasn’t an ass so to speak. He wasn’t trying to make him suffer or have blow outs...it had just happened and now seemed to resolve itself to a degree. There were still some heated pieces under it all, but for the most part they weren’t to the point the dark haired male was going to blow again. Though what was said made him wonder...what would occur if the guy had reason to antagonize as he said? What would give the guy a reason to do that? And would he survive such an event? Did he really want to know?

Probably not. Regardless, Tamiki wouldn’t dig too far into that for now as anger shifted to a bit of confusion as he was thrown off guard by the other’s sudden change up in how he was approaching his “anger problem”. To the answer heard, Tamiki was silent for a bit as he studied the other for a few seconds as he let it sink in and searched the other for signs of a lie. He was really being genuine about this one, so then…

Looking off to the side, he would run a hand through his hair as he watched the world with his usual moody expression before he spoke.

“You haven’t done anything yet to warrant a physical attack like that, so you’ll have to just be on your toes if you want to adapt to my behavior properly. Unfortunately, I cannot flare much right now because I calm down. Much like a firecracker, I need a trigger to come at you. So if you wanna throw me a bone, we can see what the results from that are if you wish to see something come of this in the immediate sense. Otherwise, we could dance a bit. I can’t really turn down good exercise and a stress reliever all in one, but in the end it honestly depends on what you desire out of this. So Sharaku, what do you desire?” His voice had shifted to a somewhat business manner, a shift that happened when faced with interesting offers. Despite the shift in speaking, he did speak honestly when it came to this matter. He was open to a fight, but if the other was opening this for a natural reaction, he needed something to go forward on. After all the reactions did come in response to a thing coming at him and once the reactions were done, they were out of his system. He wasn’t holding onto anything to make him want to burst or rant. That is not how he worked. Without something there, there was no sign of danger. No reason to attack. So that was a thing here along with another factor - he had calmed down

While he wasn’t any less moody, before things had come to this his own internal struggles had taken over the job of natural blow outs or swings helping him get rid of most of the negative energ within. With the heat lowered and replaced by calmness, it was hard to act on an impulse in this moment. Maybe if the other had done this while he was still riled up, the matter might’ve been different, but right now nothing major would happen unless the other did something to create a “threat” again. As long as he was calm like this though, the other would have to deal with his grumpy, yet calm responses. Even so what the guy was doing was an interesting gamble and Tamiki appreciated the boldness. Though he did not show the appreciation on the surface or speak it out loud, but he did show a genuine curiosity towards the matter leaving the end result to the other.  

From there things would go into a stranger topic as friendship began to flow slightly into the realm of science and theories instead. Tamiki hadn’t been trying to get to that point with his words and it seemed the other was pretty quick at redirecting the matter before it went off into the deep end. Back on track, Tamiki would give the other a nod.

“Yeah, I understand. I was just presenting an opinion is all. However, I don’t think you need tons of people to figure out how it works. Unless of course you are going for something broad with the study. However, if you are aiming for what works for you, then perhaps you can observe and pick at the matter from the experiences you have with those you encounter to get clarity.” It was a suggestion,but could get him the results desired, no? Maybe. Complicated matters aside though the last part was easier to respond to.
“Psychology is a fascinating subject and I can’t argue with your point.” ...and there was not much else to say. That conversation was a done deal unless they started branching out on the subject.

Speaking of branching out, the next topic didn’t go very far. Shortly after, Tamiki was done speaking the other decided to be quiet. Why that was Tamiki wasn’t sure, but he was hoping he had become quiet due to not having anything to add rather than becoming suddenly offended or something along those lines about the matter. The other didn’t seem upset, so maybe it was the former after all. Eh. A small silence never hurt matters, so having nothing else to say Tamiki would let it pass and would weather the next stretch of silence too. Things would eventually pick up again as the whole help others issue brought about a response.

“It is true what you say. People probably won’t help out even if helped, even so I learned not to be so jaded about that or closed up. Now I won’t go out of my way for everyone, but at the same time if someone really needs the help and I can do something about it, then I try. Before that incident where I was aided, I would say my view was even more closed then yours. I didn’t see anyone worth helping at all. The event shifted my perspective and made me more opened minded on the matter of helping people is all I am saying. I am not saying to bank it all on miracles or anything, but being helped when you are closed off to the idea does impact how one views something if you take the lesson to heart. And in turn that impact opens doors one may have never considered going in before. That was all I was stating with my example.”

He wasn’t a fool or easily swayed, but he could not deny that being saved did make him reconsider some of things in life and in turn start his path of being more open to the world and those around him. Becoming a bit more open had brought him some much needed peace internally, so the memory was only being used as a good example of how he viewed helping others. He hadn’t been trying to convince the guy with that one that helping people was the best thing ever. Wasn’t trying to say just help anyone without thinking. No. He understood quite well the caution when it came to aiding other people, but even so he did not see the need to skirt around the subject due to difference or to avoid being drilled about it or the logic behind this idea of aiding others. All this was doing was giving him some more insight into how the other thought and in turn highlighted where they had differences.

Moving from that arena, they would get into the arena of homes and travel. To the first part, Tamiki would let out a light chuckle of amusement. “Well, even if there aren’t any to be had, the way you phrased it was suggesting maybe you had something you didn’t want to share. Then again, I’ve been translating many things wrong during this whole ordeal no matter how hard I listen. So is this error really a surprise at this point?” This response was surprisingly not delivered with heat or annoyance. It was actually delivered in a good natured-manner making one wonder if what had occurred to get him this calm. It was strange, but maybe it was a sign he was just comfortable. So who knew?

That mystery and fun aside, Tamiki would go back to being more or less serious as the other gave him an answer on the travel bit. He would tilt his head at what he heard.”Oh, where did you visit and what made you stop?”  He wondered if that was hard. Being a traveler and then stopping. Having never done anything outside of move about the from job to job, he had to wonder how it felt to just suddenly not have to do that anymore. Curious, curious.

At the huff though, Tamiki eyes would narrow slightly as he studied the other trying to read if he was upset or something else. He didn’t read negative vibes from him, so maybe it was okay.
“Well an attempt is an attempt. I am sure it is never easy trying to speak another language different than your native tongue. I haven’t studied any language deeply, but know from movies and such how they sound. Couldn’t speak those languages to save my life though let alone pronounce things right.” Hell. He was a native English speaker and some days he couldn’t even get that right. “I tried Spanish once, but thanks to not speaking it or practicing it, I understand a bit of it, but not much. I think I have an easier time trying to read it rather than speaking it. Though that depends on dialect also. I have encountered things that sound Spanish, but have none of the words I am accustomed too.” Yeah. Those different variables that made languages unique and challenging all at once. He could get around them if he really tried, but for now he hadn’t sat down and put his mind to focusing on learning one language deeper. Sure he had some interest in certain languages like Japanese, French, Spanish, and Italian, but interest weren’t helpful without work being put into them to apply them to life now were they?

Languages would pass into shifting and small silences which in turn would circle back around to conversation as questions were asked and answered.

“I suppose so. Though on that note how long did you stay at your home or any place you visted? Also how did wind up here?” A bit too curious too soon? Maybe, but he asked just like anyone would when curious about a thing. That aside, he would look at the grass between his arms as he gave the other some time to answer before continuing.

“Portuguese. Hmmm. Now that I think of it unless it is some special case, it isn’t offer that much. As for Spanish well, it is pretty popular and one of the most widely spoken languages too. So I suppose it is useful if it sinks in that is.” Spanish was pretty popular and many seemed to know the country of Spain well. Though he had to wonder if it was because of ease or necessity that one learned the language. Maybe it was a bit of both.