As Bright As The Snow

The snow fluttered around, a quite thick layer of it already coating the ground like a soft white blanket, a clear message coming from lady winter on this soon to be late evening. It was indeed a surprisingly cold winter day, the majority of people walking through the city's streets bulked up in warm layers, their breaths turning into thick cloudy streams pretty much immediately. Meanwhile, the tall, dark skinned man watched the happenings from his current perch on a bench off to the side. Though to be fair, 'watch' would be too strong a word in this particular case. Observing in resignation would be a notch more accurate at the moment. He had originally been out, accompanying his two acquaintances on a hang out of sorts...which seemed to have ended up with him getting 'subtly' ditched in favor of the duo having more of a date instead. On one hand, he was thoroughly unimpressed at being made the quintessential third wheel, but on the other, he wasn't all too surprised. In fact, he had kind of expected this to happen. He was usually the one to be people's shadow anyway, and he wasn't blind enough to not notice 'things' happening around him.

Still...had it been really fucking necessary to leave him waiting out by himself in this ungodly freezing weather? Currently he was heavily regretting not even having a pair of gloves on him (although thank heavens he was at least dressed in a long winter coat if nothing else), because his hands felt like the incarnation of north pole at this point. It was starting to become very tempting to get himself a cup of coffee too go from some nearby place just to use it as a heat source, but he had this vague feeling that his ass was ice glued to the bench already too, making this all ten times the hassle. With the falling snow starting to gather on top of his messy wavy hair, and him pretty much 'moping' on a bench all alone, he probably looked a bit miserable. To be frank, he couldn't even decide whether he seriously did feel miserable or not right now. Definitely in the mood to mumble things under his breath that were clearly in a foreign language though. Yeah, he probably totally gave the image of some random foreigner having an imaginary date with his misery at the moment, and yet he also couldn't quite care less. Why was he even still here willingly freezing his brains out anyway...?

The evening and the snow was already settling in nicely when the dark haired young man began locking down the building he worked at his last patient taking longer than expected, but hey that was alright. At least the kid got what he wanted out for the moment and he could rest a bit easier knowing the kid wouldn’t kill himself for the time being and he would be seeing said kid again tomorrow to take even further steps to aid her with the issues she had.

With an inward sigh of contentment, the demon would bundle himself up in his black winter jacket and red scarf and black gloves before stepping out into Lady Winter’s arms and pausing for a bit to lock up the building. With the business closed for the night, he could finally go home and rest, but before before that he wanted to visit the cafe to sit down with a nice cup of coffee and a light meal. So taking shoving the key and his hands into his pocket, the young man would make his way down the snow covered pathways, his breath coming out in thin lines of steam as the snow fluttered and settled upon him. He keep walking listening to the sounds of the city as his boots crunched quietly on the snow, his body knowing exactly where to go as his mind wandered about for a bit. His walk would be uneventful and the cafe easy enough to get to. His evening would be spent alone in the ambience of the small cafe before he went home some time later to be with his cat and only companion back home. It would end like all his other days with him either working on some art or preparing for the next day before hitting the hay. His evening would be predictable and usual. Or at least it would’ve been if something strange hadn’t happened at the halfway point to said cafe.

As he was passing the familiar bench he saw a fellow sitting on it with dark color skin and looking like he wasn’t having the best of times. And well who would be if they were sitting in the freezing cold. The young man had passed this bench with many similar looking people on it; however, as he glanced at this guy and passed him, he found himself slowing and coming to a stop a few feet away from the bench as a strange sensation hit him.

That guy...he knew him didn’t he? Staying where he was for a moment with his back turned to the other his eyebrows would furrow as he looked at the ground as he searched his brain for clarity, but found none. A frustrating matter and yet…

The young man would find himself turning and backtracking so he was within talking distance of the guy on the bench. He wasn’t sure why, but some part of him just wanted to talk to him gain some unknown certainty or something. Regardless of how confusing this was, the young man would speak.

“Hey there. Doing alright?” he would ask his voice soft, but audible as he gave the other calm and friendly smile even if his mind was desperately trying to put together why it was that he felt like he knew this guy when he never even met him before.

In all honestly, he had been too busy mulling over his unfortunate predicament to even notice that someone had passed by him in the first place. And he probably never would have if he wasn't brought out of his thoughts just a few moments later by the sudden sound of a voice that certainly wasn't just freezing wind howling and pretending to be talking. Blinking a bit to clear his vision, he would narrow his eyes at the person now standing close by, his initial response being a slight bout of silence. Something was off about this, as much as he typically simply brushed it off when random people decided to talk to him for who knew what reason. Then again, he was half-frozen right now, so he wasn't sure if he could trust his judgment as far as he could throw it.

Regardless...scatter-brained indeed, as his first response after he collected himself was a mumble in a foreign language before he trailed off with a momentary blank face. Brain please, English. God, he was really out of it today, apparently. He would shift slightly, awkwardly coughing to clear his throat. "...I'm in the process of becoming an ice cube...and I guess hello?"

The young man would stay where he was shifting a bit to stay warm as he watched the other blink and narrow his eyes at him. This guy...he was attractive and while that would've made Rika question himself in more than one way, this attraction didn't seem wrong. Huh. Needless to say it made him more curious about this situation, but wouldn't show it as he kept his face clear of the thoughts pinging in his head.

As for that answer, he would hear the odd language tilting his head a bit before smiling as the guy spoke in English. He would process the words before nodding a bit. "Well that happens when you sit out in this weather," he would begin and then shaking his head a bit, he would chuckle inwardly at himself. "Yeah. Hi," he would say this time in a more confident tone before he became quiet again considering something as a light smirk rested on his lips. "Though we could fix the ice cube issue. Want to join me for coffee and a meal?" he would ask observing how the other behaved in response this as his logical side questioned what he was doing.

His lips would press into a thin line for a few moments, before he simply huffed, making a thick steam cloud surround his face briefly. "I think....I've learned that lesson already." Yes, sitting out here was not helping his levels of temperature, and even less so considering he was lacking useful items such as gloves, a hat or a scarf. Nevertheless, he would raise an eyebrow at the guy. "What's the sudden gentleman attitude? Do I look that miserable?", he would question, his tone implying that he was mostly just cracking a joke at the situation. He would shake his head afterwards though, a slight grimace on his face as he stretched his arms outwards. "Maybe if you pick me up? I think my ass is frozen to the bench right now." In case the other decided to do so, he'd be able to pretty easily notice that the comments about freezing weren't much of an exaggeration, as his hands were indeed icy cold right now.

The demon would watch the other curiously not seeming to bothered by the way the guy behaved or responded. "Mmm. It seems like a unpleasant lesson to learn," the guy would comment back as he gave the other a light frown taking note that outside of a jacket he didn't have much else on that could protect him from the cold. As for the next question, Rika would find himself shrug. "I dunno. I thought it was just a nice offer to someone who was freezing their ass off in the cold is all. And well," the demon would move a hand from his pocket as he scratched his cheek as he gave the other a sheepish smile. "Miserable or not, you are kind of attractive and seem interesting, so there are those too that played into my choice." Well he seemed to play along well enough though maybe there was some truth to his words.

In the end though, it would seem the young man would become slightly serious as he watched the other and heard what he said. As he absorbed what was said he would find himself moving before the other as he stretched out his arms. Without thinking on it he would take the other's hands feeling the icy of them through his gloves. Hmm..

Releasing his hands, for a bit the demon would take off his own gloves before trying to grab the other's hand again. If allowed, he'd slipped the warm gloves onto the other as he spoke.

"Well, if you need assistance, I can definitely carry you," he would say gently those his behavior suggested he was dead serious about the matter and concerned about the guy's condition.

He would kinda half shrug at that. Guess it was, but on the other hand, he was also quite aware of his situation, so it wasn't necessarily that he only now figured out he had made a mistake. He just...hadn't bothered to do anything about it. Not yet at the very least. At any rate, he would raise both of his eyebrow this time around, a half-amused expression on his face at this point. "Trust me, I lament my supposed attractiveness often enough. Am I being asked out? Because if so, you're like the fifth person this month.", he would snort faintly under his breath. He didn't seem offended by it or anything though.

When the other decided to pause to give him gloves rather than anything else, he would blink a few times, a bit taken off guard by that. Still, he would keep his arms where they were for now, as he made a slight incredulous noise. "Free gifts too?", he would poke jokingly, pausing for a moment afterwards as he registered the statement the other gave during this, prompting him to break out into a brief coughy laugh. "Goodness gracious, no. I'd rather not any extra hazards in this weather. I can walk. I just wanted you to pull me up so I can unglue myself from the bench.", he would respond, half out of breath still, as he wiggled his arms slightly.

Well the conversation on lessons and being frozen died off in a reasonable way. No need for a topic that was pretty straight forward to be dragged all over the place after all. So the shrug wouldn't bother him as he instead found himself more amused by the response he got in turn to his comments.

"Well, well Mr. Popular huh. Though I can't blame them for trying you would be quite a catch," he would say with a small smirk. "And what if I am number six asking you out? Would that bother you? A guy asking out you out like this?" It was clear the young man was being playful with this more flirting than trying to do anything serious at this point, showing he was neither offended or uptight about the matter, but also that he had perhaps an odd sense of humor and maybe if someone was truly interested in him he preferred to take it slow.

In any case, whatever the other read out of his behavior he would have to wonder because it seemed that the other seemed to be rather playful as he accept the gloves thankfully without a fuss. "Well I have to out do the others don't I?" he would respond back playing along though his reasoning for doing this was far more logical. The guy's hands were cold to the point that it made him wonder how long he had been out here and if leaving his hands exposed to the cold longer would cause problems. He already saw that grimace earlier suggesting the guy was stiffing up out here and that laugh in response to his comment....

Rika would give the other a smile as he nodded. "Well I can grant that request easily enough," he would say as he reached for the other's hands again and grab them in a firm yet gentle grip. Stepping back a bit, he would attempt to help the guy up.

He would roll his eyes in jest at that one. "It is the bane of my existence." Mostly because at some point it started getting a little old to have people ogling over him, and while he could appreciate the unspoken compliments that kind of went with it...he was...generally not quite interested. He would clear his throat. "Well, in theory...it does not bother me. Though based on my numbers, I suppose you can also deduce my track record of not sticking with the dates in question.", he would comment, offering the other a half-sheepish expression for a moment. Seriously though, declining people was almost his side hobby these days.

"Hmph. How thoughtful.", he would retort towards the jab about outdoing people. He wasn't really sure what he thought of that, assuming said remark was in fact genuine, but he didn't find himself having an issue with it so far, and would thus let it float for now. But yes, he had been moping here for a decent while by now, and his hands were going a little numb, though he hadn't been planning on letting it go to the point of getting a frost bite. He didn't need even more reason to be in a foul mood...as much as he surprisingly wasn't at the moment.

He would grip on the other's hold a bit as he pushed himself up into a standing position. Only for the snow that had been gathering on top of his head to happily slush and slide onto his face. With a defeated noise, he would attempt to wipe his now wet snowy face, somehow still managing to keep up his jokish attitude as he commented towards the other, using the same foreign language he had back then. "Obrigado, meu amor."

He would chuckle lightly at that one. "Oh? Do you get the comment that often?" The guy was quite good looking, he'd be surprised if he didn't, but on the hand the guy could just be playing up his looks just because though something inside was telling him that wasn't the case. Either way, he wouldn't assume too much as he let things play out and reveal themselves at their own pace.

Speaking of that, the demon would find himself tilting his head at the next comment. "If I am gauging the situation right from what I am hearing, I would guess you probably turn them down, yes?" Though if that was the case he wondered why, but of course he would not ask that question right now. Maybe later if he and the other actually clicked well and decided to hang out more, he would ask. For now he was content with the simple answers.

"Heh. I try to be," the demon would respond back this time in a softer and gentler tone as he gave the other a smile. While his flirting was indeed play, he was being genuine with the gloves and his unspoken reasoning behind doing such an act. Though what the other thought of the matter in the end was unknown and to be frank it wasn't something the young man would be concerned with. As long as nothing negative was happening, he wasn't going to stress over it.

Regardless the guy took his hands easily enough and when he moved to get up. Well there was snow on his face and some even went onto Rika's hands the bite of the wet slush only bad enough for him to shake it off before shoving his hands into the deep warm pockets, his left hand searching for something within. When he found it, he would pull said thing out.

It was a clean cloth handkerchief. He would shake it out with one hand before holding it out to the other. "Dude, how long have been sitting out here for snow to gather like that?" he would ask his voice light-hearted despite the situation; however, that light heartedness would turn to curiosity as his mind registered the other language. "My love?" he would begin and then shaking his head he would give a small smile to the other a bit. "Heh. It sounded like Spanish at the end. Though that is clearly not the language. It's beautiful though. What language is it?"

He would grumble half-heartedly at that. "Quite. Especially considering the company I often find myself in." Goodness gracious, but you do not want to be a good looking person when working with classes of students most of the time. It tends to end very awkwardly in some cases. He would give the other a faint smirk. "It is a common practice of mine, yes." Well, he couldn't deny it. Besides, he had his reasons for not getting very involved with the dating scene these days. It was usually for the better, both for himself and the other side. He didn't enjoy feeling guilty for accidentally leading someone on, and most did indeed want to back away when they learned certain things about him. Thus he had kind of gotten into the habit of 'warning' people ahead of time if they seemed to be making serious advances on him, the amount of detail depending on how forward they were being.

He would hum under his breath at the comment the other gave somewhat thoughtfully. "Makes one wonder how far your generosity extends." Not to say that he was the type to use people who were offering, as he did not get much pleasure from doing such, but seeing people performing random selfless acts did get him to think, if nothing else. There's always the question of whether they were truly just very nice people, or did this stuff in hopes of getting the fish on the hook in some way or form.

Anyway...yeah, the snow. It sure enjoyed sticking to him from all the possible angles. He would purse his lips as he battled the wetness of his face with a brief grumble at the back of his throat, pausing when he saw the other offer him something to wipe with. With a huff, he would take the item, dabbing his face a bit. "...A while. I lost track of time. Was busy debating whether I should be mad about being ditched or not." Which he still didn't have an answer for. Then again, as much as mother nature kept trying to throw him under the bus, he wasn't having the worst time of his life just yet, so he guessed he couldn't be too mad. Nevertheless, he would halt with a blink as the guy made a comment about his use of language, briefly making a mock offended expression. "You dare't compare beauty with som' Spanish slander? The 'eresy.", he would jokingly scold the other, purposefully speaking English with a thick foreign accent this time. He had of course taught himself to speak English in a mostly neutral way due to it being the most efficient, but that didn't mean he couldn't make use of his natural accent for the entertainment sometimes. In any case, he wasn't offended or anything, as he personally wasn't the one to care heavily, but pretty much everyone defaulting to 'Spanish???' when hearing his language was kind of a running gag in a way. He would click his tongue with a faint amused sound after that, going back to normal English. "Honestly though, it's Portuguese."

“And what sort of company do you find yourself with that you ended up making denying them a common practice?” the demon would asked find it interesting how it was so easy to talk to this guy without actually using his training as therapist to get over his own issue when dealing with the public off the clock. He couldn’t quite place it, but there was some form of familiarity coming from this guy that made it easy for him to just talk. Like a well known acquaintance you know? Kind of confusing, but at the same time not bad. Perhaps this is what folk meant when they met someone for the first time and just knew them already. Like their souls knew each other. A curious thing, but something he would push away after a bit of thought as he remained firmly grounded in the moment.

The demon would give the other a soft smile as he looked at him, crimson color eyes meeting hazel ones. “I would think my generosity spreads pretty wide, but like all things there is a boundary to it.” His words were humble and honest. He understood that kindness could be mistaken for weakness and some people loved to take advantage of this. He had seen it done before and even had another try and pull the same tricks on him, but thankfully he had gained enough strength from past things and time to be able to put his foot down rather quickly on this front. He was kind yes, but a fool he did not want to be so he was always highly aware of the consequences in these matter even if he didn’t let that cautious side of him show.

That aside, he would slide his hand back into his pocket as the other took the offered cloth. Shifting in his spot, he would casually look around the area before shaking his head at the other. “You got ditched huh. Well that certainly is not pleasant.” He wondered sometimes why people didn’t have the courtesy to just either A) not invite someone when they knew they weren’t going to stay with said person or B) if they decided to do something else and didn’t want the invited party to be involve just say farewell in a polite way. Humans these days. Anyway despite that unpleasant thought, the young man would find himself going from serious to a smirk again as he looked the other up and down. “Though you choose the oddest place to have a debate like that. I honestly would’ve gone inside or something.” Yeah. Staying out in the cold was not his thing. He kind of liked his warm places. “Though out of curiosity, did you settle the debate?” Might as well ask since they were on the subject.
Well wherever that topic went. It would go though as the subject changed to language the demon would find himself actually laughing out loud, the sound warm and pleasant as he heard what the other said. Oh that was cute, but come on now breathe. Recovering, but still grinning he would respond back as he took a step back so he bow deeply to the other.

“Oh pardon me. I didn’t mean to offend ya. I won’t make that mistake again,” he would say in mock apologetic tones as he looked up at the other with an almost cute and pleading look. “Forgive me?” It was obvious he wasn’t being serious, but hey he could play along right? In any case, once the moment had passed he’d straighten back up as he smirked at the other as he got the serious answer. “Ah I see. You from there?” he would ask as he jerked his head slightly signaling they should get going before actually shifting to move towards the destination.

The notion of thinking about it made him cringe internally there, some of it probably crossing his face very briefly before he sighed. “Groups of teens for example. Especially when it’s ones that are at the age where they’re too interested in romance exploits. God forbid I exist in situations like that.” It wasn’t too pleasant, alright. And that was just the most prominent example anyway. He could technically count other random people too if he wanted to, and could likely get away with it considering this guy here just did the same thing, thus there was no arguing the subject. He would shake his head slightly afterwards though. “Regardless…unfavorable conditions aside, me letting people down isn’t necessarily tied to that. It’s just the sort of person I am, and me knowing that agreeing to go through with a relationship is almost bound to be a bad ride.” Even those who would swear up and down they’d be fine with all of it would eventually show that it wasn’t quite true in many cases. Plus, he had kind of learned how to read people’s stances on this by now, making it less effortless for him to decide what route to take.

He would raise his eyebrows a little bit. “That’s quite the mysterious answer.”, he’d comment casually, letting the matter be for the most part. Well, it certainly didn’t answer as to where any of said boundaries were, that was for sure. On the other hand, he had no reason to be bothered by the matter as he wasn’t planning on attempting to push his luck to begin with. Therefore, there was no need for him to inquire about further details. Was it even something you truly needed to know about a person anyway? He would think only someone who did think of exploiting another would want to keep a close track of how far they could go safely. Nevertheless, he would huff under his breath as he swiped away a couple remnants of the mischievous snow on his face. “I….was going to be fine either way. Being very cold is unpleasant, yes, but it wouldn’t harm me.” Heat and cold were the elements of nature he was well acquainted with after all. It wasn’t of real danger to him, outside of it being physically bothersome and a faint risk of him actually catching a sickness. In regards to his debate though, he would purse his lips a little. “Not really, though it probably doesn’t quite matter in the end. I have a certain feeling they did this on purpose anyway. I’m well known around my acquaintances for being Mr. always single, and I wouldn’t put it behind those two to be trying to take a piss out of it by ditching me to go on a date instead. Or maybe they’re testing if they can make me jealous or something.”, he would shrug lightly. “I don’t mind some solitude, so it’s whatever.” In fact, he usually enjoyed his alone time, and as much as this stunt here was provocative in a way, he didn’t have it in him to take it too personally.

Snrk. “Don’t choke yourself, please.”, he would remark in a humorous tone as the other burst laughing at his somewhat goofy reaction. Nevertheless, he would rub two gloved fingers against his chin when the guy acted out an apology, making a thoughtful face, as if he was taking heavy consideration over it. “I will have to see about that.”, he would answer contemplatively, before the matter turned back to more serious. “Yes, I’m a poor foreigner.”, he would snort, as he moved to walk after the other, shifting his arm to wiggle the tissue in front of the other. “You can have that back.” It’s not like he was going to keep all the things, right? “Also, since you already mentioned Spanish, do you speak it?”

"Ah teens. They can be something else. That must be a challenge," the demon would say with a nod at the other. While he couldn't say anything on the whole someone wanting romance thing, he could speak from what he knew of teenagers that came to his office for help and from what he had observed of normal teens. They were a strange bunch to be sure on a regular basis, so he could imagine how much stranger one "in love" could probably be. Though on that note...The demon would tilt his head at the other. "Though if you are surrounded by teens, do you work with them or something?" It would kind of make sense unless he just happened to be in an area full of teens for some reason...which honestly sounded a bit odd, but hey he wasn't here to judge but rather learn and have a good time.  

However, he wondered how much of a good time he would have with that next statement. He would take it in and while some part wanted him dig deep into it another part of him was telling him no. Wait. That probably wasn't the best approach. So listening to that warning voice versus curiosity, he would hum as he gave the other a thoughtful look. "How very interesting. Though it makes me wonder even more just what sort of person you are to come to such a conclusion." He was indeed curious about this one; however, he wasn't about to push his luck in these matters since he could not see where this would go anyway. So for the time being he'd leave it at surface level unless something happened that suggested he could go beyond that.

Leaving that to go where it would go, the young man would find himself snorting a bit in amusement at the response, finding it interesting the guy didn’t go digging into that matter and trying to find where the boundaries were. It was a welcome change to the usual million question that resulted from that. That aside, he would wiggle a bit to stay warm before responding back to the other. “You are a lot tougher than me on this front. I would start complaining internally and wiggling about if I was out here too long.” It would sure be one way to get him into a pissy mood that is for sure. Even more so if the reason he was out here to begin with was due to folks ditching him. Speaking of that, Rika would find himself raising an eyebrow at the other as he took in the next statement. “Not be rude, but your acquaintances seem kind of odd and bit inconsiderate if this is the case. I mean why not just let you be who you are instead of pulling stunts like this on ya. It seems a bit dumb and agitating to me.” While he had never been a third wheel the last thing he wanted was for people to jerk him around without reason. Once they started playing that game things never turned out pretty, even less so considering his past. So hearing this only irritated him to no end. Despite the frown and being slightly ruffled at the matter, Rika would calm down relatively at a nice pace as his expression softened. “Anyway, you said don’t mind some solitude, so this stuff does it bother you in the least?” A bit too curious? Maybe, but then again Rika wasn’t afraid to ask such questions if the situation allowed. Some said it was his training and job that caused him to do this, but honestly it was just general curiosity of his own that caused him to do this in the end. In any case, whether he got an answer or not, things would go from serious for a moment to a bit more playful as the whole language thing came up.

Catching his breath, he would grin at the other. “I am fine, but thanks for the concern,” Rika would say before performing the whole apology thing and the response he got back only made him grin even more. “Well, well I’ll be on my best behavior then.” He would poke his tongue out at the other before leaving that matter to go where it would as he became more serious as they began to move.

“Well being a foreigner isn’t so bad. I find that an interesting trait,” he would say before pausing as he was distracted by the wet cloth being waved before him. “Heh. Why thank you,” he would say reaching up to grab the cloth before stuffing it into his pocket and then hearing the question would nod. “Yeah I do. It is quite the nice language to know.”

He would grumble under his breath there. “You could say that. It is a special form of suffering.” Well yes, he did work with them, albeit he wasn’t necessarily working just yet, but that would require further explanations, so he’d just settle with keeping it simple for now. And to be frank, he would probably want to hang himself if he had to live together with a bunch of teens. How would that even happen anyway?

In any case, he would shake his head with a hmph at the comment the other gave about his choices to decline people regularly. “One that has qualities most people do not appreciate much.”, he’d remark, not really going into details on this unless he felt there was truly a need, or the guy started poking at it and directly asking for an in depth explanation on the matter.

“I don’t…mind it as much, though complaining is always a good way to pass time.”, he’d shrug vaguely. There were worse things in life than a little bit of cold. Regardless, he would blink at the other who seemed to be getting a little displeased at his ‘situation’, giving the guy a faint laugh as he shook his head. “They know well how I am. It’s a brand of biting humor, I suppose. They don’t mean serious disrespect with it, contrary to some other people. You needn’t be worried about me. While it can be an irritant in the moment, I do consent to it. It makes for amusing experiences at the end of the day.” He didn’t really mind playing that game when it was all in good humor. He was good with self-depreciating jokes and the like anyway. Yes, it could be slightly annoying on the spot when it happened, but he wasn’t really going to be mad later. He never quite was. Besides, he knew well the real pain which came from the people who were in fact poking at him with the intention to put him down. That one was the real bother. “Hm?”, he would tilt his head to the side slightly. “What exactly does ‘this stuff’ refer to?” Was the guy asking whether he was bothered by the sudden company?

That aside, he would roll his eyes in jest when the behavior comment came up. “Oh yes, please do.” Although to be fair, he didn’t care all too much. As long as the guy wasn’t going out of his way to piss him off somehow, he’d be just fine. “Yes, as interesting as me. Which means it’s eccentrically bland.”, he would remark in a slight deadpan tone. Though, how much interest did being a foreigner really create anyway? Hmm, well he wouldn’t really know. Giving the other the item, he would huff out a cloud of steam as his question got an answer. “Perhaps, or perhaps not. Most people probably just want you to speak English anyway.”, he would state after a moment of thought, this time speaking in Spanish. A very Portuguese accented Spanish, but fluent Spanish nevertheless.

The demon would tilt his head as he moved a hand from his pocket and to tap his slightly with his index finger in thought as he eyed the other. “Is that so?” he would say hinting he wanted to know a bit more of said suffering; however whether or not the other actually caught onto that was another matter. Whether or not the guy answered or not the young man wouldn’t push the matter any further than need be.

Besides he was finding some other comments a bit more interesting as the conversation moved on. His eyes would narrow a bit at the response he got to his comment about what sort of person this guy really was. He would considered his words carefully before asking a simple question. “What do you mean by that?” Yes he was poking because he was curious, but did this mean he expected the guy to answer or spill everything? Not really. Still he would leave that question where it was for now to see what would happen. Anyway…

Rika would give an amused snort at the comment about complaining as he blinked and looked away a bit giving the area a casual view as he spoke. “Well it is one way to get a lot off your chest and just vent.” Complaining had its uses he could agree there, but it unfortunately wasn’t a topic one could go on and on about, so he would let it go as the conversation turned to the other’s acquaintances. To what he heard, the dark haired young man would raise an eyebrow. “So you like biting humor then and find it amusing?” he would ask and then hearing the question he would shake his head a bit with a faint smirk. “I was referring to your acquaintances ditching you, so you kind of answered my question already. Though now that you ask what did you think I was referring to?” he would give the other a curious glance wondering what else stuff in that question could’ve translated into.

That aside, the young man would simply give the other a smirk as he thumbed at his nose a bit with confidence. “You got it, boss,” he would say with his most charming of grins before becoming more serious a short while later when the topic moved on to the other being a foreigner. He would chuckle softly. “You are cute with that, but I think I am the only one that can determine in the end how bland you are for me.” Being a foreigner was interesting to Rika because he too was a foreigner, so it was always nice to meet another and while he didn’t give this information away at the time, he would find himself mildly amused by what occurred next.

To what he heard, he would nod. “It is a good second language to English since most seem to speak either or at least that is what I have observed in this area,” he would respond back a strange accent that could not be quite placed lacing his own words. English and Spanish. There were reasons for him picking common languages to learn.

Oh yes, it was so. He would put of a bit of a grimace there. “Have you ever tried to keep the attention of a room full of teens?” Depending on your luck, it could easily be Satan’s work. Especially when they decided to be determined to not bother listening to you properly. Threatening was typically out of question too, so it could be a pretty tough game.

In any case, he would wave his hand lightly when the other decided to keep poking into his words. “I mean that…”, he would pause briefly as he furrowed his brows, seemingly trying to settle on how to word what he wanted to say. “Well, let’s say that I tend to be a disappointment when it comes to what your typical person expects in a relationship.” On several of the fronts. That, and the fact that many tended to have somewhat unrealistic expectations on top of it all, just didn’t bode for him well. Not only they usually wanted way more than he would willingly give, but it also ended up making him uncomfortable, and thus making the relationship a drag for him. He didn’t want someone who’d constantly bitch at him about how he wasn’t this or that enough…

He would half-shrug at the vent comment. “Directing hate at something helps calm you down. It’s useful.” Might as well do that rather then pretending nothing ever bothers you and then exploding at the worst possible moment. He would huff with a shake of his head. “That depends on situation, really. But I can appreciate darker types of humor, as long as they don’t hurt anyone.” It was kind of occasion specific though, as some could be less amusing than others. “I asked because I wasn’t sure.”, he’d snort. “Though, it could have also been having you as company.”

Regardless, he would raise an eyebrow at the guy. “Oh dear.” Not that he really cared to be the guy’s boss though, as funny as the idea could be. He would shrug nonchalantly. “And I can have an opinion about myself, yes?”, he’d counter in a somewhat amused tone. He wasn’t saying the other had to go with what he said, but he could sure make suggestions. “Can’t really expect people to though. Plenty struggle to just speak English correctly.” It was apparently a fight.

The young man would lift a hand to scratch his cheek a bit as he gave the other a slightly sheepish look. “Mmm. That is rare and if I am somehow in a room full of them, then it is because they need attention.” Most patience gave that to him in the fact that came to him for attention of some sort. Even then it was mostly one-on-one versus huge groups. He would shove his hand back in his pocket after a moment. “In any case I suppose you do this, try to keep a room full of teens in check so to speak?” He was pretty certain the question was relevant to whatever the other did, so might as well poke at it as long as it was the table and not wearing out its welcome.

Speaking of topics overstaying their welcome, it would seem the next one would take an interesting turn as the other seemed to wave it off at first; however, to what was said Rika would find himself smiling a bit as he continued to walk, his crimson eyes drifting downward as he continued to walk. “You sound a bit like me. Not sure reasons, but I too tend to be a disappointment in a relationship," he would state softly before falling silent for a bit reflecting on society’s standards versus how he naturally worked. Like he kind of could get the beginning started but going to the same level of romance everyone else had after a few days? Not really. He could do hand holding and kissing, but anything beyond that without getting to know the other well? No. He just didn't and it was this that had people heading for the hills. Apparently no one liked to wait to get what they wanted and just moved to someone that could fulfill their wish quicker. A bit sad, but it was what it was. Besides, if he was gonna be with someone he rather be with someone patient and who loved him for him versus someone looking for a quick fix only to toss him to the side for another down the road when he could no longer fulfill their desires.  

Life pains aside, the young man would give a “mhm” to the venting comment not really having anything else to add to that topic at the moment. As for the reaction he got to the dark humor, Rika would nod as he responded back. “I am okay with a bit of darkness in good fun. It is sometimes nice to pick a part things with it versus serious dead talk all the time.” Sometimes giving a situation a humorous edge made it easier to swallow...provided the one experiencing this didn’t just see fun as a way of blowing it off. It was a tricky space for sure, but it was one that the young man went into only when he needed too or the situation opened a door for such things.

“Heh. You know my brain didn’t even consider that side of the coin. How interesting. You seem to look at a situation from multiple viewpoints. Though on the topic, am I being bothersome to ya?” He highly doubted considering the guy was still with him and engaging with him, but still never hurt to hear an answer regardless right?

Speaking of answers and responses, he would find himself glancing over at the other with amusement at the next set of comments.

“Oh dear, he says. I wonder if that means trouble for me,” he would chuckle just going along with the matter for now not seeming to mind playing a bit; however, he’d become a bit more serious as about the opinion comment as he shook his head. “I may have spoken my piece, but I never said you couldn’t have an opinion of yourself now did I?” his tone would remain light and entertained. After all, this was just a conversation, right and not everything was going to be agreed upon so why even stress yourself out with trying to conform to please?  That seemed like a lot of wasting time on nothing and honestly he could use said wasted time on something more beneficial like actually having fun. Having fun and speaking ohter languages apparently.


“No, but it is always nice to be able to understand and switch when you encounter someone that can’t speak either language or has a preference for their native tongues. It is nice to be prepared regardless. As for English...that one is a sticky subject alright.” He had trouble with it in the writing section with all those theirs, there, there’s or bares and bears or the its and its and such. It could be a pain in the neck at times really, but that was any language to be frank. Just some had to be more difficult than others.

“That’s typically a part of things, yes.”, he’d answer, not quite sure why the guy was asking for a confirmation on what seemed to be rather obvious given the situation. He’d roll with it though, as it wasn’t like answering hurt him or anything.

Nevertheless, he would give the other a questioning glance at the comment he got in return. Well, that was certainly not the typical response one would expect to receive to the kind of thing he had said. “…is that so? Try me then…why?” Whether he’d get an answer or not, it was worth a try. That said, unlike the other, he was a bit different in that department. It wasn’t as if he was incapable of doing all those things. It was his first reaction to refuse as he did not appreciate people trying to boss him around, but he was ‘able’ to do it. It just…wouldn’t mean much to him if he did. Stuff like sex to him was hardly on his ‘things that blow my mind’ list, and really, without anything else there to give it more importance, it was about equal to vacuuming the floors for him. It’s just a thing you can do…that is all. Did he desire it? No, not really. Nor did it disgust him though. Still, it wasn’t like him to agree to do these things right off the bat, because he was aware the other side would only keep pressuring him for stuff he clearly wasn’t going to ‘enjoy’ as much as them. What’s the point of putting on a face and doing things that have not been given a reason to mean anything special to you just to keep a relationship from dying immediately? Bowing down like that in just about any area is bound to create resentment in time.

He would shrug vaguely. “I think that sometimes there’s just no point in being serious.” Especially trying to be overly so. There’s always a point in a topic past which it’s simply a drain to keep trying to keep everything serious and hardcore. Even more so when it’s a more eccentric subject of sorts, and not one that’s discussed left and right daily to begin with. In any case, when the other tossed his own question idea right back onto him, he would be silent for a moment, raising one of his arms to kind of brush his knuckles against the bottom of his lips in thought. That was a somewhat tricky area for him. “There are always..multiple ways to look at a matter. Though…I can’t honestly say I have a straight answer for you. I’d say no, but it’s too early for me to be able to be certain of how I feel about this situation. Besides, I’m used to putting on a pleasant front for people, and it can sometimes be hard to tell where that ends and where my own interest begins.” He couldn’t afford to be constantly annoyed at people, even if there were times where he kind of was. It was simpler to just kind of not think about it much.

He would let out a sharp breath at the trouble comment. “Actually….it means that I ran out of interesting things to say.” It really meant…nothing. He just couldn’t come up with anything funny there, so he simply did that. He would snort. “But my opinion feels sad when you go and overshadow it with yours, you know?”, he’d remark, wiggling his brows in jest for a moment.

He’d shake his head at the language thing. “To be fair, out of the 4 languages I speak, English was the easiest one for me to learn. Child’s play, even compared to Spanish, as it doesn’t use some troublesome rules that other languages have. It’s the easiest language I’ve come across, in my opinion.” Well, maybe it was just him, but he didn’t get what was so hard about differentiating or example their and they’re. It’s just so obvious if you learn right and don’t just mindlessly skirt over things. While Spanish had genders for every noun that affected everything and shit. And Japanese for example was just completely out there with sentence structure and unique writing.

Rika would chuckle at the response given. “Perhaps I should’ve asked this instead. What sort of job do you have that requires such a skill?” That would’ve gotten him somewhere then his last derp brain moment, but it was what it was. He wasn’t about to cry over this anyway. Besides the other didn’t seem to mind, so onward and into an interesting hole.

When he heard the question, he would look back at the other for a moment with a raised eyebrows making sure he was actually hearing this right and then after considering the question for a second he would nod as he face forward again. “I suppose I am bit strange in comparison to normal. Like when someone gets in a relationship, they have expectations of what they want. I can fulfill the starting stages. Holding hands, kissing, snuggling. I can do that and be content with just that for a long while; however, most don’t want that alone  or take it that because I do said things then surely I want to go to the next step and get in bed with them...only to discover that is not the case. Naturally, I am questioned about it when I try to explain, I need to get to know them better and connect with them more before considering it, most just toss up their hands not understanding how I could not be fully connected with them after like a month. So they end up leaving in the end not wanting on slow ass me to settle with something.” It was a frustrating case at times because he honestly would like someone to stick around despite him taking a bit of time to settle on going further. “Morale of the story is many want sex and other things right now versus waiting and well I just cannot do that, so I end up single in the end.” He would shrug a bit before glancing back at the other. “And you? Why do you end up being a disappointment?" Might as well ask since that door was open now.

Giving that time to go where it would the conversation would eventually come back to the matter of being to serious in a situation something that Rika was clearly not even when talking about a serious matter. “I can agree there. Being to serious is the best way to get wrinkles, high blood pressure, back problems and then face permanently.” He’d scrunch up his face to look like angry grouch for a few minutes before his features relaxed again. “Man that is a painful transformation,” he’d say massaging his warm cheeks with his cold hands. Despite his playfulness, he honestly didn’t see the need for seriousness and stress all the time. If you couldn’t have a bit of fun in life then what sort of life were you truly living? He would let his mind toy with thought for a bit before coming back down to earth as the conversation took a different turn.

“Hmm,” the young man would hum as he reburied his hands in his pocket and lowered his head a bit to snug into the fur lining of his collar for a bit as he considered the answer he got and found it really didn’t bother him. “Well that fair enough. I suppose it can be a bit confusing when you do something so much it habit, but uh...if you fake the nice are you telling me what I am getting here is the fake you?” Not that that was a big deal, but still he had to wonder what exactly that meant. Speaking of meanings it seems he got a bit off track with the poke that followed.

He would scratch his head at this one as he gave a faint snort. “Welp. I read that all wrong then,” he’d say rolling with the error versus mourning over it. In fact, he bounced right back from it as he gave the other a mock pout. “Well now you’re just killing me here. You’re allowed to have an opinion, but I can’t have my own? Why are you so cruel, guy?” It seemed he could play back well enough.

Though fun and games would settle as they started talking about languages in ironically a different language. “I would say ease depends on who you ask. It took me a while to get it all figured out in the end.” Some people were natural at adapting and others took a moment...and even after mastering it there were still some things that tripped him up. “Anyway 4 languages huh? What is the last?” he would ask as they arrived at their destination. Grabbing the door handle, he’d open the door gesturing for the other to go in first.

“That sounds like a better worded question, yes.”, he would snort faintly. To be fair, he had known what the other was aiming at even back then, but it was funnier to just answer what was given and make the guy rephrase himself. Just for the entertainment value. “Technically, none for real yet, since I’m still doing last year of university. However, I am currently stuck in the middle of doing mandatory work experience, so there is that.”, he would state, pausing for a moment before rolling his eyes in mild exasperation. “I’m a teacher.” There were times where he half-regretted his line of work due to how ‘annoying’ it could get. Nevertheless, he didn’t mind as much overall though.

Well, he would raise his eyebrows back at the other, mirroring the expression there, not quite sure what it was the other found odd about his questioning. He’d let the moment pass though, focusing on what was said afterwards instead. He would blink a few times, bringing his hand to his face in an amused contemplative expression.


“People are strange. Unpopular opinion though, I think sex is kind of boring. I don’t understand why people hang onto it so much.”, he would pause to clear his throat with a cough before giving a sigh. “…I just…don’t do things I suppose. You say you want to wait… me, I just don’t care. I’d be entirely fine with no sex at all. Nor am I a very touchy type of person. It simply slips my mind. Yes, I can hold hands and kiss if it comes up, but you can also count on me to entirely forget to even consider doing it on a normal day. People think I neglect them on purpose and get mad…but I simply don’t think about this stuff normally. It has nothing to do with them personally, but no one wants to believe that.”, he’d shrug. “Put that together with a case of being somewhat emotionally blind, and people think I come off childish even when I do make an attempt somehow or dumb when I ask questions about things. I can’t win. It’s generally not a fun game to play for me. I’ve come to prefer staying single, as I never seem to fit a normal person’s expectation of romance. And I technically don’t even crave it under normal circumstances anyway. It’d have to be for reasons other than sex and all that overrated mojo jojo for me to really want a relationship long-term.” After all, why would he want to play a game he can’t really succeed at, and constantly replaying the hard struggle moments of trying to get a win for once? It was actually way more calm and pleasant to be by himself. None of that pointless pressure to perform that leads nowhere. He didn’t enjoy the sensation of basically being constantly trapped between a rock and a hard place.

All that aside, he would huff in faint amusement as the other made pretend faces. “What if you kind of have a permanent angry face without trying though? I’ve been told many times that I tend to look like I want to run lasers through people, but I don’t necessarily do it on purpose.” Maybe he was just good at absentminded intense staring. He wasn’t really sure what it was. Well, outside of it being his face. In any case, he would tap his fingers against his lips slightly. “I…don’t think so. Not overall at the very least. I am bad at being expressive though…so there’s that.” There could be a bit of a discrepancy between the outside and the inside for him at times, although he didn’t necessarily do it out of a desire to mess with the person. It was just…easier to settle for simplifying things than tripping all over yourself in an attempt to come off as genuine and open as possible.

“…I think that’s usually called being selfish.”, he’d snort briefly with a shake of his head. “Really though, someone being sad doesn’t have to be a must stop for you, does it?”, he’d question, half-playing around, half-being curious about how the guy thought of this. It was what it was though.

He would shrug lightly when the other mentioned figuring languages out. “Perhaps. Though somehow I doubt English would be able to keep its position as an international language if it was inherently hard.” People were lazy alright. If too many had problems with learning it, someone would have tried to push a different one on top already. Nearly everyone spoke it these days though, so it naturally couldn’t be that much of a hellish experience to learn it. He would pause in thought as the guy questioned his last language mastery, eventually putting on a brief amused smile as he proceeded to walk inside. “The…what do they like to call it..weeb language? Such strange terminology.”, he would kind of muse before he stopped to glance around the interior of where he just entered. “Hmm, what’s this place?”

The red eyed male would smirk a bit at the other’s comment choosing not to be a smart ass about it as he heard the response back. “Ah a student and working man. You must be a busy fellow. Though since you are doing that as mandatory work experience is that the line of work you are sticking with and going to school for?” One could always start on a job in one area to sustain themselves and finish school and then once done with it all move onto their true goal or what have you. Might be a bit of hassle, but some folk did that. Regardless of that option being there Rika asked the question out of curiosity mainly as he continued to enjoy the company of the other.

When the subject of disappointments came up Rika found himself amused at the reactions the other gave him both before and after his explanation had been done. As for what he heard, well.

Faintly painted pink lips would curl into a smile. “That is a tough a position." He could see clearly how that was a problem in most cases. Though for himself would he get cranky about the matter? Hmmm… “Though to be fair, I can kind of relate on the sex front. I mean yes it is nice, but I am honestly more interested in the personality and other things so it lays low on my list anyway. I think if I had someone similar to you as a partner, I could deal well enough since we kind of match up a bit in some regards….and for some reason I think it would be less stressful since you like don’t have all the expectations to be shoving around and trying to force on me like the rest of the world.” It would certainly be interesting if something like that happened; however… “In any case, as fascinating as that is to ponder, I think it is safe to say we can be in the misunderstood and single boat together since normal folk just don’t get what we are about even when they claim they do.” Kind of nice to find someone similar to you in a way. Made life a little less lonely knowing there was someone else out there with similar issues.

“Though I am curious. You said people see you as childish or dumb, what exactly are you doing or asking about that gets this reaction?” Seemed kind of strange to him, the guy seemed intelligent and playful too boot. Not a bad set up in his book, but then again maybe he missed something since he was only seeing the surface level.

Moving past that, Rika would blink a bit at the question posed finding himself tapping his frozen finger against his lip in thought as he looked up at the sky in thought. “Well that is a thing I suppose and the only way to change it is to consciously start smiling a bit more and being aware you are intense. Though that is of course if you want to appear more friendly than intimidating. Besides, I suppose your face is not so bad. It didn’t scare me away, so perhaps that is a good sign,” he would say giving the other a smirk and a wink in turn; however, the smirk would soften as he heard the other answer. “Hmmm. Do you not express yourself as a choice? Or are you suppressing things?” Okay he may be poking a bit deep here, but he was kind of curious to know; however, he delivered the question in a manner that suggested that if the other wasn’t comfortable going into that sort of territory he didn’t have to, so he would let the question hang there and adapt to whatever happened from there.

That hmmm moment aside though, the young man would give a soft chuckle at the next words.

“Yeah well the world is pretty selfish these, so that wouldn’t have been a surprise,” he began before snorting at the next one he gave the other a sideways glance of amusement. “If you think, I am gonna shut up or sugar coat something to save you from hurt you are wrong. Like I am not trying to hurt anyone, but at the same time I don’t see the need to try and hold my tongue or beat around a bush when it is better to just say what is on your mind. Be honest you know? No one has to agree with me, but I have the rights to my own thoughts and such.” He had been stomped on before and tried that whole please others tactic and while it worked to keep the peace, it never did help his health, confidence, or his own purpose in life. The day he decided to say fuck the rules, this is my ship and I am going where I want with it was one of the best steps he had taken in life. Sure it made some areas rough, but it was a whole lot more fulfilling than bowing down just to not hurt someone or make someone else smile, but not yourself.

“Mmmm. True, true. Can’t expect us to blow our brains out trying to decipher things I guess. Easier doesn’t necessarily mean easy to get. I think it depends on the person.” After all the easiest concepts could be complicated to someone different than you. As for weeb language… “Japanese.” He would say with that strange accent still there. “Now that one is hard is hard to master,” he would say before switching back to English as they came to the cafe and a question was posed.

Sliding pass the other as he loosened his scarf, he would answer. “This place is called Lunaville. A cafe that serves a few drinks and food items. All are delicious mind you, but I love their sushi here. So good,” Rika would say as he moved further into the homey establishment that consisted of soothing lighting, and neatly lined rows of square tables that could seat four to two people. The establishment was spacious with a liquor bar to the left and another sitting area for those seeking more privacy further back. The place wasn’t that full and the soft music gave the place a relaxing vibe.

Drifting ahead of the other, Rika would interact with the hostess to get a table for two.

“Only as much as I let myself be.”, he would hum under his breath. To be fair, his main focus at the moment was getting the work exp done, and finishing that goddamn thesis. It wasn’t much about taking classes at this point anymore. “Regardless…most likely. I could potentially perform in the fields that I teach, but that’d probably be a side focus if. Not like I’m studying my ass off just to then do something else.” That would be a bit of a contradiction, especially if it was done on purpose, and not just due to a lack of available jobs in the initially chosen profession. Which shouldn’t be a huge issue for him. A good teacher should always be able to find a place.

That aside…he would give the guy a humorous look. “Are you trying to suggest something?” Well, it was certainly an interesting choice to be speaking about what ifs in terms of the two of them, that was for sure. He was taking it light-heartedly for the moment though, as it wasn’t like he could be sure of whether the other meant something by it or not. He could predict people at times, but the relationship-based area was always his downfall. So he wasn’t even going to try and assume too much. “That said, I can’t really comment on how nice it is as I’ve not even tried it yet. I lack the interest to though, and I’d assume the fact that I’d sooner choose mopping the floors says enough as is.”, he’d shrug a little. He had never taken the offer to do it with anyone, but it just kind of didn’t faze him.

When the guy questioned his claim of how people perceived him, he’d scratch the back of his head somewhat awkwardly. That was…very hard to accurately explain without providing a live example. He wasn’t sure he could make the other understand without him seeing the issue in action. He would frown, trying to find appropriate words. “I’m…how to put this…not a very emotionally attuned person? I kind of don’t come off as very decisive in the area of romantic attachments. I suppose…it’s the fact that people expect to date some suave gentleman or something, and then there’s me going and questioning the purposes and feelings behind the so called romantic actions at random. People usually think I’m joking…but I’m not, and then they look at me like I grew a second head.” It was kind of complicated, really. He wasn’t dumb and all in the sense of having a lack of intelligence. Far from it actually, as he was usually considered to overall be a fairly smart person. Still…he was very..one could even say ‘naïve’ in terms of those very feely areas.

“Meh.” , he would just kind of make a jerk motion to the side with his head. “I can’t really control that. It’s not like forcing smiles is really going to help things.” That’d just make things fake instead. His passive face wasn’t the most inviting, but he wasn’t willing to forcefully smile like some creep to remedy that. Not like he desired to have people approaching him more anyway. “I don’t really know how to…”, he would roll his eyes slightly. That was a thing. Not a great one, but it just was.

Nevertheless, some casual conversation later, they would seemingly arrive at the destination. “Sometimes you learn out of necessity. Being able to boast a complete fluency in Japanese is always a plus though.”, he’d comment offhandedly. Not to say he was one to show off frequently though. “Does it match up to actual sushi in Japan?”, he’d ask with a raised eyebrow. He didn’t really expect a conclusive answer to that however, and would loiter back for now as the other went off to speak to an employee.

“I hear ya there,” Rika would respond back to the school and work topic. Life could get hectic and trying to balance that along with school and work? Well it could be hard if one let the latter two be their focus. However, it seemed this one had his ducks more or less in the row, much more so than he probably would’ve had his own in such a situation. It was impressive to say the least, but the young man wouldn’t say anything about this out loud as he let the subject go for now. Of course if the other wanted to continue it he could. The dark haired male had no issue with that; however it would seem that the conversation would go to an unexpected place.

When he heard the question, he would look over at the other looking him up and down a bit as he considered what was asked and also how to answer said question without making this awkward, but everything he came up with kind of would make the situation awkward so he settled with a simpler path - the truth.

“I’ll be frank with ya. While the idea was originally just being used as an example, I will admit actually trying it out does interest me. Question is what about you? Would you try it? And if so and actually got serious, would you say no to sex if the other asked for it?” he would ask watching the other with a light smile. While the tone was light-hearted, it was clear from his expression he was more or less serious with his words. He wasn’t lying. It would be interesting both to see if this sort of person worked for him and also to get to know the other more. Even so this wasn’t something he was going to force on the guy. For all he knew he didn’t swing towards guys and might not even want to be bother with such a thing.

Well even if the answer was no it seemed the topic wanted to linger in the area for a bit longer as the other spoke of not being emotionally attuned with things and in turn having issues in the romantic area. To what the demon heard, he would hum in thought. “So you look for a reason behind it all versus feeling the emotional side of this thing called being in love then?” he would ask trying to see if his understanding of the situation was clear or not versus trying to correct the matter. It seemed that despite just meeting he was honestly trying to understand the guy and what he was saying.

Following along on the heels of that was the whole expression bit. It was kind of interesting that things were chaining together like this; however, the demon wouldn’t have much else to say to it as he gave an understanding nod at the smiling comment before giving the other a thoughtful look as he took in the words the other said about not being able to express himself. “Do you want to be able to express yourself more?” he would ask with a tilt of his head trying to understand just how this made the other feel in general. Heh. Seemed like he was hitting deep stuff unintentionally….and yet for some reason he felt okay doing this even if the other was not his patient. Curious.

Anywho those matters aside, the conversation would eventually cool as they reached the shop and entered it.

“Heh. Is that what happened then? You learned Japanese out of necessity?” he would ask and then thinking on the question posed he would continue. “Well nothing beats Japanese sushi, but I would say they are pretty damn close to it. If you like the stuff you should try it. It won’t disappoint,” he would say before leaving to talk to the hostess. After some chatting the woman would grab two menus and lead them to a table near the back mostly lit by the glow of a candle on the table. To their right was a window that gave a view of the snow covered city and the drifting snow. It was a nice view to look at and since the place was comfy instead of cold, it was even nicer. Taking off his jacket and scarf, Rika would place the items over the chair before hopping up a bit to sit in the tall chair as the waitress placed the menus on the table.

He would furrow his brows briefly. “Well, that’s a bit of a trick question, to be honest. If I said I wouldn’t, I’d be implying I’m not even willing to consider things. In a way, the answer to ‘would you try something you cannot predict the outcome of just yet’ always comes down to whether one takes risks or avoids them. I suppose I’d say yes, though I’d count it more as a vague agreement to not refuse a potential opportunity for no reason.” Or in simple words, he couldn’t give a decisive answer on the spot, while his intention was definitely not to make it sound like there was no chance of things going somewhere. “That said…no, I probably wouldn’t say no. It depends on the way it is proposed. If I’m being pushed into it by someone clearly being overeager, I’d refuse simply because I don’t let people boss me about. Overall however, I am indifferent about the idea of sex. Assuming the state of a relationship gives me a reason to face it without it being a pressure point, I am willing to try.” He didn’t hate the idea. He would nevertheless be inclined to refuse if the lead up to it was not really natural. There’s wanting to have sex because it feels right to go for it, and then there’s wanting to get laid just because your dick can’t seem to wait. He clearly had a problem with the latter way of reasoning.

Moving on from that though, he would purse his lips slightly when the other poked into his explanation. “I don- ……well, I can’t say I don’t feel things. That wouldn’t be right. I do however find it difficult to understand most feelings properly. It’s…not quite me wanting a logical reason behind love..I just…I suppose I just seek to know how others interpret said emotions themselves, so I can try to better figure out my own.” Not the best explanation, but he wasn’t certain as to how to put it. In a way, it wasn’t even wrong of people to see his actions as somewhat childish, because he was in a sense relying on others to help his own understanding of things. Kind of like a kid using others as a mirror to ‘get’ what seems appropriate in certain situations. It was a strange thing, really, and he didn’t expect people to understand. Hell, he barely understood himself to begin with. His mind was all kinds of weird, and well, it translated to him coming off as strange too.

On the note of that and expressing things however, he would kind of make an ‘uhhhh’ sort of face when he was asked to pick whether he wanted to express more.


….aaanyway…”More or less. I lived in Japan for a couple years. You don’t really want to go around speaking English there unless you must. They tend to not be great at it at all and communicating with gestures gets old really quick.” Meaning…suck it up and learn what you need to. Not to say he was upset about it though. Languages were interesting at the end of the day. To the answer he received about sushi, he would simply huff for the moment, choosing to not comment just yet. Instead, he’d wait around until the guy was done, following to the table in silence. Shrugging off his jacket, he would seat himself, folding his arms on the table with a hum. “So….”