CONTACT | Call me, maybe

[intercalaryninja]

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[intercalaryninja]

It is really nice. Most people are the same but it's still nice to feel attractive and have someone you're crushing on think you're attractive too.

Like most places in Bavan, monsters were generally accepted by the population and Tsukikage frequents cafes that are monster-friendly. The atmosphere around the cafe is light and chipper, with people walking by and chatting amicably to one another. Tsukikage notices the atmosphere and gives an almost relieved laugh.

"I think so. There is a time and place for such serious talk. Let us not make it now."

He's going to the counter to order his tea straight away. He's also going to ask for a straw...

[speedweed]

It certainly is nice when that someone knows that. Which might be something to think about in the future, huh.

Such a change in attitude from what he thought this city would more likely be, it's... actually comforting in a weird sort of way. But he certainly will not complain about it, just catching bits and pieces of conversations where he can to feel out the general mood of this place. An old habit that hasn't quite died off just yet.

"I'm rather fond of leaving it for now." Of course he would be, coming to any sort of resolution to his mortality and morality is not the best of conversations.

Perhaps it'd be easier to tell the quality of this place by the tea rather than coffee, but if Tsuki is going to get a tea, then the coffee sounds a better idea. Hopefully it's what he remembers.

[intercalaryninja]

Bavan certainly had its downsides: monster hunters lurking in the shadows; Bavanites fetishising them; a high population of monsters and therefore higher chances of conflict more than anywhere else. However, it really was a nice city, full of life and bustling city-goers. They talk about whatevers going on in their lives: Fashion, entertainment, science... all sorts of things.

Coffee is ordered. Tea is ordered. Tsukikage even offers to buy a snack for Speedwagon. Soon, they're sitting down at a low table so Tsukikage can sit with his long arachne body. With his legs curled up, he almost seems normal if not a little blue.

...

How did you have a normal, not-work conversation with a cute boy?

[speedweed]

It's... actually really nice to hear normal conversation going on around them and no one really seeming to notice their existence. It's almost as if he were back home again, though people are a lot more cheery here and the clothing is a little different than what he's accustomed to.

Of course he had declined at first, but any more push towards it and he'd break down and finally get something. He's still learning that it's okay to take offers from people and to let them do something for him. It's an odd feeling even now, but eventually he'll get it.

That... is a good question, honestly.

"... So." Doing great.

[intercalaryninja]

Of course he'll push. Tsukikage wants to buy muffins for the kids anyway, so naturally he'll want Speedwagon to also eat. Tsukikage doesn't take any himself, of course, instead just looking down at his hands and thinking of a topic.

...

"So how did you find out about my shop?"

Tsukikage internally kicks himself for asking a question he already knows but it's not the worst question. After all, 'Charlotte' knew but 'Tsukikage' didn't. He'd ask for questions more about Speedwagon in a second.

[speedweed]

He's an absolute nerd and has to be pushed into these sort of things, but he absolutely relented after about the second time or so. But he seems at least a little calmer than Tsukikage does at the very least.

Uuuuntil he's asking that question and he's actually paling a little and turning his attention to the table instead. Oof. How does he explain this without sounding absolutely horrible?

"... It's... going to sound horrible," he starts slowly, still keeping his gaze downwards. "I might have been trying to mug people for whatever they had on them, ended up going after the wrong woman. But I... backed off, at least, realizing it wasn't a fight I wanted to have and we ended up speaking. After, your name turned up as someone who had jobs open." He hates admitting all of this, he really does.

"Mind, mugging was not the preferred method."

[intercalaryninja]

Tsukikage knew the answer but he was surprised that Speedwagon was sharing it. He patiently lets Speedwagon speak though, letting the man finish.

"You are a very honest man, Mr. Speedwagon. It's refreshing, especially in my line of work." Well, as a ninja and an escort, anyway. Not the rest of it. "You're a newcomer from a particular background. I do not blame you."

Tsukikage smiles a little.

"Although, even if mugging was not your intention, perhaps you are lucky that you were directed at me. If I ever disappear or you choose to find work elsewhere in the future, I do not recommend you sharing the fact you're a mugger to your employer. They may not be as understanding."

He says that so plainly and seriously... but it's a joke, he swears.

[speedweed]

He's nothing if not honest. Or just can't really tell a complete lie, is maybe the more accurate way of looking at it.

"Your line of work...?" Do shopkeepers really have that problem with people being honest? That's rather strange, but he supposes it makes sense in the long run. He... wasn't terribly familiar with the business to begin with, so maybe it is a problem he's just not aware of. After all, lying your ass off was a good part of the job when it was needed in his former line of work.

But onto another thing entirely and he's letting out the softest of huffs and tilting that hat to try and hide the red crawling to his cheeks again. He's... not entirely sure if he's joking or not, but it does make him feel absolutely ridiculous for saying all of that.

"I'll... keep that in mind, I suppose. But eventually these sorts of things get out into the open whether you wish them to or not."

[intercalaryninja]

Tsukikage says nothing to answer Speedwagon's question. He merely takes his straw and sips at his drink, not a drop spilling onto his cowl or showing his face as he does so. He hides his smile in his drink, incredibly amused by all of these.

"That is true. I suppose it's better finding out from you than by other means," Tsukikage says.

Now he has to wonder what can he say? It'd be rude to overstep his boundaries as an employer, so he can't really ask too personal questions. Maybe stick to what he's already mentioned?

"So you've been around the world for research and your interest?" Maybe elaborate more on that? Why were conversations so hard?

[speedweed]

Tsukikage, please, he has absolutely no issues talking about personal questions. He might turn a shade of red and die for a minute, but he'll eventually stammer the answer out. It just takes a bit of time and persuasion and he certainly will be glad he said it later.

Perhaps.

Oh, that, thankfully he will gladly talk at length about all of it. "Something like that. A lot of it was to also get out of London proper and get a look at the rest of the world. I was... lucky I was even able to, with my station in society." He's pausing for a brief moment, glancing to the ceiling as he turns something over in his mind. It only lasts a moment before his attention is on him once again. "I wanted to learn everything I could from wherever I went, whether it meant the local flora and fauna or the culture and hospitality of the native population. Which I... suppose is odd, given the time period and how Britain tended to be."

But he's shrugging and taking a moment, a frown playing on his expression. "I suppose also to see if the ways my country handled things was the same as other places. In some it was, in others it was not. Things you could be killed for there, you would not be there. A sad state of affairs, but I did promise to not dwell on that for long..."

[intercalaryninja]

It's not that he's too shy. He's just very aware of how bosses take advantage of their employees and he doesn't want to be one of those people. He's all about professionalism... even if he wants to break that wall down.

"Sounds like you have a very open mind. It's nice," Tsukikage says. His exposure to British history is limited but he has the roughest understanding a person from 'modern' times can have.

"Country to country, City to City, Dimension to Dimension. The differences a world can have is astounding. You are free to discuss it if you want to. I have no issue with it. My master tells me I often am too dour though which was why I said such a thing earlier."

[speedweed]

He may as well go ahead and break that wall down, given how he easily rolls with the punches and keeps going. As well as being disgustingly good at keeping everything separate or mostly under wraps if it's necessary.

"I do try to, it seemed a rare thing." It's not wrong, he was lucky to end up in the strange situation he had and with people who were willing to learn or willing to teach. Different life experiences and different view points he wouldn't have seen otherwise. It even continued here, really.

The question is if he should even talk about it. He remains silent to mull it over in his mind, weighing the pros and cons of it. He's fairly sure that it's... safe here, from what he can tell, so maybe it's not the worst of ideas to discuss. To put out there and hope that this goes well.

"Forgive me if I'm a bit... blunt about this, but it's easier to just outright speak plainly of it. All of... what we had been doing, the looks and some of the words, would have gotten us arrested and possibly killed where I'm from. You had to remain in secrecy, having to be extremely careful lest someone catch notice." His tone has shifted greatly from the more upbeat chatterbox to carefully picking his words and speaking slower, voice softer. It's not a subject he's too fond of speaking about, but this isn't Victorian England.

[intercalaryninja]

Tsukikage is very much the same, honestly. However, he's bound by his own code and his idea that things need to be done in a certain way. At least, while he doesn't know someone and doesn't know what to think of them...

The young man sips his tea again, giving Speedwagon a chance to think and a chance for his own heart to settle. He admits that he had been going a little fast and he feels a little tired from the emotional rollercoaster. That wasn't to say that he wasn't prepared for Speedwagon's statement. Tsukikage responds with a grave nod.

"I understand..." He tests some words in his mind, needing a moment to match Speedwagon's seriousness. "... Where I'm from, it's not as harshly punished but older more traditional families would disapprove. However... here... here we do not have to worry. Ryslig, for all its flaws, at least accepts same-sex couples. There have been even a few same sex marriages... I attended one last year, for instance."

[speedweed]

His hands are perhaps a little tighter around his cup than he had meant for them to be, but the warmth is comforting and calming his nerves somewhat. His nerves and his worries, it will certainly take a bit of time for him to become accustomed to that particular fact, but it's one that he can at least rest easy with.

It's more of a question of if certain people around him would agree with such a notion, even if it's ridiculous for him to even think that'd be a problem.

"... Marriages?" He legitimately sounds surprised by that, his brain just comprehending that at least basic relationships would be fine around here. But going that far? With all the legalities and the like that goes behind all of it? How strange, not an unpleasant strange, but strange to him none-the-less.

"I hadn't ever considered... That... that's good to know." Genuinely.

[intercalaryninja]

Genuine fears always took time to fade away and habits were hard to break, even when one didn't have to worry any more. Tsukikage had to come to terms with the same worry Speedwagon was having for years and he was glad he could take away what potentially could have been months of stress and skirting around the issue.

"Yes. It was a lovely ceremony. I can't believe it's been almost a year since then." Time's flown... it's almost been a year since he realised Robbie was gone. It'd be the anniversary of him finding Draco's body before too long...

...

Tsukikage smiles though. He's good at hiding his darker thoughts, so he smiles and focuses on assuring Speedwagon. It was okay to be gay. Really.

"... If... you do not dislike the looks... and the... talk we've been having, no one else will. I, myself, really have been enjoying it." Nerd.

[speedweed]

It already had been months of stress and skirting around the issue as much as possible before now, but at least here there's no reason for him to continue doing as such. And there's legitimate possibility for a relationship in this place versus where he'd come from and the notion that he'd always be too late to say anything. Or too afraid, but previously anyone that had caught his attention ended up settling down with a lovely woman and he could only be happy from the sidelines.

Perhaps this really is all for the best.

"Sincerely, I would wish them all the best. Marriage is certainly a difficult stressful thing, from what I've heard." And more power to anyone who could handle it.

It might be for the better that he hasn't caught on that anything is wrong and his mind is focusing on the issue at hand versus anything else. Of course he is flustering the tiniest bit at the last bit of sentences, looking down at his drink for a brief moment to collect himself until he can properly look at him once again.

"I was hoping that you would enjoy it, I'm not great at this sort of thing, as you can probably tell." He's the worst. "... Though I do have to ask, are you available?" The one time he's actually going to be straightforward in this entire conversation.

[intercalaryninja]

There was a price to pay for such openness. Tsukikage knew all too well that Ryslig used loved ones against you. Even now, he was still tormented with images of Reiji whenever the magic of this cruel world wanted him to mourn. Outside of that, people disappeared all the time, more so than how it would anywhere else... So heartbreak seemed almost inevitable.

Still, it really did seem it was better to say something first. The memories were painful- especially hearing Speedwagon wish Robbie and Draco the best when they were both gone- but he cherished the thoughts even if the bore deep like scars.

And he's smiling. Soft. Tender.

"You're fine..." The young man gives a light chuckle. "Yes, I am single..." But he wonders if he is indeed available. After all... he's cursed, in a sense. Could he really subject anyone to... well... him?

[speedweed]

It's the unfortunate nature of this place, not that he's quite realized it just yet. Perhaps, if he's lucky, he won't have to encounter such a thing for quite some time. A social creature by very nature, losing those connections never settled right with him. Even outside of this place, being left as the last one standing hadn't... done him too kindly.

Perhaps it would be different here, opportunities he wouldn't have had a chance at otherwise.

And it certainly seems that's the case as it wasn't the answer he'd expected to hear from him, heart feeling as if it'd burst out of his chest if he wasn't careful. Though careful never really was in his nature, either. Better to put it out there than to say nothing and wonder what would have been the result if he'd just gathered up enough courage. "A-ah, I see." That's the worst way to go about this, but he's at least trying. "... Perhaps it's something we could... try and see where it goes?" That's also vague, Speedwagon. He was doing so good.

[intercalaryninja]

Tsukikage's been here too long and lost too many. He's formed familial bonds, friendships, and romances... most of which have already faded away. Losses never sit well for Tsukikage... perhaps he should be used to it after five years but it never sits well with him...

He really was doing so well and the change gets Tsukikage to laugh again. This man was so... lively. He wonders if he can even keep up. That really would be nice. And even though he could guess what the blonde was about to say, his face does go pink otherwise and he moves his mask a little higher on his face as if that would hide his already-invisible smile and blush. He's... actually not used to being asked out as soon as he's met someone. Usually, there's a build-up, at least.

"Perhaps we can," Tsukikage says. "Though... we just met. And I tend to take things slowly, despite my youth... Would you want to give it a try?"

[speedweed]

Honestly, that's partly the reason he's usually quick to form bonds despite himself. When you're used to having absolutely nothing, you cling onto the things you can have. Which is another story for another time entirely, perhaps.

There's not many who really can keep up with him, but it's also something he's used to. It's the fact that someone even tries to that gets to him, an effort that most aren't even willing to indulge. Something about a bit of sunshine when it's needed.

He can't help a small, amused, smile of his own as he notices that pink and the shifting of his mask. Build up would assume that he works as slowly as everyone else, but that energy makes him quick. His decisions quick. And sometimes not for the better.

... As in being reminded of how short of a time it has been and he's sinking into his chair with a sheepish expression. Right, that, how could he forget. "I... honestly, yes, I would. Slow is... fine, sometimes I just get ahead of myself without realizing I had or without meaning to." It's not sometimes, it's basically all of the time. "And you can't be that much younger than I am."

[intercalaryninja]

Perhaps. And they'll find they share similar stories, in that regard.

He's certain that Speedwagon will be a ray of sunshine in his usual storm clouds. He already makes Tsukikage's heart race with his earnest, puppy-like attitude and Tsukikage finds it impossible to stop smiling. Even as he shyly pushes the conversation back to Speedwagon and watches the man sheepishly retreat, he chuckles, mirth brimming from his heart.

"That's alright. Just letting you know that I'm old fashioned in that sense," Tsukikage's usually the anchor for his friends and other support groups, so he's used to pulling people back... though that happens more than he'd like.

"Well... Almost 21." And he said that he was a father at one point... yeesh. And owns three businesses. Welp. "People always mistake me for older."

[speedweed]

If he's good at one thing, it's absolutely being the one mostly positive and energetic person in a room or group. And he can't help himself but be absolutely elated by all of this. He'd expected mostly doom and gloom from this place, not a relationship.

"I wouldn't call it old, I'm by no means the normal standard," he misses, but he is from an older time period, after all.

"That's only a four year difference and at this point age doesn't mean much. Or, ah, I mean once someone is an adult then the actual years hardly matter anymore."

[intercalaryninja]

"I suppose so. It's all a matter of perspective," when he speaks to people from older time periods, especially Japanese ones, he fits right in.

"Yes, it doesn't. I'm glad you think the same way." He's glad that he's got a chance, if nothing else, even though he's not sure if he should risk jumping into another relationship again. "I've been mistaken for thirty before, but I suppose it's because of my mask. Hides anything important."

[speedweed]

It's a little sad in a way, but he's used to people taking things slower than him, so it's not as if he's going to hold it against him or something ridiculous.

A smile tugs at the corners of his mouth before he's waving all of it off with a light laugh, of course he would. "That seems more like a problem for them than for you, but I could always be biased." He's absolutely biased, he knows full well that physical appearances and the like are the last thing on his list. It's nice, certainly, but a personality always mattered more at the end of it.

"As I said, I have no problem with being slow if you're more comfortable with that. I can have restraint when I need to."

[intercalaryninja]

It's alright. Once things get settled, Tsukikage can keep pace. He has more experience after all.

"It's useful for me, if anything. I do like my disguises and masks. Lets me do things undisturbed... My attire right now is sort of my daily uniform in a way." Appearances certainly was important for work, which is why Tsukikage always kept careful regard of them. But indeed the heart was the most important.

"Just don't be too cruel to my heart if you find someone more up to your speed, neh?" Tsukikage teases as he holds up his tea cup to 'cheers' good-naturedly with Speedwagon.