Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku)

Despite what had happened the day before, when Alec woke up the next day, he found himself feeling pretty good. He would get up and after going through his normal routine of getting ready for the day, he would make a small plan of simply going around town to see how many folk he could help getting their places back in order.

With the plan in mind, Alec left his apartment with Chyrstill still in a tattoo form on his back. The strange shadow would remain in this mode as he moved down the streets to visit shops or homes in the area. He would spend most of his morning helping others get their places back in order and moving debris around taking only a small break here and there between jobs. When he was done helping at least three people, he would drift down the road to where his own shop rested. Pausing in front of the shop, he would take a moment to get the door unlocked and then unstuck before stumbling inside to go over the damages. He honestly wasn’t looking forward to this, but it was something that simply had to be done.

The good thing was the shop held up pretty well as far as he could see. Sure, there was glass all over the place thanks to a few busted windows, but that was more or less an easy clean up job. On top of that, it seemed most things stayed on their shelves and it didn’t appear that the creatures took or broke too much, so the work that needed to be done didn’t seem bad on suface. Granted he wouldn’t be able to tell the real damage until he actually began messing with stuff.

Being careful of where he stepped, Alec would enter the shop and make a beeline for the counter not to check the cash register (Nah. He took the important stuff with him when he closed down), but rather to the light switch to see if the power still worked.

When most of the lights flickered on when he flipped the switch, Alec took note of the missing sound of the old ac/heating unit clicking on with everything else. Not a big deal since it wasn’t particularly cold or hot at the moment, but it was still something he added to his mental check list of things to check out at a later time.

In any case, the young man would take a few moments to turn on the old radio to get some music going before moving from behind the corner and back to the door. Fighting once more with the slightly tilted door, he would get it open again before placing a piece of nearby debris under the door to keep it from closing. He noticed that his open/close sign was missing, but honestly it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the shop was not functional at the moment. So not worrying about customers, Alec would leave the door open to let in the fresh air as he drifted to the back to find the cleaning supplies. The task was surprisingly easy since it only seemed the front half of the shop had taken the brunt of whatever came through it.

Grabbing a broom, a mask, gloves and some trash bags, Alec would return to the front of the shop and toss the trash bags on the counter for the moment. Arming himself with the mask, gloves and broom he would begin to sweep up the large pieces of debris scattered around the shop into neat piles as he let the music flow in and give him more energy for the mundane task.

It didn’t take long for Alec to get into the grove of cleaning, his sweeping occasionally pausing as he got caught up in the music here and there. With as distracted as he became it was quite amazing the guy had managed to keep his pile growing and even more amazing that he had managed to get at least two trash bags full in the process. He was working on filling the third bag when quite unexpectedly, he would find something trying to get in his way. At first, he would swat lightly at the disturbance thinking maybe some form of insect had gotten in; however, when said bug only dodged around his hand and came back to mess with him, the young man would frown slightly.

Man this was one very persistent and bold fly? Alec’s agitation would fade as he brought into focus the problem at hand. It wasn’t a fly. It was actually two very odd butterflies. As he studied the butterflies that drifted so close to him, he found himself quite fascinated by the strange creatures. They were pure black forms with a hint of purple to them. They were quite stunning and a lot more “friendly” than your average butterfly. Most flew away or kept their distances, but these two? Nah they stayed around him. Huh. He wondered if he could catch them.

Being careful not to startle the creatures, he would take off his mask and gloves, hooking the items on his belt before he refocused on the butterflies. The one that came closest, he would try to capture by slowly cupping his hands and closing them in on the creature. The creature let him get fairly close before it decided that it didn’t want to be caught and darted upward.

“Neh?”

Alec would blink as his violet eyes drifted towards the creature that had escaped. He would frown slightly, but become distracted as the second one came near. He attempted to catch the second creature, but much like the first it flitted out of the way. Alec would glare up at the pair for a moment watching them fly around his head in a taunting manner. Oh he would get one for sure.

With that goal in mind, he would leap to nab one, but again the butterflies were crafty and got away…and that avoidance was what made Alec forget about clean up in the face of trying to capture one of these butterflies.

He didn’t want to catch it to pin it up somewhere or throw it in a jar. No, he simply wanted to catch the little creatures because at the moment he could not catch them. And just like that he left cleaning in favor of trying to catch the butterflies. He chased them around the shop for a while and when they decided to go outside, he would follow them. He honestly didn’t care how he looked trying to catch the butterflies or how strange it might’ve looked when he looked around the area for them when they decided to take to hiding on his head.

Without realizing it, he had been led to the building next door where he unintentionally stopped under the roof Sharku was sitting on. He would remain unaware of this fact as he continued to look around the area for the butterflies. The only reason he saw Sharaku was because in his search for the butterflies he happened to look up. Perhaps Alec would’ve said something, but at that moment one of the butterflies on his head decided now was the time to get right in his face. Literally.

As the strange creature crawled to his nose and settled Alec became still. Now that he had a good opportunity to catch the creature, he didn’t want to move and scare it off. Man the things he had to go through when he wanted something and then getting said thing suddenly didn’t want it any longer. Ah well, at least he could examine the creature now that it was closer.

= 0:

Alec would keep his focus on the butterfly for a moment longer before deciding at the last possible moment to attempt to catch it; however, as if reading his thoughts, the butterfly would suddenly take flight and head towards the sky. As it did Alec’s eyes would follow it re-landing on Sharaku just as he spoke.

As he looked up at the man, he would lift a hand to keep the afternoon glare off of his glasses as he tilted his head back to looked up at the other.

“It’s called trying to catch a butterfly and failing,” he would say his words easy going and non-hostile as he gave the other a small smirk. “Anyway, why are you up there? Sight seeing?” he would ask in laid back tones not seeming really concerned that the man was actually on the roof tops and in turn could potentially fall into who-know-whose shop or home. Nah, if the man could get up there, then he’d more than likely would be okay provided he watched where he stepped or sat. In any case, Alec would become quiet as he took note of the butterflies that were around the man. As he watched the creatures' behavior he would blink and speak again.

“Oho? Are you a butterfly tamer?” he would ask as he continued to observe the man from his position on the ground. As he did this, he had no clue that one of the pair he had been chasing was still in his hair. The strange creature would settle like some form of clip to the left side of his head just above the ear. Hmph. Guess he had been caught by the butterfly instead.

“Well, I don’t think most creatures do,” Alec would say as he continued to watch the other, the smile never fading. “Still that doesn’t stop me from trying. Besides it was a nice excuse not to finish cleaning up the shop. What can I say, I like the distraction,” Alec would say as he settled slightly on his left leg. Caged animals did have a hard life and to be honest if he wouldn’t upset the world or endanger the captured ones' lives, he’d probably free every caged creature he came across if given the chance. Luckily for the world, he wasn’t that impulsive. In any case, even if he did manage to catch the butterfly, it would’ve probably just flew away when he reopened his hands. He wasn’t looking to hold it captive for long. He just wanted to feel the triumph of actually winning the small game. Alas the butterfly had won for now, so that was that.

A light chuckle would come from Alec. “Perhaps not on the surface. You ever try exploring the lost or abandoned? Might seem like a depressing subject, but you’d be amaze the sort of treasures you find when you dig in the right places. Not sure if you are into that sort of stuff, but the activity is a thing if you are looking for something to do,” Alec would respond back to the sight seeing comment. Yeah, the world did look dull and boring when you hung around an area for a long period of time, but if that started happening then the best thing to do was to start digging. Granted, digging did mean ignore some rules here and there, but the reward for such rule breaking? Priceless treasure. In any case, he’d throw the idea out there for now and then would simply wait afterwards to see how the other reacted. Whether the reaction was good or bad, the subject would eventually change to something else. Something that made a grin spread across Alec’s face as he listened to the other’s answer.

“Oh nice. So you are type magician, huh?” Alec would ask the words seeming harmless, but having a second meaning for those who understood what he poked at. Regardless of how the other reacted to the light poke, Alec would find himself amused with the butterflies and the way they interacted with the man as he watched them for a bit. He didn’t know why, but the scene kind of fitted the guy in some fashion. Maybe the butterflies complimented his looks or perhaps gave more mystery to the strange man. Whatever the case was, Alec would eventually look away briefly as a commotion down the street distracted him.

It seemed that the baker was getting into argument with the fruit shop owner over a sign. The pair (a male and female) had always been in fierce competition with each other and for one reason or another seemed to enjoy these little spats over the trivial. The way they clashed was kind of cute though. It kind of made Alec wonder if they would get married someday. Remaining relaxed and amused, he would shake his head before becoming distracted by a whistle and a command.

Looking back up, he would see something be tossed towards him and on instinct he moved to catch it. It wasn’t the most graceful of catches considering he played a small game of hot potato with the item in order not to drop it to the ground. When he finally did get a good grasp on it and actually saw what it was. Alec would blink for a moment before looking from the strange clip back to the man on the roof.

“What’s this for?” he would ask kind of baffled at this turn of events. Why would this guy randomly give him a butterfly clip? It was kind of confusing, but at the same time Alec had to admit he did kind of like the clip. It was cute and had nice color to it. Even so he wouldn’t express this particular emotion at the time. As he kept the clip balanced in one hand and used the other to block the sun so that he could actually see the man and his reactions, he had to wonder just what the man was getting at with the clip. Did he miss something?

Eh?:

“Mmhm. I own the shop next door,” Alec would say with a light nod of his head in the direction of his shop as he kept watching the man on the roof. “Though I kind of gotta clean it up to reopen it.”

The man would remain laid back not seeming to mind that the topic of caged animals had come and gone. Much like the first time they met, Alec seemed to be just going with the flow once more for the time being leaving the air between them relaxed and open.

“While the things dug up are physical in nature, the point is not to take what is found a way, but rather simply drink in the atmosphere and stories the lost has to tell. It’s an odd treasure that can’t be appreciated unless you actually do the work to get where the lost are and then take the time to actually marvel at it. As for material treasure. That is nice, but I have enough of that stuff already back home, thus why finding the lost is so wonderful. You can’t shelve that sort of treasure like a trophy,” he would tell the other on the roof.

Urban exploration or exploration of any sort always revealed something new and wonderful to experience. One just had to have a mind open enough to appreciate what would otherwise appear to be worthless. “In any case, you can’t judge it without trying it, so that is your call guy.” Alec would fall silent after that letting the other interpret what he said as he saw fit.

In any case, as the conversation moved along Alec would find himself grinning a bit as the other actually showed a playful side to him with his actions. He honestly didn’t expect such a thing from the guy, but was glad to see the oddness nonetheless. It made the icy impression from before a bit easier to swallow. However, the past did not matter now that it was gone, so instead of lingering on memory lane, Alec would press forward on the path that the present.

“More dangerous, huh? Just what sort of tricks were going to show?” Alec asked with a raised eyebrow. The question seemed casual enough, but the young man was curious about the man above him. Before they had kind of beaten around this subject and in the end lost the topic all together, but now that a door had been opened up again to the lost topic, Alec took a slightly bolder step and poked at it a bit more. If he stepped on toes or went over a line, he was sure the man above him would let him know, but for now he believed himself to be safe in his poking.

Whether the man answered him or not, the curiosity would soon turn into a game of don’t drop the item. The reaction was an old habit he had with anything whether it was breakable or not. He did not know why he couldn’t just let things fall, but there was something about just letting it go down that easy one way road that rubbed him wrong. Maybe he preferred complicated paths over the straightforward one. Or maybe, he simply didn’t want to be embarrassed when he did drop said item.

Whatever the case was, he wouldn’t let the item drop. It would feel good to finally get a good grasp on the item; however, upon seeing it, Alec would become quite confused and so questioned the gift giver. As he looked up at the other, he saw that the other appeared to be amused by something, but by what he didn’t know. In any case, Alec wouldn’t pry on that case as the other took on a laid back personality and then answered his question.

To his words, Alec would blink a few times a surprised at the apology and action. “Well, you didn’t really have to get me anything to for that and besides its not like you did anything wrong…I didn’t exactly make it any better for ya, so we’re square,” he would say as he rubbed his head with a sheepish smile. Honestly, he didn’t know how to handle the situation at first as the whole thing had taken him off guard. Sure, he had dealt with apologies before, but not like this. It was odd, but this guy knew how to make him feel confused in some fashion...and yet he did not hate the feeling. He took what he was given and simply adapted to the new that was introduced…it just took him longer thanks to no variables being predictable.

In any case, the young man would recover from his initial shock as an easy smile crept to his face.

“Thanks though. I really do appreciate the thought,” he said as he lifted the clip to the other like a small toast. From here, he would fall silent as he took a moment to take out his typical red clip. Holding the item in his mouth, he would move to place the butterfly clip in his hair ironically in the same spot the black butterfly had been moments ago. When the task was done, he would pocket his old clip before looking up at the other.

“How does it look?” he looked back up at the other, keeping his hands in his pockets and the light smile one his face. The question was natural to ask, no?

Info Box:

Alec would tilt his head at the other’s inquiry.

“Hm. Well, I sell a bunch of stuff. Clothes, electronics, furniture, etc. It mostly is material things typically used and looking for a new home. It’s kind of a trading shop, but it works when it is up and running,” Alec would say with a light nod and then becoming curious, he would continue. “Hey, I know you said before you like to wander, but what do you do to support yourself?”

What? They were talking about jobs and what not, no? So why not pry into if the other worked or not? Besides Alec was a bit curious considering the guy’s looks probably came with their own issues. In any case, whatever came of that was up to the other. Alec would just go with the flow with what happened either way.

“The present is an interesting place to exist in, I can definitely give it that,” Alec would say as he shifted his weight to the left and placed a hand on his hip. “The past is kind of a tricky subject for me because I love the idea of discovering and learning. Even more because I can make my own scenario up about what happened there. It is entertaining and you’d be surprise what the loss can actually teach ya especially when you do some digging. On top of that it is great inspiration for my other hobby, so extra pluses there. However, if it doesn’t interest you, you won’t appreciate the reward at the end,” Alec said. The activity wasn't for everyone and it wasn't like he was going to force a hobby of his on anyone. He was just throwing out ideas here. Besides…

Alec would sigh lightly as he looked off to the side to watch the world. “At any rate, I am not sure how much more of that I can do with the way things are going now…” he’d trail off after that. Yeah. If he went exploring, what were the chances that he would have more than natural hazards to watch out for?

….

Hm?

Violet eyes would eventually return to the roof and the man there as the conversation turned back to the subject of magic tricks. He would catch the faint smirk there and after hearing the words, Alec would give him a light chuckle.

“Mmm. I am not sure how good I’ll look as a statue and I kind of need to be functional if I want to keep going in life. Maybe if we were out in the country somewhere, I’d take my chances, but for now I’ll pass,” Alec would say as his mind made a mental note of the comment. An ice elementalist, huh? Sound like an interesting power to wield. That little note filed, Alec would find himself forgetting about that as the man offered a different form of entertainment.

As he performed his little trick, Alec took a small step back to observe the position a bit more as he gave the other a look of amusement.

“Wow. Nice. Very nice. Great form and a nice body to boot. Very nice indeed,” Alec would say as he continued to observe the guy’s strength and ability with an appreciative eye. He didn’t seem to be phased or apologetic about his words either. Nah. If he saw something he liked, he would let said thing know in some fashion that he appreciated it. This guy was no different. He was impressive in more than one translation of the word. Even so, the gaze that Alec gave the other was a humble stare rather than the outright googling stare of someone making it all too obvious they were checking something out.

Yes, he would look and make comments, but at least he wasn’t obnoxious about it. That just made the game unpleasant for everyone involved. In any case, whether the other could handle this or not was yet to be seen. All he could hope is that. if the words were taken negatively, they wouldn't make the other fall off the roof. He didn’t know if he could actually catch the other or not if that occurred….

Whatever happened there would happen and Alec would simply adapt to it. As for the way the other behaved, did it surprise him? Maybe a little, but then again people changed from one day to the other and some even more frequently than that. So maybe the first time around was really just a bad day to bump into the other and today was a better one. Whatever the case was Alec simply accepted what was in front of him rather than let the past ruin what was happening now.

Shit happened. It always did, so there was no need to wallow in the stuff when it was better to brush it off and continue forward. Sure, the heavier stuff was harder to get out of, but in the end you had to fight your way back up and learn to live with the mistakes and go forward as a better person…at least that is what he thought.

Anyway, the amused smile would become softer as the conversation went on.

“Alright. You win with that one,” Alec would say with a lopsided smirk. He could accept the apology easily enough. As for the gift thing well... What else could he say to that? He had already thanked the guy so all young man could manage for now was an nod of appreciation. Sure it may have been nothing in some eyes, but honestly gifts were kind of special to Alec.

He didn’t get them often, so when he did receive one out of the blue he kind was kind of happy and a bit proud about it. In any case that joy would only increase a bit as he got an answer to his question. As he heard it, he’d clasp his hands before him as he beamed at the other.

“Really?” he would say in a fashion that resembled a girl, but the move was all play if one understood the joke. For you see soon after doing that he would relax again as the play vanished and he gave the other a grin.

“But seriously, I appreciate the compliment,” he said before shaking his head lightly with a chuckle. “Yeah. I know, but I will because, I kind of have a thing for hair clips and butterflies are special sort of creature to me, so I don’t mind it at all,” Alec would say. That and he was a bit lazy about changing his clip again after just doing so... so yeah. The butterfly would be staying there.

Alec didn’t seem to mind that he didn’t get a response about what he sold in the store. If he wasn’t interested in that sort of stuff that was fine by him. Some people were shop alcoholics and went in and out of his shop like bees from a hive. Others just walked by it seeing the items inside as junk with no potential. In any case, it wasn’t like that conversation would’ve gotten far. Honestly how much can you say about things before they became boring?

“Oho? Pretty set in for life huh?” Alec would say as he observed the other for a bit with an amused expression. If this guy could afford to simply sit instead of actually working, then that was pretty impressive. It made him wonder where he got the money from, but Alec knew better than to poke too far into personal finances. Yeah, those conversations never ended well.

“Well, if you got along this far without one maybe that is sign, you’re one of the lucky ones that don’t need a job,” Alec would say taking in the rest of what he heard with a light nod and a small smile of respect. He took in the way the other had spoken about his past work and while this would cause him to dig further under normal circumstances, he knew when doors were closed to him and this was definitely one of those times.

Alec would blink looking away from the guy as his eyes wandered to the rest of the area. His neck had been getting tired from looking up, so it was time to take a little break from all the neck craning. His attention would turn back to the man when the conversation turned back to exploring.

To his words, Alec would let out a small snort of amusement.  “I guess my muse works a bit different than that of the free spirit. Sometimes I need a physical thing to give me a burst of inspiration. Granted, I don’t always go for the inspiration or to learn. Sometime the activity is just nice to do for the heck of it,” Alec would say before moving his head to look back up at the other as he spoke on exploring.

“Mmm. The journey can be fun, but I prefer to enjoy both ends of the bargain instead of just one aspect of it. Makes it that much more filling for me,” he would tell the other. Sure, the journey was always a blast, but sometimes the end results could be just as rewarding as the path that got you there in the first place.

“Dangerous, huh? Well that is a given just walking out your door. So I guess I’d just have to step even more carefully now. I highly doubt I can stay in this cage forever,” Alec said to the other his smile soft, but his eye serious. He couldn’t stay in a cage even if it was for his protection. It was just not his way. So even if it was dangerous, he’d take the plunge eventually into it…

Exploration aside, Alec would tilt his head at the huff and raise an eyebrow as he heard the words that came out of the other’s mouth.

“So you can control what your ice magic does then? Command it to kill or not kill?” he would ask in curiosity before looking down a bit at that last part. Elemental magic…while he couldn’t say anything of ice, he had seen the end results of the other sorts of magic in the past…but hey that was the past right? Why bother thinking of that now? Besides thinking on it would mean he would miss the nice distraction and he didn’t want to miss that, did he?

As violet eyes watched the other take the words more or less calmly and even performed another trick before flipping back onto his feet and responding, Alec would give the other a small grin as he shrugged.

“Hey, I call it like I see it and if I like something, I don’t hesitate to say so or do something to show the appreciation,” he would say as he looked at the other with a calm gaze. “I may not always speak that way, but I am direct most of the time. I find it a waste to beat around corners…unless the game is worth it,” he would say with a playful wink, letting the guy interpret what he said in his own way. Sometimes it was more interesting to let the imagination of others run wild than dictate what one meant by what was said. He would let what came of that come.

After some time had passed, Alec would chuckle lightly as he shook his head in amusement. “I really gotta work on my wording with you, don’t I?” he would begin and then continue in a slightly calmer way. “Nah. It wasn’t a game. It’s just my way of taking what you said in without rebelling is all.” Opinions were opinions. This was just the one he went with this round.

Speaking of games, the other game he played got an interesting result. As he played his dramatic part, he didn’t expect the answer received thus his relaxed response was even more humble sounding; however, the comment about the puppies made him raise his eyebrows as he thought about that.

“A pup? I am not sure anyone has ever compared my skills to one, so I am not sure how to react to that,” he would say rubbing the back of his head. He honestly didn’t know what to do with the comparison, leaving him in a rare spot of awkwardness. In any case, the moment would pass eventually as Alec heard the next question and nodded.

“I love animals of all sorts. I find them all unique and majestic in their way. Even those that aren’t the prettiest in the book are still wonderful to look admire,” Alec would pause and reach up to take the clip from his hair and then bringing it forward he look at it as his expression became a contemplative as a somewhat sad expression took over him as he observed the gift for a bit.

“As for butterflies, let’s just say its more than looks that make them my favorite,” he would say not meeting the other’s eyes with that one. The past was the past right? And that was in the past. So it would remain there and unbothered for now. No….if someone wanted the real answer, they’d have to be closer to him. At this point, he was not quite ready to share that piece of himself.

In any case, the moment would past as Alec pocketed the clip for now and looked back up at Sharaku with a small smile.

“And you? Do you favor cats only?” he would ask curious about the others taste in animals.

Alec would give the other a light smile as he heard the words. This one liked to lay reality on pretty thickly, but that was okay. He could handle the down to earth type just as well as the not so down to earth. “That is true, but to be honest I find your lot kind of nice. You do not to have to worry daily about the finances and jazz,” he would say and then smirking a bit he would continue. “Hey! Can you share your finance tips with me? Maybe I too can stash up and retire early.”

The words were mostly a joke just to see what the other may or may not do in the situation. Alec wasn’t sure why, but he kind of liked throwing something out there and then watching how others reacted. Granted, he usually allowed himself get to know others better before pulling this sort of game, but for this guy? Well, he just saw it better to play the game now rather than wait. Maybe he was just comfortable around the guy or maybe he did this to learn. It was hard to say with the guy.

"That’s right you like to stay busy here and there. Well, if that is the case, what sort of job would interest you? Got your eye on something particular?” Alec would ask as he gazed up at the other with eyes full of curiosity. Sure, the situation now would be putting a bit of bind on those that had to work or was looking for work, but even so that didn’t stop the young man from poking a bit to see what else he might learn from the other.

“True, true, but that is what makes the situation so fun and special for me. Sure, I can dig all I want, but sometimes the unknown is what makes the things I find so much more beautiful,” Alec would say with grin. “However, abstract is often nice too. You can definitely get something much more interesting that way at times.” Honestly, the enjoyment of either activity was in the hands of the one participating in it. Sometimes the physical was the ticket and sometimes the abstract. For Alec either path could work; however, which he choose depended on what he sought. Since he often leaned towards discovery more so than wandering fantasy, he often participated in the activity of urban exploration and in turn the leaned towards inspiration from what was before him. It was what he enjoyed so he followed the path.

A light chuckle would come from Alec. “You like the stuff in the middle and I prefer to actually find the end result, but on the other hand, you like reason for your end results while I prefer just looking to look. I find the meaning comes from the adventure itself more so than one aspect or the other.” Yeah sure. You could find all sorts of new things around you without going far. And maybe even the odd rested under your nose. Even so, Alec never did like searching around in the same area when something a little less obvious could catch his interest and show him something more interesting to gain. In the end it was the challenge – both physical and mental – that got him going for these sort of things. However, everyone to their own flavor of exploring though. At least for now it was a nice topic to speak about.

“Mmm,” Alec would cross his arms as his head bowed as a hand went to his chin. He would rub the smooth skin there as he thought upon what was said. “Well, I could wait and probably survive a bit longer, but honestly if there is something I can do to fix whatever this is, I would think I would need to explore a bit further. Granted, I am not a big shot or anything, but there has to be something even us civilians can do, right?” Alec would say as his eyes drifted back up to the other. A small frown was upon his face as he pondered the situation, disliking the idea of someone coming in to save everyone. No he could do something right?Regardless of what came out of that topic, the topic would change to ice powers.

To this topic, Alec would let out a light hum of thought. “Yeah. Point well taken…” Alec would say out loud more to himself than the other as he continued to ponder something in his past before shaking his head and refocusing on the other. “Well, at least you seem to have everything under control, so that is cool,” Alec would say as he gave the other a small nod. Some beast were dangerous due their unpredictable nature while others were dangerous for other reasons. Thankfully, Sharaku didn’t seem to fit the bill for other or unpredictable, so Alec didn’t think he had to be worried about a display of ice anytime soon from the other.

In any case, the situation would move from powers to play as the other seemed to analyze or maybe even play back a bit with the look given and the words spoken. To the amused glance, Alec would keep a small smirk on his lips as he observed the other above him.

“Maybe it is, but then again I don’t think I need a follow up for your case. You’re a perceptive man. So what do you think I am suggesting or doing with my comments?” Alec would ask watching the other with the smirk still in place. Yeah, he was direct and most of time he didn’t have anything behind his words unless he really liked something or was interested in it. Typically, he said things for a reaction, but in this case maybe there was something more behind it. However, what that something was he’d let the other figure out and if the other couldn’t peg it well then, he’d reveal the answer in his own time. For now, he would let the situation play out.

“Ah. Alright then. If you say so, I’ll just keep that in mind then,” Alec would say with a nod. It was a bit confusing this guy and translations, but as long as nothing was blowing up he supposed a minor hiccup was fine here and there. Anyway….

“Heh. Nah. Just caught me off guard is all. I’ve been called a lot worse in my life so a pup isn’t so bad. At least it is cute. And I am pretty damn cute I must admit,” Alec said with a seemingly proud puff of the chest, but like the play beforehand this wasn’t to be taken seriously either. Sure, he was confident enough about his looks, but he wasn’t to type to boast about the looks or make himself seem all so important. Nope. That just wasn’t him, so the boasting was mostly play.

“My acting skills? Pfft. Please. I only use that for fun or when I want to be sarcastic about something. I am not aiming to win an Oscar with them nor am I trying to use them to deceive. Though some of the more gullible have taken them way too seriously in the past much to their dismay, but those are stories best left where they died off. In any case, the play is just me being a clown and myself most of the time,” Alec would say with a slight shrug. He wasn’t the most innocent of people that was for sure and the few that fell into his trap when they did take his acting seriously always ended diving into something unpleasant. At least the man above him wasn’t gullible and could see a play for what it was. Just play. The change up was nice and something Alec appreciated. "Besides, I know when not to play and so on; however, life is too short to take seriously all the time. Doing that just makes me moody and nobody needs that." Yeah moodiness was never good. It only resulted and unnecessary drama...as seen in the last encounter, but whateves. That was done and nothing to be relived here.

In any case when the other asked him about butterflies, Alec had allowed his mind to wander down a memory path he typically kept buried and as as result of this, he would become quiet as he observed the way the hair clip glittered in the light. Whether he had known he was being observed during that silence was unknown as he did not seem to acknowledge it as he pocketed the item some time later and seem to he instead focused on the question posed to him.

“Oh? Then if you were to choose a favorite, which would you choose?” Alec would say in response to the words.