Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku)

Subject: Re: Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) Wed Apr 27, 2016 6:19 am

Well, finances were not a huge deal, no, but money isn’t everything in the end. You can be miserable while drowning in gold, so it wasn’t as amazing as it seemed at times. Of course, it was better than being extremely poor though. ‘’Maybe. I still need to manage financing though. You can never have so much that you can’t ever run out even if you’re careless.’’ Infinite money reserves was an interesting, but impossible concept. Even though the most wealthy people in the world could probably come close enough to that kind of status. He would give the other a light hum at the poke. ‘’There’s only one thing I’d say. Be willing to do anything, and there is always a way.’’, he’d state somewhat mysteriously. The guy could take that one in his own way.

‘’Hm….’’, he would pause a bit in thought. What exactly? To be honest, he never gave it that much mind, as it was extremely unlikely to happen in the first place. Doubly so with this weird stuff happening every so often, not giving one much of a break. ‘’Nothing specific just yet. Although, I’d prefer something where I can do things my own way, and not have to be managed by someone all the time. Perhaps something more dynamic as well, since I’m not a fan of repetitive routine either. To be honest, I didn’t give it much thought beyond that, as the situation here is apparently rather unstable in general.’’ It only makes any sort of planning harder, and besides, when something isn’t quite necessary, you’re not inclined to think of it excessively.

‘’I guess? I suppose I just have a different focus, but to each their own.’’ He could have kept it going back and forth, but technically they were talking about the same thing over and over again just in different words. That was entertaining only for so long. Speculating about this left and right wouldn’t change anything of what is, really. In the end, they’d both do things differently, and most likely not apply this discussion in practice anyway. He’d scratch his cheek. ‘’To be honest…it’s just that being on the move helps me think. That’s kind of all there is to it. Most of the time, I can’t care less where I end up or what happens there. I usually can’t be bothered much with some items and the like. I find more meaning in other people than some unknown stuff.’’ If he had to make a pick, he’d choose something more related to getting involved than digging up stuff alone.

Well….’’Depends? As long as you don’t overestimate yourself, then maybe there is something to be done. Most civilians that start out don’t realize just what are they trying to get involved with though, so it comes down to how much are they willing to adapt instead of being ridiculously stubborn.’’ It’s not fun when it ends in having to protect someone who thought they were all that. Such a thing complicated everything, instead of helping the matters. So it heavily depended on what kind of person was trying to get into the mix, and the way they handled it.

He would smirk. ‘’You don’t want to imagine what would happen if I didn’t.’’ Well, depending on what the other perceived as not being under control. Either way, it would likely be pretty bad. With what he could do, it was a really bad idea to just do whatever. Bad idea for everyone around him, at least.

Hm? So he was supposed to play the guessing game now? Eh, not too interested just yet. ‘’I didn’t exactly mean ‘follow up’ in the meaning of an explanation. Besides, even if I already know something, it doesn’t always mean I don’t want to actually hear it from the person themselves.’’, he’d remark, turning to a more laid-back style for now. ‘’As for what I think? That’s not something I’m going to give away so easily. You’re maybe direct, but I’m usually not.’’ Not that he couldn’t be when it mattered, but too much of it could turn boring quickly. If you want to come on directly, at least do it in a firm way then, to grab the attention. Not start with a slight directness, and then turn it into a guessing game right away. How a play is done affects the result of it was well.

He wouldn’t comment on the misunderstanding issue further for now, as digging into it would likely bring up matters that are pointless to discuss right now. Maybe if it became relevant again, but as it was at the moment, he didn’t feel like dragging it out on purpose.

‘’That so? I usually don’t see guys as cute though. Most of the time, it doesn’t really fit.’’, he’d shrug slightly. He had nothing against looking a little feminine and the like, but too much of anything can make it be less pleasant to look at. Associating cute with a guy made him imagine a little boy at best. Of course, there were always exceptions, but it was uncommon. Besides, he didn’t even prefer cute in general. Maybe in regards to some animals, but people? Not really. That wasn’t his style. He would huff. ‘’Well, considering how there are many kinds of people, you can never be sure whether someone is serious or not. If you misstep and don’t take something seriously when you should have, the consequence can sometimes be even worse than the other way around. I suppose most people would rather be careful and consider the possibility that you might mean it for real first. When you don’t know someone well enough, any assumption is a hit or miss.’’ It’s one or the other, but how can you know? There are people who may act like they’re goofs, but are actually trying to be super serious, and that is simply their way of expressing it. There isn’t one single box that you can put everyone into when it comes to ways of self-expression, thus it can easily turn into a mess. Even when it’s not intended to be so.

‘’I don’t mind seriousness most of the time. And I’m moody by default, so it hardly matters what kind of a situation is at hand. If anything, I just go with the flow of what feels best at the moment.’’ He was no easy to deal with, mainly if the other side couldn’t handle changes in pace and mood well. They didn’t necessarily happen all the time, but there’s no saying. He had a fiery temperament most of the time, and it honestly didn’t matter whether the topic was serious or not. At least, that in itself wasn’t much of a decisive factor of what happens.

Hm. But that’s hard. ‘’I’m not sure I can pick just one favorite. There are way too many animals to consider….’’ Sure, he could narrow it down to a few, but choosing just one? That didn’t sit too well with him, as he’d probably never be completely certain of his answer. And he could just change his mind later, which would make saying something now awkward.

Subject: Re: Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) Mon May 02, 2016 10:07 pm

Alec would give Sharaku an amused smirk about his answer on finances as he shook his head a bit. Always the logical one, wasn’t he? While it was annoying in some regards considering anything thrown at the guy would be combated with the tactic, on the other hand, it was this same annoyance that was kind of attractive. Alec didn’t know, but maybe the reason he could stand here and tolerate this without making a fuss is because he kind of liked listening to the guy talk. Sharaku didn’t present himself as the type saying things to be a know-it-all snob like some would and maybe that was the thing that saved him and made it easier for the white haired male to simply accept that this was the way the other spoke. While the amusement hide many things, he had to admit that some form of something was growing there. The emotion wasn’t clearly defined at the moment, but it was a something nonetheless.

In any case, the odd feeling would be hidden well enough under the layers of amusement that could not be easily picked through at the moment as Alec would seemingly pause to absorb what was said.

“I can see your point,” he would say after a while as he gave the other a light nod. “And I suppose leaving the door open rather than close could leave some wiggle room if I were to ever get stuck in a bind with work, so I will keep that in mind.” He would finish the sentence with a grin that made it hard to tell if he was actually being serious or playing. Either way, he let the other take it as he wanted to before the subject was shifting to what the man above and what he would like to do for a job.

To his words, Alec would look down in thought as his brows furrowed a bit with the thinking.

“Did ever consider maybe running your own business then? I mean it sounds like the perfect plan if you don’t want to be managed and do things your way. I am not saying you couldn’t find someone willing to be chilled about your wants, but those are rare and far between,” he would begin as he bit his thumb nail a bit before looking back up at the other with a light smile. “Then again, you could probably find a loop hole in the system and make it work for ya, so what do I know?” Yeah. This guy played by his own rules so maybe for him even the idea of running a business of his own didn’t apply. Maybe like with paths in life you couldn’t box him in with the norm with jobs either. It would be no surprise if this one made a job option of his own in the end. In fact, it would be kind of expected in a way; however that was a thought for another time.

“Mhmm,” Alec would let the hum of agreement out leaving the topic they were picking at there for now. It wasn’t that he was trying to drop a subject quickly that he did this, but rather he was slowly beginning to lose interest in the topic itself. After all, they had toyed around with the various views long enough and had probably come to the statement placed out in the open just now a long time ago. Alec would be himself and Sharaku his own self. Neither side was budging or seeming to change any time soon, so while they could probably go on all day long about this difference or that, in the end the conversation would be trivial chatter that helped nothing in the end. Still the chat was nice while it had lasted and now it was time to move on.

“People over matter huh?” Alec would say rubbing his chin as he looked over the block they were on in thought. “Yeah, I can get that,” he would say as he placed his hands in his pocke as his posture took on a relaxed slump. He supposed people were equally fun and mysterious, but maybe he took them for granted to some degree since they were easy to find and pick at. Maybe that is why he preferred the treasure hunting to people hunting. Maybe, maybe...

It was hard to say what exactly got the young man thinking from that, but in the end he would pull himself from the thoughts and glance back at the other, the smile back in place.

“Anyway, moving about is a good way to think...if you can multitask like that. I honestly get distracted by what’s around me to do some deep thinking while moving. Nah man. I have to sit down and find my zen zone to do the deep thinking,” Alec would say to the other with a light shrug. Eh? What could he say? He thought better sitting still than moving...unless of course there was a necessity to think and move. In those cases, he was not too bad multitasking so to speak.

“Hmm. Maybe so…” Alec would say as he thought about what was said. Sure, he wasn’t the overconfident cock that some could be in these situations and while he may seem goofy, he was more in tune with what was happening than he would like to admit. Sure, he wasn’t an active player in this game, but at the same time he wasn’t just some side piece either. Civilian or not, they were all wrapped up in this...its just not all chose to make a stand. Most considered hiding, but Alec did not think that was something he wanted to do. He hadn’t figured it out fully, but he had a feeling he wanted to do something more this round. He just had to figure out how to do said moreness.

Anyway….

Violet eyes would drift back upwards to the man on the roof just in time to see the smirk given. As he heard the words, the serious expression he had before thanks to all that thinking would vanish as he let out a light “hmph” of amusement.

“That bad huh?” It was true he didn’t know Sharaku or the extent of his power, but he could imagine alot of things when it came to elementals. He just hoped that this one didn’t match his version of extreme for said cases. If he did...well. They were all screwed then if he were to flip. Good thing he was so calm...or at least appeared that way for the moment. Who was to say that couldn’t change?

Speaking of change, let’s talk about this small game they were playing now.

To the other’s words, Alec would take in some air creating a light hissing sound as if he were hurt as he looked up at Sharaku with a lopsided smile.

“What a way to burn and leave me hanging guy,” he would say in a half-joking manner. He was just a bit disappointed that the other wouldn’t play the game...but at the same time , he kind of liked the fact this one didn’t fall so easily to simple traps. It kind of made him want to keep at him to see if he could catch the guy somehow. He would probably fail, but for once, he kind of didn’t mind that coming from this one. It was twisted form of pleasure maybe, but he liked this odd play. Regardless of this, Alec would surprisingly remain relaxed as he heard the next set of words.

“Oho. Mr. Mysterious, huh?” Alec would say his voice seemingly joking at first until he re-leveled his eyes with the area around him as he said his next words. “That’s a bit infuriating, but yet attractive. Guess you can say I kind of like you beyond what I see, but whatever,” he would say mostly to himself more so than the other. The words were spoken casually enough and maybe they even come off as odd considering this was only their second meeting, but to be honest he was stating what he felt. He had no reason to hide it and the other could take what was said as he felt like it. As he had stated before he was direct with his words...more or less. He just left the message to the other to grab is all.

In any case, he wasn’t going to judge or get all cranky just because of a reaction to that. No, if he was going to act crazy about something, then he wouldn’t have said it all. At this point the words were fair game. He would simply let the other decide where this went.

From there Alec would remain quite, letting the light wind in the area shift his hair here and there as he observed something in the distance. His attention wouldn’t turn back to the other until a different sort of topic came up.

Alec would deflate a little as he shook his head. “Man, directly to the point and not even bothering to try and humor a guy. Alright, I suppose I can play on your field,” he would say with a light chuckle before he tilted his head at the other becoming more serious. “So if you don’t associate cute with a guy, then what word would you use instead?” he asked curious...and probably leaving himself exposed to a slap of some sort; however, he would take what would come like a pro and adapt from there. Regardless for now, he wouldn’t ponder too much on consequences as he simply waited to see what would happen.

Oh yes...about that. “True, but not many people stop to attempt to actually get to know me. They see me and take what I give at face value and then blow up when it is not what they assume it is. I am not saying I am not completely at fault for somethings, but if everyone just jumps on the first thing thrown...then why not expect to be disappointment or anger in return?” Alec would say as he looked off to the side with a peeved expression.

He wasn’t mad at Sharaku or his logic, but rather frustrated with relationships in general. “The ironic thing, is when it does matter and I do take things seriously, the world suddenly falls apart as the other party flips out about it….It’s kind of baffling especially when even with play I give all the signals, but everyone misses the damn things," he would finish and letting out an agitated sigh. Yeah...people. They didn’t get him and quite frankly he didn’t completely get them either. Even when he was on the right path things seemed to crumble. He wondered if that happened for everyone or did he just have bad luck in that department. Weird.

After a few moments, Alec would let out a small huff to release the stress before refocusing on the one above him. Yeah that talk had put him in a slight funk, but at least it wasn’t bad enough to harm the current situation. If anything it just cut his playfulness down a bit.

“It’s alright to a degree, but some take it overboard. Even so, I can agree going with the flow is the better option in life. Can’t go anywhere if you’re always hung up on something,” he would say his behavior still friendly despite the change in his playfulness. It seemed the young man had come to an odd middle ground of play and seriousness making it hard to say just which side he would take at any time. For now he seemed to stay more mellow than before.

“Hmm. Won’t settle huh? Then...when do you settle? I mean if the animal choice was to determine something important could settle for one? Or would you remain indecisive?” Alec would ask as he gave the other a calm look. Huh. It seemed an odd quirk of the other caught his attention. The question was, would the man entertain the curiosity at all?

Subject: Re: Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) Tue May 03, 2016 12:28 pm

Hmmm? Did he say something off? The kind of expression and gesture he received was a little confusing. On the other hand, he didn’t get any sort of verbal complaint, so there was nothing to go on from. Thus, he would simply stick his tongue out at the other briefly. He obviously had nothing better to do.

‘’Perhaps. Or you could focus on developing some of your specific talents in case you’d need them later. Since you have work now, you’re safe to take precautions the way you want, rather than needing to jump at literally anything in front of you.’’, he’d tilt his head. ‘’But if you want to wiggle, that works too.’’, he would add in an amused tone. Was he taking this seriously or not? Probably hard to tell. ‘’Do you find your current job interesting enough?’’, he’d ask, seemingly curious. ‘’I’d probably either get bored by standing behind a counter, or end up agitating the customers to no end.’’ That was a thing. Not many people could handle being around him for too long at a time. Perhaps he was naturally high maintenance? Not for people who wanted quick results, or a straight path towards an ending. Unless they were genius enough to find one.

Listening to the suggestion, he would hum lightly. ‘’If only it was that easy. Running something on your own means you need to somehow attract customers to begin with. Otherwise you’ll get nowhere with it….’’ On top of that, he wasn’t the best people person most of the time. Or so it seemed, at least. Trying something like this is no easy feat unless you know what you’re doing, or pick something that is really easy to get going. He would shrug vaguely. ‘’I don’t particularly mind the idea of working for someone, but I dislike being micromanaged and ordered around. If I’m forced to do something, it likely won’t work well in the end.’’ It wasn’t that he couldn’t be responsible, but he did better at his own pace, regardless of what was the task in question.

For a moment, he would simply watch the other silently, thinking. He would speak up eventually though, giving the guy a contemplative glance. ‘’Which one do you value more? People, or the things around you?’’ Whether he was asking just because, or for a specific reason was unknown. It was just a question either way, and it was up to the other as to whether it would get answered or not. ‘’Distractions can be inspiring. Besides, I tend to think too much in the first place. If I were to always sit around while doing it, I’m not sure how I’d end up….’’ He did not gain weight easily, but still, being a lazy ass isn’t very healthy. It was much more productive to at least walk, if nothing else. He wasn’t sure if he’d even call it multitasking. He was just far too used to complicated thought processes, no matter what time and place.

He would wave his hand slightly, sort of dismissing the subject. ‘’I can’t order you around anyway, so you’re free to do what you want. I’d just rather that people don’t get themselves killed pointlessly.’’ That would certainly not be helpful to the situation. Yet, it was unpredictable, making it hard to find the right course of action for everyone. Thus, it was one’s own choice in the end. What mattered the most was that they would at least keep in mind that being careful is important.

Hm? ‘’Probably.’’, he’d remark in a casual manner. ‘’Not that I know your definition of bad. But I honestly don’t even need to summon magic to destroy. I could probably kill the majority of people with my bare hands without causing any visible injuries. Not necessarily a hobby I’d entertain though….’’ It certainly would be a problem if he did take a liking to that. Thankfully, he wasn’t that far out there, and it didn’t even make sense to do stupid things like that. You’re just inviting yourself to be a target when you pull stunts like that.

He’d raise an eyebrow at the sound, giving a short laugh once he heard the response. ‘’As they say, play with fire and you’ll get burned. I think I’m hot enough to justify that.’’ …was that supposed to be a double meaning? Perhaps he did indeed mean it that way, but it would be up to the other to interpret it the way he wished to. Maybe he was really just talking about the fire, and maybe he wasn’t. Who knows? The true meaning notwithstanding, he sure seemed to enjoy this kind of play more than the dry direct approach. Although, with him you never really know for sure.

Tilting his head slightly, he would narrow his eyes in amusement. ‘’Infuriating people is fun. Is it working?’’ Was he actually enjoying this? It would appear that he at least found it an interesting way to pass the time, if nothing else. ‘’You can say I’m not tamed easily. Perhaps mystery is my middle name.’’, he’d remark, almost as if taunting, before he took on a more thoughtful expression. ‘’Say, what is it that you perceive beyond what you see then?’’, he’d pose a somewhat odd question. Would the other understand what he was getting at? Well, time would tell….

He would snort. ‘’You mean you actually want to spend more time being cute?’’, he’d ask jokingly with a slight shake of his head. He wasn’t sure what more was there to humor in this case, since the joke already felt like it was done and over with for the most part. Oh well. His look would turn into a questioning one soon after, having been asked a follow up question. Was it even possible to pick one word alone to apply to guys? That sounded rather limiting. Hmm. He would blink a few times. ‘’Well, it isn’t impossible, but I personally wouldn’t call most men cute. I’m just saying. On that note, there are plenty of words that could be used. It depends on the individual. I’m not sure if it’s valid to pick just one in general. If you really wanted to, you could say you’re a princess. To each their own, I guess.’’ As odd as that would be. Technically speaking, you can call yourself however you want, regardless of other people’s opinions on the matter.

He would close his eyes with a sigh, staying quiet for a moment before looking at the other somewhat ruefully.

Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) - Page 2 X2gF8rA

‘’There are millions of people in the world. You can wish as much as you can….but one can’t spend the time getting to actually know everyone they meet. Time simply doesn’t allow for that. Most of the time, assumptions are all we really have to go on with, unless we have a good reason to keep hanging around someone for a longer while to know better. You can be disappointed, or angry…but..what does that really solve? Having high standards is great…until you find that it is starting to stand in your way. When someone makes a mistake, and you start showing some sort of frustration, it may just encourage a bad opinion from their side more than anything else. Often, it’s all about perception. You think they aren’t trying, they may be thinking the same of you, and eventually both of you just give up on it.’’, he would look off to the distance in thought. ‘’Not saying I like when people take me the wrong way, but I feel like the way we approach such situations is often the real downfall….’’ In many cases, it’s actually salvageable. If only both sides focused on the right things, instead of somehow fueling the misunderstandings over and over again.

‘’People are complex. Everyone has their own way of looking at the world and others. Expecting someone to understand the signals you’re giving in the same manner you do is one way to set yourself up for a disappointment. Some may get it, but many won’t. Frustrating? Sure. Yet, it would be exceptionally boring if everyone thought and behaved the same as you, wouldn’t it? I’d say that the real problem isn’t people missing each other’s intentions. It’s their lack of willingness to stick through misunderstandings without getting dismissive of the other person too soon. And sometimes, it perhaps just isn’t meant to be. Can’t get along with completely everyone.’’ His tone was calm through the entirety of his small speech. He did understand where the other was coming from. It isn’t as if he never felt that way himself. On the other hand, he knew that griping about it wasn’t quite helpful in the end. The only way for people to truly understand each other is to be open-minded enough to realize that you think differently, and that it doesn’t always have to mean offense of any kind when someone doesn’t get things just right the first few times…..

He would cross his arms over his chest with a low hum. ‘’What counts as overboard though…?’’ Anything could technically go overboard, and everyone’s definition of what was too much differed. He would smile thinly. ‘’I don’t necessarily think it is the better option, even though I often do it for the sake of avoiding a pointless conflict or the like. If you are feeling bad about something, trying to flow along won’t really change that. It’s probably better to deal with it than sticking to being passive and avoiding stuff that bothers you. Better than trying to ignore and blowing up ten times worse one day when it gets too much to deal with.’’ Besides, you can’t always be happy with everything, so as long as it isn’t permanent, getting hung up once in a while is fine. It can get bad if you direct your sour mood the wrong way though.

He would blink. ‘’When I feel like it matters enough, or I actually have a 100% sure answer to begin with. I can give a singular choice if it is necessary, but in case of small talk that isn’t all that serious, I don’t always do so. Even if I were to state one, it doesn’t change the fact that there are several that I like a lot. Variety can be a good thing too.’’ He could be indecisive at times, mainly when he had the space to be so. After all, it’s not like it’s a sin to not have a definite pick in a casual conversation. He’d pick when he truly had to, or knew the given answer held real significance to the other person in some way. If it was something obviously serious, he would answer to the best of his ability…but, picking a favorite animal like this didn’t seem to be. This wasn’t a life or death situation, just a talk between two people.

That aside, he was starting to tire of having to look all the way down the entire time. The downside of being up there. Then again, his original plan wasn’t to have a conversation with someone. It just happened. He would frown at the ground briefly, assessing it. Well, time to get down for now. With that in mind, he would move to hop off the roof, landing on the ground below in a crouch before standing back up. ‘’Much better….’’, he’d mutter under his breath.

Subject: Re: Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) Mon May 09, 2016 10:51 pm

Alec would observe the other for a moment in amused silence, the only sound coming out of him was the light “heh” sound that followed the soft chuckle as the man above stuck his tongue at him. It was hard to say what Alec found sound amusing about the situation and since it seemed no prying would be involved, the mystery would probably remain unsolved. In any case, the moment of amusement would pass with the time as the young man became more serious as the topic of business options came about.

“Yeah. I get that; however, even with work I like to view my options in case I needed to move to something else for some bizarre reason,” Alec would say with a light shrug of his shoulders seeming to not be bothered or flustered by the amusement this conversation was causing the other. Business talk was business talk, but it didn’t need to become all so serious when one was only throwing out ideas, so why not have a bit of fun in the process? After all, it wasn’t like he was planning to suddenly make a move away from his current profession thanks to this. To be honest, the whole start of this conversation came about out of curiosity. What could he say, he liked to what ifs at times.

When the next question came up, Alec would let out a small hum of thought as a hand went to his chin. “When things are stable in the area and the flow of people traffic is good, yes the job is actually quite fun. It can be a bit troublesome on slow days, but I find ways to keep myself amused during those times,” Alec would say his voice showing no hate or love for the job. He simply did it so he could live…kind of like most in the world with the exception of the few that actually found their dream job that is. As for that other comment…

Alec would smirk lightly at that. “Well, I’ll admit that the job isn’t for everyone, but I think even if you say otherwise if you really wanted to you could probably succeed at it. Maybe give it a whirl one day and see if you can handle the calm, no?” Hey you couldn’t knock something unless you tried it, so who was to say if the other was good or bad at managing a shop? In any case, the words seemed more of a suggestion rather than a demand or anything like that. After all, Alec wasn’t one to try to persuade people into doing what they didn’t like to do.

“Mmm. It is a bit hard, but sometimes I think the work to get the shop up and running and then holding it as something stable is kind of nice,” Alec would say as he re-lowered his head to level it with the world once more. This time around, he would not look back up at the other so soon. He wasn’t being rude and the slight tilt of his head towards the other suggested he was still listening. While it was nice getting a good view of the guy against the sky and all, the neck pain it was causing wasn’t so grand.

Giving his neck a rest, he would continue to listen to the other.

“Micromanagers...I tried my lot with those sort before. My mouth got me in trouble, so I was like welp time to do something on my own, so I did. Took a while, but I kind of like shop keeping even if it does have its down side at times,” Alec would say and then thinking a bit would follow up. “You know. If you ever want to try playing shop keeper, you are welcome to come work for me if you’d like. Just a thought though,” he would say to the other as his eyes remained occupied with the scenery around him for the moment. He would continue to watch the scenery not seeming to be bother or aware he was being studied. He would remain this way until the other drew his attention back with a question.

“Hmm…” he would fold his arms in thought as he pondered what was being asked for a moment. “Value?” he would repeat as he looked up at the other, his violet eyes would narrow behind the red rims he wore as he studied the other with an expression that lacked the humor of before. “People…or at least that is what the normal response to such questions would be; however, my value system is a bit different. People and the material can both have equal weight depending on what I have attached to it. For example,” he would pause as he messed with a nearly invisible chain around his neck. As he did this a ring would reveal itself from under his shirt.

Grabbing the ring with his left hand, he would hold it up for Sharaku to see. “This ring holds a lot of good and bad memories for me and having it near is almost like having the one it belongs to standing right next to me,” he would say before tucking it away again. “However, the things in my shop or what I find on a treasure hunting trip, don’t hold much value for me. Yes what I find is fascinating and I’d be pretty piss if someone decided to raid my stock; however, those things are either replaceable or okay with being lost, so I am cool with it. The same applies to people. While I hold them above the material, it still doesn’t change the fact that I weigh them depending on many complicated factors that come with interactions and relationships. The more I get attached, the higher the value,” Alec would say his voice calm as he watched the other with a honest gaze.

He had no reason to lie about his position on things and he most certainly wasn’t gonna change or back down from it just because someone else thought differently. His system of beliefs were his own. They made him him. Period.

“How about you?” he would turn the question on the one who asked not out of hostility, but rather just wanting to hear what the other would say. He would leave this space open, giving without words permission for this area to be pried furthered into if the other wished it. A rare luxury for this one, but for some reason Alec was okay being semi-open with the guy. After saying what he did, he would watch the other for a bit longer before looking away once more to ease the cramp in his neck.

At the topic of distraction, he would rub the back of his head as he let out a small nervous laugh.

“Well for one, I think they’d have to lock you up. Thinking while it is fun and all is really bad in great quantities. Trust me…you do not want to let the thinking consume you..” Yeah. Not going any further than that are ya? So about those distractions. To this, Alec’s smile would soften as he shook his head. “They can be if you can focus on one long enough for it give said inspiration.” Distractions were nice, but when he needed to truly focus he had to take a moment to step away to see clearly otherwise he was getting nowhere.

His smile would turn into a smirk as he heard the other words. “No you cannot, but you can keep trying if you like,” he would say as he glanced up at the other as he folded his arms. Sure the words were a bit playful, but underneath it all, there was a truth: He could not and would not be controlled by anyone. One could make suggestions all day long, but that was about it. At the end of the day, he was going to do what he wanted to do. “In any case, you don’t have to worry about me jumping off the cliff without some form of plan. I kind of like breathing," Alec would follow up as he let his arms drop to his side. His tone was more serious with that last statement. He was no fool. He wouldn’t just go jumping into whatever had seized this place without at first thinking a bit about what he was getting into.

“Without showing injuries?” he would ask his tones casual as his eyes drifted upward towards the other’s arms. Yeah, he didn’t think the look was just for show and he honestly didn’t want to imagine what would happen if the guy was to let loose. Even so how could one not show injury with those claws...unless....

As for his definition of bad…well. “I can think up some pretty morbid shit when it comes to what I define as bad, but let’s not go there,” he would say with a light wave of his hand truly dismissing that topic. Yeah, he didn’t like entertaining that side of himself, especially not in front of a semi-stranger. Well, wherever that went Alec let it go before focusing on the new situation at hand. It seemed a game of some sort had begun between the two.

While at first Alec look defeated, the young man would grin as his eyes narrowed lightly with delight as he took in the other from his position on the roof. “Oho? So they say. Though I must admit, you press a hard argument with the hotness statement, Sharaku,” he would say. “You are pretty damn hot. Maybe too hot. Don’t know if I can stay in the kitchen with that sort of flame,” Alec would say his words seeming to just bounce off the metaphor of fire that the other was using, but one had to wonder if maybe the young man wasn’t meaning something else by his words. In either case, the young man wouldn’t falter as the game seemingly continued as a question was tossed out.

Alec bit his lip a bit as a grin made its way across his face. It was the sort of face one made when they were trying not to laugh at something or maybe found something hilarious and yet bitter all at once; however, whether the face was displeasure or not, the words that followed would give a hint as to where his mind was.

“A bit too well,” he would say as his eyes narrowed with something crossed between intrigue and amusement. He honestly didn’t get this guy, but then again…maybe it was because the guy was so unpredictable that Alec actually liked not being in control of the game for once. He wasn’t sure where this would all go, but then again he wasn’t going to get off the derailed wagon either. He just held on and let it go where it would.

“Mhmm. So you say,” Alec would say to the whole taming and mystery tidbit as he placed his hand on his hips watching the other with studious eyes. Yeah, he could see he had a wild one on his hand and maybe said wildness would destroy him. Even so Alec kept his ground much like a knight against a dragon. Except he was lacking the quaking in the boots as he instead found this new challenge refueling a dying flame within him. It was odd, but that was just how things were turning out right now.

“To be honest, I see someone who is going to be a pain in the ass no matter which way you look at it. Someone that is going to rub me the wrong way and not even apologize for it. I see someone who will probably drive me mad at the end of it all, but even so, the very things that may seem like red flags or repellents make me kind of want to know you a bit betterto see what may be underneath it all. I see inner beauty if you ask me,” Alec would say not sure how else to explain what he meant or even if he had hit the right notes with that one. It was an odd question and in turn it got a rather odd, yet honest answer that could be taken many ways when examined.

And now a facepalm.

“Man oh man. You are killing me with the burns man,” Alec would say with a shake of his head before looking up at the other, amused at this whole ordeal. How the hell did they even get to this point in the first place? He couldn’t remember, but he didn’t really care either as he continued on. “Nah. Being cute just goes all kinds of wrong after a while. I’ll just keep that one reserve for something else,” he would say in relaxed tones. Cute was fun here and there or pulling it out to weird someone out for the hell of it, but maintaining said mode was quite the pain and so not his style. So unless he really needed it, that sort of nonsense would stay on hold until another time.

Wait. What? Alec would blink at the subject being presented to him currently as he tilted his head and gave the other a somewhat perplexed look. Alright. Yes, he had asked what the other would use to describe a guy was outside of the word cute, but man did he miss the target. He wasn’t asking for a general example, he kind was asking something else, but welp. That ship was sunk. Oh well.

“That is not exactly what I was asking, but I can see your point. Though I am not too sure about the princess thing. Coming from a guy that has been called many things, I hardly think princess was everyone to describe myself or other gents,” he would say as he paused to swat at a fly that was trying to get in his face. It was a persistent bugger, but eventually it flew away.

When the conversation came to the subject of relationships and Alec became a bit moody as he reflected on all the bad luck he had with said subject, he found himself surprisingly calming as he heard the other’s words on the topic.

“Maybe. It’s hard to tell with things like that,” Alec would say as he looked off to the side in thought. He could see some points in the whole speech, but at the same time he had to wonder: What if he didn’t have any standards, had the patience needed to see things through, but the other party just gave up? Relationships…it was a subject that had him thinking in silence for a moment before with a light sigh he simply let it go for now. Yes, he understood complaining about the issue wouldn’t solve anything, but neither would keeping the snappiness in about said subject locked away. The subject was a light snag in conversation, but for the most part did nothing to harm it as it continued into other territory.

“Overboard is being the ultimate stick in the mud. The one who takes a good thing and then turns it sour because you want to either make a point, analyze something, or get all crabby at what was meant to be a joke. It is so many things you can’t define it, but rather just know it when you see it,” Alec would say with a shake of his head. You really couldn’t define everything. Overboard was one of those tings.

“So you only make solid descisions when it counts? Interesting….” Alec would trail off as he pondered that, making it hard to say how he felt or what he thought on the matter.

In any case, the young man would come out of his wandering thoughts after a moment as the other decided to finally come down. Alec would watch the man make his descent and when the other stood once more Alec smirked.

“Oh yay. I don’t have to crane my neck so much to see ya. I was beginning to think you were afraid of me or something hiding up there like a cat and all,” it was a sarcastic yet playful remark that was probably not necessary, but this was simply how Alec rolled.

Subject: Re: Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) Tue May 10, 2016 9:27 pm

Guess it ended at that, but Sharaku didn’t really mind not getting a sound response to his gesture. What would it have even been in the first place...? A thought which would never get finished, even though it was likely highly irrelevant. ‘’I guess that is a sound strategy. If you had a choice to take something else, would you?’’ There was a difference between needing to and simply being able to, right? To be honest, he didn’t really care as much, but he still asked. Maybe it was just to keep the conversation going instead of lapsing into awkward silence? That could be it, even though he didn’t appear to be utterly disinterested either. Such a dilemma.

Hmm. He would look at the other contemplatively for a few seconds, then shrug lightly. ‘’Good for you then. At least you don’t despise your work.’’ That is always the worst. Although, he doubted someone would self-run a shop if they hated that kind of job from the start. Something like this wasn’t easy to keep up in case you had little to no dedication to it. It would probably be better to just give up the idea and find a different job if that’s the case. He would frown momentarily, but settle on a complacent expression soon after. ‘’I could do it. That’s not the biggest issue. It doesn’t mean I’d like it though. Calm is good and all, but I am hardly a fan of any work where I have to stay in one place without much movement for a long time.’’ He wasn’t incapable of it, but it was definitely worse when he knew he simply couldn’t get away. Isn’t that how it tends to go? You always want to do the exact thing you cannot, and he had a feeling that would turn into an issue with this kind of job sooner or later.

‘’Well, it is an accomplishment to get something going, so I suppose that does equate to nice.’’, he’d remark in a half-amused tone, kind of settling with shorter answers for now. The topic of jobs was odd enough to begin with, and he didn’t have plenty to say to that, being as he was. He was bound to run off of steam soon enough, or simply lose interest in stretching it out further. If nothing else, he didn’t appear to be overly bothered by the fact that the other wasn’t looking towards him. In other cases, he maybe would, but their current positioning did make it a bit of a pain. He would listen for a bit, simply snorting at the offer given at the end. ‘’Perhaps in my next life. That sounds like a good option.’’ He wasn’t getting annoyed at the somewhat repeated suggestions of trying it out, but he sure didn’t seem to be willing to give. There were some jobs he would perhaps try, but this wasn’t really one of them. For quite a few reasons, actually.

Ah…? He sure didn’t expect to get such a long and elaborate answer. He would roll with it though, not saying a word until the other was completely finished with his example and commentary, giving a faint sigh afterwards. ‘’I suppose I can understand that for the most part….’’, he would trail off as he thought about the answer to his own question having been bounced right back at him. This…he wasn’t sure what to really say. ‘’I….don’t really know. I’d say I do value people more than things, but I don’t really have much experience of owning items that hold some meaning to me in the first place.’’, he would close his eyes with a somewhat sad smile. ‘’It gets pretty blurry sometimes. There are moments when I feel like people aren’t really worth it either. True value is hard to find, and I think I can say I’ve never been honestly attached to anyone or anything before. Not enough for it to matter in the long run.’’ In fact, this was something he generally chose to not dwell on very deeply, for sometimes the answers you find to certain questions are far from being helpful to you. It was what it was, but he couldn’t just force himself to hold onto something. That would not work, unless he genuinely meant it as well. He would say no more on it for now, as long as he wasn’t prompted somehow…

He would laugh shortly. ‘’I think I could handle that. There are far more insanity inducing things than simple thinking. I’d see that as a lesser evil in my case.’’ He actually preferred thinking at times. Not always, but there were situations where it was actually more entertaining to him than anything else. While it could also become too much, he wasn’t that horrible at balancing. Or so he thought. ‘’I like fleeting ones the most.’’, he would comment offhandedly, letting the subject simply float there. ‘’Never say never. There’s always a way to get something done, whether one agrees with it or not.’’, he’d state with a wry smile. He didn’t appear to be overly serious with that, and he probably wouldn’t go as far as literally trying to get his point across. Still, he felt like saying that. He would hum as he fixed a few strands of his hair absentmindedly. ‘’Good enough. Though if you wanted to kill yourself, it would be your choice.’’ A sad one, but legitimate nevertheless.

‘’Yes. Or maybe with some frost instead.’’, he would respond casually, leaving it at that, as he wasn’t sure what else would the other like to hear on the subject. These powers apparently didn’t cause obviously visible damage to living beings, and that’s simply how it was. Can’t do much about it, though if he were interested in killing, he would most likely appreciate that fact much more. Leaving a mess behind is never a good measure. ‘’Hm? I wouldn’t really care. I’ve been told I speak of morbid things before, so I doubt it would be any worse than some of my thoughts.’’ If someone were to actually catch him off guard with those, it’d be an achievement. He never had a big issue with talking about dark things and all that.

Moving on from gloomy talk, however….’’Feel free to try. Flames are pretty unstable. Maybe I’ll just flicker out while you ponder your chances of survival.’’, he’d give a chuckle, leaving the guy to interpret that in his own way. He wasn’t letting on whether he understood the last words for what they really were or not, but was there even a need to? If the other were to choose attempting to call him out on this whole game, he always could. Until then, it would likely remain an exchange of odd figures of speech, with or without a specific meaning behind them. He would return a half-hearted smirk at the expression he received. ‘’I’d be disappointed if it didn’t.’’ Well, sort of. In the end, it was all the same anyway, but might as well have a bit of fun while it lasts, right? ‘’So I do.’’, he would remark, switching to a matter-of-fact tone for a brief moment. Pokes and all that, he wasn’t the best conversationalist in the world, and he was likely to throw back short responses when he received simple ones in the first place.

‘’…..’’

His expression would be unreadable for a moment. ‘’That hurt. Do I really look as bad as that?’’, he’d speak up a while later, apparently feigning being upset. It wouldn’t last him long though, and he’d just shake his head afterwards. ‘’I would say the outside matters as much as the inside. If you assume I’m a perpetual pain in the ass and don’t apologize for what I do, then perhaps you have next to no idea of who I am in the first place.’’, he would add in a more so calm manner. It wouldn’t be very easy to tell just what he actually thought of it all. He did mean what he said, however. Giving it one pretty line at the end doesn’t really turn everything around. While he didn’t seek to conform to someone and be a people pleaser, he did not take extreme enjoyment in being an ass either. Perhaps he was actually a bit upset at what he heard, but he did fairly well at not showing it directly for now. He could appreciate the willingness to keep going….but he would not want people to go after him for the wrong reasons. That is no win at all.

‘’Yes…? I wasn’t trying to though.’’, he would shrug vaguely. That one wasn’t meant to be a burn, but sure. ‘’Suit yourself.’’, he would deadpan with a thin smile. Since he was kind of at a loss of words to say, that was the best way out of it he could think of. When you don’t have a solid enough opinion on the matter, what do you do? He really just didn’t care much, and he wasn’t the best at actually making his emotions seem honest when they weren’t at all, so lying was hardly a viable option. Nor would it get him anywhere.

He would shift in his position as he took in the face he got in return. ‘’…I was using it as an example. For all I know, maybe someone out there would like to call themselves so. What I mean is that you can be whatever you want, and it doesn’t matter much as to what others choose to call you.’’ In simple terms, at least. Sure, maybe you’d be odd, but did that really matter? No one is perfect in the end, so you might as well do as you please, as long as you aren’t harming anyone by it. ‘’Isn’t it that way with everything…?’’, he’d inquire, not pushing it further as he spent the rest of the time lost in his own thoughts. There was something about this….

Regardless….’’Hmph.’’, he would give a low huff. ‘’What’s a good thing or a joke for you may be a nightmare for someone else. Perhaps sometimes what you perceive as overboard is simply a person that is on a completely different wavelength than you. I’m not going to laugh at a supposed joke when it’s something that only thoroughly annoys me, am I?’’ Whether he was expecting an answer to that or not was up in the air, but either way, he was in a rather strange mood at the moment. A hard to define one, but perhaps deflated was the right word…? This conversation was dragging him all over the place, that was for sure. ‘’Not always. Depends on the subject of the matter.’’ Sometimes he did, sometimes he didn’t. Decisions had a wide spectrum, and while some were easy to make, some were pretty hard.

Once he was completely steady on the ground, he would tilt his head with a mildly raised eyebrow. ‘’I shall not answer to that. Although maybe I am part cat, you never know.’’ Something about that obviously didn’t sit well with him, but what it was, he wouldn’t just say. It was up to the other to attempt guessing. Or leave it be and focus on what he was actually given. There’s always a choice to make.

Subject: Re: Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) Fri May 13, 2016 6:19 pm

Time would pass and one topic would die as another moved to take its place. To the question, Alec would hum as he rubbed his chin.

“Well, it would depend on what it is. I am not exactly one to jump at something that can’t first catch my interest,” the young man would say before violet eyes would drift back up to look at the other. The young man didn’t seemed to be bothered by the pry as tilted his head at the other. “Unfortunately, there is not much that has cropped up as of late to make me want to change my choice of work. The only option I have at the moment is potentially joining a war. I am not too sure if I want to do that or not yet,” the young man would say as he gave the other a sad smile. Yeah, the pickings weren’t that great currently, but that was a tale for another time.

“That is one way to phrase it,” Alec would say with a light nod as his eyes lower and drifted back to the shop he had built up. Despise was certainly not the word he would use to describe his outlook on the shop, but then again neither was love. It was more like a small piece of satisfaction that made him smile a bit at the accomplishment. It was a strange feeling to say the least, but at least he had enough attachment to the job to keep working at it even when shit hit the fan or it fell apart. And he had enough pride in his hard work to fight for the shop if necessary. The shop in itself was one of his greater accomplishments in life, so he didn’t plan to see it go away any time soon.

“Well then, perhaps an errand boy would work better, if you don’t like the behind the counter thing?” Alec would say with a tilt of his head, but why he was asking such questions was quite perplexing. Was he trying to find a perfect job for Sharaku or maybe even create some form of position for him? Or was he simply asking out of curiosity and trying to understand the guy? It was hard to say and unfortunately for the other, Alec’s expression did not shed any light on the logic behind his questioning. Maybe it was a topic that had yet to die and so to keep it going he had pried. Who knew? In any case, while Alec didn’t show much into his reasoning, he still seemed genuine curious about the answer, so he would wait to see what the other would do in this case.

“Mmm. They are nice until you fall out of love with them. Then they just become dead weight,” Alec would say his voice a bit distant as his mind seemed to veer off somewhere else for the moment; however, where his mind went or what it had been thinking was never revealed as the young man took in a breath and stretched. He would get on his tip-toes as he closed his eyes and reached for the sky with closed eyes.

As he did so his shirt would rise just a bit revealing what appeared to be an odd marking on his left side; however, as he lowered his arms and relaxed again the odd mark would vanish as his top covered it once more. Feeling a bit better from the stretch, Alec would find himself grinning as he shook his head.

“Mhmm. Well, suit yourelf,” he would say seeming to not push the offer any more. He wasn’t exactly trying to force anything on the other. He was just giving him some options if he wanted to take them, but it seemed that just like last time, the man would go his own way and not really consider doors that did not interest him. It was an odd trait, considering they had just had a conversation on choices a while back in which Alec thought the guy would try anything before settling on stuff. Guess he was a bit wrong in that thought as the guy seemed more selective in his choosing than his words made him out to be. Kind of logical since most didn’t do anything that bored them or made them upset in any fashion.

In any case, Alec didn’t make a fuss out of this as he left the topic of job choices alone for now and focused on this new conversation revolving values instead.

To the words heard, Alec would look off to the side in thought.

“Then you have never allowed yourself be vulnerable to another? Never allowed them near to your heart?” he would ask and then look up at the other. “No one?" he would ask with a small frown. It wasn’t that he was being judgmental or anything like that it was just, he was having a hard time swallowing that someone literally had no one. How could one get so far in life with absolutely no one? Sure, Alec was alone now, but at least there were one or two along the way that had given him the strength to stand and push through whatever phase of life this was for him. But to have no one? How did one learn to stand and push forward then?

While the idea was indeed speculation until something was said to confirm or deny his thoughts, the concept was still really strange when the young man thought about it in the end. Even so, he would still pry and if the other snapped back, he would back off. He knew he was probably going into tricky territory there, but on the other it was a concept too baffling not to question.

To the laugh, Alec would frown. That comment wasn’t exactly a laughing matter, but whatever, he wasn’t going to make too much of a stink about as he shook his head. “Then perhaps you are one of the strong,” Alec would say leaving that mess right where it was…unless the subject was kept alive in some fashion.

Whether the topic lived or die, Alec wasn’t going to be the one to feed the flames as this particular subject was getting into some territory he rather not revisit if it could be helped. Regardless, it seemed to throw him into an odd mood. Observe.

“Fleeting memories,” Alec would begin as he closed his eyes. “They dot the canvanas of the mind with their elegant arcs and streaks leaving those quick enough to spot them in wonder. They are beautiful things, but sometime frustrating when all one wants to do is grasp them. They can be a bit infuriating with their teasing, but maybe some things are just not meant to be grasped anymore…”

Alec would trail off as his eyes reopened and seemed to gaze around the area rather than up. It was uncertain what had triggered it, but something about this thinking talk had shifted the playful mood from earlier to a more quiet and serious one, but why?

Alec would continue to be quiet for a moment longer before he shook himself mentally and looked back up at the other.

“Maybe,” he would state simply with a small smile. Sure, there were many ways to approach many things, but at the same time there were some things that did not bow no matter what angle they were approached from.

As for that kill yourself comment…

Alec would close his eyes slightly as a sad smile appeared on his face. “Mm. True, but I be more careful throwing those sort of jabs out,” he would say as he reopened his eyes, but not seeming to go into any detail that would give a hint as to why he may have said such words. The only thing that was known was that for whatever reason Alec was in an odd state of mind making it hard to tell just what he may do or say next. It was a sharply contrasting state to his bubbly one from before, but maybe he had tired of being bubbly and settled into himself. It was hard to say.

Regardless of mood, the conversation would flow on into other matters. To the power bit, Alec would rub his head lightly in thought, his mind already figuring out what the other may be suggesting. However, the casual words and the ones that followed would end in an odd reaction as Alec folded his arms and gave the other an unreadable look.

“Did you know that I once knew someone that kind of liked to play the way you suggest? Much like you said, someone could kill without leaving a mark on the dead. And you know what that someone liked to do with the corpses? Stuff them and collect them like dolls. Had the bodies hidden all over the place until someone was “fortunate” enough to find them. It made me realize you can’t leave some people with power like that because some bad shit happens. But what does it matter anymore. It is the past right?”A lec would say before looking away from the other once more quite done with giving his example of what he classified as bad. It was odd that he allowed the memory to come back to the surface, but maybe that was just the sort of state he was in now. Either that or something about casual statements here and there had pushed the wrong buttons on the young man.

Whatever the case was, he would let that odd storm blow over as he became quiet, so that he could actually pull himself out of that dark hole a bit. Once he had managed to get back to the surface again, his mood would seem to brighten as a bit of play came into the picture.

“Heh. You make it seem like I would actually take that long to try to survive next to such a flame. You are vastly underestimating me, sweet heart,” Alec would say as he gave the other a smirk that made it hard to tell just what he was poking at with the remark. It seem Alec wasn't interested in ending the game or giving it a solid meaning. Maybe he liked the idea of letting it sit uncertain for now. Who was to say? The young man didn’t seem to keen on clearing anything up as he continued to watch the other as his smirk remained as he shifted his weight to his back leg.

“Heh. Charming,” would be the simple response back to the series of short answers he received. Alec’s tones leaned on the more amused side more so than anything else as he observed the other on the roof not making any openings in the conversation where none could be made.

Whether this killed the play or not was beside the point as the smirk faded in the wake of the other’s reactions and words.

To this the young man would sigh as his weight shifted and he looked off to the side and towards the ground as he placed one hand on his hip. Alright. Enough with the play. Let's try direct honesty instead. “Damn it. That is not what I meant,” he would say with a huff. “Fuck it. Fine,” he say to himself before he would glance back up at the other with a serious expression.

“Look. I’ll admit I am not the best at playing the charming game after a while and yes I am gonna say things that probably can be blown out of portion, but my words prove a point. You’re right. I don’t know you, but that is precisely why the words were said in the first place.” He would give the other a frown. “I don’t think it hurts to say, I like you in a fashion though I cannot say why. You’re personality clash with mine's left and right and yet some part of me is okay with that and I wasn’t lying when I said you could potentially drive me over the edge with your ways. In fact, you are threatening to do that right now with all your countering,” he would smile slightly at the other. “Even so I am still here and will admit it is more than just inner beauty I seek. You’re one of the fortunate ones that have a nice package to look at on top of being relatively interesting to me. The whole fucking problem here is I honestly don't know where to go with you anymore. You're confusing as hell...and yet...I find that attractive. Call me a sucker for pain or something, but that is just how it is.” He would pause to let that sink in and then as an after thought. He would shake his head. “But then again, I probably dug myself into a hole with that one too with being all straight forward and stuff. Whatever man. Forget it,” he would say actually turning in such a way that the other couldn’t see his face or the slight blush there.

He honestly didn’t know why he couldn’t stay on top of his game today, but there was just something about this one that put him at the odd disadvantage. Truly infuriating, but maybe the agitation and the fact he was still trying to swim through whatever this was was proof enough of his liking for the other. He honestly didn’t know anymore and the more he tried to figure it out the more frustrated and confused he became. Damn..

Welp. That happened. Moving along. Ahem.

“Mmm. Alright,” was all he would manage out of the next set of short answers as he finished recovering from the earlier chat. In any case, the young man was much more ready to speak again when the next topic came up. To this one Alec would nod.

“True, but maybe I sometimes like to hear what others have to say about me directly whether it is good or bad,” Alec would say would a light shrug. Maybe he really just wanted hear what the other had to say about him in the end or maybe he was aiming at something else. Whatever the issue was, the young man wouldn’t clarify as he focused on the question posed instead.

“Maybe or maybe we all just make this whole thing hard on ourselves,” Alec would say as he looked away with a light frown that made it hard to tell just what exactly was going on in his mind. His odd mood would remain as the other subject was brought up. To the words, he would look up at Sharaku with an unreadable expression as he simply took in the words quietly for a moment.

“Not really…” he would say after a while before he was looking down again in thought once more.

Honestly, he had already knew the angle that was pointed out and wasn’t exactly going for that point exactly with his example, but for the moment it seemed the young man had come to a point where he either didn’t have a way to explain himself better or simply had simply run out of steam to do so. He did appear a bit drained from the topic, but why that was could not be said. His mood would remain quite odd as the other spoke on decisions.

“…I see…” he would say keeping his thoughts once more guarded. He honestly had hoped for a more direct anwer with that, but he suppose he could swallow this one just as well. Maybe in the end it was best not to make a big deal out of such things.

Anyway…

“Huh?” Alec would turn to face the other as he landed and stood as a genuinely concerned look came across his face. “Answer what? What did I do?” he asked as he took note that something in his wording seemed to make this guy upset or something, but what it was he could not even begin to imagine. “Wait a minute….are you part cat?” he asked as he took note of the comment at the end unsure of what was going on with this.

Subject: Re: Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) Sat May 14, 2016 12:58 pm

Well....‘‘I was mostly just asking in theory anyway. Doesn’t need to be relevant to the current situation.’’ Sharaku would shrug vaguely. He had been posing a theoretical question there. Not necessarily one that had to do anything with how the job market was fairing right now. It was a ‘what if’ you could do so, and actually had some choices available fairly easily. He’d take the answer though.

Amongst many other ways. He wouldn’t grace that one with an actual response, not seeing a reason to do so. If the other chose not to expand on it, then he had little to grasp onto now. Besides, his interest in this subject went only so far to begin with, and thus he wouldn’t even really mind it coming to a close. On that note…errand boy? As fun as the idea sounded…that would likely be a no. Didn’t sound like a good combination with his way of dealing with stuff. Not really. ‘’I’d like to think me doing that would make at least a few people frustrated. Nice try though. What I’d want would likely be different than that. I’m hardly interested in stuff that deals with selling things in any way or form.’’ Technically speaking, if he really had to, he could come up with some ideas of what he’d possibly do. Alas, he didn’t really bother with it much right now.

‘’And what isn’t?’’, he’d remark nonchalantly, not giving an opinion on the matter beyond that. He’d stay quiet then, not even trying to comment on what the guy was doing. As a matter of fact, the action looked rather weird from his point of view, as well as quite out of place. It was none of his business however and so he’d do nothing until the conversation resumed. ‘’I shall.’’, he would deadpan slightly, simply staring down at the other for the moment.

He would sigh faintly at the questions thrown at him. This was quite the tricky subject to explain properly. Emotional matters were hardly straightforward, and even less so when it came to him specifically. ‘’That would depend on what your concept of ‘vulnerable’ and ‘near’ is. Although, I’d probably say no either way.’’ Unless the guy was really lax with his meanings. ‘’…it’s probably not exactly what you think though. There are people I could call friends and such, although not really any more than that. I’m used to dealing with things on my own, as well as being cautious of people. I don’t think I could let someone too close to me very easily. It can get pretty uncomfortable, and I don’t think I’ve ever had someone approach me in a way that would make me drawn to that person in the first place.’’, he would frown, trying to find the right way to put this whole mess into understandable words. Oddly enough, he didn’t appear to mind answering all that much, despite the kind of subject this was. Was there some meaning behind that? Perhaps so, and yet it didn’t quite matter right now. ‘’Besides…it’s just never enough. To let someone that near to you for real, you need to feel enough of a connection with that person. I’ve never gotten that far with anyone. There’s always something missing or just doesn’t feel right. Whether the problem is really me or not, people don’t seem to really be able to meet me on the emotional level I seek. I don’t really know how to explain this, so take it as you will.’’ Some things just can’t be fully explained with words. The game of understanding is a hard one, and with matters like these at hand, the difficulty doubles quite easily.

He would shrug. ‘’Not necessarily. I likely just have different priorities.’’ Being able to handle thinking didn’t have to make you strong. Everyone had a different trigger that made them lose their composure. He would hum. ‘’Frustrating? Maybe. Infuriating? Not really. They are what you make of them. Reflection is an art of its own as well.’’ He didn’t associate all that well with madness and anger in the first place, so it didn’t click for him in general. The joy of curveballs.

Afterwards, he would fall into an extended silence, calmly observing the other, choosing to not speak up or respond for a while. He had his own thoughts on the matters in question, but he didn’t find it important to say any of that out loud right now. Thus, unless the guy would prod him for a response, he would stay quiet until the short story time came around. The tale didn’t appear to have any sort of special effect on him, only drawing out a few blinks. ‘’So it does. But anyone could be a murderer, powers or not. If nothing else, at least you were fortunate enough to not have to watch them being killed first hand.’’, he would shake his head. Makes you wonder why did he even say that. ‘’I say that if it affects you somehow, then perhaps it does matter in a way. Then again, it is not my business.’’ He had no serious interest in making the guy pissed at him or anything like that anyway.

Hmm. Not quite the point. ‘’That’s what you assume.’’, he would retort right back, giving the other a pointed look. It was uncertain as to whether he wanted to keep playing around or not, but he didn’t seem to have made a serious attempt to speak in figures this time around. How would the other adapt to this remained to be seen for now. ‘’Am I?’’, he’d raise an eyebrow slightly. The question wasn’t really serious, but the guy was free to answer if he wanted to do so.

….and? Well, if you don’t really mean something, then why phrase it in that way? Would anyone enjoy hearing they are technically a sort of bad influence? Not unless they actually like that kind of thing. For a moment, Sharaku would just offer a blank look, seeing as the guy started it off with some swear words, but eventually he would just listen, withholding an actual reaction until the entire extended explanation was done and over with.

Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) - Page 2 IE8FG8a

He would close his eyes briefly, his expression somewhat deflated. To be frank, he was a little conflicted about this. Sure, he knew his feelings on the matter, but he certainly had a distaste for having to let people down in some fashion. It never really ended well for him when he had to tell someone that he did not quite share their sentiment on a matter due to some reason. For unknown reason, the other side tended to almost always get more upset or butthurt than he himself was in the first place, and that would hardly be classified as a good development. Actually, he wasn’t exactly upset right now. That would not be the right word to use in this situation. Maybe a little disappointed, but he was taking it in stride more than not. It’s not like he could rightfully expect the guy to know what the words said meant to him.

‘’I would think it’s a little too late to say forget it after all that. You said it for a reason, did you not?’’, he would shake his head slightly before focusing his gaze on the other, his expression resolute. ‘’You know the real reason for why I said what I said in response to your previous admission? It’s because I don’t want people to like me for the wrong reasons. If you’re attracted to me because of a trait I actually sort of dislike in myself, what is it supposed to mean to me in the end? I don’t quite know for sure, but I would expect it to be nothing extremely good.’’ There’s way too much potential for that kind of set up to turn rather hurtful with time, whether for one or both parties involved. ‘’The popular saying claims that opposites attract each other, but I personally don’t hold that very high in my opinions. A bit of a clash keeps it interesting and dynamic, but insert too much of it, and it only undermines everything. I’ve already had enough of a taste of what it means to not be on the same page at all. It’s not a nice state of coexistence, I’ll tell you that.’’ Past mistakes are good for learning, at the very least. ‘’I’m rather sorry about this, but even though you say you’re partly okay with that, I don’t think I am. If anything, my interest in someone who’d possibly get driven over the edge because of me being somewhat hard to approach and deal with is pretty low. I have my own moments of having an unstable temper, and I can’t see myself clicking well with someone that gets perpetually frustrated with me even when I’m not trying to accomplish that. Not on a very close level. That’s like mixing fire with fuel.’’ And oh boy, would that be a violent reaction. Yet, he was taking the time to explain himself here, so at the very least, he didn’t appear to hold it all against Alec. He did not dislike the guy on base terms, alas he would have to state how he felt on this particular matter, even if only to make things a bit clearer here.

‘’I’ll admit that I probably can be a pain at times. I’m not dumb enough to think too highly of myself, and I do indeed clash with every other person I meet. On the other hand, I do not wish for that to be something that people define me by. I understand why you think I am confusing, but I don’t enjoy the idea of you finding me attractive based on that, even if only for the fact that the notion is quite unstable. Once you uncover the confusion, you could easily change your mind. I do enjoy a bit of a challenge and game, that is a fact, but I would want someone to like me for something that is really me specifically, not based on how they can’t figure me out just yet. Like it or not, to me, that feels shallow.’’, he would tilt his head slightly as he kept watching the other. ‘’…I don’t know if this matters much to you, but I don’t even really seek charm in that way. A nice word or two can get some message across, sure, but…perhaps that’s just a very poor bait for me. I’m more inclined to be affected by different forms of showing affection, when it comes down to it. Or at least a combination of words and something else.’’ Words weren’t bad, but he would always rather something else than a statement of how he was being liked and all. Usually, that wasn’t nearly enough to get him truly moving in any way or form. They would have to be extremely well placed words, if they were to work as a standalone.

He could have said more than that, but he would decide to stop at that, letting the other swallow this first and see where it would lead. He didn’t expect this to be a pleasant conversation topic, but you never know what happens.

With that out of the way, he would go back to being mostly quiet, his verbal responses either non-existent or very short. ‘’Well…I wasn’t even really thinking about you specifically when I brought up the usage of adjectives.’’, he would huff lightly, that being the only thing he would give a solid response to until he came down from the roof. He would rub the bridge of his nose slightly. ‘’It’s nothing important. Never mind me.’’ And he would just lead himself in circles trying to explain the reasons behind it. ‘’You could call it that, I guess?’’, he would give a mild shrug. ‘’I should feel insulted by that. I’m no kitty.’’ ‘’Sure you aren’t.’’ He would roll his eyes a bit. ‘’I think that classifies as enough of an answer on my part.’’, he would snort faintly, back to addressing the other.

Subject: Re: Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) Fri May 20, 2016 11:38 am

“A what if, huh?” Alec would say as he rubbed his chin in thought. “Well even in theory, the answer is still the same. I won’t go after something that can’t hold my interest,” Alec would say with a light nod towards the other. Even if he had framed his answer around the world’s current condition, his answer was honest all the same. He liked the ability to move, but to be honest he was the type that preferred something a bit more steady and reliable. Sure job hopping could still bring in a fortune, but why waste the energy when something else was working just fine? Maybe he and the man on the roof were a lot more different than one would think. Or maybe he just didn't have anything at the moment that made him want to job hop. Who knew?

In any case, the chatter about building stuff on your own would only live as long as the two parties chatting about it remained interested in such a subject. While Alec was fine with it continuing, he was also not exactly willing to push it forward on his own. Maybe if the other had prodded, a bit it could’ve gotten somewhere, but since no more prodding came the subject would drop off as a different one took its place.

“Hmph,” Alec would smirk slightly amused at this as he simply shook his head. “Alright. I guess I’ll just let you come around on your own if you change your mind and decide you want to try something different,” the young man would say as he simply gave up on trying to guess what would suit this one job wise. The game was fun sure, but Alec knew when to pull back and move away from something before it over stayed its welcome.

“Not much unless it is truly special,” the young man would reply back to the answer he had received about things becoming dead weight. There really wasn’t much wiggle room to go anywhere with that one, so instead of forcing the issue Alec let the conversation take its normal course before performing his stretch not really caring if the other one was watching or not. He needed to knock out the tension in his neck and back and that was the only way he knew how to. When he relaxed once more, he would look back at the other as he received the short response.

Violet eyes would narrow slightly behind the lenses as he let out a simple “uh-huh” as he met the other’s gaze evenly. It wasn’t a hostile gesture, but rather a simple one of study as he observed those pretty golden eyes for a bit more. There would be silence for a bit as they seemingly had a stare off to the casual observer, but in reality Alec was trying to seek understanding from this complicated creature before him. This study would only deepen as the other surprisingly answered his questions.

As he listened, his eyebrows would furrow with thought. He…hadn’t been expecting that and so for a moment let his usual play melt as he considered the other with a contemplative look.

“Maybe this goes back to the whole patience and working things out concept we were discussing earlier. Perhaps if someone was to take the patient road with you…maybe it would work?” Alec would ask as he tilted his head at the other with a frown of thought. That could be one problem. Or maybe…

….Alec was quiet for a moment longer before he asked his next question, hesitating as he wondered if this was a bad idea and then deciding to take the bold step his lips would part.

“So…what is it exactly you seek from a person…on a level beyond the friend zone?” he would ask his words surprising serious and respectful despite the curiosity around them. He had been listening, but even so he decided to prob a bit more. It was hard to say why the young man asked or did what he did, but there was something about what the other had said that had caught his interest. Maybe he was just curious about an answer or maybe…just maybe he was seeking something else out of this. However for now the reasoning would remain a mystery as the young man became quite and waited to see what the other would say, if anything at all. Regardless of what happened Alec would let things take their course there.

“Priorities…Maybe we veer off on two different pages with that matter,” Alec would say with a faint smile that held no humor or warmth to it as he shook his head. Thoughts were a tricky thing. On one hand, they could be harmless little things, but on the other they could drive one right over the edge. It was a strange thing the mind was. On that note…

“Yes, it is indeed an art that much like anything can be interpreted many ways. Even so what you love can become what you hate just as easily. It is a strange two side coin art is,” Alec would say his voice strangely serious and yet vague at the same time. Was this hinting at something underneath? Maybe, but whatever was there would remain hidden for now as the white haired young man watched the other with a look that was hard decipher. Maybe he was in a daze or perhaps just being himself. It was hard to say and quite honestly left up to the other to interpret.

A period of silence and short answers would pass between them as each male was left with their own thoughts on the topics that were left behind. After a while the conversation picked back up on a more...morbid note that thankfully the other didn’t bat an eyelash at. While some might’ve flipped a wig about the answer and attitude given by Sharaku, the calmness counter-acted the unpredictible mood Alec was currently in mellowing him out rather than infuriating him.

“…That is something I wish I could say was true…” Alec said in surprisingly calm tones despite the subject matter. “Mmm. Maybe at one point it mattered and now it doesn’t anymore. Maybe seeing too much of the morbid just made me use to that sort of shit,” he would say his words non-hostile despite language. Maybe cursing here wasn’t a matter of disrespect, but simply how the other spoke. In any case, he would rub his head seemingly okay with the subject as he blinked once before refocusing on the other as a different topic came up. To this one his eyebrows would raise slightly.

“Maybe, but then again maybe not,” he would say his tone mellow enough to match the other’s at the moment. It seemed that despite the play, Alec knew when to jump right into the fun or stand back and observe before doing something rash. It was interesting, but the odd conversation was pulling various things about Alec out here and there. Did he intentionally let this happen or was this simply the result of the way the conversation had pulled and tossed him? It was hard to say.

As for that other question..Alec would actually give a genuine grin at this one as he closed his eyes and pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

“In your own unique way you are,” he would say being slightly playful, yet honest with the answer. However, whether the other appreciated that or not was yet to be seen. However, this would become trivial in the face of another matter entirely.

To this particular matter, Alec was fully prepared to take a slap in the face; however, what came from what he said was a bit unexpected. This one was….

Alec would watch the other with a unreadable expression for a bit before he would look down and walk a few paces to the left before returning to his spot as he seemed to mull over what he heard.

“Alright. Since we have gotten to this point, just hear me out for a tick, k?” Alec would pause and look up at him the other. “I will admit, I am probably the least stable person you can find around here. I am going to explode and wear my emotions on my sleeve. I am not going to say the right things and I may even dig myself in a hole or two along the way, but...if you give me a moment you’ll find that a lot of what I just said back there aren’t just words. I am not trying to win you with flattery. Honestly, I was just expressing how I felt towards you while I just happened to be in one of those not so rare moments of wearing my emotions out in the open. Even if botched up that was not a lie. It is not exactly one trait or another that draws me to you. It’s kind of the whole package…I know I am not explaining myself well and perhaps I never will get it right, but...” Alec sighed and shook his head a bit. Yeah this was a bit of a difficult spot for him..yet he tried anyway.

“What am trying to say with all this babble is that I would even though I don't know you well or at all for that matter. I like you and would like to get to know you for who you are if you are you are willing to work me with me there...” Alec would say as he kept a careful eye on the other. His tone was gentle and geniune. He wasn't lying or trying to pull chains. He was simply being honest about himself and as down to earth as he could be with the other when it came to this matter. He didn't expect things to just magically work and maybe it wouldn't work, even so...

Despite what had been said, Alec was neither upset or crushed by any of it. To be honest, he seemed kind of relieved to hear the honesty there and maybe it was that sort of honesty that made him genuinely try to explain himself…put in effort he usually didn’t otherwise. Well now that was on the table, it was time to move to something else, huh?

Guess that something was short answers and silence again until the other decided to come down from the roof.

“Oh you weren’t?” Alec would say as he scratched his head a bit in thought before looking at the other and tilting his head a bit. “Well…if you say so,” Alec would say before pausing to take in what happened next. To the exchanged that occurred, Alec would find himself smiling as he shook his head.

“Well, well. What do you know? A cat type indeed. How interesting,” Alec would say his tone amused as he pondered some thought on the matter, but kept it to himself for now. What a curious turn of events indeed.

Subject: Re: Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) Fri May 20, 2016 6:17 pm

And so it is...’’Hm…’’, he would just hum lightly, not bothering to give an elaborate answer to what was basically a repeat of what had been said before. That, and he was simply running out of things to say that were not pointless to even bring up. Sure, he could talk quite a bit when the subject on hand was interesting and had a lot to expand on, but to contrast with that, he could be unbelievably quiet as well. All it took was not having enough interest in the given conversation, and you’d have it much harder to get anything solid out of him. It would seem that he simply did not get a kick out of dragging talks out past the point of their initial meaning.

‘’As you wish.’’, he’d quip, pretty much letting the matter drop. It was unlikely that he would even come around for this kind of job exactly, but sure. He was willing to try many things, but this particular idea was just one of those he knew would be a tricky endeavor to even attempt. He could deal with people when he put the effort in it, but doing that day in and day out in a shop? He’d probably snap on someone eventually, for he knew how irritating some people could be. While he had a decent amount of patience, he didn’t take well to being constantly stressed out.

He would smile thinly at the answer given, but not respond beyond that. In a way, he could agree with that. Although he knew it didn’t have to actually be true at all times. You just had to know how to look. Alas, that wasn’t the easiest job on Earth, because a lot of obstacles popped in your way just when you didn’t want them around. Once the slight stare-off happened, he would let the other observe him as he kept looking back calmly. It was fine with him. He didn’t really need words all the time after all. Of course, even silent staring could turn boring quick, but that depends on how you look at it.

When he was given the suggestion about how to work relationships, he would mirror the guy’s head tilt. ‘’Maybe. I do not know for sure. What you speak of is a rarity nowadays though. People want quick results, often even from relationships. A lot of them expect a lot out of you right away, and patience easily goes out of the window. It may be that they are too eager when they have a crush on someone….maybe it’d help me to actually be on the same page with that before I try….’’, he would trail off, shrugging afterwards as he kind of lost his own train of thought. Would it? It was true that his last two somewhat more serious tries fell pretty hard. And the fact that he did not really share those lovey dovey feelings right from the start may have been one of the main reasons. It clashes horribly when one side is head over heels and the other is just tagging along at the time.

He would huff lightly as he heard the follow up question. He probably should have expected it but still…’’What you’re asking is hard to put into actual words. I guess it’s…the feeling? A lot of people will gives you odes on how they love you, but in the end you find yourself mostly alone or on your own for things. I suppose I just want people to be willing to get close and stay around, rather than just confess to me all the time. When it comes to this, I prefer actions over words a bit more.’’ Words could affirm, sure, but what kind of signals you give off besides that matters a bit more. To make it simple, perhaps he just preferred a connection that was based on more than the superficial level of talking about attraction and the like. Maybe a more hands on approach…?

‘’So it appears to be. To each their own though, and I don’t particularly care about different opinions as long as they aren’t being pushed into my face like I’m supposed to share said view to have the person approve of me.’’ Being on different pages could be decently frustrating sometimes, but compromises were a thing. You can have your point of view as long as you don’t claim it to be the only truth, or judge people for not sharing it. After all, there was no way for all people to think the same on everything.

Hmm, guess it can? ‘’Love and hate can be pretty close to each other. Can’t refute that. Sometimes it’s even both at the same time. I prefer to not hate though. Dislike is enough, seeing as there is always something we don’t know about the person or object in question, so pure hate may be uncalled for.’’ That, or he just couldn’t bring himself to go as far as that. He would have reservations towards a person, but if they didn’t keep aggravating him, he wouldn’t be able to keep being too mad at them. Just like a car doesn’t keep moving without fuel.

But moving on. He would hum faintly. ‘’I wasn’t really talking in terms of being used to it happening though. You did seem to be reluctant to talk about it at first and all, so I was referring mostly to that.’’ There is a slight difference between the two concepts, but he would let the other take that his own way for now. ‘’So you say.’’, he would return with a blink. He didn’t get a clear answer, but perhaps he didn’t care enough to keep questioning the supposed assumptions further.

He would pull a half-smirk for a moment. ‘’I wonder what exactly makes you think so.’’ His words were phrased more as a statement than an actual question, and he was mostly talking to himself here. Although it was up to the other in case he wanted to give some sort or answer to it. There was no real need in his personal opinion, but you never know.

He would follow the other’s pacing with his gaze silently, waiting. He wasn’t really hurrying here, and there had been a lot to process in the first place. That said…

Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) - Page 2 Krxb5DI

‘’I can understand what you’re saying…but it may also be something we’ll butt heads about a lot. I suppose in a way we are similar. With the exception of the fact that I avoid wearing my emotions on my sleeve for the most part, since it does not bide well for me. When I do, it usually serves to upset people and they can’t handle it for long.’’, he would shake his head lightly. ‘’Regardless, my point isn’t that I think you’re outright lying to me. It’s that I have my reasons for not getting hooked on words and explanations alone. The dog that barks too much often doesn’t actually bite. I’m not hung up on detailed explanations as long as you can prove your point with your actions. Most emotions cannot be sufficiently explained in words as is, and it can be a killer if you get yourself tangled up by trying to convey stuff through speeches.’’ If you’re skilled at that, then go ahead, sure. In the opposite situation though, you may not want to go on tirades early on, unless you’re willing to risk a lot.

For a moment he would stare out into the distance before focusing back on the other. ‘’I will not stop you. My only suggestion is that you act, rather than talk too much. Maybe it’ll serve you better.’’ Let’s see where that goes.

‘’Not really…’’ If he had, he would have given a different answer to begin with. Theoretically speaking, that is. He would shift in place as he gave the guy an odd look. ‘’Does it matter any?’’, he’d ask, the two of them speaking together this time around.

Subject: Re: Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) Sun May 22, 2016 3:43 pm

It was odd how quickly topics could just drop off and a vast gap of silence could replace it. At times this silence was bad, but at others it was a needed thing. Like for example, while some might be a bit upset or even antsy at the almost non-existence answers and responses that were given from the other. Alec took the silence as a chance to really study the guy.

He still wasn’t sure how to gauge the guy correctly and to be quite honest, he didn’t think he’d ever get that aspect right as long as the other remained as unpredictable as himself. It was a thing that made conversation tricky and kind of knocked his whole go with flow thing right off the side of the cliff. While it was a bit jarring, Alec took the curve ball as gracefully as he could trying to adapt on the spot to what he heard, so that he would have at least some form of safe ground in this rather unsafe arena. Even with pitfalls lurking all over the place, Alec kept going with the conversation wherever it was going. Was it going somewhere? He didn’t even know any more.

To the short answer he received back as far as jobs went Alec would tilt his head lightly at the other as a faint smile came across his lips. It was the sort of smile that suggested he was submitting to defeat on that front and simply leaving something that was pretty much dead alone. He couldn’t force things on people and didn’t even want to. If the other wanted to try shop keeper, the offer was open and if he wanted to go another path that was fine too.

The silence would only continue as Alec’s short answer to the issue of fleeting thoughts only got a thin smile at the best. Whether that was amusement or some form of agreement, the young man honestly didn’t know, but perhaps it was okay since he didn’t get a mocking or hostile vibe from the look all the same. The time would tick on in silence as Alec took to studying the other who simply watched him back.

It was an odd exchange that was only broken when Alec blinked and looked back to ground level for a bit. Perhaps what he was searching for with that study was gained or maybe his neck was simply tired. It was hard to say and nothing that the young man felt needed words to go deeper into. He was fine with the silence even if it was a long one. As long as it didn’t wear out its welcome, he was fine with gaps like this that allowed him to gather thoughts and also rest vocal cords. However, if it lasted any longer, he might’ve spaced out. Thankfully, Sharaku spoke before that happened.

Looking back up at the other, Alec wouldn’t seem to mind the mimic the guy did of the head tilt as he focused on the words instead.

“Perhaps the world is a little impatient or maybe I simply haven’t caught up with the times,” he would say giving a small somewhat sad smile at the other. “In any case, I can agree. I think everyone should be on the same page in some fashion before attempting to move forward.” Mmm. Being on the same was half the battle wasn’t it? At least from there compromises and other things could be worked out easier. Being on opposite ends of the pole? Well, it could work if one was willing to wrestle through that…

Speaking of same pages, it would seem that despite the huff the other gave or even the warning that what he was about to say was hard to put into words, Alec would take what had been said easily enough for once understanding clearly what the other spoke of. It was a bit odd what this one spoke of as most on the romance front was content at talking level. Words typically were the way to go, but not here it seemed.

“….” Alec was surprisingly quiet as he bowed his head in thought for a moment as he shifted slightly in his spot. It seemed he was taking what had been said to heart. “Alright. Fair enough,” he would eventually say to the other and simply leave the subject at that. It seemed he had gotten what he sought for now, but whether or not he would actually use what was said had yet to be seen. For now the man just seemed content with the way that had turned out.

“I can agree there. I prefer openness over constant flattery and bowing to avoid hurting folk…even if it is a thing that I do use to avoid the headaches at times,” he would state as he closed his eyes with a light sigh. To be honest, the guy above him was the first he had run across to openly share his view about such a matter. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with the world now a days, but it seemed that at one point it was okay to be different and say your opinion. Sure there were people that would always oppose a position, but it seemed as of late instead of agreeing to disagree most tried to shove their ways down your throat and when you didn’t change? Well…it could end up pretty bad. It was an odd trend, but nothing Alec himself bowed to. Rather he just did what he had to do to avoid common pitfalls here and there.

On another note, Alec would simply close his eyes as he gave a small smile at the words said. This time around it his turn to say nothing more on the subject matter. It wasn’t that he had lost interest in it or anything like that, but rather he accepted the view point given by the other. He didn’t see a point to elaborating on something that was pretty much settled. He had his view on things and Sharaku had his. While the other was okay with just dislike, Alec had to admit that even if some said hate was too strong a word for things, there were a few things that he truly hated in the world…and no amount of good deeds could make him forgive the world or the offender for said things; however, this was not a glaring issue so he did not bring it up as he reopened his eyes and refocused on the other above him.

To next words Alec would nod at the other as he gave him a slight smirk seeming almost sleep in the action, but in realty was actually being apologetic. “Ah I see. Guess I saw the need to be clear on the matter regardless,” he would say as he rubbed his head a bit. He appreciated the act now that it was clear what the other had been doing. He could appreciate the observant eye, but at the same time he did feel like he needed to be honest with certain things to a degree. Even so... “Didn’t mean to toss it on ya like that though. I kind of just let go there. Sorry…” he would finish as he dropped his hand back to his side once more. Typically, he was more careful with stuff like that, but for whatever he was just upfront with this guy with certain topics. Why he did not quite understand, but that was the effect the other had on him.

“Mhm. So I do,” would be the short response back to the last set of words as the matter that was being discussed would remain vague for now. It could probably be rekindled if the other was truly interested, but without prodding Alec would not go much further into what was left behind.

As for what followed, Alec would give the other a gentle smile as he gave a light shrug showing with body language that he was going to leave the other to figure out that mystery on his own. It wasn’t play that caused him to do this, but rather just nature. Yeah, he was upfront about things, but he listened also. While it had been a while, he let his actions speak more than his words this time around. A bit odd sure, but he was willing to give it a try nonetheless.

Regardless of where that got him, it would seem he was able to glean more about the other above who was surprisingly patient with his upfront nature. Unlike last time, it would take a bit longer for Alec to absorb what was said as he automatically took to a brief pacing habit as he just let himself absorb what had been said. When he was through processing it all, he would stop in his spot again and look up at the other.

“Ah. I see, I see. Okay. I can handle that,” he would say with a nod in a calm fashion that suggested that instead of flying off the handle he would accept the other's wishes and respect them. He wasn’t trying to force himself on anyone even if it could come off that way in the first place. Regardless, he seemed to mellow out and back off a bit as he heard the answer to his earlier question.

Well there was hope if he was willing to give him a second chance; however, Alec did not go overboard in the joy department as he instead nodded.

“Alright. Then can I at least get your number so I won’t have to rely on chance to find ya again?” he would ask in casual tones as he watched the other carefully. It appeared he was willing to work with the other and see what could be discovered…otherwise he wouldn’t have asked for the number to begin with. It was a genuine interest, but in the end it was up to the other to fully accept that or not.

Regardless of what happened there, the topic would move on.

“Not really,” he would repeat more to himself than to the other as he simply let that topic go. As for the other statement, he would tilt his head lightly at the voice change not really phased by it as he observed the other for a bit.

“No. I just found the idea amusing is all,” Alec would say with as small smile played across his lips.

Subject: Re: Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) Sat May 28, 2016 8:24 pm

Such silence. Yet, Sharaku would make no move to break it at any point of time, so it would remain that way unless the other had enough and said something. At the very least, until the conversation picked up again on a different subject than the ones before.

He would flick away a stray hair from his face. ‘’I might just have had bad luck up until now. Don’t know why people tend to assume I return their feeling at the same pace they do, and then get disappointed when they finally realize I kind of don’t when I basically spell it to their face in the most obvious way. I’m not sure if it’s hard to pay enough attention to the person you’re trying with or what the problem seems to be…’’ Is it really that hard to notice if you and the other person are anywhere near the same involvement level..? After all, if you like someone, you should logically pay attention to their state. It often was the speed, but he wouldn’t exactly mind it if it was consensual on both sides. Alas, people tended to only check in with their own feelings, and kind of do a half-assed job of doing so with their supposed partner. ‘’I wish, but it seems to never really happen….’’ Which is too bad…

Hm…well, that wasn’t what he expected, but fine. It was true that he wasn’t keen on a lot of babbling, no, but if you do go a different route…well, simply switching to silence isn’t exactly the right way to compensate. Although, he could hardly tell what the guy was going for here, so he would just let it be with a low hum. If they weren’t going to continue thus, alright.

He would shrug lightly. ‘’I can go either way, but fake flattery will only get you so far anyway. Can’t keep pretending forever, and once it gets out, it’s only that much worse.’’ Unless it’s only a one time meeting with a person and you never see them again. But you can’t know for sure, can you? It’s pointless to build a relation on some sort of dishonesty for very long. It won’t work out well for you, that’s a given. If you can’t flatter someone genuinely, maybe it’s best that you don’t. Assuming you plan to keep the person around for a long while.

No? Okay, more silence then. He was kind of getting used to that being a thing with this conversation already, to be honest. Even though it was a somewhat odd silence. Still, he found no reason to jab at it, due to reasons he wasn’t about to tell right now.

He would raise an eyebrow. ‘’I never said I had a problem with it, did I?’' What was the apologizing even for? He wasn’t exactly accusing the guy of anything, really. Just explaining his point of view for the most part. If there was an issue, he would likely have worded his statement rather differently. On that note, he wasn’t big on needing apologies unless the person in question offended him seriously enough. There are other ways that are better to show that than saying sorry, in most cases…

‘’Hmph…’’ He would say nothing for the next few moments, as it all seemed to settle into another void of words. Nothing new by now, apparently. It made him wonder though….nevertheless…

He would watch the other pace around, shifting in his place a bit. ‘’….’’ He would seem to not reply to the statement about being able to handle it. For what reason was unknown right now. Perhaps he just did not want to say what was really on his mind? Despite his mild intolerance of barking without biting, he did tend to have a ‘make me’ attitude, so backing down wasn’t exactly the best way to go in itself. It was somewhat amusing to see the guy make attempt to play the game based on what little he clarified for now though. Yet, on some level, he didn’t necessarily want people to just bow to him right away. That can get boring. Ah well.

Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) - Page 2 BLRFNGT

‘’How bland. Not now though. If you don’t forget, ask me for it again before I leave and I shall give it to you.’’

Whatever that was meant to be? Well, moving on…

Hmm. He would scratch the back of his neck with a huff, back to speaking normally. ‘’So it is…’’

Subject: Re: Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) Sun May 29, 2016 5:39 pm

There would be a period of silence that passed between the pair; however, neither male seemed to be eager to break it. Whether they had lost interest in the subjects that were being discussed, ran out of fuel to add to said subjects, or was just content to be in silence was a mystery on its own. Regardless of why the silence had come, it would eventually break as conversation decided to make itself known once more between the pair.

To this conversation, Alec could understand the point this one was making. After all, he had been on both ends of the stick so he honestly could relate to the pain and frustration of both parties. Even so that didn’t mean he would give up on something he was interested in. Nah. Maybe he simply had to try something else to win; however, for now he would let the facts set in as he ran a hand through his white locks.

“Maybe. Unless you’ve run into a fool that just doesn’t know when to give up,” he would say as he looked up at the other giving him what appeared to be a light wink as a smile crept across his face. Was he talking about himself in this case? Or was it just a general comment? It was a hard thing to say and it didn’t seem he would be clearing up said mystery up without further prying. Even so despite the comment, Alec wasn’t one to push things when it came down to it. Sure, he’d struggle and adapt to see if some form of balance could be reached with him and the one he was interested in, but if it didn’t work, he backed off. It was as simple as that really. Speaking of that…

“Yeah. Well. Maybe one day that will change for us both.” You never knew. Anything was possible even when luck seemed to be against you in the most horrible of ways. So why not be optimistic even about the far-fetched? Wasn’t a crime to hope right?

Then the silence came back as another subject bit the dust for the time being. It would only be broken by a low hum from the one on the roof making it hard to say exactly what he was thinking at the moment and for the time being Alec was okay with not digging further. When the conversation started on flattery and what not, Alec would give the other a smirk.

“Uh-huh. So you don’t mind if I state the truth about ya here and there, then?” he would ask watching the other with small smirk. Even if his words seemed light-hearted here, the guy was actually trying to make heads and tails of the guy. On one hand, he didn’t seem to like the flattery, but then he turned around stated something a bit different. Maybe he was translating things wrong, but the whole situation was a bit confusing. It was almost as if he was dealing with a cat that no matter what you did you could not please it.

Place the cat in a box after noticing it wants in and then said cat fought and wiggled so much you take it out again. Then as soon as it was out, it hopped back in the box it had just fought against. The action would leave the one trying to help or please the cat baffled. It was an odd comparison, but seriously that is how the young man was feeling as he somehow managed to hold his ground against this very strange personality he was confronted with.

Even in this strange sea, the young man would continue to swim even if the one above him was giving him no slack with anything done. Heh. He supposed he opened himself up to this one being open like he was, but hey that was okay. He would survive through this either way.

Another wave of silence washed in and then pulled back out to sea as the other responded back to his apology with a question. To this Alec would let out a small huff as he shook his head. “No, but even so. I’d think it’s a bit rude to throw something that heavy on someone that may or may not have wanted to hear it due to the error in translation, regardless of their positioning on the matter,” Alec would explain to the other in calm tones as he tilted his head and watched the other with a side ways glance for the moment. He wasn’t really bothered by the question, so the calm attitude was not anger, but rather just the state he had fallen into at the moment. Sure the other liked to explain things, but even with an explanation it was left up to interpretation no? So was it really out of the loop for him to apologize when he thought he stepped a toe or two? He thought not, but the issue wasn’t an issue to begin with so no harm done as simple clarity was passed along.

Now came another wave of silence. It started with sound, but drifted off into nothing. It was odd how they kept settling into these silences. Maybe each were just thinkers at the end of the day rather than big talkers…though Alec could probably blab far more than the one above him if put to the test. Even so, he didn’t do that as he let the silence pass by, the pattern being broken by small chatter, but nothing more.
Heh. He didn’t even get a comment back when he said he could handle what the other said. That was odd. Why didn’t he go after that one? Was his choice of what to pry at random then? Could he even figure that one out? Probably not, but even so the way this conversation flowed was an odd one to say the least. It certainly kept his mind preoccupied until that smile came from the other when he had asked for a phone number.

Now what was heard could’ve easily ticked the wrong person off, but for Alec he would simply shake his head as he chuckled lightly.

“Blunt as hell,” he would mutter to himself seeming to be more amused than upset about the whole ordeal as he folded his arms, a hand going to his chin as he watched the other with violet eyes that danced with a strange energy. ”I’ll see how I feel about repeating myself when that time comes then,” he would say to the other his tones non-hostile as the smile remained on his face. It seemed that despite all the oops and openings he made to be trolled by the guy, Alec had his own way of doing things in the end making one wonder: Did he really want the number to begin with or was he simply testing things out to find his balance around the other?

It was hard to pin-point and the young man didn’t seem like he was going to elaborate as he closed his eyes a bit.

“Mhmm.” Was the only response back to what had been said. Honestly, there was nothing else to go on from there, so it seem silence would make its way back to shore. What were they going to do now?

Subject: Re: Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) Sun May 29, 2016 8:36 pm

He would just give a thin smile with a shake of his head at the comment he got in return. ‘’Said fool better be careful then, if they don’t want to get bitten in the end. Sometimes giving up is the better way to go, when you see it is really going nowhere.’’ Unless the person you’re after is really just playing hard to get and you actually have to bide your time. It should be decently obvious whether they’re playing or totally not interested though. And if it isn’t, you can always attempt to pry to be sure. Take a roundabout way, maybe.

At the following statement, he would stay quiet for a bit, seemingly thinking over it. Eventually, he would smile sadly. ‘’I…doubt that. For me, at least. I haven’t had the chance to try with someone that was compatible enough just yet…but, I’m not blind either. I’m not sure how well I can by this point. I’m not very good at coexisting with people, and I think most people can’t take it after a while. Tends to just cause trouble for both sides.’’ He really wasn’t. Whether it was a case of not being surrounded by right people or not, he was rarely able to stick by someone’s side for long without either side getting annoyed efficiently. It was almost easier to just not deal with it at all.

Either way, he would spend a while on thinking until there were things to say again. ‘’Truth is relative. Unless you have proof, it’s just your personal opinion on the matter.’’, he would shrug. ‘’On the matter of that though, it depends. I’m more after the meaning and intention of what is being said. But I do prefer to just deal with honesty as soon as possible.’’ Makes things much more simple. ‘’That said, speak whatever you want. I’ve heard just about everything on my person already. If you can somehow top something and make it even worse, you deserve a Nobel prize for that.’’ He couldn’t even recall all the things he had heard already right now. There was a lot of it though, so what would more change? Better than a lie that pops later, whatever it is.

Once they got over to the rudeness of what had been said, Sharaku would opt to bite his tongue at first, because he was severely tempted to just say ‘I don’t really care’. Which would completely defeat the point of polite talk in the first place. He would switch to a mild frown for a few moments, before just giving a sigh. He was really trying, but perhaps it was not his thing to be soft-spoken on certain matters, for he couldn’t for the life of him think of something to say that wouldn’t sound blunt in some manner. For the time being, he would not respond just yet, but it did seem like he was bothered by this somehow.

Moving on past another silence spell….he would close his eyes at the comment, as he could hear it regardless of volume. ‘’I’d say my presentation is more sharp than blunt.’’, he would snort lightly. It was hard to tell whether he was playing the words as a joke or seriously, but would that even matter? Who knows. ‘’Either way, as you wish.’’ His tone was neutral right now…honestly, it would seem his apparent mood kept shifting every few moments. What was the reason for that though?

…what were they going to do? Maybe nothing, as he would simply stare at the other pointedly, waiting. What for? That was something the guy would need to find out. Or he could try to wait and see if that does anything instead.

Subject: Re: Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) Sat Jun 04, 2016 9:05 pm

“Maybe the fool should be, but then again said fool might not give up even if bitten here and there. They might like the challenge,” he would say as he look up at the other with a lopsided grin. Yeah, he understood where this one was coming from, but even so that wasn’t going to persuade him from not giving something a go. Even if he fell here and there and got smacked around, it was okay to keep going if the other party showed interest still. Even so, he would nod at the last part. “Yeah, I can agree with not chasing after pointless endeavors.” A fool he was, but one with a brain at least. He knew when to back off or call it quits. It was just for now, he didn’t see the need to do so. Sure he got warnings and such from the other, but the door of possibility didn’t seem fully shut either.

But then again, it was hard to say with that last comment. Alec was quiet for a moment as he considered the words carefully before speaking out again, this time his playful air took a back burner to a slightly more serious one.

“So…are you giving up on the notion then?” he would ask, his tones soft despite the prying nature of the question. He wasn’t trying to be a pest or force some idea that something could maybe work out for them. No. He wasn’t as airheaded or stubborn as that. Besides life didn’t work that way anyway. Underneath his light hearted nature, he looked at the picture realistically and so when he asked the question, he was letting himself be the one to listen and maybe help lift some of the burden on the other provided the other actually wished to go further with the conversation. In the end, it was up to the golden eyed male where this went as Alec left the situation open ended for now.

On a different note, Alec would find himself sighing inwardly at this particular wording. Yes, he understood that the guy was just being honest with his words, but even so it was a bit of a challenge to handle it all. He could see why someone could break or lash back after a while. It could get grating on the nerves, but he knew from the last encounter to simply hold out. There was no need to blow up and go all out on the guy for just being who he was…difficult as he was handle here and there. So instead of saying anything at all, the young man would be quiet for the first part and would remain quiet even after the other had spoken. He would take it all in before simply snorting a bit as he smirked.

“Heh. Well you don’t need to worry about me shutting up anytime soon. You already can see how much trouble my mouth can get me into, so I can see us leveling up on the awkward moment scale in the future.” Yeah kind of like now. What the hell did that mean anyway? Should it even be questioned? Anyway…

“So I don’t see myself winning any prizes in the creativity department. I said it before and I'll say it again. You're a good looking fellow, so I don't see why anything else needs to be explained. Regardless, I am just gonna call what I see and experience like I see it. If you’re fine with honesty, then that makes the job easier. Means I don’t have to cut around bushes all the time,” he would say as his smirk remained in place and yet did not reach his eyes. Maybe the words were play to a degree, but then again maybe they weren’t. He was fine about being straightforward, but knew that method didn’t work on this guy. So how was he planning to really play this angel in the end? A mystery for another day perhaps.

Speaking of mysteries, it seemed like they were being handed out left and right today. He wasn’t sure if it was just his mood or something else, but if he wasn’t mistaken that silence from the other wasn’t a just because thing. He seemed to be bother by something or maybe even holding back something he wanted to say…and perhaps by this point, Alec emotional state was so banged up that he was becoming a bit numb to some things. Or maybe he was just moody enough to take a step out of line. Whatever the case was, he would speak out into that silence.

“I am not a mind reader nor am I one to dance the hokey-pokey for no reason. I ain’t gonna force you to do or say anything, but I do have a request. If something is bothering you, just say it. Yes, I may explode or what not, but I rather be upfront there then be left on to simmer over some assumptions or vagueness. It’s alright to be blunt and upfront with me…sometimes it is the better way.”

The words were serious and dry. Like something that had burnt out, but still had the heat to flare back up into a flame. It was an odd thing to hear considering up until a while ago, Alec seemed fine. Maybe the back and forth rubbed him differently and being more expressive than hidden the emotions just bleed out on the guy. It was hard to say, but at least he wasn’t being hostile with the behavior. Just a bit odd.

Regardless of odd moods and strange words from either party, the time would tick on until they arrived at the land of short answers once more. To the first set Alec would simply give the other a smile and silence. There was honestly no comeback for that one, so he let it go. Just as there was really no comeback to the simple as you wish. The smile given was a symbol of agreement and for the moment contentment with what had occurred.

If he had more to say, he would say it, but for now he remained quiet…and in turn fell into a staring contest or something with the other. He would see the look given, but wasn’t sure what to say as he tilted his head at the other lightly in thought. There was a lot of up and downs during this whole event and to be honest his head was spinning at the moment, but even so he would speak again.

“Let’s take a walk,” he would begin watching the other carefully before. “I need to pick up some new threads (clothes) and while shopping alone is nice and all, I want you to come with me. At least for the walk if you ain’t for shopping. Just want to chat along the way. And if you wanna run that is cool, but give me your number before leaving. Though if you don't want to, I can hunt if that is the game you prefer,” he would say his words relaxed, mellow and yet a bit more daring than before. He wan't exactly asking the other to do any of this, but rather giving a series of small commands to the other and leaving him from there to make a choice. It was a risky move considering this one was already going where one least expected. Even so, he did not take back the words leaving one to wonder: Was he actually trying to get himself stomped again? Seriously what was going through this one’s head?

In any case, he would wait to see what the answer was before moving.

Subject: Re: Afternoon Clean Up (Sharaku) Sun Jun 05, 2016 8:29 am

And yet, biting can hold many meanings. There’s no guarantee it is a challenge at all. Occasional bad wording aside, Sharaku knew there were always some limits. If said biting is actually hurting you, is it really worth it to try holding it out? Maybe getting bitten actually means that you’re not even approaching said ‘challenge’ the right way at all. In which case, not giving up on what you are doing is a rather stupid choice, isn’t it? You may only be aggravating it by your persistence if you don’t know what exactly you are doing. He would laugh shortly, before giving a sneer, his fangs showing slightly. ‘’I wonder. Is said fool arrogant enough to assume getting bitten means they should keep doing what they are as a challenge?’’ He’d definitely like to know the answer to that. And so he would leave it at that until he got some sort of response.

He would sigh faintly, looking up at the sky for a while. He wasn’t quite giving up on it, no. However, he wasn’t attempting to chase it either. ‘’No…not really. I do not hope for much though. Besides, it means nothing to me when the end result is others getting mad in some way. There’s nothing enjoyable about that.’’ In the end, it’s better to be on your own than to deal with some constant drama just so you can say you’re dating someone. Occasional disagreements can happen, but too much is too much. And seemingly, he always landed somewhere close to the latter. It’s easier to not get very hyped about it in the first place.

At first, he would give the guy a blank look for the first few moments after he got a response. ‘’I’m not sure what I worry about more. Awkward though? Is this what you see it as?’’ Maybe if he dissected it in detail, there would be something that would be worthy of being called so. The entire situation, not really. In his opinion at least. He wasn’t even sure if he had a proper word to describe this to begin with, but he would hardly use awkward in case he actually had to make a pick for some reason. His expression would change into a somewhat troubled one soon after as he took a moment to resist the urge to facepalm. ‘’I shall just pass over the fact that you’re completely missing my point when it comes to ‘explanation’, but yes, you don’t have to. Although, me being fine with honesty doesn’t mean anything beyond just that. It may, or it may not be of any use to you.’’ Explaining in this case has very little to do with calling out what you see. However, he himself didn’t see why he should humor this with explaining his own side at this point. If you basically have to walk someone through and point at the goal they are trying to reach, then it is not natural at all. They’d just be trying to imitate, which changes nothing overall.

When the other decided to capitalize on the silence that fell, he would twitch slightly. His eyes would narrow at the other, as he just started at him for a while. Despite what could appear as a displeased reaction at a first glance, if one took a good enough look at him, he seemed to be more pained than anything else. Why was that so…? ‘’Am I to assume you tell me everything that is on your mind all the time then? Some things are better left unsaid. I don’t actually have to tell you something, even if it is bothering me. If it makes you happier though, this has little to nothing to truly do with you specifically.’’, he would turn his head to the side for a moment before looking back at the other, a somewhat strained frown on his face. ‘’I’m staying quiet for your own good. This is not something you’d want. If you make me snap, you’ll likely just regret it.’’ He was really trying to not let this go somewhere it shouldn’t, as hard as that was.

From then on, they would soon land into short exchanges which too would blow away with the wind eventually. At the given ‘suggestion’, he would actually make a low growl, before just turning his stare away from the other as he used one hand to rub the bridge of his nose. This entire conversation was starting to make him more touchy than usual. Maybe he was more stressed out by this than he thought, but it was really hard to ignore the flair of irritation that the commanding style of speech caused. You know it’s bad when you hit that moment where you can’t be properly rational. And he wasn’t even sure whether the cause was Alec himself, or just the whole chaos getting to him, and certain wordings just acting as a sort of trigger. He would end up biting on his lip hard enough to draw some blood, as the momentary pain helped clear his head a bit. ‘’Ugh…’’, he would mutter under his breath before finally turning back to look at the other. ‘’I’ll come. Although I suggest you don’t tell me what to do like that.’’ For the moment, he seemed calm enough.

Yeah this >.>:

» Clean your mind [Ray]
» Clean Up Crew [Yanagi & Shin]
» The River That Washes You Clean (Maria)
» Coming Clean with the Past (Akina)
» Simple And Clean [Andrew's Awakening]