An Awkward Stare [Infernal]

It was the afternoon, Ricky had failed to find something to preoccupy himself with. Despite the fact that earlier in the day he had found something he enjoyed, he didn't want to just repeat it over and over again like some form of robot.

He was staring out at the riverway, his usual well dressed attire covering his body. Ricky just couldn't help but stare at the Riverway for a while and sorta get lost right in it. Perhaps he looked like some kind of weirdo to everyone who noticed him sure, but it didn't matter to him at that moment.

Today, Cecil found himself wandering. Headphones on, music playing, just going about aimlessly. Going wherever his feet had taken him, he'd ended up at the river way, a blank expression on his face.

As he went about his route, retreading the same paths in the area, something felt...off. Drawn from his own world he looked about before spotting someone, watching. He pushes off one side of his headphones, briefly stopping the music going through them so he could hear better. "Umm...hello? Just, ah...what are you doing?"
He'd normally have just left and avoided talking, but right now, he was too confused for the fact he'd opened conversation with a riverside watcher to sink in.

It seemed like Ricky was gonna get lost in the current of the river, not literally but mentally due to him consistently staring directly into it. It was unique and interesting a way with how water moved, it always stayed on track and never really changed direction.

However, as Ricky was staring into the river he noticed someone was attempting to speak with him, briefly snapping out of whatever trance Rick was in he turned towards the boy speaking to him. Oh! Uhm.... It was a little awkward right now honestly having been interrupted in the middle of this. The guy just didn't have something to say off the top of his head.Well I'm just staring at this river. What made you ask?He couldn't think of anything else to say, and wasn't really the type to say much with his current demeanor.

...he wasn't looking at him at all. Whoops. He was just nearby what he was actually looking at.
This felt awkward as all hell.
Well...he couldn't just run off now. This was bad enough, but that? That'd be even worse!

"I, a, um..."
I can't say it. There's no way I can say it. Have to come up with something else!
...WHY DO I BLANK OUT LIKE THIS?! Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap-
"You...you, a, um seemed like you were in deep focus on something. Like, like something deep." Blatantly flustered, Cecil's hand slips back to put the music back on at a low volume. Anything, anything else to cool off right now.
As the music starts, the tension eases slightly, but he's still got the boy and the pit in his stomach to deal with. "...so...what's your name?"
Cecil remains tense, wild-eyed and awkward.

Something deep?Rick responded in a rather puzzled manner. He didn't think what he was thinking about was deep at all, nor that what he was doing came off as if he was thinking in a deep manner. Philosophers were known for their unusual or bizarre habits sure, but Rick was not that kind of person. He was just simply depressed about things.

Well my name is Rick, what's your name?He seemed to offer it in a rather casual manner, but this social situation at the moment was everything but casual, as two awkward guys seemed to speak in a awkward manner to each other.

"Yes! Yes, that's, that's right." Dark green eyes look to one side, unable to meet the gaze of the person he'd just started bothering. ...hah. I really am useless, aren't I? Cecil lets out a soft, muted sigh. Guess...guess I've just got to get through this now.

Stopping the music and removing his headphones, Cecil walks over and sits a little ways to Rick's side, not too far but not exactly close either, putting on an easy smile he just didn't feel. His expression settles on something more calm and relaxed than was really honest for him right now, his actual feelings only really given away by slightly sad, dull look to his eyes. "...Cecil. My name's Cecil. Nice to meet you, Rick."

He sits there in silence for a while, seeming to watch the river but not really registering anything he's seeing. His mind is on the person next to him that he'd managed to disturb, not really sure how to breach the awkwardness he'd created.
"So...you do this a lot, then? River watching?"

At the current time Ricky wasn't someone you could expect to say much to what you would say to him, he was depressed and quite a quiet person. While not necessarily antisocial, he just didn't have much he could actually say. What would he say? His mind was utterly blank and empty, outside of the negative thoughts which lurked. Rick was confused as to why the guy sat next to him, but then decided to sit next to him as well.

I don't do this alot no, this is actually my first time doing this. Do you come around here often?It was a start to a conversation atleast, which was better than the two of them awkwardly gazing at each other for the next couple of minutes before departing off.

"Hah...can't say I do. Or, at least...I don't make a particular effort to. I was just wandering around, and ended up here. Then...well, this happened. He shrugs. "Guess it's better than just walking aimlessly for a couple of hours." Cecil's gaze turns from the river to Rick, giving him a proper look now. He couldn't really read him - Pfft. Like that's anything special. - but eventually, he noticed the mask, and the obvious question came to mind.

"So...what's with...?" Unable to just come out with it, he taps either side of his face with two fingers. "I mean...if you don't mind saying. -I mean, you don't have to, it's your business and if you don't want to, that's that. I'm...just curious, I guess?" He smiles awkwardly.

The conversation was quite awkward, especially given the two of these guys were just really awkward guys. This did not help the conversation progress at all, and just continued to make things even more awkward. It wasn't that Rick wanted to chase off the guy, but a stronger case of Rick didn't really know what to say to him. Feeling odd and having constant negative thoughts in his mind was not very helpful for his social capabilities too.

Then came the awkward question asking about Ricky's mask. Well it did look really strange, unless he was deformed or something there was actually no reason to wear it. Yet when prompted with the question about his mask, Ricky just didn't know what to say. Your talking about the mask right? I just wear it, it's...Something.

"Right! Right. I guess I get that? Not like everything has to have some big meaning to it." Not for the first time, Cecil wondered just how anybody - seriously, anybody - managed to do any of this stuff with any proficiency. Talking to people was hard. Just assuming you could actually say a word to them, you had to come up with things to talk about, keep the conversation going altogether, and any number of other things on top he just didn't have a goddamn clue about. It was really, really just easier listening to people, because damn if he ever had anything to say most times...
...
There was no way this was going to work. Absolutely none. But if he could get at least ONE of them talking, this would be so much less painful.
It was worth a try. For the sake of delusional optimism.

"Is there..."
No, of course he doesn't have something he wants to bloody talk about. Try a different one.
"...anything you end up thinking about, much? A bunch of different stuff, maybe? I'd be happy to listen to anything...well, if you were up to it."
He did not have high hopes right now.