A Lingering Scent of Flowers [Haru/Cecil]

Normally, going about a place filled with nature wasn't much Cecil's thing. He probably wouldn't get any special enjoyment from a walk through the woods someplace compared to walking about anywhere else, for example. But there was something about the Garden Path.

For one, there was the smell. It was hard for him to pick up on at the best of times, his sense of smell was terrible, but if he decided to go up and really got a whiff off something there was always a variety of lovely scents to fill his senses with. It didn't get old.

The place looked great, too. All the flowers, the little blooms of the store and the cultivations of the people who gardened here, it gave a variety of sights that were easy on the eyes.
But the simple sights weren't really what Cecil loved about all of them. Oh no, while that might be it for many others, he saw something else.
Each flower, each crop, each tiny little sprout that was once a seedling - all of them were efforts of love and dedication, a sign of continuous effort toward letting every little plant grow to its fullest. Dotted about, you'd always see the withered husks left behind by those who didn't or couldn't finish what they'd started, but all around them you'd see so much more. There, a contented woman watering a crop almost ready for harvest, full and healthy from the attention given. Elsewhere, a young boy dedicatedly working at his own stubborn little plant, refusing to give up on the ungrowing seed despite the many days it had simply stayed that way.

In some ways, it was a sad reminder, a display of others doing what he never had. But just as much as that was true, it was a beautiful proof of just what you could do, if you were to just simply put your whole heart into it.
So right now, Cecil sat with a contented smile and watched the others go to work, music filtering through his ears as he occasionally caught a whiff of the nearby blooms. Because in doing so, he could feel a little better...at least, for a while.

The Garden Path. The last time he had been here he had met that strange clown like guy named Grins trying to grow a plant. He remembered helping the guy out and how hopeful that guy was afterwards. It was a nice memory. As was the rest of the memories associated with this piece of paradise in the city. Typically when he came here, this place was empty except for him and one other person; however, today was different. Today it seemed a variety of people had come out to tend to their plants or mourn over their sick or dead ones. It was a little odd seeing this many people in the area and at first caused the idol some concern. What if one of these people recognized who he was despite his cover up for the day? Honestly it almost made him want to back away and find a quieter place. It would be safer that was for sure. It wasn’t like he had security with him to protect him from a mob or something. But then again….he suppose this was just as bad as being anywhere by himself. He had no one to protect him, but himself. So if he could handle the quiet places on his own surely he could handle the not so quiet ones right? Besides, these were gardeners and nature lovers. Surely their heads were more full of flowers and other plants than idols right? Well time to test the waters.

Even though stepping into the active Garden Path was nerve wrecking, the idol slowly found himself relaxing as he realized a very basic thing of life: Most people were too wrapped in their own business to really pay attention to a passbyer. Sure there were some that looked up and said hi to him, but outside of that no one seemed to be rushing up to him or acting crazy. Well that was a welcome change. Feeling more and more comfortable as time went on, Haru would drift about the garden with hands in his pocket enjoying the buzz of voices, the scent of flowers, and the overall feel of the garden.

He would continue to walk until he came to a bench that looked like it would be a good place to sit if it weren’t for one small problem - there was a person already there. Halting his steps a few paces from his destination, he would consider bothering the guy that sat on the bench listening to music seemingly content with watching what was happening all about. The idol would look around for other benches, but found that others were too far for his liking today so….

The young man would move a bit closer to the bench, his eyes (violet today thanks to contacts) would consider the blonde before him before his mouth opened and words came out. “Excuse me, do you mind if I sit with you?” the young man would ask for now speaking in normal tones and volumes. Though he wondered if he would have to speak louder….The guy did have headphones on after all.

Information Box:

The words fell on deaf ears. The sounds of the world failed to reach Cecil, reach now, blissfully wrapped up in the world around him and the melodies flowing through his headphones. He did, however, notice the man nearby. He didn't react, at first. But as time went on, and it turned out they weren't going anywhere, Cecil paid a bit more attention. Looking the man, over nothing seemed strange, but why had they stopped to look at him? Do I look weird or something? Cecil looks himself over. Nothing too strange, right? Maybe...his necklace?


It did kind of look like it was glowing sometimes, depending on the lighting. He'd managed to get hassled because of that before by some people...though how wearing this thing was at all proof he might be a Psyche Terrorist was beyond him. Some people were way too paranoid.
He looks up to the man's face, trying to read it for some sign. They didn't like the sort of crazed, over-sensitive idiot that'd try and drop the Cadets on him for his choice of jewellery. There was just this sort of...expectant...look...
Oh. OH.
They wanted to sit here! CrapcrapcrapcrapCRAP! HOW WAS THAT NOT OBVIOUS?!

Cecil positively tears off his headphones and shuffles over, looking somewhere between a mix of a deer in the headlights and someone who'd just being caught pretending to be a ninja by half of his school. "Sorry! Didn't notice you wanted to sit here! Should've been paying more attention!" He buries his face in his hands and groans loudly, muttering into his palms. "Geez, what the fuck am I doing...I knew I was bad, but I thought I could tell when someone wanted a fucking seat by this point..."
Cecil groans again, even louder than the last time.
"Fuck meeee..."

Haru would watch the other quietly as the guy looked up at him not seeming to have heard his words at all. This naturally caused Haru to sigh inwardly. He didn’t exactly want to raise his voice or repeat himself. Maybe he should just stop being lazy and go to another--eh? The idol would blink as he tilted his head at the other as the guy took notice of him before being distracted by his own appearance? The idol wasn’t too sure what was happening. Like he understood that the guy noticed him, but he wasn’t quite sure why the guy was looking at himself or that odd necklace he wore. Was he….giving off some sort of vibe that made the other uncomfortable? Or was he missing something here?

Perplexed, the idol would furrow his eyebrows slightly trying to figure it out; however, before he could even open his mouth to question this situation, the guy seemed to realize something and reacted….Boy did he react alright. The action and words that came from the guy were a bit startling to be honest, the idol actually jumping slightly as the guy came to life. It was a challenge figuring out what to do since instinct made him want to bolt and pretend he never even saw this. This guy was over-reacting way too much and would draw unnecessary eyes. He didn’t want that really. So fleeing was definitely the best option. But….if he did that, he could come off in a negative light all around. To those that were looking, he could come off as a complete ass for upsetting someone and then bolting for the hills. To the guy on the bench, whatever state he was in could be worsen by him fleeing...and he didn’t want the guy to become even more over-reactive than he already was. Hmm...What to do?

The idol would debate this for a few seconds mentally, his face an unreadable mask as he seemed to just observe the other calmly. In the end, he decided to stay. Snapping back to reality, the idol would shift in his spot and move to sit down on the end of the bench the guy was on. Even though he settled in his spot as if this was no big deal, this situation was indeed a big deal. Inside he was cringing so badly it wasn’t even funny, but still he did his best to hold his ground and kept a calm face.

“Hey now. Don’t do that. It was just a honest mistake. No harm done, see?” the idol would say trying to sound reassuring to the guy that had his face buried in his hands. Unlike some that would try to touch to comfort someone, Haru kept his hands to himself as he watched the guy praying that this wasn’t about to get much worse.

Sighing, Cecil removes his hands from his face, a wry smile on his lips. "Hah. Maybe so. But it's still kind of depressing when...nah, nah. You don't need to listen to my crap." He shakes his head. Not like there IS anyone who really needs to hear this stuff. Random folks either don't really care enough or just can't do anything anyway...probably the former, really, and everyone else... He swallows. ...no lasting good'll come from that either, really, especially with what saying this stuff will do to them.
...the scene around him had lost its allure. Nothing about it had changed, really. Not the sights, not the nature of it, and not what he thought about it all. The positivity had just been wiped away, really. That was all it took for things to take a downturn in his mind, and fade away that blissful ignorance.

Shrugging, Cecil relaxes his expression. In a part of his mind he wasn't quite conscious of, it registered that the guy had been trying to make him feel better, and he didn't want to drag them down with him. Cecil sits back, looking at Haru. "I'm fine. Honest. No need to worry yourself about me."
Putting his headphones back on, Cecil puts the music back on and returns to what he was doing. Sitting there, watching things going on with a smile on his face...only, he didn't look so content as he did before, and the sense of ease and peacefulness suggested by his prior posture hadn't returned either. Truthfully, he wasn't really registering the things he was seeing about him in the slightest, eyes wandering aimlessly as his focus turned inward.
His eyes eventually close as he tries to blank out his mind, fingers tapping along to a rhythm he knows well as he softly hums along to the tune filtering through his ears.

Haru would watch the guy next to him, his head tilting towards the other as he began to speak, but then for whatever reason stopped himself and dismissed the subject. While the idol didn’t say anything at first, he did take notice of the strange behavior and how despite the smile on the guy’s face, there was something seriously troubling him. He couldn’t be sure, but the smile from before he interrupted the guy was very different than the one the guy wore now or continued wearing when he went back to his music.

While the idol looked away from the guy and stared ahead with an unreadable expression, his mind began to turn as his anxiety from before began to take a back seat to something else. Perhaps it was curiosity or maybe the guy’s behavior reminded him of himself in a way. He was always putting on a face for the world. Never revealing the truth the truth of the matter to anyone, but himself. While he had that art down to a T, this guy had some cracks in his mask, but it was those very cracks that caused the idol to do something he usually didn’t do with strangers -- reach out and try to help. In his own odd way of course.

He would stay still in his spot for a bit longer before shifting a bit to reach into his jacket pocket and pull out a notebook and pen he carried with him all the time just in case inspiration hit him while he was out. Flipping to a clean page, he would click the back of the pen and write something down before nodding a bit to himself about something. Taking a breath inwardly to steady himself, he would look over at the guy before reaching out to tap him lightly on the shoulder once. If the guy looked over at him, he would hold up the pad his expression emotionless, but the words clear enough: What if I want to listen to your crap?

"Hmm...^hmm...hmm...^hmm...hmm...^hmm...hmm?" The humming stops as Haru taps Cecil on the shoulder, and his left hand comes up to his headphones as he turns his head, pausing and moving his head slightly back as it's met with the pad. His expression is neutral as he reads the words written on the page, it then developing into something slightly baffled and yet curious as he reads across the words again to see if they really said what he thought they had. His gaze to the face of the guy holding the pad up beside him, seeing an expression that was utterly unreadable even without his own limitations.

He briefly glances away, hand still resting on the side of his headphones. Is...is this for real? We just met. We barely know each other. I just made an ass of myself, for crying out loud.
...and yet, if I were sitting there, I'd probably be the soppy bugger giving a concerned look if I actually managed to catch on to something like this. It's...not impossible, really, that someone might...
His expression twists as he works this through in his head, before removing his headphones. I guess not knowing them that well would be part of the point here. I don't have to worry so much about who I offload to.
"If you really want to listen to this shit, then who am I really to say otherwise? It's what you want. Nobody made you." Cecil sighs softly, a weary smile on his face. "I can't just tell you everything, though. Even if you want to listen and I want to talk, we're still strangers right now. Some things just aren't appropriate to say."

"So..." The words run dry. It's hard to keep speaking. The awkwardness he's struggling with is apparent on his face, the difference in his expression as he stops trying to cover things up is apparent, and yet that basic relaxed expression still underlies it all, albeit a more neutral version of it. It's what his face defaults to whenever something else doesn't push its way to the forefront, and even as truer emotion comes to the fore it only seems to be layered on top, rather being allowed to command his expression fully.
It's all more honest than what was there before. The calmness remains a constant between the expressions, but there's melancholy here where the guise of peacefulness was before. It doesn't seem...false, per se. But it's too pervasive for things to be right, either.
Cecil's expression stops contorting, and a slight sad smile settles in, matched with a muted sorrow in his eyes. "...I guess...erm...what would you like to listen to, I, I guess? I mean, I know genu-genarrah-gehahgb-ughhhh..." A frustrated sigh. "Generally. But as you can see, I can't speak worth a damn right now. If you can narragh-_{oh for fuck's sake} narrow down where you'd like to start for me, what you'd be interested in knowing, this'll hopefully go a lot smoother." Cecil's teeth grit with frustration as he finishes speaking, a small scowl on his face while his fingers start grasping and grabbing at the hair atop his head.

Calm violet eyes would watch the other, being patient as the other read the words and then becoming baffled looked up at him, trying to find a reason no doubt for this random act of care. However, he would find no answers as the idol kept the unreadable expression. When the guy went into his thoughts for a bit the idol was patient enough as he lowered the note pad to his lap, his eyes studying the other for a moment before looking away to view the flowers.

He wouldn’t look back at the guy until he spoke. Well the headphones were down and it seemed his odd question had broken the guy out of his frantic state enough to actually face him and speak. The idol would listen to his words being silent even through all the stumbling and awkward pausing. The calm serious expression would not change and when the guy stopped speaking? The idol would blink at him slowly like a cat before opening his mouth.

“I prefer to hear things versus watching it tear people apart provided the other party wishes to share. And don’t worry I am not going to pry deeply into this. I understand my request is peculiar,” the idol would begin his lips twitching into a very faint smile near the end before the serious expression was back again. He would shift in his spot to settle more comfortably on the bench before answering the question posed with a shrug. “How about starting with names?” he would suggest as he turned his head to look at the other. His eyes would look the other up and down before speaking again. “I am Hatsuharu. Or Hatsu for short. You?” He would pause titling his head at the other remaining as calm as a still lake not seeming phased by the other’s panicked or awkward state.

After a brief moment, Cecil hand drops from his hair, and he lets out a weak laugh as Haru talks about preferring people not to tear themselves apart. Not the only one. Like hell could I do what you just did, though. He continues to listen on, before closing his eyes again before letting out a long breath, blowing up into his hair. "Yeah...names are an obvious one, aren't they?" He opens his eyes again, smiling awkwardly. "Cecil. If there's a short version for that, I haven't heard it, and I'm not sure I want to." He laughs again, but it seems less out of humour and more him trying to hold together.

He pauses again, eyes glancing about. This...this wasn't getting easier. This really wasn't getting easier in the slightest. He swallows, mouth suddenly feeling dry. "...errr...aghhh." He sighs. "I...come to think, really, I should probably be eckz-eggs-hahhh...ex-plain-ing what I was on about earlier, huh?" He quickly shakes his head. "That's not much special. I find dealing with people hard - not like you couldn't tell already - and I'm not the most aware of the world around me, let alone what's going off in someone's head most of the time. Gotten better, miles better in those last two cases...but it's still pretty buh-ahhgk...bad. Pretty bad." One hand comes up, and starts subsequently rubbing his face. "I mean, I wasn't completely clueless. I could deal with everything...well enough, really. But I'm pretty sure the point at which I had proper cognition of anything didn't come for a loooong time."

Cecil's hand pushes up from his face and through his hair, before letting his arm drop to his side, letting his fingers interlock with each other. "It's not exactly something I'd want to go back to, but...I do kind of the way I got to feel when I wasn't nearly so self aware. Blissful ignorance, and all that."

“Some names aren’t such a hassle to say and thus don’t need nicknames. Cecil. I like the simplicity of it.” A compliment or a fact? It was hard to say considering the idol kept himself mostly unreadable and yet at the same time, he wasn’t closed off fully or being cold. Despite not being very expressive, he was fully aware of the other with him and when the other did talk, the young man would watch the other with calm eyes for a few moments before those violet orbs drifted a way so it didn’t seem like he was just staring without mercy. Despite how casual he was being, the idol did take note of the other’s behavior - the way he laughed, spoke, looked around.... This one seemed to have anxiety or something similar to it and yet, he was out in the open and trying to speak to a complete stranger. Interesting.

That aside though, the idol would take in what the other said as he folded one leg over the other and closed his eyes as one hand came up to cup his chin. As he thought one pale finger with dark blue fingernail polish upon it would tap his chin. He would do this for a few seconds after the other had finished speaking before reopening his eyes and looking over at the other.

“People are difficult to handle. I can relate to that well enough. I suppose we all have ways of dealing with it though. Sometimes we choose to face it and other times we choose safe places to hide in. Being unaware of the world is certainly a nice spot be in though I can’t say I’ve ever been in that state before. I’ve more or less been painfully aware of the world at all times.” The idol would pause and actually give the guy a small smile. “An opposite of you. I think I too would like being in a state of blissful ignorance.” He would chuckle softly before becoming serious again. “Though I must admit. You are impressive. You say your case is bad, yet you are trying to engage with me a completely stranger and pushing against the odds. I find that rather brave of you. Not sure if I could do the same if I were in your shoes.”

Cecil smiles a little at the comment about his name. Sure, it wasn't like his name said much about him, unlike some game where you might find half a dozen characters with clever monikers meant to reference things. Really, if you think about it, a name's a silly thing to compliment in general if they didn't pick their own name. Someone's name says more about their parents, if anything.
But, it was still his name. It was the word with which he associated himself. And that was why compliment or not, he was happy it was appreciated.

He continues to listen, smiling along. The smile shifts to a smirk when Haru calls him impressive, looking at him with a raised eyebrow and a general look that says he doesn't quite agree - a sentiment matched by the dry, amused tone his voice takes. "You so sure about that? I'm pretty sure if you hadn't made the first move in getting things going I'd still be sitting about acting awkward as hell." He shrugs, one arm rising and falling to emphasise the gesture. "This part now? That's not the hard part. I...huh. Just noticed."
Cecil's expression turns thoughtful as he follows this sudden train of thought. "I think...well, it's always been easier if someone else starts the whole thing up. I try to start a conversation, and...well, I'd say it's dead in the water, but nine times out of ten it won't even get that far. Even then, I just can't keep the thing going. Then, there's what happens if it's someone else starting things up." He gestures toward Haru. "Like, well, you did. Most times that happens, I find it easier to talk. Someone else has provided the momentum, the direction necessary for me not to utterly blank out."

"Still can't say why I blank out like that, but I think I have an idea about what's making it easier to talk. I'd say...welcomeness? Feeling welcome? It's like..." He runs his fingers through his hair. "I can't just talk to people I don't know. Not like this. I feels...kind of intrusive, I think? Like I'm trespassing on their life, I guess. That sort of uncomfortable feeling seems so tangible it's essentially like I'm banging on an invisible wall if I try to talk to someone. Only gets worse when people are already in groups, talking about all these things that I inevitably have no idea about, because then on top of it all my mind goes blank and I have to deal with trying to talk when someone else is, too. I mean, seriously, if you interrupted me or...a lot of other situations where people start talking I still haven't figured out the logic for, the words'd die in my throat pretty much immediately and stay shrivelled up like that while you were talking. There's another thing to figure out."
"Someone starts talking to me though? Not the same sort of feeling. It's less like that impenetrable wall's broken than it does like it was never there at all, that way around. There's nothing to intrude upon there, and I've been given opening."

He shakes his head. "Well...that's missing a lot of the nuances in how you deal with people, but if I think about it like that...yeah. It makes a lot of things make more sense. I'll have to remember that." Cecil smiles, though it turns awkward shortly. "Sorry about that? Basically thinking out loud there. Think I do it more when people might be listening...anyway, just another little bit of insight into myself. Possible insight, rather. They come, from time to time. Took a lot of those before I got to this point of awareness in the first pla-I'm still thinking out loud." He sighs, and shakes his head again. "Thanks for that, though. Probably wouldn't have gone on that train of thought if I hadn't been talking to you." He laughs wearily to himself. "'Course, now I have to do something with that, let alone figure out the rest of it."

Well it seemed like he got the other to smile a bit and also talk apparently. As the guy spoke the idol at first would simply stare at him for a few seconds not expecting so much at one time, but as the guy continued to talk the idol would lean back in his seat with his arms crossed as he turned his eyes towards the sky, thinking. He would let the other speak until he was finished before giving a hum to show he had been listening; however, he wouldn’t speak for a few moments as he pondered how to address this.

“I can relate in a way to what you are saying. People can be difficult to approach even more so when you are out of the loop or are scared of what they may say or do in response to you. When faced with a stranger, it is like a pressure that seeks to crush you. You panic and don’t know what to do except shut up and pray no one notices just how uncomfortable you are. It is a hard thing to handle.” He would pause and look back at the other with a curious eye. “I used to be the same way when I was younger, but I supposed circumstances forced me to learn another way of dealing with the public. I can put on a face when I want to. Smile and be friendly, pretend be someone I am not. It makes it simple to deal with the public, the crowds, and even a stranger. However, when it boils down to reality, there is still just me. The me that is not exactly a pro or favorite with the crowds. On one hand, this is a bit frustrating because I don’t understand why people do the things they do at times, but on the other hand I am accustomed to being alone and am quite content with myself." He would shift in his seat with a light sigh. “When faced with a crowd of people, I am not the most talkative, but I can hold conversation with people or interact with a small crowd. I wasn’t always good at this, but I took my flaw and did something about it. To help with the conversation piece, I read up on things, listen to things, watched videos, etc. Small things just so if something came up, I knew what they were talking about even if I wasn’t talking to them. It helps with not feeling so alone or like the outcast. As for talking in crowds, well I can’t say I have any advice on that one since I typically talk when there is an opening for me to do so, if someone addresses me directly, or if there is a topic I am interested in. It is easier when the subject interests me cause I honestly could talk all day about it. Kind of like I am doing now.” He would pause as he smirked at the other quite amused at this. “In any case, for you I would suggest small steps to build yourself up to the crowds and larger things. While you may not think it, you are being brave and impressive by telling me all this even when we are strangers.” It was impressive on multiple levels, even more so because the guy got him to talk about himself so easily. That was something he rarely did even with people he knew. How strange.

The idol would fall silent for a bit rubbing his chin in thought as he observed the guy for a second before he let his hand drop as he opened his mouth to speak again. “If you want, I could help you confront your issues if that is something you desire.” He would make the offer as his eyes drifted from the other to observe the scenery for a bit; however, he was listening nonetheless.

Cecil simply listens as Hatsuharu speaks his own piece, making no move to interrupt at any point. Initially, he's simply taking in the words of the man before him, letting them run freely through his mind. But as he goes on, a picture starts to develop, and suddenly his mind starts to go to work picking over the things he's listening to.
...just what happened in his life...?
He keeps talking about dealing with the public. The crowds. He's...he's in a rather...well, public role, it sounds like. Not just dealing with people a lot, but dealing with a lot of people all at once...people who'll remember him, it sounds like? I mean, he's talking about 'the public', not just lots of people generally...
That might be reading into it too much? Then again..."a favourite with the crowds"? It does sound like that.
Is he a performer? Spokesperson? Feels like he's representing something...like he's the face for something. It...it sounds about right. I think?
The thoughts keep running through his head. It wasn't like he was trying to dig, but he just couldn't help it now the words had caught his attention.
That wasn't what stuck in his mind the most, though.
...pretending to be someone he's not. His mouth felt a little dry, thinking about that. It sounded awful.
That might be called a little hypocritical, coming from him. He wasn't a stranger to putting up fronts. But for all he might cover up the state he was in, he didn't try to misrepresent who he was. Even when he was smiling away despite being in a dreary pit or wanting to curse the world, what people saw was still him. He didn't try to be anyone but who he was. It was just...who he'd be in a more ideal scenario.
...not that he ever was in such an ideal state as he tried to represent. But that was something he preferred not to think about.

As Haru finishes speaking, Cecil gathers his thoughts...and shakes his head. "Seriously. This isn't all that impressive. I mean, yeah, it might sound like that considering what I'm talking about, but...it doesn't feel like that, you know? It's just...facts of life. Everyday. Not in the way that it feels like something special or deeply personal in my life, something that I can feel as this massive presence all the time that would be uncomfortable to advertise. It's just...it's just something that is. Whatever impact it might have, it's just there, like any other thing, and that's all there is to it."
He shrugs, letting out a brief sigh. "Getting a little off track there though, aren't I? Moved on from that." Cecil looks at Haru. "You offered to help me with this, and honestly, I'd like that. Really, question is though...what are you thinking? What would be the plan?"

It was true that the words that left Haru's mouth could speak alot of what type of role in society the young man had, but to be frank he didn’t care. He downplayed his looks in public and did what he could to not bring much attention to what he actually was profession wise. It worked for the most part and he was left alone unless of course he made himself open to being bothered like he did today. So whatever thoughts or curiosities the talk placed in the other’s mind, the idol wouldn’t know or try to know unless the other made his thoughts known to him.

Regardless of that, the idol was quite happy the other hadn’t interrupted him and instead let him finish talking and while the guy could have taken this conversation elsewhere, it seemed this one decided to focus on himself and the offer the idol had made. The idol would give a faint smile as he continued to observe the scenery. “Ah. So you would’ve stated this matter to anyone that showed interest in it?” he would ask, his expression nor behavior giving any signs as to why he would poke at such a thing. In any case, he wasn’t being rude about it, so that was a plus, but in the end it was up to the other to elaborate or not. As for the response to the offer.

The idol would hum as his eyes drifted back to the other. “My plan is to face your issues directly with actual hands on situations. We’d start off small and build you up to the large stuff as I stated before,” the idol would cross his legs as he looked skyward with a thoughtful frown. “I suggest we start with you starting conversations and then move from there. If you can get around that, I think the other steps will be a bit easier. To build up to the starting conversations, I’d like you to practice with me. This way I can see exactly what I am dealing with and we can come up with a plan to that is more tailored to help you out in the long run,” he would pause and look over at Cecil a faint smile on his face. “I am no doctor, but I think can help due to the fact I’ve been in your situation before. In any case, what do you think?”

"Yes? No? Maybe?" Cecil shrugs. "I don't think it's something I'd just come out with to anyone, but...generally, it's not worth going out of my way to keep it quiet either? I'm...not quite sure where the boundaries lie." He didn't think it was worth delving too deep into that, either. It just didn't seem important.

The moment Haru gets the first sentence of his plan out, Cecil winces. Sure, probably the best way to handle it, but...uuuuuugh. This was going to go horribly, he knew it.
...well, sure, it probably WAS going to be easier once he got past the whole 'starting a bloody conversation' thing. HE STILL HAD TO GET THAT FAR.
Practice with him, so he could see what he was dealing with? Sure, they could start with floundering and gibberish, and work their way up to in-depth deconstructions of how he was utterly useless in a social setting. That sounded brilliant.

Needless to say, Cecil did not have have high hopes.
Or low hopes.
Pretty much any sort of optimism about any of this in general.
Oh sure, he wanted it, he wanted it really badly, but he sure as hell wasn't expecting anything.

Cecil still listened on with the same expression though, even if his subconscious was running through about a thousand ways he could screw up. "...that sounds good, Hatsu. It's probably...hah, who am I kidding - it's pretty much certainly going to be one hell of a mess working through this. But...one worth dealing with." His lips quirk up into a wry, self-deprecating smile, a resigned expression on his face as his voice takes a dry and cynical tone. "Good luck to you with this though, Hatsu. You're going to need it if you're serious about this."
"Hah, reminds me..." Cecil looks over to Haru. "Just when would we be meeting anyway? How do you want to handle that? Do we make arrangements now? Trade contact details so we can get this figured out later? I'm warning you right now, you're better off texting if you're planning on the latter, because a phone call is going to be one hell of a train wreck."