The Anxious And The Awkward (Cecil)

A normal day picking up litter in Little Tokyo. That’s what it should have been anyways, Tomomi gathering the rubbish that was left behind in the streets from one of the many festivals and events that occurred in the sub-city streets, whether from deliberate litterers or from a breeze blowing it out of the designated bins. Wearing his casual attire, jacket slung over his shoulder, the boy used the pole he had to pick up the empty wrappers, cans, and other forms of junk that had just been ditched near the alleyways or behind small bits of shrubbery, putting it into the black bin bag that he carried with him. It was repetitive, a thankless task, and far from enjoyable, but work was work and it at the very least helped him to avoid having to deal with problems or think too thoroughly about anything. The morning had gone by slowly enough, mostly consisting of broken bottles from the night drinkers of the prior night, most likely those that determined the streets were the bins. Tomomi never understood the appeal of alcoholism, even when it came to traditional situations back in Japan for drinking. The idea just seemed unpleasable, and now that was further boosted by his having to clear up after these late night forays.

A quick break for lunch, and then he went back to it, walking into one of the many alleyways to begin picking up, a mundane task. Yet as he approached the alley from the street, as fortune would have it, he witnessed a couple of people doing exactly what it was that made his job harder – throwing more stuff on the ground, specifically take out boxes and an empty packet of American style chips. The sight upset him, but, a slight glimmer of hope in him made him hope that approaching them would get them to stop the bad habit. He took a step towards the alley, gesturing with the rubbish bag towards the people. “Um, excuse me… I don’t mean to disturb, but, do you think in future you could put stuff in the designated locations? There’s not really a shortage of bins…”

Rather than being polite, the two looked at the feeble boy, before laughing, one of them shaking their head so vehemently that it intimidated the anxious boy somewhat. “What, just dropping a few things on the ground? You’re a litter picker aren’t you? Shouldn’t you be happy we’re helping give you a job?” The other burst out laughing more, before moving to a nearby bin and kicking it over, gesturing to it mockingly. “There you go! You wanna keep picking up trash, so, consider yourself lucky punk. Come on, let’s get out of here before the little wimp starts trying to lecture us about something dumb like the environment.”

With that and more laughter, the duo left further down the alleyway, leaving Tomomi there, simply standing at the entrance to the alleyway in silence. His grip on the pole tightened as, swallowing both his nerves and his pride, he stopped and simply looked at the increased mess he had to clear up. Was this karma for asking them to make his job slightly easier? It wasn’t like he liked the job. He just did it. Was it how he said it? He didn’t know, and so just stood there for a time in silence, the crowds of the streets of Little Tokyo wandering past and ignoring the trash boy.

...assholes!
As much as he'd normally be frustrated with Ankou's constant prodding and meddling, he was kind of glad he hadn't missed this right now. As much as people had the freedom to live their lives, there...there just wasn't any excuse for being a dick.
And then there was the poor guy who had to deal with it.
...confronting them wouldn't change a thing. They were going, and honestly, unlikely to care anyone. God knows he'd fuck up if he tried to say something.
But...well, more than one way to try and make a difference.

Driven by an inner stare and an inner fire, Cecil grabs what he can comfortably handle without dropping anything and takes it over to the boy. The words stuck for a while in his throat as he tried to speak up...
"...ah...here? People...can suck, sometimes."
...well, it was less bad than he was expecting.

The sight of the other person carrying some of the litter that was strewn around certainly came as a surprise to the boy, unsure of what to say in response. Instead, he just took the stuff silently at first, shoving it into the bag, before giving a light nod, replying quietly and keeping his head down. “Thanks… And, uh, yeah… They can…”

With that, Tomomi looked at the boy, moving the pole to the same hand he held his bag in, using the now empty hand to face palm. “I’m… Guessing you saw all that then… Well, that’s an introduction I suppose…” With an awkward laugh, Tomomi shifted his pole back to his hand, and then continues to pick up rubbish, before stopping. “Ah, right… The name is Tomomi. Thanks for speeding up my job, and sorry that… Well, that you had to see that.”

Cecil couldn't help but frown a little at the response. "You really don't have to apologise for other people being assholes. It's not your fault any of that happened." He lets out long sigh as his gaze drifts away. "It started and ended with them. Can't say I like that this stuff happens, but...I can't say I'm surprised either."

His eyes widen for a moment as he realises something, and his gaze drifts back to Tomomi as he starts to scratch at the back of his head. "Ah. Yeah. A, umm...I'm Cecil. And, ah, it's ay-yaaa...not a problem."

“Cecil… Alright, I’ll remember that…”

As he spoke, Tomomi continued to go about his job, trying to keep himself busy both in action and mind. He was certainly curious about this other person, but, he was curious about most things for sure. Instead, he kept his head down, speaking up. “So, Cecil… Why did you help out? I mean… You know, there’s much more enjoyable things than picking up rubbish you know…”

Stopping himself, the boy began to give an awkward laugh, shaking his head and hands emphatically. “Oh, not that there was a problem you helping out! I really appreciate it! I guess I’m just wondering? Well, regardless, you don’t have to answer!” He quickly shook his head, speeding up the pace of his litter pick up, and continuing to avoid eye contact or thinking about much in regards to the topic.

Cecil's eyes continue to drift around the area as he replies. "It isn't so terrible...at least if you're only doing a bit of it. I, ah, can't say if uh...if I'd still say that if I did it as much as you have to." He swallows. "It...it kinda isn't about dealing with rubbish anyway." His gaze wanders over to where the pair from earlier left, and his lips twist downwards as he delivers a flat stare into the distance. "There are just things people shouldn't have to deal with. Bad enough that happened, but it'd be just as bad to ignore it when it happened right in front of me. Be nice if I could get people like that to not act like that in the first place but, ah..." A pause, followed by a brief, empty laugh. "Not really something I'd ever be able to do."

Cecil paces slowly to the side of the alleyway as his gaze drifts downwards. Try as he might, words resist his attempt to call them forth, letting the silence hang in the air. One hand comes up to run through his scalp as his face twists, fingers grasping and raking through his hair.

The awkwardness that filled the air was heavy. Uncomfortably so. To not take into account the different perspectives certainly didn’t help, and so his comment felt incredibly dumb. So dumb in fact, that, not once making eye contact, the boy simply nodded his head as he listened. Given that he did work the job a lot, he could see, with hindsight, how it wouldn’t be quite as much of a drag to someone who just stepped in. He also agreed with Cecil’s statement about the fact that people were jerks, yet he couldn’t quite bring himself to say a word. Instead, he just resumed picking up litter in the alley, his voice going quiet again as he spoke up once more. “Right… Well, I guess I should probably get back to work unless there’s something else… Thanks again though. I’ll be sure to remember your face, Cecil, so, feel free to say hi if you see me around…”

He practically muttered those words, keeping his bag open and his back hunched with the work he was doing. Damn this thing wasn’t good for his posture.

Cecil nods, slowly, and then shakes his head quickly. "No, no, there's nothing, no - no need to worry about that. I'll..leave you to it." He takes a couple steps towards the mouth of the alleyway, before turning back and giving a quick wave. "Ah...see you then, Tomomi."
Put on his his headphones and cranking up the music, he starts to walk away.
Stay and assist.
No.
It is a means to help, and an opportunity to befriend.
Maybe for someone else, but there's no way I could pull off the social feats needed for that not to be hell on both of us.
There is only one way to learn.
And it's not going to be by making me and that guy miser

Ankou continues to prod him on it for a while, but eventually, they stop as Cecil gets far enough away.
At that point, they switch to another tack...

As Cecil walked off, Tomomi waited for him to be out of earshot before sighing in relief with a barely audible “phew”. The guy was nice, no doubt about that, and Tomomi hoped he’d meet him once more if not just for the sake of not being a stranger everywhere. “Cecil… I’ll have to remember that…” he muttered, before shaking his head, and walking off down the alley to continue his job.

Maybe he’d be lucky enough to make a friend in this place. What a way to meet someone though – picking up litter in an alleyway. Still, that mattered not, and the thought left him momentarily as Tomomi walked away.

[Exit]