Dorm Sweet Dorm

Well, Cain was right in a way. It was true that many young people though books as boring. Hibiki didn't blame them. The prospect of sitting down and reading some 'garbage' sure turned lots of them off, before they even gave it a chance. ''I guess so. Books can seem boring at a first glance. But I'm sure there are many who enjoy it too. They just do it alone. You're right that too much noise can be incredibly disturbing. Makes sense there aren't many people in a club.'' he responded with a light smile. Books were a nice thing when you needed to distract yourself after all.

Hibiki gave Cain a sideways glance at the philosophizing comment. He didn't mind that. It could be fun if pulled off well. ''You know, just because you don't act that way, it doesn't mean you aren't. Yes, people may judge a person by what they do, but actions aren't always the best proof of one's true intentions. There are many reasons why people don't do what they really want to, so you can't really say they're bad if they commit evil things. I'm fine with philosophizing, by the way.'' he said in a thoughtful tone, wondering what would come out of this conversation.

"You, my friend, do not know what you're asking for. Trust me, once I get in 'ramble mode' there's nothing anyone can do to save you." Cain said with a laugh. Well he'd warned Hibiki, whatever happened next was on Hibiki's head not his own. So Cain glanced at the young man and flexed his fingers as if he were anticipating a fight. Though in reality he was actually a bit happy, it was rare he found an actual excuse to talk about this sort of thing to anyone else.

"So, you think we should judge others based on intentions, not actions? I suppose that's a very understanding way of looking at others. Though isn't there a saying about a certain road paved with good intentions? Though personally I think the trouble is in hoping to perceive another person's intentions in the first place. After all, even if you think you know someone isn't it always possible their just putting on an act? I'm sure you know it not uncommon for people to tell each other what they want to hear or to try and hide their true intentions. It's not only common it's expected. I mean, almost no one really wants to hear the whole truth all the time." Cain said seeming indifferent as he spoke. To him all this was just fact.

"When so much of our interactions are based on hiding what you truly feel, can anyone claim they actually know anyone else?" He asked of Hibiki, curious as to what his response might be.

''I'll handle it.'' he threw back at Cain with a sort of amused undertone. It seemed that Cain was very enthusiastic to talk about this topic. It was an unexpected turnabout, as he was less talkative a moment ago. Hibiki was alright with it, as it gave him an opportunity to pass some more time. That was always a good thing. Much better than just sitting in silence.

''I can't deny you're right about that one. Many people indeed tend to hide the truth in lieu of looking better in front of others. Or just telling lies to simply benefit themselves in a situation. I suppose that is a natural reaction for humans. After all, truth can be often painfull to hear, and perhaps, sometimes it is better to not say it out loud. About your question...It is hard to tell. I'd say you can never know someone completely, even if they were telling you the truth and not hiding stuff. People are to complex, and often they do not even know themselves as well as they could. If someone hides from you, it's obvious you won't know them well, but you can always try to at least get to know them better, if nothing else.''

Hibiki tried to explain his way of thinking without getting too much into it, and he wasn't sure he managed that, but whatever. ''What do you think about it?'' he asked afterwards, wondering how different their opinions would be.

"What do I think? Well, if I have to be honest I suppose I'm a little resigned to the matter, some might say a cynical. I think it's best to just realize that everyone puts up an act to some degree and just plan from there. After all we all claim we want the truth, but I don't exactly think that it's easy to find even if someone claims to be prepared for it." Cain said with a small sigh. He wasn't used to stating his own beliefs so blatantly. He usually preferred to speak more objectively or obscure his opinions on the matter. However, considering what they were discussing maybe being honest wouldn't hurt? At least it could be a nice change of pace.

"Personally, why worry about something that you might never know? If everyone's wearing a mask does it really matter who's underneath? They want something, you want something and you essentially make a trade. As long as you know what you're getting into beforehand there's no reason to be surprised or disappointed." Cain said aloud, though oddly enough he didn't exactly seem clever or proud as he spoke. He was speaking like it was his job to tell a child there was no such thing as Santa Claus. It was just a hard lesson he'd learned about life, but ultimately it was for the best, right?

''Realizing that someone is putting up a mask doesn't neccessarily mean you can't attempt to do something about it. Although, yes, the truth is a hard thing to find, no matter how much we might want to know it.'' Hibiki shrugged slightly. He himself knew this stuff pretty well, but talking about it was a different thing. While he didn't often lie, he rarely told the entire truth. He just prefered to avoid giving too much information on certain things. It wasn't that he enjoyed doing it, it was mostly a habit he didn't feel like getting rid of.

''While at first it may not matter, it can in a long run. Of course, if it's someone you're not planning to get involved with more than just a simple aquaintance, then it's not a bother when you don't know. Yet, if you were to try getting for example a close friend out of someone, wouldn't it bug you that you only get to see a mask? A closer relationship should have some honesty in it, right? At least that's what people tend to say.'' he knew that it rarely went that way, but he was interested to know how others percieved interaction with fellow humans. Was Cain really content with just a fake, even if it seemed less bothersome?

"Careful, Mr. Hibiki. Start talking like that and you're practically just begging for someone to come along and try to peel your mask away." Cain said with a small smirk.
"Not that I think you're wearing one. Others might, but there's no way you or I could be anything less than honest, right?" He gave a short laugh and leaned back in his seat before continuing. He was joking of course. He at least tended to be a bit less than completely honest and he'd assume the same was probably true of Hibiki. But still he was used to that. He looked at Hibiki appreciatively, noting how optimistic the young man was; at least, when he was compared to Cain.

"I couldn't really tell you, honestly. I don't have any close friends, so I have no idea if it would bother me or not. I try to think it wouldn't but, like you said before, sometime people don't know themselves as well as they think." He said with a small wave of his hand as if being so dethatched were just some quirk that wasn't worth thinking on.
"Besides, even if they don't mean it the type of mask someone chooses can still be quite revealing. It might hide who they are, but often gives hints at who they wish to be. Sometimes that can be even more revealing, at least the way I see it." The young man said with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

''Is that so? Well, they can try to do that, it won't bother me.'' he returned the slight smirk. Looked like Cain had some sort of humor too. That was a nice thing to know. It would make conversing less boring in future. A little bit of humor was always welcome. ''Yeah, right, if that's what you say.'' he added with a bit of amusement in his tone. While Hibiki had no way to know if Cain was serious about that statement, it did seem quite sarcastic to him. After all, it was the opposite of what he was advocating for before, so it made sense that he was just kidding. At least in some sense.

''You don't have close friends? Why so? Don't you get lonely being on your own? Humans are mostly social beings are they not? I suppose, there could be exceptions though. I'm not saying that one should have plenty of friends when they don't want to.'' Besides, friends weren't easy to get. Hibiki himself knew many people, and yet he didn't have as many friends as that. It wasn't so simple after all. ''True, even a mask can reveal a lot, if presented in a wrong way. Most people don't realize that though. You're pretty smart I'd say.'' he said kind of jokingly, as the atmosphere seemed to be going down that road with the last few exchanges. Too much seriousness was overrated anyway.

Cain wasn't exactly sure what to say. How exactly was one supposed to answer a question like "Why don't you have many friends?" Normally it wasn't something he was ashamed of, and really it was his own fault for saying so in the first place, but he still felt a little uncomfortable being confronted with the fact so blatantly in a 'friendly' conversation. If it were an argument he could go on the defensive or lash out and it would be an expected 'normal' response. However at a time like this, things were different. He couldn't seem to offensive or defensive, lest he seems sensitive about the subject. It was a troublesome situation, but Cain decides that this case he'd fall back on humor and hope it satisfied Hibiki well enough.

"Hmm, a tough question. Perhaps I would know the answer if I were a little smarter." Cain said with a small nod as if he were deep in thought.
"I've tried new cologne, reading silently to myself, general snark, occasional eye rolling... practically everything but outright bribery, right? I guess I'm just doomed to be forever alone. Someone has to be the observer after all. I'm fine with letting the other characters take center stage while I wait in the wings." Cain said with a short laugh, as if this were a discussing a bad haircut from years ago.

"How about you, Hibiki? I know you're new here, but do you have any close friends? I don't see someone like you playing the cold loner type."

Apparently Cain was attempting a funny response. He'd know the answer if he was smarter, huh? If he wasn't smart, he wouldn't probably be able to hold the kind of conversation they had up till now. So, he was contradicting himself in that statement, which meant that it was most likely a try at a joke. Or he was underestimating himself. Cain spoke about trying to make some friends, but the means he mentioned didn't really point towards that. Stuff like occasional eye rolling weren't exactly the best way to bait someone, and he was pretty sure Cain was at least aware of that fact. Although, it was possible that the whole statement was supposed to be a joke too. Hibiki wasn't entirely sure at that moment. It could have been, or it could have been not. Besides, Cain seemed to be the type to like being on his own. Hibiki could understand that. In a way he had been like that too when he was younger, even though it was probably for a different reason.

''Well, if you like it that way, then why not? Though, I suppose I could always applaud you for your amazing imagination when it came to trying.'' he kept it lighthearted, as he didn't think that Cain would tell him more if he were to keep asking. ''Hm, there are a few people I know a little better, but I can't say I'm really close to anyone. While I do enjoy company, I can handle being alone for some time, so I could 'play' a loner if I wanted to. It tends to get boring after a while though. There's only so many things you can do on your own.'' Afterall, just what would he be doing now, if he had no one to talk to? Honestly he had no idea.

''Not everyone is open-minded to meeting new people after all. And getting dissed out by someone, when you're just trying to make a friendly small talk is a bit annoying, is it not?''

"Oh, so now I'm smart and I'm imaginative? Maybe flattery was the trick I should have tried? It certainly seems to be working well enough for you. Keep it up and I'm going to end up with a swelled head. Trust me, the only thing worse than seeing me mopey is seeing me self-sure and arrogant. I'm a bit difficult like that." Cain said with a chuckle. He wasn't used to receiving praise like this, and wasn't sure exactly how to handle it. He supposed Hibiki was just trying to be nice. That or buttering him up to try and curry favor for some unseen purpose. The only thing that confused Cain is what Hibiki could be after. He'd made it fairly clear he had little to offer him, so why go out of the way to act kind? Cain briefly wondered if the fact that he didn't know was precisely why he made so few friends.

"Well, hopefully I wasn't the one doing the dissing. I wasn't trying to seem like a jerk, though if I did I'm sorry." Cain said in response to Hibiki. He wasn't sure if he'd done anything wrong, but he was actually interested in staying on Hibiki's good side at least, a little.
"I've got agree with you on the boring thing, though personally I don't see being alone as the cause. Whether by yourself or in a group, sometimes things just see a little monotonous. Well, to me they do at least. Most people seem happy enough most times, so maybe I'm just the one with the problem? I mean logically that would make the most sense." Cain said with a shrug.

"Well, here's hoping we both find something truly worth getting excited over. Hopefully it won't take too long." Cain said, raising a hand as if he were giving a toast.

''Is it now? Maybe I should do it more often, then.'' Hibiki laughed lightly. Flattery wasn't his initial intention, but it wasn't a bad outcome. If Cain enjoyed it then it was a plus he hadn't even planned for. Unexpected instances like this one were always welcome. ''I wouldn't mind. Even arrogance is a part of who we are. It'd still be you, no?'' he gave a slight shrug. He was mostly okay with everything, so he didn't think Cain would manage to upset him. Being yourself is important.

''Don't worry, you're alright, being a jerk is not the worst thing there is.'' For all Cain was saying about himself, Hibiki didn't think he was a bad guy. If he really thought he wasn't nice, he'd probably reconsider if he met certain people. ''True enough. A group activity can get boring pretty quickly too. I don't think you're the only one though. Everyone has a problem with something. It's just that they choose not to show it. It's as simple as that.'' he said neutrally. People hid their thoughts all the time, so it's become a normal occurence already. And no one cared anymore either.

''As wishful as that kind of thinking is, I suppose so.'' he commented on Cain's proclamation with a little bit of amusement apparent in his voice, as he made a small wave with his hand, as if to shrug it off. ''Then again, I guess hoping for something to happen is what everyone does.'' he added after a moment, kind of like an afterthought, if anything.

Cain folded his arms and gave a small grunt of satisfaction. Hibiki wasn't so bad. He seemed a little naive by Cain's standards but definitely not foolish. Besides it wasn't like he wanted everyone to be stuck down in the doldrums. It was nice to see someone bright who seemed happy. He was almost a little jealous of the young man.

"Yeah, I guess humans like hope as well as lies. Though I have to wonder which is more important. Sometimes I wonder if their even two different things for that matter. Still, now's not the time for griping. I've already done enough for the day." Cain said looking at Hibiki with a sort of appreciation.

"You know, some say that there are two kinds of people: those that hope for change and those that make it. I'm not sure if that true or not, honestly it sounds like a gross oversimplification, but if it is you seem like the latter to me. I wonder what type of things you'll end up getting into here." Cain said with an unfamiliar sort of sincerity. He leaned back in his seat and threw up his hands a moment later with a grin.
"Or maybe I'm wrong and nothing will happen at all. Guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"

''It can be quite tricky. While hope and lies are definitely completely different words, they tend to have the same meaning in many situations.'' Hibiki stated shortly. ''But, yeah, whatever. As fun as this topic is, we might just move on already.'' he said after that. Cain didn't want anymore griping about it, so the best bet would be to talk about something else, right? They were taking it quite far already, and it was bound to get confusing if they kept up much longer anyway. This kind of talk could be pretty chaotic in a sense.

''Really? Haven't heard that one before. I wonder what makes you think I'd be the one to act. Do I really seem that way? I'd rather take the middle ground if I could, though. You'd probably match more with the former, am I right?'' It was an interesting sort of division, and while Hibiki doubted it was accurate, he was willing to humor it. Might hold some meaning afterall. ''Yes, that we do. Or we could get up and make something happen instead of waiting for it. It's always an option.'' he said thoughtfully, leaning back in the seat, wondering just how did they come to this. A strange conversation, indeed.

"'Get up and make something happen', huh? And you're wondering why I think you're a doer?" Cain said with a laugh. Didn't even making a statement like that make it obvious? It could be a joke, but even still it made a clear point. At the end of the day even jokingly Hibiki was taking charge.  He gave a small stretch and cracked his neck.

"As for your earlier question, yeah I suppose I am in the former. At least if that divide is accurate and I'm being honest.  You think that seventeen years would be enough to accomplish something or at least find out what you'd want to accomplish, but nope. Ah well, what can ya do?" He said with a small amount of false cheer in his tone.  He wasn't sure how exactly to best answer Hibiki. After all, he didn't really want to turn this into a little therapy session. Still if things got a little too personal he could always change topics, right?

"So Hibiki, if you could do one thing what would it be? And before you say anything yeah I know it's basically a corny grade school 'introduce yourself' question, but just humor me. If you could do one thing, and be absolutely certain it would work what would you do?"

''Hm, didn't think of it that way. I guess you do have a valid point. I didn't even notice the meaning of what I said until now. Maybe that means I should actually make something happen.'' he chuckled lightly. It really didn't occur to Hibiki that he had contradicted his own question until Cain cleverly pointed it out. Maybe he should pay more attention to his words next time. Well, at least it made for a good joke. Everyone says something stupid once in a while, so it didn't bother him much. Small missteps are always better than screwing it up completely.

''You can still try to figure it out. Afterall at seventeen you're still pretty young. If you'll be persistent enough, I'm sure you can find something that you want to do. It will come along if you won't give up.'' Hibiki wasn't exactly sure what was he trying to accomplish by saying that, but he did so anyway. Cain still had a long time in front of himself, so he could think of something, no? He wouldn't say it was a bad thing to wait though. Making hasty choices could be just as wrong as not doing anything at all.

''That's a hard decision, you know? But if I really have to, I'd say it'd be something along the lines of making everyone happy? That isn't really an exact action, I suppose. But I'm not much of a fan of set stone things. So, that would have to do.'' he said that with a small hint of unsureness in his voice. This wasn't an easy thing for him do decide on. Coming up with an important decision so quickly wasn't what he enjoyed doing. He prefered being able to think on it before making a final choice. ''Considering you brought it up, how about you? What would you do?'' he asked neutrally. He asked mostly because he didn't want to be the only one answering this kind of stuff. Of course, he was a little bit curious what Cain's answer would be as well. Maybe he had something big. Afterall, he could have expected to be asked in return too.