Off-Duty [Open to One]

"Mn, staying in line is definitely safer...the average person doesn't want to get in trouble." Making yourself stand out wasn't worth it just to sate your curiosity. For most people, at the very least. The young man's brows would pinch a bit in thought. "If you had the opportunity to seek an answer...would you take the risk?" He had no clue why, but the man's words made it clear enough that he had some personal interest in the behind the scenes of that particular case. Strange, for it was just an Arcade, and chances were it was not the only oddity that existed. What made it so special...?

Anyway...huh?


15 plus 6 made for 21...so this man was just 3 years older than him? Really? The vibe he gave sure hadn't quite matched that, then again it was not like Huayan would consider himself amazing at making guesses at people's ages unless he had some evidence to go off of. "Well...yes. Last year though."

"You would think...that someone who works for them wouldn't be as eager to question their methods." It wouldn't be difficult to imagine that were opinions like that to reach the wrong ears, that in and of itself could be labeled as a form of near heresy, especially if they really did not wish for anyone to consider digging around. He would lean back in his seat a little. "Does this kind of thing happen often...or was that case unique?" It could probably be either or...

"Yes." Well, he was 18 indeed, not much else to say about that. The sudden switch to making orders did catch him off guard though as he found himself awkwardly flitting his gaze between the man and the waitress. He didn't really want to mooch on someone else's money, but it would maybe also be rude to just decline in this situation? He had nothing in mind either, he had barely even drank much of his coffee yet, in fact. Still... "Um...do you have anything cinnamon flavored?" He didn't even know the menu, honestly.

The young man would just shake his head slightly, his only response to all that a bit of a mumble. "People are good at lying..." Perhaps allegiations were not common, because with lack of proof, it was likely just a fruitless dance and the Congregation surely wouldn't want too many baseless rumors that would point towards misbehavior floating around. Those who knew they did or thought something unacceptable would likely keep it under wraps, so a lot of instances probably simply couldn't be proven enough to be acted on.

"I..." He would very briefly glance at the menu, but seemed to quickly decide it wasn't worth wasting the time poring over it and trying to decide whether something else was a better choice. "I can try one of those I suppose." Hopefully it was fine.

"Benefits, huh...?" The question seemed to be mostly a musing spoken to himself under his breath more than anything else, as he just sighed faintly. He wasn't sure he'd consider the possible outcomes as truly beneficial, but then again he was no politician nor had an idea of how people in government positions really thought. They had their agendas, that much was for sure.

When the man switched to question him instead, the young man would have a tinge of a frown pass over his face, before seemingly remembering his so far untouched coffee and deciding to fill the temporary silence with taking a sip. That was a somewhat loaded question, to be honest.

"I suppose...that whatever did happen ended up being to their advantage, or they...simply turned it into a profit somehow. That would be why there's both rumors, but it's also not a big deal. I would presume that regular citizens don't get to know what happens as a result of such cases...so ultimately, how much does having an opinion matter?" If you acted like you knew too much, or did accidentally take guesses that weren't well received, it wasn't much better than digging too much and getting yourself in trouble. There was little gain from it, really.

"Yeah. The less people digging into the whole matter makes it easier to keep things under wraps, no? If people have already settled on an explanation, neitherside really owes any corrections. But I've probably alreadysaid too much." He chuckled, and finished his cup of coffee, before snapping a bite off his gingerbread cookie. "Heh, in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't matter much. I was just curious, that's all. You got a good head on your shoulders, kid. If only more of my coworkers got as sharp and critical line of thinking." Eloy found himself quite fortunate to stumble upon this boy. Maybe when those powers awakened, he could rope him into Group C. Camp Windfall could definitely use someone with his talents.

Suddenly, the door behind them opened, and a tall, blonde girl walked in. At least 6 foot tall, most likely taller. Her green eyes scanned through the coffee shop, as if looking for someone, rather than walking up to the counter and get something from the cafeteria like a normal person. After having swept her gaze through the shop twice, her eyes finally found their mark. "Hey, Boss!" She called, walking up to their table. "Where the 'ell have you been? The Vanguard Meeting is in fifteen minutes! Please, don't tell me you forgot..." The tall woman shook her head in exasperation. "Sorry, kiddo. Looks like we gotta continue this another time. Work's calling. Can't be late to my first day back after vacation." He gave Huayan a warm smile, holding the cookie between his teeth while he swung his black jacket over his shoulders. "Take care, Huayan."

"You don't make your coworkers sound competent..." A surprisingly blunt statement, but he also didn't have much else to say to that regardless. Discussing vague concepts lead to headaches. He did mean what he said though, it painted a strange picture to imagine he had better thinking than people already out there working.

Too bad that curiosity wouldn't get expanded upon, as a rather energetic interruption arrived, abruptly cutting things short. Huayan would only manage to regard the scene somewhat blankly, but would offer a slight nod to the man in the end. "Mm..." Well, he'd do as he always did...except now he had a half cold coffee and even a snack he didn't touch yet to finish before he could think about getting out of here...

Hopefully no one else would speak to him for now...

~~Exit~~