GENERAL STATS ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆ ⊹⊱⋛⋋ Damen Daniels ☬ 1419 Doux Occupation: CEO of his own toy factory Where: Taste of Italy Dating:Mark Hyun Status: Healthy, focused on Mark Thoughts:... ⋌⋚⊰⊹ ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆
CURRENT EQUIPMENT:
MH: Shadow Sword (when summoned, two handed Armor: General clothing
200/200 HP
Damen opened the door to Taste of Italy and smiled to Mark as he held it open for his beloved to walk in. Once Mark was inside the restaurant, Damen walked in after them and allowed the door to close. For this evening's eating out he had dressed casual formal. He was used to Soleil's laid back character by now, but he had also kept it casual for his boyfriend, not wanting them to feel like they stood out to much. The demon was wearing a relatively tight black jeans with full black sneakers and on the jeans he was wearing a light blue blouse of which he had left the top 3 buttons unbuttoned. He looked at home in a restaurant, yet not so over the top that his boyfriend might feel awkward. The young man led Mark to the counter and told the man behind it his name and their table number. The man smiled and nodded before leading them to the table near a window and somewhat in the back where it was really calm. It was surprising there weren't many people around with how high this place scored on the stars but Damen didn't think too much of it. His mind was with the wonderful man by his side. Of course the conversation had been rather awkward to Damen and perhaps in some way a bit hurtful, considering the threats, but he didn't mention it. This evening would be all about Mark and him. After all Mark had chosen to be with him and that alone was enough for the man to not allow other thoughts to darken the evening.
If Aldon would have been here, he might have been proud to see how Damen handled this, considering his past. They sat down at the table they were assigned and the demon smiled softly seeing Mark look at the menu right away. It was good to see they handled restaurants better now. It didn't take long for a waiter to come to their table ready to take the first part of their order. "And for me a Negroni Sbagliato please." Damen replied without even needing the menu to make this choice. It was a great early evening drink to start a multi course dinner with. It was the same as a Negroni except that the gin was replaced with sparkling white whine. It was an accident when it was first invented, but turned out to be delicious. The demon had become rather partial to it for Italian dinners once he tried it one time in Milan. When the man walked off to get their drinks, Damen looked at Mark who asked him a question and smiled at them gently. Mark showed so much interest in his company, the man really should take him with him when visiting sometime really. "Everything is going well from what I hear from Aldon, but he is still loath to let me pry too much. He keeps reminding me why he sent me to Soleil." Damen replied and chuckled a bit despite it all. He knew his dear friend meant well after all. And it wasn't like he had to worry anyway, the place was in good hands with Aldon. "I should really bring you with me sometime. I should drop by soon either way. What do you think?" he extended the invitation to his beloved. In the meantime the waiter came back, placing a raspberry tea in front of Mark and the cocktail in front of Damen before retreating again to continue the rest of his work.
ON HIS PERSON
House Keys Portfolio with several business cards of clients
HIS ABILITIES
⬤ Blade of Shades: Nothing particularly powerful, just like any other sword but forged from shadows around him. As such he doesn't carry it on his waist all the time but he can create it. Something he doesn't really wish to use and so far only called it more than once for the wish to be able to control it to avoid accidental injuries. He isn't really a fighter however, only ever strikes out to protect those dear to him. (And it rarely includes this blade)
Feeling: Embarrassed l Activity: Talking l Status:Healthy l Relationship Status:Taken
Mark couldn't help but chuckle at the other man's comment his friend Aldon. Of course it didn't surprise Mark too much that the man would constantly remind Damen that he had been sent to this city so that the CEO could finally relax and kick back. Of course Mark could tell that his boyfriend couldn't possibly ever keep his hands off of work for too long since he knew that this company of his was his baby that he'd built from the ground up. Was something about the man that he could genuinely appreciate, hard work and dedication that Damen put into his company was something that Mark admired about the older man. However soon mark would blink and surprised when the other man, that he should bring him too see the company sometime which caused a small but shy smile to grow across his lips"I'd um...I'd like that, it'd be uh...nice to see all the behind the um...behind the scenes..."It really did sound fun and quite interesting to go to the company and see the inner workings of everything. Especially seeing what goes on behind the scenes at a toy company no less definitely sounded quite interesting to Mark, considering the fact that children were the target demographic for toys and trying to keep up with what small children liked would probably be somewhat difficult as fads and Trends we're always changing with kids. Mark would quickly offer a small thank-you at to the server as their drinks were delivered to them and Mark would take a small sip of his tea and smile a bit at Damen"I'd also be able to um...actually meet Aldon too if we did that"It was a nice thought to think that he could finally meet his boyfriend's best friend who was currently running the company while the CEO was away. To his understanding Aldon was the one who always had Damon's back and running this company while the other was away. It would be nice to finally meet the man who was looking out for Mark's boyfriend from behind the scenes.
GENERAL STATS ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆ ⊹⊱⋛⋋ Damen Daniels ☬ 1419 Doux Occupation: CEO of his own toy factory Where: Taste of Italy Dating:Mark Hyun Status: Healthy, focused on Mark Thoughts:... ⋌⋚⊰⊹ ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆
CURRENT EQUIPMENT:
MH: Shadow Sword (when summoned, two handed Armor: General clothing
200/200 HP
Damen smiled when Mark replied. It was nice to see that they would like to see his company too. Though Mark was now the most important in his life, his company was still a close second. Not that it was surprising considering all the years he put into it with Aldon by his side. Of course Mark was also a reason he did do less with the company now, but in Damen's case that was a good thing. And Aldon had already shimmered through sometime before that he was happy that the younger male managed to win his jaded best friend's heart. They had ran away from happiness for far too long in the elf's opinion and it sure lowered the stress for Damen too since he was less tied up into his work. "I'm glad you agree my love. I'll make sure you get a grand tour to everything. I'll take you to the inner most workings as well." he promised and winked at his boyfriend. Damen took a sip of his Negroni as he listened to Mark's other words about Aldon and he smiled, placing his glass down. "Aldon is eager to meet you as well." Damen replied. Though eager was an understatement. The elf was dying to meet the young man that had managed to win his friend's heart and was doing such a great job in helping Damen to relax and take some distance from the company. Since Aldon is an elf he lives a very long life just like Damen would. So they were the perfect man to keep the place running. "You can be assured that when he finds out I'm coming by and bringing you with me, he will be waiting for us on the front. He'll likely be the first you meet." the demon said and chuckled a bit as he thought about how much Aldon seemed to want to meet Mark.
ON HIS PERSON
House Keys Portfolio with several business cards of clients
HIS ABILITIES
⬤ Blade of Shades: Nothing particularly powerful, just like any other sword but forged from shadows around him. As such he doesn't carry it on his waist all the time but he can create it. Something he doesn't really wish to use and so far only called it more than once for the wish to be able to control it to avoid accidental injuries. He isn't really a fighter however, only ever strikes out to protect those dear to him. (And it rarely includes this blade)
Feeling: Embarrassed l Activity: Talking l Status:Healthy l Relationship Status:Taken
(OOC: Short post but I felt like I needed to get something out)
Mark listened to Damen and smiled when the other stated that he would show the young man the inner most workings of his company which made the half Korean feel a soft bit of excitement and anticipation"That sounds really fun Damen, I'm glad!"he stated with a small smile on his face. Though his outer appearance didn't show it too much he was genuinely very happy to know that Damen was so willing to show the young man the intimate details of his company, it was like learning about a whole different part of his boyfriend! Of course Mark would let out a small but nervous chuckle when the other stated that Aldon was excited to meet him as well"I'll be honest..uh...I'm excited to meet him but...also a bit nervous as well..."what if Aldon met Mark in person and didn't approve of him? He was Damen's best friend after all and on top of that Mark was awful at first impressions! What if he said something stupid? Just the thought made the excited anticipation turn to pure nervousness. And that feeling was only compounded when Damen informed him that Aldon would probably be waiting for the two of them and be the first person Mark would meet which only made his anxiety spike even further. The young man couldn't help himself, anxiety often made him overthink and be over critical of himself when there was no reason.
OoC: It's ok. Welcome back. Hope this works too o-o
GENERAL STATS ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆ ⊹⊱⋛⋋ Damen Daniels ☬ 1419 Doux Occupation: CEO of his own toy factory Where: Taste of Italy Dating:Mark Hyun Status: Healthy, focused on Mark Thoughts:... ⋌⋚⊰⊹ ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆
CURRENT EQUIPMENT:
MH: Shadow Sword (when summoned, two handed Armor: General clothing
200/200 HP
It concerned Damen a little that Mark was so subdued. He wondered what that was about. But at the same time he didn't want to sour the mood even further so he decided to not say anything about it. The best he could do was do his best to give his beloved a reason to smile again and be as abundantly happy as he had seen him regularly lately. At least they seemed happy to join him to his company sometime. Damen took another sip of his drink while he listened to his boyfriend, a gentle smile over his lips as he watched them with genuine interest. He was surprised a bit when the other chuckled, more so when they spoke again but that also caused him to chuckle in turn. "Whatever for my love? I am sure he will love you as I do. Aldon isn't a difficult guy to please. What are you worried about my sweet Mark?" he asked them as he reached out and gently caressed his cheek as he spoke. Of course in his eyes Mark couldn't do anything wrong and his best friend was easy to please. That much was his experience after all. "Just be yourself, my love, and you'll be fine." he said, as he did notice some of the nervousness. But perhaps not the entire scope of it. The demon softly placed his right hand on Mark's left, hoping they wouldn't feel too nervous when they met Aldon. The elf really was an old softy. The only way Mark would be able to displease the guy was if he hurt Damen in any way.
ON HIS PERSON
House Keys Portfolio with several business cards of clients
HIS ABILITIES
⬤ Blade of Shades: Nothing particularly powerful, just like any other sword but forged from shadows around him. As such he doesn't carry it on his waist all the time but he can create it. Something he doesn't really wish to use and so far only called it more than once for the wish to be able to control it to avoid accidental injuries. He isn't really a fighter however, only ever strikes out to protect those dear to him. (And it rarely includes this blade)
Feeling: Embarrassed l Activity: Talking l Status:Healthy l Relationship Status:Taken
Mark couldn't help but let his nerves get the best of him even when the time he'd meet Damen's best friend was nowhere near at the moment and was only an idea being tossed around. He'd listen to the other man inquire about what was wrong and he couldn't help but feel his cheeks flush just a bit at both his own embarrassment and how the other used such pet names out in public"W..Well...it's just he's uh...he's your best friend and I...I just don't um..want to make a bad first impression is all..."he rubbed the back of his neck"You know I'm just...uh...really bad with meeting people...."in Mark's opinion he was just awful around people he didn't know and while he'd heard the other man speak in Damen's calls and what not he didn't know the guy personally. Of course when the other touched his cheek Mark couldn't help but feel his cheeks warm over as he swore people were staring even though nobody was at all. He let out a weak chuckle before Mark gently strummed his fingers on the table"Being myself...is what I'm worried about..."in Mark's eyes being himself amounted to being socially awkward and saying things at the worst time and then tearing up over it when he felt stupid. Mark's social anxiety when it came to other people could be positively crippling at times and the mere thought of meeting someone new and someone who was so close to someone he cared about made it only worse. Of course when Damen put his hand over Mark's the younger man couldn't help but smile a bit and sighed"I'm just worrying over nothing I know...it's just hard to be rational...you know?"he stated as thankfully Mark was just self aware enough to know that he was probably worrying about nothing. Thankfully their food would arrive and Mark would begin to dig into his plate of food and smiled a bit"This place is pretty good"he'd compliment the meal before taking a sip of his drink.
「By the time you hear this, oh, I've already self-destructed. . .」 ▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂
After one busy day, it was time for a chill night - just the two of them this time. Desi was dropped off at their usual baby sitter's place this time since she had her other grandchildren - around his age - over, too. She figured it would be good for her kid to make some friends with them, ya know? This meant her and Ronin would have the night for themselves. Besides that one night at Nightshade, they hadn't really had any one on one time. It wasn't like she didn't want her son around, though! Nico just liked a healthy balance! As the couple drove over to the Uptown area of Soleil, the dancer looked over to her baby boy with a curious glimmer in her eye. " This place any good? As long as I've been here I've never had it. " There were a lot of decent restaurants all over the city, but in her whole 5 years of living in the bustling town, she never really treated herself to a fancy dinner at Taste of Italy before. If Nico didn't cook, it was the usual cheap take-out for her and her kid, honestly. With her stomach growling, she let out a little chuckle. " Either way, ya girl is excited and hungry~ "
「. . .Never say anything constructive. And all I am, I am, I can f*ck with.」 ▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂ ✪MOOD: Mellowxxx✪COMPANY: Roninxxx✪OUTFIT: Autumn Babexxx✪OOC: Sorry emotion_sweatdrop It's sort of a short post!
Luxuriously
Cho-Cho Twain
Offline
Yummy Galaxxy
Captain
Divine Seeker
Offline
Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 12:05 pm
x x x x
{ ② ωєєк тιмє sкιρ }
→ мσиםαч, иσvємвєя ⑲тн ←
םαч ① σғ ⑭ υитιℓ тιмє sкιρ
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
☾☼ιи-яρ םαчs sιиcє ℓ.σ. σρєиєם:☼☽ ◦ םαч④0⑦ ◦ ( ① чєαя, ① мσитн, ⑪ םαчs )
Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2021 9:45 pm
「 COME; WAKE ME UP˟ ▾ BEFORE I DIE :＆ I NEVER◞ GET* TOLIVE! ⋮██│tab██│
let the tide wash away 。all my CRITICALMISTAKES＆ ❛)
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ LET ME REWIND ▀▀ *WE FILL OUR MINDS WITH SMOKE
The past two weeks flew by, Vance quickly becoming busy with job searches. Sadly it didn't seem like any of the surrounding academic institutes were looking for assistants, which really narrowed down Vance's potential job pool. While there were several businesses in Soleil City hiring, Vance felt ill-placed in most positions and refrained from even applying. Some days had been really rough on the cyborg's psyche, on one hand he really did need to find a source of income but on the other hand did he truly deserve to have a normal job like normal people? The internal struggle often left Vance too tired to leave bed, instead preferring to stare up at his ceiling and contemplating life.
After nearly a week of depressive episodes and dead ends, it had finally been time to kick his a** into gear. Vance steeled his resolve and during a chilly evening stroll he found Taste of Italy warmly welcoming new waiters, he quickly applied hoping that it would force him out of his comfort zone. Also, he selfishly hoped working at Taste of Italy would give him access to delicious pasta dishes. It definitely wasn't his usual rodeo, waiting on customers and dealing with the general public, but the whole point of moving to Soleil was to try new things.
November 19th officially marked the beginning of Vance's second week at Taste of Italy. What he lacked in social skills he made up for great memory and accurate orders, quickly making his rounds in his zone ensuring that customers never waited for a drink refill nor questioned about the stage of their order. That morning had been a little rougher than usual, while he may be accustomed to his job he was still struggling with having to get up before 9AM. The usual customers had come and gone and soon it was time for Vance's scheduled break.
"I'll be back in 15 minutes." He alerted his coworker who dismissively waved him off, "You don't need to tell me every time you're going on break, they're scheduled, remember? Just make sure you're back before the next rush, 'kay?" Vance nodded with a yawn as he spun on his heel to turn towards the back entrance for employees. It was a tad hot in the back of the restaurant and Vance desperately needed to cool off, luckily the month seemed to be growing colder with each passing day.
A sigh of content escaped from the bluenette when the cool wind kissed his exposed skin, goosebumps quickly appearing in its wake. The alley behind the restaurant was well-kept, Vance expecting no less of the high-end uptown of Soleil, but still he grew bored within seconds. Running his left hand through his hair, he loosened his server's apron around his waist and made his way towards the front of the restaurant to try and people-watch.
'13 minutes and 42 seconds left before my break is up...'
As he rounded the corner he caught sight of familiar snow-white ears and matching hair, elegantly dancing in the wind with every step of its owner. Vance cocked his head to the side slightly and watched as Stryker walked down the street, 'Interesting. I wonder where she could be going, the library perhaps?' It had been over two weeks since he had last spoken to Stryker, and despite having her number he had been too occupied wallowing in his own self-pity to message her. Swallowing back his guilt at being so distant the past two weeks, Vance offered a small wave to Stryker in hopes of catching her attention.
"Doing some shopping? Or is the library also calling out to you?" It was always a battle to stop himself from using his break to run over to the library, knowing that he'd get lost in his research and fail to be back on time. His voice was calm, yet a bit more energetic than usual, almost... Eager? It was uncharacteristic of him, but perhaps his new job was to blame for his newfound "sociability"?
【 ▾taste of italy; outside▀tabtab【▾ stryker▀ 【 ▾ slightly guilty but content▀tabtab【 ▾ 'what's she doing?'▀ 【 ▾ single▀tabtab【 ▾ $850▀
{ooc: let me know if i need to change anything (: }
╰☆ The days had been long, boring and uneventful for Stryker. She managed to pull herself together enough to go to work, but then when she came back home, she'd immediately crawl into bed. She couldn't honestly remember the last time she had actually cooked for herself either. Her house was almost completely bare of any sort of personal touch, and there was little to look at for dishes as well. But there was always that dark room that she had so many locks on. The door that led to the only room that managed to contain her when the fox came out. A shudder ran up her spine at the thought of when she looses control. It had been a struggle to get herself up at morning though to do some shopping. She knew it was time to actually get groceries and actual dishes to cook and eat with. Getting herself ready that morning, Stryker slipped on some shoes, grimacing at the feel of them touching her feet. She hated shoes. And she slipped on a black pea coat, buttoning up and feeling into her pockets, making sure that nothing was left in them from the last time she wore it. Grabbing her purse, one of the few feminine things she owns, she checked to make sure her wallet was in it, and her house key. Satisfied that she had everything she needed, she tossed her long hair up into a lazy pony tail and walked out, locking the door and checking it a few times before making her way down the street. It wasn't long before she entered the Uptown area of the city, the smell of food and fresh air drifted into her nose, making her mouth water. It had been awhile since she had something better than a quick microwave meal. But eating out wasn't quite on the agenda for the day. Though maybe she'd make an exception this time. Not like she'd be able to do it afterwards since she'd have to carry all those bags and such. Frowning, the thought of carrying the bags irritated her. Not like she couldn't do it, with her amount of strength, carrying them wasn't the problem, it was just annoying and she didn't want to. Seeing a motion that seemed a little out of place, she pulled herself from her thoughts to see a bright blue head of hair, waving her down. A calm smile eased into place on her lips as she approached Vance. She hadn't heard from him at all since their first meeting, but she wasn't at all bothered by it. He seemed much like her and appreciated space. A light laugh slipped from her as she nodded slowly to what he said. "Unfortunately shopping has taken priority today as I've put it off for too long. I don't have much in way of food in my home and I'm tired of microwaving food." She shrugged and almost blushed at the embarrassing admission of her lack of will to do anything for herself. Pulling herself from that thought, she looked where they stood. "Taste of Italy...Solomon brought me here once..." The thought made her throat clench up and her stomach felt like it twisted itself into knots, but her face remained the same, without showing a trace of her thoughts. Her ears perked and twitched at his voice, picking up a difference in it from when they had first met. Despite not knowing him for very long, Stryker could swear she noticed a slight change in him, but she dismissed it as something she just didn't see before. "I see you got right to it with getting a job. I'm a bartender over at the Captain's Deck myself if you ever want to come by for a drink. I'll give you a few free rounds if you let me know when you're coming." Her smile turned a little mischievous at the offer, her sharp canines showing. She was far less self conscious in front of him for reasons she could only begin to guess. She would peg it on the fact that he didn't blatantly stare at her or ask her questions about her appearance when they had first met. She wouldn't delude herself into thinking he didn't stare or didn't want to ask, but at least he had the sense to be discrete about it. ╰☆╮
let the tide wash away 。all my CRITICALMISTAKES＆ ❛)
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ LET ME REWIND ▀▀ *WE FILL OUR MINDS WITH SMOKE
Vance couldn't help but c**k an eyebrow at Stryker's admittance, but he wasn't one to judge. He rarely needed to eat and due to that he had little to no groceries in his house, mostly just meal supplement drinks... And the occasional mandarin orange here and there when he's feeling fruity. 'Come to think of it... I'm running low on drinks.' He'd have to remember to run to the store after shift or run the risk of missing yet another meal, not that it would be the end of the world. His body was considered 'fuel efficient' after all, running on less calories and nutrients than a normal humanoid body, so it could go a few days between meals. It tended to just make him a little more tired than usual, but that wasn't anything a nap couldn't solve.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with microwaved meals every once in a while, so long as you're still eating a healthy amount, correct?" Stryker didn't strike him as the type of woman to forget to eat, but he felt a twinge of concern and wanted to make sure that she was still eating properly portioned meals, fearing that her dislike of microwaved meals would turn her away from eating for the day.
He hadn't failed to notice Stryker's golden eyes dart o the building behind Vance, making a comment about his new job. He gave her a blank look, "I would assume it's only natural for an adult to find a job shortly after moving to a new city... Although, perhaps those with adequate amounts of money can afford to, er, coast here in Soleil without worry about jobs." Humor wasn't his best subject, but he hoped that Stryker would get his pun about the coastal city of Soleil. His coworkers had told him that humor and relatable speech patterns would earn him more tips at Taste of Italy. He had yet to see any correlation between the two...
His eyes widened slightly at Styker's proposal for free drinks, not sure when the last time he had had any sort of alcohol. 'There was that time... Before the- It was my twenty-first and the other assistants took me out. Has it truly been that long? How would my- this body react to alcohol?' During his short stroll down memory lane, his brows had furrowed and his eyes had been downcast. A painful twinge in his chest surprised him, unsure of where the feeling came from considering his heart was made of titanium and other metals.
Clearing his throat, he met Stryker's gaze, a sad look hidden in the sky blue orbs. Her smile shone in the late morning sunlight, her teeth sharp and radiating a hint of mischievousness behind them. Accompanying her smile was a genuinely carefree expression, heightened by the cold-induced blush on her cheeks and the tip of her nose. The sincerity behind Stryker's words and expression caught him off guard and a faint twinge of blush spread across his cheeks. Blinking quickly, Vance cleared his face of any sort of emotion and cast his glance to the side.
"To be honest, Stryker, I can't remember the last time I had a drink... I suppose it wouldn't hurt to visit you- just to test my limits with alcohol, of course. I think I'd like to take you up on that offer sometime, naturally whenever shift would be at its slowest. I would hate to be a burden." He hadn't heard about the Captain's Deck, but he didn't want to assume that business would be slow there. The seconds of his break counted down in his head, and he knew that he still had 10 minutes left before he would have to return to work. Although, he almost wished he had more time to chat with his white-haired companion. There was something refreshing about her.
"I suppose it would only be fair that I treat you to a meal here at Taste of Italy sometime, if you care for their food that is? I can't speak for it myself, I haven't had an opportunity to try it. There's just too many pasta options..." His face slightly palled at the memory of looking over their menu, quickly becoming overwhelmed with all of the delicious sounding pastas.
【 ▾taste of italy; outside▀tabtab【▾ stryker▀ 【 ▾ content▀tabtab【 ▾ 'too many dishes'▀ 【 ▾ single▀tabtab【 ▾ $850▀
╰☆ Vance's mannerisms seemed to always be such a relief to Stryker. Though he was incredibly hard to read a lot of the time, and his tone tended to be a bit flat and lacking, it wasn't anything that bothered her. Maybe that's part of the reason why she was so fascinated by him. She was curious what went on in his head. As he told her microwave meals were fine as long as she still eating healthy amount, she looked a bit sheepish but didn't say anything. No. She definitely did not eat enough, or healthy foods for that matter, but that was an admission she wasn't going to give in to this time. Though she was touched at the sentiment that seemed to hide in his words, if it was there. Her heart stuttered a little at the thought and she mentally scolded herself, silly to think that someone she only knew for a short time would be that concerned for her. When he spoke next about it being natural to finding a job as an adult after moving to a new place, she arched a brow and thought on his words for a moment. Covering her mouth and suppressing a laugh, his joke was so bad it was funny. Unable to control herself, she started laughing and had to turn away, now concerned she was being rude if he actually hadn't meant to make a joke out of that. Getting herself under control after a moment and wiping her eyes, she cleared her throat and looked back to Vance, who she was sure he'd have the same expression on as always. "Sorry about that...That bit about the 'coast' kind of got to me..." She gave a lame, but truthful reason behind her laughter. She was coming to realize she didn't actually laugh that much, and the action actually hurt her throat a bit and sounded so foreign to her. An odd feeling it was realizing such a thing. Did it make her feel a little more empty on the inside? Yeah, it definitely did. Teeth gritting together to keep the self hatred at bay, she was surprised by his reaction, however small it was, to her offer to treat him to drinks while she was at work. Though as he remained quiet, she watched his expression change. It was one of obvious sadness, the furrow in his brow making her want to press the pad of her thumb to the crease and ease it back to being relaxed. The thought perplexed her and she rooted herself where she stood so she wouldn't approach him. It was very unlike her to want to actually touch someone, but the look reminded her so much of how she herself felt a lot of the time, she knew what it was like. Looking away, she decided to allow him some sense of privacy, the only thing she could offer him at that time. While not looking, she managed to miss the faint blush that was only there momentarily. Her ears perked and twitched at the sound of his voice, and admission himself to not remembering the last time he had a drink. Turning to look back at him, she was relieved to see his expression back to normal and that he was willing to take her up on the offer. "Great! I'll send you a text when I go in. And don't worry about it being busy or not, you wouldn't be a burden at all. You'd honestly be a refreshing face to what I normally deal with there." She grimaced at the thought of all the people ogling her either because of how she looked, or simply because she is a woman. A gentle smile played on her pale lips now as he offered to treat her to a meal at Taste of Italy as well. It was very kind of him, but she didn't want to push him into feeling like he had to. "It's okay, you don't have to, though I wouldn't mind." Why was she so bad with words?! Frustrated with herself, she groaned quietly to herself. She was trying to get across to him that she didn't want him to feel like he needed to treat her, but she wouldn't turn him down if he was absolutely sure he wanted to do that. She was still trying to work on her socializing skills, even having a job and working with the public, she couldn't get a handle on how to speak to others. ╰☆╮
let the tide wash away 。all my CRITICALMISTAKES＆ ❛)
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ LET ME REWIND ▀▀ *WE FILL OUR MINDS WITH SMOKE
The sound of laughter was still unfamiliar to Vance, so when Stryker let out a barking laugh he was taken aback but was quick to hide his surprise with a dull stare. He internally patted himself on the back for successfully??? cracking a joke and finally making someone laugh after... Gods, nearly a decade? It was only slightly embarrassing, but overall he was proud of his accomplishment. 'Proud, hm? I nearly forgot how this felt, it's... Nice.'
Nearly three weeks in Soliel was doing more for Vance than any action in the past ten years. He was feeling more like he belonged and less like an outcast, though he knew not to get ahead of himself. It was likely the feelings of despair and shame would creep back in any day. They never truly left, but for now he was content with pushing them aside for more forgiving emotions. Vance still had a long way to go before he could return to who he was before the explosion, if it's even possible.
Stryker's excitement at Vance's acceptance of her invitation only confirmed that it was the right thing to do. He may not have to accept every invitation to socialize, but every once in a while would be good for him. And if it were with someone like Stryker, he wouldn't mind so much. She was relaxing to be around and, despite only spending a few hours with her, Vance could feel a sort of unspoken comradery with her. Though, Vance would never admit it out loud, he still wasn't entirely sure if he deserved to be close friends with anyone.
However, her excitement was overshadowed with a grimace, not going unnoticed by Vance, who took note to ask her what she meant at a later time. Stryker seemed to stumble through her next words, leaving Vance only slightly confused about her intentions. Did she or didn't she want a free meal? Vance had the means to buy her one, considering he doesn't spend much on himself.
"Perhaps I'm misinterpreting things, you say you wouldn't mind but then tell me I don't have to, so is that a no?" Even before he became a cyborg, he hadn't really had the opportunity to treat many people to a meal and so he couldn't look back on previous experiences to try and decipher the meaning behind Stryker's words. The only thing that came close was the time he had to gently let a date down when they asked to see him again, work had just been too important to him at the time.
It was almost like a lightbulb went off in his head, he brought his fist down on his open palm gently, "Oh, are you 'letting me down gently'? You don't need to be so polite about it, I'm not incapable of hearing the truth. But I will say that I would like to treat you to a meal. I feel as though studying in the library wasn't a proper thank you for helping me move in." He pointed at his wrist, forgetting that he's not wearing a watch. His internal clock was nearly perfect, with only a few milliseconds' difference give or take. "My break is over in 5 minutes and 34 seconds, we haven't been busy today and my boss has told me I need more practice waiting on customers. If you're free, you'd be doing me, and possibly my coworkers, a favor by allowing me to wait on you."
【 ▾taste of italy; outside▀tabtab【▾ stryker▀ 【 ▾ generous▀tabtab【 ▾ 'i'll do my best.'▀ 【 ▾ single▀tabtab【 ▾ $850▀
{ooc: LOL his savior heart also, sorry he's so WEIRD }
❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆
