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『Bite Bullets』 Garnet; Room 3 R-S-COS

[fujxmiya]

Pocket Change | Kaori & Leon

[fujxmiya]

That word— friends. No, no, no, they weren’t that, she tried to assure herself. The word allies burned just as much. She would forget, if she considered him a friend, when Monday rolled around. Kaori didn’t want to lose the memory of someone doing something kind for her in this city. This small train of thought drew her away from the conversation, and she struggled to fill the silence before he did, finding her cheeks gaining a rosy dusting of embarrassment.

Acquainted. Acquaintances. That should be safe. “Mm, of course,” she replied sheepishly, fiddling with the plastic handles of her bagged purchases.

[liberixfatali]

♠》He exhaled brusquely and sipped his coffee, now cold due to neglect. His eyes sharply looked her over as he took in his sip of the bitter drink. His idle hand slipped into his pocket and curled around his cellphone.

"Something wrong?" he frowned, "Did you not want to be acquainted? I can just turn around and forget we ever interacted. I'm just loosely using acquaintances out of common courtesy. It's not as if I'm genuinely interested in meeting people."

[fujxmiya]

Pocket Change | Kaori & Leon

[fujxmiya]

"I-I know," she mumbled meekly. She knew as well as anyone else how heavy the air was in the city and how risky it was to openly trust someone enough to display such actions so boldly. "You’re not a stranger! You helped me just a little while ago!" That was enough of a basis for trust that Kaori needed, since he didn’t otherwise seem to be much of a threat.

"Kaori Fujimiya," she offered with another soft smile. "See, now we know each other’s names, so we’re not complete strangers anymore."

[liberixfatali]

♠》He looked to her with uncertainty, "That doesn't exactly make us friends or allies...". The name Kaori Fujimiya didn't sound familiar, which confirmed her as being yet another civilian. It was a relief, at least this way he didn't have to put up hostile airs.

"...but I guess that makes us acquainted now..." he said in a low tone, a little embarrassed to say it since this is probably his first acquaintance out of work in ages.

[fujxmiya]

Pocket Change | Kaori & Leon

[fujxmiya]

Her smile weakened slightly as she heard his reply, but she nodded all the same. She understood what he was saying, and particularly about how he’d rather leave the matter as it was. Many people in the city were private enough, that she understood all too well. “Right, right.” Kaori shifted her bags to her other hand, extending her right hand out to him for a friendly shake.

"Thank you once again, Mister Leon!" After having shaken hands, she took a few steps away, not wanting to intrude beyond that point. Kaori truly did appreciate the kindness he showed her; honestly giving her a hand when she was all out of options. It saved her the embarrassment of potentially having to go through the line to put the items back on the shelves in a foolish manner. Ah, but she should at least give her name in return as well… it would be odd to ask for it but not offer at least that much information in return.

[liberixfatali]

♠》He didn't even get a chance to react when her hand was suddenly on his and shaking his limp arm around. He froze up and took back his hand, "D-Don't just shake strangers hands like that..!!" he mostly felt embarrassed for being caught off guard, "You don't know how other people will react. You know not everyone around here is friendly."

He huffed, "You're lucky I'm in a pleasant mood today.."

[fujxmiya]

Pocket Change | Kaori & Leon

[fujxmiya]

"I-I did appreciate it, especially since everyone looked like they wanted to make their purchases as quickly as possible and I didn’t want to be in the way.." But she did have the money to pay, really— she simply didn’t have it with her at the time.

She figured it was best to not be in debt to anyone, especially if it was to a member of one of the two families. It might cause her trouble later on if she wasn’t too careful. She didn’t see anything that may be an indication that he was in Roseus or Caeruleus, nor did she recognize him from her memories, or lack thereof. Kaori didn’t want to be persistent all the same, and thought of something that might not fully repay the favour, but it would be a kind gesture nonetheless. “If you’re certain it isn’t necessary, may I at least.. know your name to thank you properly?”

[liberixfatali]

♠》He nervously shifted between feet, it was his day off and the last thing he wanted was to be recognized among the normal folk. He wasn't even that well known, so the chances of being recognized were slim but who knows. He wasn't looking to start a conflict with an anti-mafia person either but, "..my name is..Leon.." he sighed softly and relaxed a little.

"I don't do this sort of thing often, and quite honestly it's kind of embarrassing to me..so just leaving it at that is quite enough for me. I won't miss that money anyways, trust me." He felt a little relief from getting at least a bit of what was on his mind out, "though, I am kind of curious..but didn't you check your wallet to see if you had any money before you left home?"

[fujxmiya]

Pocket Change | Kaori & Leon

[fujxmiya]

"Excuse me," she spoke softly in attempt to get the male’s attention. By the way he was eyeing the streets, it seemed as if he was already looking for an escape option. Not that she was much of a threat, but at least she wasn’t the only one who had been uncomfortable from the brief scene in the store. With a burst of a bit more confidence, Kaori approached him with more of a rare, friendly smile.

"Thank you for earlier! I would like to pay you back right now, if you don’t have to be elsewhere right now! There should be an ATM a couple streets from here.." Probably closer to the Amethystinus apartments, she estimated.

[liberixfatali]

♠》And just as he feared, contact. He advert his eyes only for a second before looking to the girl in astonishment, "No..no..you don't have to do that.."

"Just consider it a gift. I'd feel bad if you paid me back, what kind of guy would I be if I accepted money from a girl?". It would definitely be a blow to his macho pride. He tapped his foot absentmindedly and shrugged his shoulders. Every moment that passed between them making him feel all the more awkward. Was it really that strange that he helped her out? Didn't people do that sort of thing? Do I look poor? I didn't shower this morning maybe it's that..shit I should have showered..Oh god how do you explain kindness. Kindness? No, I did it to get her out of the way so I could buy my stuff. That's not kindness. Thoughts plagued his mind, he was likely over thinking things but that's just something Leon did a lot.

[fujxmiya]

Pocket Change | Kaori & Leon

[fujxmiya]

"Thank you.. I’m very sorry for the trouble," Kaori trailed off, unable to place a name to the face as per usual. She shifted uncomfortably, accepting the money with guilt weighing heavily on her conscience, ashamed she had to ask for a favour.

She wouldn’t make him wait to receive the money back, either. Hastily paying and taking her bag of groceries, she stood just outside of the entrance of the store for him.

[liberixfatali]

♠》Once the girl was done and gone, Leon bought his magazines he'd come by to pick up and and a coffee as well. With that, he left the shop. It was then that he noticed the girl from a while ago was still standing outside; he wondered if she still needed help, but he convinced himself that it was none of his concern now.

He even contemplated walking the long way just to avoid her, it was already awkward enough for him. Or maybe he was the only one making this awkward for himself.

[fujxmiya]

Pocket Change | Kaori & Leon

Clumsily checking her change purse; all too anxious with the long line of customers behind her when Kaori came to a realization.

She was short a few credits and tokens to pay for her purchases.

"Um… pardon me, but do you think.." Turning her head slightly to the person behind her and gesturing to her wallet.

[liberixfatali]

♠》He sternly stared at the girl, the urge to scold her on her carelessness was strong but if he did that wouldn't really help the situation. He sighed and took out his wallet, reaching in for a few credits and handing them to her without a word. 

It should be enough, or at least he hoped.

[liberixfatali]

Pfft, no. I'm just a normal citizen like you. [{Cloud}]

♠》The carnival so far has been a pleasant experience for Squall Leon, and it showed as he'd already gathered a good amount of prizes from a few games. Even as he strolled about he was already planning where to place them in his room. It was a bit silly, yes, but Leon was a silly man at heart even if he didn't realize it himself.

As he navigated past the stands and rides, he kept an eye out for yet another game to play and win. The people around him were easily tuned out, as if he were on a special mission of some sort. Soon enough, bright flashing lights that travelled straight up high a pole with an obnoxious blinking neon sign at the top that spelled out "test your strength" caught this pride hungry lion.

The ultimate test of a man's pride.

Once he stood before the game he could feel his adrenaline pumping out of sheer excitement and anticipation to prove just how strong he was. He'd been training for this his entire life (not really), each year he'd tried but alas he could never get that top shelf prize. Always close but never there.

He was confident in his skill, he could just feel the synthetic fur of the top shelf giant lion plush on his fingertips.

He was only one person away from his goal. The guy infront didn't look like he'd win top shelf though. He appeared to be scrawny, hah he'd be lucky if he managed to even get a bottom shelf prize Leon silently mocked the blonde. For some reason, the blonde was taking his sweet time; it was a bit irritating to Leon. That wimpy blonde didn't even look like he had a shred of self confidence, he was wasting his time if anything. Most importantly wasting Leon's precious time. Oh woe is he.

"Hurry it up, will you? It's test your strength not test your stare." he clicked his tongue. It was unlike him to be impatient but this was one game he seriously really wanted to play. 

[comorbidly]

carnival lights {open}

[comorbidly]

It took a moment for the brunette to register his words and Aoba’s gaze had flickered to watch the speckled goldfish swim around it’s new, smaller container in the crouched man’s hand. When he detected the other moving to look at him from the corner of his eye, amber orbs shifted to look him in eye and send a smile; He was Roseus, he knew him but he’d never really done much by way of actually talking to him before. “Really?” Shifting to step forward and tug at the thighs of his jeans so he could crouch beside him, he paid the money to the stall vendor and accepted the scoop and the bowl of water to put the fish in.

"You made it look way too easy though." His gaze went down to the tub of swimming fish, eyes trying to pick out a nice fish to attempt to scoop as his brows pulled down in a frown of concentration. "That one." He declared as a rather large goldfish circled to near the surface of the water and he darted the scoop down through the water and under the fish in a quick shot. To his credit, he’d been able to lift the fish from the water, but he wasn’t quick enough to tip it into the bowl of water and it’s panicked flailing broke the paper scoop and it dropped through the tattered remains of it and landed back in the water with a ‘plop’.

Aoba stared at the scoop before sighing and discarding it, buying another.

"You’re…" His gaze was on the fish, though he was clearly addressing Leon. "…Roseus, right? Aren’t we neighbours?" He could recall seeing him around the Garnet Wing at least, but maybe he had someone in there to visit? Aoba didn’t know. "You’re…" He frowned again, trying to sift through the names and faces he could place or just about place of people in the family. "…Leon…?" He didn’t know his second name but he knew that much. "I…think we might have worked together before." Maybe. He didn’t truly know.

[liberixfatali]

♠》He carefully watched the other try and fail to catch the larger goldfish, he wondered why he'd pick the larger one instead of the smaller ones that would be easier to catch. Over ambitious maybe, doesn't look the type... he thought to himself.  

"It's just in the wrist" he demonstrating by flicking his wrist, "water, fish, dump; all in one quick circular motion. But you have to do it as soon as you feel the weight of the fish on the scoop. Even the slightest hesitation will ruin you. Though, if I were you I'd start with smaller fish. Just to gauge average weight and know how much speed to apply into the flick." he sheepishly shrunk in place. Rambling again..good job me.

He silenced himself and watched.

"Yes, we are." no use pretending he wasn't aware of them being neighbours; his eyes followed the fish in pursuit. "Ah...but I don't think we've worked on a job before. I normally go solo..." his voice lowered for a moment, "if we have, it was probably on a large operation.

But there's no way I'd remember. I kind of tune out people a lot.."

He bought another scoop for himself and picked a fish to pursuit, "we're terrible neighbours though, don't you think so? To have never really interacted until now and all.." Not that he, himself, was very sociable to begin with. However, when it came to the family it would always be better to sacrifice his personal desire to seclude himself from social interaction. Who knows when you might need a favour from someone.

[comorbidly]

carnival lights {open}

If you took a step back and looked at a carnival from a distance, it looked loud and unruly. Colours strung at seemingly odd tangles as lights flickered rhythmically while tinny music interspersed with tinny music to make a cacophony of sounds, today they were muddling his senses almost and the lights were swimming before his eyes like brightly coloured fish under the rippled surface of a pond. It was always like this after he had an episode of blacking out. He’d never come round anywhere near anything he was presumed to have done, there was no trace of blood on anything and no wounds to tell him that what he had done wasn’t a dream, but the congratulations from other Roseus told him that he had done something right. He’d come round to find himself stood on the outskirts of the loud beast that was the carnival with it’s cobbled together stalls and loud, loud music. So loud, so very loud. He shoved his hands in his white and blue hooded jacket and wandered over to the refreshments stall, grabbing a cup of soda so he could take a headache pill and try to enjoy the carnival. He wanted to go on the rides, he wanted to wine stupidly cheap prizes at an overpriced game rate; most of all he wanted to just forget about the general worries that came with a blackout and just focus on prteneding that there wasn’t some invisible layer of blood on his hands. He was Aoba. He was Roseus. He was unaware of himself. Sucking the straw between his lips after tossing a couple of pills into his mouth, he dragged drink up the plastic object and swallowed it along with the pills, walking around while waiting for the blissful release that came with the potent painkillers he was prescribed to deal with his ‘migraines’. His sneaker encased feet carried him through the wide alleys of the stalls, amber eyes looking to and fro for something interesting to do once the pills wore off; he wanted to act like nothing was wrong and being dressed in normal clothes meant that he wouldn’t cause bother for anyone. A guady sign with a badly drawn fish on it drew his attention near the end of the alley of booths he walked up, his feet walking over to peer down at the people bent over the large basins of water filled with differently patterned goldfish. “Hmm.” Maybe that would give him something to latch onto in normalcy? A normal fish swimming around a normal bowl in his abnormal room. His gaze went down to watch a white and orange speckled one that was soon scooped up and deposited in the water filled tub the people attempting the game were given.

"Hey nice, you made that look easy." Whereas other’s had struggled and ripped their flat paper nets. He’d directed his attention to the person who had captured the most likely alarmed goldfish. "Is it easy?" Maybe he would try…a goldfish was an easy pet, right?

[liberixfatali]

♠》Social events that had nothing to do with a job weren't Squall's Leon's favourite activity, but it was worth it if it meant he could escape the monotonous routine of daily life. He'd already hit up quite a few game stalls and racked up some prizes which showed by the bulging backpack by his side. He didn't need these prizes, winning and gathering them was more of a self-pride thing than anything else.

His eyes swam along with a certain little speckled goldfish, it stood out among the rest of the goldfish which were simple shades of orange. It was fast too, making it difficult for someone with untrained eye-to-hand coordination to catch it; unluckily for it, Squall Leon was not that someone.

With the patience of 1000 meditating monks under a waterfall, Squall Leon tuned out the world around him and in a swift yet delicate flick-and-pick he was able to obtain the fish and transfer it over to the tub in his possession. Slowly he once again became aware of the world around him, lights and sounds fading into his senses. Muffled words caught his attention making him look up from where he was crouched. The man by him was Aoba Seragaki, family. He knew OF him but wasn't personally acquainted with him. He also knew a few things about him that he'd heard from around the block; but like many other family members, he was just glad this guy was on his side.

"As long as you're patient." he answered, "I try to imagine it as if I'm about to snipe someone".

His eyes wandered to the fish in his tub, "It helps...I guess." 

[alternativesotd]

Visit Original Link

[liberixfatali]

♠》"seriously...?"

[paopufruit]

[liberixfatali]

ROBOTS OR DINOSAURS?

♠》"Whatever."