@luciianoir liked for a starter!
Hop eyes the young man across the clearing from his spot on the bench, looking down and fiddling with his phone every now and then so his obvious staring doesn’t seem so, well, obvious. The guy who currently has Hop’s attention is looking at his own phone, thankfully (hopefully) unaware of the Trainer’s gaze.
It reminds him of studying a Pokemon in their natural environment - though he quickly dismisses the strange thought. Hop shifts again, turning slightly to crisscross his legs in front of him. Maybe the reason why is that this guy exudes cool - which normally wouldn’t be a problem for Hop, but Lee was always there to introduce him to the cool people. Why can’t I look cool an’ act cool? There’s gotta be a secret to it that no one’s tellin’ me about…
It’s only when he comes out of his thoughts and remembers he’s trying to be sneaky that he realizes the stranger is staring back at him. Hop waves awkwardly, paired with an equally awkward smile. Oops…
Well, he made his bed. Time to lie in it. “Sorry fer starin’,” he starts once he’s sure he can be heard, “was just off in lala-land, yanno?” Not a lie, but not the full truth. Followed by flattery - that usually helps, right? “Say, uh, where’d ya get yer cool shirt?”
☆☆☆ Noct doesn’t notice at first that someone is looking at him. He's searching through his phone, skimming through texts from some new people he’s met recently -- some asking for minor favors, some asking to hang out. He isn’t lonely here, per say, but he definitely did like that other people are reaching out to him. Even if it’s a weird version of what him, Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis used to do when they were doing hunts.
Only... the hunts this time are things like catch a cat that ran out into the alleyway, or deliver a message that someone doesn’t want to deliver themselves.
Noct looks up -- he’s not sure why he does, but his phone goes back in his pocket and he’s making eye contact with someone from across the way. His brows furrow and he’s trying to figure out why the other is staring when he speaks.
“Oh? Uh...” he pauses, looks at his shirt, and then back up again. “The mall. I got my shirt at the mall.” Is it cool? He didn’t really think about it like that, just that it’s the Insomnian royal color -- black -- and what he feels most comfortable in.
He looks at the other and offers him a small little smile. “I like your jacket, too.”