What an odd person. Not only were they so highly enthusiastic about his attention but their eyes that glimmered with familiarity caught him by surprise. There was no logical way, he was sure, that they’d met. He’d never spoken to people really and should he have, he would have remembered such a minor, useless detail. If only for the fact of its rarity and nothing more. But alas, it seemed this slipped his mind and he was at a loss for words at this person’s actions. And more so their proclamation of having, indeed, met him before.
{ “I don’t know you.” } The words were quick, calloused in their stern statement. Perhaps a bit more coldly than he’d intended. More so drawn from his confusion alone. Though, this struck him as odd. Perhaps a tad unnerving. And overall, more interesting than his typical day. A person, claiming to know him?
{ “How could you have? This is the first I’ve seen your face.” } Maybe he was fighting to reason with himself. Crossing out one possibility after another. Maybe they’d passed by one another before? Maybe in a simple exchange in a market or- some sort of shop in the more populated areas of the city? And even if they had, why would this person call out to him? There had to be a reason, even if they had met by chance.
{ “Let’s say, you do, by some stroke of stupid luck, know me. Where have we met?” } Did it matter? He was sure it did. { “And even if you did meet me somewhere, why call to me like this?” } It wasn’t as though they were friends or even simple acquaintances. He had nothing of interest to himself. And there was no way this person held significance in his life… right?
Ruby hues narrowed at the possibilities that flooded his mind. None too relieving for him to consider. There was a chance this person was an enemy of sorts, after all. Or maybe it was just a freak coincidence…? That had to be. Nothing more…
Fate worked in mysterious ways sometimes ─ given their current occupation, perhaps it was one of those laughable ‘truly meant to be’ scenarios that only happened in media. Well, at least it was an amusing incident in their perspective; of course he hadn’t met them before, but that wasn’t what they’d said, was it? The laughter that greets his confusion-ridden questioning is nearly patronizing, though to Ahrin, it only serves to echo their true thoughts.
This was, on all accounts of sheer irony, hilarious.
It only seemed fitting to taunt the man before them, regardless of their own (albeit low-set) standards and the levels of danger that were naturally present. Had their first meeting come to a conclusion different than it had, the idea to be conservative would’ve at least shined brightly enough to warrant consideration; fortunately enough (or perhaps it were quite the unfortunate situation, depending on one’s position in this game of sorts), they were presented with such a grand opportunity to indulge in a genuinely rare breed of fun.
“Where’d we meet? Hmm~ it’s been a while!” Feigning as though they don’t remember was only for show. In a way, their every action was honest: the tapping of their chin as they look up at the ceiling, the way they tilt their head in mock innocuousness as they hum, lips curled into a grin that sang ‘I know something you don’t know~’ ─ Ahrin was being ‘honest’ in a way that served to undermine him, one that exuded an aura of something akin to playful disrespect.
With a snap of their fingers, they exclaim “aha!” and lean forward, pressing their index finger against his chest as though they had no fear at all (they truly didn’t, either; what, was he to do something this broadly in public, where everything was plainly in view?).
“A certain alleyway! Really, I’m not gonna go and remember the name of the nearest street or somethin’, but there’s something even better than that! Maybe you’ll remember, too? You’re the one who said it, after all! What was it again... something about ‘no witnesses’?”
