Group Date at the Cafe~
Characters: fearless_tech, pianoman_soul, EVERYONE ELSE.
Location: Death By Pastry Cafe.
Rating: G for now.
Time: July 20th, early morning.
Description: Soul and Maka try to hook everyone up before the big battle.
( All the single meisters/weapons. )
Location: Death By Pastry Cafe.
Rating: G for now.
Time: July 20th, early morning.
Description: Soul and Maka try to hook everyone up before the big battle.
( All the single meisters/weapons. )
Leaning against the wall by the snacks, Doumeki scoops up a piece of banana bread and takes a bite, scanning the crowd, unsure of how to even know who's a weapon and who's a meister. You'd think they'd provide a little nametag sticker or something.
Just keeps eating. Something will catch his eye soon enough, he thinks.]
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How hard could it be to interact with a group of like-minded individuals to find a serious partner?
Harder than he had originally thought, apparently. The cafe was bright and cheerful, and the stacks of pastries and two kids playing what looked like trust games made him think of a birthday party. The atmosphere wasn't exactly business like, and he found himself growing irritable already.
Pinching the bridge of his nose he walked towards the group, pulling a chair from one of the tables to sit off to one side. A static moment before he folded one leg over the other, resting his elbow on the flat of his thigh and his chin in gloved hand. ]
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He watches Squall cross to a chair and sit down, looking glum and pouty, and makes a sigh, finishing off his banana bread and fishing out a pair of oatmeal-raisin cookies. That sort of thing seems up Squall's alley.
Crosses the room to where Squall is, and dangles one of the cookies in front of his face.]
Oiy. You won't find a partner like this.
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[ He hadn't seen Doumeki when he'd entered the shop, overwhelmed by the cafe's atmosphere and caught up in his own thoughts. Even as the other addressed him directly he didn't look up, only half regarding him while glancing around the room.
One gloved hand lifted to snatch the cookie from Doumeki's fingers, bringing it to his mouth to tear off a chunk. A moment of silent chewing - his gaze still averted from the tall young man. ]
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[He makes a small remarking noise in his throat at the snatching of the cookie, and shrugs his shoulders, taking a large bite out of his own. Accepting the cookie was more than he'd expected from Squall, so at least that was something.
Reaches out to get another chair and pulls it up nearby, sitting on it backward with one arm draped over the back of the chair, still chewing on his own cookie.]
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[ He fixed Doumeki with a hard glare, shifting in his chair with a whisper of leather against leather.
The cookie was better than he had expected, not too sweet - a good crunch. The rest of the treat disappeared quickly, a gloved thumb brushing away any crumbs from his mouth. ]
I'm taking note.
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Really, it's just semantics. He's more interested in Squall for the moment.]
Oh? Tell me what you see.
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[ He's not interested in playing games. Not with Doumeki,or anyone for that matter.
He had shown up for one purpose, and that was to secure himself a partner. Not to socialize, pig out on sweets or join a drum circle. As the room grew more crowded he seemed to draw himself closer, arms folded across his chest and chin tucked towards his collarbone.
As for what he saw? A whole lot of nothing. He didn't expect potential partners to glow neon, but where were you even supposed to start? Was he seriously expected to talk to all of these people?
Squall could feel a headache coming on, and hid his wince behind a gloved hand. ]
This is obnoxious.
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[He rests his chin on his arm for a moment, eyes scanning the room. No, there's nothing out there that draws him, not particularly. A great group of very interesting people, but nobody he could see himself 'resonating' with. He's heard a lot about resonating, and most of the people here were entirely wrong or just a little too right.
Tilts his head to the side and glances over at Squall, taking in the way he hides his face for a moment.]
I've never been a fan of this sort of thing.
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[ 'Not a fan' was a definite understatement on Squall's part. He hated social gatherings, and avoided them at all costs.
The forced conversation. Awkward silences. Boredom. Parties and get-togethers were torture.
He could only stand large groups of people on a military or educational scale. When there was a shared directive and goal it was easy to interact, you were working - it was necessary. Whether people liked you or not had no bearing on the mission, and wasn't important.
Social events were all about how others perceived you, and Squall didn't like being judged by anyone.
The brunette stared at the room through the slivers of space between his gloved fingers before closing his eyes tightly. A deep breath, inhaling through his nose and out through his mouth, chest rising and falling slowly. ]
I guess we have something in common.
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No. I don't. But I was interested.
[This is said with a tone of careful detachment, as his eyes turn back to scanning the crowd, his mouth set in a relaxed line as he looks people over, his fingers plucking absently at his own sleeve. His distaste for gatherings like this was mostly borne from school gatherings that happened on occasion, when he had to put up with unwanted attention before he was around Watanuki and Himawari - he's never felt the urge to impress people.
He notices Squall's discomfort, and makes another noise in his throat.]
If you don't like it, why come?
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[ A tight shrug, coolly dropping his hand away from his face.
He was a trained mercenary, a SeeD. He could handle a group of strangers in a pastry shop. He had taken entire courses on dealing with high-risk social situations, how to say the right things at the right time in order to gather information or pass as something he wasn't.
The brunette lifted his chin, finally meeting Doumeki's eyes - stormy blue versus deep amber. ]
I needed a partner. That was it. Nothing more, nothing less.
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[There is a hint of teasing in his voice, but otherwise it's quite flippant. He's also very obviously not entirely serious about it.
Stlil, he watches Squall and notices the signs of him being uncomfortable, and meets Squall's gaze when the boy looks at him, meeting his eyes without fear, just a calm gaze in return.]
It won't be easy to find a partner here if you're too uncomfortable to be yourself.
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When the young mercenary finally spoke, his tone was quiet and guarded- and there was a certain intensity to his words that might strike Doumeki as a warning. Squall was beginning to feel threatened, and like a cornered lion he would defend himself with tooth and claw. ]
You don't know me, stop acting like you do.
I'm not someone you can read like a book, so don't tell me who I am.
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The methodology is different, but it reminds him of someone. And that's amusing in its own way.]
Oh? Did I say I knew something about you?
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First Rinoa, now this guy. Why couldn't people just leave him alone? They were always prying, teasing - trying to get under his skin. Treating him like some sort of pet project, or an emotional charity case.
The brunette's eyes flashed, lower lip jutting out stubbornly. ]
Don't screw with me.
I already told you I'm not here for your entertainment.
Unless you're looking for a Weapon, go bother someone else.
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