Remnants of the Earth
EDANITH => Megacities => Tynova => Topic started by: chelle on May 03, 2012, 04:50:21 pm
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EDIT 5/8/2012 I'm gonna go ahead and close this thread because Toori and Jaxon ran through their little day, and it would be awkward for anybody else to walk in. BUT if anyone wants to have their character drop by Toori's little mechanic shop just drop me a line and we can start a new thread!
ooc; Toori is a (mostly) new character so before I started developing plots and things for him I wanted to get a better feel for him, so here's this! It takes place at the mechanic shop Toori works at, mostly servicing non-magical vehicles and things, but they also fix little things like appliances and the occasional spaceship
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“Toori! Toori Santus, I am going to fire you!”
The only reason Toori actually heard the threat this time was that he had just finished repairs, was inching back out from under the car he'd been working on, wondering what time it was. The boots stomping into the back room and the bellowed shout both made him pause, halfway under a car, wondering if he could wedge himself all the way under it and hide from the wrath of his boss.
In the end, though, the boots stomped closer and Toori heaved a sigh and got to his feet. He peered over the roof of the car, reluctantly meeting the furious gaze of his boss.
“Hey, Mr. Bensis,” Toori said meekly, hoping that whatever he'd done this time wasn't too serious.
“Don't 'hey' me! Now tell me, Toori, you're some kind of genius, right? What is that?” Mr. Bensis pointed at a table nearby, where a small black device was sitting quietly, its screen black but one red light on it blinking rapidly. Toori turned to look at it, blinking in surprise.
“My communicator?” Toori asked, turning back to his boss and then wincing when he realized why Mr. Bensis was so angry.
“Yes, your communicator, and it's not on, is it?” Mr Bensis pointed out and Toori winced again, and then nodded. He had been so consumed with fixing this particular car that he had turned it off. The damn thing wouldn't stop beeping, and in hindsight Toori realized that the beeping had probably been Mr. Bensis, trying to contact him from the front shop. Slowly, Toori reached over to grab the communicator and turn it back on, cringing at the chirpy start-up music.
“Sorry, Mr. Bensis,” Toori said quietly, as the communicator cheerily informed him that he had missed twenty communications, “I wasn't... Paying attention.” Mr. Bensis sighed and rolled his eyes, and Toori hoped that it wasn't a sigh of resignation, that the next words out of Mr. Bensis' mouth would be “You're fired”. Of course, this was a weekly occurrence and Toori hadn't been fired yet in the three-odd years he had been working here.
“What were you working on? This?” Mr. Bensis asked, still annoyed but squinting down at the car between them.
“Oh! Yes, I fixed it,” Toori said with a smile, with the spark of interest in his eyes that was really only ever there when he was talking about machines. Mr. Bensis blinked in surprise, looking between Toori and the car a few times.
“This car? You... Fixed it?” Mr. Bensis asked slowly and Toori nodded, “Toori, I bought this for scrap. It was one of the magitech things, the owner said it was gone beyond repair.” Toori looked annoyed for a moment, and then rolled his eyes.
“It was just a matter of bypassing all of the completely unnecessary magitech components that refused to work without a mage. It was simple enough, I had to replace a few systems but most of the magic-dependent components weren't needed anyways.” Toori gestured to a pile of parts on the floor, all of them magitech and nearly rusted away, “The magic parts were all broken, anyways, but the mechanical parts were fine.”
Mr. Bensis stared at the pile of parts for a moment.
“...Right. Well, good,” Mr. Bensis gave Toori a confused look, and Toori couldn't help but smile because he knew it was the face Mr. Bensis made when he wanted to praise something but wasn't sure how to do it, “I was trying to get to you because I got a call, there's a ship that needs repair and has no on-board mechanic, so I have to go down to the shipyards. I need you to watch the store while I'm gone.”
Toori fought the urge to ask to go instead, he knew Mr. Bensis had more practical experience with ships, but couldn't help the flair of jealousy. A ship, with no on-board mechanic, what if he went and fixed it and the Captain was so impressed that he was offered a job? Toori swallowed it down though, reminding himself of his grandfather, sitting at home, too sick to leave bed some days.
“No problem,” Toori said, and he didn't realize his sadness had shown on his face until Mr. Bensis slapped him on the back.
“You'll get your chance, kid,” he said, and Toori smiled as he watched the gruff older man turn and leave. When he was gone Toori sighed, turning towards the front of the shop. This was Toori's least favorite thing to do: sit at the counter all night, answering the phone and talking to customers, pretending to be friendly and courteous to people who didn't know a warp core from a carburetor.
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ooc: hey chelle! i really like your character profile for toori (and your intro, too) so even though it's a little left-field, i'm going to throw my new character at you. in case you noticed, jax applied to be part of a space crew, but since it was easier to post if he wasn't, let's just say in this particular instance he hasn't joined them yet and.. well, the post shall explain the rest!
Jaxon had been picking up odd jobs for space crews at Cancer's Red District for over a year now. In that time, he'd worked for upwards of twenty crews, and there was no denying he earned himself quite a bit of cred. Hell, he'd even had street cred before the space pirate gig.
Just a year ago, he had been part of one of the biggest gangs in the Red District. He had worked at a bar, and spent a hell of a lot of time at bars. Cancer was hardly a "residential area", but he got to know anyone who was anyone. And naturally, when space pirates showed up, asking locals for a gunner or a weapons specialist, Jax got reccomended for more jobs than he was even capable of taking up.
So last week, he'd climbed aboard the White Thunder, a beautiful and sleek silver ship with a very unique bolt on its side, for one reason and one reason only. It was a job with one of its destination being Edanith. There were more interesting, exciting jobs available and, yes, he would have greatly preferred gunning to being a fill-in, but Edanith was.. It was his home. Though he hardly remembered the place, he had indeed been born and raised in Tynova.
The funny thing was, Jaxon hated thinking about the past more than anything else. He refused to discuss it at all costs, and he no longer even wanted to go on missions looking for pieces of his past. But he wasn't in Tynova to search for anything in particular. He just wanted to be there- he felt drawn to it like a moth to light. And he wouldn't question his own instincts; he wasn't the type.
The White Thunder landed in Tynova in the afternoon, and its native Edani crew went their separate ways almost immediately, seeming very glad to be home. All of them had specific plans... people to meet, families to visit, and things to pick up. The captain was looking to recruit some expert hacker he had heard of, and Jaxon's only assigned task was to deal with some minor repairs. Their crew had seen a lot of changes over the past month, and one of them had been losing some good technicians. In other words, if something went wrong, no one was quite sure what was going wrong.
Well, figuring out the issue wouldn't be too hard, especially since he was told the closest repair shop.
Jax really hadn't much else to do than what he was asked, so he went to Bensis directly. The store wasn't incredibly impressive from the outside, but then, what mechanics shops were? He pushed through the heavy crowd (Typical Tynova... he had to sigh with annoyance), and entered the store.
At the front counter with a bit of a.. petulant expression on his face, was a plain-looking blond. And that seemed to be the extent of the mechanics shop staff. Oh well, he thought; he wouldn't need more than one person to figure this out. Hopefully the kid knew what he was doing.
"Hey, kiddo! Lighten up, you look downright sad. It's bad for business, you know," Jaxon said, his face serious. Teasing was as a good as Hello in his book.
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ooc; ah! thank you! I like your Jax too, heh, he seems like a nice boy.
Toori couldn't help the little sigh of disappointment when, yet again, the chime on the door went off, signalling a new customer. He had dealt with two already, plus five phone calls, and it had only been an hour since Mr. Bensis had left. In between phone calls and customers Toori had been working on the specs for a ship, a small transport that was all his own design, which he'd been working on for years. It was really more of a hobby, something to do with his time that he enjoyed, more than out of any real desire to build it. If he ever had the funding and the chance, of course, he would jump to build him own ship, but the possibility of that ever happening seemed slim. So Toori turned his attention away from the blueprints on the screen before him and glumly faced the customer.
What he saw there surprised him a little, a young man with goldish horns, though not a lot. Being so close to the ship docks, Toori often saw other races and people with strange looks, and it seemed to him that the people who took jobs on spaceships were usually the type to wear strange fashions and do strange things to their hair. Honestly, Toori wouldn't be surprised if the horns were some kind of fashion thing.
Honestly, Toori couldn't bring himself to care.
And then the man spoke and Toori's frown turned a little more murderous.
"Yes, well, if you came here to be smiled at then I'm afraid I can't help you," Toori said, knowing he shouldn't be rude to a customer but unable to help it. Besides, the young man with the horns had been rude first.
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When the blond's expression turned positively dangerous, Jaxon felt endlessly amused. The kid had certainly looked like the type who would snap easily at the slightest comment, but he apparently wasn't. Good-- Jaxon disliked weak people. Wholly satisfied with the remark he received in turn, he broke into his very trademark half smile, flashing his fangs at the other.
"It's a good thing I didn't then," he said cheerily, shoving his hands into his pockets and striding to the counter in a rather lackadaisical way. "You're pretty cute though, it would be nice to see a smile," Jaxon teased more, unable to help himself. He was only being unintentionally flirtatious.. It was second nature, really. Terrible habit.
"Now just impress me with some smarts and you'll have my heart in a bag," Jaxon said flippantly, his strangely flat tone contradicting his words. He had a tendency to be awkwardly sarcastic. "Know anything about space ships?"
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Instead of putting the young man on edge, Toori's snide comment only seemed to relax him, which was slightly puzzling. Toori took notice of the fangs when the young man smiled and stifled the urge to roll his eyes. When he strode forward with that easy grin Toori couldn't help but sit a little taller, straighten his shoulders a little. Something about this guy put him on edge.
And then he had the nerve to say Toori was cute and Toori shot him a narrow look, ignoring the way his stomach flopped a little at the comment. It wasn't very often someone expressed interest in him, beyond interest in his mechanical abilities, and if they did Toori was hard-pressed to not be suspicious of it. It seemed far more likely that someone would fake such comments, either to get a discount or to pull something over on him, and either way Toori wanted nothing to do with it. And all right, Toori might grudgingly admit (though not out loud) that this guy was attractive, if you like the grungy space pirate look, but he also seemed like kind of a jerk.
So, Toori took the only option he saw available to himself, and ignored it completely.
"Yes," Toori said slowly, still suspicious of this guy, "It says as much on the sign." Toori gestured to the sign on the wall behind him, which decreed that Bensis Mechanical Repair could fix ships and more!
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Jaxon took notice when the boy straightened up (gaining a sick pleasure from putting him on edge), and he physically responded to the change in position by coming closer, leaning against the counter. He peered up at him then, almost leering. He was feeling awfully playful all of a sudden, especially compared to how exhausted he'd been when the White Thunder landed. Unfortunately for the mechanic, he was bringing out a little something in Jaxon. And Jaxon was enjoying it.
For a moment, his gaze flicked upwards to read the sign, then returned to the mechanic's face. Well gee, wasn't he snarky? "Good. Because I happen to be quite clueless," Jaxon admitted apathetically, pushing off the counter and shrugging over-dramatically. "Except for the gunning and kicking ass," he corrected happily, making a few shooting gestures complete with sounds and a few high kicks and punches. Yes, he was quite animated today. Lord have mercy on those who would have to deal with him.
"Mechanical.. Stuff.. That's where you come in," Jaxon returned to his previous position against the counter. "Only problem is that I don't know what's wrong, and neither does the captain... We happen to be short a few mechanics at the moment. Are you up for a little stroll?" he asked. "You're not gonna be able to fix'er from in here."
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This time, Toori didn't bother to repress the urge to roll his eyes. Forget suspicious, this guy was just irritating. He was jumping around like a kid, and Toori couldn't help but frown like he'd rather be anywhere except dealing with this... This... Gunner. And of course he was a gunner.
At the mention of a ship, a real ship, and Toori possibly fixing it, Toori looked a bit more serious. He looked at the horned man for a long moment, deciding whether or not he was to be trusted (obviously not, though perhaps he could be trusted enough to not lie about being on ship that needed repairs). Finally, with a put-upon sigh, Toori turned to the computer screen in front of him, tapping rapidly on the screen.
"Right, a ship you said? What name?" Toori said, pulling up that day's docking schedule which had basic specs for every ship docked, the ship's name, and the captain of the ship. He'd have to call Mr. Bensis, of course, for the okay to go off and fix it, but he hoped the repairs were minor enough that Mr. Bensis would allow him to go. It wasn't unheard of, both him and Mr. Bensis leaving the shop, and usually ship repairs paid more than the money they might lose by closing the shop for a few hours. And if it was a big loss, Mr. Bensis had a few nieces that he would call in sometimes, just to watch the shop and answer the phone when no one else was available.
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Jaxon smirked, watching the other's expression fluctuate as he tried to decide what to do. He could surmise that the mechanic probably didn't trust him very much, and that was fine. After all, very few people ever trusted him, and in all honesty, he found that quite ironic. After all, Jaxon never lied, not directly at least. He would play with words, hide his intentions, and purposely confused people, but he was always honest. If he disliked someone, he said it. He didn't weave high tales, and he never lied about himself. After all, there wasn't much to say. Hello, I'm a space pirate, a punk, a gang member, and I've got three years or so of memories. Before that? No clue. Thanks, come again.
Not to mention, the entire horns and fangs thing.. Either people assumed he was trying to be cool, or they thought he had bad blood- evil by birth! How funny a sentiment. He liked that one an awful lot, actually.
"That's rude, you haven't even asked my name yet," Jaxon sighed wistfully, "And I'm being so charming, too. It's Fang," he informed him of his nickname rather than his true name.. Very few people got that one. "But you can call me anything you like-" A pause. "-As long as it's nice."
Smiling, Jaxon waited before answering the question seriously. "It's called the White Thunder, the ID code.. I'm sure that'll make your search a helluva lot easier..." He reached into his pocket and retrieved a small slip of paper. "It's C-98243." Jaxon returned the paper to its proper spot and wandered off, turning his attention to the tools and trinkets lying around the store. He really didn't know much about mechanics at all, though, so he was quickly bored. Leaning against the wall, he crossed his arms and watched the mechanic.
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Toori gave the young man another narrow look when he avoided the question about the ship; he honestly hadn't thought twice about finding this guy's name, though he supposed he should have. Toori was infinitely glad Mr. Bensis wasn't here, because he would have certainly received a strict talking-to about handling customers, even difficult ones. But it wasn't that this guy-- Fang-- was difficult, and Toori didn't think he was about to go reporting Toori to his boss for being rude. If anything, he seemed a bit impressed by Toori's attitude.
"Fang," Toori repeated slowly, raising one eyebrow, "Right." Toori shook his head a little, copying down the ship name and ID number, busying himself with scanning the ship's specs. Toori was faintly impressed, it was a good ship, and sure enough the captain had listed their reasons for docking as crew leave, cargo drop and minor repairs. He also couldn't help but notice the ship mostly ran cargo between planets, it wasn't a battleship or outfitted for combat, and Toori spared a glance at Fang, wondering what an explosive guy like him was doing on such a tame ship, when surely gunners were needed elsewhere?
Toori shrugged off the idle curiosity and went back to work, pulling up the necessary forms and taking out his communicator to call Mr. Bensis.
He explained the situation to his boss, whatever snarkiness had been in his tone earlier now completely gone. Toori was the picture of professionalism on the phone, and made no mention of the interesting character who had come to ask for a mechanic. Mr. Bensis agreed to let Toori go, under the understanding that it was mostly for estimate purposes, and whatever repairs weren't minor Toori would write down and tell the captain he'd have to wait for Mr. Bensis to take a look at.
By the time he hung up Toori was annoyed, really annoyed this time (as opposed to the almost playful irritation he had aimed at Fang) because he was fairly sure he could fix whatever was wrong with the ship, no matter if the issue was big or small. Just because he was young, and just because he hadn't actually done major repairs to a ship, he wasn't allowed to handle them. Toori sighed a little, doing the finishing touches on the necessary forms, then turned to Fang.
"Right, I'll just go back and get my tools and then we can go," he said, a little sharper than he had meant to, and disappeared into the back room. He returned a minute or so later with a basic toolbox, gesturing for Fang to lead the way.
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Quiet for the first time since his arrival, Jaxon observed the mechanic as he went through what seemed like a dull procedure-- looking at the ship's information, gathering paperwork, then finally placing a call, presumably to his boss. The corners of his lips quirked into a smile as the boy's tone changed altogether, suddenly professional and almost genial. Apparently, he did have a polite side, he just didn't show it. But that wasn't a bad or a surprising thing.
Generally, Jaxon liked to see different sides of people; he tended to bring out what people tried to hide. Being an asshole, catching a person off-guard, insulting them.. Their reactions were a dead giveaway to a person's true nature. And what Jaxon could surmise of this mechanic was that he was probably a good person. That was a near definite. He had the capability to be sharp and he could defend himself, but overall, he just didn't seem to have any real bite- no malice in him. As far as Jaxon could tell, anyway. But he spent a hell of a lot of time observing people and drawing theories, so he trusted himself.
Once the phone conversation was done, Jaxon picked up on a hint of annoyance on the mechanic's part, and that was only confirmed by the sharp tone that he had adopted towards him. Jaxon smirked at that though, hardly offended. His brows were raised when the other returned and made some vague gesture for him to leave. "Oh my," he sighed, "Moody are we?" It was safe to say his boss had said something unfavorable in that case.
"Now now, we don't want to go on a trip with a bad attitude. Also, I don't know your name yet. I could give you a name though. Honey? Cutie? What do you like?" he laughed.
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Toori started a little and then frowned, kicking himself for being so obvious. He also felt a little foolish, for forgetting to offer his name and for getting so upset over something that happened regularly. He couldn't blame Mr. Bensis for not giving him free reign over the shop, it was just logical. Toori rolled his eyes, a little of the tension going out of his shoulders as Fang laughed.
"It's Toori," he said, choosing once again to ignore Fang's inane flirtations, "Toori Santus. And my mood is none of your business."
Toori had to admit to himself that Fang was charming, albeit in the most obnoxious way possible. Perhaps, four or five years ago, Toori would have found him fascinating and alluring, as he had that storybook space pirate look about him, complete with ridiculous nickname. (At least, Toori hoped it was a nickname, because certainly no sane parents would really name their child Fang.) Toori was now amazingly glad he wasn't fourteen anymore, and perfectly capable of speaking to Fang without getting starry-eyed or tongue-tied, and glad that he wasn't so blinded by the fact that Fang worked on a spaceship that he couldn't see what an obnoxious flirt he was. That was probably a rule among pirates, anyways, like they wouldn't let you in unless you were suitably charming and could flirt the pants off of anyone in the vicinity. If there was such a rule, Toori reflected, then he was doomed to work in Mr. Bensis' shop for the rest of his life.
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It hadn't taken very long for Jaxon to decide that he liked this boy. Sure, he had met others who were equally as sharp witted and ready to fight fire with fire, but Toori was different in that he was surprising- not at all what he expected. Also, he was funny. The constant eye rolling made him feel like he was dealing with his mother, or something. Moreover, Jaxon's actions seemed to often result in completely childish and angry reactions, or simply silence, because people feared confrontation with him.. Yet Toori was rather sharp and spectacularly unimpressed by him- not at all frightened of poking fun back. He didn't seem like he was very easy to push around.
"Toori, huh?" Jaxon repeated, frowning as his advances were ignored once again. He almost wanted to pout, if just out of playfulness. Lord, he could not get a smile out of this kid. He nearly wanted to make it his personal mission to do so. "Well, honey, lighten up. If you're like any other mechanics I've met- who go all starry-eyed over a pretty ship with interesting buttons and gadgets and things.. Then you have plenty of fun awaiting you." With that, he turned away and made his way out of the store.
The streets of Tynova were just as unforgivably crowded as before, with people rushing to and fro, bumping into one another, occasional shoves, the common 'Watch it' blurted out.. Tynova was such a loud and busy place, Jaxon actually disliked it though he knew he had presumably spent many years of his life there. He didn't remember if he liked it as a child.. Perhaps he didn't. Jaxon sighed soundlessly, frustrated as he always was by his lack of knowledge about himself.
Yet, he knew better than to linger on such a feeling and he let it roll off his shoulders as he pushed through the crowd. He only glanced back once to make sure that Toori was still on his heels, but it was a short enough walk that it wasn't needed. Before long, they were striding through the inner corridors of Tynova's sleek and attractive space port. The White Thunder was at the dock labeled C9, if he recalled correctly. A few more turns and steps and.. There she was.
Just as beautiful as he remembered. Jaxon swore, he had a crush on this space ship. It really was a nice one. He made his way up to the main doors of the ship, granting them entrance by retina scan. The main deck, spacious and well decorated, was empty, but the system greeted them in its cool robotic voice. "Looks like nobody's home," he said, pausing for a moment to slip off his jacket and toss it on a chair. The entrance slowly shut behind them, and Jaxon quickly dialed the code to lock the ship before leading Toori to the nearby engine room.
"Now it's all up to you," Jaxon said, dropping into the nearest seat lazily. He stretched a bit before folding his arms across his chest. "Or do you need something for this?" he tilted his head to the side in a questioning manner.
ooc: lol just let me hold toori in my arms forever and cry. he's so cute
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ooc; SAME W/ JAX BUT I WANNA GIVE HIM A NOOGIE
Toori grunted at the promise of Fang's ship being nice; it wasn't that he didn't believe him, he just liked to make his own opinions on ships. Sometimes the shiny, expensive ones were nothing special, just something basic dressed up like it was fancy so it could be sold for much more than it was worth. The real beauty of a ship always showed in the engine room, and in the systems core, never by the outside. Though, if Fang really had flown on a lot of ships, he might know what he was talking about. Maybe.
Toori ducked through the crowded streets with the ease of thirteen years' experience, not bumping into anyone and staying right on Fang's heels. Toori sort of liked the crowded streets, ever since he was a child he had imagined this must be what it would feel like to be an electrical impulse inside an engine, knowing where you were going and bypassing all the hustle and bustle to get to where you wanted. He didn't like being around so many people, though, but it always helped if he thought of the strangers and sounds as engine components, like he was part of a bigger machine. Toori had always loved Tynova, but he wondered sometimes what he would think of the frontier. He hadn't returned since the death of his parents, and he remembered next to nothing about his years there, and whether that was due to the traumatic nature of his displacement or just being too young and too scatterbrained to recall, it was difficult to say. Toori had always found comfort in the constant city-sounds, and he couldn't imagine being comfortable somewhere so quiet and open.
Before he knew it they were at the space port, and Fang led him to the dock that housed the ship he would be working on. Despite all that Toori believed a ship's beauty couldn't be seen from the outside, his breath caught in his throat at the sight of the White Thunder.
She was a beautiful ship, sleek and aesthetically pleasing, though not to the point of excess. She was beautiful, but in a functional way. She had none of the useless coloration or glow that you always saw on the more showy ships, she was a simple silver with a plain, but poignant, lightning bolt.
Toori realized with a jolt that he had stopped walking, and Fang was already unlocking the door. With a little flush of embarrassment he hurried along, following Fang into the ship and looking around with wide eyes that didn't miss a detail. The simple sleekness of her hull was continued on the inside, and Toori was immediately entranced by her design, beautiful but not opulent.
Inside the engine room Toori's breath caught once again in his throat; bits and pieces in here were sleek and silver, but in the engine room practicality won out. The room itself was large, with computer panels along the walls in between the systems, each for a different component on the ship, and in the middle was the main engine.
He only registered vaguely that he heard something, and it took him a good thirty seconds to realize it had been Fang's voice, and Toori started a little, and then looked over at Fang like he had completely forgotten the young man was there. Which, technically, he had. Toori gave him a slightly guilty look, because Fang was looking at him curiously, like he had just asked a question.
"Sorry, er, I didn't catch that," he said, feeling embarrassed and foolish that he had so easily been caught up in the ship's machinations. It was just impossible for Toori to pay attention to anything when faced with such a beautiful machine.
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[...this post was a mistake..]
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ooc: omg LOL whatever can our characters be soulmates? cryinggggg.
Jaxon laughed openly and lightly at the reaction he had managed to reel in from the sharp and seemingly forever-unimpressed Toori. He wasn't upset whatsoever that Toori hadn't been listening, hell, he didn't even need that apology. How could he be upset when he got to see the kid get so excited over something?
The look on Toori's face was endearing in how completely naked it was: it held traces of admiration and excitement and curiosity all mixed up. There were no two ways about it, the mechanic did love the ship, just as Jaxon had expected. But the reaction- the absolutely innocent excitement- he hadn't expected that. But it was cute. He smiled a little less guardedly, though perhaps it would not be noticeable. "I asked if you needed anything," he repeated, stressing the words as though he was incredibly put upon and impatient. (He wasn't.)
Leaning back in his seat, Jaxon regarded the other with a hint of kindness in his gaze. But that didn't mean he was going to go out of his way to be nice to Toori. "You believe me now?" he asked, "It is a nice ship. Anyone in their right mind would appreciate her."
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ooc; HAHA maybe, if toori can find it in his heart to love something organic
Toori frowned when Fang laughed, unable to tell if Fang was making fun of him or not. He suspected that Fang was laughing at him, but there was nothing unkind in his gaze. Still, he hadn't meant to let his guard down so easily, especially in front of a stranger (well, mostly a stranger) and he couldn't help but feel a little wary. Like Fang's good-natured charm was all a front and he was just waiting for the right moment to attack. Toori realized he was perhaps being a little paranoid and made a conscious decision to not be so suspicious of Fang. This decision may have had something to do with Fang being on the crew of such an amazing ship, not that Toori would ever admit as much out loud.
"Oh-- No, I don't need anything," he said, frowning again when Fang spoke about the ship, "It wasn't that I didn't believe you," Toori said, feeling compelled to explain himself, "I just-- prefer to trust my own senses." Toori shrugged, looking away. He still felt off-footed and on edge, and couldn't pinpoint the exact cause. Here, on the ship, he was more relaxed than he had been in the shop-- this was his element, after all-- but Fang's presence still made him a little uneasy.
In an effort to shake off that uneasy feeling he went over to the nearest computer terminal, his fingers flying over the keys as he familiarized himself with the ship's operating system, easily finding his way into the mechanical logs and self-diagnostics. This was easy; talking to computers had always been second nature to Toori, it was talking to real people that he had trouble with.
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ooc: lmfao, dude, they'll just be soulmates that don't love each other or know they're soulmates. trust me, jax is one fucked up fellow. he has lots of i s s u e s.
Jaxon mimicked a shrug as Toori mentioned trusting his own senses. "Suit yourself," he said, shaking his head somewhat. For whatever reason, he had expected Toori to be a little more friendly now that he was aboard the ship. But he wasn't. Disappointment wasn't the right word for what Jax felt. After all, he preferred the unknown to the predictable. Yet, as the mechanic turned away, his own smile dissipated and his expression again regained its usual unemotional and stoic tone. If he wasn't smirking or laughing, he wasn't usually very expressive anyhow.
Though his outwardly energetic behavior would make others assume that he was easily bored or disliked when he didn't have anything to do, that wasn't the case. In fact, he readily settled back into silence as Toori occupied himself with the main computer terminal. He was content to sit and watch as the mechanic went to work, his mind wandering quite actively. From what he knew about mechanics (which wasn't much), Jaxon felt that Toori was what others would call a 'natural'. He was very quick and seemed to know exactly what he was doing.. Which meant that Jax could breathe easy- this issue with the ship would probably get sorted out quickly.
After several minutes passed, Jaxon spoke again. Words of praise, for once. "You seem very good, even compared to most onboard mechanics I've seen." He paused thoughtfully, then adopting an almost professional tone- "Do you know what's wrong with her, then? I'm sure the captain will be happy to know."
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ooc; POOR BABY!! they do seem to click very well though, i could totally see Toori warming up to Jax
Toori skimmed through the mechanical logs-- this ship had been without routine maintenance for almost a month, and Toori frowned and shook his head absently. Even the most advanced and beautiful ships needed to be looked after. It was easy enough to pinpoint the problem, or actually "problems" would be correct, though they all had the same cause. After he had found the problems Toori found himself scouring the blueprints of the ship, figuring out the best way to fix it, and maybe getting a little sidetracked and drooling over the advanced engine system.
When Fang spoke Toori forced his attention on him, which was not a small feat. At the compliment Toori flushed a little, not used to being so openly praised. He was used to his grandfather's quiet acceptance, or Mr. Bensis' pleased-confused looks, or perhaps the occasional tip from a pleased customer, but Toori very rarely had personal contact with customers.
"Ah, yes, I've traced the problem and it's all very minor, I should be able to get it all done in an hour or two. It's mostly just routine maintenance that's lagged behind, like tightening loose bolts and clearing filters, things like that. They seem simple enough but they're usually the things that can cause the most damage when unattended. That's why a ship like this should always have an on-board mechanic, or at least some kind of maintenance schedule at a regular port. I assume the captain is looking into replacing the mechanic?" Toori asked, making up a list of the maintenance that needed doing while he was speaking.
ooc; EDIT- Sorry about the errors/run on sentences/etc I didn't proofread this post too well before I hit send.
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ooc: poor baby's right! his whole life was one big fuck-up. i want to cry thinking about it (lol even though it was all my doing). aw yeah though, they definitely do click in their own realllly weird way. ? ergh i'm tempted to take this convo to pms but i'm also too lazyyyy.. cries. all i do is cry. /:
After speaking, Jaxon had risen slowly from his seat and made his way to Toori's side, facing the computer terminal and viewing what the information which the other had pulled up. For all that Jaxon liked observing others, he didn't catch the flattered expression Toori made when he was complimented.. Which was a shame, because he really would have gotten a kick out of it. But his focus was fixed entirely on the screen facing him; the words he read there matching up to the T with what Toori explained about simple maintenance issues.
He nodded along with those words- It made perfect sense after all, and the proof was right in front of him. He couldn't make heads or tails of most of it, but phrases like 'must be replaced' and 'low on this or that' were self-explanatory in theory. Jaxon hadn't thought of it that way, but it was a tad irresponsible that they let the ship go so long without at least one mechanic onboard. It wasn't really his problem, though, and he understood that sometimes replacing crew members could be a pain in the ass...
Speaking of replacing crew members..
"Hey," Jaxon started, turning his gaze to Toori as the gears clicked in his head. "You do know you would have a good shot of making it onto a crew, right? I mean, with how quickly you pulled this off. This crew, especially, you'd be good for them. They're all pro-Edani, do your work and shut the hell up kind of people. I could talk to the captain if you're interested in that sort of thing," he offered with a shrug. It wasn't an act of kindness, but he realized the weakness of the crew, and Toori had way too much talent to be wasting it in a repair shop that probably got more bike jobs than anything else. It sort of reminded him of his past few years in Cancer's Red District, spent doing petty jobs for gangs. There was a whole galaxy out there waiting for whoever was ready to discover it.
edit: giiiirl, do not apologize, i don't even really reread. i just skim and wonder what i was thinking. you are a diamond in the rough here
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Toori froze at Fang's words, his fingers pausing mid-type and hovering over the keys. He had been waiting most of his life to hear those exact words, You do know you would have a good shot of making it onto a crew, right? It was a dream come true, literally, but Toori felt something lodge in his throat because there was no way he could accept. There was a reason Toori stayed cooped up in the back room of Bensis Mechanical Repair, or in his room at home, pouring over blueprints and specs, instead of out in the world, doing what he was passionate about and making his own way. His grandfather meant the world to him, as his only living relative and the man who had raised him, after experiencing the horrific loss of his daughter and son-in-law. Toori didn't regret staying home to take care of him, would never regret it, but he couldn't help feeling so out-of-place on the ground. He knew he belonged on a ship, knew he never felt so relaxed as he did in an engine room, but it simply wasn't an option. And that hurt.
Toori curled his fingers into his palms when he realized his hands were shaking, steeling his reserve and refusing to look at Fang.
"Thank you for offering, but I'm not interested," Toori said, his voice tight and controlled. He hated that he cared so much about this, hated that it actually hurt something in his chest to refuse.
-
Jaxon had said what he did completely conversationally- not out of kindness, not with any expectation for a grateful reply, and so, the reaction he received surprised him quite a bit. The tension that suddenly filled the air was tangible; he could feel the discomfort rolling off Toori in waves.
When people felt very strongly or were thinking of something intensely, it 'irritated' what was left of his psychic abilities. That wasn't to say he had any understanding of what Toori felt, but there was this sort of feeling between them that let him know something wasn't okay with what he said. And it upset Jaxon, in a strange way. Because he hadn't wanted to bring something up that would hurt or push Toori. People had done that to him for the past three years of his life, he knew how it felt. People asking him about his horns, his appearance, asking him where he was from, where his family was. Even when certain memories returned, discussing what he could recall of his past was one of the most painful things he could be asked to do.
So in what way he could, Jaxon understood, and he dropped the subject as quickly as it had come up. Yet, he pretended nothing had happened, that he hadn't noticed the way Toori's hands shook, the tightness in his voice. The topic wasn't worth any sort of pursuit, not even an apology, if it made Toori so uncomfortable. "It's not for everyone," he said indifferently. "Are you going to do the repairs then? Do you need any help?" Unwittingly, his tone and gaze had softened considerably.
-
When Fang spoke, Toori glanced over at him, frowning a little. Fang seemed completely disinterested in the conversation, and while Toori was grateful (he really, seriously did not want to be thinking about this right now) he couldn't help but be a little surprised. Toori wasn't sure what he had been expecting, he hadn't been thinking about Fang at all, actually, but Fang didn't seem like the kind of person to care so little about other people's affairs. Up until now he had been nosy and obnoxious, and Toori wasn't sure if he was being nice or really was disinterested. It was most likely the latter, after all, they had known each other for maybe an hour or less.
After a silent moment, which Toori took to pull himself together, he shook off the lingering hurt and retreated into the safety of the machines.
He resumed typing, finishing the list and pretending like he hadn't just had a minor breakdown.
"Yeah, I--" Toori paused, narrowing his eyes at Fang, "Do you know anything about ships?" He was perfectly capable of doing the repairs alone, but a hand could always be useful, assuming the person attached to that hand wasn't completely hopeless at fixing things.
-
Some idle part of Jaxon's mind wished that he was a little warmer- that he was the type of person who could catch onto another person's pain and then comfort them aptly. But all the same, he felt that comfort wasn't what Toori needed. And if he was wrong, and the boy did need to talk about whatever had just upset him, then Jaxon wouldn't even be the person for that. They were strangers, and it just wasn't his place. The best thing he could have possibly done was to drop the topic, as he did. Mentally sighing, he had to wonder why he was explaining himself to... himself. It definitely had something to do with that hurt look on Toori's face, probably. The kid just looked so fucking vulnerable, it was getting to him. He definitely needed to collect his expression before Jaxon's resolve totally crumbled.
"Do you know anything about ships?"
Not really, he wanted to say. But how was he supposed to say no, now? Jaxon wanted to scream at himself a little bit. He was totally falling apart here at one show of sadness from Toori. "I've certainly done more difficult things than replace filters," Jaxon shrugged, wondering why the hell he offered help, and why he was helping, and why he cared. And why he was so confused. "If it'll get the job done quicker, I'll do it.."
-
Toori considered Fang carefully, surprised again that he would offer to help so willingly, though he only frowned at Fang. He couldn't seem to quantify Fang, every time Toori turned around he seemed to be doing something surprising, and there was something so... Inexplicable about him. And Toori hated not being able to explain things. It was the reason he preferred to spend his time with machines, there was so much about human behavior that Toori simply couldn't explain. And for the first time, speaking with Fang, Toori got the urge to find an explanation.
"All right," he said finally, hesitating a little before turning back to the list, "You can help." Toori went over to his toolbox, opening it and rooting around inside.
"We'll start with the air filtration system."
ooc; we can skip the actual fixing stuff part if you want, i can't imagine that being very interesting to play out...
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Though he seemed almost begrudged to do so, Toori eventually did allow Jaxon to help with the repairs. They quickly discussed the basics of the air filtration system and the location of the main parts on the ship that would need changing or replacement, then went their separate ways to take care of it. It took the lesser part of a half hour for them to wrap up those very simple repairs before they came together once more in the engine room.
Since the remainder of the tasks were a bit too complex for him, Jaxon settled for helping in what ways he could- by passing tools to Toori or... depending on his mood.. withholding them and waving them over his head.. Until he lost the other's misplaced trust with simple tasks and was no longer asked for any help whatsoever. Though he left the room several times (to get a drink, to find his communicator, to do this and that), he did spend the bulk of his time lounging around the engine room, tossing jokes and comments at Toori.
Yet in spite of the persistent distraction, Toori still finished the repairs quickly. Jaxon, who had been on the verge of falling asleep right in his seat, stretched languidly when he heard they were done, slowly sliding out of the chair before jumping to a stand. "Good," he praised sharply, "That was even quicker than I expected--"
Captain Leofrido is now boarding the vessel.. the system announced, interrupting him. Dropping his last thought altogether, he switched topics. "Well, that's good timing if I ever saw it. Now you can explain all of this to him, make his damn day, tell him how nice his ship is, and he can pay you," he said, before heading towards the door. "Come on," he beckoned, leading Toori back to the main deck of the ship.
Sure enough, there was Leofrido at the entrance computer terminal, checking on the status of the repairs, engines, and supplies. "Captain!" Jaxon greeted, giving him a salute for humor's sake. Leofrido turned to face them, regarding the pair with a warm smile. This was the sort of man one looked at and knew he had a good heart- he was older, probably in his forties, and while he had the face of a man who knew the meaning of hard work, his overall look was very composed, almost elegant. In a way, he matched his ship. Leo was your a-typical Edani; tall and lean, with light features. His long blond hair, already graying, was swept back into a tie. He wore simple white clothes and there was a small amount of stubble on his face.
"Jaxon," Leo greeted, tilting his head in acknowledgement. "And at long last, a mechanic..." Jaxon nodded and filled in the blank, "Toori. Toori, this is the Captain of the White Thunder. Leofrido Vari." Immediately, Leo came to shake Toori's hand genially.
"I already saw on the computer terminal- You've done all the repairs. I can't thank you enough," he said sincerely. "I knew I could trust Fang to find someone good and here he is! How much do I owe you?" he asked.
ooc: lol i don't think you will do this, but don't have toori run out. i'm just going to have leo be all ~hey~ you did such good work, i can't let you go home without fang here taking you to lunch ok kids go have fun bye. LOL.
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Normally Toori preferred to do repairs alone, and even if he wasn't alone he would tune out any sounds that weren't related to whatever he was doing. Normally, there was nothing that could tear Toori's attention away from a machine mid-repair.
But Fang kept stealing his tools. And those tools were like Toori's children, and Toori had to keep reminding himself that he probably shouldn't punch a customer in his stupid mouth just for stealing his tools, and touching things, and being a general nuisance.
When Toori finally crawled out from under the engine and announced that the repairs were done, his relief was intense and immediate. Then, just as Toori was carefully locking his toolbox, the ship announced that the captain was on board. Toori had to hold in a groan. He was so close. On the bright side, though, now he wouldn't have to come back later for payment, and risk running into Fang again.
The captain seemed kind enough, and Toori retreated into professionalism, giving the man a friendly smile and shaking his hand.
"It's nice to meet you, Captain. You've got a lovely ship," Toori said, and at the mention of payment he pulled a flat tablet out of his toolbox, turning it on and then pulling up the forms he had started earlier.
"I've got your receipt right here," he said, tapping a few things and then handing the tablet over to the captain, "Payment options at the bottom, along with where I'll need your signature. We accept credit or cash, but if you pay in cash you'll have to come down to the store."
ooc; jaxon finally got to see that smile, lmao
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Captain Leofrido beamed visibly as he spoke to Toori- who was not only a good, polite Edani (his favorite kind of person) but complimented his ship right off the bat. It was quite plain to see that the Captain loved his ship, and while that was typical of any captain, what Toori was unaware of was that Leo had drawn up the blueprints for the ship himself. So naturally, any compliment was greatly welcomed and appreciated, much more than usual.
"Thank you, she is a beauty," he agreed cheerfully, then took the tablet from the mechanic. He retrieved a card from his pocket and ran it through the machine, placing the payments on credit. When it was accepted, he handed back the tablet. "It's great to see a kid who knows so much about ships and does such thorough work. I really can't thank you enough for all your hard work. You should be hungry after all... Fang, why don't you treat Toori to dinner?"
Jaxon had been quietly observing the interaction with some amusement. There was the smile he had been waiting for, and as he had anticipated, Toori had a nice smile. The warm sort that lit up a person's face, not just a mechanical curl of the lips. Yet, Jaxon wasn't going to be content until he earned the smile on his own.
And it seemed like he would have more time with Toori yet. The Captain had suggested they go out to eat, and if he didn't know any better.. He would have called that a little subtle matchmaking on Leo's part. He didn't know Leo too well, but that smile sure as hell spelled mischief, and it took a good effort on his part not to burst out laughing. He would take the bait. "I'm sure Toori here would love that. Wouldn't you?" he asked, turning to look at the mechanic with an almost warm smile.
ooc: lmao, omg of course toori was smiling at the captain though. he likes dem older mennnn. rock on toori
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Toori smiled and nodded, and was so busy checking double-checking over the form that he almost missed the suggested dinner. He looked up sharply, eyes wide and on the captain.
For the first time today he felt an actual stab of anxiety about Fang. Dinner. Dinner sounded ominous. Dinner sounded awkward. He couldn't imagine sitting at a table with Fang, exchanging pleasantries and small talk and dabbing their mouths with fancy napkins. Toori just didn't do social things, he was always awkward and terrible, and what if someone thought they were on a date.
Fang's words brought Toori back to the present, amused and teasing and God, Toori could kill him. But then he smiled, and it wasn't a smirk and it wasn't a tease, it was an honest, warm smile and something about it made him hesitate.
"I, uh," Toori scrambled for some kind of excuse, he couldn't very well say he had to work, and he mentally kicked himself for not having any friends who might make plans with him. Then he mentally kicked Fang, because he was the most irritating person Toori had ever met.
And then one traitorous little word fell from his lips.
"Okay."
-
After all that they had praised him, and then, with both the Captain and Jaxon looking on so very expectantly, there was no way that Toori- or any person for that matter- could reject them. At least, outright. Though it was perhaps a little evil and a little scheming in nature, the gunner was aware of that and found it convenient. He didn't question his own motives as to why he wanted to be around Toori. He just did. That was really enough. And he'd had enough practice distancing himself from his own thoughts and feelings that it wasn't even a subject on his mind. He'd never questioned it. He just wanted and acted accordingly. (For all that he observed and judged others, it was funny how little he did it to himself).
As he'd anticipated, though, Toori was struggling, seemingly racking his mind for some acceptable way to decline the offer. On Jax's side, it was hard for him to understand why anyone would reject a free dinner. But then, he wasn't shy or asocial or awkward whatsoever. He just.. Was. And being Jax involved a lot of terrorizing others.
Then, suddenly, Toori actually said "Okay." At the confirmation, the Captain smiled big. "Great!" he exclaimed, before turning to address Jaxon. "We'll be off tomorrow morning." A wink. And Jaxon was seriously questioning his premade conceptions about Leo. That was almost.. raunchy. Almost. With that, Leo bid them a good night and walked away.
Jaxon wanted to laugh in disbelief, but he wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to poke fun at Toori. In Jaxon's eyes, the blond was his new favorite toy. He closed the distance between them and came awfully, teasingly close. "Oh my, now you know all about my plans to seduce you," he said in a quiet purr, smirking evilly.
A wild card by definition.
-
"We'll be off tomorrow morning."
The suggestion in the sentence was unmistakable, and Toori went white as a sheet. He couldn't believe a captain would make such blatantly inappropriate comments about his crew, and his hired mechanic. Toori was so busy being mortified that he completely missed the captain's goodnight.
The next thing he was aware of was Fang's breath, not unpleasant smelling but he could feel it on his face. Whereas seconds ago the blood had rapidly drained from Toori's face, now it came rushing back and more. Toori's face resembled a tomato as he took in the almost predatory look in Fang's eye, the sinister line of his mouth, the secretive tone of his voice.
And it wasn't, exactly, that Toori didn't want that sort of thing-- not from Fang, mind you, just in general-- because he did, he just could never see it ending in anything but disaster. He had tried, once, being with someone, and it had been a fantastic disaster and besides, Toori knew Fang was just saying it to rile him up.
He hated that it worked.
He shoved Fang away, anger and embarrassment both intermingling to give him the burst of strength he needed, and then he bit out, "That's not funny."
-
It was highly likely that watching Toori's face pass through a series of exaggerated expressions and colors was the best thing Jaxon had ever seen. Ever. He didn't have much to build off of (three years consisting of crime, near-death experiences, and generally being loudly miserable), but he was sure that teasing Toori was one of his new favorite things. Toori might have even surpassed shiny new toy status when he turned bright red and still as a statue. Jaxon refused to acknowledge it-- because acknowledgement was always the first step to making a feeling or thought considerably more serious- but he did find the blond incredibly cute in that moment.
At least until he was shoved.
Okay, maybe that was cute too. Jaxon stumbled back but caught himself quickly, a surprised expression settling on his face. "Awww, Toori," he said soothingly, immediately sidling back up to Toori's side like a scorned dog who wanted to make nice. "..I thought it was funny," he commented under his breath, peering at Toori from the corner of his eyes in a faux-timid manner. "Do you not like me?" he asked suddenly with a gasp, very melodramatic and very overplayed. Oops, he was usually so good at acting. But maybe there was some truth in this game, and that always made for trouble. "That's very cruel. You know, when someone just gives their heart away like that, you're not supposed to shove them. Usually." Jaxon paused. "I don't mind though," he added, throwing in a wiggle of the eyebrows for good measure.
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Toori just stared at Fang when he spoke, his embarrassment slowly changing back into plain annoyance. He almost couldn't believe Fang was real, his over-the-top charm and tendency to be as obnoxious as possible seemed like he was a caricature, and the horns, pointed ears, and fangs just added to that image. Once again, Toori fought the urge to quantify Fang, to find some kind of meaning in all of this.
He considered responding to the Do you not like me? question, but in the end he settled on narrowing his eyes at Fang.
"You are... the most infuriating person I have ever met," he said, a little bit of honest surprise leaking into his voice because it was true. Then Toori gathered up his toolbox, and what was left of his dignity, and started to walk away.
"And you are paying for dinner."
-
Jaxon was very nearly anticipating being shoved once more, but it never came. Instead, Toori's expression slowly eased out of embarrassment and then he was getting that narrow-eyed look again.. That look seemed to be the very foundation of their interacting, it came on the other's face often and pretty much represented Toori's attitude perfectly. Suspicious, annoyed, sharp, that was most of what Jaxon seemed to bait out of the blond.
Being called the most infuriating person he had ever met, Jaxon had some idea that he should have been offended. But he wasn't whatsoever. He found the comment funny, and he had half a mind to push the subject and say something like 'Thank you' just to be difficult. Before he could, Toori began to walk away, muttering some comment about dinner that just made Jaxon laugh. "I still get to have dinner with you?" he asked incredulously, wondering why Toori hadn't already wandered off. It wasn't like he was obligated by law to follow through because he had said okay a few minutes ago. But Jaxon wasn't about to point that out. Instead he hurried up to the mechanic, cutting ahead of him to scan them out of the ship and put up the security system.
Once outside, Jaxon walked at Toori's side again, hands in his pockets. "And of course I'll pay. Since it's a date and all.." he said, his tone gravely serious.
-
Toori made a valiant attempt at not blushing at the date comment, and mostly failed. It wasn't even just that Fang called it a date, Toori also noticed that Fang had said get to have dinner with you, like it was a privilege or something. Toori took a deep breath, fighting down another jolt of anxiety and glaring at Fang.
"Please, I could do so much better," Toori said, sniffing prissily, and hoping he sounded like he actually believed that, "You're paying because you stole my tools."
-
Thankfully for Toori, Jaxon happened to miss the blush that crossed his face, as he was trying to navigate them out of the space port. It was a bit more crowded than it had previously been, which was to be expected since most ships left in the evening. But when he heard the blond say he could do better, Jaxon took the time to glance over his shoulder. The look he put on Toori was sharp, almost challenging. Probably Toori should have known better than to say something like that, which more or less translated in Jaxon's mind to 'Turn the charm up'.
"Better?" he repeated, completely ignoring the comment about tools. Jaxon was almost offended about that, and he expressed his distaste for that statement by turning and squaring his shoulders, resigning into silence. Half of it was, of course, sheer dramatics to get Toori wound up, but there was at least some sincerity in all drama.
-
Toori had expected another quip, maybe some other comment designed to make Toori uncomfortable, but Fang only repeated Better? and went on walking. Toori watched him carefully for a long moment, falling into step beside him and furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. Fang actually seemed upset by the comment, though it was impossible to tell if he was pretending or serious. Toori felt a slightly mad urge to comfort him, to assure Fang that he had been joking, and if Toori had ever actually wanted to date anyone Fang would be a catch.
It seemed impossible, though, that Fang was really upset, would really care what Toori thought about him, so Toori shrugged it off and approached it like a joke.
"Yes, I've got men throwing themselves at my feet, can't you tell?"
-
Moody was... almost definitely one of the best words to describe Jaxon- always had been- and he only proved that with his strange attitude, jumping from teasing to flirty to downright embittered. Taking offense to Toori's remark, though, required too much effort on his part to keep up. It was easier for him to joke around, and it was a quick way to cover up what he'd felt. In many ways, humor was the easiest way to handle anything; when something was made a joke, it was easier to deal with, to belittle, and to shrug off. Thankfully Toori seemed to know that, because his following comment unwound Jaxon's tension somewhat, earning a snort of laughter.
"Oh, yes. I heard some rumors about a beautiful virgin maiden in Tynova who has twenty suitors visit her a day.. It must be you," He said, then laughed aloud. They were finally outside of the space port, and before choosing any particular direction to move in, Jaxon leaned back against the wall. Raking a hand through his messy hair, he set his gaze on Toori. "Well, my maiden, it's your pick. Where do you want to eat?"
-
Toori bristled a little at the virgin remark, feeling like his joke had backfired somewhat, and he was once again set on edge by Fang's snide comments. And then Fang went and called Toori his maiden, and Toori rolled his eyes. Toori's eyes lingered on Fang's hand when it raked through his hair, thinking about what places were nearby, had decent enough food, and which places had the highest chances that they could get through dinner without anyone assuming they were on a date. Toori made a thoughtful noise, mentally ticking through a list of restaurants.
"Well, I have to stop off at the shop first, but I know a little cafe nearby that's pretty good." His grandfather was friends with the owner, and Toori had often gone there as a child and adolescent. Though, he hadn't been there since his grandfather had fallen ill.
-
Jaxon was (surprisingly) agreeable when it came to things like this, so at Toori's suggestion he shrugged indifferently. "Sounds good," he said with a decisive nod, pushing off the wall and beginning to walk back to the repair shop. He was always much more likely to do what another person wanted than to suggest or say what he wanted. After all, Jaxon was stunningly unwilling to speak about himself for someone who was so loud and forward. One big contradiction, really. And it was made worse by how he expected others to speak about themselves.. Like now, for example.
He was well aware that he wasn't going to spend the next hour or so with Toori simply teasing him, and Jaxon did have some understanding of 'normal conversations'. He figured it was high time to stir one up. "So, have you always lived in Tynova?" he asked curiously while they walked, his eyes taking in the familiar and yet unfamiliar sights. Parts of the city had changed since the days he had been there, and even the parts which he instinctively recalled felt wrong because he couldn't put his finger on why he remembered them, or what had happened there.
-
Toori didn't answer right away, looking off at the buildings and shops and debating what to tell Fang. He wasn't a particularly secretive person, nor did he find talking about his deceased parents particularly upsetting, but it was a personal subject. If anything, Toori was always a bit irritated when he had to explain, and then deal with the ineffectual and awkward condolences and pity. Toori didn't really remember or miss his parents, and he hated being pitied.
"No," he said finally, after deciding that lying would be too much work, "I lived on the Frontier until I was six." He glanced over at Fang, wondering if he should return the question. Surely, Fang was born on some space station or far-off world, and his life so far had been full of adventure and travel, and no family or responsibilities to weigh him down so he could live his life as free and easy as he pleased, hopping from world to world at a moment's notice.
Toori swallowed down jealousy and decided he didn't care what Fang's story was. Only, of course, that was a lie.
-
Jaxon waited patiently for a reply, naturally understanding if Toori had a reluctance to speak about his past. If anyone understood having problems with their past, it was Jax. His past was his problem. Even if Toori ultimately told him he didn't want to speak about it, Jaxon thought, that would be okay. He had only brought it up for the sake of conversation. After all, most people seemed to like talking about themselves. Yet, leave it to fate to pair up the two people in the world who disliked personal conversations and had the strangest concept of socializing.
He did finally have his question answered, but the response was rather vague. The Frontier? That was interesting, Jaxon hadn't met many people from the outskirts of Tynova. "When I was younger, I think.. I wanted to live in the Frontier," he commented. Jaxon did remember that. It had something to do with all the people in Tynova. All the people looking at him, hating him... He paused. Jaxon had a strange feeling that if he pushed the thought, pursued that memory, that he could remember something. But some sick part of him didn't want to remember. He wanted to push away what had happened for as long as possible. He'd forgotten it for a reason..
Having said what he did, he suddenly realized his mistake. 'I think'. Normally, a person wouldn't have to guess about themselves. Sighing, he figured he might as well put it out there. "Before you ask, I lost my memory," he shrugged. "Three years ago." Pausing, he laughed as something occurred to him. "I guess that would explain why I act like a three year old most of the time."
-
Toori looked over in surprise when Fang spoke, not asking why Toori left the Frontier when most people who moved there never came back, but offering something about himself. Toori realized that was the first information Fang had revealed, and it seemed to raise more questions that it answered. He opened his mouth to ask why Fang only thought, didn't know, but then he saw the look on Fang's face and hesitated. All afternoon Toori had seen him make lots of expressions that ran the gamut from pleased to teasing to kind to annoyed, but now Fang looked almost haunted. The difference was almost shocking, and Toori realized it looked so strange because this was real, it wasn't a deflection or a joke, it was real emotion, and Toori was entranced.
Then Fang sighed, his expression returning to its more relaxed state, though there was obvious tension around his eyes. Toori blinked when Fang admitted to losing his memory. Then he frowned, wondering if that was lie, but only for a moment because Fang looked so resigned. He wasn't asking Toori to believe him, he was just clearing up a mess that he had obviously dealt with before. Toori looked at him closely for a moment, and then looked away.
"I see," he thought for a moment, and then turned back towards Fang, "You lost your memory, but you know you lived here?" Toori couldn't help but think of his own slight memory loss, he knew he'd lived on the Frontier, he knew what his parents looked like, but could only barely recall the years he'd spent living there.
-
Jaxon wasn't aware of how straightforward and open he was being, and if he had caught onto it, it would have struck him as very strange. But there was something about the sudden warmth he felt from Toori, the sincerity in his gaze and question, that made him not think before he spoke. "That's right," he confirmed softly, rubbing his face with frustration. He wasn't accustomed to speaking about this. "I remember a bit about my childhood and such. There's just these, these massive holes in my memory-- three years I can't account for whatsoever, not even a sliver of a--" he paused suddenly when he realized what he was doing. He was.. talking about himself, like it was normal. Jaxon had always felt distinctly uncomfortable speaking about himself, but in this case it was strange. Toori didn't feel like just some person- some person who would judge him or force their ideas on him or probe and push to get answers. He just felt like somebody Jaxon could trust. And that scared him, perhaps more than his being open.
He shook his head suddenly. "Forget it," he corrected, though he had done some irreparable damage right there. Thankfully for Jaxon, they were only a few steps from the repairs shop. As they came to the front of the store, he stopped in his tracks, crossing his arms. His guard was back up, and much more than before. "I'll wait out here," he muttered, looking away from Toori. He couldn't comprehend why he was acting this way.
-
Toori listened quietly to Fang speak, watching him carefully, almost clinically, because he was suddenly acting so different. It was fascinating, to say the least, and hearing this information about Fang felt almost like a gift, like it meant something, but Toori couldn't say what.
Then Fang shut down completely, looking agitated and annoyed, and this was almost more fascinating than the personal information. Almost. Toori watched Fang cross his arms over chest, saw the tension in his shoulders and realized he had absolutely no idea what to do in this situation. Fang was obviously upset by his lack of memory, which Toori couldn't blame him for, but Toori couldn't fathom comforting Fang. Should he give him a hug? That seemed like the worst possible idea, not to mention Toori had no idea how he would go about instigating such a thing.
He nodded slowly and turned to unlock the door of the repair shop, but hesitated with his hand on the doorknob. Maybe he couldn't comfort Fang, but he could give him a gift in return.
"When I was six," he started, looking down at the doorknob and not over at Fang, "My parents' farm was raided by bandits. They murdered my parents, and burned the fields and the house. They spared me." Toori paused, thinking about his grandfather's ghost-white face on the day he came to Tynova, remembered asking where his father was, "I don't remember it. Just-- bits and pieces. Nothing important. I dream about it sometimes." Toori fell silent, his fingers tensing on the doorknob, half turning to look at Fang but changing his mind and opening the door without looking anywhere but his own feet.
The shop was still empty, and Toori was thankful for it, feeling like he needed a moment alone to pull himself together. Maybe Fang needed that moment, too. Toori put the tools back and updated the forms in the main computer, and then clocked out. The whole thing didn't take long, and maybe three or four minutes after he'd left he stepped back out onto the street, locking the door behind him.
-
In a peculiar way, it put him at ease when Toori's only reply to the sudden change was a slow nod- it was confirmation that Jaxon's feelings about Toori, even if they were unwelcome, were right. The boy really wasn't just another person; he wasn't pushing or pulling, questioning the abrupt stop or even the vagueness. He took what he was given in such a gracious and kind way, as though he understood Jax's reservations about discussing himself and his shadowy past.
Then Toori paused. Jaxon lifted his gaze, fixing his eyes on the blond's hand which was frozen on the doorknob of the shop. Suddenly he began to speak, his tone so serious it was almost startling. And his words... Jaxon hadn't expected it at all. Toori's words made Jaxon's heart ache, both out of pity and sadness, as well as his own association. The story reminding him immediately of his memory of his mother's suicide and what he had felt that day. Though he often came off as cold, Jaxon was more than capable of compassion, and in that moment especially, he felt so much it was nearly overwhelming.
For the first time in ages, Jaxon struggled for the right words. But before he could say anything, Toori disappeared into the store. A closed door ahead of him, Jaxon breathed a heavy exhale. What he had just shared and been told felt like a weight resting on his shoulders, heavy and permanent. Yet it was not necessarily a negative... It was the first time someone had actually...trusted him. And that was a big surprise.
When Toori exited the door again, he didn't speak, simply turned his attention to locking the door. In some wild act of kindness, some inexplicable rush of warmth and familiarity, Jaxon placed his hand over Toori's which rested on the door knob. "Thank you," he said quietly, adopting a soft tone.
-
Toori had half-expected Fang to be gone when he came back, but he was still there, just in the place he had been before. He certainly hadn't been expecting the hand to fall onto his and he started, looking up at Fang in surprise. He was close, and his eyes were so open and so blue and Toori had to force himself to not jerk away. Fang thanked him, and Toori looked down at their hands and then nodded again.
"You're welcome," he said in an equally soft voice, then gently pulled his hand out from under Fang's, hoping Fang wouldn't think he was rejecting him. He turned away, back toward the busy street, taking a deep breath and shrugging off the last five minutes.
"That cafe is just a few blocks that way," he said, gesturing to his left like none of that had just happened, but he spoke softly, wondering if Fang even wanted to eat anymore.
-
Having given his thanks, Jaxon lifted his hand somewhat, allowing the blond to slip his hand away. The reaction didn't upset him whatsoever, in fact he had been anticipating it as purely normal. And he knew that Toori wasn't upset or angry since the blond had told him- so gently- that he was welcome, and when their eyes met- Jaxon felt a mutual understanding there, some kind of trust being built. It was all very out of the blue, and not what he'd expected at all, but there it was, and Jaxon couldn't find it in himself to push it away.
He dropped his arm in turn and, like Toori, went on walking as though nothing had happened. This wasn't his way of trying to forget, nor was he embarrassed or regretful about it- far from. He felt warmed by it, especially in regard to his opinion of Toori. His actions had been.. so thoughtful, Jaxon was surprised by them.
At the mention of food, Jaxon realized how hungry he actually was. He wasn't in the habit of eating healthily or often. "Good," he said with a stretch, "I thought I was going to die on the way there." He picked up the pace and they entered the cafe together. Jaxon slipped into a small table which was a little isolated from the rest of the customers, immediately setting his eyes on the menu.
-
Toori realized belatedly, while they were walking, that he wanted to thank Fang too. He wasn't sure why, exactly, maybe because Fang hadn't said he was sorry or my, how awful that must have been for you or any of the myriad of things people always said and thought were nice or helpful. Mostly Toori didn't like talking about his past because he didn't like having to deal with the people he told, having to juggle their condolences and their sympathies, and feeling guilty if he saddened or upset them, especially when Toori himself felt so curiously numb about the whole thing. He wanted to thank Fang for understanding that, for knowing what it felt like and somehow miraculously knowing the exact perfect thing to say, only now of course the moment had passed and Toori couldn't summon the courage to go back.
Usually Toori avoided social situations because of just this-- walking with someone, not talking, but for once Toori didn't feel awkward or unsure about the silence. He didn't feel the urge to grope around for something to say, some neutral and asinine topic that meant nothing, and he didn't find himself wondering if Fang was regretting this whole thing yet. He just walked, and didn't speak, and felt pretty all right about that.
As they entered the cafe and Toori slid into the booth opposite Fang, he caught sight of one of the waitresses and instantly regretted choosing this place. It was his favorite restaurant, but it had also been his grandfather's favorite restaurant, and--
"Toori! Is that you?"
--all of the wait staff knew him by name. Toori repressed a cringe, and then looked up at the waitress with a slightly strained smile. The waitress was a kindly older woman, about the age of his grandfather, and had worked at this cafe since Toori could remember. She was very nice, Toori had always liked her because she'd snuck him free helpings of pudding as a child, but also very friendly with his grandfather.
"Yes, hello, Wanda" Toori offered, voice still strained because he knew any minute now she would ask about his grandfather. Sure enough, she glanced at Fang and then back to Toori, raising her eyebrows.
"We haven't seen you or your grandfather in ages! We were all worried, is he coming?" she asked, all kind confusion. Toori sighed inwardly and glanced away.
"No, he's at home," he hedged, looking over to see her confusion drop into something more relaxed, and Toori couldn't help but blurt (because it was unlikely that his grandfather would ever eat here again, and wasn't that a jarring thought), "He's sick." Wanda blinked in surprise, then her brow creased in worry and sadness, and here it was, the sympathy, written clear as day all over her face and Toori swallowed down the anger that crawled up his throat. It wasn't her fault his grandfather was sick, she certainly didn't deserve his anger, but Toori felt it nonetheless.
"Oh," she said, her hand pressing over her heart as she realized Toori's full meaning, "I'm so sorry to hear that." Her voice was soft, genuinely upset, and Toori wanted to yell, wanted to scream what right do you have, being upset, he isn't your grandfather! After a silent moment Wanda composed herself, and Toori couldn't think of anything to say that wasn't inappropriate.
"Well," she coughed, trying to cover up the sudden awkwardness, catching on to Toori's intense desire to not talk about this, "Can I get you boys something to drink?"
-
Having the prospect of a good dinner ahead of him, Jaxon eased a great deal as he sat down and began to read the menu. Though he had expected to, he did not feel unsettled about the conversation he'd had with Toori. Rather, he felt the most comfortable he had yet. So comfortable that what had just happened was not even on his mind anymore. He was more focused on food than anything else, and plenty of the dishes sounded good to him. Since Jaxon's attention was entirely absorbed in the menu, he failed to realize the oncoming conversation until he heard Toori addressing someone. He looked up curiously.
An older woman in uniform was at their table, speaking to Toori with familiarity. Jaxon watched silently, leaning back in his seat. He wasn't the type who- being in a situation where a conversation excluding him was taking place- would pretend to be reading their menu while they listened. Rather, he let them know he was listening without participating in the conversation. And unlike most, he didn't feel awkward at all in doing so... At least, usually. Then, he noticed where this was going, and noticed just how uncomfortable Toori was. Hearing about his grandfather- It just didn't seem right, and he cast his gaze down reflexively. Perhaps Toori didn't want him to know that. But the blond's tone was not resigned or embarrassed when he spoke, it held a trace of frustration and anger.
It wasn't his tone of voice that really gave it away, though-- it was his eyes. Jaxon observed that Toori looked angry and hurt, almost vulnerable. Clearly the matter of his family was a sensitive thing for him, and seeing the older woman give her 'sincere condolences' made Jaxon a bit annoyed, on Toori's behalf at least. Being that he shared Toori's perspective about any personal conversations, he wished that the older woman would drop the subject, too. When a silence fell over them, Jaxon was ready to interrupt and take the responsibility of changing the topic, but the waitress beat him to it.
"Just water," Jaxon replied. After Toori placed his own order, she walked away. Jaxon watched her until she was out of hearing range, then focused his gaze on Toori again. "I won't mind if you want to leave," he said simply, fingering the menu idly. "I don't want you to be anywhere you don't want. You could just say you had to go run an errand, or something."
-
"Tea," Toori ground out, focusing his attention on the menu so he wouldn't have to look at the waitress. Honestly, he'd nearly forgotten Fang was there at all, and when he offered his drink order Toori looked over at him, a little surprised. Then Fang offered him an out, which was... Tempting. Toori looked down at the menu, entertaining the idea of giving his excuses and leaving, retreating back to his grandfather's house and locking himself in his room with his blueprints. It was tempting, and Toori was faintly surprised that Fang was being so thoughtful and kind, he was suddenly a completely different person from the one who had walked into the shop earlier today. Toori reflected, briefly, on how quickly things had changed between them. He doubted the change would last, tender feelings borne from commiseration that would surely fade when Toori stopped feeling so broken-open, but he found himself enjoying the change all the same.
"No," Toori sighed finally, "I've been coming here forever, it would be rude. And she means well, I just..." Toori trailed off and then shrugged, unable to articulate how much he didn't want to think about how sick his grandfather was. And maybe, just maybe, he wanted to stay with Fang and have dinner, wanted to keep spending time with the first person he'd ever met that didn't make him feel awkward and strange in his own skin.
-
Much to Jaxon's surprise (because he was sure it was what the other wanted), Toori rejected the offer to leave. He attempted to explain himself but seemed to struggle, quickly quieting again. Jaxon could understand the feeling. Lacking the experience speaking about himself and his feelings, it was often hard for him to articulate them when the time arose to do so. "I'm sure she does mean well. That's fine, you don't have to explain it to me. We'll stay," Jaxon agreed easily, picking up the menu and looking at it once more. As he read through the items, he found that he couldn't focus well- primarily because he could still feel Toori's discomfort radiating off of him, and he felt the need to fix it, almost.
The only plausible way to do so would be to distract him, so Jaxon did just that. "You know what you need?" he started, eyes lingering on the short list of alcohol at the bottom on the menu. (Jeez, what a ripoff, he thought. That wouldn't happen in Cancer). He looked up and met Toori's gaze. "Alcohol. Lots of it. Speaking of which, how old are you anyway?" he inquired. There was no way Toori was going to let Jaxon drag him to a bar. He hadn't a shot in Hell. Especially if he was much younger, though Jaxon felt he had to be around his own age.
-
Toori tried to focus on the menu, tried to read through the list of sandwiches but now he couldn't stop thinking about his grandfather, still at home. He had a day nurse that came by while Toori was at work, so he wasn't worried. Or at least, not any more worried than he usually was. The doctors had said with proper medication and treatment he could live for a few years, maybe, and Toori wondered if one day he'd come back to this cafe and have to give the news about a funeral. That thought made a lump form in Toori's throat, made his fingers tense around the menu and he almost missed Fang's next words.
He looked up at the mention of alcohol, forgetting some of his discomfort in favor of frowning at Fang.
"I'm nineteen," he said slowly, "And I'm not a big fan of alcohol."
-
Jaxon quirked a brow at the blond's next words- he saw that coming about a mile away. Toori definitely didn't seem the type to be hanging around bars, or to really be doing anything 'bad' at all. Whereas Jaxon was the type someone looked at and immediately stamped a label on. Troublemaker, space pirate.. He didn't mind; it was accurate. After all, he lived a life of crime. Even since he stopped being a gang member, he was still in and out of trouble all the time. "I thought you would say that.." Jaxon commented with a shake of the head. "Nineteen, hm? You're like a baby," he teased with a grin. It was only a two year difference- not a big deal whatsoever. But all of his closest friends back in Cancer had a good ten years on him, and he'd never had a younger friend before. How could he pass this opportunity up?
-
Toori bristled at being called a baby, his worries all but forgotten in the face of Fang's obnoxious attitude.
"I'm not a baby," he snapped, "What's wrong with disliking alcohol? I didn't say I haven't tried it." Being teased about his age was somewhat of a soft spot for Toori, because in school he had been advanced a year, and though difference between him and his classmates was only a year, it had seemed like a world of difference and Toori had been at the butt of teasing about it.
"And you don't look so much older than me, anyways. How old are you?" He aimed the question at Fang with a glare, his menu ignored and limp in his fingers.
-
Though it was a bit twisted in theory, Jaxon was glad to get a reaction out of Toori once more- it was a confirmation that he had succeeded in distracting him from his thoughts. It was nice to see Toori was back to his sharp, snappy self, refusing to take any teasing. Though being the victim of a glare that fierce was a little uncomfortable.. It was also funny. Smiling, he replied, "Twenty one," boldly- like it wasn't completely ridiculous that he had just called Toori a baby over a two-year difference.
"But you're still a baby. Especially with that cute, innocent face of your's," he laughed.
-
"Innocent!" Toori repeated, studiously not blushing at the 'cute' part and slapping his menu flat onto the table, "I am not innocent, and I am not a baby, and if you call me that again I'll-- I'll--" Toori's threat fell flat, because he couldn't think of anything suitably murderous, though his glare was still sharp and angry. He wasn't sure punching Fang would be a good idea, anyway, because if Fang was a gunner then certainly he knew how to handle a punch, while Toori... Well, Toori could build a gun, but he wasn't sure if he could fire one.
-
Jaxon couldn't help but snort out a laugh as Toori exclaimed the word 'Innocent' dramatically and slammed his menu down, and then, and then (Jaxon was pretty much laughing seriously now, not in a mean way, but he was sincerely amused), trying to threaten him. As his laughter dwindled into a breathless chuckle, he shook his head once. "That's very intimidating, Toori," he said in a mockingly serious tone, though it was not in bad taste. He was just rolling with the punches and Lord, did Toori make him laugh sometimes.
It was a little underhanded, but Jaxon took notice that Toori continuously disregarded any flirting and 'cute' comments and decided to run with it. "So I can't call you baby, or innocent.. But you don't mind if I call you cute, hm?" he pushed, flashing his pearly whites in an almost predatory way.
-
Toori's outrage only grew when Fang laughed, and with it his embarrassment-- now Toori couldn't quite fight the blush from staining his cheeks. Toori wished desperately that he had Fang's flair for banter, it seemed so easy for him to say anything, while Toori struggled with the simplest words. It wasn't that Toori didn't know what to say, or how to joke around with someone, it just seemed like more often than not somewhere between Toori's brain and his mouth the words got lost.
And maybe Toori envied Fang's conversational skills, but he did not envy the single-minded determination with which he flirted. Toori hated flirting. It was awkward and confusing, and especially with Fang it was impossible to tell what was sincere and what was a joke. The blush on Toori's cheeks darkened by a few shades and he struggled to find a response to that.
In the end, though, the waitress saved him the trouble by walking up and giving out their drinks.
"Are you ready to order?" she asked, and Toori looked down at his sadly forgotten menu, realizing just how caught up he'd been with Fang.
"I think I need a minute," Toori said, and the waitress nodded and left them alone.
-
The more persistent he was with it, the more Jaxon realized he meant a little bit of what he said- the cute comments weren't misplaced, he did find Toori cute, both his appearance and his behavior, though he wouldn't ever admit it seriously. That would be as a good as a confession, and Hell, Jaxon had been with people but he'd never dated, and he didn't plan on it. He was rather sure that he was going to be alone for a long time and that was fine. So the prospect of 'liking' Toori, it didn't even strike him as even possible, just silly- which was why it was the topic of his jokes.
Yet even being sure of that, Jaxon couldn't stop himself from feeling what he did when he saw Toori blush because of him. He wasn't even sure what the feeling was, but he didn't have time to think on it when the waitress joined them, asking if they were ready. It was funny how he had completely forgotten about his enormous appetite. Toori asked for another minute, and she wandered off again. Jaxon looked down at the menu in front of him, feigning good behavior. Then he quietly muttered, "You don't have to be so embarrassed, after all, we are on a date," and let out a laugh.
-
Fang looked down at his menu, which Toori took as a sign of truce, so Toori looked down at his. But, of course, Fang just couldn't give up. Toori was actually surprised by the date comment, though in retrospect he shouldn't have been, and he looked up sharply. He made a small, outraged noise, at a loss as to how to get Fang to stop with the flirting. It seemed like every time he did Toori blushed, and it wasn't necessarily just because he wasn't used to such attention. Fang was charming and attractive and outgoing, and exactly the kind of person that had ignored or teased him in school, and getting this attention now was... Disconcerting. To say the least. Toori couldn't help but be highly suspicious of this behavior.
Finally, Toori let out a tortured sigh and turned his attention back to his menu.
"Pick something to eat. I thought you were starving," he grumbled.
-
Seeing Toori snap his head up and make a sound of complete outrage, Jaxon looked up as well, meeting his gaze and chuckling. It was incredibly easy to tease the blond- perhaps too easy. Maybe he should have felt guilty, but he was enjoying himself too much for that. Again, Toori didn't say anything in response to his flirting, and that was as good as encouragement in Jaxon's book. He would have continued, to say something like 'So you agree we're on a date, then? Would you hold my hand?' or try to start up a game of footsies, but Toori brought up food and Jaxon's stomach grumbled audibly.
"I am," he confirmed honestly, as if his stomach hadn't already spoken up on his behalf. He looked down at the menu seriously this time, searching for something that stood out to him. Since he was fine with anything, he chose the first thing that he noticed, then beckoned over the waitress. When they placed their orders, Jaxon handed her their menus and thanked her. She left them alone once more, and Jaxon turned his attention to Toori immediately. "Let's make a deal," he said suddenly, leaning forward like he was preparing to conspire about some great idea. "I'll stop calling you.. cute, virgin, maiden, innocent, and baby, if you come out to the bar with me."
Jaxon's initial thought was curiosity- what would Toori say, and was that offer worth it? Another passing thought was how funny it would be to see the blond drunk. And then he realized that, the way he had phrased his words, implied that he wanted to see Toori again.. That he would. Oddly enough, it hadn't really occurred to him to wonder if they'd see each other again. He had sort of just, decided it, like it was inevitable.
-
Fang, thankfully, did let the subject drop in favor of food. Toori ordered one of his favorite meals, not a small one, because he hadn't eaten since breakfast, which seemed like eons ago now. When Fang leaned in conspiratorially Toori leaned back reflexively, frowning at Fang. Toori did consider the offer, not because he liked bars--he hated them, in fact--but because spending more time with Fang was not... Not wholly disagreeable. Toori didn't say that, though, just wrinkled his nose.
"I'd prefer the irritating words to spending the night in some loud, crowded bar," Toori said, "And besides, I'm sure if I got you to stop using those words, you would just find new and even more irritating words to use."
Toori almost added that he couldn't anyways, had to get home after dinner, prepare food for his grandfather and look after him, but he stopped himself, because that sort of implied that Toori wanted to go out, but couldn't. Which wasn't true. Was it?
-
Toori's response didn't disappoint Jaxon- mostly because he hadn't expected the other to agree in the first place. So while a part of Jaxon wanted to let it go, to just laugh once more, and agree that, yes, he would find more ways to tease Toori or he would altogether break his promise and just keep calling him those things... he instead decided to play the victim. His expression dropped and he sat back in his seat, no longer leaning forward excitedly. Then Jaxon pouted cutely, shooting his best puppy dog expression at the blond who sat across from him. "I see how it is," he said, jokingly mopey as he tilted his head down and let his hair fall across his face. He looked up at Toori with the puppy dog eyes. "You don't want to spend time with me," he whined.
-
For a moment, when the jovial expression on Fang's face dropped away, Toori believed it. For a moment he felt panic, maybe he'd gone too far, maybe he'd really offended Fang? Maybe Fang had realized how useless Toori was at this, at interacting with people, and was finally giving up. A second later, though, Fang's over-the-top pout made it obvious he was joking again, and Toori almost breathed a sigh of relief. Toori rolled his eyes at Fang's dramatics, and even though he was being an obnoxious ass (again), Fang must actually want to spend more time with Toori, he had suggested it first. Realizing that cooled Toori's lingering panic, and he was actually glad that he wasn't the only one feeling a little attached.
"Am I really that transparent?" he deadpanned, raising an eyebrow at Fang.
-
For a moment, Toori regarded him seriously, making Jaxon think that he'd fooled him, but then the blond rolled his eyes again. The deadpan comment made him break out in an amused smile. "Yes, you are," he replied frankly, pushing his bangs out of his eyes and sitting straight. He reached for his drink which he had been neglecting, and took a long sip before placing it back down. He ran his finger along the rim of the glass, looking up at Toori. "That's how I can tell you actually adore me, and you can't wait to spend more time with me," he explained simply. He was just teasing the other; he actually wasn't sure what the blond's opinion of him was- But they did have a connection earlier, and they already said so much about themselves.. It would have been strange to never see each other again. Jaxon didn't want that.
-
Toori scoffed, shaking his head and laughing a little, reaching for his tea and taking a sip. Adore was a strong word, Toori didn't think he had ever adored anyone, but he did like Fang. He was obnoxious and didn't know when to quit, but he seemed to understand Toori in a way no one else did, or at least, he had tried to understand Toori whereas most people just took him at face value and shrugged him off. He felt like he had done the same for Fang, he could have easily shrugged him off as another obnoxious person Toori had no choice but to deal with, but he hadn't, and Fang really wasn't as bad as he pretended to be.
Toori looked up at Fang, smiling without even realizing it. It was a small smile, nowhere close to Fang's blinding grin, but a smile nonetheless. Toori didn't know how to say anything he was feeling--that he was glad he'd met Fang, that he wanted to spend more time with him, if it was possible, that for the first time in a long time he felt like he'd made a true friend--so instead he said: "You have a very high opinion of yourself."
The teasing, the joking, the insincerity; it was the only way Toori knew to communicate anything he was feeling, and with Fang it was just so easy.
-
While the incredulous, unimpressed scoff was expected, the laugh was decidedly not- and it made Jaxon start, before making him grin in turn, satisfied. He'd succeeded in making Toori laugh and smile, even if it was a small one. It was an utter mystery why he cared so much about something so silly and trivial as making this blond he'd literally just met smile, but there it was-- Humans were absolutely crazy, he totally understood why all of the other hostile species he'd met disliked them so much. There was no understanding it. So Jaxon let it be and basked in the small pleasure he got from seeing Toori smile easily and happily.
"That I do," he couldn't help but agree. "And I'm so charming and funny that you can't resist me, so I'll take your amusement as a confirmation that you adore me." Jaxon took another sip of his drink, still smiling. "Plus, there's no way you'd ever find anyone better, even if men were throwing themselves at your feet-" he brought up the old topic with a wink, "I'm the best there is, honey,"
-
Toori raised his eyebrows as he watched Fang speak, faintly amused to see Fang acting so blatantly cocky and sure of himself. Toori was sort of fascinated by the ease with which Fang bragged. Toori had always been more insecure than not, but even if he wasn't insecure he wasn't sure if he could mimic the half-serious way Fang spoke about himself, like it was simultaneously a solid truth and a big joke.
Toori frowned when Fang concluded his little spiel, though it was more confused and intrigued than anything else. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to that, and in a way it was true; it was unlikely that Toori would meet anyone else period, because meeting Fang had been an outlier in Toori's relatively lonely life.
"Right," he said finally, having drawn a blank on any kind of sensible response, "Well, you go on thinking that, then."
-
Toori's bland reply to his words didn't put out the raging fire of his ego whatsoever-- Jaxon was confident; he'd made that much clear from the get go. After all, no one who was insecure could possibly make such bold claims about their own worth, and mock others incessantly for their own behavior. That would be incredibly difficult. For Jax, it was second nature though. Thus, he was unfazed by the reactions Toori gave him.
"Okay, I will," Jaxon announced indignantly. He would've added onto that thought, but the waitress arrived with their food, laying it out in front of them. The gunner didn't think twice before literally digging in. He was starving, and the food looked great. Thankfully it tasted great, too.
-
When the food arrived Toori realized just how hungry he was and dug in with the same enthusiasm that Fang was displaying, though with more manners. Neither of them spoke for a while, concentrating on their food instead, and for a while Toori didn't notice that they weren't talking. The food was great, as usual, and Toori found himself thinking about all the times he had dined here with his grandfather, talking and laughing and always having a good time.
"So," Toori said, groping around for a topic that would bring his mind back to the present, "Do you always fly with the White Thunder?" There, spaceships, there was an interesting topic that Toori cared about, and hopefully Fang couldn't turn into some kind of come-on.
-
Once the food arrived, their conversation died into a comfortable silence; Jaxon focused on worshiping his food and eating as much of it in as short a time as humanly possible. Whereas Toori displayed his manners a bit more, but Jax didn't even realize that little fact. He had been absolutely starving, having not had an actual meal since he'd boarded with the White Thunder. Space food wasn't his favorite thing in the entire world, and though he ate it compliantly, it was not substantial enough.
He was almost finished with his meal when Toori began speaking. Jaxon looked up to listen attentively, swallowing and taking a sip of his water before replying to his question. "Nope," he replied, explaining, "The White Thunder is a cargo business ship-- interplanetary deliveries and the such," Jaxon paused, licking his lips. "It isn't really my usual gig.. but I don't have a permanent crew yet, I just take what jobs I can get, whatever is available, and whatever pays best. My home is back on Cancer, and there's usually more than enough crews looking for temps."
-
Toori listened to Fang with interest, and his interest spiked at the mention of the space station Cancer. When he was younger Toori had often begged his grandfather to take him to Cancer, after reading about it and forming an image in his head of a bustling and sparkling space-city with more ships and strange people than you could count, and it had sounded like a dream come true. Now, Toori knew a bit more about Cancer, and no longer begged to visit it, but he still had a strong desire to.
No matter how envious Toori was, he was still just fascinated by the subject of space travel, and with this in mind he surrendered to the question he'd been dying to ask all day.
"What's it like? On Cancer, and living like that, going from ship to ship and seeing the world?"
-
Jaxon took another bite of his food as they spoke, washing it down with some more water. The glass finished, he placed it down and leaned back. At the question about Cancer, he made a thoughtful sound and actually paused before saying the first thing that came to mind. He had a lot of feelings about Cancer- it was the first place he really 'remembered', where he made all his first memories after losing his memory, and where he met all of the people who were the most important to him now. It was where he learned to gun, how to deal with weapons, fighting.. Where he got into tons and tons of trouble, ran away from police, slept in bars and alleys.. Got his first apartment. And while it was not the prettiest or warmest place, Jaxon loved it, because it was home.
"Cancer is a great place," he said assuredly, giving a firm nod. "It doesn't look like any other city or space port I've seen. It's dirty and gross but pretty amazing even though it's so grungy. It's always alive, even in the middle of the night, there are space ships landing and departing, the bars are always open and there's tons of entertainment. It's fun, that's for sure.." Jaxon paused again before addressing the question of what his lifestyle was like. "As for what it's like to be around so much.. I'm not sure? That sounds silly, but it's all I've really known. Except, before I started taking position in crews, I was in a street gang. That was easier, really. Felt more permanent, since I had so many good people at my side and I could be home more often. But being a space pirate isn't like anything else. It's exciting, and--" Jaxon stopped himself. "Am I rambling?" he laughed, almost in a shy way, though with his attitude it was hard for anything he did to be called 'shy'.
-
Toori's food lay forgotten on his plate as he listened intently to Fang, his imagination supplying him with a mental image of the station, perhaps less perfect than he had imagined as a child, but no less compelling. Toori was staring at Fang with the intense interest that he usually only aimed at machines, and when Fang cut himself off in the middle of a very promising sentence, Toori's face fell.
"No!" he said quickly, and then blushed a little at his obvious enthusiasm, "Well, yes, you are a little. But I don't mind. I've always... I mean, I love ships, and I've always wanted to fly in one. So... I don't mind."
-
Again that rare yet sincere smile found its way onto Jaxon's face, seeing how enthusiastic and interested Toori was in what he was saying. It wasn't often that he spoke seriously and at length, though it did happen with his closer friends or crew members.. He never had anyone's attention so available to him, he'd never had anyone hanging on his words like that.
He returned the sentiment, listening to Toori's explanation and nodding. But hearing those words... Something clicked. Jaxon immediately remembered the moment in the engine room, when Toori said that he 'wasn't interested' in being part of a crew. That had been a flat out lie- obviously- but Jaxon was sure that it wasn't told in vain... He just figured, Toori had his reasons. That was enough.
"Well.. I was just going to say that being a space pirate is unlike any other life. You get to do and learn so many things, see tons of places and meet people. Deciding to be a space pirate.. It opens a lot of doors," Jaxon stopped at that, not wanting to push the idea too much. He didn't want to make Toori miserable because he couldn't (wouldn't?) go out and join a crew. He had to be realistic, too. "It's not all fun and games, though. It is dangerous, and you don't get to be home a lot...Or stay around the people you care about," Jaxon added, giving Toori a heavy look before diverting his gaze. He hadn't meant to make that sound so.. Serious.
-
Toori was still hanging on Fang's words, drinking up these little slices of information like they were water and he was very, very thirsty. When Fang mentioned the downsides he frowned, though, sitting back a little. The look that Fang shot him was jarring because it was so serious, and Toori had to wonder if Fang had friends or family somewhere, obviously he didn't remember his birth family, but maybe he had an adopted one that he was missing. Toori's shoulders sagged a little and he looked away.
"Yeah, I..." Toori paused, idly fingering his fork, "That's why I... Back at the ship, I said I wasn't interested in joining a crew. I am, obviously, but I can't. My grandfather... I can't leave him." He looked back up at Fang, unable to hide the pain he felt about that, both about his grandfather's illness and his own selfish want to leave. Once again Toori found himself sharing with Fang where otherwise he would have kept his mouth shut, and he couldn't really bring himself to mind.
-
Jaxon didn't particularly like that his serious words put that slump in Toori's shoulders, but then, it was better than filling the boy up with excitement and expectations only to have him leave feeling miserable, feeling like he'd never lead a life that wonderful. Nothing was without its downsides, and very few dreams were truly as wonderful as a person made them out to be in their minds. If Jaxon had to put that edge of reality on the situation, then he'd do so.
Funnily enough, he had already accepted the fact that he wouldn't learn the reason Toori was chained to a life in Tynova, not wanting to ask the other. But Toori brought up the topic on his own, surprising him. Hearing the explanation, Toori struck Jax as incredibly selfless. Any other person who felt half as passionate as Toori, had half the talent he had, would have already put their grandfather in another's care and disappeared, never to return. But here was Toori, being loyal and faithful and plainly, suffering.
He wasn't sure what would be the right thing to say, though. The most he could do, for both of them, was be honest. Neither of them were interested in insincere gestures or condolences. "Listen. You won't be here forever," he said, shaking his head lightly, "I know you feel trapped, but you aren't. I'm not going to tell you 'it's all going to work out.' When do things ever really turn out well?" he laughed bitterly-- Life wasn't easy, hell if he was going to lie about it- "But you're talented, and you're passionate. What you are doing now.. If it's what you need to do, do it. But don't give up your passion."
Having said that, Jaxon felt like a bad public speaker. "Now finish your food before it gets cold. I'm paying for it, so you better enjoy it," he ordered, smiling.
-
Toori listened to Fang, unable to stop the little smirk from forming on his lips when he realized Fang was trying to encourage him. It was far from Fang's obnoxious flirtations, but this honest encouragement seemed to fit into Fang's personality; perhaps it was rare for him to act this way, but Toori was sure that Fang was honestly concerned. For someone so insincere, Fang was very honest.
When Fang finished his little pep-talk and told Toori to finish his food, Toori ducked his head to hide the bright smile that bloomed over his face.
"What are you, my mother?" Toori asked lightly, but picked up his fork and resumed eating, his tone soft and sweet despite to sarcastic question. He glanced up at Fang, once, and then added, "Thank you."
-
Seeing that smile on Toori's face made Jaxon think it actually may have been worth it to sound incredibly cheesy and give an actual honest-to-god pep talk. He couldn't even be embarrassed over it with Toori being so cute; smiling and joking around, even thanking him for his words. Jaxon rarely went out of his way to help others, but Toori was different of course, and he was glad that he'd made such an effort for him. He wanted to see the blond happy. "Don't mention it," he replied, waving it off. "Also, yes, I am your mother. Listen to mommy and eat all your vegetables," he added sarcastically.
Jaxon let Toori finish his meal without anymore badgering, only making a few passing comments for the last few minutes of their dinner. Once the other finished, Jaxon paid, as promised, and then stood from the table, stretching languidly. He felt stiff from sitting in place, like they'd spent hours there. It had sure as hell felt long. The entire day had felt long, Jaxon reflected as he led Toori out.
Exiting the cafe, he took note that the streets had become more quiet, and it was much darker out. Yet, it never got too dark, what with Edanith's remarkable triple moons hanging high in the sky, shining down brightly. Jaxon stared up at them for a moment, leaning back against the front wall of the cafe, then turned his attention onto Toori.
"It looks like it's time for us to go our separate ways," he commented. He wouldn't deny that he'd liked the company- Toori was not like other people he spent time with. But he wasn't sad to leave, after all, they'd more or less decided to keep in touch. "Give me your communicator," he demanded with a smirk.
-
They finished dinner in relative ease, Toori following Fang out of the restaurant and into the street. There was a bit of a nip in the air, and Toori's thoughts immediately went to his grandfather, wondering if dinner had lasted longer than he'd thought it did. It felt like it went by quickly, but at the same time it felt like he'd met Fang ages ago, when in reality it had only been a handful of hours. But so much had happened in that time, Fang knew virtually all of Toori's secrets, and Toori knew some of Fang's as well. Fang just felt so familiar, and even though he knew they had to say goodbye, it didn't feel like it, really. Toori knew with a slightly confusing assurance that they would meet again.
When Fang asked for his communicator Toori looked sharply over at him, narrowing his eyes as his hand went to his back pocket, where his communicator was tucked safely inside.
"What do you want my communicator for?"
-
Jaxon laughed at the almost suspicious look that Toori pinned on him in that moment. "What do you think, idiot?" he reached over, taking the device from his hand, much too impatient to wait for him to realize why he wanted it. "I'm giving you my number," Jaxon explained, shaking his head as he entered his information into the little communicator.
As he did so, he thought about how he didn't have his own communicator with him- it was on the ship- and how he would just have to wait for Toori to reach out for him. What if he didn't? That thought certainly rubbed him the wrong way, but Jaxon tried to debunk his own unsure feelings by reminding himself what they'd shared- how they trusted each other. As that thought crossed his mind he came to the field 'Name'... He entered Jaxon and handed the communicator back to the blond.
"My real name. It's Jaxon," he said at last.
-
When Fang reached out and grabbed Toori's communicator, Toori almost scrambled to grab it back. It was purely reflex, because he hadn't expected it, and he grudgingly told himself that Fang probably wasn't going to break it. He relaxed a little when Fang said he was putting in his number, realizing that while he had wanted to meet up with Fang again, he hadn't had any thoughts about how that would happen.
"Jaxon, huh? That's better than Fang." Toori said, taking his communicator back, "Aren't you going to give me yours?"
-
Jaxon laughed a little at the name quip, though he felt obligated to defend it. "Hey, watch it. Someone very close to me gave me that name," he explained, shaking his head a bit. He didn't want to go into it, but he thought maybe later, he could tell Toori about the gang leader, the man who'd found him and taken him in, made him part of the gang and given him a name and a family. Even if Fang was a silly name, it had never struck him as silly. For a long time it was the only name he knew himself by- 'Jaxon' just another lost memory.
"I'd give you mine, but it's back on the ship. Just send me a message whenever," he said with a smile and a shrug. Jaxon paused before saying goodbye- this wasn't the handshake or hug sort of situation... if anything it was awkward circumstances. He wanted to make a joke of the whole thing- maybe tackle Toori to the ground or something, but instead he settled on being sincere with it. "Bye, Toori," he said finally, "I'll see you around."
-
Toori smiled at Jaxon's--and that name seemed to slot right into Toori's thoughts--quip about his nickname, then nodded when he explained where his communicator was. The silence then was awkward, and Toori wasn't sure if he should be doing something, saying goodbye or maybe typing out the message right here while Jax waited. Jaxon seemed to hesitate as well, until at last he said a simple goodbye. Toori nodded and watched him turn, his eyes lingering on Jax as he wondered at the curious sinking feeling he felt in his gut. It was strange, watching Jaxon walk away, and actually strange would be a fantastic way to sum up this whole day. Strange, yes, but also good.
Toori watched until Jaxon disappeared from view and then turned, making his own way home.