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Author Topic: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]  (Read 8861 times)

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Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #20 on: September 14, 2017, 04:09:42 pm »
This smug guy who had pretty much kidnapped him into dinner with him--Huxley, he supposed--was too quick for Loa's addled brain. He couldn't even protest the drink before the weapons expert was up darting off to grab something; maybe he was as eager as Loa was to get the hell out of this awkward situation and he was just trying to be nice about it.

Hah. Fat chance.

He raised his eyebrows, pausing a moment as he looked at the root beer float set in front of him; Huxley talked to him like he'd never seen one before and it irked him slightly before he reminded himself that for all this guy knew, maybe he hadn't before. It went ignored for the time being--the umbrella gave him mixed feelings. Was he being mocked? But Huxley had one too.

Fuck he hated people. He hated people so much.

So it turns out this guy was from the Haviah Harpies, and he was so proud of it Loa was almost certain after a moment that his chest was going to explode with how he metaphorically puffed it out like a peacock showing its tail feathers. Gods. What a guy.

Loa, of course, being the awkward antisocial prick that he was, didn't understand in the slightest what the appeal of having a team was. Why would someone ever want to work in a group when all the other group members would just push off all the work onto you and then claim all the rewards from it? He'd always thought teamwork was a joke. It was probably why he made for such a good assassin--he didn't let anyone get in his way.

His stomach gave him another stabbing pain and he finally gave in and found the straw, sliding it through the helmet's hole for the breathing apparatus attachment since he didn't have it on right now. Unfortunately, he had to give Huxley a bit of credit--it was some really good root beer. That or the fact that he was literally starving just made it taste that much better, but there was no chance in hell that his helmet was coming off until he was behind his own closed doors. Not after today.

"Uh, right. Sure. Railguns are fun." He didn't think they were fun. He could care less. But maybe if he agreed then Vander would ask less questions and would be much happier to babble about the things he cared about so Loa could just go back to tuning him out again, that'd be nice.

He removed the straw and finally took a moment to actually look this guy over; gray hair, and that weird visor thing going on. He didn't know what it was for, and while there was a small, tiny sliver of him that was curious, he didn't bother asking. He wondered if the gray hair was natural or dyed. Again, didn't care enough to ask.

"Participated in any of those team tournaments yet?" He asked, just trying to keep the conversation going and away from him with as little comment on his side as possible. The sooner they got out of here, the better.

Offline Lion

Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #21 on: September 14, 2017, 06:31:28 pm »
Vander's specialty stemmed mostly from being able to read machines and communicate with them. Sure he was psychic and could get a read on just about anyone's basic surface thoughts. That didn't take much talent aside from the occasional focusing in on someone when they said some dumbass shit. He was all about that mental gossip. Ah, insofar as it came around benign things that no one else gave a shit about.

Vander was almost done with his sushi rolls and just when he thought this guy was just gonna be a complete asshole and reject a perfectly good root beer float, he stopped mid-bite and watched from the corner of his vision, the man actually taking a sip. Of course he fixated on him very briefly. A small smirk played on his lips, and he finished his last bit of wasabi sauce and began to work on his own root beer.

Yeah yeah, the guy only had to suffer his company for a few more minutes, so Vander so no harm in trying to get to know this guy a little better.  "Oh yeah, just last year. We made it to the finals too. Fucking awesome that was," Vander went on. "Did you watch it? Or do you not watch TV? It's cool if you don't, not everyone does."

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Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #22 on: September 14, 2017, 06:43:02 pm »
Damn. He was more of a decent person deep down than Loa was willing to admit, particularly out loud. He was actually trying to include Loa in the conversation, rather than just prattling on about anything and everything that came to mind without a chance to get a word in edgewise like he'd initially thought Vander to be the type for.

So no matter what he did, he'd have to come up with answers to questions he'd rather not talk about. Like if he watched tv. Or if he had any hobbies.

The answer was kind of no, to both.

He could always lie; make himself seem like less of a loser. Except this guy seemed to be sharp enough that if he did lie, the guy would probably pick up on it, and then he'd seem even more pathetic than he actually was. Well, no. He really was kind of that pathetic, he was at least self-aware enough to acknowledge that.

"I don't watch tv." He grumbled, pausing for a moment as he searched desperately for something to say.

What a surprise, when you shut yourself off from the outside world and refuse to leave your bedroom for sometimes weeks on end for years of a regular basis, you end up with shitty people skills.

Who'd'a thunk it.

"Congratulations. Seems like you're enjoying your team at least." It was half-assed and flat as fuck but screw it it was all he had right now. His head felt like it was swimming, even with the root beer.

He finished off said root beer, waiting patiently for Vander to finish because it was obvious by now there was nothing he could do to get rid of the guy just yet. If he got up and left he'd probably just take his unfinished food with and keep talking to him, eating while they walked. It was pointless to resist.

So he waited. Because that's what he'd done all day, what did one more hour make?

Offline Lion

Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #23 on: September 14, 2017, 07:04:14 pm »
Maybe this guy wasn't a complete douchebag after all. That was always nice, to find people that you didn't at all expect to be how they tried to present themselves to the world. Vander himself knew only too well the dangers of jumping to conclusions about people. Others had done that to him enough as it was.

"Oh yeah. It's really cool. Great fun. But even I like go to out on my own and do stuff. That's what that stunt out on the shooting range was. Although...you really didn't seem all that excited. Forgiveable, my friend,' he chuckled.

Vander finished off his root beer and seemed to be waiting for Loa. Well he waited very briefly before reaching across and plucking the umbrella from his own glass and then the purple one from Loa's.  And put them both in his bag to be taken back home. Not for any real reason than because he thought they were cool. Vander slipped his bag back over his shoulder and off the stool.

And walked over to his new friend. Yeah. Whether he liked it or not, he decided this guy was now his friend. "Ready when you are, bud," he murmured, grinning again and holding the door open for him. "They just like to throw those umbrellas away anyway, so I see what kind of junk I can salvage and turn it into some kind of knick knack, that's always fun."

Vander shrugged and brushed his hand back through his hair. "You live in the Citadel yeah? Most do, so I'm just wondering. I'm headed that way myself. So, why don't we head over together? Makes the walk a lot less lonely. Cool."

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Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #24 on: September 14, 2017, 07:47:33 pm »
If by himself he meant dragging in strangers instead of hanging out with the same few people all of the time then yes, sure, Vander had been out on his own doing stuff--wait, what?

Loa froze up a little at the words 'my friend.'

Wait. Did he actually mean that? Or was it just a friendly saying. He'd heard it both ways. Wait. Wait what--no, that couldn't be. Nobody became friends that fast, especially not with Loa. No way no how. Nobody in their right mind should ever WANT to be his friend.

Guy was probably just being nice. Yeah. That was it.

He didn't respond to the comment, forcing himself to relax a little as he mentally shrugged it off, though his attention was caught by Vander yet again when the man reached over and took the purple umbrella out of his drink. He rose a skeptical eyebrow, looking at the not-so stranger and forgetting for a moment his expression wasn't visible. And yet despite not being able to see his face, Vander explained himself anyways. Perhaps he'd tapped into some of that telepathic power or whatever. Maybe he was just good at reading people.

He wanted to doubt the second one.

"Whatever makes you happy." He supposed. He didn't really care, just found it a little... Odd. Slightly creepy. Well, it'd have been creepier if he'd licked the umbrella or something so maybe it wasn't that bad.

He got up along with Vander, more than ready to leave this place and just go home and crash, but he asked about the Citadel and he knew he better answer truthfully or risk looking like an idiot. He just nodded in response; yes he lived there.

Of course  Huxley did too. Of course.

At this point, he didn't even try to argue; just stepped through the doorway, knowing full well that the man was going to follow. He didn't bother asking any more questions, though, because he was already starting to regret it.

(If only he had the slightest idea of the decision Vander had made while they sat at dinner together. Oh the irony.)

He kept his responses to any more conversation minimal as he endured the (thankfully) short walk from the restaurant to the Citadel, his brain feeling fuzzier by the minute. He just wanted to go home, lie down, and sleep for several days straight. He was having a hard enough time focusing on the topics at hand, and once or twice he forgot where they were going. Fuck, he should've ate something.

He accompanied the Cardinal up to his floor of residency, and once they were standing outside of Huxley's apartment door, even Loa's addled mind was able to register the number next to it and he realized that he literally lived directly above him, one floor up.

... So that explained all the loud noises that sounded like construction work that came from the neighbor downstairs.

He said nothing, praying that Huxley wouldn't figure it out, otherwise he might never get the man out of his hair ever again. At least now he knew where he was, so he could avoid him like the plague and hopefully never cross paths with him again. They could just forget this ever happened, and he could go back to his solitary ways of never talking with people outside of work.

That was how he preferred it.

Especially because his lack of social skills made goodbyes incredibly, horrendously, unforgivably awkward.

Offline Lion

Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #25 on: September 14, 2017, 11:08:06 pm »
Vander thankfully had no prior experiences with this guy to fall back on. He'd never been the type of guy to linger on the past regardless, because that was where it ought to stay. The here and now, this very moment, was all that mattered. What you could do, what you did do, none of it was relevant until the hammer struck the anvil. And when that happened, only then did your actions make any real difference.

So, no, Vander saw no real harm in having dinner with a perfect stranger after shooting up a bunch of huge pieces of fruit! Sure the guy was a bit of er, well, stiff in the joints, but he supposed the sushi was kind of awkward for everyone involved.

"Okay, bud, this is me. I'm heading in, you have a good night! Maybe I'll catch you later," Vander just waved at him, waved his chip across the reader and opened the door. The goodbye was short and sweet and gave the Cardinal prime time to wind down. The visor came off, and he showered, and put the umbrellas in a small jar he had in the corner of his kitchen.

The rest of his apartment was a stray mess of wires and circuitry, gadgets, and metallic parts all taken apart and various projects that have yet to come to fruition. Small robots went about doing simple tasks like starting the coffee in the corner of his kitchen, while another swatted that robot to correct it from making the coffee so late. But Vander waltzed over to the coffee maker and pushed the other bot away, to let the first one do it's thang, setting up the machine, grounds and all.

"Good critters," he murmured, and set his gun down. It'd be a long night but he had a lot tweaking to do and a concert to get to tomorrow night. He could sleep during the day and be spry enough to catch Aizo Creed, one of the best synthwave DJs in lower-level Haviah.

Well mid-level, Vander wasn't that much of an idiot.  Just enough to stay up all night and work into the wee-hours of the morning.

Something was playing above him, a song that he could hear through Cardinal level ceilings and he just let that music soothe him to sleep until evening came. No work meant he could dress how he wanted. And not talking to superiors was always a good day. No drills, and that mess in the shooting range could be....well, he'd think about the consequences later.

Club Freeze. It as a dumb ass name for a club that played bomb tracks. 15 credits admission at the door, but Vander, in practical fashion, got his ticket early and he sat at the bar as Aizo began the lightshow with the opening track.

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Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #26 on: September 14, 2017, 11:27:58 pm »
At least it was quick and mostly painless. He'd just given the Cardinal a half-assed wave, and as soon as the door was shut his shoulders slumped and he let out a heaving sigh of relief; now he just had to drag himself up to his own level, easier said than done.

Still, he managed it and once the door was shut behind him the helmet came off and was flung onto a rather sad couch. Unlike Vander's apartment, Loa's was almost entirely bare.

There was nothing on the walls; no posters, no pictures. The windows weren't just tinted, rather they were blockaded with thick curtains ans blankets to keep all daylight out, or perhaps to keep anyone from seeing in. His bed in the back had simple bedsheets and a gray comforter, a single light by one side. There was a desk in the living room, and plugged into it were all kinds of electronic musical equipment. Other than that, there was nothing to indicate anyone really lived here at all. It was hard to believe he was practically spending every day of his recent existence cooped up in here.

He staggered about half way to the bed, and didn't fight it; he hit the floor with a solid thump that probably echoed through to Vander's ceiling below, but he was out cold and therefor literally couldn't be bothered to give two shits.

He woke up several hours later, face bruised and his lip cut from going down face first. Oh well. He only knew because he could feel it--there were no mirrors in his apartment for him to inspect the damages. He didn't care, anyways.

He eventually forced himself to eat something, feeling better enough to get on his computer and work on the beginnings of a new song he'd started a week ago. It was a slow process, given his constant state of depression and crippling anxiety and self-loathing, it made it hard for him to get any personal projects done within any reasonable length of time.

He scrolled through a forum he read more than posted in, and saw a topic mentioning one of his favorite artists would be there in the city, in a club called Club Freeze--stupid fucking name. He sucked in a breath.

But potentially worth it.

He donned a leather jacket and close-fitting black pants and a pair of boots, throwing a bandana around the lower half of his face and tying it under his mess of wavy black hair--all after a shower of course.

He wasn't going there to mingle or catch anyone's attention; no, he found himself entering the club with a ticket paid for at the door (early enough to beat the lines) to watch and learn, nothing more, nothing less. So he found a spot along the wall, submerged in shadows as the opening notes rolled out across the floor, colored lights flickering all over the quickly growing crowd.

Fuck, he hated people. Couldn't they enjoy this artist some other time? Why'd it have to be the day he wanted to go?

Oh well, at least he wouldn't see anyone he knew here--or if he did, they wouldn't recognize him without his helmet.

Offline Lion

Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #27 on: September 15, 2017, 01:32:01 am »
Whatever stupid name it had, Vander couldn't argue that the music here was anything but amazing. It was a hot mid-level club, second tier and maybe not the Synesthesia, but a Pilot was welcome to free drinks on Wednesday nights, and Vander made a point of showing patronage whenever he could. Free time wasn't exactly a high light of squadhood. There were always drills to run, training never stopped, and Vander wasn't going to let himself lag just for a good time.

So when moments like this came about, he wasn't going to squander it. Aizo Creed was something of a growing name. And being able to say you were there before they became huge was easily one of the best feelings in the world to Huxley. He was already feeling the energy in the room, and the bumping of the bass as more and more people filed in to take their place and started to dance.

Vander couldn't say he was much of a dancer, but it wasn't like anyone was asking right now. So the only thing he wanted to do was have a drink and take in those sweet sweet beats. Or he would have if he didn't see someone skulking along the side wall there. Skulking, super suspicious.

Normally he wouldn't have had his hackles raised to eleven in a situation like this. This club normally had pretty good security and even with the few other Pilots in the room, people would have to be absolutely bonkers to try anything in a crowded place like this. Unless it was a bomb...  Or worse.

Vander glanced over to the skulking shadow. Black hair, pale as fuck skin, just trying to do their damnedest to even refrain from any sort of attention. Heh! Well, when you dressed like that, to Huxley it just meant you clearly wanted some!  So he ordered a beer and shimmied on over, walking slowly and shrugging in the green hoodie he wore.

Just plain jeans, a t-shirt, and some sneakers. No reason to dress up for an occasion like this in his book. And besides the jeans were tight enough. "What's up my man!?" he chuckled. At first the words were little more than a friendly ice breaker until he saw the hands, the stature in and over itself. Kind of slouched, didn't want anything or anyone to notice him.  With a general 'Bite me' attitude.

"Hey!" he murmured. "You're uh, Loa, right?  Hey, nice to run into you again. Remember me? Huxley! From the shooting range?"

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Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #28 on: September 15, 2017, 05:33:10 am »
For the most part, it seemed like his plan had worked. He blended into the shadows pretty seamlessly, because nobody even spared him a second glance. A first one with suspicion maybe but they had nothing to worry about, honestly. He was just there to enjoy the music, and it seemed like life was actually going to let him do just that.

Haha. Just kidding.

He noticed someone approaching in his peripherals, and did his best to ignore the sucker. If it was security that'd have been ome thing, but the security around here didn't wear green hoodies and jeans. Guy could fuck right off for all Loa cared.

Except he didn't. And his voice was familiar to boot. He threw the stranger a sideways glance and recognized the visors to be the same that Huxley had been wearing the day previous. Great. You've gotta be fucking kidding--the one guy that Loa wanted to avoid most not only happened to be right here in the same club, AND he somehow managed to recognize Loa without his helmet.

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.

Begrudgingly, he turned to give the man his attention--just like yesterday, it was worthless to try and lie. But that wouldn't stop Loa from throwing Vander his meanest death glare. Because boy, if he thought Loa's sour attitude was tangible with his helmet, he had another thing coming to him without it.

"Yes, I remember." He growled, clearly pissed he'd been found. It swam in his piercing blue-gray eyes , showed through the tightness of his shoulders, visible through the unintentionally snug fit of the black t-shirt he wore under his jacket. If anything, his voice was much more crisp and clean now. Without the helme in the way, the chilled silkiness of it wasn't muffled, and it might have sounded oddly familiar.

Maybe if Huxley could visibly see his anger, he'd leave him alone?

Ha. Yeah right.
« Last Edit: September 15, 2017, 05:41:18 am by Cheesigator »

Offline Lion

Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #29 on: September 15, 2017, 11:53:49 am »
Death glares had no effect on this particular Harpy. He worked with Rodion Voronin so nasty attitudes came with the territory and was a part of his job that Vander had even come to enjoy. If he let even the smallest glares faze him, he probably wouldn't have graduated. He probably would be somewhere in a glass box in TRIM getting poked and prodded.

Haviah nights like these made it all worth it. Even if he was being glared at with such vehemence that if looks could kill, this would be the one to do him in.

Vander held up his beer and relaxed his visage, the muscles in his face still twitching into a smirk. And he caught a glimpse of those eyes. A glimpse that turned into a reflective stare. Damn, it was too bad he hadn't noticed those eyes before because he sure as hell couldn't ignore them now. The club's dim lighting, low and warm with reds and cool with blues from the strobe lights by the raised stage platform, reflected over the tempestuous blue-grays.

Vander said nothing, as if he didn't even hear the other guy speak. He just smiled, smirk growing by the second until he set the beer down beside the corner of the bar next to them. "You're an Aizo fan too? Or you just here to let the lights play on those starry eyes of yours? You didn't have to pay 15 credits for that. I'm sure they look amazing in any lighting."

Hopping up onto the barstool next to them, he shrugged and tucked his hands on the seat, cradling them between his legs. "How you been since yesterday? It's good to see you again. To be honest, I didn't think you really got out much!"
« Last Edit: September 15, 2017, 11:55:06 am by Lion »

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Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #30 on: September 15, 2017, 12:08:34 pm »
Thankfully for Loa's sake, the visor that Vander wore kept his eyes hidden pretty well, and with the distracting lights of the club, he didn't realize Vander was staring at any particular part of him, especially not with any kind of... Interest. No, he remained blissfully ignorant, brows only furrowing as he fought the urge to just punch the guy and leave, looking away as no further comments were made; well, until Huxley spoke up.

Wait--his--what? He blinked, looking over at the other man and forgetting that Vander could totally see some of his facial expression now, looked at the guy like he'd just sprouted a second head.

What the fuck?

He was so taken aback by the comment he was utterly silent, completely unsure how to answer. He could feel his cheeks heating up with embarrassmen as he looked away, mostly out of frustration for the fact that such a comment flustered him so easily and it was really, really painfully obvious. So much so, he couldn't even think of a retort. He had absolutely nothing to say--how could he?

This--this guy was just fucking around with him! Had to be. He probably talked like that to everyone, it definitely wasn't worth it to respond. So he moved onto the next comment, albeit a full minute and 30 seconds after Vander had said it.

"I-- don't." He grumbled, disjointed and still confused and conflicted on how to respond.

He was horrible at hiding his emotions without that helmet. He was wishing he wore it--he should have, would have, if he'd have known that he'd just be recognized anyways. At least the bandana covered his face so Vander couldn't see the red tinting his cheeks still. He probably looked like an idiot, he definitely felt like one.

Offline Lion

Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #31 on: September 15, 2017, 12:51:37 pm »
Vander didn't make any further comment on his eyes. It was enough to know that they were there and still catching the strobe lights beautifully. Not to mention this guy could barely speak about normal things like food and drinks. Come to think of it, Vander could tell this guy really didn't like him. At all. And maybe this was him just being a glutton for punishment, but he saw no reason he couldn't try and change his mind about that.

"Hey, no sweat then right?" Vander tried to move the conversation along. "Hey, you can have a seat man. Just plop down right next to me. I'm a disaster on the dance floor, so I'm happy to just listen to the music from back here. Unless you wanted to dance? But something tells me you're not all that interested in mingling with the crowd.'

He snorted, had another sip of his beer again. "Sorry for startling you by the way. I've only been listening to this guy for a few months now, and I'm digging all his stuff. I bought every one of his albums so far. Love it. What about you? Do you like this kind of music? Synthy stuff, or what?"

This was getting awkward and Huxley did well to ignore it, mainly because he didn't want to be the one to make this guy feel like he had to tuck himself into a corner. Sometimes it just took one person to pull you out of that protective shell. Even if it was just one person, the world wasn't so bad then. You weren't alone, someone had your back.

"Can I get you something to drink? Maybe another root beer float?"

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Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #32 on: September 15, 2017, 01:43:35 pm »
Loa couldn't ignore the feeling that was slowly creeping upon him that he felt more and more like a fish out of water, like the air was getting harder to breathe, and it was hard to keep himself from just bolting for the exit door. Why didn't he?

Look he already looked like a pathetic coward there was no need to make it even worse. Even he had SOME honor. Not much, though.

He glanced at Vander only to quickly look away again, hesitating for a moment before he finally gave up and sat on the seat next to him, because it was obvious that yet again this guy wasn't gonna just leave him alone. Fuck, of all people he had to run into here, why'd it have to be him??

"I don't dance." Again, his response was short; every muscle was tense, and he sat up perfectly straight on the bar stool, anything but relaxed. "I... I've been listening to his stuff for a year or two." He had to remind himself to speak up with the loud thrumming of the music. He sure didn't want to but he didn't want to have to repeat himself, either.

At the mention of what kind of music he liked, though, he paused a moment. So that meant that Vander hadn't figured out who exactly lived upstairs just yet--he'd probably heard the music Loa played and worked on when he was shut in up there, without a doubt. But he hadn't connected it to him just yet, and hopefully he wouldn't, ever.

"I guess I enjoy it." The guess part was an honest answer--he'd never really given any thought to whether or not he enjoyed listening to or creating his music; he just kind of did it. It was an escape that Amontillado actually allowed him to do, and the less mental abuse he got from the dragon on how he spent his free time, the better.

He couldn't help but stare at Vander, however, when he asked if he could get Loa a drink, and he didn't bother hiding it.

He'd complimented him (?????), mentioned dancing with him, was asking to buy him a drink--you know, if it was anybody but Loa, they might have wondered if Vander was interested in them.

But it was Loa.

He just thought Vander was being weird.

"A beer would be fine I suppose." He finally gave in, wishing someone would just come into the club right now and shoot him in the face. He felt so stupid and blind.

He took another glance over at Vander and before his brain could check what his mouth was saying, asked "Do you wear that visor to bed, too?" With a somewhat sarcastic tone to his voice. Well. It was an honest question at least.

Offline Lion

Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #33 on: September 15, 2017, 04:09:48 pm »
The guy looked like his head was about to pop off his shoulders and roll out onto the dance floor. Now that wasn't a good sign. Vander wasn't sure what to do exactly. So he did what he knew how and that was to lean back against the bar and just chill. What was the point of being high strung, if this guy seemed to have it spades enough for everyone in this room?

Vander shrugged and when at last Loa seemed to relax enough to accept his generosity, he grinned, nodded and maneuvered over to the bartender. Two brewskis freshly popped open and he brought it back over to Loa.  "Okay, here ya go. Cheers to...uh, bomb ass tracks. Yeah!"

Vander handed the bottle over to him and clanked one cool glass to the other and ignored his previously ordered beverage. He'd already paid for it, it wasn't like it would go to waste.  A swig back and he swallowed the sour taste. Oy, not his favorite, but it would do and he leaned back against the bar counter again.

"My visor, oh yeah. I wear it here, there, everywhere!" Vander cackled, throwing his head back and grinning ear to ear. "I mean I don't need it when I'm sleeping. So I can take it off just fine, my eyes don't make out so well without it. I made it back in Candyhood. And have made pretty good improvements to it over the years. I'm a technopath, in case that wasn't clear."

He wasn't sure if it was a dick move to reference it, but he was curious himself. So he pointed upward to Loa's face. "What about you? You cover your face when you go to sleep too? So far, it's a decent looking face. I mean the parts above the bandana."

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Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #34 on: September 16, 2017, 01:34:25 pm »
Yknow, Loa couldn't help but wonder what it must be like to have all of those ridiculous amounts of confidence. Was it annoying to him, having to live with it, as it was to Loa for having to endure it?

Probably not. That thought alone irked him a bit.

He watched Vander's every move, almost as if he expected the man to drug him with that beer, though it seemed drastically out of character for him to do so, and Loa didn't actually expect it. He just had no clue what to expect, and that also bothered him.

In the back of his mind he was still horrendously confused about the guy's comments from earlier, and it wasn't about to get any better.

He held the bottle handed to him almost comically still, like a mannequin, as Vander clinked his against it and made as if they were celebrating something, which was dumb, but whatever. He snuck the bottle under his bandanna and took a swig; tasted awful, but it wouldn't be nearly enough to give him even a buzz so what'd it matter?

Loa couldn't help but notice, however, the curve of Vander's neck as he threw his head back and laughed; if he just didn't talk he actually wouldn't be too far off from Loa's type. N-Not that it mattered. He quickly looked away again, using his powers to keep the blood from rising to his cheeks and making him blush again. No. NO. He wasn't having any of that, not tonight. Fuck that.

So it sounded like Vander had some kind of eye problems. Sucked but whatever, none of his business. At least now he knew why the guy looked like a douchebro wearing sunglasses at night all the time.

But then he asked why Loa hid his face all the time; he opened his mouth to make some snide remark but then Vander complimented him.

He stared at him again, completely thrown off and wondering why in the hell he'd just said that. His face? DECENT looking? B-Bullshit. He just--he was just--

He quickly looked away again, eyes suddenly on the floor as he tried and failed miserably to process what was said to him and how to take it and how to respond. Was this a joke? Was he being insulted? What the hell was this?? Why wouldn't this asshole just leave him alone!?

"Phobia." Was all he managed to get out, a blush tinting his cheeks anyways despite his earlier efforts, because he was so confused he forgot to keep his focus.

Suddenly, before he really had any other thoughts or even realized what he was doing, he looked over at Vander, and accusingly asked him "Why the fuck do you keep complimenting me??"

Well.

At least he'd get an answer.

Maybe.

Oh fuck why did he do that why did he say that he was such an idiot oh gods--

Offline Lion

Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #35 on: September 17, 2017, 01:22:57 pm »
Phobia? A phobia of having people see his face?  Didn't this guy realize they lived in the drug capital of the whole goddamn universe? Whatever he had, there was a drug that could fix that. Sure, it was rife with all kinds of side-effects. Maybe he'd end up twitching and saying brazen words at the worst possible moments for a few weeks, but it'd keep him from being...uh, phobic of whatever it was that he was terrified of.

Vander couldn't think of any conscious thing he was afraid of, not off the top of his head. Well, nothing as odd as covering his face. But then again, he was the asshole wearing the visor around his eyes. He didn't care whether or not people saw them. But he did care about whether or not he was able to see them. He was a Pilot now. Even just a Cardinal, he'd graduated and he still wore that visor.

He had the ability to get his eyes fixed, and maybe he would with time. That didn't mean he made enough salary to get it just yet. So what exactly was he afraid of?

Frankly, Loa's question caught him off guard and even Vander hadn't realized he'd been staring at the poor fool until he got all flushed and looked away. Even in the strobe colored lighting he could see the guy just couldn't take a simple conversation.

"Hey, dude. It's cool. I'm sorry," Vander said, and put his hands up, zooming back into the real world and fondled the beer between his middle and index fingers. "I'm just calling it like I see it, that's all. Sorry it bothers you so much."

Vander stood up and took a long swig of the beer until it was empty. Oh, that would hurt coming on the way out, but for now, he wasn't going to leave and not finish his beer. "I don't mean anything by it, bud."  He smiled again and nodded his head toward the door. "Hey, wanna get out of here? Go for a walk? Aizo's cool, but it's getting pretty stuffy. There's this cool ass aquarium place just on upper level. Actually right in this sector too.  You're welcome to come with me.."

Vander hooked his arm out for Loa to take but he figured that was a bit of a stretch and soon relaxed his form.  "It'll be fun. They have sharks. You can't not love sharks."

Cheesigator

  • Guest
Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #36 on: September 17, 2017, 02:11:46 pm »
Oh.

Well.

That wasn't exactly what he'd been expecting.

Loa blinked, staring at the man for a moment longer before he too awkwardly looked away when he realized he was looking at him. Considering how pushy Vander had been the day previous, it surprised Loa that he backed off so quickly when he'd just asked a simple question. Had the way he phrased it been too harsh? Tone of voice? He couldn't remember. It was like his brain just blanked out what happened not even three minutes before.

He said he didn't mean anything by it, and Loa wasn't sure if that reassured him or made him... Kind of disappointed.

It'd been just about ten years, sometimes he thought he was allowed to move on, but most of the time he figured it didn't matter cause he wasn't worth it anyways. He kept his mouth shut and finished his beer while Vander finished his. The awkwardness was so thick where it hung in the air between them, it was almost as if one could have stirred it with a spoon like porridge.

Then Vander asked him if he wanted to leave the club, go do something else. It was true, he'd noticed more people filtering in and while it was stressful, Loa had figured in the back of his mind that he'd be fine as long as he stuck to the wall, despite it getting pretty toasty in there. If this guy left then he could at least enjoy the rest of the show in peace--until some other jackass with one too many to drink decided to try and sidle up to him and be funny or something.

It was either that or go spend time with this guy; maybe if he stuck with the club nobody actually would bother him--

Louis, just go socialize for once in your pathetic damn life. Go make some useful connections. Stop wallowing in your self pity for five fucking moments, please.

Amontillado's voice in his head was nothing short of jarring; he had a raspy quality to it that made shivers go up and down your spine, Loa was no exception, and he was the dragon's own damn Pilot.

They had kind of a mutual agreement that neither of them gave a shit what the other did so long as they did their jobs and they did it well; Amontillado didn't care about Loa as a person and never once tried to pretend like he did, that's just how they were. So even Loa felt like crumpling up under a bed with the shame he felt when even his dragon was telling him to go and at least ATTEMPT at being a decent human being.

And if his dragon was telling him he couldn't say no, unless if he wanted to suffer the consequences of it later.

"... Fine." He said, almost a bit too quietly. He stood up, gestured for Vander to lead the way to the door--he wasn't going to hold hands with him or anything weird like that. He wouldn't be caught dead doing something affectionate or cutesy in public, or even in the comfort of his own home.

Once they stepped outside and the cool air hit his face he felt a little better, thinking to Amontillado, There, fine. Happy now? to which he got no response. They rarely communicated, so he wasn't surprised.

"Didn't realize there was an aquarium near here." He said, trying to keep conversation going now that he knew his dragon was paying attention and keeping an eye. If he ever performed poorly in an assigned task he'd have hell to pay later; this now officially counted as one of them.

Why did the world hate him so much?
« Last Edit: September 18, 2017, 10:24:25 am by Cheesigator »

Offline Lion

Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #37 on: September 17, 2017, 11:21:42 pm »
It was a much nicer place to be if there was nothing else going on for that night. Of course, Haviah being Haviah, there was always something going on. The city never slept. And nightlife was the very lifeblood of the city. If you weren't getting lost in it then something was clearly wrong. Vander couldn't say he was into the club scene. Club Freeze had been the exception, and Aizo the only reason to get out of his apartment if he wasn't training.

"Yeah it's just up this way. It's actually a pretty cool place to just go and chill for a few hours. I don't know how to draw much but if I could, I totally would be drawing some of the mutated creatures there. The whole area is underneath all the water, so you're like walking into huge tunnels and hallways that have things swimming over you."

Vander led the way and when the facility came into view, waved his wrist over the ticket kiosk and gained entry. The stub was tucked into his pocket and he waited for Loa to come along. The overhang was some prehistoric creature's mouth, the doorway leading deep down it's throat. The very thought gave him the creeps.

They passed signs along the way depicting the species on display and Vander grabbed a pamphlet as he passed on by - or rather scanned his phone over the code and it displayed the image on a file and he slowly scrolled on as they went further in, the glass ceiling revealed and the blue soft glow of the creatures moving leisurely on the other side.

Vander didn't say anything, just let the smooth music over the loudspeakers play on, to go with the ambient over all quiet of the aquarium.  Vander occasionally looked over to Loa to see if he was ok, nodding and smiling gently.

Cheesigator

  • Guest
Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #38 on: September 18, 2017, 10:37:30 am »
It seemed now that the settled feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach that had been there since pretty much yesterday evening had taken up permanent residence. He was never going to get the chance to live without it ever again, now. This was it. He was doomed.

Okay maybe he was being a little melodramatic, even he could admit that, but still. At the way things were going with this guy, Vander, it didn't bode well for the future. What exactly was life trying to shove off on him now? He didn't want friends, didn't need them. Didn't need to socialize. All other people ever did was get in the way, and in his line of work that was unacceptable.

But perhaps the part that confused him the most of all was the fact that he actually... Didn't really mind the walk over there. It was mostly spent in silence, with Vander answering his question and carrying on with life; he really did back off. And it made Loa feel a tad more comfortable--but only a tad. Things were less confusing when there wasn't any conversation going on; he didn't have to try and decipher the hidden meanings behind everything the other guy was saying when there was nothing being said.

"For a technopath I'd have assumed you draw. Blueprints, and such." He said, relaxing his shoulders, some of the tension slowly ebbing away from him until they reached the entrance.

He looked up, saw the big creature's gaping maw that "welcomed" them inside, and hesitated for just a moment. It was a visual for how he felt about this whole time spent with Vander--like he was stepping blindly and stupidly into the jaws of some great unknown monster and just letting it eat him alive. He had no idea what he was doing, he really shouldn't be here at all.

Yet he waved his wrist over the scanner and stepped inside, crumpling the stub up in the pocket of his leather jacket as they went on in; he ignored the fact that Vander waited for him, unable to make eye contact. His heart was slowly climbing back into his throat as he was once again refilled with more and more regret--

They entered into a tunnel and the form of a great mutated shark swam directly overhead, startling him a little as he looked up and realized all of the thousands of life forms around him. Swimming, living their lives, without the slightest care in the world. The aqua lights, and the way the underwater plants swayed with a mock current was rhythmic and enchanting, and the longer he stood there and watched, eyes wide with a bit of awe, the more he felt inspired to work on a new song.

He wanted to capture this feeling of surprise and wonder and he wanted to make it tangible--something anyone could feel, even without being here.

This was his first time to the aquarium.

Offline Lion

Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
« Reply #39 on: September 19, 2017, 12:53:16 pm »
"Haha. Like little doodles, man, yeah I can do those. But not straight up amazing sketches. I guess I put most of my creativity into a real hands-on approach. I like to fiddle, and just use my doodles for vague reference. I got all kinds of critters just roaming around my apartment. You can come over some time and check the out. Open door policy on that," Vander explained softly, voice just barely above a whisper.

He stepped in closer, just staying within whispering range but far enough away to see those bristling feathers relax about Loa's form. It was a nice form, not bad for a guy that seemed to be a shut-in. Or so he just assumed. Nobody clung to a wall to be dark and mysterious if they wanted to be social.  That was bad vibes 101.

"You like the big ones huh?" Vander commented idly, pointing up to the massive shark that floated through the water, with narrowed squinty eyeballs. "I like hammerheads myself. Or mallet heads I guess you could call them. But that monster could eat them for breakfast."

Vander shifted around to the other side and spotted something hidden in the rockface at the bottom of that side of the exhibit. "Hey, look, an octopus thing.  Creepy. I love it."

 

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