[ he thinks that, but riddle is so fixated on everything being done in accordance to his and the queen of hearts' rules-- her justice is the only one that matters to him, and resulting in a massive hit to his summoning ability. ]
I wonder if having a cool head has anything to do with it. Come to think of it, you do have that in common with Malleus. You both have some bite to you, certainly, but overall you're both very...yes, cool.
[Akira, meanwhile, listens and adapts. His personal code is the one thing he never budges on; it's the very source of the severity that landed him in Heartslabyul to begin with, but he listens. Adapts, so he can always do better.
... He wouldn't be satisfied with anything less, after all.]
... Cool, huh? I don't think anyone's ever called me that before. In any sense of the word. I think I get what you mean, though.
Really? I think your quiet, mysterious aura is very cool too. A dependable guy who knows what he believes in, but is still a good listener-- It's an attractive thing.
[ akira's flustering is a mystery to him until he realizes what he said. ugh!! how awkward... he just tells himself it's payback for akira calling him cute the other night, though that hardly takes the edge off his embarrassment. ]
Ah, I didn't mean it like that.
[ --NO THAT CAME OUT WRONG. ]
...I didn't mean that like that either. I was speaking in general terms.
[ this is a dangerous game riddle does not!!! want to play right now, so he just. clears his own throat before looking towards the lounge's bar. ]
Have you ordered a drink yet? The Mostro Lounge has a mandatory purchase policy, so everyone has to buy at least one drink. Out of respect for their rules, we should get you a drink first before making our rounds.
[ nice, totally not awkward or unnatural save there riddle. good job. ]
[ once they reach the bar, he takes the liberty of ordering a pair of drinks, (virgin) cocktails made specifically for this event. charge it to heartslabyul, he tells the tender; the process is surprisingly unceremonious given how much he feels like a flustered dumb-dumb. it doesn't help that he isn't sure what to say next; this is why riddle hates parties!!! he always feels like he should be doing something or talking to someone. when he isn't emboldened by the absoluteness of rules and order, he can't help but feel a bit shy.
[Akira's comfortable with silence for the most part, but now, he can't help but feel oddly fidgety, probably in no small part because of the earlier flustering.
Once he has the drink in hand, he manages to chill out a little bit.]
... Aside from those two RSA students, have you had an alright time here?
[Giving this conversation a new direction should help at least a little bit!! He hopes.]
[ riddle hates parties...riddle hates parties!!! so much!!! at least this drink is good... so good, in fact, it almost distracts him from akira's question. thankfully he catches it, otherwise the atmosphere would get even more awkward. they definitely don't need that. ]
I suppose so. I'm not a fan of parties, and I never know how to act at ones where I'm surrounded by my peers. I'd like to be able to loosen up, but I don't know where to begin.
Really? Do you like animals too? Personally, I'm finding that I love them. I've never been to the kinds of parties where stealing away to play with the host's pets was an option, but now I know what to do if I ever end up at one.
I can see that. Has anyone ever told you you're rather cat-like yourself? It makes sense they would be comfortable around someone who understands them. Is Mona your first cat?
[ there we go. akira's smile is refreshing and, for some reason, a relief to riddle. suddenly, this party doesn't seem like the worst place in the world to be. ]
But, I agree. Most of the parties I went to were filled with stuffy nobles and socialites. I'd much rather hang out with rabbits and hedgehogs.
Come to think of it, a friend did mention that to me at one point... [He nods in response to the question, though.] First one I've had for myself, yeah. Before, I mostly just fed strays around my home.
[Another nod.]
Honestly, same. I haven't spent a lot of time around rabbits, but I've always found them charming.
Really? That's a sweet thing to do. In a way, as you become familiar with them, it could be like having many pet cats. Have you ever thought about getting a second one? As a friend for Mona.
[ riddle nods as well. ]
There are wild rabbits in the forests around our dorm. If only we could have domestic rabbits... They wouldn't make for good sports equipment, though.
Maybe so. But don't forget, attention from the person who means most to you isn't the same as getting attention from a lot of people. At least, that's how I would feel if I were a cat.
[ riddle is fussy and spoiled though, so maybe he has no idea what he's talking about.
a chuckle. ]
I can't imagine swatting them on the bottom with a flamingo would go over so well. Perhaps we could have one though, to honor the White Rabbit on the Queen of Hearts' council. What do you think?
As cute as they are when they scurry, I wouldn't want to frighten them. I'll bring up having our own Mister Rabbit for the dorm during our next meeting! I've done a bit of research here and there-- I'd like him to be able to access the hedgehogs and flamingos so he won't be lonely. Rabbits become lonely very easily, you see.
That's correct. In their natural habitat, they live in large warrens, and are therefore surprisingly social. They need companions to play with, eat with, and groom. As prey animals, having companions also gives them a sense of security. Safety in numbers, as they say. While the logical conclusion would be to let Mister Rabbit live with the hedgehogs, the hedgehog kennel is much too warm. Living with the flamingos might work, but flamingos and rabbits couldn't possibly relate. They would have nothing to talk about.
[ "a bit" of research, he said... it sounds like he's been thinking about this for awhile. ]
Like I said, only a bit. It's not because I've always wanted a Mister Rabbit of my own. Even if I did, the Queen of Hearts had one, so it would only be proper that we did as well.
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It's... honestly, kind of an interesting experience. All those different beings with such unique perspectives... I like listening to them.
[But maybe that comes as no surprise. Listening is one of the things Akira does best, after all, and it informs how he approaches a lot of things.]
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[ he thinks that, but riddle is so fixated on everything being done in accordance to his and the queen of hearts' rules-- her justice is the only one that matters to him, and resulting in a massive hit to his summoning ability. ]
I wonder if having a cool head has anything to do with it. Come to think of it, you do have that in common with Malleus. You both have some bite to you, certainly, but overall you're both very...yes, cool.
[ a nod. ]
I think cool is the right word.
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... He wouldn't be satisfied with anything less, after all.]
... Cool, huh? I don't think anyone's ever called me that before. In any sense of the word. I think I get what you mean, though.
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I... [He clears his throat, glancing off to one side. His cheeks are not heating up, he has no idea what you're talking about!!] I'm flattered.
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Ah, I didn't mean it like that.
[ --NO THAT CAME OUT WRONG. ]
...I didn't mean that like that either. I was speaking in general terms.
[ this is a dangerous game riddle does not!!! want to play right now, so he just. clears his own throat before looking towards the lounge's bar. ]
Have you ordered a drink yet? The Mostro Lounge has a mandatory purchase policy, so everyone has to buy at least one drink. Out of respect for their rules, we should get you a drink first before making our rounds.
[ nice, totally not awkward or unnatural save there riddle. good job. ]
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Right, that slipped my mind. Shall we?
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kind of like right now. ]
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Once he has the drink in hand, he manages to chill out a little bit.]
... Aside from those two RSA students, have you had an alright time here?
[Giving this conversation a new direction should help at least a little bit!! He hopes.]
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I suppose so. I'm not a fan of parties, and I never know how to act at ones where I'm surrounded by my peers. I'd like to be able to loosen up, but I don't know where to begin.
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I'm not really good at this sort of thing either. I can fake it well enough with small talk, but...
[... He's not a fan.]
Normally, I'm the guy who will try to locate the nearest pet to spend time with rather than the people, if I'm being completely honest.
[Cats... are better...]
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[They can sense one of their own is why, really. Akira can't help but grin a little.]
It's definitely a better time than dealing with strangers.
[Or disappointed relatives but he's not getting into that.]
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[ there we go. akira's smile is refreshing and, for some reason, a relief to riddle. suddenly, this party doesn't seem like the worst place in the world to be. ]
But, I agree. Most of the parties I went to were filled with stuffy nobles and socialites. I'd much rather hang out with rabbits and hedgehogs.
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[Another nod.]
Honestly, same. I haven't spent a lot of time around rabbits, but I've always found them charming.
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[ riddle nods as well. ]
There are wild rabbits in the forests around our dorm. If only we could have domestic rabbits... They wouldn't make for good sports equipment, though.
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[Maybe. He'll see how things go with Mona and Sprout first.]
Yeah, they really wouldn't...
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[ riddle is fussy and spoiled though, so maybe he has no idea what he's talking about.
a chuckle. ]
I can't imagine swatting them on the bottom with a flamingo would go over so well. Perhaps we could have one though, to honor the White Rabbit on the Queen of Hearts' council. What do you think?
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Probably not, no. That would probably send them fleeing, I imagine. But I think having one to honor the White Rabbit sounds like a great idea.
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[ "a bit" of research, he said... it sounds like he's been thinking about this for awhile. ]
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You sound like you've put a lot of thought into this.
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[ how could akira not believe this pouty face? ]
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You're right that it's only proper. We'll have to be especially thorough in preparation, if the idea goes over well at the next dorm meeting.
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