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“Just saying, sure, and I’m happy to listen when my head isn’t a flurry of like OH MY GOD, because I am overwhelmed by all of these weird feelings.” It was a bad idea to talk to this cat. Izzy didn’t really feel like this was going anywhere, and he was starting to get into his own head over the whole thing.

Feelings were hard, and yeah, he should act naturally, but that hardly registered in his head as he started to tap at the table with his fingertip, thinking as hard as he could.

“Yeah... But like... would that work? He likes to bounce around, and be cheesey and play violin on rooftops like some sort of B rated movie, and just... Ugh, it’s so stupid and cute and makes no goddamn sense. What is he, some fiddler-on-the-roof type of weirdo?!” Even as he ranted, his face grew red at the thought of Nix and his smile and smirks and that confidence.

How could someone be so freaking weird and yet so... that.

“Is an outright date not too obvious? Like, people at school like to be sneaky about it. Hinting they liked people, rather than just “hey, I like you”. Frick, how old is he anyway... Like 16? 17? If he likes work and then gets flustered, maybe being bold isn’t good for him... Ugh... WHY IS THIS SO HARD?!”

“Huh... Well heck, then it was kinda pointless to ask you, wasn’t it?” It came out ruder than he meant. Izzy only pointed out an observation, and with it came his disappointment over how useless this conversation was coming out as.

His head hits the table, forehead first, and he vaguely considered the idea of just maybe not bothering too much at all to simply confess how he was falling for the frog boy.

“I came and asked you because I thought you knew him better than I did. Seems like that’s not the case at all... Aren’t friends supposed to know those sorts of things, like what food their friend likes, or if they have any hobbies? I know you like tacos, atleast, and I’d say we’re friends.” Nothing Arthur said was new info at all.

And when he mentioned dating Nix himself, Izzy sat back up again, a clear scowl on his face.

“Saying that makes you sound like a *****. You’re not blind, he’s a kid like me, not some clearly older man like yourself. If you were a human, you’d be arrested for even thinking about dating someone like Nix, so lay off.” His own affection was being threatened, so he dug his own attack in deep.

Cat or no, older man or no, he wasn’t about to ‘lose’ to some creep.

“I thought you were cooler than that. Go after someone your own age, and not someone I bothered to spill my own heart over, you d**k.”

"You joke with people's feelings? That's not cool. We're both not children, but on earth, specifically in America we have rules and laws about who can date who. You def don't look like no teen, so hearing you talk about dating him gives me the heebie-jeebies." For emphasis, he hugged himself, running his hands up and down his arms.

"Look, Arthur, seriously, that was not cool at all. Yeah, I get that it's a joke now, but I don't know if you can understand it from where I'm coming from. Or can you? Were you a teen once? I don't get the whole Mauvian thing, because sometimes you see people like you who are clearly adults, and then you got little kittens and it's just a huge ol mess all over the place. And that's fine, i guess, but geesh man, just.. No, don't joke about that... It's... Okay, I'mma be cheesy, but it's my first crush and I'm trying to do right by my feelings." Izzy had a hard time not rambling when he was trying to apologize, and yet still found no reason to apologize in the first place. There was something about that look Arthur gave him that made him feel like he messed up, but he also knew he wasn't in there wrong, from his perspective anyway.

"I'm just... Flustered. That's the right word, I'm sure everything you said was right. I should just be like 'hey, Nix, wanna go out', and atleast then it's a straightforward answer, yeah? I don't even know how I'd respond to being turned down. I don't think I'd just break down and be all said and crap, but... What's rude to do and what's not rude to do? None of that I know. Pfft, maybe since neither of us know, we should just go home and binge some cheesey dramas and see what pop culture has to say about all of that."

"I mean, if he does say no to me, but you do ask him after that and he says yes, I can't really be mad. He's happy, you're happy. And with the people I like, that's what I want most. The romance thing is all very new, and I definitely have not reached the point of being one of those people who can't live without it." Now that the water seemed to go under the bridge from before, Buzzi found himself relaxing, his appetite returning.

"I don't have any advice for that... But it does sound like it sucks. Maybe you shouldn't focus on the 'losing' part, and focus on the time actual spent together. If Nix all of a sudden can't hang out because he found someone else he likes, it doesn't make sense to keep suffering about it. Cuz I like him, and part of liking someone and still being their friend is making sure you don't be selfish and cause trouble, when it doesn't call for it." A nice big chunk of churro was taken and shoved in his mouth, thinking about what all of this meant.

In the end, he just wanted to be there for Nix and to be friends. Romance was weird, complicated, and seemed unfun with how much it made him act weird. But friends? Thanks to Toby, he knew plenty of that.

"Why do you say it's a beautiful thing about humans? What, do Mauvians not do the love thing? I mean, It still takes two to tango and make a kitten, right? So I don't understand that bit. Dude, you make it sound like you're the loneliest man on the planet. Mau or not. I don't know if I need your help with Nix, now that I think about it, but I appreciate it... What it REALLY sounds like it's you who needs some help lightening up! Life is way way WAY more than just romance and magical boy, girl, cat, people stuff. Even if you have to be a normal Mauvian all the time, what's the shame in that? Why is being people so important when you have a whole huge society of your own? I'm not saying you shouldn't want to have fun with people, but isn't what you can do, having a human form, not something that's natural for you?"

“Huh, well would you look at that! I feel much better than I did before knowing you got turned down. Potential rivalry eliminated, so that is pretty awesome.” The amount of relief he felt knowing that this damned pretty cat in front of him wasn’t going to keep being a creeper towards the boy he liked was immeasurable.

But, with all things, that passed and he listened to Arthur, face scrunching up every now and then.

“Just because you like someone, doesn’t mean you can’t just stop using common sense. You gotta look beyond the two people sometimes. Yeah, sure, okay, you like xyz or what not, but then learn hey, they got a huge amount of drama behind them that would ultimately lead to you being unhappy, or suffering, then it’s not worth it. Atleast not now, when you said you’re still new to it!” At some point he had pulled one of those small bottles of soda from his pocket and set it on the table, pushing it a little closer to the Mauvian.

“I learned about love from my mom and dad, and my brother and his boyfriend. It’s.... Well, for them it all started being close friends, depending on one another, and not the whole ‘hey, you’re cute, let’s date!’ Thing. And something about that always seemed really really nice. Like the idea of marrying my best friend, someone I’ve known for a very very long time, and they know all there is to know about me, and me them, that sounds way more ideal. It’s probably that reason why I didn’t ever think about romance until Nix.” Now, he pulled another soda from his pocket, opening it and taking a slit.

“With Nix, he was immediately cool. I mean, he saved me from a youma and I just thought he was awesome. Sometimes you just get that feeling that you really want to hang out with someone. Not all romantic like, but the kinda feeling where you just want to be around them because you enjoy being around them. Then at some point, I wanted to kiss him and that was that. When I think about it more and more, I never really thought about boys or girls as people to date, but people to be friends with.” And now he grinned, giving a somewhat of a positive thumbs up at Arthur.

“If you weren’t like, probably a billion years older than me, I don’t think I’d mind dating a Mauvian either. It’s like those old Animorph books, having two forms. It’d save on traveling to places on trips and places, when you think about it!” A brief image of Nix with cat ears and a tail crossed his mind, and he grinned to himself, not because it was particularly attractive, but because cats and frogs in a costume didn’t really work. “And you know, furries are a thing, so I’m sure there’s someone out there who would find it a major attraction point. But you gotta stop lamenting about the past and focus on the now. Unless you made some sorta cool time-traveling machine.”

“Mauvians are from a different planet. It makes sense they got quirks that seem weird compared to what humans know. Even if you were just another type of human, it’d still be weird. I swear I read somewhere ya’ll are just naturally more smart than us so there’s that. But not having family seems sad. I wonder what caused of of that to be a thing. Being on your own. I feel like this is ideal hug time and a pat on the head but... Nah.” Again, Nix crossed his mind, giving him those nice, comforting hugs. And then Toby, as those hugs came so naturally for the other boy...

He really need to keep his mind from wandering constantly.

“You just unsettle me as an adult, that’s all. Feels weird. But you know what’s also weird, you being in cat-form is easier to be affectionate with. Like the hugs and the head pats. All that, “ he made vague hand gesture towards all of Arthur. “Nah. Can’t hug that, too weird. But fluffy white cat form, sure. Pfft, now I’m reminded of the Sims 3. Imagine, having a cat and then all of a sudden it turns into a cute person who is already your best friend. They had an imaginary toy thing you could get, and then if you loved it enough, you could make a wish and it comes to life with magic. I think that would be a drama I’d want to watch. “

And now he just wanted to play games. Maybe Toby would want to come over later to play some Kirby or something. With all the talk going on, he quickly got distracted from the initial conversation about wanting to romance Nix.

“But anyway, I do wonder what our friendship will be like in like, 5 or 6 years. I’ll be an adult, more street smart and you’ll... Probably look exactly the same due to some magical shenanigans. I dunno. Too young to be thinking about all this stressful stuff.”

“Nahhh, dude, you’re not dumb. You’re just focused on other things. You can be a genus in math sure, but you could also be a poetic genius. Or a genius in... What’s it called.... Sewing stuff. Or like Tony Hawk! Skating genius! There’s lots of them out there, you just gotta find yourself something you actually feel passionate about!” This time, he did reach over and pat Arthur on the shoulder, unable to deny the urge to comfort someone who was talking down on themselves, even in passing.

“When I met you, I didn’t even baby talk! ... I don’t think I did at least. But I can promise I won’t do that. You don’t gotta do that though. If you are happier being this way, then do it!”

He paused.. And then suddenly, Izzy seemed sheepish, his hand coming back to somewhat absently run a hand through his own hair.

“... No. I have literally only met you, and Nix. I’m a lone kid, I just kinda go about my business and most of the time, I don’t power up a lot because I got work and stuff, and the cafe doesn’t close til 10. Then homework and all that, and hey, I’m a growing kid, I like my sleep.”