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 Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:28 pm
Who: Cruz (ex o ex Snoof) & Justin (The Semblance of Unity)
Where: Gambino Mall, just outside the GameDepot store.
When: Mid-May, late afternoon just after the lunch rush on a Saturday
Weather: Cloudy and muggy, feels like rain but it refuses to fall---------- For the first time in a long while, Cruz went with Anita to work. He requested it under the guise of wanting to get out of the apartment, window shop. Minerva was home today so Tango would be taken care of. Anita didn't question it. Once she helped open the store and got settled, Cruz was given the usual instructions; don't go too far, come back every hour, and don't spend it all in one place. For the first time, Cruz was set loose in the mall with little supervision and was given a meager amount of gold that he could spend as he saw fit.
Over his shoulder hung a small bag. It could hardly be considered a back pack, from the size, but Cruz didn't need to carry much with him; a place to put the gold, a pair of sunglasses, a water bottle or two, and whatever he bought since he didn't have pockets.
The frei browsed for a short while. Window shopping wasn't high on his interest levels. There was a candle store nearby, a phone store, the food court was around the corner (and even though he couldn't eat, the smells were enticing). More than anything, he observed people. There was a fountain not far from the entrance to GameDepot and that was where Cruz nestled, getting lightly spritzed by the small splashes of pouring water or people tossing in coins.
His eyes were locked on the counter Anita stood behind as she rang up someone Cruz did not know by name but spoke to shortly before. He watched as the man leaned against the counter, lips moving but he couldn't hear what was said. Anita didn't look amused. The man left with a scowl after purchasing his game. That was the third one today. So he sat, as well as raevans could, on the edge of the fountain, toying anxiously with his bag strap, staring into the abyss of potential suitors for his guardian that she continuously turned away. Strangers, friends, it didn't seem to matter. Why didn't she want to kiss any of them?
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Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 7:42 pm
Justin strode purposefully through the mall. He couldn't believe it; he had had Thief on pre-order for months and now; it had been out for months. Approximately three months now. It was true that work had been well, working him to the bone. This was probably his first day off in those months and he had been (very politely) ordered by upper management to take this weekend and the rest of the week off. How did everyone manage to break their things in spring anyway? Overzealous spring cleaning? He supposed he couldn't fault people; he had managed to break his own watch just this morning. It still hung around his wrist like an obsolete bracelet. Justin grumbled and shoved his hands farther into his jean pockets. He must look very silly, he thought, slouched over, hands in his pockets, stomping towards GameDepot. Sighing, he straightened, pulling at the neck of his t-shirt. Luckily, the mall wasn't as crowded as he expected, and he moved about with ease, no anxiety prickly along his hairline or causing his heart to jump. As he drew nearer, the thought of that special dlc mission included with the pre-orders made his palms sweat. It was probably too late; he wouldn't get it. He ran one hand through his dark hair, causing small wisps of it to stick up briefly before settling back with a shake of his head. His feet pounded tile and he was so intent on walking that he almost missed that cheerful flash of green. Except, it wasn't necessarily cheerful. Cruz perched (Justin supposed that was the correct word) on the edge of the stone fountain, staring intently into GameDepot. Well, that meant Anita was working. But it was odd, he'd certainly never seen the raevan here before. Bottles, et cetera, did not count. "Hey, Cruz. What're doing?" With a small plop, Justin sat down beside the boy. Thief had waited three months; it could wait a little longer. Digging in his pocket for a second, he pulled out a pack of gum and unwrapped on stick carefully. He popped the minty, fruity thing in his mouth and chewed. He proffered another piece to Cruz. Could raevans have gum? "I didn't think you really came to work with Anita much. How've you been?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 8:00 pm
Anita was dealing with a mother and young son. She was cheerful. Of course, she would kiss neither of them. Cruz's brow furrowed.
The frei had been staring so intently at his guardian, watching every movement, each subtle change of expression or posture, that he hadn't even noticed the familiar face walk by. It wasn't until Justin was seated beside him and spoke that Cruz pulled away from his observations and stared bewildered at the man. Momentarily slack jawed, Cruz blinked then smiled.
"Hello," he mumbled while Justin continued. "Oh," Cruz glanced back to the store. Anita was dealing with another man this time. No obvious discomfort. No obvious comfort, either. "Don't usually anymore."
Cruz shrugged and gave a short laugh as he turned back to Justin, perking a lopsided grin. Green eyes stared at the piece of gum before Cruz plucked it between his index finger and thumb, holding it in front of his face to examine it. He offered Justin a quiet 'thanks'. "Been good," the croc replied absentmindedly. Justin continued chewing. "Don't swallow gum, right?" Anita and Minerva both chewed it on occasion, so it wasn't a completely foreign concept. Cruz side glanced to Justin for confirmation before nipping a few pieces of the stick. It was thin and almost felt like it shattered in his teeth. Then, seconds later, it was soft and gooey, full of flavor. Cruz promptly chewed the rest. "How are you?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 1:04 pm
Justin laughed. "Nah, don't swallow til you've got the stomach for it." Something seemed off about the raevan. He was clearly distracted, watching something or someone intently. Well, the mall was full of colorful distractions. Justin rolled his shoulder, almost hissing as the tense muscle moved. Too many late night hunker over a computer screen. "I've been alright. Work has been-" He paused, looking at Cruz. "eating me..." Ok, what was Cruz watching? He leaned over, trying to see exactly what was in Cruz's line of sight without actually knocking into him. The glass store front of GameDepot, sure, great. Justin stared at it sometimes too, passing by longingly if he didn't have quite enough money. But Justin didn't think the kid was into video games. But, ah, there. Cruz was staring directly at Anita. She looked pretty, as usual, fresh and nice and lovely, with braided hair and a sweet smile for some of her customers. Nothing out of the ordinary. Justin sighed and leaned back. "Cruz, why are you staring at Anita? It can't be that interesting."
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Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 1:32 pm
Cruz nodded and chewed. The flavor was intense, compared to what tastes he got from kissing, but it was interesting and he liked the cooling sensation of the mint. Something about it felt clean. He let out a low rumble without taking his eyes off his guardian, a sign of acknowledgment to Justin's comment about work. Cruz didn't even know what the man did for a living.
Aside from his moving jaw, the frei was perched quite still. His arms were loosely folded, claws idly and lightly running over his scaly elbows. Keen eyes flicked between Anita and her customers, judging every subtle change in demeanor they all had to gauge each unique interaction. Children. Anita was smiling. Positive. An older man in a suit that continued talking to himself, or the piece in his ear. Anita was blank. Neutral. He didn't lean away or move as Justin tried to get a look from the croc's perspective. His brow knit at the question. Another low rumble, this one drawn out and more of a sigh.
The frei glanced at Justin and paused chewing. "It is," he stated before looking back, "Looking at how she is with people. Need to figure out why she won't kiss anyone." Though his tone was calm, there was determination in Cruz's words. What made people different to Anita that she would be so choosey? She wouldn't kiss friends just like she wouldn't kiss strangers, so what made someone special enough in Anita's eyes? He couldn't figure it out.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 7:06 am
If Justin's eyebrows rose any higher, one of two things would happen: either they would merge with his hair or they would decide that flight was their calling and take off to zoom around the mall. Perhaps they could knock off an old lady's sunhat in their fervor. Frankly, neither outcome was ideal. Justin knew the little frei fed off of kisses, but Anita didn't. In fact, she seemed reluctant to let people get physically close to her. He shrugged. Personal preferences. He scratched his head. Anita... Anita kissing was a bit of a weird subject to broach so he just sat there for a second. Of course, Justin had thought about it. He thought Anita was gorgeous and very ncie and it would definitely be nice to be the one she kissed. And, technically, they had kissed. Once. "Why do you want her to kiss someone? I mean she's kissed people before, but it's not like she would die if she didn't kiss anyone for a while. But," He peered closely at Anita through the glass. Though, if they stared too hard, wouldn't sure notice. "I'm sure she has lots of boyfriends or, um, a boyfriend."
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:57 am
Justin's first question was met with a quick turn of Cruz's head. His brow furrowed as he watched the man intently, then seemed like they were trying to make the possibility of flying off a reality at his next assertion. The frei's hands dropped to the fountain edge, palms pressed to the cool damp stone. Cruz had never looked so openly shocked in front of Justin before. How could he know this little about Anita when it was so plain as day?
"No," he hissed desperately, "No one to kiss." Cruz twisted himself to face Justin better, one hand gesturing vaguely toward Anita and the game store. "Who-- who did she kiss? When? Never seen it. She-- she won't die--" even as he spoke that firmly, there was an uneasiness in using the word, "--but-- kissing is nice." Cruz pushed himself higher, extending his arms and floating eye level with Justin. His rune pulsed with anxious determination. "Don't you want to kiss someone? Why shouldn't she kiss?"
The more the croc tried to explain, the more emotional he grew. His lips quivered and voice threatened to crack under the weight of his passion. Floating there, he turned his head to observe Anita once more. Ringing up endless orders. "Kisses... for humans, kissing is-- care. Affection. Love." Cruz looked Justin in the eye, his brow upturned and knit tightly above green eyes that were starting to glisten, "Why won't 'Nita let anyone love her?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 1:33 pm
Justin was taken aback by the utter passion, the conviction infused in every word the frei spoke. It was... strange, and kind of cute. He had to hold back a chuckle. Even when Cruz was being weird, he was pretty easy to talk to. Justin had never felt anxious or particularly nervous around the little green dude. so, where with some people, the conversation would have awkwardly died and laid between them like a miasma of embarrassment, with Cruz, Justin found himself still speaking. Even though the sibject itself was a little delicate. "Yeah, um, kissing is.... nice. Um. Of course, I want to kiss someone! But not everybody does. It's not that they.. don't like affection. Oh, hell." Justin was not explaining this well. Somewhere nearby, a child cried out for an ice cream. He sighed and rubbed his eyes briefly. "And just because she doesn't have a boyfriend right now doesn't mean she hasn't kissed. I mean I know for sure of at least one person she's kissed." Actually, he knew of quite a few more, all customers, all on that one weird day. But he didn't mention that. Instead Justin tilted his head sheepishly and jerked his thumb towards himself. He was glad his dark skin hid his faint blush. "Why, are you trying to hook her up or something?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 5:21 pm
Cruz turned his attention back to Anita behind the counter, staring worriedly as Justin offered his two cents. They agreed kissing was nice, but the lack of enthusiasm from the man was disappointing. He did want to kiss someone, though, he openly admitted, which was such a relief that Cruz neglected the rest of that train of thought. It was nonsensical anyway.
As before, the frei's head whipped around to stare intensely when Justin mentioned Anita kissing. "For sure?" he repeated, only a whisper as Justin continued. The thumb gesture, his timid body language -- Cruz gaped.
"You--"
"--trying to hook her up or something?"
"--YES!"
The force of his reply, while not carrying far from the fountain, propelled the croc back from his perch. He floated high for a moment, pushed away from the fountain by his overly enthusiastic hands, before lowering himself back to a more casual seating arrangement. One glance around showed him a few confused faces -- and Anita craning over the counter to wave at him, then Justin when she noticed. She smiled, then got back to work.
Cruz folded tightly on himself and scooched closer to Justin while keeping a firm gaze on Anita. "You and 'Nita-- kissed? When? Why no more kisses?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 5:14 pm
Justin sheepishly waved back at Anita. Cruz was a little high-strung sometimes, but he was a good kid. Although now everyone had stared at them. He rubbed both his hands over his face, feeling the prickle of his stubble. He was probably blushing, ugh. Cruz being obsessed over Anita having a boyfriend didn't seem like a great idea. Although... why didn't she? From everything Justin had seem, she was nice, pretty, smart; she was the sort of everything a guy could want. He sighed wistfully and jumped a little as he realized Cruz had scooted very very close to him.
"Ah. um. Yeah. Once. It was... before you were around, Cruz." Sort of. "No more kissing because we never dated. You have to go on dates and be boyfriend and girlfriend for kisses. Look, Cruz. She deserves a guy who would treat her both like a princess and as a equal. Anyway, I guess... if you need help helping her... I'll .... help you." Justin coughed awkwardly and looked at Cruz. This was such a bad idea, but maybe he could help, somehow. <********, he needed a drink.
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 1:53 pm
Once. Before he was born. No wonder he hadn't seen or even heard of it! That was so long ago, though. Cruz looked lost as Justin explained the fact they never dated, that two people had to date before kissing. Was that true? Humans had such complicated rules about affection, it was difficult for him to wrap his head around. Each person seemed to have a different definition and requirements for it, but they all explained it so concretely, as though nothing else could be true.
The frei's brows continued to twist and knit the more Justin explained. Princess. Equal. Was Anita a princess? She was certainly equal. Was Justin saying he couldn't treat her as an equal, or as a princess? Anita certainly never seemed to want to be treated like a princess, but what did that even mean? Being rich and wearing dresses and looking pretty, he imagined. That didn't have anything to do with kissing.
Cruz's eyes wandered as he tried to process and understand all of the information Justin was giving him, but they snapped back right quick when he offered help. Help. Green eyes lit up like ornaments.
"Please!" Cruz begged, resting a hand on Justin's arm as he floated. Desperation coated his entire being. "How can you help? What should we do?"
Cruz wished this was a much simpler matter. If Anita required someone that would treat her as an equal and a princess, he surmised this ought to have been as easy as setting her up with one of her friends, but that wasn't the case. He knew Anita was only interested in kissing boys, but what kind of boys did Anita want to kiss? Why put such specific restrictions on it? Special things, like kisses, should be shared. He didn't understand this at all.
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2014 6:05 am
Justin could have laughed: Cruz's puzzled face was so amusingly cute. But he found himself flinching slightly under the frei's far-too-eager gaze. The the boy touched his arm and begged, he sighed. Justin had really done it now. He had offered help and couldn't retract it. Plus, Anita really did deserve a good man. What could be the harm, really? At very least, she'd go out on a couple nice dates. Maybe she'd find someone nice. Of course, Justin wouldn't mind if it were himself, but, he thought with a mental shrug, he was alright with the sort of friendship they were developing. It was nice.
"Okay, okay, calm down, Cruz." He gave a small, nervous laugh and smiled, patting the crocodilian's hand. He looked around, but luckily, everyone seemed too busy shopping to pay attention to them. Sighing, he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. How could he help? It was clear that Cruz saw relationships in black and white, kissing or not. "Um, we need a... a plan! Or something. What have you done so far? Have you set her up on dates? Asked her guy friends? Arranged serendipitous meetings? I don't know... Who does she text a lot?" If Cruz was into this, Justin would help him wholeheartedly.
He only prayed that Anita never found out.
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:19 pm
Cruz clamped his mouth shut. At being told to calm down, his brows upturned worriedly above wide eyes. The frei forced himself to be patient as Justin gathered his thoughts, and listened closely when he finally got rolling. Each question and suggestion was met with a nod, even if he didn't quite understand the wording. It felt like Cruz had already tired everything!
The final question gave him pause, and Cruz's mouth dropped open again. "Uh..." Glancing back at Anita in the store for a moment, Cruz squinted towards the floor. "No one, really? Mostly 'Nita waits. Answers. I had to send texts sometimes. Make them think it was her."
Justin had asked him about more than just that, though. Cruz groped at the man's sleeve again to hold his attention. "Done a lot! Got numbers and names. Called Shepard, they had lunch. Tried to text Leo, he's-- gone. Got Mordekai to take 'Nita for coffee," he was still amazed that one worked out, "Tried to get Henry but he said no. Already has someone to kiss. He gave me his brother's number but he won't answer. 'Nita goes to these things with guys she knows, friends, but she won't kiss them and they don't kiss her. Then there's guys here, I ask them-- they want to kiss her, but she says no. Don't know what's wrong..."
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:52 pm
Justin's mouth twisted in thought. Cruz had good ideas, but really, Justin wasn't terribly experienced in dating anyway. A good enough date was Netflix and Chinese takeout. He patted the frei's hand. Cruz was just so earnest and how could a crocodile make puppy dog eyes? "So you want her to be happy and have someone to kiss - good. She's great; deserves someone. But have you asked her if she wants to date or kiss or anything? And did you specifically tell the guys it's a date when they went out with Anita?"
He looked over at the subject of their conversation consideringly. She laughed, bagged something, and handed it to a little girl. According to his coworker, Anita was a 'fertility goddess'. Justin snorted before turning back to Cruz. "You said she went for coffee with Mordekai? And S-Shepherd?" He said slowly. Justin had no idea who Shepherd was, but he remebered Mordekai as one of the weird but nice cajun guys at the cookout. His eyes slanted back over to Cruz. "Set them up again. Just keep throwing them together until something happens, I guess. It's not gonna be quick or easy, Cruz. But let's do this! Maybe we could try a group date... or something."
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 10:30 pm
If Justin was inexperienced with dating, Cruz didn't even know what it was. That wasn't entirely far from the truth. The frei smiled a little easier at Justin patting his hand. "Yes," he answered, "Happy, kissing." Safe.
His compliments to Anita made Cruz beam. Unfortunately, the next question made it falter and turn into a more of a pout. "Mm... No. Well-- 'Nita says she doesn't mind kissing. It just has to be with someone 'special'. They... didn't know, but--" suddenly, the frei's expression and posture became more resolute, "They should want to kiss and date her anyway! Why wouldn't they think of it?" The way Cruz puffed his cheeks, he believed this firmly. Anita deserved tons of kisses.
"Um..." Cruz pulled back to count on his fingers, "Lunch with Shepard, coffee with Mordekai, David said he could kiss her, but..." with how Anita swatted at him when the man poked her side at the park, Cruz didn't see that going anywhere -- Anita didn't like getting touched by him even if they were on friendly terms, unlike her hugging Shepard and Mordekai in the past with little issue. They weren't intimate or affectionate hugs, in fact many humans seemed to offer them out of courtesy, but it told Cruz a lot if Anita didn't shy away from them anyway.
"Keep asking...? Oh--" Cruz's eyes widened and his rune pulsed brightly for a moment, "Group date...? What group? Who date?" That was something he hadn't considered, but Cruz wasn't sure he understood. Anita seemed to think of kissing and dates as private, things to be done alone with that particular person, so what would forcing her into a group setting accomplish? All the same, Justin was willing to help with this -- he wanted to hear the man out!
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