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That was a weird vibe.

Being near the water was ideal for picking up all kinds of people for energy, although admittedly Kainite stayed away from any of the really scary looking guys - yeah, he was totally prone to rushing in when it meant impressing someone (bossman and boss lady), but random people wandering around at night weren’t exactly medal worthy.

He’d just drained this one guy a little more than he’d meant to, and well - he knew he shouldn’t have cared, but the guy didn’t seem like a seedy a*****e or anything. He wasn’t just a dude heading home late from work, and he had all these photos of his kids in his wallet (don’t ask Kainite how he knew that okay he was just a little short for rent that month), and he’d already done his quota and all, so -

Just to make sure nobody took advantage (more than he already had), Kainite plopped down nearby and set to sipping at his weapon. It tasted terrible, but this guy was taking forever to wake up and he was getting bored.

Then, the weird energy signature - well what the heck was that? It wasn’t a senshi, right? - Kainite, to be fair, hadn’t actually met that many people from the order. There was that whole invasion mess around when he’d been taken aboard, but that had kind of been a ******** and he’d gotten knocked out fairly quick.

“Hello?”

Ugh, please don’t make him fight.

Kainite kind of stared up at Arthur, soda still clutched in his hands - which really didn't look like a weapon even if technically it was - flat soda was a disappointment but hardly a weapon really - but he didn't bother to get up when the first gesture was one of peace. So he stayed there plopped down on the ground, cross-legged, and just kind of smiled pleasantly at him.

"I mean. I don't even know what you are, besides maybe a furry, so why would I want to kill you? - I don't hate furries that much." There wasn't an ounce of malicious intent in his voice. "Chest thing... oh, the starseed thing, right? - I've never done that myself." Unless it came down to helping Auro, he had no interest. He'd heard starseed addiction was a thing, anyway - no thank you. No smoking, no drinking, no killing his chances at the big time before he ever got there. If smoking wrecked havoc on the vocal chords, imagine what a starseed might do??

Anyway, Tangent. "Oh, and don't worry - he's not dead either - " and he gestured to Mr. Unconscious. "In case you were wondering. - what are you, anyway? - I mean, who are you? I never really know which one to start off with any more. Someone got all huffy with me once because she was all riddled with holes and I wanted to know why, but doesn't that seem like a natural question?"

He took another sip of his drink and made a face. "This is really terrible, I've got to stop. Ugh."

Literally, Kainite saw no issue with this. "I mean, from where I'm sitting, you still look pretty furry - the ears and the tail I mean, " although that was interesting. So he was something called a Mauvian... had Bossman mentioned something about those before? Either way, he'd never met one. Right? Or had he? He'd kind of seen cats at a distance, but - no, not proper, "Well. You're the first Mauvian I've met, " he felt relatively confident saying, nodding to himself in affirmation.

With a shrug, he kind of laughed. "As long as you're not interrupting my work, I mean - if you're not interested in beating me up, then I don't need to defend myself, which is good for both of us because I'm really very intimidating when I get going, " and he really wasn't, and he didn't sound it, but he still felt like he had to say it.

"Ah, I got a little heavy-handed on the draining, " Kainite didn't see a problem with being honest. "I meant to just tucker him out, but before I knew it, he was out like a light. Must've already been tired, I suppose." The cat-man - er, Mauvian was touching him a lot, but Kainite could only assume he was double checking on that 'not dead' thing, which was fair. He thought back to the bottle's graveyard and his stomach twisted in a kind of uncomfortable way.

He had to laugh. "Honestly, I'm not really a soda guy either? I could totally go for some tea or something, oooh, or cocoa - I mean a really mean cocoa - but it's actually my weapon, " and Kainite brandished the cup with a sheepish grin. "And it keeps filling up with something every time I summon it, which is... handy I guess? But it's not very good."

Kainite kind of hummed before he answered, "Something like that. I realized he wasn't one of the bad guys that come through here, so it didn't really feel right to - " Oh the cat was petting him. Wow. Wild.

Kainite didn't exactly tell him 'no', though, which he guessed he should have but hey, someone was saying he did a good job, which was kind of nice. Instead, he just cheerfully corrected, "It's hair!" before adding, "I use the best conditioner." It was on sale. The packaging was being discontinued.

The petting was one thing: even if it wasn't typical for anyone to really go out there and willingly touch him (his family hadn't been super into hugs and kisses and professions of love, especially when he'd grown up), it was an ambiguous sort of innocent little thing. The way the mauvian toyed with his earlobe though unexpectedly made him shudder like he was colder than he was, and he kind of fidgeted, not exactly pulling away but also unsure what to do with that exactly. "A-ah, does it? - I mean, I've always had thumbs, so... "

Oh, he had a name that wasn't Mauvian, okay. Kainite kind of laughed again, his teeth flashing white between his lips as he grinned. "I guess I can see why. I mean, it used to be fur, right? But then there's horse hair, so I guess it's just about the length and the texture? - the world's all full of weird exceptions, isn't it?" Like Kainite himself, which, speaking of, "I'm Kainite, by the way. My friends call me Kain." Most people didn't, which was kind of telling. Clearly his friend selection process needed more transparency.

Responsible and caring, yes, and good and strong and well-intentioned, look at him being a real hero, Kainite's grin was a lot wider because it felt really nice to have someone else say those things instead of just filling in between the lines to supply them himself. "Wait, you've got coffee? Really? - I'd love some coffee, ugh, " and he pushed his weapon, the cup, away from him. "I'd say take this away from me but it'll just come back."

Kainite knew full well his negaverse name was a damn good one, much better than being saddled with Wilbur Stalkerman at least, but he’d never really made the connection between that and something sweet like a candy cane - and the unbidden compliment took him by surprise even if he tried to act like it didn’t, because again, no one had really complimented him on anything to do with his looks in a fairly long time. Like. As a kid, maybe.

Not that he knew he didn’t have nice eyes and nice everything, and he looked in the mirror often to remind himself, but - it was nice to hear it from someone else instead, wasn’t it? “I never thought of it like that, “ he hummed, trying not to look like he was beaming about it (and failing miserably).

“I like your glasses, “ seemed like a lame counter offer, but the attempt was made valiantly, and at least it was still a pure compliment, not one of those things that could be taken as a backhanded one. Yes.

Then he sat back and watched with interest as Arthur began fishing around... somewhere, pulling out a thermos and then one mug after another, canting his head a little closer to take a better look. “How do you - where are you getting all that stuff from?” He had to ask. “Those mugs are so cute, “ and he was admittedly the proud owner of more than a few kitschy mugs that lined his shelves back at home. “They’re not all weapons, right?” Like his cup of soda, maybe? But there were so many, and then coffee too - “If I could carry that much stuff, I’d bring a TV out on patrol, “ he said a little wistfully, tugging his knees to his chest. “Well maybe not a TV, but a tablet or something. For the slower parts, you know?”

His eyes brightened at the sight of the final chosen mug, and he rather out to lightly poke at the tip of the cat’s little witch hat. “Not at all, “ he said with another flash of a grin. “I’m good at sharing, “ which wasn’t exactly a bold faced lie, depending on the situation. “I’ve had all my shots too.” No, really, he’d gotten a flu shot this year even.

Kainite peered curiously at the top of Arthur’s head for a second before he went for it, stroking his hair and tentatively rubbing at ears, his grin growing brighter. “Both soft, “ he felt safe declaring, “but the hair’s silkier and smoother. Fur’s more fluffy.”

“Subpar?” Kainite actually laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re like - “ He hummed, suddenly, his eyes narrowed in thought as he tried to place it the aesthetic. “ - inhumanly handsome, but in a good way? Like you know how in those intense fantasy movies, those ones with a ton of magic and a strong heroine and probably a love triangle, “ because that was how most media was. Kainite was himself a romantic, if a stubborn one: he got behind one ship and shipped it with all his heart, so love triangles drove him crazy. There was enough tension with all the magic and world ending! Why did they need to MORE conflict? “And she has this really cool, wise magical mentor, and for some reason she never falls for him even though he’s clearly the hottest guy in the film?” This wasn’t based off anything personal, OF COURSE. “You get what I mean, right? You’re about that level handsome.”

He never did have much of a filter.

Mauvian, Arthur, cat-man, whatever you wanted to call him, he still enjoyed pets. Kainite could get behind that; pets WERE pretty nice. “Seems handy, “ he murmured with an enthused nod, idly wondering if he could start just dragging a backpack around. Might hamper the aesthetic he hadn’t going though. Cool nega outfit. Very normal backpack. “I want one, “ he sighed.

Then, he blinked, fishing a crystal communicator out of his pocket. “I don’t think it has a number, “ he lamented. “I mean, unless you want my non-business one, but if trace it back to me - I don’t wanna get in trouble.” Secret identity was kind of a big deal and all, and he didn’t have a whole lot to hide, but if they traced him back to Auro -

(Also he honestly had no idea he was being hit on. Literally didn’t have the faintest idea.)

It really didn’t seem like Arthur had heard it before - people were crazy. But Kainite knew they were prone to slacking on saying nice things out loud. It was kind of his life story and all, and he knew it was coming from a good place (or that’s what he convinced himself; an actor with no confidence in the face of rejection was hardly an actor worth having). Still. That made him glad he’d said it to the mauvian. It was nice to make people feel good.

Sweet on the eyes, too, and his eyes widened a little, something like a blush creeping into his cheeks as he kind of fidgeted again. Some part of him was blown away to hear it, another part, a long built defense, said of course he looked like that, yes, thank you for noticing Arthur - it was a system malfunction, in a word, caught up between his own steeled ego and the realization that somebody was actually saying something really really nice about him. And touching him again, too, comfortably and rather sweetly toying with his hair -

“I’d love to play a character like that sometime, “ he finally said a little quietly, smiling the kind of smile that crinkles the corners of the eyes. “Which show do you like?”

The solution to all of this was simple, and way less likely to put Bossman or himself in any real danger. Immediately, Kainite brightened, trying very hard not to seem overeager even if he totally was. “Email, of course! Yes, that sounds fantastic!” The hand writing was messy, but honestly, Kainite’s wasn’t great either. And it was easy to read which was the more important thing. He pocketed it and patted it there, ensuring it would stay safe and secure.

Oh. They were both holding the mug now. That was okay - beyond okay, it was kind of nice, because even if Kainite wasn’t impacted by the cold like this, he could still appreciate the warmth of Arthur’s hands.

Of course, it was only there with a cup held between them and Arthur talking about meeting again that it kind of occurred to him for the first time that this was a lot like a scene from one of those rom-comes Netflix had been vomiting at him lately (and admittedly he’d been gobbling up like the eager consumer he was). Was he crazy? - had to be crazy. Right?

“Okay, “ he said, no less eager but feeling a little unsure of himself in the situation all of sudden, his grin wide as he leaned down and took a sip for himself.