[Action]

[ledbythewind]

[Sometimes you just really, really need to get out of your house for a little while. That goes double when it is your birthday and your house is currently the residence of an ancient demon temporarily inhabiting the body of one of your best friends and a several-years-younger version of another friend in addition to the usual interesting cast of characters who reside there.

As much as Richard likes them, sometimes he just needs a little space, especially when he would much prefer that no one gets it into their heads to throw him a party or something. That's why this Saturday evening finds him at Good Spirits, nursing a glass of wine at the bar and just people-watching, though he isn't really making much effort to approach anyone. (Not yet, at least. Give him a few more drinks and that might change.)

Later on in the evening, he'll head back home and attempt to sneak to his room before anyone can jump on him to wish him a happy birthday. Of course, knowing his luck...]

Comments

I think it works out pretty well.

[wingenvy]

[...This is getting to be an alarmingly frequent occurrence around here. With a long-suffering sigh, Zack steps over to the door, lifting it off the ground to check out the damage. It's not looking pretty, but at least it wasn't the window this time...]

Sorry, Richard, looks like you picked a bad day to be here!

Indeed!

[ledbythewind]

Yes, it looks like I did. I do seem to have a knack for having interesting timing.

[Happy birthday to him, indeed. He'll just get up off the floor, brush himself off with a smile, and then sit back down, though that smile is just strained enough that it likely reads as "give me a glass of the strongest you've got."]

[wingenvy]

[Yeah, Zack's getting that feeling. He heads over to the bar, mixing up a couple of one he'd learned from Sigmund awhile back- Drunken Pageboy, a dark drink resembling a cola with a dollop of brandy-whipped cream and nutmeg on the top. It's a little deceptively sweet.

The bar isn't busy, so Zack sits down across from Richard, sipping at his own after he's offered the other to his customer.]

So what's the occasion today? Or are you just out to cruise?

[Yeah he saw you flirting with Shizuo there, you stud.]

[ledbythewind]

[It's my twenty-first birthday and I'm trying not to think about the fact that I spent my birthday last year celebrating it with my ex-boyfriend.

... is what he's thinking, but not about to say out loud. Instead, he just gives a slight smile and a nod of thanks as he accepts the drink.]

More like I just needed a break from my housemates for a little while, and Sir Shizuo was an interesting person.

[And attractive, but he doesn't think he needs to say that part out loud either.]

[wingenvy]

[Man, Richard, you're supposed to open up to the bartender, that's what he's there for!]

Haha, yeah, he's definitely interesting. [And a bit touched. The Izaya thing is an ongoing drama he has yet to really touch with a ten foot pole.] He's a nice guy if you can get him talking, but that's a challenge all by itself.

[ledbythewind]

[THEN KEEP THE DRINKS COMING, MAN.]

Mmm. He does seem to be on the quiet side for the most part, except...

[... except for when he RIPS DOORS OFF HINGES and goes roaring out of the bar chasing someone.]

[wingenvy]

[TAKE IT SLOW, MAN, THESE ARE KIND OF STRONG.]

Except for the furniture-throwing, yeah. He does that a lot. It's a good thing this place repairs itself, or we'd be fixing it up a lot.

[ledbythewind]

[But they taste so good. :(]

Is he human?

[He knows it's a bit of an intrusive question, but after Naoki, he's curious. Not that it would make him think less of someone even if they weren't.]

[wingenvy]

He's never told me otherwise. I think he's just super-strong - there's people like that all over the place here.

[Like the guy with the freaky glowing eyes right in front of you, for instance.]

[ledbythewind]

Perhaps that would be why he reacted so badly when I told him he was attractive, if he's used to others trying to use him because of that strength.

... I apologize for the door, by the way. [Subject change? PERHAPS.]

[wingenvy]

[Probably a good thing- he can't confirm or deny Richard's comment. He just knows that Shizuo has kind of a lousy history. But don't they all? Why else would they gather here.]

Nah, forget about it- even if you hadn't been here, Shizuo would've done that. It's because of the other guy that he got that angry, not you. Believe it or not, this isn't the first time this happened.

[ledbythewind]

... does it always end with so much property damage?

[wingenvy]

...Usually. Good thing the buildings fix themselves, huh?

[ledbythewind]

[Richard nods, chuckling a little. Then, after another sip of his drink, he adds:]

I should go apologize to him for bothering him. I wasn't thinking that most men wouldn't take kindly to another man telling them that they're good-looking.

[wingenvy]

I... would actually wait until the next time you see him here. You can't really stop Shizuo when he's on a rampage, and you'll probably just get hurt if you try to talk to him today. And it's not like complimenting him was a bad thing, it's just not good to push it.

[ledbythewind]

[Richard's expression looks a bit distant as he stares down at his drink.]

... he probably hasn't had many friends, either here or in his own world.

[Yeah. He knows all about what that's like.]

[wingenvy]

Dunno about that one. It's hard to tell a lot about a person after one short meeting, so all you can really do is keep trying.

[But since he's more in the know, and he's not here to gossip about Shizuo-]

That sounds a little close to home, though. Everything okay?

[ledbythewind]

[And just as quickly as it vanished, that smile is back on his face again as he looks back up at Zack.]

Yes, just fine. I was just thinking about what an interesting place Luceti is to bring so many different and unusual people here.

[Sorry, Zack-- it's nothing personal; Richard just doesn't really confide in anyone.]

[wingenvy]

[Oh well, not everyone does.]

We always manage to get a good variety, don't we? Even if a bunch of people get sent back, the ones they bring in to balance it out always seem just as weird as the ones we had before.

[ledbythewind]

Perhaps being unusual is one of the requirements for being brought here in the first place.

[wingenvy]

Wouldn't surprise me. The day somebody halfway normal walks through the door of this place I might have to eat my boot.

[ledbythewind]

So what about me makes me so unusual? I'm curious to hear your answer.

[wingenvy]

Hmmm... well, you're very free with your flirty nature! With guys, I mean. I'm not used to people being so up-front about it.

[ledbythewind]

...

[This face. Just... this face. Oh god Zack was LISTENING to that just shoot him now please]

[wingenvy]

[And Zack can't help but laugh. Poor guy, that's what he gets for flirting so publicly.]

Don't worry about it! I won't spread it around.