i'm simply cowering here.

[gotbrains]

Who: Tohru Adachi + Jouno Saigiku
Where: A coffee shop in Aldrip
What: Backdated to pre-event November. Two bad men take a coffee break.
Warnings: None yet, will be updated appropriately.

[ Society. We sure do live in one. Ask anyone, even the most goody-two-shoes, by-the-books player and they'll tell you their own list of problems they have with it.

Unfortunately you need it for things like dry, warm restaurants. Adachi's whole recluse thing has been going pretty well so far, but out of the blue he got this craving nag, nag, nagging at the back of his brain and it would not for the life of him shut up. So fine. Fine! He'll do an odd job or two if it gets him enough to pay for a decent cup of coffee.

More than decent, turns out. He'd picked the restaurant at random, but this cup's got him practically melting into his seat at his lonely little table. He'll have to remember the name of this place if this is their average brew--somewhere to sit and let nothing else exist for however long he decides to loiter sounds...nice. Real nice.

Sure. He can endure society a little at a time for this. ]

Comments

[pricelesstears]

[ When Jouno needed to think, he preferred to do so over a steaming hot cup of coffee. It's why he was alone now, sitting in a booth at a restaurant he'd picked out by the smell (their brew had smelled the best from the street). Still, he wasn't so focused that he didn't notice his surroundings, and after a while, he's certain that he recognizes someone.

There's no word for the smell other than cheap -- cheap soap, cheap shampoo -- and yet, familiar. One didn't forget a person who'd helped him when he'd almost died. The man who had helped Jouno to a clinic back when he'd first arrived sits in the very same coffee shop -- Jouno is sure of it.

After a moment to confirm it, Jouno stands up and approaches, coffee still in hand. ]

Ah, pardon me...

[ He looks much better this time -- there's no blood caked onto his clothing at all! ]

[gotbrains]

[ His content coffee trance is broken as soon as someone else steps into his sizeable bubble, tension steadily raising the closer this person gets. It plateaus when this other man stops, making it clear he wants to interact, and Adachi finally looks up from his cup to see--

The guy he found half dead in the forest. Huh. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't even a little curious how they were doing, so he can spare a few moments for a quick exchange. ]

Oh, hey. You're still in one piece.

[pricelesstears]

Yes. In no small part, thanks to you.

[ Jouno flashes a smile. He's not a particularly warm person, and there's something slightly off about it, but it's a smile nonetheless. ]

Please, allow me to at least buy your coffee to show my gratitude.

[ Jouno feels he owes this man that much. ]

[gotbrains]

[ He definitely takes note of that, detective's eye hard to turn off even after everything, but hey. It's not like he's indebting himself to this guy, it's a fair trade sort of thing.

If a cup of coffee for a life could be considered a fair trade. Which Adachi might. ]

Well since you asked so nicely, who am I to refuse?

[pricelesstears]

Excellent.

[ A pause. Jouno taps his finger on the rim of his coffee cup. ]

Do you mind if I sit with you for a moment? I have some questions.

[gotbrains]

[ Of course it wouldn't be that simple. But you can't really accept a free cup of coffee and tell someone to scram, could you?

...Eh. You could, but. He pats at the opposite side of the table. ]

Sure. I got time.

[pricelesstears]

[ Jouno feels the edge of the table to determine its shape and then slides in the opposite side, setting his cup of coffee down carefully on the table. Crossing his legs, he makes himself comfortable before he asks: ]

You were in that forest, too. Were you also a new arrival here?

[gotbrains]

Not as new as you.

[ How helpfully vague. He takes a sip of his coffee, and then, ]

At least I hope you weren't crawling around for a few days.

[pricelesstears]

[ Jouno chuckles at that, shaking his head. ]

I highly doubt I would have lasted much longer like that.

[ It bothers him, really, to have been that close to death, but that isn't something that he's about to unload on a stranger. Or anyone for that matter. ]

My name is Jouno Saigiku, by the way. Thank you again for saving me.

[gotbrains]

Tohru Adachi.

[ And he's not about to unload the reason he bothered. No idea what assumptions Jouno might make, be it that Adachi's some kind of heroic soul or whatever, but so long as he doesn't expect any more heroism Adachi will just let him. ]

What messed you up that bad, if you don't mind sharing? Whatever it was must've been ugly.