i turned off the music

[revengier]

Comments

[dissimulative]

Never?

[ Oria looks surprised. That sure is a bold statement... ]

You're not gonna visit family or anything?

[revengier]

[ He pulls the bag of chips closer to himself, grabbing a couple of them and swallowing before casually saying: ]

I don’t have family to visit.

[dissimulative]

[ The chips looks like they're slowly dwindling... Oria wonders if he'll ask for another bag of them. But wow, the fact that Kurapika just says that bluntly is, quite something. ]

Everything about you is such a surprise.

[ Look, he's not gonna pity him. It sucks, but that's how it be sometimes. ]

[revengier]

[ The fact that Oria doesn’t pity him earns him a lot of points—where Oria was under the “neutral” category before, he is now someone that Kurapika kind of likes.

Of course, he’ll never like someone enough to not raise an eyebrow, his tone almost challenging Oria to say something offensive. ]

What do you mean by that?

[dissimulative]

You subvert a lot of expectations that you shouldn't have to live up to. That's a good thing, by the way.

[ Oria finally sips his sprite through the straw. ]

Also... you're really unpredictable.

[ Apart from being an asshole, but. Y'know. ]

[revengier]

[ A genuine compliment? From Oria? Kurapika doesn’t really look like he believes it, or at least, that he believes it cautiously. ]

I wouldn’t want to be predictable. [ He eats another chip. They’re almost gone. ] But you say that as if you aren’t similar in that way too.

[ … ]

Or… you consider the subversion a good thing because you do the same.

[dissimulative]

It's a good thing as in people won't know what to think if they try to get a read on you. I think you'll need it with what you do too.

[ What things? Plenty of things. Don't worry about it. ]

[revengier]

You’re right about that.

[ And that Kurapika is good at reading people in return means he’ll be good at… whatever it is he does. ]

Are you good at reading people, Oria? I imagine it’s a good skill to have in business.

[dissimulative]

I used to think I was great at it!

[ He still does, but the point of saying this is to lead into the next line. ]

Until I met you! You keep throwing curveballs at me and I couldn't make heads or tails of you.

[revengier]

Do I make you nervous?

[ He doesn’t think so, since Oria seems to be just fine. ]

I’m really not that difficult to read when you know me.

[ Unpredictable still, yes. But not hard to understand. ]

[dissimulative]

[ Oria is so fine. ]

The same can apply to most people too, y'know.

[ He thinks that's the point of getting to know people. Their patterns and behavior become more predictable. ]

The world has always been the information age, and all that.

[revengier]

It has. Once you learn certain tells, you can pick out specific behaviors and learn how to apply them to together people.

[ His chips are gone, so he grabs that and his empty sandwich wrapper. If Oria has anything finished, Kurapika grabs that too. ]

For example, you didn’t answer my question.

[dissimulative]

[ Tch... He thought he was being so smooth. Oria has pretty much finished everything, so Kurapika is free to take it all. ]

Why would you make me nervous? I thought that was obvious.

[revengier]

If you want my guess, it's that you can't easily answer that question, but you already revealed enough by saying you couldn't read me and so you didn't want to say more.

[ But that's just a guess! Kurapika isn't going to make an assumption one way or the other, and it seems like he's content to drop it there when he gathers their trash and goes to throw it away.

As he does, a few guys in suits walks into the shop and start talking to the man at the register in low voices.

If Oria is paying attention, he'll notice that Kurapika has stiffened, his posture just ever so slightly straighter than before. ]

[dissimulative]

[ Oria will continue to play dumb about his current situation: whose shop he's in, who those black suit people may be, and noticing the slight change in body language for Kurapika. He's dropped Kurapika dropped it, and now he'll just have to come up with a topic. ]

C'mon. Let's go put your stuff in the room so you can finally stop lugging it around.

[ He laughs. ]

[revengier]

[ His shoulders remain tense, but he seems to agree with the idea, nodding before doubling back to quickly grab his things.

...It's too bad that they don't escape notice, especially when one of the men seems to recognize Kurapika and his lips curl into a snarl. He seems a little older than the others, middle-aged, and his head is shaved bald. ]

Surprised to see you out spending time with someone that isn't the boss. Finally got tired of stealing all of his time?

[ Kurapika frowns at his duffle bag as he moves to pick it up, but schools his expression into something more neutral by the time he turns around. ]

Jealousy is unbecoming. [ He looks over at Oria. ] Come on.

[dissimulative]

[ Oria could always make the situation worse, since he's not the type to take things. However, this is Kurapika's thing, not his. Stinky adults. He takes Kurapika's hand and leaves the store with him, so that the men won't rrally have a chance to interject. Bye!!!!! ]

[revengier]

[ Oh.

He wasn't expecting Oria to quite literally lead him out of the situation, but here he is, following after him like this. His hand squeezes Oria's without him realizing it, out of relief and stress both, especially as that same man yells some kind of insult out the door—brat, twerp, piece of shit... whatever it is, it's lost on the wind. ]

...Thanks.

[ That situation was about to get nasty, especially if that man had a chance to strike back. ]

[dissimulative]

[ Oria sighs out of relief. ]

Oh, man. That was close. That guy was rattling you like a clingy and jealous S.O.! That type is nasty to deal with.

[ He doesn't mind holding hands, so he continues until Kurapika feels like letting go. It was a nerve wrecking situation, so really... it's fine. ]

[revengier]

He’s upset that the boss prefers me over him. It isn’t my fault that I’m more efficient at my job and better at counting cards.

[ His hand stays firmly in Oria’s grasp. The warmth around his fingers feels nice right now. ]

…Unfortunately, he’s spread some nasty rumors about me.

[dissimulative]

[ Damn, dude. Get fucking rekt. He listens to him and... huh. ]

Your boss isn't doing anything about it?

[revengier]

[ The look on his face is one that suggests he really doesn't want to tell Oria this, but— ]

I don't think... he minds the rumors, really.

[dissimulative]

[ ................

Oria just stares at Kurapika like. Bro. No........ ]

Really? You haven't even told me what the rumor is but now it sounds skeevy.

[revengier]

You're smart enough to take a guess, aren't you?

[ But he won't leave Oria to do that, since guessing something like that is torturous... especially while holding hands. ]

Many people think I'm sleeping with him and believe that's the reason why I've quickly gone up in the ranks, so to speak. Of course my boss doesn't mind something like that.

[ And maybe he even hopes that the rumors lead to something, but it's not like Kurapika will ever let that come to pass anyway. ]

It's irritating. I got where I am on my own merits.

[dissimulative]

Yeah, I get that, but—

[ Oria understands the matter of pride in these things. However, there seems to be a more pressing matter. ]

Why doesn't your boss mind that?? Hello??? Is this what all "families" are like now??