[Private] Hindsight

[LucaAlverez]

Location: Hugel ~two years before main RP
Limit: Two
Players: Wolfram Tungsten; Promethium

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As he lay on the floor in a half-conscious daze, Promethium's mind wandered rather aimlessly to the last time he'd spent any serious time in Lighthalzen. It wasn't always as much of a pleasure to be there as it was now, of course - once upon a time it was rather nightmarish in fact. It wasn't as though he hadn't tried to be a trooper, the pain was to make him stronger. The pain was to make him live forever. But he wasn't a masochist and there was only so much even he could take.

He remembered the last time he was on the receiving end of the experimentation, he remembered being a full-grown adult and having so much pain put on him that he honestly and truly cried in front of those scientists... he couldn't even blame it on being a child anymore, the pain was real and vivid even in memory...


When the testing ended he felt like a wreck. He'd finally been allowed to wear his own clothing again and his arms wrapped tightly around his upper body as his knees were drawn to his chest. He wasn't allowed to leave yet, but all signs pointed toward the possibility that he would be allowed to return home very soon. And he was glad. He wanted to resent the scientists, Rekenber, anything at all but inevitably they were just trying to help and placing the blame wasn't going to get him anywhere. He sighed lightly in his spot, looking up as a pair of shoes made their way into his line of vision.

The man that stood there was familiar to him - he'd worked with the same man for more years than his exhausted mind was willing to count at the moment. This was a man he never, ever wanted to disappoint again as he had pointedly made the second round of testing far more painful than the first, as though he took some pleasure in the younger man's agony.

"Doctor," he murmured listlessly, half of him prepared for more testing. The look on the man's pale face was severe - always severe - but it gave nothing away leaving the blond to simply wonder at what the other's presence meant. He wanted to go home... was that going to be denied of him? He didn't need anything else, just home. He'd been here for nearly seven months already being 'reprimanded' and tested upon, he didn't have any desire to remain there longer than he had to.

The man adjusted his glasses in just such a way that the light seemed to gleam across them ominously and the younger male pressed back into his seat, sucking in a nervous breath.

"Rekenber doesn't feel that you're fit to function on your own," he stated sharply, enough to leave the other flinching instead of arguing. "Your physical ability to take care of yourself compromises you and in light of your progressive research we hardly feel it would be suitable for you to continue your actions on your own."

What was that even supposed to mean? "I don't need supervision," he responded meekly. "I can look after myself just fine!" Were they really going to keep him here? Because he wasn't 'fit to function'? He was perfectly capable of looking after himself! He had for this long, he didn't see what on earth would leave them with any other idea. So he blew a few things up - big deal! It wasn't like anyone had died which was so much more than the scientists here could say - and even then killing others certainly wouldn't mean he was unfit to look after himself.

"That's not for you to decide," he snapped, leaving Promethium in a state of silence. "Project number seventy-four will be joining you as of today. We expect periodic reports on your progress as usual but we will be expecting such from him as well so you can't expect to simply blow him up or run away from him. This is the only second chance you're going to get. Don't fuck it up."

Stepping aside, the man turned to head down the hallway, allowing the younger man's eyes to follow him, settling on a pointedly red-haired male who had been standing there... but for how long? He didn't know. All he could do was hope his failures hadn't been openly discussed in front of his new... whatever he was. Babysitter.

[Riisha]

He remembered pain. Months, or perhaps years, of tortuous pain. It was difficult to tell the time back then; He never knew anymore whether it was night or day in that hellhole. He used to complain, to yell and cry out, lash out against them. One day, he had even broken free of his restraint, sending a fist to the scientist that had been standing over him. In a flash, he had twisted around, his knee connecting with another's before the first had even fallen back. That was when he had paused. He hadn't remembered moving that fast before.

He'd never complained again. It was for his own good, he realized. It was the strength, the agility, the fighting power that he wanted, after all. And that was what they were giving him, they had said. The scientists and doctors had explained bits of their goals. He could no longer complain. After all... Without strength...

He flinched suddenly. An image flashed through his mind. The dining table had been overturned. A bloodied mess laid beneath it, an unrecognizable mass of flesh. Blood splattered against the painted walls. Blood pooled on the wooden floors. A woman laid in the middle of that pool, the red tainting her luxurious hair... (Or was it her hair that was red? He supposed it could be.). Her throat was a gaping hole, her mouth open in a silent scream, her eyes wide, staring at him, almost accusing...

He shuddered uncontrollably for a moment. Then, the image faded, as quickly as it came. He knew it well. He remembered it at times, even though he had done a good job of forgetting...

There will be less pain now. The scientists had finished with him, they'd said. There was a part of him that wanted to beg them to let him stay. He was not ready; there was more they could do for him. But instead, he shrank away, almost enthusiastically accepting his release.

Maybe there was a side of him that was still weak after all.

There was someone speaking now. He had been brought to this room, having been told to follow one of the doctors he didn't recognize. He had also been told why: something to do with another 'patron' of the laboratories needing supervision. He'd accepted that, though half of him was disappointed. Being a 'babysitter' didn't feel like it would test his new abilities. Still, he didn't want to be tossed back into those rooms. He shuddered again. Not so soon, at least.

His head snapped up a little, as he heard his name mentioned. Or rather, it wasn't his true name, but he had been referred to as "Project Seventy-Four" for so long, it may as well be his name. He glanced over, finally seeing who he had been assigned to 'supervise.' It was still a blur. Most things were a blur to him. A side effect, they had called it. It made him want to punch someone when they'd said it, but he dealt with it.

The doctor had left him and he could now at least make out blonde hair and dark skin. He leaned closer, hoping to get a better look.

A lethargic smile made it onto his lips. "Sight for sore eyes..." he mumbled, hoarsely. Maybe babysitting wouldn't be SO bad after all.

[LucaAlverez]

His first instinct was to simply snub the other. He didn't need a babysitter and he didn't particularly want company. Someone else around was going to interrupt his research and they'd likely disrupt his schedule as well, which was entirely annoying to think about. His feet slowly moved from their spot to the floor and he got to his feet, watching the other through diminutive glasses - analyzing for a couple moments.

"... figures they'd dump me with a melee," he muttered to himself as he adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves before offering a hand with a resigned sigh. "Promethium. You can call me Prom or Meth if you like, I won't make any judgments on the nickname you choose." Of course, the name wasn't at all what his identification said.

Still, those were trivial and rather useless facts which left the blond running his free hand into his hair in irritation. It would be nice to use a real name, but that seemed entirely blasphemous to propose to another such experiment. At least he could introduce himself by a name instead of a numerical designation, however. He preferred playing scientist to playing experiment.

"Seventy-four," he mused for a moment, eyes turning to the ceiling as he contemplated, "that would be... Tungsten, then? Or have you some alias you'd like to propose?"

The other was pointedly muscular - one of many hints towards his melee-orientation - and he tried not to find himself overly pleased with the notion. It had been a long time since he'd actually interacted with someone who had any sort of muscle to their structure, which gave the other a rather exotic look to him. He definitely wasn't a slender, pasty-skinned scientist like those here and he was definitely built a lot more heftily than himself. The gi the other wore was only further evidence of his chosen area of expertise, which simply left the other amused. A babysitter... or a bodyguard?

[Riisha]

The other looked rather ragged. He couldn't blame him, he supposed. He probably looked like shit himself. He felt like shit, that was for certain. He was only glad that he'd been allowed to wear his own clothes by now.

A hand was offered and he shook it lightly. He took this opportunity to study his new companion, now that he was much closer. The blonde before him was slender, but did not look at all frail. He felt that the man had been through more than just the experiments. Mystical blue, almost purple, eyes gazed back at him, scanning him as well. They looked weary, but held a sea of knowledge, and more importantly, a strong will. These went with his clothing, which reminded him of what a few of the other scientists wore, only a dark blue. He wasn't quite sure what abilities he had from that though; he only assumed that this man must be as scientific as they are. But his skin tone made him look exotic, compared to the many others, especially with his hair... And again, his eyes...

His smile widened a little, though they did not reach his eyes yet. Even if he bored himself 'supervising' this person, at least his ward was pretty to look at

He paused in his scrutiny as he was asked for a name. Name...? ... What was his name? He couldn't quite remember it anymore. "Tungsten works," he finally offered. He felt it sounded odd for a name, but then, perhaps most of the other experiments had odd names.

"Promethium, eh?" Yes, it was just as odd. He shrugged it off and continued without hesitation. "So, Meth, I hear I'm watching your back for a while."

Yes, that would be a wonderful thing to watch, an inner voice, one he hadn't heard in a while, said in the back of his mind. He tried to quell the voice, but he couldn't help it, he supposed. There was much time to catch up on.

[LucaAlverez]

A blond eyebrow quirked at the seemingly uncertain answer to his name. Once he'd pulled his hand away and tucked it behind his back he headed towards the door thoughtfully, gesturing for the other to follow. "Does that mean if I'm walking backwards you'll be leading the way?" he asked absently as he headed towards the exit to the labs, excited about seeing sunlight again for the first time in months.

As he moved he considered possible bonuses of having someone else around the house - such as someone to do the heavy lifting and fetch things for him, run errands even. He wondered how that would go over with the other, glancing over his shoulder at the other. Seventy-four... Symbol W... often found in wolframite giving it a secondary name of Wolfram for which the W stood. Looking thoughtfully over his shoulder, he finally added, "Wolfram might be a more appropriate name if you like. It's another name Tungsten is known as, though to my knowledge less commonly."

Of course it was clear the other was no scientist, he was the brawn not the brain which he supposed had it's benefits. With the right training and application it was entirely plausible that the other could be used to obtain experimental subjects for him, which could prove entirely helpful as his ability to lug home a full-grown Siroma was... poor, to say the least. The thing that wasn't so clear to him to begin with, however, was the other's accent. However slight it definitely existed, making him wonder just where the other might have been from. It sounded similar to what he'd heard during his brief stay in Rune-Midgard, but he wasn't certain if that was really where the other originated. There was plenty of time for those questions at another time, however, considering they were going to be stuck together - and who knew how long that arrangement would last?

Still, a very important question that he did have to consider at just this moment was - where on earth was the other going to sleep? He only had one bedroom in his house and the only other room that he supposed could be used as a bedroom was far too full of books that really had no other place to be put. Important books, all of them. It was going to be a hassle, if nothing else, that was for certain.

[Riisha]

"Naw, you can go ahead and I'll just... watch... from back here." He bit down on his lip as soon as he'd said it. What was wrong with him? He surprised at how easily these words came from him, just like before the nightmare. Perhaps he sought normalcy so quickly.

He followed the Scholar then, his eyes wandering over his back, his smile now turning into a grin. Well, he had to admit. Having someone as easy on the eyes as Promethium to distract him also helped quite a bit.

"mm...?" he mumbled, Promethium's words escaping him for a moment. "Wolfram, eh?" Admittedly, he did like the sound of that, a lot more than 'Tungsten.' He went over both names in his mind. "Wolfram Tungsten," he mused aloud. It sounded much more like an actual name. "Yep, that does work a lot better," he cracked another grin. "Also makes a lot more sense, y'know. Was always wonderin' why they kept calling me 'Tungsten' when there was a big fat 'W' on all my papers an' shit. Where the fuck'd they get a freaking 'W' from 'Tungsten,' right?"

He was babbling, he realized. It was.. nice to talk 'normally' to someone. He'd had to keep quiet through most of his stay in the Somatology Laboratories, and it had been excruciating being like that. Was he trying to revert back to himself as fast as he could? Possibly.

[LucaAlverez]

Promethium snorted at that as he shook his head, more than a little amused. "Wolf, then," he nodded a little bit. "It's a pleasure. And the 'W' was simply a system. Personally I preferred to see 'Pm' on a piece of paper than 'sixty-one'. Letters make me feel human, at least." And it was true. It had been hard his first time through, in particular, to try and remind himself that he was still human. He wasn't a lab rat or creation, he wasn't one of the many monsters that seemed to appear out of no where so long ago... he was human. He was flesh, blood and brains. He was something that needed to be cared for. "Mind, it was hard to say 'Pm' as a name, you know, so Promethium was a very welcome change."

He paused at the other's question for a moment, looking thoughtful as he walked, trying to figure his way towards the airship despite the hordes of people that milled about. After a few moments he dropped back to hook his arm around Wolfram's to be certain he didn't lose the other in the crowd. "Wolframite is a mineral that tungsten is commonly found in," he began, seeing no harm in at least attempting to educate the other. "It's a matter of regional names, I suppose. Scheelite is another name for the same mineral, but was formerly known as tungstenite as it was when it was discovered. Therefore different regions would call it either 'tungsten' or 'wolfram.' Minor science lesson over," though he highly doubted it would be the last such lesson he'd give the other.

"To warn you, my house only has one bedroom unless you want to sleep with my myriad of books. I might see about purchasing a couch, at least, for you to sleep on eventually... I mean no offense in saying this, but I don't know you enough to trust you to sleep in my room, so I'll be taking my leave of you and making myself comfortable in the lab until I can somehow scrounge enough money to get a couch." Not that he wanted the other in his bedroom, either, as it was rather a risk to his plush toys, but at the very least there was nothing to hide in there. And he certainly trusted the other more in his bedroom than in his lab, though he didn't expect it would be particularly comfortable to sleep in there. Somehow, he figured, he'd make due.

[Riisha]

"Eh, I guess I like Promethium, too. Dunno what it means or does... but kinda suits ya, I guess? And numbers... meh, numbers don't bother me. You can tag me like you want, but I'm still me, I think. An improved me, maybe, but still me."

Why was he still babbling? The newly dubbed 'Wolfram' mused to himself. Maybe it was just Promethium's presence. He somehow did feel more comfortable than he had in a few months (Years?). Maybe it was because the blonde was a new face. Maybe it was because he was not one of the scientists he had grown to begrudge. Maybe because he was an experiment as well, and had been subjected to the same hell as he was, yet somehow had managed to keep his sanity, Wolfram noted, remembering some of the others he had observed while inside... Though he did not know about the other's quirks just yet.

He was quickly drawn out of that train of thought when they walked out of the building. He flinched considerably. It was bright. So very bright.. So that's what the sun looks like, he thought absently. It was almost painful, on his skin and on his eyes. There were so many people, as well. It was suffocating. He grimaced considerably. He had a great urge to flee back inside. Damn, I guess there IS something wrong with m-...

He jumped as Promethium attached himself to his arm. "Uh?" He very nearly drew away again. He had grown accustomed to the scientists taking his arm, sterilizing and dressing it, preparing to inject another serum into him, or for another vile test.

He managed to relax after a while, reminding himself that that was over... for the most part. He glanced down to where Promethium remained hooked to his arm. The touch wasn't gentle, and it was obviously a gesture made to be sure that they did not lose each other (he shuddered at the thought of being out on his own for some reason). After a while, it was... comforting.

It seemed like the Scholar was explaining the element that he had been named after. He tried his best to focus on Promethium and his voice. "mmhmm..." he mumbled after a while, hoping it seemed like he'd been listening. He squinted through the crowd, wondering if he could ever get used to other people again.

One particular statement caused him turn back to Promethium. He raised an eyebrow. "One bedroom, eh?" A grin had, somehow, made its way onto his face again. He quickly shook his head again to erase it from his lips.

He said more seriously, "eh... don't kick yourself out. I'll sleep on the floor. Been sleepin' in much worse." He had been traveling alone for a few years with zeny that was sure to run out someday. From the start, he knew he wouldn't have the luxury of staying at inns and more often than not, he found himself sleeping outdoors.

You can always shaa- He swatted at the air, imagining it was his head-voice. The thought still put the grin back on his face though. Some things just can't be changed, he supposed.

"Uh... where?" he finally managed, feeling disoriented. He'd just realized he had no idea where they were going.

[LucaAlverez]

Though not oblivious to the flinch, he was hardly feeling patient enough to wait for the other to adjust, not particularly caring whether Wolfram had been in the labs for as long as him or not. He wasn't so worried about it as the months for him had indeed been much shorter since he'd seen sunshine and his bangs - which desperately needed to be cut - shielded his eyes for the most part, though rays did reflect up through his glasses once in a while. "It glows," he stated simply in response, "any more than that and I might go on for hours trying to clarify things in a way you might understand." And no matter how others could take it as insulting, as far as Promethium was concerned it was perfectly honest. It wasn't meant to call the other stupid, by any means, but he was fully confident that of the two he was clearly the more intelligent being. Even if he was the shorter one.

He made his way through the crowd almost cheerfully though there was no 'worming' to be had as he pointedly stood to his tallest and made sure others were moving around him instead. It seemed to be the only way he truly felt content with himself, as the very sad matter to being booksmart was that no one who lacked the appropriate schooling would realize just how intelligent he was - it wasn't like physical fighters where anyone could see just how strong and fast they were, it was subtle, internal... and as someone had once said 'Don't try to baffle me with your bullshit.' Not a single word of 'bullshit' had been spoken, it was entirely fact. His hunger for knowledge never ceased, but the incident had left him to wonder what the point of being intelligent was when no one else knew what you were talking about?

He cast a sideways glance at the man walking beside him for a moment, wondering what it would be like to live with a man who really wouldn't understand him. They were two entirely different kinds of people and he was definitely going to have to work at setting boundaries and being certain the other knew who was in charge. He was not going to be usurped in his own home.

"Fine, you can sleep on the floor," he agreed. His kindness had been waved aside and he was hardly the sort to offer it twice. "Your choices for flooring are the hallway or the leisure room." The bathroom he'd need for showers in the morning, and the kitchen for food in the morning. It would be less disrupting for both of them if he was simply out of the way. "We're going to get breakfast at the restaurant outside the airship bay, our airship won't be here for a little over half an hour. We'll be going to Hugel - I assume you can purchase a ticket? I'll cover your meal but don't expect it to be an ongoing thing."

He continued to walk for a few moments more before his attention was rather suddenly and seriously diverted. A pet Lunatic! Someone had a pet Lunatic! "O-oh it's so cute!" he squeaked, his arm releasing Wolfram's as he scuttled over to the creature, petting it happily as the bewildered Gunslinger stared. It didn't bother him even in the slightest that the other was staring, caring more about the happy fluffy thing his fingers were brushing again. "So cute, so cute, lookit your little bow...!" he bubbled happily.

[Riisha]

"Glowing, eh? Nice, does work out for ya... Kinda like your eyes."

Wolfram wasn't bothered by the subtle stab at his intelligence. He figured it was probably true. Besides, he would probably end up forgetting whatever Promethium was trying to teach him by later that evening anyway.

"Floor it is..." The truth was, he was just glad to be staying somewhere indoors, where he didn't have to flinch every time the door opened. "Eh, the hall works. If I'm your bodyguard or somethin' I should be near ya, or somethin', right?" He noted his voice was still slurred. He hadn't talked so much in a long time, he remembered. Plus, his Payon accent seemed to be thicker. Or maybe it was just him not being used to hearing his own voice anymore.

"... Airship?" he echoed. There were airships around here? He couldn't recall at all. He'd made his way into Lighthalzen those couple of years back on foot. Well, it wasn't like he could have afforded it back then... He didn't think he could afford it at that moment either.

He then recalled that he had been handed a small bag of sorts earlier, before he had been brought to the room with Promethium. He reached a hand in his pocket, pulling it out and trying to judge how much was in it. He turned back to his companion, "Would this wo-..."

He trailed off as the Scholar very suddenly disappeared from his arm. He felt an uncharacteristic wave of panic for a moment. Did he lose him? What happened? What was going to happen now?

The fear resided as soon as he heard Promethium's voice again, much higher and very excited. Cute...? He turned around and proceeded to gape at his ward, who had deteriorated into a mass of bubbles over a small bowed furball on the floor.

"... eh...?" ... Cute things huh. Unbeknownst to him, the little voice in his head was already filing away this knowledge for future reference.

[LucaAlverez]

"Oh, oh, oh!" he murmured excitedly, petting the Lunatic in a state of utter bliss. The creature didn't seem to mind the attention, either, even if the Gunslinger had begun to tap his foot a little irritably.

The blond had crouched on the cobblestones, an arm around his legs as the other continued to stroke the small, fluffy and pointedly white creature. In his euphoria the idea that Wolfram might have left without him, or that the Gunslinger would eventually get annoyed and do something he didn't like never even occurred to him, his attention entirely settled on the small being.

He had a weakness. A very, very pointed weakness. If it was cute his focus would leave almost immediately. He'd built up a tolerance through prolonged exposure with Siromas, despite that they were still his absolute favourite, but when it came to creatures like Lunatics - small, fluffy creatures... dogs, cats, anything at all of that sort - he was like puddy. A thoroughly predictable bundle of happiness and obliviousness all mixed up into rather childish antics.

"Does she have a name?" he asked happily as he looked up to the Gunslinger who continued to look thoroughly unimpressed by the assault on his pet.

"It's really none of your business. I have places to be if you don't mind," he huffed, reaching to take the Lunatic before turning and walking away, leaving the blond to simply watch after him, poking at the cobblestones with his index finger.

"... bye bye," he stated softly, his expression dropping a little before he flopped back onto his behind to pout. Well, that had been very, very rude of the other. He was just asking a question!

[Riisha]

Wolfram was dumbfounded to say the least. The scholar had exuded an academic intelligence earlier, even before he began his lectures about the different elements. (It was his eyes, Wolfram decided.) Now, he much more resembled the white ball of fluff on the ground, squeaking and giggling just as much as the tiny creature he was petting.

And before he could think any more of it, the gunslinger picked up the small bunny and walked off with it in such a haughty voice and an annoyed expression that did not suit his choice of pet.

Finally, the forlorn tone in Promethium's voice as he bid the animal goodbye did it for him.

He doubled over, clutching his sides and burst out laughing.

[LucaAlverez]

"Shuddup," he pouted, entirely aware that the other was more than likely laughing at him. He continued to poke at the cobblestone for a few moments before getting up in a huff and starting toward the airship again, thoroughly ill-content. He wanted to get home. He wanted to cuddle up in his room with his plushies where no one was going to intervene. In fact, he felt like having a plushie tea party to celebrate his return home. That sounded absolutely delightful to him. "Let's go," the pouty tone didn't leave him, much like a petulant child, though it was an order still, not a request. "We don't have much time to eat as it is and I'm hungry for food that's really food, not vitamin enriched slop."

His arm didn't reach for the redhead's again as he crossed his arms and sulked the majority of the way to the airship station, waiting in line to purchase a ticket, wanting to get that out of the way and know exactly when the flight was coming before going to get something to eat. And it really did take as long as getting to the cashier for his mood to pass, resettling into some sort of placidity, as he took both his own and Wolfram's ticket deciding the other could pay him back later, it was better to just get it over and done with.

All the while, however, the blond remained entirely unaware of Wolfram's sight impediment, so the idea that he'd stalked off in front of the other in a childish tantrum hardly occurred to him as possibly being a bad thing. Taking the tickets from the woman with a polite smile he turned to head toward the restaurant, entirely oblivious to his surroundings as he checked the times on the tickets. There were about twenty minutes before loading time... maybe it would be better to get food while on the airship, then. It would be a long enough flight, anyway, more time for relaxing and eating instead of eating in a hurry.

"Hm," he mused thoughtfully.

[Riisha]

"Awww, but Methie~" Wolfram chided. The pet name came very easily, and it felt almost natural. He attempted to catch his breath before speaking. "Don't be like that~ It's so cute~"

It was strange for to be acting so familiar with his ward so soon. Maybe his stay in Rekenber had officially made him insane. No matter what the reason, it was a great feeling to laugh that much. Exhilirating, in fact. The nightmare in the laboratories already felt like a distant memory...

"Go where?" he asked, managing to glance back up at Promethium at last. But the scholar was gone...

"... Meth?" he glanced around, then nervously chewed his lip. "Promethium?" He saw what appeared to be the blonde, trying to walk in that direction. When he approached the person, however, he realized it was a blonde woman and NOT the male he was looking for. He absently cursed under his breath. He hadn't thought that his sight impediment would be so annoying when he first woke up that first day and found the ceiling blurry.

Well, shit. It hasn't even been a few minutes and I lost him already...Though, that girl was kinda cut-... Stop it, Ast, this is serious! He shivered. Rekenber was going to have his head. On a silver platter. Hopefully, the other hadn't run off too far ahead yet. At the last minute, he ducked into what looked like the airport, hoping that Promethium had made it inside.

[LucaAlverez]

By the time he'd looked up the other was already there and he simply smiled. "Okay, so I got the tickets and loading time's in twenty. The options we have are... eat in a hurry to be sure we get in on time, or wait until we're on the airship and order something there... It'll be a few hours until we reach Hugel which should give us plenty of time to eat without having to fuss about how long we have until we have to go. Personally I hate being in a rush, but if you're really hungry we can eat now and if nothing else pack it all up to go," he proposed.

This, if nothing else, was kind of nice. He'd never really had someone else to weigh his options with before, so being stuck between two places and having another being to bounce the ideas off of was quite a relief. Maybe the other was very hungry - he knew he was pretty hungry at least - but still... twenty minutes, maybe half an hour and he could eat without having to feel rushed to shove food down his throat. It kinda seemed like the better option...

Still, he offered the other one of the tickets as he waited for a response, watching the other's face relatively carefully for any indication that might lay there. Everyone had their tics and if he could figure the man out by facial expressions early, that might save him a lot of stress in the long run.