So much for life

That made sense. Probably. Solis didn’t really put too much care into what he was eating as long as it was delicious. Then again, most food was to his liking so it was hard to find anything the blond would dislike in the first place. Even then, surely it could still be made better if he just poured a bit of sugar on top of it, right?

“I’m fairly certain the kitchen would be set on fire if anyone I live with tried to use it for its intended purpose.” That probably sounded a lot worse than it actually was, so he decided to add a little more information. “My brother and I never learnt how to cool and the uh… family we started to live with is kind of… really not the best at cooking. It’d edible!! And I like Master’s pancakes, they’re super sweet!! But it’s not nearly as delicious as that sandwich you gave me.”

Zen couldn’t help but stifle a small laugh at being told the kitchen would catch fire if it was used for what it was for. Well, he couldn’t say he hadn’t done the same on an occasion or two. After all, his cooking was more by trial and error than being formally taught; at least till he found the magic of cook books.

He listened carefully as Solis spoke. So, he wasn’t exactly alone, he presumably has a place to live, but wait a minute, a master? That was something he didn’t hear very often, at least not nowadays. This piqued his interest more than he cared to admit.

     ‘That would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it?’ He knows better than that - there could be something more at play in any aspect of life, but he’s not sure any of those could affect a piece of paper. Besides, they’d probably have better things to do than to mess around with somebody’s puzzle.      He peers closer at the paper. ‘I found the pineapple.’

The one item he couldn’t seem to locate and yet this stranger was able to do so easily. Perhaps he had overlooked something in trying to find the detail of the fruit, but seemed to no avail. Instead of trying to locate it himself, he studied the other person’s eyes, watching for where their line of sight fell before he had a better idea, or so he thought, of where his last item was. Squinting, he still couldn’t seem to locate it.

“Alright, I can’t find it, show me where it is.” he said lightly.

「 ❋ 」“That works. I’ll… meet you back here in a few minutes.” Fane’s apartment complex wasn’t far away, and if not for his trained wariness, he wouldn’t mind the other man walking with him; however, he tried to not be too careless when it came to letting people, especially strangers, know where he lived.  ( He’d get berated for it otherwise. ) Assuming agreement, he inclined his head and turned to walk home, a bit slow as to not jostle Basil too much.

Once there, he made sure his cat was fed and comfortable before grabbing his wallet and making his way back, quicker this time, to where he left his new companion. The overall trip took about fifteen minutes, which he hoped wasn’t too long for the other to wait. While not terribly fond of socialising, he’d feel bad if he couldn’t repay the stranger’s help.

Zen nodded as they departed, not finding it all that odd to be asked to meet where they currently were to get something to drink. After all, Fane didn’t give him any vibes that something was amiss, so prying was completely unnecessary. He smiled though as he watch the two set off for their own place, sliding his hands into his pockets to keep them warm. They were a cute pair, he thought. As he waited patiently, he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, slowly drawing out into the cold to check his notifications. Nothing terribly important, but it helped kill a few moments.

▌zen » anxdic·

Made it himself? And yet he was still sharing it with him like it was nothing? Truly, this man was kind, easily the kindest human Solis had encountered in his entire life so far - well, his old nanny aside but he could barely remember her. After everything he went through, he really should have been more cautious before blindly accepting a random snack, but this guy had been eating it himself so, he assumed, it was alright.

Oh right, introductions. Before he took another bite of this delicious sandwich, Solis offered Zen a genuine yet slightly anxious smile. Seems he couldn’t relax completely just yet, even after he had been so nice to him. “I-it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mister Zen. My name is Solis. Um, do you… always prepare your own food like this?”

”I like to know what’s going into my food, so I do make most of it myself,” he said rather proudly. It was one of those types of things he knew was something to be proud for. He did find it a bit interesting how Solis was acting so nicely towards him. Perhaps it was because he was being nice as well? He wasn’t exactly sure, but he found it refreshing. It also occurred to him, wondering if the other doesn’t get a lot of cooking like this. Well, wouldn’t hurt to probe a bit, worst that would happen is not getting an answer.

A fruit-lover? Not what Michael had expected on first glance, but that was the fun part about being bartender, in his eyes anyway. You may try as you will to guess what someone was into, what kind of liquor they liked and how strong they preferred it, but in the end it was so easy to be wrong. Then again, perhaps this guy just needed to warm up a little before ordering stronger drinks. Now that would be interesting to find out.

“I’ll make you whatever you want, honey. You’re the boss.” Finishing with a wink, he momentarily turned around to gather the needed ingredients, purposely swaying his hips as he did so. This guy better be looking. “Hm, you could say that,” an idle response as ingredients were mixed together one after another - just gotta stir a bit and add decorations, done. With a charming smile, Michael pushed the drink over to his guest. “But more importantly… do you have a name or should I keep calling you boss the whole evening?~”

Zen is a bit hard to guess when it comes to first glances. One would think he is some macho tough guy, when in reality, he’s pretty sweet once someone gets to know him. Nowadays, he tends to be a little guarded of the kind of vibes he gives off, but it doesn’t take long to realize it’s just a facade. He himself would try to keep a clean slate when it came to guessing the type of people he came into contact with, just a normal part of the job, really.

If the other were to guess he would be watching, said guess would have been right. His eyes were mesmerized, as though watching a pendulum swinging from side to side. The investigator almost didn’t catch what the bartender asked, almost spacing out on the poor guy. He blinked and shook his head as his attention returned fully once more, taking a glance at the drink first before looking back to the man in front of him. Boss.. He was kind of sick of that nickname, but it happened a lot. “You keep calling me boss and I’ll have to hire you to work for me,” he said with a light chuckle, “It’s Zen, and what about you or should I keep trying out different pet names on ya?” He asked in return before taking the drink before him to sample. Oh yes, it was perfect, right down to the fruits. Upon consumption, his cheeks lit up bright red from the sweetness.

@anxdic･ﾟ✧ starter call!

     ‘I don’t think you’re going to be able to solve this one.’ An innocent bystander, who probably knows more than an innocent bystander should. ‘There’s forces at play that I’m sure you don’t understand.’

Zen’s ear twitched slightly upon hearing the words of a peculiar stranger. It appears he was being observed while doing his work, ever carefully studying the scene before him. This was tough, even for him, but he wasn’t willing to give up the ghost just yet. Concentrate, concentrate, wait, more forces at play? He snapped out of this trance to find the owner of the voice. “What other forces? Is something magically making objects disappear in this picture?” Of course, he was referring to the find it puzzle he’d been working on. Something that helped keep his senses sharp, not to mention enjoyable.

rebooting...

...

Oh, a confident one. Now this could be very interesting indeed. Michael knew he shouldn’t mention their special services to just anyone but depending on his this evening would progress, perhaps he’d drag this handsome fella upstairs; or even go home with him. Of course he’d first have to figure out if this guy was actually interested in men or just a guy trying to be nice. Although that was probably the easiest part.

“You flatter me, sir.” A soft laugh, perfected with the faintest blush appearing on his otherwise pale features. He was used to such compliments, so he wasn’t really embarrassed by the words, but he still loved hearing them, no matter how many times. While he may not be the smartest, having dropped out of school and all that, he knew damn well he had the looks and he felt no shame making use of it. “Now then, handsome, what’s your poison?”

Looks like Zen was already testing the waters to see how the other would react to him. Only flattered? Guess he’d have to try harder. Not all at once. Forward as he was, he also had some tact, and having pretty much all night, might as well as make it fun. Zen wasn’t a big fan of beer and the like, he preferred sweeter drinks, having quite the sweet tooth. He mused on this for a moment, which of his favorites should he order?

He was giving it to him just like that, even though they didn’t even know each other? Solis was lost, staring at the sandwich the man had shoved into his hands with clear shock and surprise written all over his face. Kindness was an act he was not used to, even after all this time living with Zwei and the others. They were nice to him, yes, but first and foremost they weren’t human; they were of a different species than his so-called parents. This was the first time a human, a mere stranger no less, was showing him kindness and it genuinely threw him off.

“Oh, ah… I… thank you, sir… that’s really kind of you.” Still hesitant, he lifted the offered gift to his face, carefully taking a bite. It was, for lack of a better word, absolutely delicious. The taste of tuna spread through his mouth instantly and brought a smile back to his face. “T-this is really good!”

That’s right, kindness still exists in the world, Solis was lucky to find one of the kindest. Though, if the situation called for it, he would put it aside for his job. Zen would give the shirt off of his back to help someone in need. He knew he wasn’t obligated, but the way others would light up made it all worth it, making him feel rather happy himself. It’s a shame those feelings can be rather fleeting nowadays, but it didn’t stop him either way.

He watched as the seemingly younger one enjoyed the sandwich, taking a few bites himself. “You’re welcome, I appreciate you enjoying it. I made it myself, after all.” He made quick work of the rest of his half of the sandwich, making a satisfied sigh. “Oh, where are my manners, I’m Zen, pleased to meet you. Who might you be?” This guy treated everyone like they were his friend to the point where he’d actually forget to properly introduce himself. Go figure.

「 ❋ 」 Fane kept still as he listened for the sound of a bell, and after a moment, even remembered to pause his soft music so it didn’t interfere with his ability to hear. There. He called her name once more, shaking the bag. A moment passed, and a fuzzy head popped into view from the top of the wall and the white cat meowed before jumping down. Carefully, he picked her up and held her to his chest, then turned and walked back to the helpful stranger.

“Thanks,” he said as he scratched Basil’s ears. “I should… get her home, but… is there something I can do for you? As thanks.” It would feel wrong to do nothing in return for the guy’s help, even if he only repaid the favour with something small. If the other said it was fine and he didn’t have to… well, he supposed he would have to accept that too.

Zen was quite thrilled to see that the cat that had appeared was, in fact Fane’s. It was things like this that warmed his heart. The cat looked quite happy to be reunited with her owner as well, hopefully this would be the last of her great escapes for a while. He smiled, thinking of how pretty she was and how lucky she is to have such a caring owner. Not having expected anything in return for his help, he was almost caught off-guard by the offer. Would he take him up on it? Perhaps, maybe something small, being he was never really the type to ask for anything in return for his help.

▌super kind!! » anxdic·

Not expecting the stranger to actually pay attention to him, Solis blushed upon being called out like that. Was he really being that obvious? Oh no… he hadn’t mean to make this man feel obliged to share his sandwich with him! “A-Ah, are you sure? I wouldn’t want to take your food, I-I just… really like tuna, s-so I couldn’t stop looking at it…”

▌customer » anxdic·

The day had been surprisingly slow so far and Michael had busied himself with cleaning whatever object fell into his soft, almost feminine, hands. Not focused on anything in particular, he let him mind wander as he hummed along to the music. Thankfully this place had enough to clean so he never really got bored, even during quiet nights.

Eventually a man entered the establishment; a man he hadn’t seen before. It wasn’t unusual that people stopped by who weren’t regulars, like tourists or locals trying out a different place to drink at, but Michael had a feeling that this man wasn’t just someone lost on his way. The way he walked in and made it straight to the bar, he got the feeling this guy knew what he was here for. Perhaps he was mistaken, but it people who entered on accident or for the first time usually seemed a little more uncertain than this man did.

“Good evening, sir.” His greeting was as cheerful as usual, complete with a sweet smile on his lips. People often told him they felt right at home when he smiled at them like that, something Michael was never intending - it made the customers happy though, so whatever. “Depends… are you asking which drink I’d recommend or do you rather want to know which of our strippers is the best to take your mind off of things?”

Indeed the smile had worked its wonders on the detective, making him feel more at ease despite this being an assignment to him. This guy was rather cute, he’d admit to himself. Much as he’d love to partake in getting a stripper, Zen would rather a drink. Another time though, as he’d have to investigate everything he possibly could. Raising his hand, he shook his head with a chuckle.

“Let’s start with a drink, and I’ll see how I feel after,” he replied. Idly, he traced his fingers slowly on the bar top, testing its cleanliness. So far, that passed with flying colors. Seemed a bit empty that night, but probably to be expected mid-week. “Kind of empty isn’t it? You’d think there’d be more people if they were being served by a handsome face like yours.” Ah, there he goes working his charm already.

@anxdic asked for Solis!

He intently stares at the man sitting next to him on a park bench. That tuna sandwich the guy is having sure smells delicious.

「 ❋ 」 If she were hungry, she might find her way back home, since he’d left some food outside his door for her; as it stood, they weren’t far from his apartment complex, since he figured he should search the immediate area before going out further. Even if she’d escaped, she’d always been a smart kitty, and surely she wouldn’t have wandered too far… right? That was Fane’s hope, at least. Just as he opened his mouth to answer the other’s question, he tilted his head, following his gaze. That could be a promising clue.

He nodded, then stepped closer to the trail and reached into his pocket to pull out the small bag of treats he’d brought. ( In case luring her to the apartment with her food bowl didn’t work, hopefully this would bring her to him. ) “Hey, Basil,” he called, opening up the bag and shaking it. “Here, kitty…” It felt so awkward to be doing this in front of another person, but he did his best to ignore it and just listened closely.

Zen figured she’d respond more to her owner’s voice than to his own. He himself had a cat before moving to his current residence, however he let his ex keep it. The detective was more concerned with finding the missing animal than how silly Fane might have thought himself to look when producing the bag of treats and calling to her. Assuming Basil was the cat’s name, he thought it rather cute, a small smile spreading across his face as he listened carefully. He almost swore he could hear a faint jingle.