* I'LL GET ALL THE CREDIT !

     Tem frowns gently when Urie doesn’t make any sort of fuss. It’s terrible that she expects it, but that doesn’t make the lack of it any less weird to her. She grabs the door from him and follows along inside, making sure to stop and wait for the next person to take it from her.

     Urie is always rude to the hostess. Just wait for us to get to the table, She grumbles inside her head, but doesn’t make any comments out loud. They pass by a booth and Tem eyes it longingly; Urie will have a fit if she requests it. He probably hates booths. Asshole.

     She’s not as nervous as she might have been if she were alone and adorned head-to-toe in CCG gear, although it’s also been long enough that she’s used to it. Either way, being with the squad is a lot less intimidating than being out alone like this, so she’s not all that bothered by how obvious they are. That’s sort of the bureau’s style, she’s found, anyway. Even if they are starting to be looked down on again, that doesn’t change what she’s got to do, so there’s no point in worrying about it (at least not here, after another long night).

     Tem slumps down without worrying about how she looks to anyone else. Her elbows are braced against the table and she yawns, big, but without making too much noise. A small amount of water builds up in her eyes, but she’s too tired to bother rubbing it away just yet. Urie speaks and she takes her time looking over at him, letting her head drop back into place as soon as the sentence is finished. The hum that comes out of her isn’t supposed to be as much of a snort as it is, but now that it’s too late, she shrugs her shoulders along with it to complete the sarcastic tone. “ Will he? “

WHERE ARE THEIR COFFEES?  urie knows it’s barely been two minutes since they set foot inside the café, but it doesn’t stop a degree of impatience  ---  not least because it would give him something to focus on other than the halfhearted conversation he started  ( and of course it’s tem who engages, because she just has to go and criticize. )  still, he can see hsiao narrowing her eyes at him too, and higemaru shifts uncomfortably in his chair. 

so urie shrugs his shoulders.  ❝ it’s critical that we keep our performance up. the squad’s reputation is depending on it. ❞  they can have the rest of the day off today, sure, but by tomorrow morning it’s going to be back to training. they just can’t afford to slack off now. can’t afford to look reluctant. 

his voice trails off though, and he takes a moment to observe his squad  ( the members that are here, anyway ... aura’s missing, though technically accounted for. spitefully, urie wants to say his presence won’t be missed in the slightest. )  hsiao and saiko have their heads together as they examine one of the menus, no doubt looking for whatever has the least nutritional value; higemaru’s chair is shifting in such a way to suggest he’s swinging his legs under the table like the dumb child he is. and tem, slumped over without a trace of professional behavior ... 

well, if he faults one of them, he’s faulting the rest  ( and himself by mere association. ) 

a bright word of greeting from the waitress halts his quiet contemplation, accompanied by a frankly mouthwatering aroma of medium-roasted coffee. something in urie’s stomach twists as he accepts his cup ( still without a word of thanks ) ... are things that bad now that coffee is really the only thing that’s pleasant to taste? hmm. looks like this morning’s going to be another attempt at keeping something as bland as plain white rice down, which is going to make his order halfway a mumble, like it’s something to be ashamed of. 

WARDROBE  /  ATTIRE MEME .   ( c ) 

urie’s always one for professional attire in neutral tones of grey and black  ---  suits, ties, button-down shirts, and of course the pale trenchcoats that are synonymous with ghoul investigators. he’s black leather accessories, shoes and gloves, and black for every season. the only break from dressing for business is when he’s headed for the gym, when the suits find a replacement with zip-front hoodies and athletic jackets.  

IF SHE WANTS,  she can keep believing it’s simple kindness that inspires urie’s offer, but the truth is that altruism doesn’t really appear as part of his modus operandi. so it’s a curious smile that flickers onto his face, twisting up the left side of his mouth and canting the opposite eyebrow into a thin arch. 

no  ---  it’s curiosity that drives him, like an old itch to pursue private investigations. a few years ago he’d enjoyed those reckless pursuits for their promise of reward, but in retrospect he can see another appeal to it: a problem to be solved, a cure for boredom, something to keep his thoughts from spiralling inward to the host of personal problems that have  ( mostly )  stayed buried deep. distraction, in simple terms. 

his hands, covered in comfortably worn leather gloves, make their way burrowing into the pockets of his trenchcoat.  ( pristine. new, just for this trip. everything has been tailored. ) 

❝ don’t worry. ❞  he likes that phrase. it’s disarming, somehow.  ( i’m not in danger. )  after a second, though, urie squints, and then makes a hesitant addition; flattery isn’t always his favoured action, but at a guess, she seems like she might respond well to it.  ❝ ... or maybe i want you to escort me  ( i could be scared. )  in either way ... i need to walk this way also. ❞  a blatant lie, that, but that’s not important. shouldn’t be hard to call a taxi if he really ends up stranded in a weird part of a city he doesn’t know, either.

IT’S NO TIME TO BE LASHING OUT,  but in such matters, urie’s never had the strongest judgement. their current situation ... is what it is, and a finer analysis of the merits and demerits of working alongside ghoul trash had best be delayed  ( for the sake of his own threadbare composure )  but at the core ... no. his trust isn’t that easily won. 

*puts on glasses*  it’s a metaphor for his unwillingness to speak up about his emotions and to share with his friends rather than putting the burden completely on himself with no help, and the fact that he won’t speak up about his squad’s troubles, when mutsuki and aura and to an extent even saiko are having issues coping with the demands the CCG has placed on them. urie would rather keep quiet and act like the model employee so he can have personal achievements rather than raise an issue, which could potentially make him look bad as squad leader  ( consider sasaki blaming urie for the early squad failures rather than looking at how all four of them failed to work together ) 

consider also that in times of stress, his mouth becomes emphasized, showing that it’s only during a major breakdown that he’s able to express all his pent up emotion and frustration. when he frames out after facing a tide of emotions related to his father’s death, his mouth is the most prominent part of his ghoulish appearance.