Starring: Tirin, Henry
Scene: A little cafe in the Midcity

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<Henry> The lizard walks with purpose. Henry looks a bit down as he makes his way to the little cafe he had begun to frequent. It had been a while since he had last seen his young lemur friend. Hopefully things had still been good. Primarily, the transition to the new apartment. The frilled one decides after some deliberation to paint a smile on his lips, however small it may be. Troubling Tirin with the kind of things that Henry had to worry about would be unnecessary.

Having finally reached the place, he looks through the front windows, hoping to spot a lemur as he pushes open the door. The cafe interior is relatively quiet, only a few other purebreds present and minding their own business, a song playing in the background.

<Tirin> The lemur was already at the cafe, as was usual; in fact, he was around this place pretty often these days, when he was off work and wasn't going on one of his other occasional adventures. These past two weeks he'd been working himself to the bone getting his apartment furnished, and he'd even been doing some courier jobs on the side so that he could earn money to buy that motorcycle he still desired. His hard work showed, too; he looked sort of haggard and tired, and much to his chagrin he'd even forgot to tidy his hair up before coming to this meeting, so that it looked like he had just woken up (and in fact, he had, and had immediately rushed from his house). Still, tired or not, Tirin was in his usual cheery mood while he sat at one of the tables outside the cafe, enjoying a cup of steaming coffee.

<Henry> "Hey Tirin," the lizard says as he eases himself into the chair across from him. Well, he looked happy, but he looked worn out. "Everythin' good?" The song begins picking up, the singer relating his troubles of opening up to the person he has feelings for, eventually just deciding to start with 'I love you'. A weak laugh escapes Henry. Of all the sorts of songs that could've been playing...

<Tirin> "Hey Henry. I'm doing pretty good, yeah. Tired, but otherwise good. How about yourself?" he asked, taking a sip of coffee. He waved over to the coffee stand proper, and motioned to the table for someone to bring a cup out for the lizard as well. Afterward, he was about to take another drink, when the radio that sat on the windowsill of that coffee stand started playing a sappy love song. It made him laugh a little bit, and it took a bit of willpower not to accidentally spit coffee all over the table.

<Henry> "I'm alright. Been keepin' busy and stuff, ya know." For now, Henry remains vague on the details. He didn't want to reveal that he had been talking to two assassins, and had gotten in a shootout with them. "It's uh, it's been a while. How's the apartment workin' out?" The vocalist continues, declaring that he is unsure of how to win the object of his affections over, wondering if the other person has been as lonely as he had been. Ugh.

<Tirin> "That's good. Better to be busy than otherwise. As long as you've got something to do, you've got a reason to live, hehe." The owner of the cafe brought out a cup of coffee to Henry, and was even nice enough to leave a pitcher of the steaming hot liquid on the table too! Clearly the owner expected them to be there a while. "The apartment's great! I finally got it furnished with like, a bed and a kitchen and everything! You should come check it out sometime, seriously." Wow, it was really getting difficult for Tirin to keep from laughing at that song.

<Henry> "Yeah, heh." Henry takes the coffee and nods thankfully, gingerly taking a sip. Scalding. Further consumption would have to wait as the lizard begins cooling the coffee by blowing on it. "Gonna start cookin' stuff again?" That'd definitely be a nice reason to swing by. Fortunately the song ends, the vocalist finally simply deciding on saying 'I love you' one more time. How sappy. "Do they uh, normally play that kind of stuff here?"

<Tirin> "Oh yeah. Gonna cook for the whole apartment building, y'know." He grinned a bit, to say that he was only kidding, though of course as friendly as Tirin was he would be the type to let complete strangers into his apartment to enjoy his cooking. Hopefully he lived in a relatively nice neighborhood... "Actually, I think they just got that radio like... Today. It wasn't here when I came last night, I don't think. So I dunno."

<Henry> "So whaddya plan on cookin'? More curry and stuff?" Henry wasn't entirely sure what Tirin actually cooked. "Huh..." so the radio was a new addition? The radio begins kicking to life, another song starting up. "I wonder if the music choice is what the owner likes..." A quick small sip of the steaming coffee. Still far too hot for Henry's preference.

<Tirin> "Curry, noodles, you know. Cheap stuff, really. I don't make near enough to buy real meat or anything... Though man, the other day I was talking to Misha, and this Uniclass hunter came in with all these meats... Damn man, what I wouldn't give..." But no, those were things only Uniclassers could hope to afford, not people like Tirin. He sighed, but didn't dwell on it for too long. "Maybe. Dunno much about him, really, other than that he makes good coffee."

<Henry> "Yeah..." The food shortage. That wasn't a pleasant subject to talk about, so Henry decides to shift gears. "Who's Misha?" The new song that plays has another high pitched male vocalist, this time starting about how he feels strange, and that he thinks he might be falling in love. He asks whether others feel the same way, and promises to never let his new lover down. "Uh... heh... heh."

<Tirin> "Misha's another Uniclass friend of mine. She runs a mechanic shop in the Midcity." Strangely enough, he almost had more Uniclass friends than Outerclass. There was Henry, and that was really the only other person he saw with much regularity, except for maybe Sionn and Mikhail. Of course, he hadn't seen Mizoon or Santiago much lately either... "Hah, you gotta be kidding me. Love songs." Tirin rolled his eyes, as if to show his disdain of that particular musical genre.

<Henry> "Ah." Henry didn't have any UniClass friends. "How'd ya meet her?" Getting along with the Unis was rather unusual in and of itself. The lizard might've been more suspicious if he didn't trust the lemur. "Heh, yeah... love songs..." The song ends, apparently much shorter than the first. It felt strangely apt if completely cornball... but Henry keeps his mouth shut on that for now. The overtones the music had been providing were making things a bit awkward for the frilled lizard.

<Tirin> "Yep! I did, actually. Lately I've been bringing her scrap metal, for her business. I mean, just to be nice, right? She's my friend, after all. And she's gonna teach me how to ride a motorcycle!" He was clearly excited about that. "Yeah, I know. They're always so sappy and like 'And Iiiiii will always love yoooooou' but... Y'know, it's not like that. Love's a... It's a thing that takes work." Were they really having this conversation? For some reason, Tirin started to feel awkward as well, like there were eyes on him from every direction. "So uh... Yeah. Been working hard? Or hardly working?"

<Henry> "Huh. So you're doin' business with her too? For motorcycle training?" Henry looks at Tirin with some confusion. After a pause, he finally begins to wonder... "You have a motorcycle?" Perhaps the lemur's previous suggestion of becoming a punk in image was more serious than the frilled lizard previously thought. "I uh, I've been workin'. Gettin' packages and stuff, ya know." The pleasant fiction the two had agreed to earlier. "...Y-yeah. Yeah." Henry finds his claw scratching at the back of his head. He wasn't sure what to say to that, although it seemed true. Even if he wasn't quite sure how to work towards such a goal. Regardless, the radio seems content to try speaking for the duo, and the new song that plays is surprise surprise, yet another love song. This time, a female singer begins talking about the 'look of love', and how it's on her lover's face, and how it says more than his words ever could. She then expresses her hopes about having several more of these nights, and that her lover will never leave her. "...Uhm..."

<Tirin> "That'd be the gist of it, yeah." Another sip of coffee, and he just sat there enjoying the snow until Henry spoke again. "Oh, no. Not yet. I'm going to buy one. I figured it would make travel a lot easier and all that, you know? As is, I have to run from place to place. Work, home, back to work, et cetera. It's kinda tiring sometimes." The lemur's face took on a more concerned expression, and he looked worried for the frilled lizard. "Packages, yeah... Well, take care of yourself, yeah? It can be dangerous work sometimes." He knew the truth, after all, and it did worry him pretty often. He nearly spit coffee out yet again as the song changed on the radio. "Oh come the fuck on... Really?" he grumbled. "You think someone up there is laughing at us?" Tirin asked Henry, eyes flicking skywards briefly.

<Henry> "Oh. I guess that makes sense..." Henry didn't really see Tirin as the motorcycle riding kind of guy. But whatever, it wasn't terribly important. "So what's Misha like?" Might as well ask. Henry can feel his expression drooping as Tirin shows his concern. "I know. I'm fine though, don't worry about me." That was a bit of a lie, but telling Tirin anything would cause him to worry, and the lizard didn't want him to worry, especially about stuff he couldn't really do anything to help with. "I dunno, man." Tirin's frustrations help Henry get over some of his own awkwardness. At least he wasn't the only one bothered by it. The radio starts up once again to spite the lemur, the song now a peppy tune about how yet another high pitched male singer can't imagine life without his lover, claiming that he thinks about them every night. Sipping his cooled coffee, Henry tries to hide the sheepish expression on his face.

<Tirin> "Yep. Plus, I need a cool ride to go with my studded leather jacket that I got. And the pink mohawk I'm getting." He said it with a totally straight face and took a drink of coffee afterwards, never once indicating that he was joking about it, though he was. "Well, I do worry. It's in my nature, y'know?" Not knowing what was bothering the lizard was just as bad as knowing, he thought. Maybe even worse. Then again, he supposed he was safer not knowing, since Henry was embroiled in treason and all that good stuff... When the next song comes on, the lemur let out a long sigh and raised a hand to his face, rubbing his eyes with a forefinger and thumb. "Yeah, someone's laughing at us..."

<Henry> "Ehhh, you might wanna rethink the pink mohawk. Doesn't really suit ya, I'd say. 'r green for that matter." Not that Henry was qualified for such things, but he'd still share his opinion on such things. Knowing that Tirin would worry was a bit disheartening, and it showed through Henry's saddening expression. "Yeah... I'll, I'll tell ya what I can though, ok?" That was the best he could do for his friend. "So uh, you haven't told me about Misha." Maybe he'd answer this time? Not that it was terribly important, Henry was just fishing for small talk. "Yeah... really." This atrocious playlist needed to be changed. The lizard considers getting up and changing the radio. But none of the other quiet patrons had deigned to change it, so Henry wasn't sure if it would be alright to change it. Fortunately the song begins winding down, the radio becoming quiet for a moment.

<Tirin> "You don't think so? Well damn..." He actually grinned this time, to show that he was joking. "Ah... Well, alright. I'll listen to... You know, whatever you've got to say. I'm all ears." He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands, watching the lizard and waiting to see if he would say anything. But nope, just a question about Misha. "Oh, Misha. Well, she's nice. I mean, she's like... She's not like... haughty or snooty or anything. Not afraid to get her hands dirty, I guess. She's friends with Fyodor too, sort of like a mentor to him after Mizoon disappeared." He shrugged. "Heh, I guess the radio finally...-" Before he could finish, another love song came on, a man singing about he and his lover presumably being worlds apart and going their seperate ways. "Well... At least it's not about finding love..." he mumbled.

<Henry> "Nah, man, it'd just look weird," Henry says with a smirk. It already looked weird on everyone else with abnormally bright colored hair. It probably wouldn't look good on Tirin either. "Hm. I see." Fyodor. Henry's eyes narrow for a second at the mention of the feline. He still hadn't spoken to the cat in a long time. But he didn't want to focus on that, instead deciding to keep his promise. The lizards saddened expression glances around a bit before he begins relating some of the previous events in the past weeks. "Well, I was with Sionn and Mikhail in the Unders. Apparently, someone was after 'em, and we all got dragged into a gunfight." A pause as Henry takes a sip of coffee. "Mikhail got his ear damn near shot off. Had to treat him m'self, and get Sionn ta help me drag him off ta a doctor." Henry tries to ignore the song, the subtext a bit of an unpleasant thing to think off.

<Tirin> "Well duh. That's half the point, you know. To look weird or intimidating or whatever." Tirin grinned. And, like expected, Henry's reaction to the mention of Fyodor was a negative one. It wasn't a big surprise to the lemur, though, so he just shrugged it off. "Wait, what?" he said at the mention of a gunfight, eyes shooting wide. "You..." he lowered his voice. "You were in a gunfight?! Holy shit, Henry... When did this happen?" Well, the lemur wasn't so worried now because Henry hadn't been hurt, but the thought of the lizard going off and getting into more of them worried him. He paused, and tried to make himself look more calm. "Damn... I'm sorry to hear that, about Mikhail... Poor guy..."

<Henry> "Well, it wasn't a particularly big one. Just one girl after 'em. I was just unlucky enough ta be around." Henry began to wonder why he kept telling Tirin all these things. They just made him freak out and worry. "But, this was... like about a week and a half ago?" Old news. "Yeah, fucker is made of strong stuff. Kept fightin' with the wound for a while. But apparently they've pissed off a bunch of people. I ran into Mikhail later, had been shot in the leg. Was healin' and doin' fine, but still. Two attacks in a short time..." The lizard wasn't sure what had happened, but he sure as hell didn't want that kind of trouble. The radio switches to a new song, the never-ending supply of high pitched male singers now singing about how his love was the meaning and inspiration for his life, and how it brought feeling and emotion to it.

<Tirin> "Ah... Well there is that then." Tirin frowned, not quite sure how to react to this. He wanted to be mature about it, and admit that life would be dangerous for one like Henry. In fact, if he thought about it, Tirin would realize it was more likely Henry would die than he would live considering the work he did. But he didn't go quite that far... "Well... You know what you're doing. I... I don't wanna mother-hen you I guess. Just be careful." His coffee cup somehow ended up empty, and he quickly refilled it. "Damn. I didn't think Mikhail... I mean I knew he was up to something a little less than savoury but... You know." As the new song came on, Tirin looked about ready to throw the coffee pitcher at the radio to shut it up... But fortunately he refrained.

<Henry> "Tirin," Henry says as he leans over the table to gently grip his lemur friend by the shoulders, a rare physical gesture from the lizard. He looks into Tirin's eyes, concern marking his face. "It's, it's alright, really. I'm glad ya... that ya care, ya know? But if ya'd rather me not talk about this stuff, tell me, alright?" The lizard lets go, claw returning to his coffee cup. "Yeah." The way Henry said that, it almost sounds like he knew exactly what was up with Mikhail. And that was because he did. But he opts not to bring it up for now. The radio's relentless musical assault continues, switching things up with a female singer, lamenting how she had to leave her love behind and her futile efforts to find him or a person like him.

Tirin looked down at the lizard's hand, then grinned. "It's okay Henry. Of course I care, you're my friend, yeah? I mean hell, you're one of the few I've got. I'd rather you not go and get yourself killed for some stupid reason." Not that fighting for freedom was stupid. Well, it was kind of stupid because of how hopeless an endeavor it was... But at least it was a better cause than most. "Nah, I'm a big kid. I can handle it. I mean, I can't hide from stuff I don't want to know, y'know? World doesn't work like that." He glanced aside to the radio, rolled his eyes, and decided to just go with the flow. "Y'know what? This should be our song. Yes. No wait, this should just be our entire radio station." He smiled and fluttered his eyes at the lizard, just to see what kind of reaction he got.

Henry winced at the word stupid. Taking a sip of coffee, the lizard tries to shrug off the earlier discussion. Tirin provides a nice, if embarassing way to move on. "Uh..." Why was the lemur blinking so rapidly? "W-why?" Talk about an embarrassing radio station! And why did they have to have a song of some sort? What would be the point? Mostly confused and slightly embarrassed, Henry just gazes at Tirin waiting for his answer. Yet another song comes out the radio, yet another whiny high pitched man, singing about how his sole purpose was to love his lover. Until the end of time. Disgusting.

<Tirin> "Well, because every couple needs a song, y'know!" Flutter flutter went the lemur eyes, and he just stared at Henry for a good while, wondering if it was making the poor lizard uncomfortable. It was kind of mean, he supposed, to be doing that, but it was all in good fun and besides, Henry's reactions were so funny he just couldn't help himself. "Haha! See? This could be our song, this one right here."

<Henry> Did... did he have something in his eyes? No, this was totally deliberate. But what was it supposed to mean? "S-seriously? How come?" Henry's embarrassment grows. He was starting to feel stupid, missing all these cues and not knowing how to go about things at all. "Um, why this song?" It didn't seem like a good idea to choose a song that was rall about a promise you most couldn't keep. But maybe there was another reason, one that Tirin knew? He hoped explanation would be forthcoming.

<Tirin> "If you don't like this song, there are others. The one about finding love, or falling in love, or the one about loving the love that you love to love me with or whatever the shit these people write. You know how it goes." The lemur actually laughed out loud and leaned back in his chair. "I'm just... I'm just teasing you, Henry. You should loosen up a bit, live a little, heh."

<Henry> "Oh... sorry..." Yep, he was totally missing things, and now the lizard felt stupid. "I'm sorry man, I'm just... not sure how I should respond ta that. 'r lots of stuff, really," when it had to do with this kind of stuff, Henry leaves off. "Didn't mean ta be a party pooper 'r anythin'." Henry drains the last bit of his coffee.

<Tirin> "Don't be sorry. You don't need to be sorry." It was Tirin's turn to pat Henry on the shoulder. "We're both new to stuff like this. Heck, might be better just to stay friends, since... Y'know, you don't need the distraction and I've got a career... I dunno man. Whatever you think." Tirin didn't know what to think, but he did know he didn't want all kinds of angst bothering him constantly.

<Henry> "...Maybe..." Superheros often pulled this stunt. "I dunno. I just... wanna be close, regardless, I guess is the way ta put it." Henry would be happy with friends. He'd been happy with it before. He didn't like having the choice be up to him. Weren't they both supposed to decide it? Maybe their inability to was a sign that they shouldn't... Or maybe Henry should just do it and be done with it. The frilled one ponders each route, wondering which would be better and how to best go about it.

<Tirin> "Heh. Well, we're having coffee together. That's... You know, that's a big step. Or something." Having never done anything like this, of course, Tirin had no idea what he was talking about. "Well, regardless, you're a good friend. Don't find many of those in Einheit, so I'm lucky no matter what." He raised his coffee cup in a toast to that, smiling once more.

<Henry> That first part? Not at all inspiring. The second? Much better. "Yeah, definitely," Henry says with his expression brightening a bit, lifting his own coffee mug. The frilled lizard steals a glance at an old analog wall clock, realizing the time. He starts to stand from the table. "Hey, I need ta get going. I'll, uh, see ya later? At your apartment, maybe?" Henry decides to risk a smile as he asks.

<Tirin> "Alright, cool. Yeah, definitely! You're welcome anytime, anytime at all. And if you don't know where it is... Just ask Tarent, haha! But yeah, it's been fun." He stood up and held out a hand to shake. "You take care out there, alright? You get yourself killed and I'll be very pissed off at you, alright?" He winked and clicked his tongue at the lizard.

<Henry> "I know where it is," Henry says as he shakes Tirin's hand. He had thawed in there, after all. "Yeah, heh, I will. Take it easy." With a wave, Henry saunters off. Henry almost expects the radio to start playing some sappy love song about lovers leaving each other, or something, but fortunately he is spared from such an audio atrocity.

<Tirin> As the lizard left, Tirin sighed and sat back down, resuming drinking his coffee. He always spent late nights here alone anyway, so it was nothing new to him. With a yawn, he propped his feet up on the table and just let the night pass by.