riverviewlogs | [Closed] Try to get out but we just keep sticking around

Relax. [He can't help running his fingers lightly over Eichi's hands, moving a bit closer, but he really is trying to hold back his interest for the kid's sake. He'll just hurt himself if he jumps.] Breathe in when you aim... breathe out when you shoot.

[He takes a breath as an example, and presses down Eichi's finger to pull the trigger. The gun isnt much for accuracy, but Dodger's grip is firm and holds it better than Eichi would be able to alone. And the target is peppered with a few bullets before he lets the trigger go and his hands slip down to Eichi's waist instead.]

[All of this is so distracting, he doesn't know what he should focus on. He certainly can't relax, no matter what Dodger says. He's very excited to be able to shoot something, feeling a bit like a rebel to be doing so, but it still makes him worry that he'll mess up. On top of that, these brushes and touches are a lot different when there's no masks in the picture. He's completely aware, and it's a little startling.

He follows the breathing tip, but his ears are ringing after it shoots. Even so, the breath he lets out turns into an excited little laugh that he doesn't know what to do with, and he accidentally bumps into Dodger behind him.]

It's so loud! Amazing, even with your hands holding it too, I could feel it through my whole body. What power... Imagining myself wielding something like this in combat is too much to believe. ♪

[It must be a Tenshouin thing to enjoy weapons so much, too.] I can't hear very well, right now.

It'll fade.

[He gently, subtly pulls Eichi closer and rests his head on the smaller man's shoulder, his breath moving across Eichi's neck.]

If that was a person, you'd have shot through their lungs... they'd be drowning in their own blood. But I've seen people take a few people with them in that state - you might want to aim for the head instead.

[He'll steady his hands again if he needs it, but if not he's happy to just stop Eichi from falling over under the force of the gun's backfire. It frees his hands for subtle exploration.]

[Though he does visibly react to that breath, shuddering a little and having to straighten himself to lift the gun steady again, Eichi doesn't actually tense at everything else. He's focused, and until it goes too far, he's used to people hanging off of him anyway.]

Am I supposed to be imagining that this is reality? I wouldn't have anyone to guide my hands, or prevent me from falling backwards. There wouldn't be this protective wall, and if it were up to me, there would be a number of things between me and my enemy.

After all, I prefer to work from the shadows, carefully watching as the situation unfolds before I take my aim and fire. [He's aiming now, taking in his breath like he was told, and then calmly exhaling as he shoots on his own this time. The kickback is the only thing that seems to be his downfall, here, since his aim was pretty spot on. But just as soon as he's shot up the "head," his hands can't take the weight, he's backing up into Dodger again and he sighs a little heavier.]

Ah, I don't look as cool as I did in the arcade at all. How disappointing.

[That makes Dodger laugh a bit, letting out a quiet chuckle against Eichi's skin. Of course his only experience would be an arcade.]

Toy guns don't have a kickback - real guns are much different.

[His hands move to fix Eichi's posture, before his hands go back to moving softly over his waist and stomach. If Eichi isn't going to stop him, then he'll take that as a go-ahead to just keep touching him. Although he's kind enough... or perhaps just smart enough... to keep his hands above the belt.]

I could teach you to snipe, if that's the sort of combat you like, but you're never going to build up the stamina to get up and down buildings fast enough. Sniping would put you in a disadvantaged position, so you'd be better off knowing how to handle close combat. You're more likely to survive like that.

[He tips his head to watch Eichi's expression, curious to see how serious he is about all of this.]

And if we try sniping, I think it's better to learn with a moving target. Something outside of the range.

Naturally. It was my first time with an arcade game, as well, you know.

[He's new to all of this. That continued touching has him hesitating— physical contact is nice no matter who it comes from, it seems, but he pretends not to notice as he steps on Dodger's foot for it after some time.]

I'm well aware of my strengths and weaknesses. Someone like me would do better with a weapon that could be easily concealed and pulled out. It's not likely that someone sickly and spoiled like me would have the need for my own weapon, right? After all, I have bodyguards and comrades.

Even for someone as ruthless as you, who kicked me while I was down, I could have done some damage without you expecting it had I been carrying something. [He should have brought a knife?? His bad. (He's got one now, somewhere, but thankfully it's nowhere that Dodger is feeling him up.)]

The truth is... I prefer to avoid violence like this, so I'm not interested in practicing on live targets. I'm someone who can perfect an action by watching, so a few times should be enough.

Someone like you would work best working with explosives.

[Just saying. And while he notices Eichi stepping on his foot, it doesn't hurt, so he's ignoring it. If Eichi's got a problem, he's sure the kid will say it aloud.]

Trust me, you wouldn't have been able to take me by surprise... if you're relying on luck like that, you're going to get yourself killed by people who know what they're doing. Especially if you're not planning to use live targets.. you'll just be setting yourself up to die if you ever do end up needing your gun.

[Eichi may notice that each time he shoots, Dodger seems to get more interested in touching him. It may not be as strong an impulse as it would be if they were shooting live targets... but the man's far from sane, and the sound of a gunshot is enough to wake up the scrambled wires in his head that mix up violence and sex.]

That may be true...

[He shoots one more time, and it's really noticeable how Dodger is only getting worse. He stops stepping on his foot, glancing down at those hands.] But for someone like me, if I ran into someone who knew what he was doing, it's likely that I'd die anyway, right?

Yet somehow, here I am... It seems my luck isn't so bad.

[Taako came to his rescue, conveniently, after all. Anyway, he turns halfway, lightly shoving his elbow at Dodger's ribs.] Hey, you're getting awfully touchy for a first date, aren't you? Let me see you shoot this.

[Eichi is rather lucky, since he's managed to get Dodger in a state where he'll listen to him even under the influence of a lusty mood. He retracts his hands with a husky little huff, shaking himself a bit like a dog getting rid of water before he takes the gun off of him.]

Been a while since I've handled a gun... but I figure it's like riding a bike, huh?

[He holds it one-handed, not bothering with the stabilizer in front, and holds it turned like a punk. But despite this, he holds it steady and doesn't seem bothered by the recoil. With a blank expression, he peppers the target from its chest up through its head in a nearly straight line, accurate as he can be within the limits of the gun choice. And after he's satisfied with the mental image of them splitting in half, he hands the gun back to Eichi.]

Don't try any of what I just did. You'll break an arm.

[Eichi actually watches in amazement for the quick minute while this goes down. He does it so easily, and he finds himself watching that arm with clear envy before his eyes fall on Dodger's face. He accepts the gun back with both hands, blinking.]

Wahh, that was pretty cool, Dodger-kun. [He changed the honorific...?] It might have been sexy if I wasn't worried about how serious your thoughts must have been just now. Someone like me couldn't pull off that sort of look at all~.

[He says that, but he's already stepping forward to try again. Hmm, well, he's not going to copy any of that at all, because he's not stupid enough to injure himself, but he is going to try to do more of this on his own. He's already about deaf from all of these shots, so it should be fine.]

[He notices the change... he doesn't know nearly enough about Japanese to know what that signifies, but he knows there's a definite shift there... and wonders if he should ask Eichi or just look up exactly what it means.

With a grunt of acknowledgement he just leans against one of the dividers to watch,
keeping careful tags on Eichi's form. He is a quick learner, he'll give him that...
intelligence like that is dangerous in the wrong hands. He's starting to think a second date is definitely a good idea.]

You got a specific issue with touching, or are you just a virgin?

[Partly, he's asking to tease... the other part is genuinely checking boundaries, since Shigeru's got him used to looking for those signs.]

If I had a specific issue with touching, I wouldn't have allowed you to pull me onto your lap when we had those masks on.

[He shoots again, and he does seem to be getting better at dealing with the recoil, but his body's tolerance of it is another thing entirely. He won't be able to do this very long at all, and he knows it. But he's still going.]

I may be fragile and thin, but I'm still a man, you know? The way you treated me was damaging to my pride, and from what Taako-kun told me, you've been no better to him. Most people have to earn trust before they're allowed to touch someone so closely.

Trust is a moot point when you've got a gun in your hands.

[He tips his head, though. Interesting that Taako would tell people about that... interesting that he'd be open about something so harmful to his pride. He wouldn't have been surprised if the elf just tried to pretend nothing happened so that no one would worry about it.. he seems like that type.]

What has Taako told you about me?

Even with this gun in my hands, I'm at a disadvantage.

[He says that with a little hum, shooting once more before he lowers it, sighing and leaning against a wall himself.] That's none of your business. Since you were also saying something like that, Dodger-kun, then it must not be rude for me to say the same.

[He offers a noncommittal grunt in response. Of course it wouldn't be that easy. Of course Eichi is smart enough to hold information over him, knowing that as much as he pretends it doesn't matter... they both know how much he wants it.]

Do you want to get out of here?

[The offer rushes out of his mouth, almost like a defense mechanism. Not against Eichi, but against... the sudden moment of self-doubt that he needs to crush before it starts rotting him again. But a moment later, his speech slows... and he makes some attempt to make it sound like he planned to say that.]

You don't look like you've got much energy left in your arms anyway. And I'd like to make some attempt at convincing you to sleep with me before you're completely out.

[He may not know exactly what's on Dodger's mind, but he can read a person well enough. Giving up instead of fighting that, speaking quickly in hopes that they'll leave, and then covering his tracks with excuses of his own weakness. Eichi keeps smiling, pushing away from the wall to offer Dodger back the gun. He does it properly, thankfully.]

Hmm, have you ever had Japanese style crepes, Dodger-kun?

[Eichi's managed to fully catch Dodger off-guard.. and he hesitates a moment before taking the gun and holding it lazily at his side.]

Can't say I have.

[His expression is carefully neutral, but he's searching Eichi's face for a hint of where he's going with this.]

[Eichi only chuckles at that clear confusion, slipping closer enough to play the part of a date and link his arm loosely with Dodger's free one. It's a light touch, a grip that could slip away at any moment but that he's allowing to linger there for now.]

I saw a place close by here on the drive that was still open for late hours. Let's get one and share it. ♪

[Is he implying that this will lead to sex, or just flat out ignoring that part?? Really, it's hard to say, since his expression is the same as usual, aside from the little wink he gives. He's in a much better mood now than he was earlier.]

[Dodger's gaze sort of darts around the room, as if he's looking for some explanation as to how they got here and where it's going. Yeah, he still doesn't really know what's going on, but... hell. A place with food will have booze, and booze is something he could use right now.]

Sure.

[He sets the gun on the counter top, and lets Eichi lead him out. All the while his eye is watching him cautiously, trying to decide exactly where he stands with him. It's... disorienting, to say the least, being stuck in someone else's web instead of weaving his own. But it's also got its own special thrill to it that he can't deny - something oddly familiar despite Eichi not at all fitting the type of man it brings to mind.]

[It's kind of cute. If they had met like this, things would be very different. As it is now, his arm around Dodger's is a very convenient way to lean against him on the walk there, a good support so he doesn't get too tired from the motions. Sure enough, the shop is along the way they'd had their driver take them, and it's interesting to note that Eichi had bothered to map it out ahead of time like that.

Once inside, he lets his arm slip a little lower on Dodger's, pointing with his free hand at the display of pictures showing different flavors. Held like ice cream cones, they're thicker crepes filled with things like cremes, nutella or other syrups, fruit and various toppings. Some of them have ice cream.]

Do you have a favorite dessert?

[It figures that Eichi would be into something like this... the man's full of surprises, and Dodger's really not sure how to handle him, but he should have seen this filthy-sweet treat coming.

He raises a brow as he looks the flavors over, and just shakes his head.]

No preferences. Just pick whatever you want and I'll share it.

[He'll just be grabbing a beer from the vending machine while Eichi gets something that is no doubt going to be too sweet for Dodger's tolerance.]

How boring.

[Honestly... meat is his favorite thing, but it's nice to have sweets once in a while. He thought the image of Dodger sharing a fancy crepe with him was pretty funny, one that he'd like to keep in his mind, and either finally using his own money or getting Dodger to spend more of his. It's fun either way.

What he decides on is a strawberry and blackberry mix. There's a scoop of some sort of pink gelato right in the middle with slices of the fruits on either side, and chocolate syrup swirled on top of it all.]

It's a combination you don't often see, right? Here, you have to try it first, since it's your first time. [Before they've even found some corner table or booth in this quiet little place, he holds it up to Dodger's face expectantly. This is what this date has become, Dodger, accept your fate.]

[In all honesty, he'd preferred the thinly veiled fighting to- this. The trace of bad feeling has grown into a small ball of ice in his stomach, seeing Eichi act so cute toward him. This was the sort of thing he'd wanted to avoid, the cute date things where everything was light and happy... where he feels distinctly stuck somewhere he doesn't belong.

It almost makes him want to shove the treat away, but he relents with some effort and lets Eichi hold it while he takes a bite, not seeing to mind the coldness of the gelato. Anything cold is nice to him, anyway... and the temperature takes a back seat to the sweetness of it, which has him making a vague face of dislike.]

....Not bad.

[All things considered. It's not something he'd pick for himself, but it's not bad.]

Not a weird combination, though. Something a New Englander would eat.

Fufu, but you made such a sour face just now, you'd think this was a crepe made with lemons.

[Pulling it back to himself, he tries a bite himself, a lot more sensitive of the temperature and trying to avoid too much of the gelato in one go. He wipes some of the excess from his upper lip with a finger of his free hand, laughing before he licks that clean, too.]

I can't eat it all by myself, so it would only be a shame if it's something you don't like. By the way, New England... that's actually a region in America, right? [He still insists on offering the crepe back to Dodger, but this time it's while he leads them to a seat.] Is that where you're from?

[Well.. if they're doing this, Dodger insists on his own small victory - he takes a seat first and pulls Eichi onto his lap, wrapping his arms loosely around his waist so he can't back out. It's like that that he'll take another bite, nodding as he chews before replying.]

Boston. Moved to New York City later on, but I was born in Boston. You?

[It's useless information, both because they aren't on earth and because he knows exactly fuck all about Japanese geography... but it means as much as Eichi knowing he's a Masshole.]

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