[It's been a bit of a long day, but... a productive one, Dante thinks. Thanks to that Wriothesley guy, they've got plenty of contacts from the job fair to go over, and notes to make on what they remember about each one of them.
They (literally) step through the door to their apartment, umbrella tucked under one arm, as they tick to the beat of a song they once heard--
--only to come to a sudden stop with surprised chime as they catch sight of someone taking up a good portion of their living room.]
[Lyle startles. He doesn't have much in the way of personal effects, thus having nothing more than his actual body to occupy space... but that in itself is robust, enough to turn that living room into something far smaller. That startle... isn't what he'd wanted to greet Dante with. Not in the slightest.
But what was he supposed to do if Dante literally walked through the door?? It hadn't even opened! Lyle is SURE of this, but he doubts his own perception, round, glassy eyes flicking between them and the closed, locked door.]
H... H-Hello! Hi! I-I'm Lyle! [Lyle's many, many feet pitter-patter nervously against the floor, and he grips his drapes tight in front of his body as he stares at Dante. (Wow... He wasn't sure what to imagine of Dante's appearance, but this was quite strange indeed.)] You must be, um... the manager?
[Shoot. Did he ever catch Dante's name? Manager is all Lyle remembers... as he attempts to continue explaining anything.] I'm- I'm living with you! Um, with permission, of course? If y-you're okay with it? Ahh...
[He is really messing this up. He's supposed to say something better than this, like Gregor invited me to move in, or I'm not just breaking into some stranger's house or anything right now, I'd never do something like that-- Lyle's body clicks and revs, the sounds of sprockets reeling in his body to indicate his nervousness.]
[That sound... does he have a prosthetic body under there or something? They think they see something catch the light within all that darkness, but they can't be sure. It's not unsettling or anything--not when so many Augmented have changed as much as they have, and especially when accounting for Shifts--but it does leave them wondering just what his extra soul might be.
Though mostly they're stuck on the stutter. This guy might even have Sinclair beat.
Dante holds up a hand, hoping it'll make them look a little less threatening so their new guest will calm down. (Do they look threatening?)]
< Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. Just a little surprised myself is all. Gregor invited you over, right? >
[There's no one else around here who would call them Manager that they know of. They hook their umbrella on the arm of a chair near the door.
Well... they trust Gregor's judgment, so--]
< I'm fine with it. Might have to move things around a little to make you comfortable, though. >
Yes! Gregor did! He f-found me when I was trying to figure out my room, which, um... it w-won't work for me too well.
[... Lyle leaves it at that, shrinking into himself. It does very little to reduce the impression of him being quite sizeable; the rooms at the Valentia just wouldn't accommodate him, and Gregor took pity on that.
Dante doesn't seem upset with him. If Lyle felt threatened before, their calm response manages to help soothe his nerves, and he sighs.]
Oh... Whoa. Just like that?! [Lyle is beside himself. The look he gives Dante is surprise, and he rears up slightly. Under his breath:] Such a smooth operator...!
[Anyway:] I can't thank you enough. It's p-pretty cold outside. [deadass had been planning to sleep outside... no wonder he's so pitiable. Lyle manages a nervous smile.] D-Don't feel like you have to do anything at all for me. Really! I'll t-try to keep to a corner the best I can. If anything, there's got to be something I c-can give in return as thanks...?
[Smooth? Them? It was so quiet they must have misheard. But maybe if they keep going the way they are, it could be true.]
< It is starting to get pretty chilly out there, isn't it? Can't say I blame you for wanting to stay somewhere warmer. >
[This place is in rough enough shape to get a bit drafty in this weather, but at least it's out of the worst of it. Nothing like a wall between you and the wind.]
< As for something in return... Split the rent once you get a job, maybe? That's pretty standard. If you need a nudge in the right direction, the Velvet Claw usually has a few jobs up for people to take on. Other than that... >
[Hm...]
< Can you cook? >
[Because they don't eat food and Gregor needs something better than his own cooking.]
[Lyle is easily impressed by kindness, by calmness. And those are two things that Dante's exuding, rolling with the punches while also letting him stay with them.
'Get a job.' Lyle seems to deflate slightly; his camera-like eyes flick to the ground. Yeah... it figures that he'd need to get employment, but he notion seems to make him antsy again while he shifts upon metal legs that click, click against the floor. But that final request... Something in him revs, surprise writ on his features again like he's taken aback.]
Oh. Cooking? Y-Yeah, really basic things. It's um... it's been a while. [He sucks in air through his prominent teeth.] B-Back home, I haven't had a fridge for some time. It broke a while ago, and I haven't gotten it replaced. Kinda hard to do much cooking without the ingredients. B-But I'm sure I could m-manage something! What do you... like?
[Lyle peers at Dante some more. They don't seem to have an orifice for eating from... but you can't judge a book by its cover, or a clock by their face! He readily assumes maybe they want him to cook something for them, rather than this being for Gregor's sake.]
[More mechanical noises... Maybe it's not due to any changes with his Natural Soul after all? He mentioned a "room" after all, which was probably the Valentia, and last time they checked the stays there were temporary enough that the changes probably wouldn't be that much of a problem (they've yet to learn that the Valentia's become more lenient in that regard as of late).
Maybe prosthetics are more common where he's from too. Or something went wrong? It seems like it'd be rude to bring it up, especially since he hasn't said anything about their head.]
< I'm... not sure what he likes, actually. We usually had to deal with rations back home unless we were being treated... Unless you were talking about me? >
[They hold up a hand again, somehow managing to look a little sheepish, even without a proper face or expression.]
< You don't need to worry about me. My tastes are a little, uh... different... these days. >
Oh, thank you. [Helpful to know about Gregor, but... Lyle apprehensively wavers, uncertain.] Yeah, I was hoping t-to learn about what you wanted. So this is for Gregor...
[That's actually... really sweet? Lyle is getting the bigger picture. Dante's tastes are different, and thus, the diets between the two differ. Lyle smiles.]
I can t-try! Maybe he'll even find something he likes, heh. ... Ummmm.
[The elephant in the room. Lyle squints slightly at Dante; his jaw goes slack, and his aperture shrinks, clearly honing in on Dante's face.]
What... are your t-tastes? [do they have tastes how do they taste]
[A bit blunt. More than a bit blunt. But it's best to rip the bandaid off now, right? He's gonna learn eventually.
But they continue on before the word can hang in the air on its own for too long.]
< As in actual lifeforce, or something close to it. It's, uh, a new thing--a Spectral thing. To be honest, I'm not used to eating or feeling hungry or thirsty at all. >
[They sigh and shrug helplessly.]
< It could be worse, though? I've heard it doesn't hurt. >
[And Lyle remains quiet for those seconds, jaw slack. Life... How foreboding. But it might have been scarier to him before he was changed by the Visitor. He's gained a lot of perspective in short time.]
If it doesn't hurt... That c-cant be so bad. So I bet you have to like, siphon it up m-magically or, or something?
[That's kind of cool. It reminds him of some of the elements built into his Mazes & Wizards campaign, and here he is, talking to someone in real life who steals life energy...!
He tries not to relate to it too hard, and tempers his fascination. Lyle's body clicks while he moves slightly, increasingly relaxed in Dante's presence.]
If you n-need anything like that, I can probably give you some of mine? It's the least I c-can do. You didn't ask to be turned into a Spectral-type.
< Sort of, yeah. There's fire involved, but not the kind that burns. >
[They're about to explain further, just in case he starts worrying about the apartment going up in flames, when he offers up his own, and they can't help the surprised-yet-delighted chime that ends up slipping out of them.]
< Really? Wow, that'd be a big help. I'm usually pretty good about not taking too much, but you might be a little dizzy and tired afterward when I do. >
[The Spectral part of them might prefer the "hunt," but even it has to agree that it's so much easier when this is how it goes, right?]
[If Lyle could still pale, he would. The very moment Dante mentions fire... Ahh, he should have known. The flames... Still, they say it's not the kind that burns.
Lyle still titters and creaks nervously.]
D-D-Dizzy and tired, I c-can do. But, um. [He hisses a little bit, attempting to wrap his mind around non-burning fire.] I'm... I'm really, extremely flammable. Y-You don't think that'll... c-cause any problems?
[He had chemicals that could ignite. Photo paper everywhere on his person. ...Lots of fabric. Lyle himself would be okay, probably; it was his stash of photos he kept...]
< That's right. The clock's a prosthesis--they're pretty common where I come from, even if this particular shape isn't. Not sure how I got it, but I don't remember anything from before I got it either. I've had it for about... A little over a year and a half now? Wow. >
[They didn't realize they'd been here that long. Almost as long as they've existed...
They shake their head before they can get too lost in their thoughts.]
< Uh, anyways, I had a whole year to get used to not feeling hunger or thirst or sleeping in the same way others seem to. >
[That's some fantastical stuff right there. Lyle's meeting a lot of people who seem quite fantastical. He wonders if the prosthetic's the reason Dante can't remember much from before, that maybe memories from pre-prosthetic were lost when they... presumably lost their head?
Lyle decides not to ask after this absurd line of questioning. His face screws up a little bit as he glances towards the ground, trying to make sense of it all. Dante said it all so casually that he feels extra strange for needing to catch up...]
Guess now you have to get used to a whole d-different sort of not-feeling-hunger. Except now you do, and you have to suck the life force from your foes...! ... N-Not foes. P-Pretend I d-didn't say that. [He looks extremely embarrassed. Why did he say that. Lyle shakes his head.] Just p-p-people. Yeah. Ha ha.
[If it turns out they can't go back to how they used to be, that's probably how they're going to feed in the future. Maybe, they think with some amusement, they'll end up having to share their meals with the bus.]
< Though you've offered, so maybe "people" is what I should go with after all. You've been fine so far, so I really don't wanna think of you as a foe. >
[A foe as a roommate just sounds like an awkward situation ready to happen.]
[They reply in a cheerful tick, then walk over and hold their hand out for Lyle to shake.]
< Happy to have you aboard. As a, uh, roommate I mean. Sorry, been at the job fair all day so I'm still a bit stuck in "manager" mode right now. > [They don't mention they get stuck in that even without the job fairs] < If a handshake's too formal we, could... Um. >
[Lyle just lets Dante's introduction unspool before him, registering some traits about Dante. But what stands out to him, not only just about Dante but about those who he's met... They're well-intentioned. Kind. Lyle isn't accustomed to being treated to such kindness so often...
He's staggered, a bit. He looks slack-jawed about the suggestion to high-five, but in reality it's about the ease they've received him with. When he startles back to life, he offers a hand, rigidly.]
Y-Yes! High... five?
[That's fine by him. Less formal than a handshake. Feels team-building, like he's...]
Happy to b-be aboard! Heheh. [He manages a grin, though it's through his usual nerves.]
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roomies!
They (literally) step through the door to their apartment, umbrella tucked under one arm, as they tick to the beat of a song they once heard--
--only to come to a sudden stop with surprised chime as they catch sight of someone taking up a good portion of their living room.]
< Um... Hello? >
no subject
[Lyle startles. He doesn't have much in the way of personal effects, thus having nothing more than his actual body to occupy space... but that in itself is robust, enough to turn that living room into something far smaller. That startle... isn't what he'd wanted to greet Dante with. Not in the slightest.
But what was he supposed to do if Dante literally walked through the door?? It hadn't even opened! Lyle is SURE of this, but he doubts his own perception, round, glassy eyes flicking between them and the closed, locked door.]
H... H-Hello! Hi! I-I'm Lyle! [Lyle's many, many feet pitter-patter nervously against the floor, and he grips his drapes tight in front of his body as he stares at Dante. (Wow... He wasn't sure what to imagine of Dante's appearance, but this was quite strange indeed.)] You must be, um... the manager?
[Shoot. Did he ever catch Dante's name? Manager is all Lyle remembers... as he attempts to continue explaining anything.] I'm- I'm living with you! Um, with permission, of course? If y-you're okay with it? Ahh...
[He is really messing this up. He's supposed to say something better than this, like Gregor invited me to move in, or I'm not just breaking into some stranger's house or anything right now, I'd never do something like that-- Lyle's body clicks and revs, the sounds of sprockets reeling in his body to indicate his nervousness.]
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Though mostly they're stuck on the stutter. This guy might even have Sinclair beat.
Dante holds up a hand, hoping it'll make them look a little less threatening so their new guest will calm down. (Do they look threatening?)]
< Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. Just a little surprised myself is all. Gregor invited you over, right? >
[There's no one else around here who would call them Manager that they know of. They hook their umbrella on the arm of a chair near the door.
Well... they trust Gregor's judgment, so--]
< I'm fine with it. Might have to move things around a little to make you comfortable, though. >
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[... Lyle leaves it at that, shrinking into himself. It does very little to reduce the impression of him being quite sizeable; the rooms at the Valentia just wouldn't accommodate him, and Gregor took pity on that.
Dante doesn't seem upset with him. If Lyle felt threatened before, their calm response manages to help soothe his nerves, and he sighs.]
Oh... Whoa. Just like that?! [Lyle is beside himself. The look he gives Dante is surprise, and he rears up slightly. Under his breath:] Such a smooth operator...!
[Anyway:] I can't thank you enough. It's p-pretty cold outside. [deadass had been planning to sleep outside... no wonder he's so pitiable. Lyle manages a nervous smile.] D-Don't feel like you have to do anything at all for me. Really! I'll t-try to keep to a corner the best I can. If anything, there's got to be something I c-can give in return as thanks...?
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< It is starting to get pretty chilly out there, isn't it? Can't say I blame you for wanting to stay somewhere warmer. >
[This place is in rough enough shape to get a bit drafty in this weather, but at least it's out of the worst of it. Nothing like a wall between you and the wind.]
< As for something in return... Split the rent once you get a job, maybe? That's pretty standard. If you need a nudge in the right direction, the Velvet Claw usually has a few jobs up for people to take on. Other than that... >
[Hm...]
< Can you cook? >
[Because they don't eat food and Gregor needs something better than his own cooking.]
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'Get a job.' Lyle seems to deflate slightly; his camera-like eyes flick to the ground. Yeah... it figures that he'd need to get employment, but he notion seems to make him antsy again while he shifts upon metal legs that click, click against the floor. But that final request... Something in him revs, surprise writ on his features again like he's taken aback.]
Oh. Cooking? Y-Yeah, really basic things. It's um... it's been a while. [He sucks in air through his prominent teeth.] B-Back home, I haven't had a fridge for some time. It broke a while ago, and I haven't gotten it replaced. Kinda hard to do much cooking without the ingredients. B-But I'm sure I could m-manage something! What do you... like?
[Lyle peers at Dante some more. They don't seem to have an orifice for eating from... but you can't judge a book by its cover, or a clock by their face! He readily assumes maybe they want him to cook something for them, rather than this being for Gregor's sake.]
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Maybe prosthetics are more common where he's from too. Or something went wrong? It seems like it'd be rude to bring it up, especially since he hasn't said anything about their head.]
< I'm... not sure what he likes, actually. We usually had to deal with rations back home unless we were being treated... Unless you were talking about me? >
[They hold up a hand again, somehow managing to look a little sheepish, even without a proper face or expression.]
< You don't need to worry about me. My tastes are a little, uh... different... these days. >
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[That's actually... really sweet? Lyle is getting the bigger picture. Dante's tastes are different, and thus, the diets between the two differ. Lyle smiles.]
I can t-try! Maybe he'll even find something he likes, heh. ... Ummmm.
[The elephant in the room. Lyle squints slightly at Dante; his jaw goes slack, and his aperture shrinks, clearly honing in on Dante's face.]
What... are your t-tastes? [do they have tastes how do they taste]
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[A bit blunt. More than a bit blunt. But it's best to rip the bandaid off now, right? He's gonna learn eventually.
But they continue on before the word can hang in the air on its own for too long.]
< As in actual lifeforce, or something close to it. It's, uh, a new thing--a Spectral thing. To be honest, I'm not used to eating or feeling hungry or thirsty at all. >
[They sigh and shrug helplessly.]
< It could be worse, though? I've heard it doesn't hurt. >
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If it doesn't hurt... That c-cant be so bad. So I bet you have to like, siphon it up m-magically or, or something?
[That's kind of cool. It reminds him of some of the elements built into his Mazes & Wizards campaign, and here he is, talking to someone in real life who steals life energy...!
He tries not to relate to it too hard, and tempers his fascination. Lyle's body clicks while he moves slightly, increasingly relaxed in Dante's presence.]
If you n-need anything like that, I can probably give you some of mine? It's the least I c-can do. You didn't ask to be turned into a Spectral-type.
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[They're about to explain further, just in case he starts worrying about the apartment going up in flames, when he offers up his own, and they can't help the surprised-yet-delighted chime that ends up slipping out of them.]
< Really? Wow, that'd be a big help. I'm usually pretty good about not taking too much, but you might be a little dizzy and tired afterward when I do. >
[The Spectral part of them might prefer the "hunt," but even it has to agree that it's so much easier when this is how it goes, right?]
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[If Lyle could still pale, he would. The very moment Dante mentions fire... Ahh, he should have known. The flames... Still, they say it's not the kind that burns.
Lyle still titters and creaks nervously.]
D-D-Dizzy and tired, I c-can do. But, um. [He hisses a little bit, attempting to wrap his mind around non-burning fire.] I'm... I'm really, extremely flammable. Y-You don't think that'll... c-cause any problems?
[He had chemicals that could ignite. Photo paper everywhere on his person. ...Lots of fabric. Lyle himself would be okay, probably; it was his stash of photos he kept...]
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< If I can lay back in bed and have it not catch fire, you should be fine too. >
[They're confident enough to say that, anyway. Otherwise their tail would have been one hell of a fire hazard when it came in too.]
< Besides, it's not even hot. If it was, we'd save a lot more money trying to heat up the place. >
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[Lyle is safe to eat from. Fabulous. He asks next,] But, um... Did you say you were used to not eating before this? You... never ate before?
[is clock... NOT new? Like how Lyle As Shutterbug is also not new? He blinks, shutters dilating with a pronounced click.]
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[They didn't realize they'd been here that long. Almost as long as they've existed...
They shake their head before they can get too lost in their thoughts.]
< Uh, anyways, I had a whole year to get used to not feeling hunger or thirst or sleeping in the same way others seem to. >
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[That's some fantastical stuff right there. Lyle's meeting a lot of people who seem quite fantastical. He wonders if the prosthetic's the reason Dante can't remember much from before, that maybe memories from pre-prosthetic were lost when they... presumably lost their head?
Lyle decides not to ask after this absurd line of questioning. His face screws up a little bit as he glances towards the ground, trying to make sense of it all. Dante said it all so casually that he feels extra strange for needing to catch up...]
Guess now you have to get used to a whole d-different sort of not-feeling-hunger. Except now you do, and you have to suck the life force from your foes...! ... N-Not foes. P-Pretend I d-didn't say that. [He looks extremely embarrassed. Why did he say that. Lyle shakes his head.] Just p-p-people. Yeah. Ha ha.
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[If it turns out they can't go back to how they used to be, that's probably how they're going to feed in the future. Maybe, they think with some amusement, they'll end up having to share their meals with the bus.]
< Though you've offered, so maybe "people" is what I should go with after all. You've been fine so far, so I really don't wanna think of you as a foe. >
[A foe as a roommate just sounds like an awkward situation ready to happen.]
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[Lyle swallows. He flushes out of embarrassment.]
I d-don't remember your name... [did gregor ever mention it? lyle isn't sure. he might've just forgotten. he decides that's the case.]
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[They reply in a cheerful tick, then walk over and hold their hand out for Lyle to shake.]
< Happy to have you aboard. As a, uh, roommate I mean. Sorry, been at the job fair all day so I'm still a bit stuck in "manager" mode right now. > [They don't mention they get stuck in that even without the job fairs] < If a handshake's too formal we, could... Um. >
[Tock.]
< High... five? >
[...And that's a fumble at the end.]
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He's staggered, a bit. He looks slack-jawed about the suggestion to high-five, but in reality it's about the ease they've received him with. When he startles back to life, he offers a hand, rigidly.]
Y-Yes! High... five?
[That's fine by him. Less formal than a handshake. Feels team-building, like he's...]
Happy to b-be aboard! Heheh. [He manages a grin, though it's through his usual nerves.]