[ At seventeen, Dokja was taking regular beatings from both his peers and his relatives, but that doesn't seem to cause him any discomfort as he leans back in his chair, fork stuck in his mouth as he thinks about it. ]
I guess I was a quiet kid?
[ Not that he's very loud now, but he at least talks more. He removes the fork from his mouth as he crosses his arms and tilts his head to one side like he's trying to remember. He'd given away so much of his personal details to the other half of him that he's not sure what he has left. ]
Honestly, it was so long ago that I can barely remember.
[ 29 is probably where he's at... Sometimes you lose track of your age after tens of thousands of years and also wiping out half of your memories. Normal problems. ]
Ah... I'm probably a little older than how I appear.
[ Dokja's brain does not take that many steps ahead when it comes to himself. Sooyoung and Joonghyuk remembering his birthday was a fluke. It will never happen again, he tells himself. ]
That's right.
[ When he was younger, he would treat himself to a small chocolate treat on sale after the holiday, but that tradition faded with time. Also, he doesn't have that memory anymore. He doesn't have many memories about his birthday at all, actually, so he doesn't look all that pained or delighted by the mention. ]
[ He looks taken aback by that! It's not often that he gets asked about himself (which is what he prefers), so there's a hesitant pause in the middle of what should be an easy answer. ]
Well, I guess you'd be able to tell that I like reading. [ Considering there are just books scattered around the house. ] Uh, what else...
[ Has a person ever struggled so much with a simple question. ]
[ Immediately sharpens her hearing with magic so that she can catch every nuance of Dokja's embarrassing admission. Though actually, it makes her quite genuinely happy. She'd been expecting something more serious and stuffy. ]
Really? I like them too! Though mystery is probably my favorite... I used to read about Sherlock Holmes all the time when I was small.
[ It's probably comical how wide Dokja's eyes get at the realization that Gray is a kindred spirit. All this time living under the same roof and he had no idea!! And mystery isn't too far from fantasy... "Anything to escape" is such a fucking mood. ]
I would have never guessed. [ Mostly because he sucks at reading people. ] Sherlock Holmes, huh? I've only read a few stories, but the reveals always took me by surprise.
[ Some of that awkwardness finally bleeds out of Dokja as they shift into a conversation he is far too happy to be having. ]
[ She thinks as she swallows a mouthful of cake. ]
Probably... it's because I grew up in a place where nothing changed and no one asked questions. I thought Holmes and Watson going on adventures and cracking all of those cases was very romantic. [ Not in the BL way. The quaint old-timey way. ] At the time, I didn't think anyone like Holmes could really exist. He was always so smart and certain, and he never let anyone dissuade him even if he looked mad.
[ Always believing herself to be stupid, how could she resist living in the world of someone so aggressively clever? ]
... But also, the selection of books in my village was quite small, so I didn't have much else to read. If you have any recommendations, I'd be happy to listen.
[ Oh, he's learned something about Gray in this way, hasn't he? He thinks he can understand her desire for mystery if the village she described is the sort of place she'd come from. Stories are kind in that way, leading to paths that normally can't be walked on. ]
I'm not too familiar with mystery books, but... I recently took over a business that had been left behind. It's a book cafe in the Akadimaïkós District. It's well-stocked.
[ Because Han Sooyoung had kept it that way, organizing it so that the shelves were easy to navigate. It's plain to tell that Dokja thinks fondly of the store, even if his expression grows sadder at the mention of it. ]
You should come visit and we can find more books for you.
[ Immediately she's delighted... A place where she can read and have tea at the same time!! Technically she could still do that anywhere, but it'll be nice to do it among like minds. At the same time, she notices that he's a bit glum about something... She's developed a sense for not poking too much at sensitive matters, and she doesn't Dokja very well yet, so she tactfully allows him his private sadness. ]
I'd love to come by. And, ah, if you ever need hands around the store, I'll be happy to help too!
[ Getting paid to tidy things up is her actual dream job... ]
[ Whatever gloominess that had afflicted Dokja moments before seems to vanish now at Gray's enthusiastic response. While things at the cafe won't be the same now that certain people are gone, it'll still need all the help it can get... And all the help Dokja can get, especially since his job had just been to laze around back when Sooyoung and Eustace had been hard at work. ]
Yeah? Consider yourself hired, then.
[ He leans back in his seat, smile on his face as the day draws to a close. It's been largely successful, despite his misgivings at the start. ]
Maybe we can pay a visit in the morning. Get you familiar with the place.
[ Rarity of rarities: someone accepting Gray's offer of help. She breaks into a smile. Assisting with the Alenroux effort is important and all, but they can do without her for a few hours a day so that she can exist in a cute cafe. Gray will be absolutely no help on the cerebral side of things, and it may take her a minute to learn the menu, but at least she'll make up for it in gumption. ]
Thank you! [ As if she's the one hurting for this job she just learned about. ] I've done cleaning work before... and I've worked in a bakery. So please use me however you can.
[ After careful consideration of their former staff, Gray might be overqualified. A bakery?? That's way more than instant ramen and instant rice and instant everything else. Anyway, there's a slight pause at her response before he gives a quick shake of his head. ]
How about a team effort? Let's both count on each other from now on.
[ He says this, but he will be doing everything on his own as usual! She is more than welcome to use him, though!! ]
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no subject
Date: 2023-07-23 06:56 am (UTC)I guess I was a quiet kid?
[ Not that he's very loud now, but he at least talks more. He removes the fork from his mouth as he crosses his arms and tilts his head to one side like he's trying to remember. He'd given away so much of his personal details to the other half of him that he's not sure what he has left. ]
Honestly, it was so long ago that I can barely remember.
no subject
Date: 2023-07-23 05:17 pm (UTC)[ He looks younger than her 29-year-old mentor. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-07-23 05:33 pm (UTC)Ah... I'm probably a little older than how I appear.
no subject
Date: 2023-07-23 07:26 pm (UTC)When's your birthday?
no subject
Date: 2023-07-24 04:19 am (UTC)It's February 15.
no subject
Date: 2023-07-25 08:05 am (UTC)Right afer Valentine's...
[ Are his memories around that time of year extra fun or extra painful?? ]
no subject
Date: 2023-07-27 06:59 am (UTC)That's right.
[ When he was younger, he would treat himself to a small chocolate treat on sale after the holiday, but that tradition faded with time. Also, he doesn't have that memory anymore. He doesn't have many memories about his birthday at all, actually, so he doesn't look all that pained or delighted by the mention. ]
How's the cake?
no subject
Date: 2023-07-29 10:53 pm (UTC)[ She's easy to please when it comes to food, but especially when it comes to desserts. With only one tiny ulterior motive in mind, she follows up: ]
Do you like sweets?
no subject
Date: 2023-07-30 06:23 am (UTC)Yeah. I think sweet foods put you in a good mood.
[ He is certainly enjoying this cake, that's for sure. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-08-01 06:11 am (UTC)What else do you like, Mr. Dokja? I don't feel like I know that much about you.
no subject
Date: 2023-08-02 06:18 am (UTC)[ He looks taken aback by that! It's not often that he gets asked about himself (which is what he prefers), so there's a hesitant pause in the middle of what should be an easy answer. ]
Well, I guess you'd be able to tell that I like reading. [ Considering there are just books scattered around the house. ] Uh, what else...
[ Has a person ever struggled so much with a simple question. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-08-03 04:45 am (UTC)What do you like to read about the most?
no subject
Date: 2023-08-03 10:18 pm (UTC)Mostly fantasy novels...
[ It never fails to always feel childish to admit. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-08-04 07:14 am (UTC)Really? I like them too! Though mystery is probably my favorite... I used to read about Sherlock Holmes all the time when I was small.
[ Anything to escape, really... ]
no subject
Date: 2023-08-08 05:51 am (UTC)I would have never guessed. [ Mostly because he sucks at reading people. ] Sherlock Holmes, huh? I've only read a few stories, but the reveals always took me by surprise.
[ Some of that awkwardness finally bleeds out of Dokja as they shift into a conversation he is far too happy to be having. ]
What draws you to that particular genre?
no subject
Date: 2023-08-09 07:26 am (UTC)Probably... it's because I grew up in a place where nothing changed and no one asked questions. I thought Holmes and Watson going on adventures and cracking all of those cases was very romantic. [ Not in the BL way. The quaint old-timey way. ] At the time, I didn't think anyone like Holmes could really exist. He was always so smart and certain, and he never let anyone dissuade him even if he looked mad.
[ Always believing herself to be stupid, how could she resist living in the world of someone so aggressively clever? ]
... But also, the selection of books in my village was quite small, so I didn't have much else to read. If you have any recommendations, I'd be happy to listen.
no subject
Date: 2023-08-10 06:41 am (UTC)I'm not too familiar with mystery books, but... I recently took over a business that had been left behind. It's a book cafe in the Akadimaïkós District. It's well-stocked.
[ Because Han Sooyoung had kept it that way, organizing it so that the shelves were easy to navigate. It's plain to tell that Dokja thinks fondly of the store, even if his expression grows sadder at the mention of it. ]
You should come visit and we can find more books for you.
no subject
Date: 2023-08-10 07:10 am (UTC)[ Immediately she's delighted... A place where she can read and have tea at the same time!! Technically she could still do that anywhere, but it'll be nice to do it among like minds. At the same time, she notices that he's a bit glum about something... She's developed a sense for not poking too much at sensitive matters, and she doesn't Dokja very well yet, so she tactfully allows him his private sadness. ]
I'd love to come by. And, ah, if you ever need hands around the store, I'll be happy to help too!
[ Getting paid to tidy things up is her actual dream job... ]
no subject
Date: 2023-08-11 12:12 am (UTC)Yeah? Consider yourself hired, then.
[ He leans back in his seat, smile on his face as the day draws to a close. It's been largely successful, despite his misgivings at the start. ]
Maybe we can pay a visit in the morning. Get you familiar with the place.
no subject
Date: 2023-08-12 01:42 pm (UTC)Thank you! [ As if she's the one hurting for this job she just learned about. ] I've done cleaning work before... and I've worked in a bakery. So please use me however you can.
no subject
Date: 2023-08-14 03:04 am (UTC)How about a team effort? Let's both count on each other from now on.
[ He says this, but he will be doing everything on his own as usual! She is more than welcome to use him, though!! ]