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Despite it being late, Shelf Indulgence doesn't seem to close, just...go to sleep. There are still lights on, the sign still turned to open; the shop just seems quiet, perhaps a little less inviting. Devan stands on the main floor, in a section about astral projection, humming to himself. He's dressed casually for him, still all black, though.
The door to the shop opens quietly, Michael sticking his head in with a nervous twitch of a tail. "Hello?" He calls nervously, before entering all the way and letting it close behind him, the fox looking about as he moves further in. "Anyone home?"
Devan walks out of the aisle, nose in a book. "It'll be a few minutes before someone will be back to...oh. Hello, Michael." He closes the book, and gives the man a nod, not moving any closer. "Good to see you again. Are you here for a book, or..."
"Mm.." The Changeling taps gloved fingers together, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "I realized I should talk to you and all. You keep wanting to. So. Maybe I should? Came to see if you're here, which you are."
"Hmmm...well, let's talk, then." He gestures for Michael to follow him, leading the way to the reading room at the back of the store. A couple tables and lots of comfy chairs, the walls papered with flyers and posters. "This ok? I need to listen for the door, and I figure you'd appreciate there not being a closed door."
A quiet nod, Michael taking the space in before settling into an undignified looking pose on the arm of one of the chairs, one that lets him still be pretty much standing. "This works." A slight smile. "Hello Devan, I'm Michael. Not really said that yet, I think." A faint nod.
"It's good to meet you, Michael," he says with a nod, sinking into one of the chairs. "I want to say again, sorry for how I approached things when you first met. I...wasn't thinking about things clearly, and you didn't deserve that."
He nods, rubbing at his mouth. "Alright. Thank you. I just, you wanted to talk. So. I decided it was good to try." C'mon Michael, you're a reporter, pull yourself together. He takes a breath, focusing. "And been spending time with Jane, who's a pretty neat person."
He nods. "She is, I'm glad to have her in my life. I'll...have to thank her if she's been talking me up to you, I...it means a lot." He shakes his head a little. "Anyway. There...look, I'm not going to ask you to give up secrets, or tell me things that aren't yours to tell. That wouldn't be fair, and...it would be good to keep separated from you all a bit, I think. What I want is to have a relationship with you all where, beyond normal social relationships, I can come to someone, maybe someones, when me and my associates here find something that...is your neck of the woods. And I hope that, once I've earned some trust the proper way, someone would let me know if my friends are in danger from something on your side of the fence."
He frowns, then points at Devan, taking a brief grasp of his unease and straightening. "Do you know what my job is Devan? What my hobbies are, and general details about me? I can't speak for any of that weird stuff, I just, kinda want to know what you see of me."
"You're ah, a reporter, I think?"
A wry smile. "Of what stripe?"
"It was, ah...social events? The sort of parties I hate but occasionally attend, and more down to earth things?"
He nods slowly. "Mm, more or less. I like good social events." Michael smiles. "The thing is, I get you being curious. I sure as hell am, but, you seem so interested in the stuff you think I'm mixed in, whether I actually am or not, but not really about who I am. You wanna know me, get to know me." A nod. "Like I said, I think you're hot, but, that's not who you are. Right?"
He frowns, tapping his chin. "I mean. I don't...So...what you are, isn't what you are? I mean, I understand that people live multifaceted lives..." He stops, blinking. "Oh, I see what the problem is...I don't, ah...I don't. Have a life that isn't what I am."
"Who. What." He ponders, choosing words to answer. "I'm thirty or so years old of this earth, bisexual, male. That's what I am. Who I am is Michael Tath. I enjoy company, music, walks, etc. And yeah, what's a part of me too. But.." He waves hands in the air, gesturing. "Alright. I know I'm physically attractive. Let's say someone wanted sex with me because I was, but didn't care to find out about who I am, what would your thoughts be on that? As for you, it wouldn't bother you if I just asked about this weird stuff you say you can do, but didn't try to find out about your personality and get to know you?"
"Um..." He has the decency to look slightly embarrassed. "No, it really wouldn't. I don't--haven't really cared about any of that other stuff."
"Well. What do you like to eat? What are your personal hobbies? Things like that." He chews his lip. "And, okay, it doesn't bother you. That's fair, but you understand not everyone sees the world the way you do?"
"I...am aware, yes. And becoming more aware, the more I...meaningfully interact with people." He sighs, shaking his head. "I lived in a comfortable little box for the last 40 some years." He looks to Michael for a moment. "Alright, since you shared. I'm 62 years old, am attracted to women, though that's...complicated, and male. I'm Devan Orsey, I enjoy learning, drinking and smoking, and providing a haven for people too strange to have one elsewhere. I like to eat food that tastes good, and my hobbies are all that I do, so, yeah, learning." He taps his chin. "Yeah, that about sums me up."
Michael nods slowly, peering at Devan. He doesn't look 62, but appearances can be deceptive. "You're getting back out into the world more then? It's changed a whole lot over 40 years, seems to change every day now." He smiles. "And everyone likes good food. Or they should. Who'd eat food that wasn't good and tasty? Madness!"
Devan shrugs. "I'm not much, on the normal side of things. I don't care that I'm boring."
"I don't think you're boring." He smiles. "But then, I don't think anyone's boring."
"Thank you, I guess?" He tilts his head. "What made you think I was interesting, then? If you didn't really know anything about me?"
"Oh, but I did. You're passionate about knowing more, about learning. You're protective of your friends, given the efforts it sounds like you make for Jane and others. And you enjoy connecting to others. I just felt you needed a little advice on how to go about that."
He frowns. "I...only recently realized that I like meeting new people. Well, I liked meeting new members of my little group, but outside that..." He sighs. "Normal people are so boring."
Michael blinks, then seems to sag slightly, eyes downcast. He offers a sad smile, standing. "No one's normal Devan. But, thank you for talking. I should be moving my feet. Say hi to Jane for me when you see her?"
“Um, yeah, I will. Uh, Michael, I didn’t mean to rain on your parade. The world could use more people who see the people around them with wonder. It just doesn’t, ah, click for me. Sorry.” He stands, nodding to the other man. “This was good. I hope we can talk again.”
Padding for the door, the fox looks back. "I don't know if you see people at all." He states, a deep sadness in his voice. With a nod, he slips into the night and is gone, slipping into Light Shy concealment as soon as he's able to find a secluded shadow and a quiet moment.
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