[FIN] Conspicuous

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

"Oh, no, I meant I was testing myself. I guess that might seem odd since I was the one asking you the questions, but I just meant having a conversation with you in general, whether or not you chose to answer them. Nevermind, forget I said anything," Izaya said quickly, scratching his head and looking away, suddenly self-conscious about his ranting. Then he frowned. Since when did he get self-conscious about that?

He stared at her a minute longer when she gave her warning. "I understand." But Izaya was also not the sort of man who was used to having his words or actions 'kindly received' in any way, so this meant little to him. And there was still something he'd been wanting to do since he first saw her; something he'd been holding back on.

Without any other warning, he leaned over and reached out to grab her by the shoulders and hug her tightly as if to let go would mean the end of them both. He couldn't think straight for those few seconds. He didn't care if she yelled or hit him or even reported him. He just...had to hug her at least once, as if to confirm her existence.  

[Suudonym]

If the request was to forget it, Gaia was happy to oblige - and even happier to hear that her warning was received and understood. Perhaps, then, she could continue her reading in some semblance peace.

...Or not. She caught sight of the movement in her peripheral vision just moments before her company's arms closed around her, but he wouldn't have her in his grasp for long. In the next moment she broke free, rising to her feet in the same movement with her collection of printouts crumpled tightly in one fist. She thought to admonish him - to yell at him or threaten him - but she abstained. By the time she decided on her next course of action, no more than a second had passed. With a glare far sharper than any insult she could come up with, Gaia turned on her heel and proceeded down the hall towards her quarters, her gait engendering a cold anger. She entered the room with a heavy slam of the door that silenced her roommates' chatter.

As she suspected, black was an unpleasant color.  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

When she broke free to stand, the man stared up at Gaia, completely clueless as to what she might do. Hit him? Yell? The answer was a look that could probably have killed if Izaya had not been so desensitized to them so long ago. Still, that look on [i[that face was something he'd never witnessed before, so he finally had something to differentiate Gaia in his head from his memories of Aila.

He watched her turn away, positively radiating a silent fury, before disappearing behind the door of her shared trainee quarters with a finalizing slam. Despite the sinking feeling that replaced the former elation in his chest, Izaya forced himself to smile. "Heh."

At least her new impression of him would likely keep her from allowing him to get too friendly with her for either of their own good. It would be best for her to want to stay away from and avoid him as much as possible, because from his thoughts, feelings, and actions just then, he wasn't sure he would have been able to do so. At least this way, he would have a reason not to try to spend every waking moment in her company.

With a grunt, Izaya unfolded his legs and pushed himself to his own feet before heading down the hall in the direction he'd originally been headed. He walked with a dazed look on his face, his eyes glazed over as though lost in thought.