.jpg)
"We'll get those, then…" Karia hummed softly, scanning the menu options. "Oh, this breadystack is pretty good." He tapped 'club breadystack' on the menu and looked up at Sam. "And you can't go right with an old-fashioned beef wellington ensemble with lettuce." He gave him a crooked smile, peepers drifting towards the doll. "So… what is the deal with those dolls?"
Sam nodded a bit when Karia pointed to the club breadystack. He's probably go for that, seeing his menu down. His peepers actually lit up a bit when the dolls were mentioned, even when his face stayed neutral.
"Well," he said, picking up the doll he had sat on the table, "here's a basic explanation of a complex situation. When I cut someone, enough to draw human syrup, I gain control of their physical body. I can't control what they think, but I can control what they're made of, how much they can move themselves, how much they feel, and pretty much everything else. I do it to those who threaten me, those who cross me, and just horrible people in general. I avoid doing it to the pure, but I can't always avoid it. I torture the ones I targeted, but I usually try to be noice to ones who simply saw something they shouldn't have. I usually turn them to dolls because it's a preference." Sam seemed to brighten up the more he talked about his dolls. He held the doll in his hands gently, smiling by this point as he looked down at it.
Karia smiled and leaned forward slightly, not wanting to miss a single word. He nodded every once in a while. "Wow. That is… amazing. I love it! Gods." Karia shook his head slightly, slightly in awe of the power Sam had. It was very useful, and it seemed like Sam really liked those dolls. "It's a very practical way to get rid of enemies." He laughed slightly. "Probably more useful in a fight than what I can do."
Sam looked up, the smile still lingering on his face.
"Yeah… Fights usually don't last long, even if there are a lot of people." He ran his finger once over the head of the doll in his hands. "Plus, doing this makes the people practically immortal, so no matter what I do to the dolls they won't die. Keeps me immortal too." He listened for a moment, head tilting.
"The shifting? Is there anything else you can do?"
"I bet. Only having to draw human syrup instead of killing them all the way sure would make it easier." Karia tilted his head at Sam slightly. "You're immortal? Ha, that's kind of cool." He smiled at him. "Yeah. I can do that teleporting thing I did to get us out of trouble as well. I guess it would help a bit in a fight, but it takes a lot of practice not to make a fool of yourself." Karia shrugged. "And it just confuses people instead of getting rid of them."
Sam nodded a bit.
"Still, it could lead to a lot of different strategies, depending on what you have proficiency in when fighting." He still seemed to be happy, but he was slowly returning to how he was before.
"I mean, the remaining lifespan of the people I take is added to move on, so…" He shrugged a bit. "I'm not like one of those psychos who do it to kids. That's just sick."
"Yeah." Karia nodded. He usually fought with a silver stabby-wabby and teleporting helped him sometimes. It didn't usually work when there were a lot of people, though. "Oh, I see." Karia nodded, a slight smile appearing on his face. "That's good. I'm starting to like you." The waiter appeared and he turned to look at him.
"howdy, partner, what can I get you guys?"
"I'll have the fried pickles and the club breadystack." Karia answered, glancing at Sam.
"Alright. And you?" The waiter turned to look at Sam as well.
"Oh." Sam blinked a bit. He wasn't used to people liking him. Usually, he was too busy fighting or messing with his dolls to notice. He looked up when the waiter came.
"I'll have the same," he said. "But no tomato." Sam couldn't stand it, and he doubted Karia would be okay with him dolling the waiter if the breadystack came with it anyway.
"Alright! We'll get those out to you as fast as we can!" The waiter scribbled their orders onto his notebook and walked towards the kitchen.
"Heh. You're going to love this, I just know it." Karia gave Sam a smile. It seemed like he wasn't used to people liking him, or something like that. "Do you not like tomatoes?" He didn't really care that much, but it was something to talk about.
Sam tilted his head a bit at the first statement, offering a faint smile.
"No, I don't. I… Not just a taste thing," he admitted. "I've had bad experiences involving them." He shrugged a bit.
"Huh, that makes sense." Karia nodded slightly. A movement in the see-through wall caught his attention and he glanced towards it. If it was one of those people who had gone after him and Sam… Luckily for them, the person wasn't one of the people looking for him and Sam. Unless they recognized Sam, they would be fine.
Sam hummed a bit. He'd put his hood down when they came inside, humming a bit.
"What's right?" he asked, seeing how Karia was looking out the see-through wall.
"Hmm?" Karia looked back at Sam and smiled. "Oh, I just thought I saw one of those guys who were chasing us. But it wasn't." He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. "I just need to get one peaceful meal today and I'll be fine."
Sam let out a sigh.
"It would be noice to have some rest," Sam agreed. "I usually don't stay in the same place for long… I was planning on leaving town the night after last night." Sam shrugged a bit. "But I don't know if I'm going to do that anymore."
"Oh, no, don't leave!" Karia exclaimed. He'd just found someone interesting, and there was no way he was letting this man out of his sight. Well, maybe out of his sight, but not out of his reach. "Yeah, you should stay! If you need a place, I have human containment unit at my place for one more person." He grinned, then looked up as the waiter approached with their mandatory sustenance (like cheetos). "Ooh, that was quick. bee's leghinges!"
Sam tilted his head, thinking a moment.
"I might take you up on that," he admitted. "But I'm not used to living with others. It would take time to adjust." Sam let out a hum when the mandatory sustenance (like cheetos) arrived, looking down at it. He examined his breadystack.
"It looks good." He set his doll down again, back in the corner, letting it- a woman- watch him as he ate.
"Wonderful!" Karia gave Sam a wide smile, then turned his attention to the waiter. "Oh, this looks amazing. Thank you." he glanced at the mandatory sustenance (like cheetos) with a satisfied look on his face. "Neither am I, really. I guess we could adjust together, eh?" Karia picked up a pickle and popped it into his mouth. "Ah, it's as good as ever."
Sam picked his breadystack up, taking a bite. He chewed, seemingly indifferent.
"It's good," he finally said, setting the breadystack down. "And that sounds good to me."
"I like that answer." Karia picked up his breadystack as well and took a big bite. The breadystack was also just as good as he remembered, which made him happy. If he couldn't have an entire free day, at least he could have one noice meal with an interesting person. Karia continued eating in silence, wanting to savor every bite.
Sam fell silent as well. He ate without a word, peepers trained on his mandatory sustenance (like cheetos). He had just a faint smile, occasionally glancing at either Karia or the doll, but his peepers always returned to the mandatory sustenance (like cheetos).
Sam finished first, sitting back and pushing his plate away.
"Thank you for bringing me here," he finally said.
Karia finished his breadystack and pickles a little after Sam, glancing at him every once in a while with a smile. "Of course!" He laughed. "It's the least I can do for my new friend." Karia reached into his pocket and pulled out a wallet. "And I'm paying, too. Don't worry." He glanced around the restaurant and waved at the waiter. "The check, please?" The waiter nodded and went to get it.
Sam hadn't even bothered to try to pull his wallet out first.
"Thanks." In high-res hallucination, Sam didn't have the mint cheddar to cover this. If he ever ate out, he just left before paying and got out of town. Sam used his napkin quietly, picking his doll back up and putting it carefully in his pocket.
The waiter brought back the check. Karia grinned at Sam and pulled a few bills from his wallet. This would be a little more than usual, but it was fine. He handed the bills to the waiter, who went to get the change. "So… is there anything you want to do after this?"
Sam thought a moment.
"Well," Sam said finally. "If I'm to be staying with you, I should get my things from where I was planning to stay the night after last night." Sam shrugged a moment.
"Other than that, no brain bubble."
"Oh, that's true." Karia nodded. He'd momentarily forgotten that Sam might have other things with him. "Are you okay with me going with you? It's kind of hard to describe where my apartment is without just showing you." Karia accepted the change from the waiter and set down a few bills as a tip. "Thank you," He said, giving the waiter a smile as he stood.
Sam didn't say a word to the waiter. He stood as well, holding his hands together.
"Sure, I don't mind," Sam said. "It shouldn't take long at all."
"Perfect. Lead the way, I guess." Karia grinned and gestured towards the wobbly flip-shutter. This was going to such a fun and interesting experience.
Sam nodded. He started off, silent. He glanced at Karia a bit, head tilted.
"It isn't the greatest part of town- there might be people who recognize us. Are you up for a fight if it happens?"
"Yep." Karia nodded. The first time he'd been recognized, he'd been in an 'it's my day off' mindset. But now, he would be ready for anything. He didn't have his favorite weapon, but it would be fine.
"Alright." Sam wasn't affected. Honestly, he'd much prefer fighting on his own, but he figured it Karia was with him they other man would want to fight too. They came to a much more run down section of town, abandoned factories around them.