Welcome to The Duality of Man, an original animanga role-play that features numerous supernatural creatures. Unfortunately, these various species have distanced themselves because of the war that occurred thousands of years ago, plaguing some with eyes that only see their dualism. While others meddle themself with their differences, two groups fight, each attempting to eliminate the other in for their definition of worldly peace. These two groups of the Terror Response Syndicate (TRS) and the Assembly of Phantoms (AP). With individuals fighting merely over their differences, it brings uncertainty to the outcome of this war.
We happily accept all role-players as long as they obey the rules and are capable of meeting our word count of 50. This does include those who are unfamiliar with this style of role-playing. The staff of The Duality of Man are willing to happily help those who are new to the role-playing world so they feel comfortable on site. Feel free to message the staff if you need help, they can be found here or in the site Discord and will gladly answer questions alongside calm concerns. If you have any suggestions we would love to hear them; guests may use the support board as a suggestion area as well. Should you decide to join, may I say welcome to the site and we all hope you enjoy your time here.
Yours Truely,
The Staff
season
Summer 2024
Heat has broken through into a glorious summer. The snow has entirely dried through the spring, leaving to the brilliance of the warmer months. Terror activity has risen as people are brought out of their homes, leaving the TRS in a position of consistent work. Each are attempting to maintain victory in the endless struggle for power.
Since the wonderful members of TDOM enjoy the site enough to play around on it, this thread is to assist with the site's tidying! Functionality is important and we want to make the site functional even if its activity will be minimal at best!
There was constant irritation in hearing the valley girl voices which seemed to be nails grinding on a chalkboard for Dexter. The obnoxious tones were immensely annoying for the introvert who preferred the calming peace of smaller groups. Masking the intense hatred for flashy wealthy folks was difficult for the redhead considering his own riches and attitude towards the display. His parents had taught him respect towards those who were perhaps less fortunate or maintained a mere common wealth compared to their family, thus resulting in the redheaded introvert viewing this as an insult to high-classed society. There were always these sorts of wealthy individuals who felt necessity in constant flaunting, but Dexter could never comprehend why they desired to appear as a pompous being to everybody they passed.
An annoyed groan escaped the redhead's lips while his gaze shifted towards Maxi and witnessed the grin on his face. A moment was spent staring before Dexter bashfully glanced away with his heart fluttering immensely from the display. Being capable of viewing a smile on his acquaintance's face was generating emotions of nervousness and affection in the redhead since seeing the essence of the small grin was breath taking. The enthusiasm hinted in Maxi's voice caused his heart to suddenly skip as the redhead enjoyed the amusement his company was finding in the display. The possible mockery remained unnoticed as Dexter's mind became fixated on the thought of making the blue-haired beauty smile, almost as though the grin was a necessity to his own happiness. Gradually, a tiny smile crossed Dexter's face over the concept of making the adorable man smile, a nod acting as his answer towards leaving due to his own speechlessness over sparking joy in his company.
As they began leaving the cafe in search of a quieter refuge amidst the seemingly endless maze of knowledge-filled books, Dexter remained closely behind Maxi. His yellow eyes scanned the various shelves featured in the library's literature section. There was a wonderful peace within the center of calming surroundings, Dexter's mind finding relaxation from merely viewing the numerous books. The novel he picked remained tucked beneath his left arm while he continued following Maxi, his eyes flitting around the establishment while his heart kept the rhythm of excitement. The concept of gaining the opportunity to read alongside the attractive man was making Dexter overjoyed. Admittedly, he was beginning to crave Maxi's attention despite the short amount of time spent alongside the spectacular man who was guiding him smoothly through the maze that was the Lorsette Public Library. There was a pause as the pair reached the catalog kiosk, Dexter watching carefully as his company's fingers glided smoothly across the holographic screen.
Shortly, Maxi addressed him politely, inquiring about if he had any form of literature in mind. Despite the action merely being courteous, Dexter had difficulty not finding the question oddly sweet.
"Uh... J-just pick what you want," he responded nervously. "You wanted to do this... so you deserve to pick."
There was an immense desire to maintain happiness in Maxi, thus the redhead decided to allow his company to pick the novel, however, a thought lingered about being capable of reading any novel with this beautiful man being satisfactory. All Dexter desired in the current situation was to gain more time learning about this marvelous individual who he, by some miracle, managed to initiate conversation with.
- - because it's difficult to find people who understand.
Maxi's expression cleansed itself of all amusement for a moment, glancing back at him with a single eye beholding bewilderment for the man's continued flexibility. Maxi saw through this flexibility as a mere return of courtesy, and it made him give an even more touched smile. Normally, the young writer would be annoyed with resistance to his own consideration, but Dexter portrayed it in a manner which he perceived as nobly attractive; and this wasn't counting that there was a gravitating sensation of which Dexter acted as the source of. It was almost magnetic, and he couldn't help but feel drawn in. He wasn't so much allured physically as he was emotionally, since the temptation for physical closeness was overridden by his anxiety.
Nonetheless, the Battle for Kindness wouldn't be lost so easily. With a smug look on his face, he stepped backwards a distance away and stuck his hand out in gesture towards the kiosk. "Oh, but I insist. Feel free to select a genre. I'm quite flexible when it comes to books... besides nonfictional pieces of course," he persisted, folding his hands behind his back and lifting up on his tippy toes for a mere moment to soak up their next possible response whether it be jest, stubborn denial or submission. This would allow him to get a estimate of just how far Dexter would go before he'd accept another person's act of kindness, or enforce his own in place. Maxi's experiment sacrificed his own nerves for the sake of getting to know the redhead better, since there was a lingering concern that his stubbornness would drive the other man away.
As a result, Maxi had caved in to his worries and so he had quickly brought up some possible suggestions based on what may seem interesting to share among two individuals. "A mystery could provide enough suspense for us to discuss. Either that or a story containing some kind of allegory or obscure interpretation for us to decipher. I don't know what's interesting to you exactly, but I'm just giving some ideas off the top of my head for... good discussions," he said, and shortly after thought to himself, I put that in the most wordy way possible... I bet he's laughing at my literate language. Rubbing the back of his head, he looked away sheepishly as he thought about the possible words, with an echoing sound, reverberating through the other man's head. The ideas made him cringe so badly that he was almost cramping from the need to curl up and hide.
The adorable essence that Maxi held was causing Dexter's nervous emotions to skyrocket. These sudden desires that ambushed him were unfamiliar, although, bore a strange similarity to the ones his grandparents dreamed of him possessing. This inclination to spend an immense amount of time with somebody accompanied with anxieties, self-conscious thoughts and uncertainty drew connections to the fantasies his grandparents would constant converse about. The concept remained strange, the redhead avoiding eye contact from the mere presence of those overwhelming thoughts that caused his heart to flutter. Faint hints of red coloured his cheeks and bridged across his nose as his eyes continued staring at the carpet below. After a few moments, a glance towards his company was taken, Dexter easily noticing the smile on the blue-haired man's face.
Witnessing the smile caused his eyes to linger again, the concept of making Maxi happy sparking emotions of joyful pride. The insistence for him to pick the book genre remained which surprised Dexter. There was a kindness in granting him the permission to choose the literary topic, but the redhead wanted Maxi to remain comfortable. A majority of the books that the redheaded introvert were aware of consisted of horror topics, which from conversing with his fellow introvert, he discovered the man was not the biggest fan of; he also wanted to avoid terrorizing Maxi with a scary story.
"I... um... I appreciate it, but I can't think of anything," Dexter responded, an awkward laugh following.
The response remained an excuse for the redhead not to select novel, although, detecting the excuse was easy. A sheepish smile crossed Dexter's face as he bashfully glanced away from the attractive man he was attempting to interact with. Embarrassment over his previous sentences was increasing as his yellow eyes returned to the carpet. There were prayers that perhaps the redhead could be educated in social conversation considering his own lacking in knowledge. Never had there been a moment that required social grace and for words to smoothly drift through his lips. The wish appeared pathetic, but Dexter found himself craving the capability to converse with ease to the wonderful man who stood in front of him. When Maxi began suggesting certain genres alongside various other literary terms, the redhead found his eyes slowly drifting back towards the handsome man.
The amount of literary terms that Maxi employ impressed Dexter, causing the man's yellow eyes to spark with admiration. Listening to this spectacular man speak about literature possessed an endearing factor to the redhead.
"Well, either works for me to be honest... Maybe we should start with mystery first and see how it goes? It has the suspense you enjoy and some mystery books can get a little scarier at times," Dexter suggested gently.
Embarrassing himself because of his own rustiness in literary terms was something that the redhead was attempting to avoid; especially since Maxi appeared advanced in the study. There was a strange necessity to impress the adorable blue-haired man which never appeared. Once again, Dexter's eyes drifted towards the floor as he found himself enveloped in thoughts on how and why this man managed to become so significant in a small amount of time.
- - because it's difficult to find people who understand.
First a blink, and then a rise of the eyebrows. Blasphemy smeared the young man's facial expression. Perhaps I was wrong? he wondered to himself disappointedly in regard to their response. No, surely he was merely being kind... Of course, Maxi chose to give him the benefit of the doubt that he was genuinely confused. It didn't matter either way, but he did prefer not making the decision on his on. After all, it made him feel selfish even though they expressed a preference for him to choose instead. Instead of abstaining any further, he took his input into consideration and stepped forward to enter the mystery category of the catalogue. There were hundreds or more to select from, and the number of pages proved to be exceptionally daunting. Oh no... decisions... and far too much of a selection... The idea already had him starting to stress out.
"A-Alright... let's s... see..." he murmured beneath his breath idly as his finger swiped across the holographic screen of magical energy. The male's eyes darted back and forth between titles, trying to fix on ones that sounded particularly interesting or gave him a quick idea of what it might be about. This simple but ignorant approach wasn't viable but he knew they didn't have the time to stand around all day perusing hundreds of pages worth of titles. "How about... this one?" he finally stated in an almost hurried expunge of breath, gesturing him over momentarily and pointing at a dark-covered title. "Wired. That's an interesting title, isn't it?"
Maxi clicked on it and skimmed over it's short synopsis. "Based on a true story, and the setting has the same name as our city here. I think it gives off a thrilling vibe!" he commented optimistically, rubbing the back of his head and glancing back at Dexter nervously in hopes that he'd approve of the choice. Generously, he offered him the details of the story as he read from the description. "The story is multi-perspective. There's multiple main characters. I really do hope that won't be a confusing feature for us as readers, but seeing as it's a murder mystery it could be pulled off very well," he thought aloud.
Maxi memorized the title of the story, and continued forward through the catalogue. He wanted to find at least one more possible story for them both to select from. Another title and description came eventually: Red, a story investigating an infamous killer named The Lady in Red, reaping havoc across a metropolis garbed completely in a tattered red dress and a more personal motive and pattern between each of her victims. "This also sounds like an interesting murder mystery. I notice the mainstream mystery is a murder mystery... but I'll admit, being on the edge of your seat over something you don't know in a story is pretty thrilling..." he rambled on unconsciously. Self-consciously, he looked over at the other male and frantically scratched the back of his head. "U-Uhhh... ne-nevermind my little inputs... did one strike your fancy?"
Allowing Maxi to pick the literature piece felt like the correct path, although, Dexter was shortly hurled into uncertainty when the attractive male responded. Perhaps pushing his companion towards picking was a horrible idea which made the redhead feel guilty for not merely taking the burden himself. Although, the bespectacled man was indecisive with reading material outside of the horror genre considering his personal lack of knowledge in the subject. Furthermore, he found himself intimidated by the extensive literary expertise and desired to avoid embarrassing himself with a choice that would disappoint the blue-haired man. Embarrassed and guilt ridden, Dexter kept his gaze averted while his companion step forward to begin the decision making process. Hesitantly, the redhead followed, glancing from the side at the catalog while Maxi's fingers hovered over the screen.
Being fairly close to the attractive man caused Dexter's heart to flutter uncontrollable in delight. Why was his body reacting so strangely to Maxi's presence? It was an inquiry that the redhead was unable to answer. Shortly, the screen filled with numerous selections which caused Dexter's eyes to widen; he was honestly only familiar with the extensive horror section. Titles had consumed the screen, each begging to be chosen for reading material. When a few words stuttered from Maxi's lips, the yellow eyes of the redhead flitted towards him. There was uncertainty over whether it was their close proximity or indecisiveness, but nonetheless, Dexter shuffled a little further from the man. When the first title was discovered, the bespectacled man narrowly resisted the urge to lean closer to gain an improved view.
"Wired? Definitely sounds like an interesting title," Dexter responded.
The comment was simple, said purely out of instinct. Silently, the redhead listened to the explanation, his eyes drifting to Maxi and lingering for a few moments. The optimism was peculiarly pleasant to hear considering numerous days were filled with his own pessimistic words. When the blue-haired man nervously glanced towards him, Dexter immediately averted his eyes, feeling embarrassed for the moment of staring. A light red touched Dexter's cheeks, remaining hidden by his stripped glasses. When the explanation was finished, the redhead provided a sheepish smile and a nod of acknowledgement. At the mentioning of the next title, Dexter leaned in closer to read over the description of the story. For a few moments, his eyes were glued to the screen until he finished the section of reading. It was then that he heard Maxi's rambling which returned his eyes towards the attractive man, watching the gentle movements of his face while he spoke. The nervous response afterwards made the redhead lift an eyebrow.
"Honestly, I like hearing your input. You seem to know a lot more about literature than I do," Dexter admitted, embarrassment touching his tone. "Anyways, as said, I am okay with either. If there is one you prefer, go ahead and say it. I will admit though, the second one may be best just to avoid confusion since we have never done this before... and besides... if we want to continue this we could always go back and find the other one."
The suggestion was stated nervously, causing the redhead's yellow eyes to flit towards the floor bashfully. The concept of being able to be around Maxi more caused Dexter's heart to continue fluttering. It pounded against his ribs, infecting his breathing by forcing him to maintain slow, extensive breaths to calm himself. There were emotions of joy in the notion, making everything in the library feel brighter in comparison and occupying his thoughts with possible future activities he could do with the blue-haired man.
- - because it's difficult to find people who understand.
The positive response to Wired had encouraged Maxi to retrace his steps right back to the in-depth detail page of the title in question. The blue-haired male personally liked the sound of this one, as complicated as it sounded like it could get. Judging by the 4.5 star rating on it, it had to introduce this multi-perspective approach decently to have a positive rating like this overall. However, the continuation of Dexter's input brought second thoughts and reconsideration. Maxi switched back to the descriptive page for The Lady in Red. Five stars signified the book's success with more than a majority of critics, lifting the author's eyebrows with interest. "Well, it looks like you have better taste than even I do. I haven't even realized the difference in ratings," he commented teasingly, taking the book number and section into account and closing out of the kiosk.
Stepping away from the large magical device, he gestured Dexter with a wave to follow him. This great library was one that was very easy to get completely lost in; even with the many directional plates mounted as a guide. Fortunately, Maxi had this labyrinth of wisdom mapped out in his head from his multiple ventures throughout each and every aisle over the short time of his life. "R251," he repeated aloud beneath his breath to get it stuck circulating in his long-term memory cache. The hunt for the book may take a short period of time, zeroing in on the exact location of it in the mystery section based on alphabetical arrangement, and book number by numerical place. 200, 50, then 1.
A memorized pattern of steps lead them into the mystery sections of the maze, and from here he skimmed the shelves and signs for traces to lead them directly into the 200 shelves of the R category. With a sleight of hand, he pinched a spine that he immediately caught bearing the mark of their target, sliding it out and holding it up with a bright smile on his face. "Got it," he stated in a mildly triumphant tone, and reached to the shelf for a second copy. The library was known to carry up to four copies of each book due to the vast population of the city. It's one of the most convenient parts about this library, in contrast to the most inconvenient layout of it (for those who are not already accustomed to the system of it).
Politely, he held the second copy out to the male with bated anxiety as he did so. This gesture seemed overly fond, along with the expressions he had been throwing Dexter. I hope he doesn't get any wrong ideas about me... he thought to himself subconsciously, before realizing that he had held it out to the male without even so much as uttering a single word as an alibi for his offer. The male's face twisted, eyes looking away in embarrassment for his negligence and he stammered, "A-Ahh... he-h-... here, I can uh, sign out both of them with my library card if you'd like," he suggested generously, holding his own copy close to him with a paramount insecurity. "U-Uh... so anyway... where would you like to take the pleasure of reading these? Oh and... did you want to read together or read separately and stop at certain points?" The question was for the other to decide entirely, since he himself didn't mind either decision. Though, the first choice sounded much more appealing- so enticing that it had his breath stagnant in response to the possibility of creeping them out at even proposing it as a option.
There were numerous thoughts drifting through Dexter's head while he remained beside the attractive man he had discovered. This fortune that had been granted was a divine marvel which generated surprise from the redhead. A few moments were spared to stare at Maxi, the bespectacled man's eyes fixating on the glorious person who had kindly gifted him the opportunity to remain in his presence. There was a strange essence that seemed to radiate off the anxious man that was alluring to Dexter. The sublime appearance that Maxi possessed was incredible, beautiful and breath-taking. Time appeared to slow around him as the redhead absorbed every emotion and sensation that transcended him during the situation, his yellow eyes continuing to remain locked. Despite their interaction being brief, the bespectacled man already found divinity in the adorable, nervous attitude.
Initially, the humor-based comment remained unnoticed as the redhead found himself mesmerized by Maxi. Silence hung before Dexter realized the awkwardness he was possibly creating as a result. A sheepish countenance hastily arrived onto the redheaded introvert's face before he glanced away. Faints hint of pink touched Dexter's as blood rushed towards them as a result of his immense embarrassment. An anxious laugh escaped his lips while his yellow eyes stared at the floor while desperately attempting to fight the fluster.
"Oh, please, you're probably a lot better at it than me... I just picked the simplest one," he admitted bashfully.
The redhead's heart rate elevated from the nervous admittance of simplicity, a flinch crossing his expression for a moment. Why did he have to admit that? The reasoning stated prior about gradually easing into the concept of reading together would have been ample and possessed a better logic. When the gesture arrived, Dexter followed behind Maxi as they weaved through the maze of book-filled shelves. His eyes would occasionally flit through the shelves in curiosity, his gaze lingering on Maxi's form during the following. Courage had deteriorated slightly, Dexter finding extreme difficultly to attempt walking beside Maxi as he searched. Shelves passed, the redhead's eyes glancing over the golden coloured plaques adorned with chiseled names designed to provide direction. Once the book was discovered and fetched by Maxi, the bespectacled man's eyes flitted back towards him, witnessing the beautiful triumphant smile that resulted in his own lips twitching up into one.
There was pleasure in seeing Maxi smile that warmed the redhead's heart, making the faint grin broaden and his heart flutter in delight. Grins were reassuring in the situation, allowing for a steady growth in confidence for Dexter while he reached out to retrieve the book that the blue-haired beauty offered him. The quietness remained unnoticed, not perturbing the redhead due to his anticipations for gaining the opportunity to be included in this literary delving with the adorable man he met. The generous offer brought a soft appearance to Dexter's eyes as he glanced at his companion while red lightly painting his own delicate cheeks. The anxious attitude that this stranger possessed while he offered to sign out both books caused heart palpitations; there was a charm to the bashful behavior. Sheepishly, the redhead's gaze returned to the floor while a faint smile touched his lips.
"It's alright, I have to sign out my other book anyways," he responded. "I also wouldn't want to get you in trouble if I become forgetful or something happens to the book."
The notion of accidentally causing trouble for the wonderful man who accompanied him made Dexter's heart ache; allowing that to occur would be a sin. When the methods of reading mentioned, the reddish tint darkened a few shades across the redhead's cheeks. Nervously, he scratched the back of his head while his other arm held the pair of books; the one secretly written by his company and The Lady in Red.
"Well, I am okay with either to be honest... but I would enjoy if we read together," Dexter answered nervously.
A sheepish smile remained on the bespectacled man's lips, his yellow eyes refusing to attempt eye contact. There were anxious emotions ravaging his mind, making interacting with the divine blue-haired man incredibly difficult.
- - because it's difficult to find people who understand.
The ginger's reasoning against his offer was acceptable, but a bit too demeaning of themselves to completely settle him. Forgetfulness is a struggle but it is by no means a fault of a person's character. It was something that was helpless and oftentimes incapable of being remedied. "Oh please," he countered lightheartedly, with a new surge of confidence to speak against the male's claim. "I am sure you're not so forgetful. But nonetheless I understand your concern. I'd be hypocritical to say otherwise, yes?" he said almost cheerily, his body language leaning him forward in an intimately open fashion. Only after did he freeze up in awe at this sudden determination which inspired his communication. Perhaps he was much better at consoling and reassuring than he was at formally communicating? It was enough to baffle him, and shrink him back into his former place of shyness.
"A-Ahh... let's just go check these out shall we?" he said, glancing down at the intricate crimson illustration of the book's smooth cover. With a nervous skip in his step, he took the time to lead them both out of the labyrinth of infinite knowledge and into the open where the desks and tables existed, and averted his path right towards the front desk. On the way, Dexter had done a well job of making the cyan-haired novelist crush himself in embarrassment. The quoted word, "together". had him a great several degrees of flustered. Images began racing through his head; strange images of them in such a hazy-white and pure perspective. He could not say the imagery was disturbing, but rather pleasant. That was just the thing that was disturbing though. The justification of such an eerie, intimate picture. I'm overthinking this too much... but what is wrong with my chest...? he squeezed his eyes shut, his rib-cage pounding against his fleshy shell with an oomph that rivaled mortar blasts. Light-headedness set in, and a heavy breathing.
One, two, three, four... he counted mentally. It was a desperate action taken to alleviate this overload, otherwise he feared facing a panic attack.
The young writer had been able to quell his aggravated anxiety with the basic practice he had learned previously in counseling. There was a time that he disbelieved such a simple tactic could be so useful in defeating oncoming panic. Now, though it doesn't work all the time, he still makes it his first act of emergency at the threat of meltdown. Timing was convenient as well, as he had opened his eyes in front of the main desk, nearly stumbling into it. Fortunately, the librarian had only just looked up at him from her screen as his lids had peeled.
"Yet another sign out, Maxi? You're here so often, you might as well work here," she suggested with a smile on her face. The way she looked at him was awfully embarrassing. Maxi was aware of his overly frequent visits here but he didn't think she'd actually play with the idea teasingly, even less recall his name immediately upon seeing him.
"I've been considering it but... I have a bit on my plate at the moment," he lied in a nonchalantly shameless manner. The truth was that he didn't think he had the patience to be working in a library all day without reading, writing or doing anything else other than sitting around and doing work. Not to mention, he has multiple different writing and poetic projects going on at the same time and he wants to make sure his updates showing promising quality. The woman took the book and checked it out for him without using his card, already having had his account up to do it manually as he had been that regular of a sight.
Stepping aside, he had allowed Dexter his own turn at the desk and she treated him with an equivalent smile and courtesy. "Would you like to start reading the book right away? If so, where would be a space you'd be most comfortable reading?" he asked considerately, indicating that he had the freedom to choose any place in the world for them to enjoy a compelling story.
Allowing for Maxi to get into trouble because of his forgetfulness or something damaging the innocent book seemed incredibly sinful in Dexter's eyes. This sweet young man was willing to spend time with him and the redhead would not complain nor would he risk upsetting him. Besides, whatever this peculiar set of emotions were, Dexter found it oddly thrilling and incredible. These unusual emotions were causing a small smile to cross the bespectacled man's lips as he spent time with Maxi. The lighthearted response made the corners of Dexter's lips twitch, widening the grin as he gazed at the blue-haired man with a softness in his eyes. There was a spontaneous confidence, which oddly warmed the redhead's heart to see; almost as though there was a newfound comfort in his company.
The kindness in the words was pleasant since after the fraudulent activities he participated in, benevolence transformed into a rarity oftentimes only granted where professionalism remained a necessity. Carefully, the redhead pushed his glassed closer, making certain his grip on the book was firm. The slight undertones of cheerfulness in the words was alluring, generating a comfort within the mingling of nervousness and happiness.
"Well the offer is sweet, I don't want to get you in trouble," Dexter insisted. "I do appreciate the offer though, so thank-you, but I won't make you do that. Besides, if something unexpected happens and the book gets damaged, you could get blamed for it."
After a few moments, Dexter noticed the openness in body language that Maxi was surprisingly displaying. There were slight notes of intimacy in appearance, making a faint red touch the redhead's cheek. Certainly, he was reading into this incorrectly, right? The concept of somebody even implying the possibility of an intimate relationship remained foreign to the former criminal, leaving him lost in unfamiliarity. Flirting seemed impossible and properly displaying his affection was an entirely new ballpark making the concept of romance and love appear inconceivable for him. A brief nod was provided in response to heading towards the sign-out, a small grin on his face as Maxi returned to bashfulness; it was adorable. There was hesitation as he followed Maxi out of the maze, his thoughts suddenly lingering on the concept of romance. Were these peculiar emotions linked to love?
Mere thought surged blood to Dexter's cheeks as his thoughts began immediately refusing the notion. There was no possibility he could have been held by the soft hands of affection. Despite the denial, the thoughts lingered, the redhead's yellow eyes taking a moment to scrutinize Maxi's attractive form before sheepishly retreated to the book cover. Instead of pondering further, Dexter distracted his thoughts and mind by fixating on the intricate red cover of the chosen novel. The redhead's own thoughts resulted in him missing the fluster he created for the blue-haired man by invoking the word 'together'. The word itself appeared to gain a special definition given the situation, creating emotions of fluster upon use. The distance between the pair and the sign-out desk closed, Dexter watching as Maxi signed out his book first. The friendly banter that transpired between the librarian and Maxi seemed pleasant, especially since the redhead was met with an awkward silence. A majority of citizens rarely provided interactions aside from the mandatory, this woman either being aware of his introverted attitude or criminal past.
Once the book was signed out, Dexter hastily took it, providing a quick thanks before joining Maxi. Regret flickered momentarily in the redhead's yellow eyes as he wished people would forget the numerous crimes committed during his younger years. Unfortunately, they had only ceased recently and the wealth of his family allowed the news to remain a hot topic throughout the months. When the blue-haired man inquired him about the reading, Dexter forced a smile and nodded an answer to the first question.
"We could look around the shelves. There was a few tables and I imagine it would be quieter than the cafe," Dexter responded.
A momentary glance was given towards the cafe, Dexter spotting the pair of annoying girls through the glass. Returning there remained out of the question considering the redhead refused to listen to the stereotypical valley girl voices. Slowly, his gaze returned to Maxi while he waited for an answer.
- - because it's difficult to find people who understand.
Maxi thought about Dexter's suggestion. While he was not entirely fond of reading at the library, due to his dislike for being out in open and public space, he supposed he could make an exception solely for the redhead. This was his first time having a reading partner, and it was also only his first day knowing this man, so the behaviors he portrayed and the decisions he'd make would be the most impressionable now rather than later.
The blue-haired boy nodded his head, and provided a clean smile. "That sounds good. Let's find a seat," he ushered in a soft tone, gesturing for him along at his side in an attempt to begin leading them over to one of the many open areas throughout the library. They'd have to wind through the labyrinth a bit, but Maxi intended on a seating area that was more unseated at than most of them due to it's distant position from the library's main entrance. As if that weren't enough seclusion from others, he gave a look at a small table in the corner of the area, hugging closer to the shelves containing one of the many nonfiction sections. It's no wonder there were not many people here, as nonfiction was not exactly a common interest.
Maxi pulled out two chairs; one for Dexter, and another for himself adjacent from one another. Taking his seat, he had set the book down and opened up the book, skimming over the pages to check the page count for it and ensure there weren't any signs of poor care such as folds in the pages corners suggesting the lack of a proper bookmark."So... I've never really... done anything like this before..." he murmured shamefully beneath his breath, twiddling his thumbs over and under each other anxious. His pulse climbed once more, and his eyes wandered frantically as though avoiding Dexter's. "How would you like to go about this?"
Being captivated by Maxi's appearance made it difficult for Dexter to disagree to any plans the blue-haired beauty possessed. There was simply something supernatural about him, beyond what everybody witnessed of powers and creatures observed in everyday life. This abnormal connection the redhead would fail to explain drew him close and brought these strange motions to his heart and created new types of temptations. When a smile touched his company's lips, Dexter easily reciprocated the action while his heartbeat elevated for a moment in joy. Witnessing Maxi smile was sublime, it was a rewarding sight to see an expression of happiness on the bashful man's face. At the mentioning of finding a seat, the redhead provided a nod while the corners of his lips remained drawn upwards. There was a moment spent watching Maxi as he led the way, Dexter admiring the short man which delayed him noticing the gesture to follow alongside the blue-haired man. For a fleeting moment, panic crossed the bespectacled man's face as he took a few hasty steps to catch up to Maxi.
[break][break]
Once he managed to catch up, the redhead adjusted to match the short man's stride. The book was held close to Dexter's chest, his yellow eyes locking onto Maxi while a soft smile touched his lips. They travelled through the shelves of books, the redhead finding it difficult to pry his gaze from the blue-haired man. There was never an instance where these sorts of feelings would surface, Dexter finding himself lost and constantly having to remind himself that staring was not polite. Eventually, they arrived in the further corners of the library, the redhead glancing towards the quiet table in the nonfiction section of the library. Chairs were provided, the blue-haired man being hasty to set up their location without assistance. When everything appeared prepared, Dexter took his seat next to Maxi, his eyes taking an occasional glance towards Maxi. The inquiry surprised the redhead, his eyes fixating on the blue-haired man before flitting towards the book.
[break][break]
"Well... I am not too sure," Dexter mumbled, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "We could do it by chapter, maybe?"
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There were similar objectives done while the redhead was in school, the teachers usually assigning chapters of a novel before sending the class off. Furthermore, Dexter clung to the hope that perhaps a copious amount of chapters were compiled in the book to allow for ample time to speak with Maxi. While the bespectacled man could enjoy books, he still desired to speak with his charming acquaintance.
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The male’s response suggested unsurity, making aware of his inexperience with this sort of thing just as Maxi was. The writer couldn’t lie to himself that this was awkward and tedious considering the circumstances; the unfamiliarity between them, the social inadequacy, and something else they shared in their behavior patterns at the moment. Anxiety? Bashfulness? Uncertainty? He couldn’t quite place his finger on it.
Nevertheless, he casually (but discreetly, by doing so closer to his main body than out in the open) made a series of motions in the air with his finger almost as if he were doing scripture or signing a signature. Turn, and the book had flipped a few pages on its own past the front pages and straight to the beginning of the first chapter. It was thoughtless thing that Maxi did to open books at times, usually in response to a recent papercut he receives from books on occasion.
“That works for me,” he affirmed happily, eager to dive into the story. “Let’s read the first chapter independently, seeing as it’s likely going to introduce the first pieces of the story; main character, setting and maybe the beginning of the plot.”
With that said, he had gently grasped the book with a single hand and a flexible thumb between the pages, brought it closer to his face and began to read in silence. Maxi felt strong, indescribable things about the ginger male, but when it came to reading, it was difficult for him to pay heed to anything around him since he seeks out the essence and multitudes of meanings that lie hidden, dependent on perception, within the words of text.
Even when he is reading text messages, he often finds himself caught up in detecting the meanings and emotions behind their messages based on word choice, context and what he knows of the person; his anxiety compels him to do this for the sake of avoiding conflict and worrying about someone, or even being available for a person to know when they are in a notable mood.
Quietly, he took in every single word of the pages. It’s likely that no one ever sees him as concentrated as he is when he is nose-deep in a story. So far, by the expressions he made, Maxi was clearly impressed with the starting chapter. Mentally, he was processing the purpose in the author’s word choice, the ideas they had in mind when writing this and already he could tell that the writer had a attachment to this main character by the way he presented him with such vivid imagery which gave you a chilling instinct to venerate their admirability.
Undoubtedly, with how thorough Maxi habitually read (even though he could read far faster than that), he definitely would have finished later than Dexter without even realizing it. With the combined effort of the rest of his dainty, delicate fingers, he closed the book onto his thumb as a book marker. Noticing the male was finished, his brows raised and lips tucked in for safety.
”S-Sorry! I m-might have taken my time with it and… analyzed it too much…” he apologized, pupils steering away from him bashfully. "Are... you ready to talk about it...?"
There was something oddly intimidating about the capabilities Maxi displayed earlier in literary terms. While Dexter enjoyed his share of books, he rarely thoroughly imagined thought-processes or used the literary terms from high school English classes. Alas, the redhead was mesmerized by the stranger’s beauty and behaviour; he needed to accomplish this for a few more precious minutes of time. There was an addictive quality to Maxi’s presence that resulted in a thrilling sensation transcending over Dexter. He could hardly describe the gathering emotions generated from the blue-haired man; he simply had a wonderful vibe about him. Despite their initial interactions being rather bashful and awkward, Dexter found himself invested. As their plan for tackling the book was formulated, the redhead attempted to gather knowledge on various literary terms he managed to remember; he did not want Maxi thinking he was ignorant to literacy. When the blue-hair man began writing in the air, Dexter watched with a lifted brow. Magically, the book opened past the additional pages, the text of the first chapter being displayed across the off-white pages. Immediately, the redhead’s eyes widened in surprise at the incredible power Maxi used.
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Admittedly, Dexter was impressed despite the seemingly mundane practice; he had never witnessed a unique ability similar to what Maxi displayed. There were some thoughts taken towards the capabilities the blue-haired man’s ability could possess. Writing commanding words into the air to manipulate the environment around him was an interesting notion that stunned Dexter’s imagination.
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“Whoa…” He murmured out sub-consciously.
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The confirmation from Maxi was nearly missed as the redhead remained mystified by the gifted man’s capabilities; all he could do was merely control darkness. A simple twitch of shadows, walls and, if fortunate enough to possess the energy, a draining teleportation process. Once Dexter noticed his adorable companion’s fixation on the book, his eyes widened as he fumbled through the first pages to the first chapter. A faint tint of red touched his pale cheeks, the bespectacled man embarrassed by his focus on the mysterious magic of this attractive man. After a series of extensive breaths, the redhead settled in his seat to proceed with reading the book they had chosen. Thoroughly, Dexter glanced over the words, attempting to create a great comprehension of the book itself without much thought to the author’s intentions. The amount of description provided to the protagonist was interesting, the appearance of vivid explanation making the importance evident, or suggesting the possibility of certain required details in the character’s appearance. Minutes passed as Dexter proceeded through the book’s pages, eventually completing the assigned reading.
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When the chapter was finished, the redhead slowly closed his book and glanced towards his companion, surprise flaring as he realized Maxi was still reading. Considering the adept nature the blue-haired man displayed towards literature, Dexter had expected to finish reading last. Silently, the bespectacled introvert observed the bashful man, finding his fixation on the book oddly endearing. When Maxi noticed he was finished and anxiously responded, the redhead attempted to provide a reassuring grin; unfortunately, there was a slight fragility to the smile.
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“It’s fine… and if you are,” he responded quietly.
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After a few moments, the redhead’s eyes returned to the book to avoid staring for an extensive period of time. While Dexter wanted to keep Maxi comfortable, he wanted to sneak a lingering glance despite just glancing away. Everything about this blue-haired beauty was eye-catching, making it extremely difficult for him to avoid glancing his way; the redhead even accomplished it accidentally from the immense temptation. The adorable man thoroughly interested Dexter, which the bespectacled man found to be a rare occasion.
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The author’s eyes flicked across the redheads features observantly. Skittishness was what he had detected in them, by the way they avoided extensive interactions between their eyes and how shaky their smile looked. Detail was something that Maxi was accustomed to paying attention to, especially with majoring in English and pursuing the realms of creative and comparative writing. The little things he saw on the male pieced together into larger pictures, but Maxi didn’t like to assume things. Right now, he was well aware of their nervousness but he couldn’t place the reason as to why. Sure, they were strangers, but Maxi knew he himself wasn’t an intimidating person and rather steered away from judgementality.
The corner’s of his lips lifted upward with a intimate warmth to them, in hopes of radiating this impression upon their nerves and settle them at ease. His body was relaxed, loose and not so stiff compared to before. They say that every feature of your body could determine whether someone feels comfortable around you or not, and Maxi believed this.
”So… I’m a little startled by this first chapter,” he began, a little less enthused from the awkward circumstances. ”The main character is the serial killer from what I’m accessing, and that’s really cool,” he stated shamelessly, rubbing his hands together although anxiously. It was strange, starting something out himself that required social interaction. Going through school, his weakest area was communication; but when a subject was going that he was truly interested in, he had a lot to say.
Clearing his throat after brief interlude of silence, he proceeded. ”So how do we feel about this?” he asked generally, chuckling nervously amongst his words. Immediately afterwards, for the sake of getting the discussion started, he volunteered his own input. ”I”ll admit I haven’t ever read a fiction where the antagonist is the main character, or rather the protagonist of the story is in the wrong. It’s cool because it’s not often written because… well, I wouldn’t say it’s normal for authors to be capable of entering the heads of killers- rather, psychopathic ones to be exact. I’m interested to see how the plot begins from here. The main character clearly… isn’t wired, n-no pun intended, correctly in the head.”
There was something about Maxi’s presence that caused a peculiar reaction in Dexter. While the redhead enjoyed the shy man’s company, he found it difficult to maintain the illusion of calmness. He found himself fidgety and in constant prayer, he would not mumble something profound; he wanted to avoid frightening Maxi away. Everything about the bashful man’s presence felt magical, thus Dexter refused to lose because of the nervousness plaguing his body. There were other emotions at play, each mingling together to create a confusing jumble of anxiety, excitement and joy; his emotions were an absolute mess. They would randomly switch between depending on what adorable action Maxi would do or whatever pathetic mumbling he would provide, although, the objective remained clear. The ultimate goal was to at least befriend this blue-haired beauty before solving the perplexing brew of emotions bothering his mental state. Breaths were inhaled, held, then slowly exhaled in a desperate attempt to appear tranquil.
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Silently, Dexter closed the book before glancing towards Maxi. A sheepish grin stretched across his lips as the redhead prepared to delve into their literary discussion; he wished he could remember all the terms from his English class. The bespectacled man feared his ignorance would bother the blue-haired man who displayed an adeptness in literary understanding. The redhead was attempted to still formulate a proper sentence in hopes of impressing the adorable stranger, although, was promptly surprised by Maxi beginning the opening conversation. Once the words began, Dexter's yellow eyes flitted towards him as he straightened and adjusted himself slightly towards Maxi. One of his arms rested on the table while the other idly stationed itself on his lap as he listened attentively to the bashful man. Relief was discovered when Maxi spoke, the lack of literary terms and in-depth thoughts of word composition soothing Dexter slightly. The conversation appeared to be geared towards the character set-up, albeit, with some interesting opinions over the norms authors would follow.
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"I guess we both just talk about what we think for now?" Dexter suggested, resting his cheek on his hand to gaze over the book. "This is the type of stuff I enjoy, honestly. Being shown this type of thinking patterns is frightening, which makes it interesting for somebody like me. There are rarely any books that attempt to explain the thoughts of the person committing the crime, so I'm actually pretty excited."
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The redhead felt his opinion was lacklustre on account of it being a mere explanation about his book preference. These were the types of books he attempted to search for, although, rarely seemed to discover them. They were hidden gems among a sea of treasures. The bespectacled man remained silent, waiting for Maxi to hopefully proceed the discussion in a specific direction, although, the sounds of footsteps began distracting him. A glance was taken towards the labyrinth of shelves as he listened to muffled voices and slow steps down the carpeted halls; who could that possibly be?
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