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As much as Dominique has come to befriend Isztivan he needed some personal time to himself, something which he hadn’t had much of since their new loft of an apartment was literally one room aside from the bathroom. And with Isztivan constantly either playing music or want to do stuff together Dominique, in his inability to speak up, decided to catch up on reading and leave the house under the pretence he needed to go shopping. Though maybe a store that also sold music wasn’t the best of ideas since places like these where his frequent haunting grounds. He couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about it, of course weapons needed time away from their technicians, but still, misplaced pangs of guilt where something he often felt. Maybe he could make this up to Isztivan later, make him some cookies or something like that.

Though that wasn’t what he wanted to have on his mind, not now, Dom was revelling in the peace and quiet the book store offered him as he sat in the cafe on one of the large squashy couches, it was a great deal more relaxing for him than the noisiness that was their apartment. Hot chocolate and books where his perfect idea of comfort, that his rate he was danger of dosing off as his eyelids started weighing heavily. The soft warmth of the couch was awfully inviting, surely no one with mind if he just had a quick nap?

Dominique slowly fell asleep, much against his efforts not to, multiple times his eyes closed and immediately opened again, though he felt like he might have been asleep for a while longer. Until he could hold against it, hands resting on his stomach he slumped in his seat succumbing to the sand weighing down his eyelids.

Indeed, the movement from someone sitting next to him was enough to stir him from his light slumber. He’d had one of those naps where you where wake up only to have absolutely no idea how long you’d been asleep for, only to realise you’d only been off for a few minutes at best. There was a brief moment where Dominique wasn’t sure what was going on, the white blur in front of him had yet to come into focus. Though before long he turned bright red, realizing someone had been watching him sleep, or at least, and come with the intention of waking him up. Dominique’s knee jerk reaction to his embarrassment was something that barely helped, he turned into his weapon form, a large star replacing him on the couch.

“S-sorry” he whimpered.

The fact that the boy sat next to him had now seen what he looked like shirtless via the reflection on his weapon form didn’t particularly help matters. The reflected looked way, avoiding eye contact.

In the ensuing awkward silence Dominique assumed the boy had left him be, or that he was perhaps in for some kind of verbal abuse, which many a time had been the case. Though from a quick glance over his shoulder in the dark odd space his consciousness inhabited while his body took weapon form he saw the white haired boy still there, looking on him with an odd sort of awe, like he was being admired? Still, this stranger looked awfully elegant himself, dressed all in white to match his long slivery hair, Dominique had certainly never seen around dressed like that outside of a picture book.

There might have been no need to apologise but it was just Dominique’s way, he always apologised for things that were often not even his fault (He’d only just now nearly apologised for apologising). He was becoming aware of the stares of the other cafe patrons, he was half thankful he was a weapon, or else they might have been able to see him blushing as he was.

“Je m'appelle Dominique?” It wasn’t a question, though he sat it in a tone that made it clear he was also asking “Do you understand what I’m saying?”. He returned to normal as he spoke, sitting crossed legged on his half of the seats, now trying his best to shrug off what had just happened. “Enchanté...Cai" He had a vague inkling he’d called him by the wrong name, but he was far too unfamiliar with eastern customs to be sure.

Dominique couldn’t help but feel awkward, not that Shen was being anything but perfectly friendly. But because very few people seemed to have a reaction of delight when they heard him introducing himself in French out of habit, or being the shy recluse that he was. He appeared to be even happier that that was the case? Maybe he was a tad too excited to be talking to him right now.

This was short lived, it was a relief to be talked to in his native tongue and a pleasant surprise, and he smiled at last at the polite response, and then immediately blushed with embarrassment as he was corrected on his usage of name. “Sorry, Shen” He muttered another kneejerk apology before taking another sip of his hot chocolate to try and shrug it off.

“Oh, Oui” Even when trying to talk in English, there were still some basic words he never spoke in English, it was a strange force of habit that stemmed from having to fill in blanks of words he didn’t know in English with ones he knew in French. But given that he’d just transformed into a giant ninja star the fact that he was a Shibusen student was obvious even to the various onlookers who’d half gone back to assigned activities. What other business would a weapon have in this city?

“You’re a student too? “ Assuming English was the default for the rest of their conversation, and tilting his head to one side curiously, he’d have defiantly remembered someone who looked like Shen.

He was happy to be in the company of someone who understood his overly eager to please and apologetic nature. Shen struck him as a person who, unlike him, was happy to befriend anyone he could.

Dominique made himself comfortable again, continuing to sit cross-legged, slumping back into the soft couch, keeping his hot chocolate in hand on his lap. He was starting to remember why napping had seemed like such a good idea. Though the cake Shen was eating seemed tempting as well, Dominique subconsciously licked his lips at the sight in the brief moment Shen had his eye closed as he savoured the taste. He mentally to bake something like that soon, maybe that could be what he could make for Isztivan.

It was probably just Dominiques background, after all, until now, unlike Shen, he’d never really meet anyone in his family who was a weapon, he still wasn’t even sure himself where he got his weapon blood from. It had certainly skipped quite a few generations to get to him. "Why exactly was also probably a equally odd twist of fate).

“I was paired up recently, yes” A tinge of shame there. Indeed, that was true, though he’d avoided the actual question. He had, in fact, but at Shibusen for some time without luck, remaining on the sidelines to himself as he so often did, unable to find a partner. “So...you’re a weapon too?” he said slowly, a odd attempt to avoid offence. Something about the boys elegant appearance made him think he wasn't a technician if Isztivan was anything to go by.

Shen had now entered Dominique’s comfort zone, he wasn’t someone he could confine in just yet, but he was beyond Dominique’s so often difficult to pass wall that he self imposed from his awkward shyness. At least now he wasn’t going to be rendered silent by his mere presence as was the case with most new people. He’d been respectful of him, and gained some trust in the process. “I’m sure we will” His own smile in return and another sip of his drink. “Your luckier than I was, my soul was...hard to match up”

For a weapon Dominique didn’t have much understanding how it all worked, he supposed if that was the case his distant relative was also a ninja star. Though his interest in that was pushed aside by Shen’s own weapon form, he hadn’t met anyone who was a form of project weapon, and was intrigued to find out how it worked, though he knew it would only attract more unwanted attention on themselves from their fellow patrons if he asked to see his own weapon form. He’d know in time, he nodded politely.

Maybe it’d been better if he asked about Isztivan and least he shared a big/little brother like relationship with him. Dominique’s family on the other hand where of humble origins, his immediate family being bakers it seemed like he hardly compared if Shens own regal like appearance was anything to gauge by. “Oh, I’m the only one whose a weapon” He gave a nervous chuckle. “I don’t really know where I get it from.”

Something he said was funny? Dominique just concluded that he and Shen must have had very different backgrounds when it came to them being weapons. With Shens bow he was starting to think he was offending him in some way without knowing, he didn’t know enough to be sure. “Oh I’m sorry...It was a while...” He said, sort of mopey, half from feeling sorry for his company and half from feeling like he was beating himself up necessary.

“I know, I know” Dominique tried to lift the quiet tone he had, though he said that not much stopped him from feeling inadequate.

It was a rather forward question indeed, but despite how Dominique was often inclined to avoid talking to anyone outside his close circle of friends about anything he considered to personal, he felt it would be rude of him to not at least say something on the matter.

“No, no, it’s all right...” he trailed off as well, not really certain what he could say that would be suitably reassuring. He’d have liked to say it was, he inherently felt somehow inferior to other weapons, it was logical surely, his bloodline couldn’t have been strong, it could have all been a fantastic stroke of luck.

“I...suppose it is” A slight sigh accompanied it, though he put on a smile.

Maybe Dominique shouldn’t have felt so bad about himself, that’s what he told himself. Though now we was inclined to blame himself for making Shen worry unduly, self doubt and blame seemed all too built into his personality. He was already mentally reassuring himself, it didn’t often help much.

He nodded, agreeing with Shen, he knew it wasn’t his fault, but it was difficult to wipe away feelings that had lasted years.

“Désolé” He muttered quietly, slipping back into his native French, he really needed to stop apologising for things like this, but his polite nature kept this tick going. “I shouldn’t be worrying you...it’s okay...” His voice wavered though he tried to sound firm in his statement.

This certainly wasn't what he had in mind for his personally time away from the apartment.