(no subject)

[ki2k]

KITT was paying attention, really. Michael was speaking to an informant about their latest case, looking for any leads, trying to find a way to crack it open. So KITT was of course paying attention, reading the man's body language, any nuances in the way the man phrased his statements, the word choices the man was making.

But in the midst of it all, something - someone - else was catching his attention, distracting him away from his duties to Michael. Not that he would shirk his responsibilities, never! But with one scanner still tracking Michael, he silently fired up his engine and rolled slowly over to observe more closely the person who had caught his eye.

It was a young woman in a nearby grocery parking lot. Dark haired, slim, attractive. It was only very recently that he'd begun to notice the physical attributes of humans - female or otherwise - in anything other than an academic sort of way. It surprised him that he would notice such things while in his current form, but he chalked that up to the reason he'd noticed her in the first place - she'd just managed to spill her groceries all over the parking lot after one of the bags broke. She looked flustered, tired, and thoroughly finished with her day.

KITT moved along, slipping behind some other cars, making certain there was no one around to see what he was doing, the change he was making. After, he cast a quick scan over to Michael, making sure he was still talking and that KITT was not needed, then he made his way as casually as he could over to where the young woman was angrily gathering up her dropped groceries.

"Ah, hello? Sorry, I don't mean to startle you, but I couldn't help noticing your predicament. Could you use any help with that?" He offered her what he hoped was a friendly smile.

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[ki2k]

He was sure that he didn't know. He moved in the ways that came naturally to him, from years of experience of being larger than everyone around him, and having to be more careful of them and their fragilities as a result. Without realizing he was doing so, he gave the objects and people around him a wide berth.

Listening to her explain the house and its decor brought another smile to his face, the undercurrent of 'home' threaded throughout her voice. He was momentarily saddened to hear about her mother's passing, but as he continued to look around, he got the impression that the woman was still there in some form, watching over. "It would disturb the personality of the house if you did change too much, I think." But it was said more to himself than to Ruri.

Turning his head, he raised the volume of his voice so she could hear his answer. He'd only tried a handful of teas, and that was due to his employer's fondness for the beverage. Mint, chamomile, Devon's favorite, Earl Grey. Any of those would do, but he was open to trying something new as well. "Anything is fine." He was still distracted by the house itself.

As soon as she reappeared he became attentive once more, moving to take the tray from her gingerly so as not to spill anything before setting it down on the coffee table nearby. "This all looks lovely, thank you for making it." He flashed her a smile even as he damned his cheeks for warming at her words.

"I like helping people. It wasn't any trouble. I was glad to do it for you." They could have been twins, standing there thanking and blushing at each other while the tea cooled.

[pyroknight]

Ruri realized that they were both staring, smiling and blushing at each other. She had to force herself to look away and bite her lower lip to stifle her amusement. Apparently she wasn't the only one who wasn't used to talking to people like this. In a way, it came as a comfort. There were less ways for her to somehow mess this up and lose what might be a potential friend.

It's been a very long time since Ruri's had friends.

The tray was set gently down on the table. Ruri took a seat on the small couch and begin to pour them each a cup of tea. "This is a young green tea. I don't recommend adding milk or sugar to it but I brought them over just in case you had a preference." She wasn't sure what all encompassed the role of a host and she hoped that he was doing this right. "Um... let me know what you think."

The shopping bags had been put away and now Ruri wasn't sure what to do. She had a man in her home, drinking tea. This had never happened before and she wasn't sure if there were social rules or etiquette that she was missing.

She decided to focus on her cup of tea, wrapping her fingers around the warm cup. She took a sip and felt herself relaxing. "So, um... what is it that you do? I mean for work." Her life wasn't that exciting but she loved hearing stories about what other people did.

[ki2k]

Awkward. So awkward, he needed to look away, to look down, to do something. The car was so much easier - he could stare all he liked and no one took any notice of him. Thank goodness Ruri broke first, giving him an out as well. He wiped his palms on his black jeans and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well." Well. If anyone was going to mess this up he was sure it would be him, but it wouldn't be over this. Cautiously stumbling towards friendship was still a go. He joined her on the couch, watching her intently, hoping fervently not to mess up this first opportunity to be on his own around someone new. He took the cup from her, at her recommendation not adding milk or sugar, and took a tentative sip.

It was bitter, and he made a bit of a face, but decided he needed more data before announcing he didn't like it. Especially as he wanted to be a good guest as much as she did a host.

Taking another sip, he gave her a smile, but reached for the sugar with an apologetic nod of his head. "I'm sure it takes a bit of getting used to, that's all." It was probably good? Good enough to continue drinking, especially after an experimental taste with the added sugar. Much more palatable that way.

"Oh, ah, law enforcement." He frowned, his brow furrowing. "Sort of. It's more of a private investigative firm. The organization I work for gets called in when other law enforcement organizations have come up short. My partner was talking with an informant in the parking lot of the grocery store when I noticed your... difficulty." He grinned a little sheepishly as he looked up at her.

[pyroknight]

Ruri watched Kitt take his experimental sip over the rim of her cup.

Heat seeped through her fingers as the steam curled, rose and filled her nose with pleasant earthy aromas. She loved green tea but she knew that she was the exception and not the rule when it came to her culinary preferences. The tea wasn't bitter but it also wasn't sweet. It was honestly comparable to eating your vegetables which was why Ruri wasn't surprised when Kitt reached forward and added a bit of sugar.

She shook her head from left to right, her smile wide and warm. "Don't worry about it. I believe in the school of thought that, if you try something once, you can say that you don't like it." The rule being that you had to first try something in order to claim not to like it. "I hope you enjoy it. I wouldn't want to force you to drink something that you don't like. If you'd prefer something sweeter, I also have a lot of herbal teas." It was important to her that he didn't force himself to do more or less than he was comfortable with.

Ruri took a sip of her tea and then another. Warmth began to curl and stretch through her torso, spreading out in pleasant waves through her limbs. She felt herself relax and her muscles loosen as she listened to Kitt. His voice was smooth and rich. It captured her attention and held it without Ruri realizing how attentively she listened to him. She could listen to him talk for hours.

"That sounds amazing." She rested her cup in her lap while her usual smile returned to the lovely curve of her lips. "I hope that everything goes well for him while I have you here. I'd hate to make things difficult but I'd also love to hear more about it. My life isn't that exciting." It was a half lie since Ruri wasn't technically alive in the same sense that others were but she had just met Kitt and she didn't think that it was a good idea to jump in with the whole 'I am dead' thing, right away.

"I'm a writer, when I'm not making minimum wage at a grocery store." Her smile became a little bashful. "I'd love to write about something like a private investigator but I have no idea what it's like. I admit, I am a fan of Sherlock Holmes. Reading those as a kid made me want to be a writer." Her head canted thoughtfully to the side. "Among other things"