[OOC] Nín shì fángdàn (You are Bulletproof) (Cloud & Chupatoasta)

[Cloud]

Aaron accepted the coke, "Thanks.." and took a sip of it. On most cases he didn't drink a whole lot of soda, and the carbonation feeling from the soda was always a weird feeling. Even so, he set the drink down on the table, listening to Josie speak about what she thought the saying meant. He nodded his head, "Yeah, you 'hit the nail on the head'" he smiled. Soon enough he watched to see a young gentleman who appeared drunk had come over to ask Josie to dance. Though, even with his rude behavior, it didn't bother Aaron much. "It's alright," he spoke, smiling at her. "But, yeah, you are right on what you said. Many people whom are beautiful or handsome may look like they have a lot in life. Some do, but there is always a catch to everything in life. You never know what pain and suffering a person has gone through in their life..." Aaron was quiet for a moment, staring at the table with saddened, dull eyes. Eyes that were not lit up with happiness anymore. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out and he closed his mouth again. Rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, he sighed and lifted his head to look at Josie.

"I've been honest with you from the start, so I'll let you know this much." he started to say. "I didn't live a very good life, you are right. Sure, I was blessed with good looks, talent, wisdom even... But the only thing I'm lacking in.. is family." Aaron was quiet again for a moment. He lifted a hand to reach up and wrap his fingers around the silver locket around his neck. He held it close to his chest, as if reminiscing old memories. "My father was ill when I was young... He was battling lung cancer at the time. I use to go see him everyday after school, talk to him and tell him that he'd be fine. I use to think it was just a regular sickness, but each day I went, it got worse. And after 3 months of doing that, he passed away..." Quiet yet again, he reached over to take another sip of his coke, setting the can back down. "At about the age of 17, my sister got into a car accident with some friends. She was in critical condition, but she too didn't make it."

His eyes gazed around the room, the sound of the band playing. But he faded out the music from his mind. "Our family was becoming poor, and unstable back in Taiwan... My mother was having difficulties and we were both grieving over the losses of both my father and sister. So we moved here to New York when I was 20... She worked as a Waitress at a Cafe.. But she had heart problems, a tumor in her heart... By that time, she had passed away. And I've been living here in New York alone for the past 5 years. You could say I was stranded, abandoned, or simply just lost..." His voice grew quiet as he clutched the locket firmly in his hand. But he slowly released that firm grip and gently took the locket off from around his neck and handed it to Josie to open and look at the family pictures of his parents and sister.

[Chupatoasta]

Josie's chest wrenched in pain for this man she had only just met. She took the locket, as if she'd break it, and gently opened it, her eyes dropping to the pictures within. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she felt pain for this man, the locket still held in the palm of her hand. "They're beautiful, Aaron," she looked up at him, tears in her eyes, and he seemed somewhat taken aback. She quickly wiped the brimming tears away with one hand. Despite growing up without a mother, or having her father force himself into her life when she was almost full grown, she realized it would have hurt terribly had she known her mother for long enough to even remember her, and then had her ripped away. It was the same with her father. This man before her had lost everything he valued in a mere few years, almost back to back. As if, as soon as he got back to his feet, life knocked him back on the ground and guffawed in his face. Josie pulled the locket to her chest, as if hugging it herself, and bowed her head wipe her eyes once more.

Josie leaned forward, either sides of the necklace the locket sat on, in her fingers. She rested her arms on his shoulders and hooked the locket's chain back together. She leaned away again and said a soft apology for getting so close to him once again. The music had began to seem dull to her. She sent a quick text to her assistant and stood up, smiling down at Aaron. "Let's blow this popsicle stand," she teased, in hopes to lighten the mood, and offered her hand out to Aaron. "We can talk more where it's not so loud." He took her hand, in nothing more than a friendly way, and Josie led him out. Her assistant would be there soon after they left to get the interview Josie had came their for. They walked a little while in silence, passing the subway entrance. She figured they'd just catch the next one, or a taxi, once she was done talking to him.

"I'm sorry," she finally offered, eyes trailing up to meet Aaron's. "I honestly couldn't imagine something like that happening. I mean, I've had my share of heartache, loss, everything, but nothing to that extent. I'm sorry I can't relate to it better." His words played over in her mind again and again. If he had been alone since he was twenty, how did he live somewhere? Realization washed over her like a brooding wave. She bit her lip, realizing she still had a hold of his hand. "Ah, sorry," she tried to appear calm and collected about the situation, but she couldn't hide the way her cheeks flushed. Her mind screamed at her just to ask and go for it. "Aaron..." his eyes turned to hers and she laughed nervously. She was never nervous! "Let's go grab dinner," she groaned inwardly. Part of her didn't want him to go back to where he came from, alone with just his thoughts of the family that had passed on, but she still didn't know him well enough to offer her couch up. Maybe after they talked more she'd find it easier.

[Cloud]

Aaron didn't really say much after that, watching Josie look at the locket and admire his family. "I feel that if I keep pictures of them, I'll never forget what they look like. Then they are not completely gone from my life, you know?" he said quietly. "A normal person would go visit their deceased family and friends. But considering my circumstances right now, and the fact they are all buried in Taiwan.. I can only thank them each night as it is." He watched as Josie had leaned forward to put the locket back around his neck where it belonged. He gazed down at it for a moment, the lights reflecting off it's silver exterior. Soon enough, the two had left the club and were walking down the street together now. As they walked, they walked rather slow as if to enjoy the beautiful night. "It's alright, Josie..." he spoke to her finally after a long silence. Lifting his head to look at her for a bit and then out at the sky.

"Sometimes I think that life is just testing me. Throwing obstacles in my path to see how I can deal or cope with them..." They continued to walk. It looked like Aaron was trying to hold back tears, often times looking away to try and hide them. Though when he spoke, his emotions were very much there, sadness. "It's alright to be sad about losses. It's life, and they were bound to be taken from me one way or another. Loneliness is a sad thing to think about, and I try to not think about it too much. Sadness brings heartache..." he said. "Did you know that you can actually die of a broken heart?" Silence again as they walked, a few tears slipping from his eyes, trailing down his face and chin. "Life gives me heartache...."

It was often times that he was a well rounded happy guy. But when sad thoughts came to mind, it was hard to bring his mood back up. Although, he forces himself to be happy. As they walked, he heard Josie speak to him, asking about going to get dinner. He stopped walking, lifting his head to look her in the eyes with his saddened, red and puffy eyes. "Thanks for the offer, Josie... But I don't handle restaurants of the sort very well. Sorry about that..." he apologized. Even so, Aaron hadn't eaten at all today, but it didn't concern him much as he tended to be like that often.

[Chupatoasta]

Josie was struggling to keep the umbrella above both of their heads as they walked, seeing as he was a full five inches taller than she way. His conversation was growing dark, upsetting. She heard his feet stop hitting the sidewalk at the mention of dinner and she turned around. Josie felt a gasp leave her throat as she noticed the tears that had trickled down Aaron's defined cheeks. She turned to face him straight on and used the palms of her hand to wipe them away, not caring at all that they were someone else's tears. "Okay, it's okay." She attempted to console him, frowning up at his saddened face. She started to lead him back towards the subway, one hand rubbing his back in her attempts to calm him down. "Then come back to my place. I'll cook you up something." She offered as they stepped down the stairs and towards the platform, folding the umbrella down as they walked. The first train that came, she was ushering him on it. She could tell he wanted to say no. "It's the least I can do." She urged.

He looked torn, at least that's what she could see in his eyes. As if, he was hungry, but he didn't want to impose and just wanted to go home. She didn't know for sure, however. She had only met him that morning for the first time, for God's sake. She rarely resorted to it, but Josie looked up at him with her big blue eyes, worry playing across her features. "Please. I haven't cooked since I moved in. It'd be nice to actually do it and have someone to cook for. Besides, it's still raining." She smiled up at him, hoping her urging was working in her favor.

Josie didn't honestly know how to feel. Sorry for him, sure, but more than that. She had this overwhelming urge to want to help him, despite only just meeting him. Her grandmother had once told her that they only had chances to help those in need once. She didn't see him as a charity case, however, which is what her grandmother had meant. She was set on making him feel better, to not have to put up a front of happiness and strength despite being drained from the stress he endured.

[Cloud]

Aaron didn't know what to feel right now, just looking at her as she wiped his tears away. She could tell that she wanted to help him, but was it worth it? Wouldn't he just be a hassle for her? Even though he wanted to deny her offer, he had a very kind soul. So instead of pushing the request aside, he tried to accept it. Following Josie to the Subway where she was trying to usher him onto it. He hesitated for some time before following her. He stood there in the aisle, holding one of the handles with a firm grip. His guitar case strapped across his back with the lights of the subway hitting the white paint written taiwanese writing. He appeared to be looking out the window right now, wondering if it was ok to be doing this. "Sorry..." he spoke quietly to Josie. "I didn't mean to come off like that in front of you... My emotions kind of took over..." It had always been like that., but if you were to look on the brighter side of life, Aaron alone was a charming individual. He wasn't one who tried to act tough, he was one who had a heart that expressed emotions out in the open.

Upon waiting for a while, the train stopped and the two had gotten off onto the platform. Aaron had his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he walked along side with Josie. "Why... Why are you being nice to me?" he asked her, not looking at her and only focused on looking forward as they walked. "I mean, I know you're nice and all, but... Why are you?" He was curious to know why this girl was being exceptionally caring to him. Looking out for him as if he were crying out for help. "You don't have to tell me though, I'm just a little happy to know that I wasn't left in the dust is all..." he spoke, trying to muster up a smile of some sort. It was a weak one, but it would have to do, right?

[Chupatoasta]

Josie looked up at him as they walked, although he was looking straight ahead. She felt a small smile form on her lips. "You don't have to apologize," she was responding finally to what he had said on the train. She bit her lip and looked back in front of her as they neared her large apartment building. "And as to why I'm being nice..." she paused outside the door and turned to face him. "Everyone needs someone right? You don't know me well at all, but seeing that you've admitted to being... alone... then I feel as though you just need someone." She slid her keycard and held the door open as Aaron slowly walked in behind her. As she made her way to the elevators, she smiled and let out a deep breath. As they stepped in, she looked down at the ground, repeating her words. "Everyone needs someone."

The elevator lurched and her gaze shot up to Aaron, seeing that she had dazed away from what was going on. "Sorry," she laughed softly as the elevator glided up to the top floor. "It's a mess, so you'll have to excuse me." She bit her lip and walked to one of only four doors on that floor. She slid her keycard again and pushed the door open, almost tiredly, and walked in, flipping in the lights in the process. A mew sounded almost immediately as Josie's only roommate padded his way towards the intruders. "I bet you're hungry too, huh?" She paid no mind to the Chinese take out that littered the counter, because had she, she would have become embarrassed right away. The cat threaded his body around Aaron's legs and Josie giggled, eyes glancing up to Aaron's. "That's rare, he usually hates visitors."

[Cloud]

Aaron followed Josie into the apartment building, nodding his head slowly when she spoke. "Someone that cares, right?" he asked as he followed her. Stepping into the elevator with her, it almost reminded him slightly of being back in Taiwan. Though the home he lived in was a decent home, before things went bad that it. Soon enough they made it to her apartment and they stood outside of it. Josie had warned that it was a mess, to which he responded, "Hmm, a mess huh? I'd offer to clean it if you'd like" he spoke, laughing a bit. When they entered into the apartment though, he could see that she was right, it was a mess. "Wow" he said, walking in through the front door. Closing it behind him he took his guitar case off of his back and went to set it down by the couch. Soon enough, he saw a cat which he assumed was Josie's only roommate in this small home. The cat had walked over to him, seeming to enjoy his company. Aaron lifted his head when Josie mentioned how the cat normally hated visitors.

"Animals can tell when a person is good or bad." he said, getting down on one knee to be at semi-level with the cat. He flashed a smile as he scratched the cat behind it's ear, petting it. "Guess he knows I mean no harm then..." Aaron stood back up and walked around the small apartment for a bit, scanning the few messes here and there. "I'm sure I can clean this up in about 10 minutes if you give me a trash bag" he stated with a smile. "Since you're helping me out, why not return the favor, right?"

[Chupatoasta]

Josie laughed nervously as he mentioned cleaning the apartment and instantly felt embarrassed when they paraded through the door and the surprise was painted on his face. "It's okay," she threw him a gleaming smile. The apartment wasn't that messy, it only looked like it due to the multiple take out boxes. She grabbed a black trash bag and started to clean off the counter. She then washed her hands and placed a couple of chicken breast into the pot, along with chicken broth, and turned it to boil to cook the breast. She decided on chicken and rice, considering it was cold and raining out and they had walked through it. Aaron offered up his thoughts on animals and Josie smiled as she watched him kneel to pet the cat. The thought back to the days she invited Becky over to her old apartment. The cat had hissed at her, due to her overly-excitable attitude, and had ran to hide in Josie's room. Roger was the worst, though. Vigo, the cat, had perched high on his scratching tree and refused to come down. However, when Roger had walked by, he wasted no time to sink his claws into Roger's scalp. The man was good humored, however, and had laughed it off. Aaron stood up and offered, once again, to clean.

"You really don't have to..." She sighed, smiling. "But you can help, if you feel so obliged to." She cracked a grin and walked around the island in the kitchen with the black bag in her hand as she picked up the packing papers around the apartment. Vigo mewed and weaved his way through her legs, leaving her to laugh softly. "Vi, knock it off," she breathed and picked the cat up and setting him on his carpet covered climbing tree. She knocked the radio on, music flooding the room as she grabbed a hair brush. She pressed it to her lips, as if she was singing into it to the lyrics, as if she had forgotten Aaron was standing mere feet away from her. When she finally noticed, she turned to him and tossed the 'microphone' at him. "Take it away!" She giggled and fluffed out the pillows of the couch. She wiped the dust off of the coffee table as she cocked her eyebrow at him. She started to walk back towards him to take back the hairbrush after finding humor in his actions, and felt Vigo wrap himself through her moving ankles. Her foot caught the cat's back hip and she tumbled forward, grabbing Aaron's sleeve as she hit the ground. She laid their a couple of minutes before letting out a stream of laughter, covering her face in embarrassment.

[Cloud]

Aaron smiled a bit at Josie as she handed him the black trash bag. "Back in Taipei, I use to do a lot of the cleaning because my mother wasn't home and always working. It's a second nature" he spoke as he went around to pick up the trash and stuff it into the trash bag. But he moved around quickly too like he had said. Soon enough, he had finished in exactly 10 minutes. Aaron set the trash bag by the front door so it would be taken out tomorrow. Turning his attention to look at Josie, he could see that she had a hairbrush in her hand, pretending to use it as a microphone when she had turned on the radio. He couldn't help but laugh in amusement. She sure had high spirits, and that was good, high spirits and a happy attitude was just what he needed tonight. The 'microphone' was tossed to him, and he smiled a little bit shy about it. But he didn't hesitate, he decided to be a goofball too since Josie was the one that started it. The song that was on the radio was "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons. Though, he tried to not sing too loud, mind you they were in a apartment, no need to get scolded at, right?

Turning his head to see Josie walking towards him, he smirked and held the brush up so she couldn't reach it. But just then, she tripped due to the cat. He watched her tumble towards him, grabbing his sleeve and literally pulling him with her. "Whoa" he said surprised as he was pulled down. While Josie hit the ground, Aaron almost fell on top of her, but he had his arm resting on the edge of the couch. So he saved himself there. He stared down at her, seeing her laughing and covering her face as if embarrassed. Aaron realized the position he was in and fixed himself, standing up and reaching out his hands to hold hers and pull her up from the floor. "Took a little fall, eh?" he smiled, laughing a bit. Looking down at Vigo, the cat, Aaron reached down to pick the feline up and hold him, petting and scratching him behind the ears.

[Chupatoasta]

Josie laughed as he pulled her up from the floor, snatching the brush from him playfully before he had the chance to pull it out of her reach once again. He lifted Vigo into the air soon after. The cat, to Josie's shock, was audibly purring as Aaron scratched his ears, his tail swaying in pleasure as he nuzzled against Aaron's gentle touch. She shook his head with a small laugh and walked back into the kitchen to check the chicken. "My grandmother and I moved to Sweden when I was eleven... She had her own estate out there, complete with a few paid maids here and there. I spent most of my time when I was younger, in the kitchen or in town, but usually left a mess in my wake. I've been back in the states since I was seventeen and still lack cleaning up after myself sometimes." She pulled the chicken from the water, clicking her tongue as she shred it with a fork and then scraped it back into the pot. She pulled rice from the cabinet, added a little bit more bouillon for flavor, and poured in the rice.

"I don't know your stance on drinking, but I've got water, wine and Pepsi, but that's it." She pulled down two wine glasses, just in case, along with a couple of glasses. She filled her wine glass half way with her bottle of Pinot Grigio, "I've got Pinot, Chard, Cabernet..." the list of wines could have gone on, considering that's all she really enjoyed to drink to unwind. She waited for his choice of drink, filled the glass, and walked it over to him as they both sat down. "So, if you don't mind me asking, what is Taipei like?" She rested her chin on her hand and took a sip of her wine, smiling softly.

[Cloud]

Aaron slowly nodded his head, listening and understanding what she was saying. "I could see that you lack in cleaning. I guess it slips the mind sometimes, right? Or just use to the good lifestyle back in Sweden maybe? It becomes a habit to those who are not use to cleaning if others are cleaning for them." He set the cat down on the ground and went to go sit on the couch. Just as he did, he heard Josie ask what he wanted to drink. "Wine is fine, and I guess Cabernet will do" he spoke. Aaron didn't normally drink wine, as long as he didn't drink a mild amount that is. He was known to get drunk pretty easily, so he always had to ease himself on the drinking. Right when she had brought the drinks over, he took it carefully, saying a simple thanks before taking a sip and then setting it down on the coffee table. He heard Josie ask what it was like in Taipei.

"Taipei?" he questioned, thinking for a bit. "It's pretty busy, kind of like New York, just, a little more crowded. Crosswalks never seem safe because there is always a few cars that run the light.. I call them "Red Light Runners" he said, smiling a bit. "Almost got hit, quite a lot actually. I got bumped once or twice but..." he paused for a moment, taking another sip of his drink. "Taipei is a bit like New York, except there are a bunch of signs on EVERY building. Lots of markets, night markets and stuff. Enjoy watching the kids walk to school and stuff. Sometimes I follow them just to make sure they get to school alright. Kids are, very sensitive creatures who have to learn and look up to their parents or elders even." Sitting there, he stared at his glass of wine for a moment, taking another sip before setting it back down. Sighing, he looked up at Josie for a moment, then looked at the table, reaching over to grab a blank piece of scrap paper and took a pencil. He started to write something in Taiwanese on the paper, the writing that he knew Josie could not read at all. He then started to sketch something next to the words, a cartoon lion of some sort, holding a balloon. He drew a speech bubble around the words, as if the lion were saying it. Then, he drew a dog, a Shiba Inu who was reaching out to accept the balloon. The words he wrote in the bubble was: "忽略消极别人给你的生活。原因总是有一个人谁可以把它两倍的更好。", "Hūlüè xiāojí biérén gěi nǐ de shēnghuó. Yuányīn zǒng shì yǒuyī gèrén shuí kěyǐ bǎ tā liǎng bèi de gèng hǎo.", then he said, "If you are curious about what it means, it says 'Ignore the negativity that others give you in life. Cause there is always that one person who can make it twice as better.'" Aaron looked at the floor for a moment, then lifted his head to look at Josie. "You can keep it as a reminder if you want..." he handed it to her.

[Chupatoasta]

Josie listened attentively as he spoke of Taipei, seeming happy and joyful as he spoke of the place. She audibly agreed with him at the mention of kids who looked up to their elders. Her eyes dropped to the table as he worked at drawing something on a piece of paper. She smiled softly, peering at the drawing. "Again, that's a beautiful theory. Is there anything you're not good at?" She laughed in disbelief. "But Taipei sounds wonderful." She continued to study the drawing in her hands as her fingers danced over the gorgeous lettering of Aaron's language. She realized she had been sitting like that for a couple of seconds longer than she should have. She laughed softly and looked back up at Aaron. "Sorry, foreign languages are almost as gorgeous as music to me. If I had to go back to college and change my major, I would want to change it to foreign language studies." The stove audibly began to sizzle and Josie hurried to her feet and over to the stove top. She pulled the pot off and quickly put it to the side, adding salt and pepper right then and there, but not too much that she overpowered the chicken. Steam billowed from the pot and she bit her lip and pulled down two bowls for each of them along with a flat plate. She took a single spoonful, flattening it out on the plate to cool down quicker. Vigo, as if he knew he was getting a treat, hurried into the kitchen with his tail up. "Oh no you don't," she intercepted him and walked back into the living room, the cat in her arms.

"I've visited all of the European countries, but nothing past that." She smiled at him as she sat down on the same couch, facing him. Her eyes dipped across his features, which had drastically changed emotionally wise. He had gone to being red in the face, stressed, upset and tearful, to actually seeming relaxed. They sat there for a few moments of comfortable silence before Josie stood again. She pulled her tied up hair from its trap, the blonde waves dropping down her back as she walked back to the kitchen. She poured the chicken and rice in to two bowls, the steam rising as she took a deep smell of the aroma. Walking back into the living room with both bowls and spoons, she kneeled down at the coffee table to eat. "I don' t have a kitchen table set up yeah, so please forgive me." She smiled weakly at him, hoping he'd understand.

[Cloud]

Aaron smiled a bit from Josie's compliment. "There are things that I am not good at." he spoke, looking around for a bit. "I can't cook, for one thing" he laughed a bit. "I use to help my mom sometimes in the kitchen and help her cook. I would get scolded every time for burning the rice. I'm not lying" He smiled a bit more, remembering that fond memory. Soon he saw Josie get up to go get the dinner, coming back with a bowl of rice and chicken which he happily accepted. "Xièxiè" he spoke in his native tongue, with a smile as he started to eat some of it. It was really good, and he knew it because it showed on his face. He set the bowl down on the coffee table and took a sip of his wine, then set it back down. "I haven't traveled anywhere, except maybe to South Korea when I was young, and a little bit of Japan during my High School years. And then here, America which was 5 years ago..."

It felt nice to sit here and converse with someone. It had been far too long since he held and active conversation such as this. But Josie was nice, so it made him feel like he belonged in a way. Instead of the outside world that despised him, except for Sean Wesley, his boss.. And the people down in the Underground Subway, like the kids. "You know, I've always wanted to travel back to Taipei, Taiwan... I use to feel homesick upon coming here to New York, but.. It almost feels like a second home, even though Taipei is where I am originally from..." he sighed.