Home is where the heart isn't <3 (OPEN)

[Ryan Alexander]

Ryan frowned as Ithica recalled his fish. "It must have been sad for him to lose things that he loved truly..." he thought to himself. "Those fish had someone to love and care for them, more than I've ever had before I met him. Even though they died, their lives could be seen as better than mine..."

"I'm sorry about your fish, Ithica....I really am. I never owned pets so I can't imagine at how much their loss hurt you..."

[Ithica Pettineo]

Ithica looked up at him, taken aback by his words. Whenever he told his fish story, people generally laughed at it. He shrugged, concentrating on moving his chicken with his fork. The death of his fish had deeply disturbed him as a young child. Ever since then he related anything lethargic to dying fish, and remembered the cold slime and unblinking stare. He involuntarily shuddered at the memory of trying to pick his fish away from the filter.

"Not your fault they died," he smiled at Ryan. "You should get a pet though. They're fun and cute! Like you. I was going to ask if I could adopt you, but then I figured you're a human so you wouldn't enjoy that very much." Ithica sighed, placing his head in the palm of his hand. He licked his ice cream again. Vanilla and gummy bears. Who would have known it would taste delicious? Ithica praised himself on his culinary genius.

[Ryan Alexander]

Ryan nodded. Sure it wasn't his fault, but that didn't mean he didn't have to apologize, it gave him more incentive. He laughed when he was compared to a pet, it was a funny concept. Truth be told however, he noticed that when he looked in the mirror he had that lost and lonely look that some equate to a puppy or a wandering kitten.
"I don't think I would make a great pet...I'm far too whiny and boring"

[Ithica Pettineo]

He rolled his eyes when Ryan called himself boring and whiny. "Have you even met Rosie?" Ithica grinned. He didn't think of the doll to be a 'pet', more of a companion. He bit into the cone of the ice cream, shuddering when his teeth hit the iciness. He ran his tongue over his teeth. "Hey, what zodiac animal are you?" He asked, pointing to the zodiac animal chart

"I'm a horse!" He said happily, and bared his teeth and attempted to neigh. At his failure, he sighed and blew into the straw of his drink, blowing bubbles. Ithica drew his feet up into his chair.

"Do you know your da--" Ithica cleared his throat. He had, at the age of nineteen, and embarrassing habit of calling his father 'Daddy'. "Did you know your father?" He corrected himself.

[Ryan Alexander]

Ryan shrugged. "Rosie seems nice enough" he said, grinning.

Ryan casually looked at the zodiac chart and saw what he was. "I'm...I'm a monkey" he said, although reading the description he laughed. "But mine isn't accurate..."
"Intelligent? Always well liked? How wrong.." he thought to himself, bitterly.

Ryan tensed up as Ithica asked the question. "Do you know your father?"
This was a hard question, not almost as hard as how did your mom treat you, but one that took some effort before answering. "No...no I don't..." and once again, he got that far-away look in his eyes.

[Ithica Pettineo]

"I think it describes you. Well, maybe you just have trouble making friends. Or something." Ithica tapped his fingers against the chart. "I couldn't survive if my daddy--" his cheeks tinged a little, and he scratched his wrist and sent a sheepish smile Ryan's way -- "kicked me out. So I think you're clever and intelligent. I'd probably end up dead in a dumpster somewhere.." said Ithica truthfully. He was a very dependent person.

He reached over and patted Ryan. "I'm sorry you don't know him. We can share mine. He's always wanted a gay son, you know." Ithica nodded. "He doesn't want grandchildren. Says it'd make him feel old. But he's already old." And then Ithica's smile dropped, and resumed to playing around with his chicken. He kept trying to forget that he'd outlive his father, and most of his friends. "I don't know my mother. Well, not very well. She left when I was young."

He finished his ice cream cone, wincing at the sensation of cold on his teeth. "But she promised she's coming back. So she is." He explained hurriedly. "She gave me Rosie. And other porcelain dolls, but Rosie is my favorite because Daddy says it looks like mother." Ithica stabbed his chicken, murmuring some other reason he didn't quite believe about why his mother would come back. He liked to think of himself as an optimist, but after more than a decade of waiting, one tended to start losing faith.

[Ryan Alexander]

Ryan nodded and smiled as his friend complimented him. Normally he would have shook his head and denied it all, but he was starving for compliments, he didn't get them much. He knew in the back of his head that his ego could hold a few of them, and not get over-inflated.
"Haha...Most dads don't want gay sons..." he said bitterly; because in the back of his head he thought that his dad left for that very reason.
That somehow he knew his son's secret.

"I'm sorry..." was all he could say as Ithica talked about his mom. "She must have been a very good woman to raise you as good as you are..."
He patted his friend's hand sympathetically. "She'll come back one day, I'm sure of it. She wouldn't abandon a son as good as you"

[Ithica Pettineo]

Ithica grinned blithely. "I know she'll come back. She promised; a Pettineo never breaks a promise." He said, sounding a lot more confident than he felt. He bounced in his chair, his ADHD kicking in once more now that he was full of chicken, soup, and ice cream. "And my daddy would like you. He likes everyone." Ithica nodded. "It's probably just my cat you would have to worry about. Moose hates everybody."

The half demon pulled up his sleeve to reveal several faint scars. "These were all from my kitty." He grinned up at Ryan. He was already planning to show him off to his dad. "So now I just keep cat nip in one of my pockets when I go home." Ithica was rambling now. He paused, reaching for the soy sauce and jerking back when it came to life. He quickly took the life back out of it before it started talking.

"Maybe your dad left because he had to. That's why my mother left. Or maybe your daddy is following you around, or is beating up your mother, or maybe he's Africa bringing food to the needy, or maybe he is doing something else equally productive." Ithica started bouncing again. "That'd be great, wouldn't it?"

[Ryan Alexander]

Ryan nodded. "I'm glad to know that. That you'll never break your promise to me..." he said with a smile.
"It's something I'm not used to...promises being kept, or even being made to me..."

"I doubt your dad would like me...remember, I have a problem that most dads would HATE" he said emphisizing the hate part. He began to play with a sugar package on the table, something he did out of habit, when he was nervous. It calmed him sort of, it made him more stable.

Ryan became excited at the mention of a cat. He loved cats, he loved their funny colors and personalities. He had never owned one, mostly because he wasn't allowed pets. "Well I hope your cat likes me, cause I love cats!" he said happily.

Ryan's eyes widened at the soy sauce packet who almost came to life, he laughed as Ithica de-animated it. The laughter faded however when Ithica began to talk about his dad, Ryan's dad. He knew in his heart that his father would probably never come back, and that it was a soft spot in his heart to talk about.

[Ithica Pettineo]

Ithica shrugged, not bothering to keep arguing about his dad's opinions about sexual orientation. It was kind of weird to think about. "Being gay isn't a problem. Being narrow minded is." He stood up, making sure that his feet weren't on the cracks.

"Are you done yet?" He asked, bouncing on his feet. "We can always come back tomorrow, you know. And the next day. If you want." Ithica smiled, and held out his hand. "And then you can meet my daddy, and you can meet Moose. And Rosie's siblings. But they're kind of annoying.."

[Ryan Alexander]

Ryan nodded. "Yeah I'm done...it was all so good...I'm stuffed!" he said, smiling lazily. He grabbed Ithica's hand and was pulled to his feet, in a standing position.
"I'd love to meet all of these amazing people that I haven't had a chance to meet yet" he said happily, and shook his head at the thought that they could ever be annoying.
"I doubt they would annoy me...they all sound lovely"

[Ithica Pettineo]

"Yes. Well, you just remember that when you meet them. And you will. Later on. When Daddy gets back I'll take you to meet him." Ithica said with a shrug of his shoulders. He put his hands back in his pocket, walking out. He had given the waitress their number back as a verification they had paid.

He turned to Ryan. "You should go back to the Academy. To register...and... stuff." The half demon tapped his jaw. "Not sure how you do that. Maybe just kind of yell about the school. Someone is bound to hear your cries." Ithica liked to word things dramatically.

Ithica wasn't sure whether Ryan would get separation anxiety or not. He wasn't that dependent, was he? "I could stay with you a bit longer." He offered.

[Ryan Alexander]

Ryan smiled. "Yeah I guess I should get back to the Academy. If I don't, it will have all been for nothing" he walked with Ithica out of the buffet and took a long thoughtful look at his new friend.
"Thank you for showing me such kindness...I appreciate it" he said putting his hand on Ithica's shoulder. "It meant a lot to me, it really does..."
"Goodbye..." he said sadly, as he turned and began to walk away.

"He's really nice to me, the first person ever. I should give a better sending off than this..." he thought to himself. Almost immediately, he doubled back and gave Ithica a huge hug.

[Ithica Pettineo]

When Ryan put a hand on his shoulder, Ithica was a little.. confused. Such a formal way to say goodbye. At the sad tone to the other's voice, Ithica bit his lip. He opened his mouth to call Ryan back, but then the other boy turned on his heel and gave him a hug.

Ithica, unprepared for aforementioned hug, squeaked. After the initial shock, he shut his mouth and returned the hug, squeezing Ryan briefly. "You can always come visit me. And I can always visit you. I promise you, Mr Ryan, this isn't the last you'll see of me."

[Ryan Alexander]

Ryan nodded, and gave a half-hearted smile. "I believe you're right...this is far from the last time we'll be in the same place, at the same time"
"I sincerely hope it won't be.."
Holding the stuffed dog that he was gifted tightly, he waved goodbye in the only way he knew how. "Thanks for everything...really.."

"So this is what a goodbye feels like? Sort of like a burning cold feeling in my chest. It hurts, yet I like the feeling..because it means that I care about someone enough to miss them, to mourn their leaving..."