This Charming Man[Anis, Nero]

"T-thank you."

The once-abated blush flared up again the moment he noticed her smile. He didn't particularly know how to approach that, and he didn't even pay any mind to whether or not his drink would be sweet at this point. He simply huffed a long breathe of air while he leaned an arm against the table. At the very least, she didn't laugh or ridicule the man. There weren't many filling up the seats, either. It wasn't much, but it was a minor victory in his favor.

After a few minutes to stew in his own juices, Anis would return. Bouncy step, swaying hips, clearly a very happy woman to have met a new friend she could talk with. It was one of the goals, after all.

Putting the drink down on the table, she would look to Nero for a moment, and then nod to herself.

"You are a very pretty man. Do you work at it much, or is it just a natural sort of thing?"

In her absence, Nero's composure had made a full recovery. By the time she returned, his countenance was less frantic, less frightened by the prospect of hosting conversation. There were still remnants of bashfulness, of course, but they weren't nearly as prevalent as before. Taking a small sip from the cup, Nero offered a flattered smile in response to her compliment.

"Natural. For as long as I can remember, I've always had a fair appearance. Of course... I won't deny that I don't devote a portion of my time taking care to maintain my looks, either."

"Heh, yea. Natural doesn't go very far if you neglect it" Anis would reply, looking at her Sanrei gloved hand for a few moments. "Though I also can't complain about anything. I keep my complexation fair using my Blut, which is absolutely cheating but also it's good training to drop it on for a moment in the morning" Anis would reply, lingering a bit at his side.

"Though it's also a little nice. Was a time it didn't turn off...so..." Anis' tone became a bit morose, but she snapped back. "So, progress! Yes?"

"Yes."

Since Nero didn't particularly know her well, he wasn't quite sure if his agreement with her brief explanation was correct. Even so, she proved welcoming company, and taking a closer look at her, it certainly seemed that whatver method she employed to maintain her fair appearance was more than succinct so far. Cheating or not, it still got the job done. Directing his gaze to her with a smile, he offered for the woman to take a seat to avoid the discomfort and awkwardness of standing at his tableside.

"Cheating or not, a single glance or two is enough to tell me that your efforts to maintain your appearance are exceptional. You look lovely, miss."

Offering that compliment in turn, he took a moment to recall the fact he has yet to properly introduce himself. Waving a hand apologetically, he quickly corrected that error.

"Amid that initial fit of awkwardness... I forgot to introduce myself. I am Nero Arant."

"Yea. They....yea" Anis would try a chirpy tone, to try and deal with the past, but then shake her head, fluffing her hair around as she fought off the terror, and instead took a seat. She was fine now, she didn't need to worry about Sofia, and America, and Helle. The heartbreak had passed, she was now on track for who she was meant to be...

"Anis Kabal" she would reply, a little nervous and unsure now. "Vandenriech, sort of. Do you, also do that? Or are you here for the coffee and compliments?" Anis would ask, regaining her footing and giving a new smile.

"O-oh? What division are you in, Anis?"

For a moment, the uncertainty in his posture and expression returned. He maintained a semblance of composure, certainly, far too prideful to return to that poor display earlier, yet he wondered how much word might get around. Reputations were essential to someone like him; there was a profound difference between Nero in a moment of respite and Nero in the Vandenreich. Professional image meant a lot to him, condemned by the memories of his past.

"A-ha... I'm far too shy for the compliments, but I did come for the coffee. Believe it or not, I work a lot. I can interact well enough with my superiors, but... the general public frightens me... it's a new city to me even after a year or so."

"That's the sort of part" Anis would reply, abashed. "I just sorta exist in the Vandenreich without having a proper division. Pet changes owners"

That last bit was spoken with quite a different tone of voice. Somewhere between bitter, insane, and seductive. She seemed to catch herself however, and visibly jolt back a bit.

"Ahh! But, err, it's...always going to be a new city if you don't get out there and meet people!" Anis exclaimed, a rapid flow of words as if trying to speed past what just happened. "I can take you shopping and meet some people so it feels more like home, yea?"

Nero blinked softly in response to those words, his expression a mix between dumbfounded and confused. Pet changes owners? He certainly felt all quincy had their purpose within the grand scheme, but even still... that was an interesting use of words with a subtext he had no grasp of. Even so, he responded with a polite, albeit sheepish, smile.

"A-ah, of course. I wouldn't mind that."

"Great, good, excellent!" Anis exclaimed, nodding and turning around and then turning back as if she forgot something and then turning around as if she had suddenly redecided levels of priority.

"I'll go sort out and do things and you do coffee then we go shop!" she continued, stagger-running off to the back-room, and leaving Nero a moment of piece in the storm that was to come.