chucked my responses into spoilers boxes so that my post isn't obnoxiously long, so hopefully y'all don't mind the weird format- :"DDD
hug (Viktor):
The professor, oddly enough, reminded Fitzgerald of his boss. Maybe it was the appearance. Or the somewhat intimidating demeanor. Either way, he liked the reminder; it made him feel a bit more secure, whether he wanted to admit it or not. His boss, after all, always evoked those feelings from Fitzgerald... Warm, secure, belonged. It wasn't like he ever really received such emotions from anyone else, so even if his boss turned harsh against him at times, Fitzgerald was always there to latch on. He, after all, had no other option; but even then, there was a sense of genuine appreciation towards the older man.
This stranger appeared to be no exception because of this line of reasoning, at least in Fitzgerald's mind. He stepped forward, already regretting his action to some degree, but mainly because his mind rushed with the thought, What if he hugs back? He was most likely going to be crushed from the probable strength! That was never fun, he silently interrupted himself with a roll of his eyes. An upwards look, though, immediately made him gulp, because he now suddenly thought, Wait, what if he saw me roll his eyes at him? Shit! He winced and took a step back. No, wait...
Concluding a long, overly drawn-out sigh, Fitzgerald realized that fussing over what he was or wasn't doing inevitably made the tense situation even tenser than it had to be. And at this point, he just wanted to get this over with, the security projected from his boss to the stranger having long since dissipated. Now, he just felt small, and he never liked feeling small.
The young man opened his arms, took a step forward, and grumbled, "I mean, you seem like the person who gives good hugs." Hopefully not the type that breaks spines. "Plus, you don't... Seem like one to mind a hug too much." This was already going terribly, he thought while his arms started to ache from being opened for so long. "So... Want to receive a hug? Feel free to return it. Just... Please do your softest if you do, for obvious reasons."
hang out (Reed):
"A fan of music, hm?" Fitzgerald asked coolly while holding a hand up to his chin, "Interesting, how very interesting!" He chuckled to himself, clearly amused by this particular occupation that the other party had chosen to pursue. For once, however, his voice was filled with genuine excitement and not some ulterior motive intending to elevate himself above others. The last time he heard music that he could call "refined," he was in his house, and even then, it was always a bit muffled by the chatter of other partygoers. He supposed to himself that perhaps spending some time with the band professor would allow him to hear pure, unmarred music; the thought of it made a genuine smile emerge on his face.
The young man added after a period of silence, "You know... Although I currently work as a scientific intern..." He trailed off, the words feeling suddenly heavy as they packed themselves against the back of his tongue. You're being too vulnerable. What if he's not to be trusted? He does look like someone who could know your- "No," he uttered, only for his stomach to drop when he realized that he accidentally said a thought out loud. Great.
"Sorry, a lot's on my mind at the moment," he stated quietly with a frown, just barely loud enough for the other man to hear, "It's tough balancing science with, uh, more creative pursuits." He waved his hand before quickly assuming his usual confident and somewhat haughty tone. "That asides," Fitzgerald resumed while struggling to retrieve that smile he previously had (with all attempts to assume contentment failing miserably), "I've always been intrigued by music despite working as an apprentice for research. I'm no stranger to such a thing, which may be surprising, but! After all, I come from a rich family who's well-known for throwing parties, and parties always come with music." He laughed, albeit in a somewhat forced manner, before sighing and wiping a tear that had welled up in an eye.
The young man brushed the tip of a shoe against the ground as he finished, "Unfortunately, though, I've never really had the opportunity to appreciate it in its... Natural setting." He looked up. "Perhaps spending some time with you could fix that? I can see you composing quite the wonderful piece..."
hit (Gabriel):
Fitzgerald raised his eyebrows at the werewolf, unsure of what to really consider of the other individual. On one hand, the werewolf was admittedly the nicest out of the three parties presented to him; on the other hand, being nice was associated with being soft, and... Well.... Fitzgerald wasn't a fan of soft people. He was soft himself, and that turned out very well for him. Well to the point that he only had his dog for comfort and felt that he could trust nobody except himself, and maybe his boss. But that was a different story for a different day, and it certainly wasn't something the werewolf needed to know even if Fitzgerald felt any different towards him.
He could feel a swell of guilt raise in him for a second as he raised his hand in preparation, which was enough for him to slowly lower it and let out a sigh. Nevertheless, it wasn't enough for him to totally feel that bad, and the young man maintained a pout as he eyed the other party.
"Look, I don't know about you," he started with a twirl of his hand, "but the attitude of yours throws me off. It gives off a naive impression, if I'm going to be honest. You reacting badly to any speck of criticism thrown at you will only enhance the prejudice that folks have against your species. I think." He shrugged before letting his arms hang loose. "I really don't want to hit you, but only because I feel like you'd maul me if you turned into that wolf form as a result." How sweet of the man. Fitzgerald yawned and concluded, "Though, with all sincerity, I have a feeling that we wouldn't get along at all. So... I think it's best that you fall into this option, although you won't get a slap from me anytime soon."
