"You could say that I am," Rikter replied as he pushed himself off of the wall and followed Daniel over to the bathroom. "I am from the states however, just not this area of it. Where I come from respect was demanded and if one was not formal enough it could possibly be taken as an insult."

He watched the male for a moment, his clothing was certainly interesting and looking back at his wings he wondered why they hadn't thought of a shirt like that for Rikter to use. He knew why though, if he even had a shirt on it would ruin the effect of what he was, or at least what he was supposed to be. "Do you need help with that?" He finally asked as he nodded to the strings that Daniel was working with.

Daniel shook his head and jerked the ends of the strings into a small bow. He then looked back to Rikter, his eyes glancing over the other's bare torso. "I have an old t-shirt in the box behind the couch. You can do whatever you want with it too; I was going to take the box down to Goodwill tomorrow anyway." Wing things or not, he wasn't going to let Rikter walk around shirtless all the time. It was far too awkward.

He then turned to face the mirror and opened it to take out his only two pieces of makeup; an eyeshadow and blush case. He quickly, yet precisely, applied them both in a matter of moments and then went back into his room to get a more casual coat. "Oh, also, I have some numbers you might need taped on the toaster. Mechanic, fast food delivery, stuff like that," he called from his room.

Numbers, yes, like those will do me a lot of good, Rikter thought as he turned and watched Daniel in the other room. But why the make up? Is he a performer? The thought intrigued him but as far as vocalling it, nope, didn't happen. It really wasn't in his place to ask and it seemed that the more he talked the more he aggrivated the male. The shirts though, he may look at them though it had been a few years since he had worn one. He remained silent as he watched the male, scenario's began running through his head as he tried to figure out what he could possibly be doing, but all of his ideas didn't seem to fit the male seeing as he found the angel thing to be odd, or even disturbing.

Daniel came out again, shutting the door to his room as he went, wearing a loose silk overcoat and took his keys from the counter by the front door. He opened the door and paused, looking back at Rikter again. "Lastly, the bedroom is off limits. If I find that you've been in there when I get back, I'm kicking you out," he warned. Then he left, shutting the door with sharp snap. He stood motionless out in the hall for a moment, thinking. Maybe he should cancel on the date. It wasn't like it was that important, he had only just met Randall. He could stay here and make sure Rikter wouldn't get into any trouble.

Finally he shook his head and walked away toward the elevator. Choosing between a stranger and a potential boyfriend; he shouldn't even need to stop and think about that. He punched hard at the button of the elevator, listening to it rumble up as it moved.

Rikter simply nodded at the 'off limits' part, he was used to such orders though he wasn't the one usually not allowed in places. He was good about following orders, for the most part anyway seeing as he was walking toward the couch and the box of shirts behind it. Opening it up he dug though it until he found just a plain whit t-shirt and slipped it on over his head. The metal feathers began moving as the became narrow, cutting at the shirt to create enough space for them to fit through. It was a little tight seeing as Daniel wasn't as built as himself but that didn't bother him, it was more or less the fact that he had a shirt on that was odd to him.

His wings readjusted themselves until they were back in place and then Rikter stood up. Walking over to the bathroom he peered at the sink. Other than the fact that Daniel said it was clogged he didn't see anything wrong with it. Looking nearby he found a flat head screw driver. Picking it up he moved back to the sink and pulled the plug out. His wings then went into effect as the moved in front of him, shifting their shape until they acted almost like tweasers. The long, pole-like tweezers entered the drain, being just barely big enough to do so, and began making their way down feeling for the source of the clog.

Two hours later the front door opened and Daniel came shuffling in, his eyes downcast. He looked and felt miserable. Two hours of waiting, and all he had to show for it was the loss of a few dollars to tip the waiter for being so patient. He dropped his keys and coat on the counter and headed quietly to his room, oblivious of Rikter working in the bathroom. He went in and shut the door, then went over and curled up on the bed to pull the blankets around him before breaking down into quiet sobs.

For a year he tried and failed again and again to find someone, just anyone, who would want him other than Nick. He wanted for so long to get as far away from the twisted man. But it all seemed for nothing now. For so long he had tried to ignore what he really needed. He needed someone to be with, as living alone was hell. He'd have to face the possibility of moving back in with Nick. Even enduring the man's many fetishes would be nothing as long as just had someone to be with. Pain was ultimately irrelevant; he had learned that long ago. Not only from Nick, but from his family, his once-been friends...everyone.

Daniel buried his face in his blankets, trying to calm himself before Rikter could hear. He hadn't cried in so long. Everything he had been trying to bury away was coming out, tearing at him from the inside out. He curled in on himself tighter, screwing his eyes shut and biting into his lip in attempt to stop the pain.

Those few hours seemed to have been almost enough time for Rikter to finish up. It wasn't that the clog was all that deep, it was just that whatever it was was really stuck in there. The metal bits gripped and pierced at whatever it was and finally, when he thought he had just about got it the door opened. He paused all working as he listened to see what was going on and the 'forbidden room' not all that far away opened and closed again.

Looking back to what he was doing, the apendedges in the drain started spinning and he started to slowly pull whatever it was out of the sink. By the time the pieces got out a familiar, yet pain steaking sound resonated in his ears. It wasn't so much that it was loud but it was a sound that his ears had very used to picking up the sound. He never liked it.

With a final pull Rikter got his wings out and they were coated in an algae looking slime. He stuck his tongue out at it before turning the water on. Waiting with it running full blast for a moments he decided that the clog was now on him. He found a towel hanging from a near by pole, it looked like it needed to be cleaned anyway so he took it. He opened the bathroom door, wiping the still apendage-like wings as he walked. He stopped just outside the closed the door as he finished wiping the sludge off.

"Daniel," he said just loud enough for himself to be heard. "Can I get you anything?" Then out of habit it put the towel in his pocket, the fixed drain not on the top of his list of things to report. That could wait for now at least. Plus, he wasn't too sure if Daniel would be too happy about him messing with the sink when he had been told not to.

Daniel ignored him, partly for the choked up voice he knew would come out if he tried to speak. He buried himself deeper into the blankets in attempt to just block out everything. He didn't want to deal with anything right now, least of all Rikter.

Rikter sighed, whatever happened on his outing must have really gotten to him. Out of instinct he reached for the door knob but didn't touch it, his hand merely hovered over it. He said it was forbidden, he thought as he pulled his hand away. "If you need something, let me know and I shall get it for you," he said as he walked back towards the bathroom. Once in there he took a closer look at his wings and pulling the towel out he dampened it before getting to the detail work on cleaning off the rest of the sludge. He took a seat on the side of the tub as his wings folded out more so he could clean them.

A little over an hour later, Daniel finally pushed the blankets aside and sat up. His face felt hot and raw from all the crying. He rubbed at his eyes and cheeks a little before noticing that he was still hungry. He sighed and looked toward the door. Rikter probably hadn't eaten anything either. He hadn't smelled any food when he walked in. Time to get up off my ass and cook something then.

He changed out of his clothes and into a white, fuzzy set of pajamas before leaving his room. He shuffled out to the kitchen and opened the freezer, frowning at the half empty box of waffles. He took out the whole box and set it on the counter, ripping the plastic open and shoving a few in the toaster. Then he got out some syrup and plates. "Rikter, come get your dinner," he called in an irritable voice.

Intricate, like his wings the mess had gotten into just about every little area. Rikter's neck had began hurting a bit from trying to clean it but he knew that he had to get it off now. He could hear Daniel shuffling about but didn't pay any mind to it, he was almost done. It was when he called out to him to get his dinner that the angel sighed slightly. He was so close so rather than getting up he finished cleaning them real quick before shoving the towel back into his back pocket.

Standing up he stretched his wings out and smiled. They were back to their usual bright copper color that they had been before the war started. Folding them back up he walked out of the bathroom and walked near the kitchen. He didn't walk in so Daniel could have his space. "You sink is fixed," he said quietly, almost as if he was afraid that Daniel would freak out and yell at him about touching it.

Daniel turned to fix Rikter with a glare. Then he turned back sharply to the toaster and the waffles that had just popped up. He took the waffles and tossed them on one plate before shoving more into the toaster. "You don't listen well, do you?" he said as he looked back at Rikter. He slid the plate with the done waffles over a little, along with the syrup. "Go ahead and eat."

Rikter shook his head before saying, "My listening skills are up to par sir. I just fix things, it is what I do." He then looked down at the plate, at a food he could not recall ever seeing before. His green eyes then slid to the bottle with the syrup label on it and a picture of the contents poured over a food simliar to what was on his plate. Picking it up he stared at it for a moment before snapping the cap up. Tipping it upside down he poured it onto his waffles, watching for a moment. Before he had enough for even half a waffle he flipped the bottle back upright and set it down.

"I thought the sink beind fixed would please you," he then added as he folded his hands on the counter top as he watched Daniel. It was odd, at times he seemed kinder than Arrow, but other times he seemed at least as harsh as him. Rikter wasn't sure what he was doing wrong. Perhaps he just wasn't meant to be out of Clockwork. With that thought his eyes faded back to the dark blue that they had been before.

Daniel sighed and picked his waffles out of the toaster. "I'm not in a good mood tonight, sorry." He turned around with his plate to lean back against the counter, taking his syrup-less waffle and nibbling on it. He knew he sounded bitchy, but he couldn't help it. A fixed sink wasn't likely to brighten his mood anytime soon.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Rikter asked as he picked up his waffle and folded it in half. Strangely even after being on the move for a few days without food he wasn't all that hungry. Then again in his profession you had to be used to that and you also had to be there for one another. Not being allowed to see loved ones again put a strain on most people so they had to learn to be there and rely on one another. He wasn't sure how Daniel would take to it, but it was worth a shot anyway.

Daniel was silent for a long moment as he chewed. "No," he finally replied. What would Rikter say about it anyway? Probably nothing he hadn't heard before. Having to hear the same old don't worry, there's always someone out there looking for you made him want to want to puch something, anything, until it was either a pile of rubble or a bloody pulp. What good was that advice supposed to do in times like today?

Daniel noticed the change in Rikter's wings as he looked back over at the other. Good, something else to talk about. "Are you wings working alright now?"

Rikter had no problem in the change of subject, if there was something Daniel didn't want to talk about then he wouldn't force him. It wasn't in his nature to anyway. "They were working before," he said as he set his waffle back on the plate for a moment and looked at the objects of the conversation. He opened them back up, and though they were missing pieces, they still shone brilliantly. "They are just slightly damaged is all, they are clean now though." When the wings opened the didn't make a sound, it was almost as if they were real, made out of skin, bone, muscle, and feathers rather than the metal they were actually made out of. They truly were a piece of art and yet Rikter didn't understand that objects such as those did not exist in normal everyday life, that people didn't know how to do such things yet, or they just didn't want to.

Daniel watched as Rikter opened out his wings. They were unusual, that much he could say for sure. He wasn't anywhere near being any type of mechanic so he had no guess as to how the things worked. Still, he found himself curious about the wings. Who would want to attach those things to themselves anyway? Rikter was overly formal and strange, but he didn't seem like the eccentric type. Whatever had happened, the wings honestly looked useless and purely there for decoration.

Wait a minute...he didn't have any tools around the house. How in the world would Rikter have fixed the sink? Daniel set down his plate and turned to face the other completely. "How exactly did you fix my sink?"

A smile came to Rikter's face, it was almost dark though it wasn't meant to be. After years working for Arrow it just kind of happened sometimes. "Quite, easily," he said pausing between the two words as he leaned his elbows onto the counter. It was as if someone had pressed a button or flipped a control switch because as soon as the angel's elbows rested on the counter a whirling sound began to fill the room.

It wasn't a loud sound, sounding more like rushing air, really small rushing air if that made any sense. The gears that held the feather-like pieces and the entire thing together began to move, almost like they had when Rikter was getting rid of the ruined feathers. Instead of just shaking and checking one another, the feathers moved and completely rearranged themselves and the shaped structure until they look almost like bug-like arms. They were very thin, but had a good about of length to them and at the ends were clawed appendages that could graps things.

Daniel stepped back a little out of instinct, his eyes going wide at the sight. He was speechless. What the hell was he supposed to say to...that?! He wasn't even sure what the things were that Rikter's wings had formed into. Some claw looking things were at the ends, that much he could tell. Those were what he used? He swallowed nervously and took another step back, but he hit the other counter. He raised a shaky hand to point at the claws. "W-wha...?"

Rikter's face didn't really show much emotion as to Daniel's reaction. "They're quite harmless I can promise you that," he said as the clawed hand opened and closed its grip, a slight pinging sound coming from them at that point. "They only look like this because if they smoothed out they would be too large for much of the intricate work that they are used for." Then as smoothly as they moved to take on that form they were back to the angel wings they were before. "People are not used to such things are they?" He asked finding it strange because it was something he was so accustomed to.

"Uh...no. Not really," Daniel answered. "Just the fact that those things work should be impossible. Where exactly are you from?" he asked.

Hmm, just as I thought, Rikter cooed to himself as he leaned back in his seat. "I have already told you that I live everywhere and nowhere," he said, speaking for in riddle than anything else. "Perhaps you should ask me where I worked for where I worked is about as close to home as I have gotten in all these years." A part of him wouldn't come out and say anything about the carnivale, he wasn't sure why. Perhaps he was trying to prepare the male for his past, he didn't know though.

Daniel folded his arms, his shocked look replaced by slight irritation. "Perhaps you should stop spitting bullshit and answer the question," he replied bitterly. Where ever Rikter came from, he doubted whether it really needed that much dramatization in explaining. If the guy didn't want to just come out and say it, then he was going to call it a night and get some sleep. For now though he waited to hear a better answer from the other.

Rikter sighed thinking, He's not going to believe you. He asked though didn't he? He shook his head slightly before saying, "I worked for a carnivale, or circus, called Clockwork Carnivale." His tone was rather flat, not irritated like Daniel's, just flat. "It was a place of nightmares, for those that came at least. I was a freak show performer, an angel as you could guess." His eyes became distant as weekend nights played through his head, the sounds, the sights, even the smells were coming back to him. "Everything was based off of machinery somehow, everything, well, save for the animals, Arrow never tried anything on them." His eyes then fell back to the male as he ended his absentminded description.