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 Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2019 9:57 am
Prompt Destiny City is passing out 'Wishmaker' Buttons; there are many local charities that have set up booths. If you have a passion for change, all you have to do is keep your eyes peeled and you're guaranteed to find someone raising money for a cause near to your heart. In return for donations, a character will receive a 'Wishmaker' button. There doesn't seem to be anything particularly magical about the button--but the moment it's attached to your shirt things suddenly take a turn for the best. You notice, for the rest of the day, everything seems to be going your way. You might not win the lottery, but maybe you got a call you were waiting for, an opportunity fell in your lap, or maybe things just seem to finally be lining up. The magic only lasts for one day, so you'd better make the best of it!
There were few things Nataniel hated more than group projects. Not only did he typically find that most school assignments felt like little more than busy work that he had little interest in, but occasionally, one of his professors would get a wild hair up their arse and decide that the busy work was best undertaken in 'teams.' He was not a team player. Anything Nataniel could accomplish in a group could be done just as well and at his own pace alone.
Sometimes he could get away with it, with a curt explanation to his team mates that he neither wanted nor needed their help. He would do their project and hand it in, and they would simply have to take whatever grade he earned them.
Nataniel minded those instances less.
It was times like these, where the project was less study-based and more hands-on that he took issue with. His economics professor was an eccentric young woman. She had a lot of energy and was capable of easily prattling the entire way through their lengthy three hour long daily summer class sessions uninterrupted. She seemed to expect a lot of the world and of her students in particular.
They were to partake in this... star event deal being hosted by the city. Volunteer their time and thoughts toward any cause they wanted to raise whatever they thought needed raising: money, awareness, support. It was all very open-ended, another thing Nataniel wasn't particularly fond of, but she had granted them some colorful green star trinket for their willingness to appease her ridiculous whims.
His 'team' for the event was some ginger-haired boy younger than himself, with a penchant for prattling almost as much as their professor...
Nataniel leaned his back against the booth they'd set up and sighed softly to himself. He didn't typically prefer to be outside mingling during daylight hours, and he wasn't really one to enjoy the bustle and crowd that came with activities such as these. Myles seemed to have enough energy and intrigue for the both of them, and Nat wondered how likely he'd be to get away with doing as little as possible...
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Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2019 9:06 pm
Myles never minded team activities; he was usually fairly easy going and thought that he got along well with most people. He liked working with people, learning from them, having company.
The only problem that he had came in the form of anxiety, out of a perpetual fear that he was never going to pull enough weight--or that he'd wind up with a sub par project and let everyone else down.
This, though. This didn't seem too hard.
He didn't know Nataniel that well, aside from the general familiarity of being in the same class together, and as a result wound up making enough small talk for the both of them in the absence of Nataniel's own participation.
He was standing by the booth, leaned forward and looking eagerly at the decorations and other booths that were being set up.
Silence had lulled between the two of them for the moment, but Myles had been able to fill some of that time with conversing with a curious older woman. She hadn't donated, but he'd enjoyed the conversation all the same. With her gone, and no one near enough to their booth to make conversation, he returned his attention to his classmate.
"My brother should be around here," he mused offhandedly. "He's doing something with the police for today. Tell me if you see someone with hair like mine, in a police uniform, please! He's always sneaking up on me, I spook easily."
His hands were on his hips and he leaned forward again, peering around at the decorations again before his eyes returned to Nataniel. "Do you have any siblings?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2019 8:10 am
He'd known from the beginning how little he personally wanted to participate. To be perfectly honest, Nataniel didn't even particularly enjoy observing these types of events unfold. He wasn't the type to glean any pleasure from crowd watching. However...
Myles was not uninteresting.
It was true that Nataniel would've preferred to have his nose in his computer or at very least the ability to be distracted by his phone, but on the off-chance that their professor wandered by, neither could he afford to look like he was doing nothing. Nataniel may despise group projects, but that didn't mean he was in the habit of failing them. It just happened that this one was well out of his comfort zone.
His comrade seemed to be doing well enough, and Nataniel kept his focus on the ginger haired boy as he conversed with some unsuspecting elder woman who'd meandered by. A majority of the project was, of course, simply having information about your chosen topic to distribute.
And Nataniel, being that he didn't care what anyone else's priorities were, had elected to use ocean conservation as their booth's mission, with Lonely Whale as his specific organization of choice, since it sounded like the type of piteous thing people would have a curiosity about. He expected Myles had done at least some homework on the topic, considering how he was able to hold anyone's attention for more than a few seconds...
But as the woman left and they were on their own again, Nataniel knew better than to expect silence. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me," he replied in response to Myles 'spooking easily.' "I have one little brother, but we don't talk often."
And Nataniel would not take favorably to Ellian creeping up on him in any regard. "I expect you get along a bit better with yours?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:22 pm
Myles tilted his head over his shoulder to look at Nataniel and smiled again. "Oh, yes. We have a very wonderful relationship. He's my best friend," he said easily.
He was too simple to have hidden any sort of agitation or irritation with taking the forefront of communication while at the stall; it seemed like he genuinely just didn't mind if Nataniel took a back seat. So far as he was concerned, Nataniel had done a sizable effort just by helping pick out which organization to support.
"He's older than me by a few years, but he's been looking after me for my whole life." He knew better than to pry about family relations, no matter how curious he was as to why Nataniel and his brother didn't talk.
Instead, he changed the subject, figuring that might be something a bit easier to make conversation about. "So, I didn't ask before--but this Lonely Whale thing? When you picked it out, I thought it was going to be something totally different. You know, like one of those whales that got kicked out of its pod and now wanders the oceans, forever alone?"
He seemed completely sincere and was clearly emotionally invested in this fictional whale's plight. "But--I like what it really is, too. What made you pick it?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 11:07 pm
Ugh, it was almost disgusting how some people could have such faith and friendship in their siblings. Nataniel had learned very early on that he wanted little to do with his baby brother. Children were abhorrent. It shouldn't be his job to help take care of something he didn't even make. Ellian was selfish, nosy, loud, egotistic, rash- All things Nat had little patience for. There was no benefit to investing too much time, energy, and thought into his little brother, certainly not to the point of being a caretaker.
So he didn't.
Just from demeanor, Nat probably could've guessed that Myles was the younger sibling.They did have it easier, didn't they... But since he wasn't pressed on the subject, Nataniel was content to let it drop. The project was at least relevant to the day.
"I have no particularly vested interest in the topic," he admitted shamelessly, "But the name alone sounds as though it is supposed to be sad enough to garner attention. 'Lonely Whale.' You know as well as I do that people pity creatures when it sounds as though they have the same range of emotions as humans do. So they will feel inclined to ask, you can give them some spiel about plastic straws stabbing turtles, and it will turn into a good grade. That's all that matters."
It sounded like the kind of organization their professor would like. Easy day. "It isn't that I don't care," Nataniel added. Because he did. He was a vegetarian because it didn't feel right to allow someone else to take a life for him. "But I prefer to care on my own time."
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Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 6:13 am
Myles considered this and then nodded. "You do have a good point," he agreed, but there was something nagging on the back of his mind. He reached for one of the 'Wishmaker' buttons they were giving out and held it, looking over it. His lips pursed and he tapped his foot as he considered.
"Nataniel?" he asked, in a tone that indicated he must have known he was asking something too personal. "Do you like animals more than people?"
He looked up again, little smile on his face and as friendly an expression he could manage. There wasn't anything designed to insult or intimidate in his tone or demeanor; he just seemed to be curious.
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Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2019 8:31 am
"Hm..." His hum was soft, thoughtful as Nataniel peered over the rim of his glasses at the other boy. He rested his chin in one hand, elbow propped against the top of the booth, while the fingers of the other clicked rhythmically against the wood surface. 'Animals' and 'people' were such broad ranges of classification that encompassed many beings, and it was difficult to say if he truly preferred one unit over the other. Realistically, it was impossible to say that he could do without either, but he expected that was true of nearly everyone.
"No," he decided at length. "I am indifferent to both until individuals have proven to have a beneficial use. There is one animal I like more than most people." His precious chinchilla, Dusk, of course. "But as a whole I don't think much of them." Animals at least tended to keep to themselves.
But Nataniel wasn't so reclusive that he wanted no intelligent companionship at all.
Both had their benefits, and he could hardly be offended at Myles for being curious of it. Truth be told, he didn't offend particularly easily, and getting any rise out of him wasn't always a simple task. More often than not, Nataniel was simply indifferent. There were few benefits to putting his devotion toward more than a very small scattering of things, and he wasn't otherwise going to waste the effort.
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Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 5:57 pm
Myles released a thoughtful, "Oh," as he pondered this.
There were plenty of things in the world that didn't make sense to Myles, but he wouldn't have been surprised by either answer. He liked people, and he liked animals, and he was terrified of people, and he was terrified of animals.
It just depended on the animal, the location, and if Jeremy was there or not.
"Which animal is your favorite?"
Curiosity was a weakness of Myles' and Nataniel's words had only made him curious to know. For a second he thought of the poor, lonely, imaginary whale he'd dreamed up--only to realize that it was still just a fictional creation of his mind.
If he'd had shame, his cheeks might have been the color of his hair, but Myles was a simple creature who just wondered. If he and Nataniel had been sent on this project as classmates, they'd leave as friends.
At least, they were already friends in Myles' mind and there wasn't much Nataniel could say to change it. Now it was just about getting to know him better. He found himself playing with one of their buttons, twisting it around in his hand curiously. He'd donated, naturally, and he was certainly taking this button home with him, but something about it just made him feel light. Made him feel good.
Made him feel like he should go do more.
But then, he was always restless; it was hard to keep his attention anywhere--except, right now Nataniel had all of it.
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Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2019 8:37 am
Nataniel had never been offended by people asking him simple questions. He was not outgoing or social, and he typically found pleasantries involved with face-to-face camaraderie to be quite exhausting more than enjoyable, but he wasn't one to anger or excite easily. For the most part, he was simply indifferent, and Myles wasn't asking him anything particularly personal. Besides, there was almost never a bad time to coo over his furry angel.
"I have a pet chinchilla named Dusk. She is my favorite." Nataniel's dark gaze flicked from the boy with him back to his phone screen. He didn't take pictures often, but the vast majority of the ones he did take involved her. "Would you like to see?"
He selected one of the many, a particularly cute one of his sleeping girl curled in a ball atop a mess of shredded paper, and passed his phone Myles' way.
Nataniel propped an elbow on the top of the booth and rested his chin in his palm. His gaze fixed on the pin attached to Myles' shirt as he fiddled with it. He had not donated, himself. Spare money was something a full-time college student came by only infrequently, and since he was already donating his time to the cause, money seemed less significant. And hey, he was already a vegetarian. He was doing more than many could claim to be.
With a sigh, he stood. Even if his enthusiasm for the project was minimal, it was still a school project. He might as well at least put forth the effort required of him. "Do you want to walk around a bit? It would be easier to engage with people if we went to them." He'd still let the other do all the talking, though.
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Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2019 5:20 am
'Would you like to see' were the magic words; of course he wanted to see anyone's pet. Myles instantly moved closer and leaned in, eyes training onto the phone screen as soon as it was presented.
"A chinchilla?" he prompted, seeming surprised when he actually saw her. He held the phone close, in both hands, terrified that he was going to drop it. He hoped his nervousness didn't show as he cradled the phone delicately. His own phone was tucked in his pocket, scratched in several places, screen chipped in the bottom right, in a nearly broken phone case--with reviews that it had been nearly indestructible. He'd covered up most of the damage with stickers, but it didn't change the fact that phones never lasted long in Myles' care, no matter how hard he tried. "She's adorable!" he said, sincerely.
"I don't think I've ever seen a chinchilla before." He held the phone out to return it, still with both hands; he'd done a good enough job keeping it steady when he was standing still, but the idea of walking around? No, thank you, he knew his limits.
"I'd love to walk around--some of these stalls are so creative. I wish I could decorate like they could." He was eyeing a stall in the distance, far enough away that he couldn't make out what the booth was for, but with decorations glamorous enough that he'd been admiring them from far away. "I'll have to see if they have a class for something. Do you think table decoration is interior design or exterior design?"
The thought didn't linger; he glanced back at Nataniel's phone, and then his face. "How did you pick out a chinchilla? I mostly only know about cats, dogs, fish, birds, hamsters, and rabbits for pets. I love all of them, though. I have a cat at home, but I think she thinks she's a dog. And my boyfriend has a dog, who is the best dog in the world, and I love him. What are chinchillas like?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 8:14 am
Of course Myles wanted to see. This was the only reasonable response Nataniel could actually fathom from anyone, be it friend, or relative stranger, as Myles was. His Dusk was precious and perfect as any living creature could be. All should marvel at her, bask in the beauty of her silky fur, adore her cute little whiskers and tiny paws and feathery tail. What an angel. What a truly perfect specimen. Nat wasn't even embarrassed by the stupid amount of pride he had in the creature, and he waited quietly and expectantly for the praise he knew would come.
"She is the most adorable," Nataniel agreed as his phone was passed back toward him. Nothing compared, truly. Even as a young child, he'd been wise to choose her. His parents had wondered if a high-maintenance rodent was really a good pet for a ten-year-old to have, but Nat had always been one to know what he wanted. He tucked his phone in his pocket. "I believe they are endangered in the wild, but I've seen them in PetSmart before. They keep them in a bin like they do rabbits and guinea pigs."
"They're already adults, though, if you buy them from the pet store. I got Dusk as a kit from a breeder when I was ten, so she has known me her entire life." Nataniel would never openly admit that he may have been a spoiled child...
But he'd certainly been a spoiled child.
He moved from behind their stall as Myles agreed to walk with him, and followed the other boy's gaze to another booth down the path. With a roll of his shoulder to serve as beckoning for Myles to follow, Nataniel headed off in that direction. "I'm not sure you would need to take a class. They have YouTube and Skillshare videos for everything, so don't waste your money on a class when you could simply look up guides, tips, and advice online."
His tone had been matter-of-fact, but it softened just a fraction as the topic went back to something more of interest to him personally. "I suppose I just did my research on it," he admitted with a shrug. A first pet had been a big responsibility, and something granted to him likely because his parents had wanted to extend some peace offering for Nataniel's growing lack of patience with his little brother.
A distraction, of sorts.
"I don't mind cats at all, but they typically have more freedom to roam than something kept in a cage." He hadn't wanted to get a cat that ended up liking someone else more than him. "Dogs are obnoxious and needy. Birds are loud. Fish are more maintenance than companionship, and hamsters don't live very long. A rabbit was actually what I'd been considering, but it happened I found something else while researching them..." And he would never go back. "What is your cat's name?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 2:01 pm
Myles sucked in a burst of air between his teeth and it was clear that he was regretting at least one choice in his life when pressed to answer with her name.
"She...doesn't...I mean, I--I just sort of got in the habit of calling her 'Kitty', and..."
His face was red, like he knew this was a poor choice. "...After a while I just forgot to give her a name. My brother's been calling her 'Beans', though, so that's...um. The closest thing she's got to a name. Please don't think I'm a bad owner, I'm just not creative. She's got everything she could ever want. She's got food, toys, room. And a lot of love. Honestly, I didn't think Jeremy would let me keep her and I was afraid to name her because--you know, they say that when you name them, that's when you get attached?--so I was afraid he'd change his mind. But," he shrugged, lopsided smile still on his face. "He didn't. I think he likes her. But it's hard not to. She's great. She's low maintenance and just likes to snuggle. Did you drop this?" he seemed to flow from one topic to the next; there wasn't much of a pause, but at least in this instance there was a reason.
He'd paused, mid step, to reach down and pick up a wrinkled twenty just by Nataniel's foot. He uncrinkled it and held it out, glancing around to see if anyone appeared to be searching for something.
Indigo_Plateau I'm so sorry this took so long!
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Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2019 2:00 pm
It did seem mildly disrespectful, if Nataniel had to think about it. He could hardly fathom calling his precious Dusk 'Chinny' or something as equally ridiculous because she deserved his respect. He'd made the choice to adopt and raise her, and she deserved a proper name. ...But then again, she was only an animal, and Nat couldn't imagine a chinchilla or a cat would care if they had a human-given name at all.
So there was probably little need for Myles to make as big a deal about it as he did, and Nat found himself judging the other for his reaction more than he was for Myles not giving a cat a name.
"Is it relevant, whether I think you are a good owner, or not?" Nataniel prompted, folding his arms behind him as they walked. They were classmates, sure, but they were little more than that. And no matter what Nat judged Myles for now, he doubted it would come up again. Though 'Beans' was kind of a cute name for a cat... They did have those cute little toe beans, after all... "I don't think it is," he answered himself. "You know what she needs better than an outsider would. It's your business if you name her or choose to not."
His gaze flicked to the bill in Myles' hand, then back ahead, disinterested. "I never carry cash."
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Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2019 7:44 pm
Myles held the bill for a moment and glanced around, but with no one nearby he didn't seem to have any clue as to where the money had come from. "Huh. Well. Maybe if we can't find who it belongs to, we'll put it towards our booth?"
He didn't seem keen on pocketing it for himself and kept his eyes open for anyone who seemed to be distraught.
After a few seconds, he looked back at Nataniel. "I know you're not supposed to care what people think, but to be honest, I'd be horrified if anyone thought I was a bad owner. I don't know why. You can call me a lot of names that won't bother me, but I'm very protective of my cat. I think, I don't know. It's because that's one of the few things in my life I haven't ever really messed up on. I mean! Except, I forgot to name her, but that doesn't hurt anyone."
He glanced around to see if anyone had realized they were missing money but again, his search yielded no results.
"I don't think so, at least. I'll have to look it up when I go home."
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Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2019 12:21 pm
Nataniel didn't consider himself a man innately filled with suspicion. What he did consider himself was intelligent and observant, aware of general and normal mannerisms among the populace. People were typically selfish, as far as he understood it, which truly made the whole affair of even having a charity booth a bit of a wasted effort. Nat tried to reason that the ordeal wasn't an attempt to actually support a cause, as much as he was sure their professor would appreciate it, but more a task of endurance, patience, and charisma to see if they could be arsed to convince people to lend aid...
He eyed Myles over the rim of his glasses. The thought of actively looking for the owner of lost money was basic nonsense, but Nataniel did believe that his classmate would put the found riches toward their cause. "That would be... benevolent of you," he stated slowly.
Was it only him that thought Myles was acting a bit strangely? Nat wasn't one to be overly engorged in conversation, but a nagging in the back of his mind made him feel almost... uncomfortable, though that was nothing unusual when it came to interacting with people. "Even if you were a bad owner, it would be no one else's business. Yet explaining how you aren't and how you would be so horrified if anyone said you were, somehow... lends itself to making you seem defensive. As if you have done something wrong. You clearly feel some guilt over not naming her, though since she is a cat I could not even begin to imagine that she cares. If it bothers you so much, give her a name."
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