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 Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 10:28 pm
Dessy was nearly bouncing down the street as he headed towards the cybercafe that he and Nat had agreed to meet up at. There wasn’t any real reason to, Dessy wasn’t locked out today, nor had he canceled their playtime together. He has simply mentioned wanting to see Dusk sometime soon and… Well, Nat agreed to it!
Excited couldn’t describe how he was feeling! When was the last time someone wanted to hang out with him? Who wanted to genuinely have fun and talk and not worry about all the rest of the awful things that were happening in life? Not in a long long long time, atleast not that he could remember! That didn't mean he wasn't nervous though... Nat had made it very clear on how things worked between them, and how it wasn't very likeable when Dessy chattered too much.. Seeing him in real life was different than in game, he couldn't just be muted when he got annoying.
... Nat could tell him to be quiet though... Or just leave. That part did scare him... He didn't want to lose the only friend it felt like he had.
BUT there was no use worrying about it now, not when all he could do was stand outside the place and rock on his heels, hopping to spot the other man sooner rather than later. Atleast this time he had enough money for a proper outing, a nice crisp pair of Twenties in his hand from the previous night's work. He'd be no burden, not today!
---
A soft, only mildly exasperated sigh slid past Nataniel’s lips as he stared down at his precious chinchilla angel, scampering about in her cage. The feeling wasn’t for her, of course, never, but for the thought of what he had to do now. It was his own fault, obviously. He’d offered to meet December. He’d wanted, in theory, to show off his baby girl. He’d been the one to suggest the cafe…
It couldn’t be anyone’s fault but his own that he had to leave his house to play his games today. How annoying… It was routine now, though. Even for the game he hadn’t been sure of at first, there was schedule. He should be playing with December today, anyway…
But not at home. Per his own stupid suggestions.
He packed Dusk into her carrying case backpack, equipped with plastic see-through dome for her to peek out of. She yapped at the disturbance, and even as Nat carefully slid the pack onto his shoulders, he could hear her tiny claws scratching at the corners. It was a smaller container than the massive, tiered cage she was used to. Dusk wouldn’t enjoy being cooped up for long.
It was because of that that Nataniel drove to the cafe. Even if the distance wasn’t so far that he couldn’t walk, it was precious time spent keeping his angel boxed up when it would be easier on her to be free. He secured a sweatshirt over her case to keep the wind from battering her, slid his helmet over his head, and started his motorcycle. The drive was quick, short, and easy, with the cafe being only a handful of blocks away.
He parked on the street directly in front of it, front door clearly in view as he pulled his helmet off and flicked green bangs out of his face with a toss of his head.
Dusk was not pleased about being hidden from the world. She chattered angrily at him as Nataniel removed the sweatshirt to instead tie around his waist and hoisted her carrier.
His attention wandered back to the cafe. It wasn’t generally an over busy place, with people loitering outside only occasionally. Today there was only a lone boy with a mop of white hair and in baggy clothes such that Nat couldn’t tell how much person was actually beneath them. ...December had quite a young voice, didn’t he? Nataniel stared at the younger man openly, wondering if it was expected that he be the one to approach strangers.
---
Dessy wasn’t actually sure who he was looking for. He knew Nat’s voice, and he knew he was coming with his little Chinchilla, but they hadn’t exactly talked about looks, or about what they’d be wearing. He was at a loss on what he was looking for...
Thankfully the weather was decent, and standing outside wasn’t too bad. If he knew his friend as much as he thought he did (which honestly wasn’t a lot), he’d show up right on time.
And... The person who showed up WAS right on time, and was carrying one of those fancy cases he saw sometimes online with cats in them. Could it have been a Chinchilla, not a cat? That chattering sound sounded like a Chinchilla atleast! Welp, there was no point in not trying, and Dessy wasn’t shy about walking right up to the man and waving a little.
“You must be Nat, right? I can hear Dusk Chattering! It’s me! December!”
---
The boy was… bold.
Perhaps that ought to have been expected, considering that December had never seemed particularly shy during their online sessions. Bubbly and chattery… things you would expect from someone much younger and dumber, until someone decided to reprimand him. Nataniel had thought it might be different when they were face-to-face though. There wasn’t a computer screen shielding everything save words from each other. But that did not seem to be the case, as far as December was concerned.
“That’s right,” Nat agreed quietly as he slid Dusk’s pack from his shoulder. It may be intrusive and noisy of them to not get the chinchilla greeting out of the way before they entered the building. He expected December was the gushing type. Nataniel wasn’t even entirely sure he should let December pet her, yet…
She might escape, or maybe December wasn’t particularly gentle with animals. Nat had no way of knowing, and he wasn’t prepared to risk it. So he held the case up without unzipping it, for December’s inspection. “Here she is, in all her glory…”
As much as Nataniel loved talking about and fawning over his angel, there were still too many unknowns to simply act as though they were close friends who he trusted a great deal with his pet. The way Nat saw it, December hadn’t even bothered to care what clothes he threw on before he left the house- all so baggy and unflattering on him, like they didn’t fit. Why would he possibly care about the gentle touch required to handle something so delicate as his Dusk?
Admittedly, Nataniel hadn’t felt a need to impress December, either, but he tended to dress neatly to begin with: crisp, dark jeans, a tight tee shirt mostly covered by the leather jacket he wore when he took his bike out, a deep red ring scarf for a bit of color… It matched his eyes, and could he be blamed for appreciating coordinated things?
“She wasn’t too happy about leaving home today,” Nataniel admitted as he rubbed his finger against a mesh patch on the bag and against Dusk’s fur. “I suppose I haven’t taken her out recent enough for her to be expecting it.”
---
Now that it was confirmed that this man was infact Nat, Dessy allowed himself to take a much better look at him. He was.... Very handsome, to say the least, and coordinated in his clothing... Suddenly December felt a little self-conscious about what he wore himself. Everything was baggy and loose on him, the shorts going past his knees and the hoodie's sleeves constantly falling beyond his hands. Looks didn't matter though, right? Kelly never said anything was weird about his clothes, and June had decent tastes when allowing him to sift through his closet for atleast something that wasn't tattered. He couldn't have looked that bad!
But that thought was immediately pushed aide as Nat held out the sweet wee fluffy thing, and Dessy bit his lip, biting back that squeal he knew was trying to come out. She wasn't her pet, and it would be wrong to try to reach out to pet her without any prompting... So for now he kept his hands to the side.
"She's... She's absolutely precious!" He whispered, fighting back that bit of excitement he had. "It's a shame there's no nice areas around her to let her run around, but I suppose it's for the best... Too many things to explore... Ah... I love her already!"
---
“I wouldn’t ever be able to let her run around outside,” Nataniel explained with a tiny frown down at his pet as she peered through the clear plastic dome of her current enclosure. “She would be able to escape much too easily. Something could catch her. Even if I tried to put her on a leash, chinchilla fur is too dense to reliably contour to the shape of their bodies. She could wiggle free almost without trying.” Still, he didn’t think Dusk needed to see much more of the outside than was available to her from this case. Even now he wondered if this was maybe a bit too much and if it was only his selfishness in enjoying her company that made him take her from the apartment and into the world.
Being a rodent, she probably didn’t actually much enjoy going outside… Though for all the times Nataniel had forced it upon her, maybe she’d accepted her fate, by this point.
“She gets enough exercise and playtime running around my bedroom,” he said as he slid the pack back onto his shoulders. “I don’t think it would be wise to let her out anywhere else, though maybe we can find somewhere secluded enough that you could pet her…” Where that would be without interruption, Nataniel didn’t know. His home, maybe, if he decided December was reasonable enough during their game session today.
One day, maybe. Not likely today.
He moved toward the entrance to the building, beckoning for the younger boy to follow him. “Let’s go in. I don’t like to loiter.”
---
A thought passed Dessy's mind. Being kept in a cage, not being allowed to escape... It seemed familiar, in a way, but he shook that thought away. What Nat had said was right, and May had said something once about that too. Some things just don't belong outside. Bad things can happen when something steps outside of its cage. Within that cage, it was safe, atleast somewhat...
Dessy knew whatever weird cage he had been in before was gone, and he had been hurting ever since.
BUT, that was not the point of today's visit, and he only smiled and nodded as they straightened up. "I don't wanna cause any problems by accident, so if it's best she stay inside her pack, then that would be best! I already spoke to the people inside, and reserved a space for us in a corner, a nice big, quiet one so that Dusk can be sure not to be overwhelmed by too many things!
It had cost extra, and... Probably some less savory things, but it worked! They really did have a great spot. "This place also has pretty good snacks, so if you want some while we game, I can get some! Uh... I normally eat like, pretzels or something though."
---
It was not typical of him to spend more than a couple hours at a time playing with December. That wasn’t to say there were any hard constraints on how long they could play the game usually, but with Dusk limited to only the size of a large bag, rather than the entirety of her enclosure, that did mean he had to dedicate a bit more of his focus to making sure she was comfortable. The chinchilla had food, a toy to bat around, a bit of space to hop. and new smells to sniff at, but that didn’t mean Nataniel was confident in keeping her contained this way for an extended period of time.
“If she starts getting agitated, we’ll have to leave,” he told December. “So I hope it wasn’t too difficult to make the reservation.”
Still, he anticipated at least a handful of disruptions from his wee precious angel before she settled. It was still early enough and December’s space potentially quiet enough that she might simply nap, but it was impossible to say what the whims of a rodent were… “We can continue at my house, if that turns out to be the case. You’ll be able to use my laptop.”
He followed December toward the back corner, the space he had reserved for them. The location mattered little to Nataniel, who didn’t expect anyone here to try and invest themselves in what he was doing when they surely had their own business to tend to.
Dusk’s bag was set on the floor near the chair Nataniel had chosen, and immediately, he heard the sounds of her tiny feet hoping to investigate the side nearest the whirring tower that powered the computer. Yes, he bet she was interested in the warmth and stupid amount of chewable wires in provided. More reason for her to be kept safely contained.
“Pretzels are fine. I don’t expect to need much, though. Snacks at places like these are too expensive.” And it wasn’t like he’d be here for as long as some people managed it.
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Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2019 7:29 pm
December was all too understanding about little Dusk's situation. That small little container must have been super uncomfortable...
"I understand. I'll be ready to go when you are!" After a quick nod, he waved towards the person going around and put in a small order for pretzels and a few drinks.
"She is really cute, I swear... Cute and small... I wish it was safe enough to pull her out and give her a hug, but I know it's not.... Oh, wait... We could go to your place if it's sooner rather than later? That would be really cool! But I don't want to impose... We just met and I know you don't want to be inconvenienced for too long."
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Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 10:21 am
And give her a hug.
Nataniel's lip curled in distaste at the thought. Perhaps December was unaccustomed to prey-species pets, or pets in general, but he could hardly imagine his beautiful Dusk cared to be smothered by what was essentially a child, no matter the good intentions of the action. "She's not a common mutt," Nataniel stated flatly. "Chinchillas don't like to be handled, particularly by strangers."
She had a soft spot for Nat of course, who had raised her from a young kit and who served as her only family and caretaker, and who had dedicated many hours into ensuring that her tolerance for him would meet his expectations.
But that was hardly true for anyone else.
"It is cute to watch her scurry and frolic, though. I would not have made the invitation for you to come over if I was unprepared for you to accept it." But at the moment, it hardly mattered. Dusk could entertain herself sniffing about while Nat and December set their game up and waited on their snacks.
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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2019 11:48 am
"... Oh, I'm sorry.." Did he mess up already..? Yes, he didn't know much about chinchillas except they looked soft and sweet...
Like a scolded child, he simply walked away to get their snacks, hoping that by the time he got back his stupidity could be forgotten. And during his snack hunting was just enough time to gather his thoughts and come back smiling like when they met up.
"I'm up for tackling anything you are today in the game!" Dessy said with a smile that only barely reached his eyes, setting everything down and sorting it between them. "I've been practicing too, when I could! I just know we won't die today!"
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Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2019 8:47 am
Nataniel tried to make himself comfortable. Nowhere would be quite as good as home in that regard, as the cafe was still out among the dreaded public, but at least the corner December found for them was relatively quiet, and no one was being intrusive. It helped that Dusk was nearby, though Nat was sure she was no more pleased by the arrangement than he was, even if she did seem reasonably interested in investigating as much as her carry sack would allow. Which was admittedly, not much.
In all the time he'd lived near to the cafe, he'd never actually come in. There was little reason to, wasn't there, when all his games could be played from his bedroom? So really, Nataniel hadn't know what to expect of the place...
His dark gaze flicked around, from the slightly dimmed, atmospheric lighting (it had to be, didn't it? To keep glare off the computer screens), to the scattering of faces minding their own business in nearby sections of the cafe or lounging on beanbags. It was a strange place... He sat upright in his chair, and reached for his satchel and the headphones in it before clicking idely through the settings on this foreign computer.
There were... quite a few of the more popular games already downloaded, and here Nataniel had wondered if he'd need to bring a physical copy to install. He leaned to the monitor next to his to see that December's was set up before he returned.
Once the younger man was near again, Nataniel said, "You will have to tell me what I owe you for the snacks and the computers." It didn't seem particularly important to overly concerns themselves with basic financial matters, but at the same time, Nat didn't know December well enough to know what he ought to expect of the other boy's temperament in regards to these things. "I think it would be alright if we didn't manage to progress too far," Nat admitted as he leaned back toward his screen. "The death penalty in this game isn't terrible, and it's just to be us again, isn't it?" Like it was when they'd first started playing.
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Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2019 11:31 am
"No, no, don't worry about it! This is just my thank you for playing with me! And for, you know, not giving up on me in the game too." With the little pocket money he had, Dessy wanted to make sure that Nat didn't think he was a mooch, or some sort of person who expected every little dime to be given back. As much as he hated to admit it, he was someone who relied heavily on the generosity of others... But not in this case, not with someone who was still very much a stranger.
"Hmm... You're right. Just us, like in the beginning. We've both gotten better though, haven't we? And with the new expansion coming soon, I'm sure we're ready to take it all on without needing any DPS!"
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Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2019 3:37 pm
"As you wish." It wasn't like Nataniel was going to continue to press topics involving money concerns. Even if it felt as though he should pay for himself since they weren't on the most familiar of terms, Nat couldn't see any reason to get worked up over it. December still didn't even have his phone number, so there wasn't any direct line to harass Nataniel about him 'owing something' later, if it came to that.
It was a bit strange, though, that he did still play with December...
He booted the game and logged into his account and spent the first few minutes of playtime silently acclimating himself to the feel of a different keyboard and mouse than his own. So peculiar that two of the same item could feel so dissimilar because of brand and age... "I am not especially accustomed to branching out," Nataniel told his companion as he gazed down at the keyboard. He strongly preferred his own: backlit and with shallower keys that required less jabbing to press.
But the statement was meant for December too. He wouldn't have bothered to continue with something new if he hadn't gleaned some enjoyment from the excitement at the thought that someone else actually wanted him to play with them...
Of course he hadn't known at the time that December seemed excited about nearly everything.
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Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2019 11:59 am
... Dessy wasn't sure how to go about this. It seemed that Nataniel was allowing him to be the leader for a time, and it felt strange... Like something he wasn't meant to be doing, and it made him uneasy.
"So, um.... Is there anything in particular you want to do in the game...? Or maybe just a few dailies, the roulette, and then see what we want to do from there?" As he logged into seeing his little lalafellian self, he sighed just a little... How nice it would have been if the millions he had made in crafting actually translated into real life money? Maybe then he could have not inconvenienced Nat into coming out like this.
"Are you comfortable? Is Dusk doing okay too?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2019 6:16 am
"No. As I said, we should continue as normal, even with just the two of us. The penalty for dying is negligible, so we may as well see what exactly we can accomplish on our own." They'd had only a few sessions that involved the two of them alone together, and Nataniel was not so interested in the game that he cared at all to expand into solo adventures.
It did mean he was less aware of what exactly he could handle on his own. In his other games, Nat had the benefit of understanding what his role was and where he could fit himself in a composition that involved even strangers, as opposed to his usual crew. He knew what his capabilities were based on the experience of many matches.
Here, he only had the experience of being with December.
"I want to raise my leatherworker skill to be able to craft more substantial armor, so we could farm components for a while, and then perhaps see what engagements we can get into with said upgraded armor." He clicked through the map, dark gaze obscured by the reflective light of the computer monitor. It was still far from his favorite game, in that it was really just okay when he wanted an activity that engaged with others...
But whatever level of 'engagement' he wanted didn't change the thought that he was perfectly self sufficient and didn't require help in that regard. Particularly when the cost of such aid was still undiscovered. No one did anything for free, and he didn't know his in-game comrade well enough to judge what his intentions were. "December," he started softly. "I am not a child. I can handle my own well being and that of my pet. If I am uncomfortable, I will fix it on my own volition. I appreciate your concern, but," His gaze flicked briefly with an almost imperceptible notch of his head toward a dark bruise around the other boy's wrist, visible where his baggy sleeve was pushed up. "Consider solving your own issues first."
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Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2019 9:03 am
"Ooh, sure thing! I've gotten really really good at goldsmithing! And fishing too! It's a shame you really can't make any profit off of fishing, but Botany does well! We can farm all you want!" Fishing, in particular, was one of those things he could just do while doing something else. And multitasking was something he really wanted to get better at.
It seemed though that Nat really didn't like his constant questions... It came so naturally, to ask if someone else was alright, and if he could make things better, and it stung when brushed off...
And the gaze he caught that looked at his wrist made him feel small in his chair. Not very subtly at all, he pulled his sleeves down, hiding the bruises and the cuts there.
"I'm sorry... If I'm bothering you, I can leave..."
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Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2019 6:52 am
Farming was tedious to most people, as Nataniel understood it. It was something to do on your own when friends were unavailable. It took up too much time that could be better used in raids or dungeons once you'd already taken the time to form a party. He and December were hardly a fully formed team, but they had made plans to meet here likely in the hopes of getting something useful done. As far as Nat believed, that didn't typically include the lengthy and often boring component of grinding. Not while in a group, at least.
Except Nat didn't mind farming. It was devoid of many of the more exciting components of combat-oriented games, and often required patience for mundane and repetitive tasks, and Nataniel did consider himself someone who valued his time...
"Ah. How fortunate that we selected different skills." But he also liked to do things to the best of his ability, and sometimes that entailed spending a few extra minutes (or hours or days) working on honing a craft that would allow them to breeze more easily through tougher fights. He liked that concrete goal, even if the path to it was tedious and not something many of his teammates would particularly enjoy. ...And so it made sense to wait until it was just December and himself. December wouldn't argue the choice, Nat was sure.
His gaze narrowed, now focused back on his screen. "Don't do that," Nataniel commanded quietly. "I am not someone with a lot of pity to give out. You weren't asked to leave, so simply accept that I corrected you and move on from it."
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Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2019 9:14 am
"Okay..." December didn't feel any more comforted by what Nataniel had said, but he was nothing if not obedient.
For the time being, he would push his doubts out of his head and focus on what he knew he was good at. And that was gathering. His lalafell put on a cute mining hat and went straight to work.
It was incredibly easy for him to get focused in this game, strange considering how hard it was for him to focus on anything else. Soon enough his inventory was full, and he had to hurry back to town to make sure he could either sell it all or dump it all. Before he got too far, he heard the tell-tale sign of someone leveling up, and across the bottom of his screen, he saw Nat's character's name flash.
"Nataniel, you did it! Congratulations!" It came so naturally to go over and hug the other around his shoulders, excited that his new friend had just hit 80! It was no small feat, given that they started at the very bottom together. "I'm so happy for you!"
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Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2019 10:27 am
It was strange to be sitting next to someone who was playing a game with him. He never met any of the people he played Overwatch with. Certainly didn't sit next to them. There was no grinding in his favorite FPS and so little time to talk about much besides what was happening directly and immediately on screen. This was peculiar by comparison. Nataniel didn't know if they were supposed to talk or what it would be about. December certainly seemed the type to want conversation, though...
In the interim, one of the cafe servers appeared to set a tray of small snack selections before them, presumably whatever December had ordered earlier. A dish of peanuts, a cup of pretzels, a little bowl of cheese and grapes. It was cute, for lack of a better word.
And all things Nataniel enjoyed.
He took a grape and popped it into his mouth. "I had never been here before," he admitted after swallowing. "I could hardly imagine what to expect. Maybe something along the lines of a Starbucks. It is a bit different, though, isn't it? Starbucks looks pretentious on the inside..."
All the while they'd been roving through the game, collecting items for their various skills and heading back and forth to complete sometimes arduous collection quest tasks. It hadn't seemed like they'd ever allowed themselves too much time to upgrade skills while in the group, and yet... December's arms went around his shoulders, and a warm flush crept up into Nat's cheeks. Maybe it wasn't surprising, given the often bold actions of the younger man, but since he'd been so easy to put down just moments ago...
Nat liked this particular warmth, though, of arms around him and a body so close. He raised a hand, skimming fingers lightly down between December's shoulder blades in quiet acceptance. "I suppose so..." His voice was soft. "Hopefully I can make that armor I wanted now."
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Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2019 2:10 pm
To his utter and pleasant surprise, Nataniel didn't push him away! He as allowed to be this close, pressing his cheek to his new friend's and even felt hands hug him back! This was amazing! And warm and wonderful, and in that moment, he realized just how much he missed the feeling of someone else this close to him.
It took a long moment to convince himself he really should let go before he was yelled at. And even when he did, he held onto Nat's hand, squeezing it while taking a peek at his screen.
"Ooh, yes! I can make you some accessories to boost up your stats, and get you the materials for it! I think I saw some on the marketboard the last time I was doing an inventory clean up. If you want, you can come look at my screen and pick out anything you might need!"
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Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2019 2:57 pm
December pulled away to look at his screen, but Nataniel continued to regard the other man through dark, almost inquisitive, hooded eyes. It was difficult to discern sometimes, where someone's boundaries might be. Nat very infrequently crossed these lines, as he almost never made a play before someone else. ...Without the inspiration of a particular liquid, anyway. It wasn't odd, he supposed, that December held no reservations of such things. An open act that hinged so close to bravery- But was more likely to be thoughtlessness. Impulse. He didn't have the same variety of reservations Nataniel had...
His thumb skimmed along December's knuckles as the smaller boy held his hand, a silently curious test, more subtle than the brashness of December's own actions, but no less pleasing from Nat's standpoint. Smooth skin beneath his own.
"Okay," Nataniel agreed mutedly, rolling his chair over a few inches to bring himself closer to December's screen.
Even if he'd gotten more accustomed to the game and had his own elements he enjoyed, Nat was still far from well-versed in every aspect. And if it was a craft December knew well, it only stood to reason that he should have sound advice... "Do you have any recommendations?"
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