|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 11:08 am
"Mmfh," Aulus shrugged, "hardly my favourite places to be either, but better that than not being able to see or bleeding to death. Having a massive blind spot to one side whether or not I could still see depth wouldn't be my favourite thing ever either." How had her friend got a scar like that, he wondered? You didn't see a massive number of people marked like that wandering around... Perhaps more to the point, why should he care? Did he feel a kinship with some person he'd never met, who was just the friend of a stranger, just because they could be scar buddies? That really was sad.
"Took a few weeks before I could see anything much out of it," Aulus added to distract himself from his stupid thoughts, "and it took months for it to be as good as it is now, which is not quite as good as my other eye but still good enough." She hadn't asked for details. Why had he bothered giving her details? Just to stop himself being stupid and wondering about her scar-friend? Really? He could just have thought of something else like... like... meowth kittens or something?
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 1:33 pm
True, she could agree that sucking it up and dealing with a hospital for a while was much better than bleeding to death or being blind, or having something permanently broken, or something. "No, I can't imagine how it feels. I have no idea how he manages but he's had it for years, so I assume he's gotten used to it by now." How long had Lucas had that scar, anyway? It was... He had been upset by some girl, that was obviously before Liselle and Jessica, so it had to have been... years. Way too many vague years for her to figure out.
Zeus suddenly slouched, sliding down until he laid on his back on the seat of the bench. One arm was flung over one eye (it was too short to reach both) and the other was flung off to the side and a long, dramatic wail escape him. Maybe, if he was dying, they would stop ignoring him. Maybe. Claire just looked down at him, blinked once or twice, then rolled her eyes with a sigh.
|
|
|
|
|
|
BlackFireKitsune Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 1:46 pm
Also unimpressed by the drama, Aulus joined in the eye-rolling before declaring; "See how you like it," and tickling the supposedly expiring pikachu mercilessly. He was probably going to get shocked for this, but what the hell; he felt like a bit of revenge for all the licking.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 1:55 pm
The next thing she knew, Aulus was tickling Zeus, which, quite honestly... was a bad idea. "Ah, I wouldn't.." But too late, the Pikachu squeaked and flailed, not ticklish really but he did not like being harassed in this manner. Or in any other manner, for that matter. Thankfully he was small and could slip around fairly easily, so he suddenly jumped up and jumped to Aulus' other side and squished himself between the man's side and the frame of the bench and began tickling him mercilessly. It was harder since he didn't have fingers, but small paws were still effective.
|
|
|
|
|
|
BlackFireKitsune Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 2:07 pm
Aulus managed to restrain his reaction to a brief initial squeak and then only a small giggle; it wasn't as bad as the elbow licking but that didn't mean he wanted it to continue! At least now that Zeus wasn't all chocolaty he was easier to grab, and Aulus did so without delay. "Alright," he chuckled as he set the pikachu in his lap and tickled his ears, "I deserved that. You're not quite so dumb when there isn't chocolate to think about, humm?"
For a few moments he had forgot the presence of Lucy and a soft smile tugged at his lips, transforming his face completely. While many might still be put off his scar and consider his a long way for handsome, he certainly couldn't be said to look nasty or vicious as he grinned down at the green-eyed electric type.
Abruptly, however, he did remember that there was another human around, and while his expression didn't shift to a scowl or sneer right away, that warm smile vanished as abruptly as a stone dropped into a lake. "That's your problem then," he said with a snort of amusement that wasn't quite as unkind as it could have been, "hard to train because he's bright, not stupid."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 2:47 pm
Ohh yes, there was absolutely no doubt about it now - he was putting on a Mr. Tough Guy act for the world at large. If the giggling like a girl didn't prove it, then his behavior towards her trouble-making Pikachu did without a doubt. She couldn't help but chuckle as he suddenly resumed his tough attitude, though notably less tough than before now that Zeus was in his lap, clearly enjoying the attention. "Yeah, he's smart usually. Not always, as you've seen, but he behaves when it's needed." Like on missions or during training. "I'm glad Odette wasn't as difficult to train, but I got her when she was young. Helps she's not as bright too." Though she'd never say that in front of the bird, she was at least smart enough to understand insults and compliments, as well as her orders. Anything more complicated than that, well...
|
|
|
|
|
|
BlackFireKitsune Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 2:58 pm
"Odette? What's she then?" Aulus quizzed nonchalantly, still stroking Zeus' head. It seemed like a good topic to him; Lucy sounded fond of the subject, he was always interested in pokemon, and he didn't quite feel up to going off shopping yet, so more chatter on the subject was fine in his opinion. He just hoped that they didn't end up talking about pink or clothes or...
But she'd said she wasn't interested in shopping.
Well, she might not be able to control Zeus in chocolate-chase mode, but at least she wasn't as bad as many women in that she wasn't a dressmaker's dummy wannabe. She probably had plenty of other flaws - and he still needed too keep an eye out for what she wanted from him damnit - but at least he wouldn't have to hear about different brands of shoes for half an hour or more. Shoes. Who really needed more than two or three different pairs, really?... Still, a certain amount of interest in shoes was advisable; he still remembered that bint in Ambergris who had insisted that shoes were too restrictive for her free spirit, or whatever her gripe with footwear had been. One pair of shoes per person minimum was ideal so far as he was concerned, but he was merely a rational, grumpy man so what did he know?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 3:21 pm
The Pikachu in Aulus' lap grunted - he wasn't fond of the feather-brained pretty idiot, he wasn't sure why his trainer was. Well, he was sure - he just didn't like her.
Instead of an answer, 'Lucy' reached around her waist to pull a ball off her belt, and a flash of light suddenly appeared, twisting and mutating into the shape of a 6'7" bird. When it faded, the golden Pidgeot ruffled her feathers and quickly assessed her surroundings. The scarred man was given an intense scrutinizing glare as she studied him... but the obnoxious electric-type was in his lap, and he was an acceptable distance from her owner, so... Instead of taking action she merely offered a warning clack of her beak at him before turning with an affectionate coo to the black-haired woman, lowering her head to nearly half her height to put it within reach of her trainer. Claire smiled at the bird and reached up to stroke her crest, speaking to Aulus but studying the flying-type. Not that she hadn't looked at her millions of times before. "This is Odette," she said, as if it wasn't obvious anyway, but at least the bird would know why she'd been called out, and introductions were always important. Odette loved the attention, and this was obvious because after her owner announced her she straightened up and stretched out her wings a bit, quite possibly disturbing several other mall-goers in the process. Not that that was her problem, of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
BlackFireKitsune Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 4:03 pm
"...Well." Aulus set Zeus down on the bench with a last tickle, and pushed himself to his feet. Walking was still pretty painful, but he ignored it in order to pace slowly around the magnificent pidgeot. He said nothing else at all until he came around to face the flying-type once more, and rather than turning to Lucy he gave the fine bird a nod of greeting. "Odette. I'm Aulus, and you're beautiful... I expect you know that though. Fantastic breeding," he went on in a low mutter, speaking to himself more than anyone else, "I wonder how many generations it took to produce you? Healthy feathers, trimmed talons, bright eyes, must be looked after well... And apparently," he raised his voice to more normal levels and gave the bird a lopsided smile, "no big weakness for chocolate, eh?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 4:19 pm
Zeus resumed pouting as soon as he was abandoned once Odette appeared. This wasn't any surprise. Odette, on the other hand, did not take well to being circled. She did the circling, so her feathers fluffed out and her crest raised, her beak clacking another warning at him. She tried to pretend that the compliments weren't helping his case (which they were) but it was incredibly hard. However, when he mentioned chocolate, she made an odd hissing noise and shook her head to shift the feathers and her lengthy crest. The gesture could also be taken as a 'no.'
"No, her vice is attention," Claire said with a chuckle. It was blatantly obvious that Mr. Tough Guy was simply a facade. But why? "Attention and praise, she can't get enough of either." Indeed, the bird had given up on ignoring his words and instead lowered her head, cooing at him and ruffling her feathers in an attempt to garner more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
BlackFireKitsune Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 4:29 pm
"So I see," said Aulus with a snort of amusement, flumping back onto the bench and offering Zeus another tickle, though he still studied Odette. "Easy to get vain when you really are pretty though," he went on, still stroking Zeus, "you said you had her from youth; was she from a breeder? She looks like good stock to me."
Maybe as good as Tortie was and Phaeth had been. That was really rather good indeed; their eggs had been his only gifts for a given birthday due to cost, and his family had always been pretty damn comfortable when it came to cash... Was Lucy rich? She didn't dress it, but then neither did he. Maybe she was like him, from a decent family but feeling estranged, wandering in this far off place in search of... of... What was he looking for? Was it just freedom and pretty pictures, or did he want more?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 5:01 pm
Zeus was now loudly snoring on the bench. Pets were lovely. "Mm? No, my coordinator sister always got the well-bred pokemon," she said with a derisive snort. "I had absolutely no interest in it, so my parents never got me any pokemon, said it was either be a coordinator or get a job." Which wasn't exactly the best experience, but oh well. "I won Odette from a relatively small poker competition. So she might have come from a breeder, I'm not too sure. I guess I just got lucky," she suggested with a chuckle. Whether she cheated or not, she'd never tell. "Oh, you should've heard the fits my sister threw the first few weeks I had her. Kept trying to tell and beg and plead with my parents to take Odette away from me and give her to her." Insert another derisive snort. "Obviously they didn't. Couldn't if they wanted to anyway," she added with a chuckle as she reached up to stroke the birds feathers. "She's about.. Five and a half years old, I think. She'll be six this year." Not very old at all, compared to Merry. How old did pokemon live, anyway?
|
|
|
|
|
|
BlackFireKitsune Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 12:47 pm
"Egh. Coordinating. Not my cup of tea," Aulus pulled a face, "and you sister sounds like an entitled dumb b***h." Poker was it? Well, that was probably why she was managing not to give away what she wanted from him; she was a good little actress... What could she want from him? He had no idea at all, but there had to be something. Maybe she was hoping to steal from him; she'd said she was no coordinator but she might be a collector with a pidgeot like that and a shiny pikachu, maybe she'd spotted Tortie and wanted her. Maybe she'd lied about the poker thing. Maybe she was lying about everything.
His return to suspicious thoughts had distracted Aulus from stroking Zeus, and for some moments he just sat quietly looking up at Odette. What did Lucy want? He wished he knew. Knowing was better than ignorance, no matter how unpleasant the truth. He hated being ignorant, it put him in a bad position, a weak one.
"Hu. Well happy early birthday then," Aulus said eventually, the warmth that had filled his voice earlier most definitely departed now. "Are you going to make her a cake?" he went on with a snort. "Better not make it chocolate, or she'll not see a crumb of it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 1:09 pm
"Your estimation is entirely correct," she said with another light chuckle. Stella always acted like she was entitled to everything, and could get whatever she wanted - except Odette, of course. That had been quite the rude awakening.
Aulus' thoughts of an actress were dead on, considering 'Lucy' had attended an acting school for a couple years. Before she was expelled, that is.
"Arceus, no," she exclaimed with a roll of her eyes. The lack of warmth in his tone now was noted and filed away for consideration at some later point. "She'll likely get a nice bath or something and an extra good brushing because she's so spoiled," the young woman said with a chuckle as she smoothed out the feathers on Odette's head around her crest. The bird cooed happily in response at this - oh how she loved being so well-groomed so her feathers would shine beautifully - before she was sucked back into her pokeball with a flash of red light. Spoiled and beautiful or not, a 6'7" bird in the middle of the mall wasn't exactly the best thing in the world, spacious hallways or not. Were they considered hallways? She wasn't sure. It didn't really matter in the end, she figured, as she turned her gaze back to Aulus after putting the ball away. "Your leg feeling any better now?" She was eager to stop smelling of chocolate, and he had walked around Odette to study her so he couldn't have been too bad off at this point.
|
|
|
|
|
|
BlackFireKitsune Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 2:17 pm
"Mmfh... It'll do," Aulus decided after a moment, "nothing I can't live with." Just sitting around here in a wet shirt was beginning to get chilly, and moving would not only warm him up and lead him towards non-wet shirts, it would also give him something to think about other than Lucy. Despite his gruff manner she had remained perfectly polite to him, maybe even amiable; that proved she wanted something... Or maybe she was just grateful to him to rescuing Zeus. He hadn't considered that option before.
"Which way then?" Aulus asked, pushing himself to his feet and casting around with a scowl. "I've never been in here before, and it's a bloody maze. Probably made that way so that you wander around lost more, and spend more money." There were advertising tricks everywhere, endless ways this place was trying to part people from their cash; he didn't know what all of them were but he knew well enough that they were there. The chocolate fountain had probably been one actually; pull them in, and make them crave delicious sweetness. And people wondered why he was a cynic... Well, that was arrogant of him, assuming that people thought much of him at all. Maybe he had reason to be arrogant. Maybe not. Maybe he didn't care.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
