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 Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 1:11 am
Kazuya had secretly been hoping for the Luxray to hit the wall down the corridor, with the way Hector was scrambling about. Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed as the boy eventually joined him, his breathing indicating the panic that had seized him previously. It took all the Persian's will power not to crack up laughing, but instead he fished out a card key and headed up a flight of stairs. He had to make a quick detour first-- the outift he was in was good for moving around in, but if Hector was coming along than he'd need to make his rounds slower and keep warm some other way.
"Home."
The answer was ambiguous, covering a wide territory that included the building they were in now, the apartment suite they had stopped in front, and the 'hunting' grounds they were going into. It was rather hard for Kazuya to pinpoint their exact destination anyway, given that they were surrounded by a forest and he wasn't sure how far out he wanted to go today. Usually the Persian just did whatever he wanted.
Swiping the key into the reader, the Persian went through the identification procedures with a slight hint of impatience. Once the decoder verified him and the large double doors slid open, Kazuya disappeared inside without offering Hector an invitation. It didn't matter to him whether the Luxray wanted to see or not, though he might just have been looking for another reason to beat Hector up. Eventually Kazuya was just going to skip the excuses altogether.
Less than a minute later, the Persian rejoined his partner at the door, hitting a hidden switch on his way out. The doors shut behind him and the card was deposited into his back pocket, the cat looking much more awake now that he had a change of outfit.
"If you need anything, I'd suggest you go pick it up now. We'll be out for the rest of the day." That was, if they were lucky. If they were unlucky, they might end up being stuck in the wilderness for a good couple of days. Kazuya had managed to get himself into such a predicament once, having fallen down into one of the deeper and wider crevices that the forest floor had to offer. That had not been a good day for him, both physically and pridefully.
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Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 1:28 am
The place where Kazuya lived was enormous. From the wide, glass double doors that housed him, to the fancy identity card reader, to the wide, expansive suite of rooms that Hector had managed to catch a glimpse of before the doors had shut in his face. He waited (somewhat impatiently, since patience itself had never been one of his stronger suits) for Kazuya to come back, irrationally worrying that he might have been ditched, but his face relaxed and a smile tugged at his lips when the Persian returned nearly as quickly as he had come. He was now dressed in his normal clothes, rather than the pajamas and robe he had been in earlier.
Hector visibly perked up at Kazuya's next words. Excitement over the possibilities made him rock back on his heels, resisting the urge to throw his arms around the Persian in utter relief that he got to spend the whole day with him. Perhaps maybe by the end, Kazuya would actually consider him a real friend, rather than just a delinquent acquaintance that he knew.
"I don't need anything." Hector answered, sticking his hands back in his pockets. He was restless, anxious and curious to see just where it was that they were going and just what it was that they were doing. He knew Kazuya was being deliberately vague, but it was just his nature. Hector had begun to slowly realize that the Persian did not always say everything out loud. In fact, he left most things deliberately unsaid, and left a lot of his words speak from actions, from careful movements. Little by little, Hector was beginning to understand him better.
"Thank you," Hector blurted out, feeling his cheeks turn pink with pleasure. "For...for inviting me, I mean. Thank you."
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Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 1:53 am
Too easy. Kazuya quirked a brow, not needing to study Hector closely to feel the relief that radiated off the Luxray in waves. He wasn't sure whether to feel pleased or discomforted, knowing that someone was interested in him enough to react in such a manner. The Persian didn't have many friends-- none, as it were-- but even he knew that it was a little uncommon to have someone's mood so easily effected by his responses. Then again, someone like Hector was rare too.
"It's not really something you need to thank someone for."
He had been about to make a quip, but Kazuya found he had nothing to say in the face of innocent honesty. Hector's awkward shyness was beginning to rub off on him and somehow, the Persian was deeply unsettled by such a thought. Focusing internally, Kazuya waited until the heat left his cheeks before heading down the hall, easily slipping back into his usual aura of superiority. He walked with his head held high, and while Kazuya wasn't particularly tall, he had enough of a presence about him that people become wary and were quick to get out of his way.
Too far. For the umpteenth time, the thought crossed his mind as Kazuya finally reached the main doors that led out into the platform, skirting the water sharply before heading into the forest. The thunderous roar of twin waterfalls had been enough to deafen him the first time, but over the years, he had learned to prepare before subjecting himself to audio assault. It didn't take long for the pair to be completely submerged beneath the trees, the thick trunks acting as an insulator which blocked out the drum of water. A little further in and Kazuya ran ahead, gathering enough momentum to leap onto one of the fallen trunks-- they were still close enough that he knew exactly where each stone, boulder, and tree lay. He turned around then, looking to see if Hector had ended up losing himself somewhere. Remembering their first meeting, Kazuya wouldn't be surprised if the Luxray knew nothing of their immediate surroundings. After all, while Hector had spent his time pulling pranks and socializing, the Persian drifted around from place to place, creating an ever elaborate map of the terrain in his mind.
"Do you know your way around?"
That was, did Hector know how to navigate the unpaved roads, or had he become completely domesticated?
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Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 2:19 am
Was that...a blush I just saw? Hector wondered, his eyes widening slightly as he took a closer look at the Persian, who was determinedly looking away from him. Kazuya's cheeks were dusted a light red, and Hector felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips. He hastily wiped his expression off, however, when the Persian straightened, and followed him down the hallway, ambling along cheerfully after him.
That was definitely a blush I saw.
The roar of the waterfalls was almost deafening. Hector had not been outside of Arcana for quite a while, and had forgotten just how thunderously loud the pounding water could be. He spent most of his time indoors, mostly because he knew his way around and partially because he was just too lazy to do things outside. Occasionally he would step out for a breath of fresh air, but his last "breath" had been almost six months ago.
Shaking his head briefly to rid himself of the sudden ringing in his ears, Hector followed after Kazuya carefully as they disappeared deeper and deeper into the forest. Once they were completely surrounded, the Persian took off running, leaping onto the trunk of a fallen tree. Hector stayed where he was, marveling at the elegance and strength of the Persian. He really was very impressive. He glanced back up when the Persian spoke again, and a small smile curved his lips upwards. Rearing back on his feet slightly, Hector pushed off running, throwing his weight forward at just the right moment. He landed on the tree trunk, his balance wavering slightly, and he inadvertently swayed closer to Kazuya, his face mere inches from his. Smiling, Hector switched his weight, falling back to a more comfortable distance and then sat down on the trunk, swinging his legs like a little kid.
"I can hold my own, if that's what you mean." Hector answered, but then his face reddened slightly and he turned away, attempting to hide his embarrassment. "Although...I don't...really know where we are, exactly, so I...might have to stick close to you so I don't get lost."
Hector was not exactly an outdoorsy type. While he enjoyed it sometimes (on the very rare occasion), the simple truth was that he was just too preoccupied with other things most of the time. And he certainly did not know his way through the woods around Arcana. He had never actually been in them before.
Plus he was good at getting lost. Which was not exactly a good thing, come to think of it.
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Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 2:44 am
Kazuya managed to not react this time as Hector swayed dangerously close to him, seeming to become a little more used to their small games. It probably helped that Hector moved back so quickly as well, as the Persian crossed his arms and watched the other take a seat. From his movements, the Luxray was indeed a little rusty, but at least it wasn't so bad that he'd have to slow down to an annoying level. That was good-- Kazuya wanted to go a little further today, and past the academy's immediate surroundings, the terrain become a lot more difficult to navigate. The Persian enjoyed it though-- the feeling of precarious balance.
"So long as you don't get yourself killed."
The words came in quiet dismissal, though for the first time, the Persian flashed an unguarded smile. It might have possibly been for reassurance, but that was hard to tell as the expression didn't linger for long. Turning on his heel, Kazuya pressed ahead, falling quiet as he listened to the sounds of the busy forest. He could hear the hum of beedrills in the distance, occasionally picking out the barest outline of a metapod here and there. Kazuya had always thought the forest was a little out of place-- or well, perhaps it was just the academy. But hybrids, half human and half Pokemon living right beside genetically unmodified creatures invoked a lot of unnecessary thoughts and feelings. They could be said to be more 'advanced', but then again, their births were quite unnatural.
It was probably why Kazuya spent so much time out doors, trying to regain what he had initially lost while the rest was spent being groomed and domesticated inside.
"Don't you have any plans for today?" You know, with your friends.
The question came offhanded, backed by a sudden disinterest in hunting. There was nothing interesting near by that he could hear, and it didn't seem like he'd miss anything if he struck up a conversation. Kazuya was keenly aware that so far, his own likes and dislikes were the only thing being read so far. Hector had shown no signs of preferences aside from a sensitivity to rejection, and that had been nagging at the Persian's curiosity just the slightest bit.
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Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 3:01 am
The smile Kazuya had flashed him was unexpected; a rare, bright smile that connected with the lightness in his eyes. It was the first time he had ever smiled genuinely, and Hector found it to be contagious, returning the smile with one of his own. Though the smile disappeared rapidly, the image was still there in Hector's mind, and internally he was cheering excitedly that he had finally managed to crack that stoic expression.
"I won't get myself killed." Hector said, laughing lightly as he followed after the Persian, making sure to stick close to him without actually getting into his personal space. If he was going to keep his place beside Kazuya, trying to learn more about him, he had to make sure to respect his way of living. And if that meant walking three steps behind him to respect his space, well, then, he would do it. So long as he got to keep walking, that was.
They were now deeper into the forest now, the only sounds around them the low, croaking metapods, as well as a butterfree here and there. It made Hector feel somewhat odd to know that he was amidst the creatures that the students of the Academies were created from; he almost felt tense, as if he were walking on needles. He tried to brush off the unusual feeling, however, and focused on following Kazuya.
"Oh," Hector said, somewhat startled by the unexpected question that fell from the Persian's lips. "No, not really. I don't do things like that. Make plans, that is." he added, in an attempt at clarifying things. He gave a sheepish shrug, a smile on his face as he said "I'm more of a - woah!"
He had not been paying attention and had managed to somehow trip over an enormous tree root that was sticking up out of the ground. Sitting up, Hector brushed the dirt from his face, rubbing his nose as he looked up at the Persian from his place on the ground.
"Like I was saying," he said, laughing. "I'm more of a spontaneous sort of guy, really. I don't tend to make a lot of plans. My only plans today are with you."
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Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 6:56 am
"Hm." Kazuya quirked a brow at the other's response, though he said nothing as the feline merely bounded on ahead, moving lightly from boulder to tree, ground to branch. For a tamed cat, he navigated the forest grounds with expert ease, almost as though he walked with the air itself.
At Hector's exclamation, Kazuya did nothing for about ten seconds, surveying the immediate area around him. He had thought he heard an Arbok, though those were rather uncommon in this part of the woods. Usually they were a bit further west, lurking just around the outer edges of the meadows to stalk their prey. The Persian disliked them-- didn't like most things that he had no choice but to share his hunting grounds with. Eventually the man turned on his heel and rounded back, jumping on top of the tree root that the Luxray had tripped over. He didn't look to be a clumsy one, but Kazuya figured there were exceptions for everything.
Tail swaying with silent, unreadable feelings, the Persian didn't bother sliding down to help the other up, merely watching Hector as though he were part of a show.
"You know those lines would probably work well with a girl."
Was he teasing? Perhaps not. It was hard to tell with Kazuya's impassive expression.
"Get up. Your plans will become decidedly lonely if you keep sitting there." Flicking his scarf over his shoulder, the Persian turned his back to the Luxray, hiding the trace smile that flirted at his lips. Female or male, it didn't really matter-- perhaps it was a human thing, but the feeling of being wanted for even something as small as this was something humans lived for. Kazuya had long since stopped considering himself fully Persian or cat. Even he was susceptible to these kinds of feelings.
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Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:29 am
Hector arched one dark eyebrow at Kauzya, leaning back on his hands to look up at the Persian.
"What lines?" he said with some interest, smiling at Kazuya. The Persian's expression was difficult to read; he always kept it stoically neutral or stubbornly impassive. Of course, that just made finding out what exactly he was thinking all the more intriguing. Kazuya was somewhat like a puzzle that Hector was determinedly going to figure out. "You mean the ones about being spontaneous?" He gave a sheepish shrug as the faintest tinges of red touched his cheeks "Just saying the truth, is all."
Sometimes, if he looked close enough, watched hard enough, the Persian would give away some unconscious hints about what exactly he was thinking, though it was still extraordinarily difficult to tell. Kazuya was abrasive and blunt, elegant and sharp-tongued, that was for sure.
"Can't be lonely if I get up and follow you, now can it?" Hector said, laughing as he pushed himself to his feet, brushing off the dirt from his legs. Moving back to his place half beside the Persian, half next to him, Hector ambled along after him, silent for a few moments as he scrutinized Kazuya. He still did not quite understand the thougts behind Kazuya letting him be around him. Perhaps he was overthinking things, but Kazyua's keeping to himself was also obvious just from the way the Persian carried himself. But the fact that he had let Hector accompany him this morning made quite a difference, and it was still confusing in Hector's mind just as to the reason. Not that he was complaining, of course. He was very happy to be able to come with the Persian, more so than he had actually expressed (though Kazuya had probably already guessed this), but his curiosity was brimming on the edge of his mind. He reigned it in reluctantly, however, not wanting to press the Persian too much.
"So, what now?" Hector asked. "Do I get to watch you hunt, or can I play too?"
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