|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:04 pm
Occasionally, for some inexplicable reason, he took it into his head to go and sit in one of the recc. rooms. Perhaps it was an attempt to be a normal member of the human race rather than a recluse. Maybe it was to force himself to change his routine a bit, no matter how uncomfortable it felt to head off to leisure time that could involve large numbers of people. One could not always be comfortable; it was important to remember that and to be sure one could deal with it.
Right then.
Pausing outside the door for a moment, Frost tugged the cuffs of his uniform jacket straight. Now feeling presentable, and a little more relaxed for making the simple motion, he stepped inside...
There was nobody there. This rather defeated the object of his coming here. Still, now he was here he wasn't about to just turn and leave, and people could appear at any time in any case. Resolving to wait, and glad that he'd brought a book, Frost sat down in a comfortable chair and opened his book: he could wait.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:25 pm
 Ah, the recreation room... It had been quite some time since Lilith spent some quality time in there. If it wasn't crowded with yelling and shouting Grunts or possibly Agents, it was the perfect place to quiet down and read a book or practice her gaming skills. Her head was still throbbing from that uncomfortable experience she had but a few days ago with one of her... less pleasant acquaintances, and a little exercise or friendly competition might do her some good. Alas, her excitement over going to the rec room was cut short when, as she arrived, she saw one other person there. Lilith frowned slightly. She had wished that she would have the room all to herself, but there was little she could do about the situation. It wasn't like she could tell the person there to simply leave. That would not do. Instead, she walked right in, looking about her and pondering her options for what she could do. She could play some video games... or maybe some pinball... or ping-pong! That would work. The only downside of ping-pong is that, for best results, one must have two players in the game. Lilith was just realizing this as she retrieved one of the paddles and a small plastic ball, and she sighed, disappointed and aggravated. A thought passed through her head after a moment, though, and she turned back behind her to glance at the other man in the room. She hadn't seen him around the HQ before... Perhaps he was a new recruit? ...Well, it did not matter. She needed someone to play with; it might as well be the first person she saw. She called to the other person, holding her ping-pong paddle up. "Hey. You wanna play a match?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:34 pm
Somebody was speaking to him. Frost finished his page, marked it, and looked up. A woman with a red streak in her hair was holding a paddle out to him: this surprised him. He had heard her come in, but hadn't imagined that she would speak to him, but as there was nobody else around it had to be him she was addressing.
"Of table tennis?" he asked after a momentary pause, studying the paddle rather than looking at the woman speaking to him. "I seldom play. My reflexes are fair but my technique poor; I do not think you will find me a very satisfying opponent... You didn't ask my name either; you may call me Frost. What am I to call you?" For the moment, he reserved judgment on the game... Ah, but he should look at her; much like the giving of names that was a courtesy. As such Frost looked up from the paddle and fixed the unknown rocket with a piercing gaze; etiquette was etiquette, and part of the reason he had come here was to work on his people skills in any case.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:55 pm
Lilith blinked, unable to hide her obvious surprise at the sheer politeness of this man. She doubted that anyone she had ever known had ever spoken to her with so much formality. Frost, was he...? That would be easy to remember: his personality seemed as cold as ice. She chuckled, handing the paddle out to him. "A simple 'yes' would have sufficed, but I suppose the forewarning is appreciated. My name's Lilith, by the by." He was being polite with her, and the least she could do was attempt to do the same. She silently hoped that her headache would not shorten her temper, but this Frost guy didn't really seem to be the type to invoke anger. Walking over to the opposite side of the table, Lilith looked back at Frost and met his gaze, somewhat unnerved by how piercing and calculating it appeared. She retrieved a paddle for herself and, with ball in hand, prepared her serve. "So... I haven't seen you around the HQ much. Are you new," she asked with genuine curiosity.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 1:59 pm
Hang on, he hadn't agreed to play yet... Well, he supposed it could be entertaining, and it would be anti-social to refuse. Had his book be of vital importance of utterly riveting he probably would have put the paddle down and picked the book back up, but as it was he set the slim volume aside and got to his feet. "It was not supposed to be a 'yes'," he informed the other rocket as he took his place at the table, "but you may consider this to be a yes, Lilith. As to your question," he went on, returning to his study of the well-used paddle, "that is also a yes; I am fairly new. I transferred... Two months ago now? Mmh. Just over two months."
Look at the woman, not the paddle.
Frost looked back up, and fixed Lilith with his pale eyes once more. "I am not entirely surprised that you have not seen me before," he added with a small nod, "I am not usually the most... sociable of people. I spend a lot of time in the library, and the garages and hangers, but very little in the recc rooms."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 5:27 pm
"Oh. Oh. I see... I apologize for my assumption, then..." Lilith blushed and looked down in her embarrassment. Well, there was her first mistake of the day. Check that off of the list. "Whatever. You're playing now, anyway, so it doesn't really matter either way." Sighing, Lilith looked back at her ping-pong opponent. "Two months? Geez... One would think I would have at least heard about you in that time, huh?" The woman chuckled somewhat sheepishly. Perhaps this Frost guy held a low profile...? That was Lilith's guess, at least, and it seemed to be partially right. "Ah... Not very sociable, mm?" Looking into the distance for a moment, Lilith made a sad little smile. "I know how that feels. But: you're here now, aren't you?" Her green gaze locked back with Frost's blue one, her smile still small, but no longer melancholy as it was before. "It takes baby steps." Deciding it was high time to actually start playing, Lilith held up her paddle and served the ball to Frost.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 8:45 am
"Baby steps?" Frost raised an eyebrow along with his paddle. "If you are patronising me, then consider me annoyed. If you were genuinely trying to help then thank you, but I do not require them. I have no particular desire to become a social butterfly, nor do I think I could no matter how many baby steps I took. My aim is to interact with other people as and when the mood takes me, without trying to change myself too much to fit in with what people consider," he carefully swatted the ball back as it came towards him, "normal. I do my best to observe the niceties of society but I will never be the charming 'babe magnet' at the centre of a circle of friends and or admirers."
It would be nice to have a friend or two here though. There had been a time when he was sure that he wasn't capable of making friends at all, but having had at least one (before joining Team Rocket) he knew that it was at least a possibility. Maybe having several friends was possible too; dismissing things as impossible never got anybody anywhere. In social terms, he supposed, he was the caveman who had sat around watching the first wheel take shape, insisting that it would never work. Mmh. He did not want to be that caveman, not even if it was only in the field of 'people skills things'.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 3:30 pm
Lilith pursed her lips slightly. "No, I was not attempting to patronize you. If it sounded as such, I offer my apologies." She hit the ball back to Frost as it came to her, doing her best to try and keep it in bounds. Silently, Lilith chuckled at the thought of this Frost guy being a "babe magnet." In her opinion, he didn't really seem to be the kind of man that women would flock to. But, of course, it was only an opinion. "It's not like you have to be a babe magnet, as you put it, to have friends or acquaintances." Lilith shrugged her shoulders, absently brushing a long piece of red hair behind her ear. "I think that it's admirable that you refuse to change yourself for anyone's ideals. That's a lot more that I suppose a good number of people could say, certainly." A sigh. "I suppose even I am a victim of such a foolish concept as conformity from time to time - bending oneself to another's will. It's a... pity."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 9:08 am
"I wasn't sure one way or the other," Frost replied mildly as he returned the ball, "hence why I asked. I try to avoid making assumptions where possible, because my intuition when it comes people is frankly terrible. As for being a bade magnet," he raised an eyebrow, "that's about the last thing I want; I was attempting to be humorous." A 'dude' magnet would certainly be acceptable, but he didn't seem to be any good at that either. A shame: headquarters was packed full of attractive males, and he couldn't quite work out how to flirt successfully. Such was life.
"It is partially refusal to change myself," Frost added as an afterthought, "and partially an inability. I'm a truly terrible actor; if I tried to pretend to be something I'm not, I suspect that I would seem even odder than I do when I act naturally... Humans are tribal animals, we cooperate to survive, and to cooperate we try to fit in with one another. It's a natural instinct, and not necessarily bad. As I say, it is just something that I'm not capable of." It would be nice to fit in, he wasn't denying that... But if he had to swap the brain he had for one that was more adept at social things, but less at others would he do it? Maybe if he had no memory of making the trade, but as said trade wasn't possible in the first place this was yet another thing that it was pointless to consider.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 12:23 pm
Lilith simply chuckled. "Ah yes. 'Assumption makes an...' well, I'm sure that you have heard the expression." She kept her eyes on the plastic ball as it bounced towards her, and she swatted it back with one deft stroke. After she did, she quickly covered covered her nose into the nook of her elbow and sneezed. Sniffing a bit, she shot an apologetic look towards Frost. "Pardon me. Sorry about that..."Her head tilted as she listened intently to Frost while he explained himself. She nodded understandingly. "Mm, I see. Once again, I can understand the whole 'unsocial' thing, but it's more than just instinct, yes? In some cases, it's more about practicing being around other people: in an ideal situation, it would be people who share your same interests... Kindred spirits or what-have-you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 12:44 pm
Frost nodded absently to the sneeze apology as he tapped the ball back over to Lilith; this was actually quite enjoyable. Had she been determined to beat him, making every shot difficult, he would quickly have lost and probably got tired of it, but the little rally they had going was satisfying.
"I suppose there must be an element of practice, I can't argue with that," he said after a moment. "Like... tabletennis. I have good reflexes, but little practice with the game, so I am passable. If I practised, I would improve. If had had poor reflexes I would only be able to progress so far, but practice in the technique and tricks of the game would still allow me to improve somewhat. I suppose it comes down to how much I really want to improve my people skills. I find many people around here far too tiresome to bother with. Loud. Closed-minded. Incurious. Lack of personal hygiene. Finding 'kindred spirits' sounds... Difficult. Time consuming."
His current roommate was all of the above unpleasant things: all the man seemed to care about was beer, sport, violence, and beer, preferably all combined together. Frost pursed his lips very slightly at the thought of the man, pondering not for the first time ways in which he could be discreetly removed from the equation that was life. He still didn't have any plans he thought he could get away with, and besides, he knew that if his walking talking conscience ever found out there would be heck to pay. The fact that his old friend finding out was nigh on impossible was beside the point. Pity really; removing the slug that was his roommate from the face of the world would slightly improve the overall quality of the human race...
There had to be some people on base with whom he could identify though, he was doing alright with Lilith at the moment, or so he believed. Maybe she had an interest she would like to tell him about. In return, he would not talk her ear off about engineering and mechanics; for some reason most people found the subject boring after a few minutes. Come to that, most people found any subject that was not their own dull before long. Incurious again; how could learning more about how the world and things in the worked be boring?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 1:08 pm
Surprisingly enough, Lilith was also having a good time. Imagine that: she was actually enjoying herself. What an unexpected - and welcome - change for the young woman who, just a day or so ago, was downing a bottle of wine in the middle of the halls with the crazy-a** sister of the love of her life. That was a strange night... She hit the ball back to Frost as it came to her, her focus flitting between talking to the man and the actual game itself. She chuckled as Frost began to list off unsavory characteristics. She could certainly think of different Grunts or Agent that fit those labels to a T. Loud, yes... Close-minded, yes... Incurious, not so much... She wasn't too sure about personal hygiene, and she hoped that all of Team Rocket had at least some care for personal health. "You forgot to mention 'crazy.' I've had my fair share of encounters with people like that..." Pausing for a moment, Lilith reflected how chilly the rec room was. She shivered slightly, brushing her long hair out of her face. Oh, she wished that spring would arrive soon... But wait! It was nearly springtime, was it not? Lilith sighed happily. "Mm, I cannot wait until the equinox. I'm so tired of winter..." She looked back up to Frost, her eyes meeting his own. "Will you be doing anything special for the vernal equinox?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 1:21 pm
Crazy? Well, he supposed there must be a good number of crazy people in a place like this but he wasn't much good at spotting them. He was also aware that many people would class him as one of them. Everyone's definition of crazy was different of course; to some it meant wild and outwardly volatile, while to others it meant anyone who differed significantly from the norm...
"Oh, the equinox?" Frost carefully tapped the ball back across the table. "I can't say I have any plans. Perhaps some activity involving equilibrium would be suitable. Maybe I will attempt to join in with a party if one is had. If I am welcome of course. And provided it is a fairly civilized party... I like winter." Everything cool and crisp. The start beauty of fresh snow covering a landscape. The clean lines of the world without an abundance of plant life. "Spring is alright," Frost added after a moment, "as is autumn, but I despise summer." The harshness of the sun: UV radiation was not kind to his pale skin. The unbearable heat: he couldn't stand being sweaty. He honestly had no idea why so many people enjoyed the season, and was very glad that he had Skiron on hand to cool him off when necessary.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 1:37 pm
Lilith nodded. "A party would be nice, yes... Though I highly doubt that anyone else would be celebrating the changing of seasons here. I can't be sure, of course, but it seems like the passing of seasons has become so trivial to us that it is overlooked. A shame, really." She volleyed the ball back, focusing all of her attention on it for a split second so as to not miss. She frowned slightly. "I'm not too fond of winter, myself. Too cold for my tastes. Though I can kind of see how you could like it, Frost." Lilith chuckled a bit. "Sorry, sorry... I jest." It wouldn't hurt to have a little joke at Frost's expense, would it? After all, what with his mannerism and such, it was hard to resist the temptation. "Personally, I prefer autumn out of all the seasons. The whole world just seems so beautiful, and the temperature is so nice." She smiled wistfully. Oh, to see the bright and vibrant colors of Ecruteak City in autumn again... "Spring is okay, but I get hay fever easily. And summer... Summer is kind of stifling, honestly."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 2:07 pm
Frost raised his eyebrows a fraction at the jest, returning the ball once more and silently wondering how long their rally was so far. "You don't need to apologise," he assure his fellow rocket after a moment, "I decided to call myself that because it is apt. A reflection of my tastes, and perhaps of my personality too. Mmh. Parties though; I was under the impression that most people around here will take any excuse on offer to throw a party. Perhaps that is only a certain kind of person though, the kind of person one would prefer not to celebrate anything with." He had no doubt that his roommate would be celebrating, possibly in their room. If any mess ended up on his side he'd... He would think of some kind of vengeance. The sooner he had a private room the better.
"If you organised a party, however," Frost went on, "I am certain that people would come, and you could pick and choose who to invite." Suggesting that she do it was as far as he could go on that score; he would have no idea at all of how to plan a party beyond 'some kind of food' and 'probably an unseemly amount of alcohol'.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
