Skip Navigation
Pokémon League
Professor of Botany
Any trainer that can't afford medicine can come to me. |
| |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jayspurr
|
Post by Luke Indigo on Dec 15, 2017 20:52:15 GMT -8
Nik’s apology had Luke’s lips pressing together. The cup in his hands might have been shaking a little, but it wouldn’t be easily felt through the table. Luke wasn’t sure what he felt— aside from a bubbling emotion that stirred him deep inside. Was he mad? Apparently? Apparently. Was he mad at Nik specifically? Maybe? A little? It was… hard to tell exactly. So many factors went into Era falling... To ignore that was childish but at the same time, having someone apologize to him… made him aware of how many others needed to too. How the system should have for everyone involved.
A shaky breath drew into Luke, and he set the cup down entirely and folded his hands in his lap. “I don’t know if I can just say… ‘forgiven’ to something like that…” he answered slowly, quietly. “Era was my home, and I do remember a time when it was peaceful…” His stomach crawled a bit, and he forced himself to look up at Nik, to see him as a person rather than an object to be angry at. “But I accept your apology at least.”
|
|
Civilian
I can't help it, I'm a babbling idiot. Please kiss me quick, 'cause I need to feel it~ |
| |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY 🌸 SG 🌸
|
Post by Nikolai Laska on Dec 15, 2017 21:04:10 GMT -8
I don't know if I can say forgiven to something like that. Good? Don't? That Luke even implied that was possible kind of upset Nik. Era was both their home, and always would be. So was Veria now. Sinclair was home. His house with Orion, once the shock and novelty finally truly wore off, would be home. But as much as Nik wanted to focus on those, he still referred to his Era trip as 'going home', every time, without even thinking. It would always be home.
But I accept your apology. Nik nearly spit his drink, and choked down what was left in his mouth. Sputtering a moment after, he finally got out, "You really shouldn't." He pursed his lips, and sat back a bit more, huffing. "Not... not entirely at least. Or..." He sighed quietly. "I guess just.. not forgiving me is enough, but.. It's... almost infuriating how readily everyone assures me it wasn't my fault. Like they think I don't know I'm not solely responsible, but... it's not.. about that." He still failed, and he guessed... he needed to be held accountable enough to ensure he'd never do it again.
|
|
Pokémon League
Professor of Botany
Any trainer that can't afford medicine can come to me. |
| |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jayspurr
|
Post by Luke Indigo on Dec 15, 2017 21:24:26 GMT -8
Luke’s lips parted before closing again. His gaze dropped, and for a few seconds, he considered his drink. “You were a useless noble among useless nobles,” he finally started, his voice quiet and level.
“My clinic didn’t have enough funds to support even basic long term treatment because funding kept disappearing,” his gaze raised and held Nik’s again. “We were overwhelmed constantly, and even if we had personnel, we didn’t have supplies.” His teeth grit briefly before relaxing again. “We made do as best we could, but there were undoubtedly lives lost that we could have saved if we’d—“ A weird noise escaped from Luke, and a hand raised to his mouth as he choked it back.
He knew there were many factors to blame. The inflation rates and scarcity of supplies was already a huge problem by then. There were so many internal and administrative issues in the clinic as well. He knew doctors were being burnt out left and right and that some just up and left but damn it if that wasn’t the nobility’s fault too.
Damn it no he wasn’t crying, his eye was just stinging was all.
|
|
Civilian
I can't help it, I'm a babbling idiot. Please kiss me quick, 'cause I need to feel it~ |
| |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY 🌸 SG 🌸
|
Post by Nikolai Laska on Dec 15, 2017 21:42:37 GMT -8
Nik didn't know what to say. He'd never intentionally defunded a clinic that he could recall. Especially once real combat became common, even early on he recognized the importance of medical funding. But... had there ever been times he'd agreed to shift funds from one to a larger one that he simply forgot? Or far more likely, times he'd signed off on a proposal by some Count or Baron without thoroughly reading, allowing such horrors to happen by his own negligence?
He had no idea what happened with regional funding after he ran away, either. He supposed he just assumed Someone would Handle it, but... He never even thought about what might happen if the seat remained empty during such a time.
".... I don't know what I expected this conversation to accomplish," he admitted quietly. That was all he could really say to something like that. "I wish I could fix things..."
|
|
Pokémon League
Professor of Botany
Any trainer that can't afford medicine can come to me. |
| |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jayspurr
|
Post by Luke Indigo on Dec 16, 2017 6:34:11 GMT -8
Luke’s nails burrowed into the palms of his hands. It almost hurt but was incomparable with the hurt in his stomach. The latter had tightened and twisted up and seemed to be burning all at once. If he closed his eyes, he was sure the flickering images of death’s faces would override him. The tendrils of his hair swayed ever so slightly. “Unless you have a plan to fix it…. Let’s just… not talk about it,” Luke finally answered taking in a slow breath. “I don’t… want to waste energy getting angry when nothing can be done.” Done to correct the past or done to correct the future at this point.
|
|
Civilian
I can't help it, I'm a babbling idiot. Please kiss me quick, 'cause I need to feel it~ |
| |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY 🌸 SG 🌸
|
Post by Nikolai Laska on Dec 31, 2017 0:46:57 GMT -8
"Right..." Nik quietly agreed. "Sorry again." For bringing it up and everything else.
So this turned into an awkward mess, didn't it. Not that Nik really expected much better, but the two minutes he spent just focusing on his cocoa and trying to mentally recover his bearings after that felt closer to two weeks, if he was being honest.
"I don't really know where to go from here," he finally admitted. "I..." He sighed. "I want to fix... everything I guess but I came here hoping to help with... patching you guys. Or at least, try to tell you I don't hate you or want you gone or wanna replace you. ...I mean I guess I kinda do? In that I want to take over being the person who watches out for him most, but not to push you out of that completely... Definitely not to push you out of his family..." He bit his lip, but at least it tasted vaguely of chocolate.
|
|
Pokémon League
Professor of Botany
Any trainer that can't afford medicine can come to me. |
| |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jayspurr
|
Post by Luke Indigo on Dec 31, 2017 17:20:37 GMT -8
Luke sipped his coca slowly. He didn’t have much more to say and resolved to silence instead. Nilly fidgeted in the back of his mind worriedly, but he ignored it for now. As Nik started talking again, however, he frowned a bit harder and took a longer than necessary sip of his drink. The cup, now empty, set itself down of its own accord. A single gold eye raised to Nik’s, a little tired and vaguely displeased more than angry. “Yeah?” came the dry question followed by a lower sigh. “Ok.” Ok? Ok.
Nails drummed on the table. Luke chewed the inside of his mouth. Finally, he sighed again. “I don’t have extended family. At least not ….” He raised a hand and circled it in the air. “Here.” While he was aware he had at least three uncles and once had an aunt in a different world, he’d never met them, knew nothing about them, could only imagine what they were like from vague family descriptions. “I don’t have any siblings and I’m not getting any.” He sat a little more upright and folded his hands in his lap. “Orion and then Jazz… were all I had for a long time.”
Luke sighed again. “I don’t really like people. I put up with them when necessary but…” he shrugged his shoulders indifferently. “I’d rather not…” He paused, his lips quirking and falling in rapid succession. “But if I had to pick two people to bug me for the rest of my life, it’d be them.”
|
|
Civilian
I can't help it, I'm a babbling idiot. Please kiss me quick, 'cause I need to feel it~ |
| |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY 🌸 SG 🌸
|
Post by Nikolai Laska on Dec 31, 2017 19:46:46 GMT -8
Nik was honestly worried at first. Luke said he didn't have extended family, and for a few moments Nik wondered if he was saying he didn't consider Orion family and Nik had just made an enormous ass of himself, but as Luke went on that fear was quickly alleviated. He didn't know all the details of Luke's background, but at least knew he didn't have blood relatives in Veria or would have been surprised if he did, so this still made sense enough.
"People can be really tiring," he agreed, nodding slowly. "I closed myself off to pretty much everyone for.. a pretty long time. And I'm not exactly a social butterfly now." He forced a weak smile. "No offense but I wouldn't even be here if not for Ri'." He was sure Luke could be an interesting person and apparently they had at least a bit in common, but the energy it took to get invested in people, heh...
"It's... good to have a few though..." he all but sighed.
This might be trainwreck timing, but... better now than risk even more awkward turns. "We were thinking of visiting Orion's parents in Alola toward the end of Hanukkah. Be back before Christmas.." Blue eyes shifted up in an effort to meet pale gold. "Would you maybe... wanna come with?" He was... 90% sure Luke's parents lived in Alola too but now questioning that enough he didn't wanna say it directly.
|
|
Pokémon League
Professor of Botany
Any trainer that can't afford medicine can come to me. |
| |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jayspurr
|
Post by Luke Indigo on Dec 31, 2017 20:05:22 GMT -8
They were going to Alola? For Christmas? Or the end of Hanukah at least. Did he want to come? Luke’s lips parted, but no words came out. His features twisted up uncomfortably before falling into neutrality. He had been home “recently”-ish, as recent as Nilly had been with hi— him. But.. it would be nice to see them for the holidays and … actually maybe even … talk to an Alolan scientist directly about this? O-oh. His lips closed again, and he frowned a bit at himself. Of course he’d think of work first, of Nilly first, of getting it home first. But thinking about that even before seeing his parents was actually disconcerting considering what else he knew of himself.
“I’ll.. think about it,” he answered reaching up to rub one arm. The texture of Nilly’s second skin on his own still somehow managed to startle him now and again, and he set his hand on the table shortly after. “I was over there recently-ish but it’d be good to see my parents any time I can…” Among other things form what he was understanding of Nik’s question. “I do need to work, though. Nilly can’t get itself home.”
|
|
Civilian
I can't help it, I'm a babbling idiot. Please kiss me quick, 'cause I need to feel it~ |
| |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY 🌸 SG 🌸
|
Post by Nikolai Laska on Dec 31, 2017 20:20:24 GMT -8
Oh, was he? Nik didn't realize. He guessed it wouldn't seem as pressing if Luke had seen them recently-- though, yeah, they were getting on in years (were his parents older than Nik's? Nik... thought so? maybe? he felt like they were older than his but younger than Oriana but found he had no idea where in that range they fell, welp). Seeing them when he could was probably good.
Ah but... this was good. That... 'think about it' answer felt like it would make it easier to tell Orion Nik sort of invited him without asking, too, heh. Rather than 'by the way Luke's coming', 'hey, Luke might wanna come too'.
"Understandable," he replied to the need to work. "... Though... I know getting it home is important, but you said... you're supposed to be its eyes while it's here, right?" Nik looked down into what little remained of his cocoa, unusually aware now of how the liquid moved against he side of he cup, taking notice of the lighting and textural details of everything with the painter's part of his brain.
"You can't work non-stop," he said matter of factly. That would just hurt both of them, and make his work sloppy. "So when you do need to rest, maybe you could think of it like... really showing Nilly our world? What things like holidays and families mean to us." He smiled gently, eyes still squarely in his cup. "Sharing the best parts of our world might make its time here feel less like being stuck and more like a nice vacation." Maybe? He guessed he didn't know how Nihilego even thought, so that may be silly, heh.
|
|
Pokémon League
Professor of Botany
Any trainer that can't afford medicine can come to me. |
| |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jayspurr
|
Post by Luke Indigo on Dec 31, 2017 20:33:09 GMT -8
It would be nice to meet your progenitors— Nilly commented using words for the first time since this conversation really began— But I do know your fixations….— Better than anyone, probably. It was fused with him, shared everything with him. From his heart to his mind, it knew it, understood it, and—
“I guess,” Luke cut into both their thoughts to keep that from lingering too long. Nily swayed the very ends of Luke’s hair in response. “It’s seen my memories but….” his gold eye clouded for a second before he blinked again. “It’s not the same.” Obviously. The Nihilego swayed a little more. “Maybe we can find more lights too…” Similar to the ruins he’d come across with what he was sure was a Totem Pokemon. “Ah- it’s…” He shifted a little uncertainly. “Nil can see Ultra Aura in the form of light… It’s very familiar and comforting.” Was Luke speaking just now or perhaps Nilly itself? Hard to tell right then.
|
|
Civilian
I can't help it, I'm a babbling idiot. Please kiss me quick, 'cause I need to feel it~ |
| |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY 🌸 SG 🌸
|
Post by Nikolai Laska on Jan 5, 2018 2:10:56 GMT -8
Lights? Ah... As he explained, Nik... assumed that made sense. He'd have believed it as an explanation in a movie anyway, and while he had no concept of Ultra Aura it seemed pretty self-explanatory as a concept. "True. Ultra Beasts seem to have affected Alola more than other regions from what I've read, so with its sight who knows what you might find." Though this was... still pretty work-focused, huh?
"Maybe you two could join us for a big family meal while we're there. Think Ri' was wanting to cook for everyone and show off a bit~" He laughed softly, affectionately. It should be nice seeing the looks on his parents' faces when they see him being an S-class househusband. Though maybe it wouldn't surprise them if he learned from his aunt, but still.
|
|
Pokémon League
Professor of Botany
Any trainer that can't afford medicine can come to me. |
| |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jayspurr
|
Post by Luke Indigo on Jan 7, 2018 15:30:57 GMT -8
Hmmm, yeah. It would be good to get more information, good to see the family, good to— A small, weird half-laugh unexpectedly escaped from Luke, and he was left blinking confusedly at himself right after. Warmth touched his features, and his gaze dropped briefly to the drink on the table.
A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth before finally falling as he started to speak again. “ He’s…” Luke exhaled softly trying to force this out of his mouth before it died in his throat. As much as he wanted to say it, the other part of him didn’t want to. “He’s such a cute human when he’s like that…” Not even like cute as in … anything remotely normally “cute” but maybe closer to the way someone said an animal or a Pokemon ‘was cute’. “It’s nice to see…”
|
|
Civilian
I can't help it, I'm a babbling idiot. Please kiss me quick, 'cause I need to feel it~ |
| |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY 🌸 SG 🌸
|
Post by Nikolai Laska on Jan 26, 2018 17:37:38 GMT -8
"Such a cute" had Nik grinning, but the word that followed gave him pause. Ah... He.. guessed he had referred to people like that before (albeit probably mostly online in the furry community ahaha,,,) but given Luke's... condition, Nik had to wonder... Would it be okay to ask?
"Ah... Sorry if this is weird but... is that Luke or Nilly saying that?" Did they ever talk at the same time, or back and forth? Was it like a thing where Nilly takes control and Luke blacks out, or more like a... heh, a Yugi/Yami thing where they could talk back and forth with either 'in control'? Mmm, it was probably intrusive to ask too much.
|
|
Pokémon League
Professor of Botany
Any trainer that can't afford medicine can come to me. |
| |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jayspurr
|
Post by Luke Indigo on Jan 26, 2018 19:32:18 GMT -8
Is that Luke or Nilly saying that- Luke's lips parted only for his front teeth to sink into his lower lip instead. A hand raised and pressed against his temple and ruffled his hair a bit. "It's technically me- Luke," he answered back shifting a little in his seat. "…..Yeah." Yeah.
"Nilly doesn't speak through me very often…" He actually couldn't think of a time it ever had. It had talked through Jazz at their first meeting but… Had it since? He couldn't actually think of a time it had. "But we have a shared mind space which comes with… some… habits I've picked up." The locks of hair on either side of Luke's head swayed a moment before settling again. "I…." Awkward. "Did you- want to talk to Nilly or?"
|
|
|