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Civilian
There is no charm equal to tenderness of the heart. |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Ronnie
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Post by Lucie Jeanne on Sept 21, 2018 16:12:21 GMT -8
Lucie continued to give Cinnamon the most affectionate scritches behind the ear that she could as she listened to Hiroto's sudden epiphany. Her eyes widened a little in thought, a shine of excitement filling where worry had been moments before. "That's a really good idea, Hiro! It would be an excellent way for people to learn more about wild Pokemon and their behavior, have extra hands to keep track of everyone's healing progression, and also give Pokemon who are wanting to bond with a person that special opportunity! Oh gosh, but would it be okay for them to get their starters from my center? I came from Kalos, where Pokemon are usually given out by professors, or breeders. I'm, um, neither of those. Do you think it would still be okay?"
"Hmm, though...there is something I could offer trainers."
Lucie hummed, brain now buzzing with the more positive sort of ideas. It might have been the bloom of good thoughts and feelings that had just filled up the grove. "Sometimes I find newly-hatched Pokemon that have been separated from their parents and hurt. They can't help but imprint on people once they've been taken in. They're too little. It wouldn't be right to set them back into the wild, not if all they've ever known is human care. Maybe I could offer an adoption service for those little ones to trainers or breeders, so they can go to loving homes as soon as they're healed up."
Prickly Pear felt a little left out of all this fondness regarding starter Pokemon. He hadn't been a starter. He'd been caught by Lucie and Cinnamon ages ago in Kalos. He wasn't any less special because he wasn't her starter, was he?
His doubts tapped at the corner of Lucie's mind and snapped her out of her delighted haze, cheeks flushing darker as she noticed something else. "Ah--I just realized, this whole time we've been talking about my work! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to spend so much time prattling on. It's just. Um. I get excitable. Sorry, again."
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Professor
Professor of Oceanography
With fronds like these? Well, who needs anenomes? |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY 🌸 SG 🌸
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Post by Hiroto Kaimana on Sept 21, 2018 16:30:25 GMT -8
Hiro was admittedly a little overwhelmed, but laughed it off. "First thing's first I guess," he started, trying to answer her in order. "I'm a Professor here in Veria but I don't hand out starters very often, so we definitely do things differently here. That said, even back in Kanto with THE Pokemon Professor nearby people got their starters all kinds of ways, not just from him, yeah~? So I don't think it'd hurt." Besides, no one could help when they first bonded with a Pokemon.
"Second, I think reserving the babies for adoption is a good idea too. It might help trainers and newbies alike resist wanting to take home the wild adults if there are designated adoptees there too. Like, 'sorry, this Pidgeot's just here for rehab, but we have a baby Starly you might like', you know?"
Oh look, were those berries? Neat! He shuffled over to pluck a few and tossed to Miyuna before returning his attention to Lucie. "And finally... You do give a guy a lot to think about at once," he admitted, but he chuckled softly. "But it's okay. It's cute~" He gave her a soft grin and a wink.
Miyuna rolled her eyes. "Dad, don't be embarrassing." Immediately, Hiro tensed slightly. Kiddo... C'mon.
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Civilian
There is no charm equal to tenderness of the heart. |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Ronnie
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Post by Lucie Jeanne on Sept 21, 2018 18:57:25 GMT -8
"Well, no, but, um, if you were going to become a trainer and go for the gyms and league and such, it was encouraged to get your starter from a professor. Though I was given Cinnamon from my uncle. He breeds feline Pokemon and...well, really, Litleos and Skittys and Meowths are kind of our family's go-to for starters at this point! I would love to bring that same feeling to others. It's like a bonus to the WPPC I hadn't even considered!" Lucie giggled, excitement bleeding out of every word she spoke. Wow. To be able to introduce people to their very first Pokemon, by teaching them how to take care of those who needed help. It was such a grand idea and a wonderful one, too. The thought of it just made her so giddy. Cinnamon gave another low rumble and chose to lay down curled at her master's feet.
Hiroto agreed with her idea of putting the little ones up for trainers or breeders to adopt, and as he said so he found a few more berries. Lucie blinked. Oh! Oh goodness. She'd been here for berries and she'd been distracted with all this talking and keeping Pear from falling out of a tree and Cinnamon being keenly in-tuned to when her mind went in a more negative direction. As she did. Stepping over the lounging Pyroar she went up to a bushel of her own and began looking around for more berries. There were lots of blue ones. Good. Those helped to heal, and the pink ones made for an excellent natural antidote...
...wait what had he just said?
Lucie looked up just in time to catch Hiroto winking at her and calling her cute. In the span of a few seconds Lucie's face went from a light smattering of pink across her cheeks to a full-blown red-as-a-roseli-berry color, and she ducked her head down so her hair hid her flustered expression from view. Of course he would have probably noticed it before she had the time to react. But. Still.
"I-I-I-I am not sure how my rambling on and on about my own profession is cute when I haven't even taken the time to ask you any more questions about your work if anything I think it would be seen as rude or insensitive but cute that just doesn't make any sense I mean I don't get called cute ever really so I'm sorry if I'm over-analyzing it or reading too much into it but I do that when I'm--"
Cinnamon's paw whacked at the back of Lucie's leg, as if to say "breathe, woman".
Lucie drew in a breath before her red face could turn blue. Just in time to catch Miyuna rebuff her bro--
Wait, no, she just called him 'dad'.
Lucie was grateful that her hair was blocking her face because her embarrassment (and breathlessness) gave way to a moment of shock. This little girl was Hiroto's daughter, not his sister? But he looked so young, and she...looked not nearly young enough to be his child. Not unless she was doing her math wrong, or Hiroto was older than he looked. But he looked only a few years younger than herself, and if she had a child that looked to be close to ten......
......well, that was definitely not a subject she was prepared to breech. Ever.
With another deep breath Lucie stood up straight, her cheeks still flushed much darker than they had been, and her hands rolling a blue berry between them to dodge the urge to pull at her dress or hair or something to hide her face. "...okay, I'm. I'm sorry. Again. Um. I don't get...compliments like that a lot. Or I think it was a compliment. I, um. Yes. C-Could you tell me a bit about your work, Hiro?" Her smile was no less real than it was before, but she did have to force herself to keep better eye-contact. And to pretend she wasn't still very, very red. "You...said you work with water Pokemon and study their habitats...do you have, um, any particular favorites?"
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Professor
Professor of Oceanography
With fronds like these? Well, who needs anenomes? |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY 🌸 SG 🌸
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Post by Hiroto Kaimana on Sept 22, 2018 6:48:15 GMT -8
As Lucie began to ramble breathlessly, Miyuna gestured to her while giving Hiro a look as if to say, 'see? what did I tell you'.
Hiro himself was a bit ah.. thrown off. What was he supposed to say? 'Chill, lady, it was just some insincere flirting? I'm not qualified to fix your self-image if a simple compliment breaks you this hard?' Yeah that didn't sound very appealing. Not to mention he was flustered now because it was one thing for people to assume Miyuna was his and another for them to know.. not.. that he was embarrassed of his own--wow what was wrong with him ugh.
Ignoring that, he focused on the out she provided. Pasting a smile back on, he asked, "Water you talking about? There are plenty of fish in the sea and I love them all." He flashed a brief cheesy grin before settling into an easier look again. He pushed aside brush now and then as he spoke, still hunting for the berries.
"Lately, though, I've been doing a lot of research on Old Pahala. The ways the Pokemon have adapted to live in the ruins is fascinating, and I sort of... Well, I've been hoping in time I can help convert the area into a nature preserve, and limit the ways treasure hunters romp around out there. Not stop them since I know that's good for the city's economy, but regulate it more to disturb the Pokemon less." And the watery grave less, but ya know...
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Civilian
There is no charm equal to tenderness of the heart. |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Ronnie
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Post by Lucie Jeanne on Sept 22, 2018 7:38:42 GMT -8
One of the less-than-ideal aspects of Lucie was how hard she felt everything. Simple embarrassment, sorrow, anger; nothing would hit her at a "normal" amount. Everything was 100%, no slowing or breaking, until she could compose herself. Or until she got distracted again. She was sure she had made a fool of herself but...for now she would bury her face in a bush and keep searching for more berries rather than try to make any sense of that awfully embarrassing display.
Bad puns helped a little. Lucie snorted. "Wow. You only get a pass on that joke because you have a degree for it. "
He started talking about a part of Veria she didn't know very much about: Old Pahala. From what little she knew it was full of thieves and thrill-seekeds, but the way Hiroto talked about it made it sound like there was much more to it than just that. Her interest piqued she pulled back from the bushes long enough to listen to him, curiosity filling her features as he spoke about turning the ruins into a preserve. To protect the Pokemon living there. It wasn't too far off from what she was doing with the WPPC, but it was so much grander in scale and filled with lore and history that a simple farm couldn't dream of. "I haven't been to that part of Pahala yet...I've only heard it isn't very safe. I can't imagine trying to study it or finding a way to protect it is an easy dream to achieve."
"Still...that's a very admirable goal. How long have you been studying it? Are the Pokemon there...well, are they very protective of it?"
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Professor
Professor of Oceanography
With fronds like these? Well, who needs anenomes? |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY 🌸 SG 🌸
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Post by Hiroto Kaimana on Sept 23, 2018 12:56:52 GMT -8
Damn right he'd earned all his jokes forever. He'd fight for that.
"No more than any Pokemon is protective of its territory, really. But it's amazing how they adapt such unnatural environments and live like it's any other territory. Plus they find ways to do it safely, where people tend to have trouble staying away from less stable areas." He rolled his eyes and huffed. "Sure you get your violent thug out hunting now and then, but honestly most of the danger comes from people being reckless with themselves and each other, in my experience."
A hand rose to his neck and up into his hairline a bit, not enough to show off what he'd mention but enough to sort of touch at it himself. "Actually got a pretty nasty scar from a guy trying to push me in the water once. He didn't mean anything by it, but we were both lucky it wasn't worse, heh."
Oh, right she asked-- "Anyway, it's been most of this year I've been looking into it, though the whole preserve idea kind of formed slowly in that time, heh."
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Civilian
There is no charm equal to tenderness of the heart. |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Ronnie
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Post by Lucie Jeanne on Sept 27, 2018 5:26:52 GMT -8
"Ah--I don't think I'd willingly go somewhere that any dangerous people like to spend their time..." Lucie's brow furrowed and the little branch she'd been pushing aside fell back into place as her hands returned to her chest, nervousness overcoming her for a moment. "A protective Pokemon is one thing. Pokemon listen and...aren't going to harm you without a reason. People are much harder to talk to." Her eyes were drawn to Hiroto as he raised his hand to rustle his hair. He mentioned a bad scar. Was it on his scalp? Had...he fractured his skull or something because of a person pushing him into shallow water? The doctor in her was only slightly less angry about that than the rest of her was full of concern. "Lucky. I. I can't put my medical experience with injuries like that aside, and take that sort of injury lightly, but walking away with just a bad scar instead of brain damage or...worse...yes, I would call that lucky."
Cinnamon, from her place still curled up in the grass, extended a paw in a lazy enough manner that it may have been a stretch to tap the very tips of her paw pads against Hiroto's ankle. Lucie felt a feeling of...well, to give it a word, it might have been 'sympathy', but sympathy felt through empathy was a strange mix of sadness, understanding, and...kindness. It jumbled together in her head enough to hurt a little. Cinnamon was always so caring.
"Well, um, I hope you achieve what you're thinking of. Goodness knows it took me...what, six years to save up the money and build myself up enough to make my center. But I'm working solo. I'm sure a lot of people want to help preserve Old Pahala and would be willing to help you." Her smile returned, though a little dimmer than earlier.
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Professor
Professor of Oceanography
With fronds like these? Well, who needs anenomes? |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY 🌸 SG 🌸
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Post by Hiroto Kaimana on Sept 27, 2018 7:06:29 GMT -8
Hiro nodded. Yeah heh. Fortunately he'd hit his head at an angle when he fell, more nicking it on a passing bit of stone than enduring direct blunt force trauma. Still, that had certainly killed his mood for the week, even if Shaun had been kind enough to help patch him up and escort him to the hospital for proper treatment. Arceus knew he'd learned to be more cautious around building edges at least.
He frowned at her assessment though. "You'd think so, but a lot of Pahala is hesitant to change the way things are since the area draws in tourism money for the main city. And even plenty of folks who like the idea are concerned about the logistics of it. Is it really enough to just say 'this is a reserve now' when it's still full of crumbling ruins?" He sighed. "I wish we could somehow make it safer without disturbing the Pokemon already there too much..."
"You'll figure something out." Heh. Yeah, he hoped so.
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Staff
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jay
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Post by Jay on Sept 29, 2018 8:40:19 GMT -8
Looks like you found 4 berries! A Pink Berry! A common berry used to make various PokeBlocks. A Blue Berry! A common berry used to make various PokeBlocks. A Pink Berry! A common berry used to make various PokeBlocks. A Blue Berry! A common berry used to make various PokeBlocks. Looks like you found 4 berries! A Blue Berry! A common berry used to make various PokeBlocks. A Red Berry! A common berry used to make various PokeBlocks. A Red Berry! A common berry used to make various PokeBlocks. A Blue Berry! A common berry used to make various PokeBlocks.
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Civilian
There is no charm equal to tenderness of the heart. |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Ronnie
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Post by Lucie Jeanne on Sept 29, 2018 9:39:34 GMT -8
Lucie pulled a few fresh blue berries from the bushes tucking them into her bag for safe-keeping, as she continued to listen. So all was not well with Hiroto's dream of protecting Old Pahala, due to the negative response from the townsfolk. Her lips pursed into a small pout. Tourism and commercialism weren't killers of good intentions, but they could be a hindrance. "That's a bit of a conundrum...I would think people in Pahala would want to preserve the ruins, since if they become any more, well, ruined, then they won't have much for the tourists to see. And if it's being kept safe then that's less dangerous people there scaring away potential visitors. But...that's all long-term stuff, I guess. And not being able to assure that it would be worth the effort after the reservation efforts..."
She paused, considering some of the efforts in Kalos that had been made to preserve it's own history. The palace was kept so well-maintained, and charged for entry to help keep it that way. Maybe...
"I know it's a little capitalist of me," she spoke in a more joking tone, "But maybe it would work if you could find somebody to...restore some of the ruins, to lure in more tourists? It may disturb some of the Pokemon for a time...so it's not ideal. But it might get more support from the town."
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Professor
Professor of Oceanography
With fronds like these? Well, who needs anenomes? |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY 🌸 SG 🌸
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Post by Hiroto Kaimana on Oct 4, 2018 12:45:41 GMT -8
What? Restore? Hiro squinted a moment before remembering, "Ah, right you haven't been out there. Nah there's not really much restoring to be done. The city was built in a sort of 'bowl' area, and then during a really bad flood a lot of the ground collapsed so it's just permanently underwater. The new city is built up on platforms above the water nearby with crazy draining and reinforcements, so it's practically storm-proof. But the old place is practically Atlantis. It's pretty much permanently sunk."
He sighed, but then a moment shook his head and shrugged it off. "That's probably a depressing topic though." Doing a total 180, he grinned and asked, "Why don't you tell me what cute Pokemon doctors do for fun aside from berry-hunting~?"
Miyuna rolled her eyes so hard her head rolled some with them, but she didn't interrupt this time, staying focused on the hunt and the cute Pokefriends.
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Civilian
There is no charm equal to tenderness of the heart. |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Ronnie
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Post by Lucie Jeanne on Oct 5, 2018 11:23:30 GMT -8
"Underwater?" Lucie's eyes widened a little, a clearer picture being painted in her head of Old Pahala. The whole city had been submerged in water? That...that sounded incredible! She had assumed it was like the old cities and ruins in Geosenge Town, where time had worn it down and their purpose had been left to legend. "Oh, wow! No, no, I haven't, but...that sounds so strange, but incredible! I mean...I don't want to say that a storm that must have cause so much destruction was...good. No. But. An underwater city. No wonder there are so many Pokemon there. Wow! I've never heard of anything like that!"
Cinnamon grunted, not liking the idea of water, let alone a city under it.
This time when he called her cute, at least she managed to keep her lungs from forcing themselves out of her mouth. Instead she just gave an awkward, flustered laugh and shied her gaze away, fiddling with a lock of her hair. "Oh, um, well. I. I guess I just go on walks to check for injured Pokemon to help. And I cook, um, Poké Puffs and other things from scratch for my patients. I. Um. Read. For fun, and the latest medical journals so I stay updated on the newest methods fpr Pokemon...health...huh."
Lucie's cheeks grew darker. "Wow, I'm sounding like a complete and utter workaholic."
"Mmmhmrrr."
"You didn't have to agree, Cinnamon." She grumbled in response to Cinnamon's teasing, knowing smirk. The hand that was fiddling with her hair rose for her to rest her cheek against. "I swear I do things that aren't related to my work. I. Just can't think of any right now."
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Professor
Professor of Oceanography
With fronds like these? Well, who needs anenomes? |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY 🌸 SG 🌸
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Post by Hiroto Kaimana on Oct 5, 2018 14:43:39 GMT -8
Hiro chuckled as she became increasingly flustered over her interests. "Sounds like me back in school." He'd had to make sure all Mom's hard work to help him chase his dreams wasn't in vain, so he'd scarcely ever made time for anything that wasn't productive in some way or just catching up on sleep. It had burned him out pretty hard, true, but he could still relate to a drive to stay busy.
At the same time, though.. "Maybe I should take you out to have some fun some time...~" he all but purred.
Unfortunately for Hiro, Miyuna found the offer a little annoying. This was supposed to be Daddy-Daughter Day, not Flirt With Strangers Day. "Honestly, Dad, how many girlfriends do you need?"
And now it was his turn to go stark red. "I--" he sputtered. Turning somewhat toward Miyuna, but not entirely away from Lucie, he defended, "I don't have any girlfriends."
"Uh-huh."
"I have... friends that I can... have grown-up fun with." He wasn't sure whether to hope Lucie did or didn't understand how he meant that. "You know good and well I wouldn't date anyone unless I was sure they'd get along with the whole family."
"You sure spend a lot of time with some of them for being just friends," the girl muttered, crossing her arms.
Hiro's eyes seemed to beg help as he glanced back to Lucie.
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Civilian
There is no charm equal to tenderness of the heart. |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Ronnie
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Post by Lucie Jeanne on Oct 5, 2018 15:13:36 GMT -8
Lucie's nearly choked on her own tongue. Not from Hiroto's offer to take her out, spoken in a tone with enough implications weighing it down that she wasn't sure a Machamp could lift it, but rather from Miyuna's response to it. Oh Arceus, that was...hilarious. And so awkward and embarrassing for Hiroto. She could feel the a mix of irritation coming from Miyuna, though, that dampened the "kids say the darnedest things" hilarity of it all. Though Hiroto was not helping things with that reasoning. "Grown-up fun". Oh no. Her slightly choked noises dissolved into a muffled fit of giggles.
From behind Miyuna, Prickly Pear tilted himself out to get a look at the confused humans prattling on about something unrelated to berries.
Cinnamon rolled her eyes.
After making sure she wasn't going to bust out laughing at Hiroto's look of absolute dread--it was hard--Lucie drew in a breath and turned to look at his daughter. Hm. She hadn't gotten the little one's name yet, had she? Might be a good thing to ask before this little nonsense was sorted out. She knelt down to be on eye-level with Miyuna and smiled. "Well...I don't know about you, bien-aimée, or your papa's friends, but I know I sure like spending a lot of time with my friends! Even when you grow up that doesn't change. So. As long as your papa is making lots of time for you, and for his work, I don't think it's a bad thing that he spends time with his friends."
She looked up over her shoulder at Hiroto, smile still in place, though...a little flustered, still, and slightly uncomfortable. If he really had been flirting with her--which it did seem to be the case, however frivolously it had been intended--then she wasn't thrilled he would do it while with his daughter.
She didn't judge him for having a daughter, of course.
But. There were just some things you didn't do in front of your children.
Flirting with strangers being one of them.
"Besides, he's spending time with you today. I'm sure time with you is a whole lot more important than anything else. Right, Hiroto?"
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Professor
Professor of Oceanography
With fronds like these? Well, who needs anenomes? |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY 🌸 SG 🌸
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Post by Hiroto Kaimana on Oct 6, 2018 9:54:46 GMT -8
Oh... Miyuna guessed she never really thought of it like that; she liked spending time with friends, too, and she guessed if the tables were flipped and she brought friends on an outing she might ignore Dad to talk to them more too. But.. But weren't parents supposed to pay attention to kids the most? She held her breath, not sure what to think now.
Meanwhile, Hiro's gut was turning. "Of course," he said. That was the right answer, anyway. Parents who didn't feel an effortlessly fierce bond with their children were monsters, right? Just doing one's best to provide for the tiny human that suddenly existed and relied on them wasn't nearly good enough. Of course, it would also be petty to point out that he never threw a fit like this when Miyuna clearly favored her grandmothers over him, and fighting with a not-quite-8-year-old would be ridiculous.
"I'm sorry I made you feel like that, starfish. I thought you were content playing with the Pokemon, so I was just letting you enjoy yourself. I wasn't trying to ignore you."
"Oh.." She shifted her weight a bit, but then decided, "Okay then. But you should take me out for ice cream after this to make it up to me~"
Hiro squinted at her a moment, but then shook his head and weakly laughed. "Sure thing, Miyuna." Turning back toward but not quite all the way to Lucie, he muttered, "Sorry about.. all this."
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