[FIN] Spare a Second Glance

[Akira Midoriyama]

It was getting late in the evening, but Akira was already on his way to work. Though he didn't start for about half an hour, once in a while he got side-tracked on his way or there was some delay and his boss deducted his pay for every minute he was late. He couldn't afford to be late; his living ate up most of his meager minimum wage salary as it was.

How did commoners live like this? It was something he often ended up asking himself. How could they have hope for a better life or job when they were stuck in a situation like this? If he'd been born a commoner, he knew he likely wouldn't have been able to afford an education past high school at this rate of living.

Looking around the lesser area of the city, Akira wondered for the hundredth time if the information broker he'd bought this identity from had intentionally chosen a living situation that had the highest contratst to the young man's previous lifestyle. The guy had made it sound as though it was his connections who had put together everything and it would have made sense that the cheapest living conditions and most difficult, poorly-paying job would have been the easiest to aquire. And hadn't Akira wanted something completely different from what he'd been used to?

But having been thrown head-first into this new, unfamiliar place among people he had no idea how to interact with...it was more than a little intimidating for the runaway rich kid. And for the millionth time since he'd left home, he wondered exactly what he'd gotten himself into.  

[BlackPidgeot]

After coming back from a less than pleasant trip in Kanto, Yuri had needed some time to unwind. For once he sought out his best friend and spent some time talking over a beer. As much as a pain as Flynn could be, it was nice having him around again. There was no other that he could relate with as well as the blonde captain.

Now he was heading home, Repede following along at his side as per usual. Mellowed and feeling pretty good thanks to the alcohol, he was ready to settle down for the night before seeking out some work in the morning.

However, a distinctive wuff from the Growlithe next to him got Yuri's attention as he walked along. He paused and followed the Pokemon's gaze to another pedestrian, one that looked pretty familiar. One of Sera's friends or something, right? Huh.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

At the sight of the figure and the Growlithe coming his way, Akira paused, wondering if he was going to be mugged. "H-hello?" he called, furrowing his brows uncertainly. "Who's there? I don't have any money if that's what you want."

As the person drew closer, however, he realized that they were actually quite distinctive and, more than that, familiar. "Oh. You're...Yuri, right?" He bowed apologetically at the waist. "Pardon me. I thought you might have been...well, with your weapon and all..."  

[BlackPidgeot]

Yuri blinked at the first words that came out of the guys mouth.

"Ya know, if you greet everyone like that, you're pretty much asking to get mugged."

He then looked down at the sword dangling from his hand. Oh. Right.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I always carry it with me."

And for the life of him he couldn't remember the other guy's name at the moment.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

"What? Why?" Akira wanted to know. "I really don't have any money. Er...not with me, anyway. Unless credit cards count. Wouldn't that dissuade thieves?"

His gaze fell once again to Yuri's weapon. "Right...why is that? I mean, isn't your pokemon enough?" he asked, gesturing to Repede. Ah...that one. The one that had made him sneeze before. Well at least they were out in open air right now, so as long as he didn't get too close, he'd probably be fine.

"Or...is this part of the city really that dangerous?" Should he have equipped himself with a weapon, too? He wasn't exactly burly like Taiji, and he was pretty sure his roommate had been in a gang at least once before if the line shaved through his brow was any indication.  

[BlackPidgeot]

"Actually, credit cards do count. And you just sound like an easy target."

Yuri heaved an exaggerated sigh at the guy's next question. He really got asked about that a lot. "It's not like that. This is just how I do things. But yeah, this part of town can get pretty rough."

Repede had been more than enough for him, they had always been partners. But Yuri had never been the type that had been interested in training animals to fight for him. But with recent events... things were kinda changing a bit.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

The brunet huffed. Easy target... It probably wouldn't have stung so much if he didn't believe there was some truth to that himself. "I'm relatively new to city life, okay? I apologize. Maybe next time you can educate me on what I should say to potential thieves."

Raising a brow at Yuri's response regarding his sword, he sighed and let it go. Who was he to start questioning other's methods? His own ways of doing certain things were a bit unorthodox.

"So...Yuri," the young man continued, "Are you really familiar with this part of town? Pardon my assumptions, but I had assumed with those fancy clothes of yours that you might have been from some place...better off."  

[BlackPidgeot]

Yuri blinked once in indifference at the rather defensive reply. Although really, he did tend to come off as rather blunt sometimes. Even if things needed to be said. Oh well.

"Yeah, I live around here," he then replied. The man then smirked a little. "Everyone dresses "fancy" where I come from. This is pretty toned down."

Yeah again, not something he hasn't had to deal with before. People in Kodo tended to think that his dress and the fact he carried a sword, to be rather peculiar.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

"Everyone, huh? Even the commoners?" He glanced about to make sure they were both talking about the same neighborhood. "They must be really rich where you're from. I don't suppose you've lived in this sort of place all your life," Akira remarked.

"What made you want to stay here? Because it's cheap and you're trying to be wise with spending? Because you're confident in your ability to defend yourself from low-lifes who may also be found in these areas?"  

[BlackPidgeot]

"Commoners..." he echoed with a displeased ring to his voice. Oh... oh ho. He was one of -those- now was he?

Yuri's expression evened out back into a stern indifference.

"Yeah, I've lived in this sort of place all my life. And if being a low-life means being poor, then I guess that's what I am."  

[Akira Midoriyama]

Brown eyes widened. "I-I mean...the...less financially-privileged. Like myself," he amended, though perhaps a little late. The change of Yuri's expression and its meaning wasn't lost on him. "Poverty-stricken. The poor. What term do people use that doesn't sound offensive?" He wondered hopefully if including oneself in a particular group of people annulled any offense one might have accidentally spoken toward them.

He tugged on the hair at the back of his head, dropping his gaze to the ground guiltily. His head whipped up at Yuri's response, however. "That's not what I meant, honest! I meant the people who attack and rob innocent passerbys just because they can. Thieves and gangs and...well, that sort of crowd. You know." He gestured in empty air, not seeming too sure of what he was talking about anymore. At least not definitively. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound insulting."  

[BlackPidgeot]

Yuri folded his arms across his chest as Akira tried to explain himself. "Right," he said, not entirely convinced of that but he wouldn't make a big deal over it. "How about human beings? We're all people just like you." And he expected to be treated as such too, as well as others that were less fortunate.

"Having more money than someone else doesn't make you better or more entitled," he told Akira with an eerily calm voice.

When he apologized though, Yuri turned and waved his arm dismissively. "Don't worry about it, I've heard worse."  

[Akira Midoriyama]

Akira's lips parted to speak, but his words died in his throat and he sighed instead. "I doubt you're all just like me," he said at last. "Nor the people who made up the society I grew up in. You...you and your friends are much, much more pleasant. Real."

The corner of his mouth twitching upward in a bitter smirk, the brown-haired young man shook his head. "You're preaching to the choir, Yuri-san. I ask that you not judge me before you get to know me and I will do my best to do the same." He bowed his head apologetically.

"The fact is...I gave up everything for this life. Not only does money not make you better than anyone else, it makes you worse - far worse. I've always wanted to be a...for lack of a better term, a 'commoner', but I've been restricted by...certain things that were expected of me precisely because of family wealth and reputation. You don't know how lucky you are." He stuck his hands in his pockets.

"I may just seem like an ordinary person now, but...I lack the life experience that people like you grew up with. I'm sure you've already picked up on this, but to confirm your suspicions, I'm nothing more than a sheltered, spoiled brat who doesn't know his place in this ruthless, real world, cut off from everything I once knew." He cast Yuri a wry grin. "It's exciting, but at the same time...terrifying. I need help to learn how to go about fitting into this lifestyle, so I'd appreciate if you'd be frank with me if I ever do anything out of step."  

[BlackPidgeot]

Yuri stood there and listened to Akira attempt to explain himself, remaining silent until he was finished. The man's expression more or less a blank one. Though he couldn't help but inwardly laugh at how the guy asked not to be judged yet pretty much confirmed what he had already suspected.

Although truth be told, he knew exactly how lucky he was. He wouldn't wish for that kind of lifestyle if his life depended on it. Yuri'd had his fair share of run-ins with the type that Akira was talking about. The shallow, fake nobles from Grande Ile for instance, though not all of them were that bad. Yet this guy seemed to be just as naive and clueless as the ones he did know personally... such as Luke, and Dove. Man, they were just coming out of the woodwork weren't they?

"Fair enough," Yuri said eventually. "Trust me, if you do something stupid, you'll hear about it."

Yeah, being frank was not something he really had a problem with.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

Akira laughed. "Thank you. That's a relief." He paused. "Um...I was wondering. You're friends with Dove, right? May I ask what you think of her?"

This guy didn't seem the talkative sort, but maybe it was just because they were little more than strangers. This Yuri was nothing like the Yuri Akira had seen partying and paling around with that woman called Ray at Sera's birthday party. He really wanted to get to know this fellow more...maybe try to figure out why Sera seemed to find him distasteful.