[PRP] Out of the Lab, into the Town

[TawnyAngel]

It was hard to find time to do anything other than work recently but he and Lex had made an arrangement and he didn't intent to break it. Besides there was only so much you could work before your efficiency took a nosedive and he was feeling pretty close to a precipice like that just now, an evening getting away from it all would do him and his work the world of good.

As he put in his cufflinks and checked his reflection KO resolved to be sensible, reasonable sensible anyway, in how much he drank; this night off's restorative powers would be undone if he spent tomorrow morning lying in bed with a hangover. Once he was satisfied with his appearance KO fetched out his phone to contact Lex.

//Are you nearly ready? I am. Remind me, are we going to fly or drive?// If they were driving over he'd leave the car somewhere overnight and come back in the morning which was a little inconvenient, but driving did mean his hair wouldn't get messed up!  

[Shaddaling]

KO’s taste in bars was vastly different then his own, so Lex had picked out the most formal bits and pieces of his wardrobe to consider. He settled on a nude tone button down and a pair of black linen trousers and popped a bit of color with blue lapis ear studs and a simple silver chain. A bit of digging and he found his sole pair of men’s dress shoes and slipped them on as his phone rang.

//Nearly, and I guess it matters? I’m good either way but flying going to ruffle everything.// Lex responded. // My flight jacket goes with everything even if the goggles don’t.// and maybe he should add a comb somewhere in there.  

[TawnyAngel]

//Drive? I don't want to ruin my hair either,// KO sent as he headed out of his room and down the hall to the elevator, which he summoned to take him to the right floor. //I'll sign it out overnight and pick it up in the morning,// he added. After a pause he made a thoughtful noise and tapped out another message; //Should teach a pokemon to drive.// He usually hated being a passenger but at the end of a night out? No objections.  

[Shaddaling]

//Do you think a Zoroark could learn to drive?// Lex typed back, musing over the idea. //And meet you there.// Lex paused, considering his jackets and picked a light weight cotton number, putting his wallet into a pocket, keeping his dex on hand.

He gave one last look, making sure his hair was as tame as if ever got, shut the door, and headed towards the garage.  

[TawnyAngel]

//I don't know. Perhaps? How hard is it to drive an automatic? They could even look human.// KO finished off the message and sent it, it didn't really convey all his thoughts but texting while walking was a drag and he'd see Lex soon. Seen as he was first there he signed out a lackluster but anonymous blue hatchback - with a flourish of course - and then sauntered over to lean against it as he waited for his companion to join him.

Fresh air. Alcohol. Bar food, perhaps. Oh yes he was looking forward to tonight! He might even find something pretty to look at, though no more than look as he was out with a friend and ditching him to hook up with a pretty stranger would just be rude.  

[Shaddaling]

//Well, it would matter on how hard it would be to teach them the concepts of numbers and speeds. 'Tron can't pick out individual words out of the few phases of sign language I taught him. So, probably not feasible// Lex typed as he waited for the elevator and stepped out.

"Hey! Ooh, is this okay?" He questioned, catching sight of KO distinctive hair and put a bit of speed in his walk to meet up with him.  

[TawnyAngel]

KO was still considering the text when Lex arrived and asked his question; he looked the other man up and down and gave a small nod of approval with a sharp hint of a smile. "The outfit you mean? Yes that's fine. I was thinking about what you just asked and, really, there's not need for numbers. You just need to teach them to listen to the engine, and though I said an automatic would be easy a stick shift might be better. All they need to know is what position the stick should be in based on the kind of area they're in, and also what the revs should sound like. Though," he shrugged and opened the passenger door for Lex, "I must admit I don't actually know enough about the things to know if it would work in practice. Give me a lab and a set of beakers any day."  

[Shaddaling]

"That actually might work..." Lex trailed off considering, environment was something understandable and 'Tron should be able to pick up the differences in the revs. .."Ooh, thank you," He beamed slightly and slid inside, settling back.

"Direction would be the only hitch, it would have to be pointed out." Lex gave a tiny noise of amusement. "But that could be done half sober."  

[TawnyAngel]

"Oh I didn't mean for tonight!" KO exclaimed with an incredulous laugh as he got into the driver's seat and fastened his seatbelt. "Buckled up?" he glanced over at Lex, starting the engine only once he was satisfied. "For the future it might be nice to have a chauffeur at the end of the night but clutch control is something that takes plenty of practice... Have you ever driven a stick?" When he'd first learned he had stalled the engine so often by bringing the clutch up too quickly, not that he would ever admit that of course.

Up at the top of the exit ramp KO waited for the all clear light before driving forward, out of the hidden entrance, and onto the carefully inconspicious path that would eventually lead them to the main highway into Sandalwood.  

[Shaddaling]

"Not to night," Lex agreed and buckled his seat belt at the reminder. He hummed thinking. "Once or twice? Not at all often." He had tried but Tems had laughed and taken over.

"Rather sure I stalled it and Tems went nope, I'm driving for now on." It was rather long ago. "Soo are you planning to keep one of your modified oddish?"  

[TawnyAngel]

"I'm not surprised," KO smirked, "It's not the sort of thing you can just jump in and do, hence automatics I suppose?" It was a little funny to think that some creatures might find a stick easier rather than choosing one for the finesse and the feel of it. You could never feel as connected to an automatic as you could to a stick, in his opinion anyway and his was the only one he cared about!

"Mmh? No I don't think so," KO continued on the new topic with a shake of his head. "Their only value to me is what they produce, they won't be valuable as battle pokemon. They might even be weaker than average, their leaves will be enlarged so," he shrugged, "well again I suppose I must admit I don't know enough about pokemon to say but I feel as though diverting energy up to bigger leaves might make them less effective in battle? I could be wrong. Either way though I already have plenty of pokemon, and the altered Oddish will serve best in their containers. Why?" He glanced at Lex with a smirk. "Do you want one? I'm sure it could be arranged."  

[Shaddaling]

"I was just wondering if the enlarged leaves would make more of a platform to absorb and shoot of an solar beam. Or if evolved would make a larger flower cap, and such allow for more spores to be produced." He shrugged slightly. "The leaves depending on how enlarged they are, could be a tripping hazard... curiosity mainly." He admitted.

"I think I have enough pokemon at the moment."  

[TawnyAngel]

"Could be," KO shrugged, shifting up a gear as they made it to the highway, "that would be something for field agents to investigate or at least anyone with more interest in that sort of thing than I have. Which is not a lot. it might be worth raising though, we're all about discovery after all, we wouldn't be proper rockets if we didn't use pokemon for as much profit and power as possible." To think that he was actually getting excited about a project that was so... so unglamorous. Oh it was very practical of course, and if it did work it would be most profitable, but a large part of him still wished it had a little more sparkle to the eyes of the layman. Oh well.

"And what about you?" KO glanced over at Lex. "Is life treating you well? Having fun with that ex-ranger of yours?" He was surprised Lex had managed to keep it going for so long, surprised and impressed. Well the longer the better, Lex did seem to be enjoying himself.  

[Shaddaling]

"Life has been okay, and I am having fun with Taavi. Not sure how long it is going to last... he isn't going to forgive me if he finds out." He sighed and shrugged. "Learned a bit of things about myself. Sort of surprise it took so long for me to figure it out." Thirty years.. well, perhaps ten, more likely.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Mmmmh, it doesn't sound like it from what you've said," KO agreed with a slight shrug. "I don't know if there's anything you can do about that, unless you can think of a way to make him more loyal to you than to his," KO made a small noise of amusement, "principles. What's this thing you've learned about yourself though?" He always found it a little amusing when people said they'd 'discovered' themselves or similar; how didn't they know themselves already? He couldn't think of a time when he hadn't know exactly who he was.