[FIN] Caught a Chill

[BlackFireKitsune]

Ah, that was a clever idea. "That sounds like a good idea, if it's willing." Which it seemed to be; even better.

And Taavi had finally found his words. Some of them, anyway. "Well," he began in uncertain tones again, for some reason feeling as though he ought to defend Zevran's actions at least a little bit, "he did. But it sounds like it wanted him to? So if it wanted to, then it would be kind of rude to not, yeah?"  

[TawnyAngel]

"Guh. Well.... Yes?" Taavi managed to tear his gaze away from Articuno to look wide-eyed over at Abel. "That's... it's just..." And then he looked back at the Freeze Pokemon. What could he possibly have to say that would interest a creature like that? Well what he had to say didn't matter, what mattered was that he translated what it said.

"Um... um, so this is Strikes the Sky," Taavi indicated the Scizor. "If... if you..." Oh sweet Arceus. "If- if you would be so good as to speak to her she can tell me what you said and I can tell the others."

The Articuno looked down its beak at Taavi for a few moments but then nodded and turned to the Scizor.

As the translation train began Taavi licked his suddenly dry lips and cleared his throat. "Articuno says... it says that it had been in the mountains for some time. It had started to miss humans but it wasn't sure if it wanted to live with another after it - oh, I'm so sorry - after its friend died. But, then it was stuck and the painted human - err, I guess that's Zev - rescued it and so its mind was made up." So it had lived with humans before, in a pokeball? If that was so then its pokeball must have been broken for Zev to catch it, maybe after its friend had died?

Zevran listened to Taavi's slightly disjointed translation with a thoughtful expression, nodding at appropriate intervals. "I see, well that explains some of the tale." Not all of it but it was a fair amount for a creature they had just met to share with them.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

As Taavi began translating, Abel listened carefully and curiously to the story, nodding periodically. A pang of sympathy shot through him though, and that manifested in his voice. "I'm sorry you lost your friend." Was its friend a human then? It sounded like it, at any rate. So how did its friend die and why and what happened...? He wasn't sure he wanted to push his luck with that though, so he refrained from asking for more details.

"Well, I may be biased but I think you picked a good person to live with," Abel went on with a brief smile towards Zevran. 'Painted human' was an interesting phrase, but not at all inaccurate. "It's really lucky that you found it and could free it up there."  

[TawnyAngel]

The Articuno cooed softly and bobbed its head to the sympathies and fluffed its feathers again, this time it caused a very fine flurry of snow.

"Um, Articuno says thank you," Taavi passed on once Sky had spoken to him in turn. "And yeah that was really lucky, the mountains are um... big." The mountains are big. Articuno was going to think he was really, really stupid. Argh!

Zevran shot Abel a smirky grin. "I like that you are biased." He then looked at the Articuno again and the small flurry of snow drifting towards the ground. "You must be great at summer picnics. But," he waved a hand, "regardless I am glad that I was able to help." It might have been trapped there for some time if he hadn't happened by. "Oh and I should introduce us all properly should I not? I am Zevran - though I must say I quite like being called 'painted human' - and these are my friends Abel, and Taavi. This is Abel's apartment, Taavi is staying here too but I live elsewhere." At least the icy bird wouldn't mind the cold, though he might ask it to stay in a different room so that it didn't bring the temperature down any lower than it already was.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abel countered Zevran's smirky grin with his own. "I can't help but be biased!" And even if he could, he had absolutely no desire to. Why would he?

"Oh that reminds me," he began after the introductions, turning toward the Articuno with his hands spread out palm-up, "in a couple days Taavi and I are going on a trip and we won't be back for two weeks, but you're more than welcome to perch out on the fire escape here whenever you want to, or on top of this building if you feel like it. It's probably a lot more comfortable outside than in here where it's cramped. You're welcome in here too, of course, I just don't know how comfortable it is for you." Which was entirely true; while it did fit, it was a giant ice bird. A giant ice bird that was making it snow - and rather chilly - in the middle of his living room.  

[TawnyAngel]

...The Articuno was invited to stay here when they were gone? Zevran tried not to feel put out about that but his amber eyes did flicker to Abel for a moment with mildly wounded confusion.

For its part the Articuno looked thoughtful for a few moments and then nodded graciously with another series of coos.

"Oh, wow, that's cool! Ahaha, literally!" Taavi said with a shy grin to Articuno once Sky had finished speaking. Turning to the other humans he said; "Um, Articuno says it is a bit cramped in here. Where it used to live there was a small ice rink belonging to its friend, they used to spend a lot of time there together. And Articuno says it would like to go outside now so I'll um, I'll just-" Taavi gestured helplessly to the window and then crossed the room to open it.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Oh, good, it wanted to go outside. While it was kind of really freaking awesome to have an Articuno of all things in his apartment... there was an Articuno of all things in his apartment. He wasn't entirely sure, but he had the sneaking suspicion that management wouldn't particularly care for such a snowy pokemon to stick around inside. "Alright. Thanks Taavi."

Shifting his focus to Zev, the taller blond took a couple steps to close the distance so he could slip an arm around his friend's shoulders, adopting a softer, warm smile as he did so. "I also wanted to ask you if you'd mind terribly staying here while we're gone, maybe? I'm not bringing all of my pokemon with me and I don't know if Taavi is either, since we both kind of have a lot, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd stay to watch them and the apartment while we're gone." He paused a moment to press a kiss to the top of Zev's head. "You're of course free to use whatever in the apartment - kitchen, shower, laundry units, whatever - and I'm flexible in whatever method of payment you'd like in exchange for keeping an eye on everything."  

[TawnyAngel]

The Articuno bobbed its head once more at Abel and Zev, then once at Taavi, and hopped out of the window to perch on the fire escape.

Oh! Well then. Zevran slipped an arm around Abel's waist and looked up at him with a bright smile. "Of course, I would be happy to do so!" He had been dreading two weeks of sleeping in the warehouse every single night but he hadn't realised quite how much until the threat of it was removed. "And I require no payment, although...." Zevran started to smirk again, stepped around in front of Abel and slipped his other arm around his waist too. "If you wanted to demonstrate your gratitude I would of course never dream of preventing you from doing so, flexibly or otherwise."

After a few moments Taavi finally shook himself out of his reverie and closed the window behind Articuno, though not before telling it to just tap gently if it wanted to come back in.

With the window shut again Taavi turned away, walked to the couch, and sat down heavily. After staring into space for a few moments he twisted around to stare out at the perched Legendary instead. Articuno. Articuno just... just perched there, preening itself.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

When Zev agreed, Abel relaxed a fraction and his smile brightened. He hadn't even realized he'd been worried his friend would say no, but he was relieved to know he'd be somewhere safe and warm -- and that the apartment and all the pokemon in it would be fine too, of course. His smile dropped into a rather salacious smirk as he wrapped his arms around Zevran's waist and rested his forehead on his. "Oh, I'd definitely want to demonstrate my gratitude when I get back. Hmm, I think I already know a couple different ways already," he added before his face dipped down to steal a kiss from the shorter blond.  

[TawnyAngel]

Still somewhat chilled from his walk Zevran was glad to press closer to Abel and to lean into the kiss. When their lips parted again he chuckled and gave Abel a squeeze. "Was that a preview? If so I am eager for the main event."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Only a very small preview I'm afraid," he replied with a chuckle, tightening his grip on the shorter blond as he leaned closer. It had gotten a little chillier in the room because of the Articuno, after all, and they needed to stay warm.... That was his excuse and he intended to stick to it. "Alas, you'll have to wait until I get back for the main event," Abel murmured, a smirk curving his lips as he leaned so close their noses nearly touched, "so you'll just have to look forward to it. I'll make sure it's worth the wait though."

Isaac hopped up onto the couch beside Taavi and hopped his forepaws onto the back, peering out at the Articuno too.  

[TawnyAngel]

Two weeks. He didn't really like the idea of Abel being away for two weeks, which was quite silly. Certainly he enjoyed his company a lot... well in fact he had already realised he was at his happiest when they were together but they were true friends so was that so strange? That was what it was then, nobody liked to be parted from their friends.

At that point Taavi cried out in shock and scrambled off the couch towards the window.

Zevran's happy if slightly confused bubble burst and he spun around, reaching instinctively to his hip for a weapon that wasn't there. A moment later however he froze, stared, and then gave a delighted little laugh as he laid eyes on a familiar avian that was now awkwardly sharing the fire escape with the Articuno.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abel was quite enjoying being so close to Zevran, holding him in his arms and gazing into those handsome amber eyes--

Isaac cried out as well and rather than move, the gem on his forehead glowed immediately as he used his psychic powers to force the window open.

The abrupt cries startled Abel out of his peaceful reverie, but confusion only took hold for a moment. "Oh s**t!" With such eloquence uttered his arms fell away from Zev as he quickly jogged the few paces over to the window -- after Taavi, of course. He was back, ohh thank Arceus he was back, and what perfect timing!  

[TawnyAngel]

The moment the window was half way open Valour dived inside and collided with Taavi, knocking him to the floor with a heavy thud.

Taavi didn't seem bothered by being knocked over in fact it was entirely possible that he hadn't really noticed anything except the Braviary he had flung his arms around.

Valour mantled his wings protectively around Taavi and stared wide-eyed around the room, his beak gaped open partially out of stress and partially to get more air into his lungs after an exhausting flight.

"Well... Today has certainly been full of surprise," Zevran said after some moments, a slow grin starting to spread across his face. "Welcome back Valour, it is good to see you."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

The grin that had formed on his face softened into a warm, happy smile as Abel took a step back to avoid getting knocked over too. While he definitely wanted to give the bird pokemon a hug, he figured it would be best to give both he and Taavi a few minutes first, so with that thought in mind Abel returned to slip an arm around Zevran's waist, his gaze still on the pair on the floor. "Yeah, it has. All good surprises, I think. Welcome back Valour." Ohh he was so glad... Taavi had struggled so much with Valour's absence, but now he was back. Maybe they really were all due good luck after all the things they'd suffered through for so long?