[PRP] Change for the Better

[Tymiko]

A young lady in a hoodie sweatshirt dropped off her pokemon at the pokemon center reception desk before taking the time to glance around at the people lingering nearby. She seemed to be searching for a face in particular, but she also knew there were other rooms in the center in which to seek its owner out.

Smiling softly, she adjusted the messenger bag on her shoulder and stuck her hands in the front pocket of her new sweatshirt before taking a stroll through the building. "Nooord..." she called cheerfully, wondering if maybe he was out in the city. "Where aaaaare yoooou..."

Quote:

November 7, 2015 - 10:51pm

 

[Magician Arcana]

Nord wasn't in the city, and was in the building. He was in one of the many rooms that held many beds for the many homeless to sleep many dreams. And right now, he wasn't dreaming, or sleeping, but just being. Which, considering his life up to now, it was very uncomfortable. To not be doing something, to not be occupied by numbers and thoughts, was so completely foreign Nord had unknowningly fallen into a depressive funk.

He lay on his back with Bill sitting square in the middle of his chest, staring at him owlishly. Blink. Blink. Bill thought this was weird for his trainer, who was usually weird, but this time... It took the cake. Nord reached forward and scratched the Eeevee's ear, who chirped in happiness. Well... At least Bill could be made happy by simple things.

Blink. Blink. No job, not much money, in a pair of ill fitting jeans and a cheap shirt (read, normal people clothes and not tailor made you rich brat). It was an odd life. And it was getting odder, because... He sat up, his hands around the eevee's center. He held the eevee but five inches from his face, his eyes burning into the pokemon's with intense concentration.

"Did you just... Did you just call my name?" He was certain he had heard his name softly sung out. Was that Bill? Oh my Arceus. Could he speak to pokemon? No. That would be horrible. Absolutely horrible. "Bill, say something to me."

"Eevee..?" The eevee laid its ears back. Was its trainer broken?

"No, in your other voice!" Then it came again, closer to this time and... Wait a second. He blinked and loosened his grip on the pokemon. Bill launched away and out the door, skirrying down the hall towards the voice. A voice he knew well. Tymiko!

"VEE!" He tackled into the teen trainer, calling out repeatedly its name as it looped around her legs. Nord was left in the room, pokemonless, and rather confused. Why had she... Returned? Hadn't she just left for good? Sick of him as everyone was right to be? A nothing nobody with not even enough money to support a small apartment, let alone help a growing girl? Arceus. Was she coming back to pity him? He held his head in his hands and a million, awful possibilities (including one where he entered into porn dressed as a pokemon) came to mind.

Quote:

11/7/2015

 

[Tymiko]

"Bill! How're you doin' there, precious?" Ty laughed as she reached down to try to catch the little pokemon in an attempt to scoop it up in her arms. "Where's your trainer, hmm? I'm happy to see you, but your name wasn't the one I was calling." Glancing in the direction she had seen the Eevee come from, she retraced his steps back to the room in which Nord lay on a bed.

"Nord...?" she tried again, not sure whether to be amused or concerned. "What's the matter?" His head held in his hands was not a good sign. She sat herself down heavily on the edge of his mattress. "Are you that sorry I'm back?" the girl teased lightly, putting a gentle hand out to touch his arm.  

[Magician Arcana]

"Vee!" Oh, it was so good to have her around again. Enthusiastically, the Eevee bounced circles around her legs. Tymiko was a good sign. Maybe she could figure out why Bill couldn't.

Nord wasn't... entirely on the same page as his cute pokemon. No, he felt confused and Tymiko suddenly being there did nothing to help. He didn't flinch at her touch, which was an achievement. "Ah? Oh... No." Finally, Nord looked at his returned friend.

She's different. Her clothing had changed, and something else. It was still the same adorable girl, "I just woke from a nap, is all. A little bit of a headache." He chuckled, halfheartedly, and shifted on the mattress.

"You look well," His calm countenance was effortless, like sliding on a familiar mask, "I like your clothes."  

[Tymiko]

Tymiko regarded the young man for a silent minute after he had spoken. Her smile faded. "That can't be all. You seem...more deeply troubled. Did I interrupt some train of thought? I'm sorry; I wasn't even sure you were here."

Leaning down, Ty lay atop Nord, her head on his chest and her arms flat against the bed in a kind of limp embrace. "What's wrong, Nord? You can tell me. Can't you?"  

[Magician Arcana]

Lightly he combed his fingers across her hair, fighting the urge to sigh, "You got a haircut, huh? Did you break some guy's heart?" he teased her lightly, knowing that people would get haircuts when they had breakups. It was funny since Nord was fairly certain Tymiko had zero interest in things like that.

Deeply Troubled. Christ. Was he really that much of an open book? He didn't respond immediately and continued to toy with her short wavy hair, "If there was something wrong I would tell you. Really, it was, is, just a headache."

Bill sat beside the bed, watching the duo curiously. Nord was such a bad liar. He didn't get it. Why was his trainer acting like this? Hadn't he missed his friend? Why was he acting so withdrawn. "Vee!" Bill called angrily, tail flicking back and forth, as if to remind Nord that he wasn't fooling anyone.

"You two worry too much about a loser like me, really." He cracked a smile and carefully pushed Ty away from him, "We should get something to eat. I'm hungry."  

[Tymiko]

"Ha, ha. Very funny," the girl said, a smile nearly escaping as the corner of her lips twitched upward. "I don't know what a haircut has to do with breaking a guy's heart, but yes to the former and no to the latter. At least not that I know of. Why, did you get your heart broken? You look like it."

Nestling against her friend, she took comfort in his warmth and hoped to somehow reflect that comfort back on him. "Why do you have a headache, then?" she prompted, enjoying the feel of his hand against her head and his fingers in her hair. Was this why pokemon seemed to appreciate being pet? It was very soothing. It didn't occur to her that the young man would lie to her.

Her eyes and attention were drawn to Bill at his angry cry, surprised. She was about to ask him what was wrong when Nord spoke again. Ty sat up abruptly. "You're not a loser! Why would you say that?" Her brows drew together as she regarded Nord's face, her own clearly depicting her degree of distress.  

[Magician Arcana]

Tymiko's abrupt and rather upset rebuttal shocked him. He rubbed the back of his neck slowly and shrugged, "I was joking." Which wasn't entirely true, but it was the easiest thing to say. Better than admitting he felt... Well anything really. Why am I being so difficult? "But I mean it... You two worry too much."

Standing up, the trainer ruffled the young girls' hair, "C'mon. Let's get some food. I'm really hungry."

Bill was still displeased, more annoyed at how dumb and disingenuous his trainer was being, but he kept silent and flicked his tail instead.  

[Tymiko]

"Many a true word is spoken in jest," Ty recited dubiously. "Fine, we can get some food. But we're going to have to have a proper talk about this over lunch. Ew, I sound like a parent. Now look what you made me do!"

Making a disgruntled sound as he ruffled her hair, Ty picked up Bill and lead the way out of the room. "Has he been like this for long?" she asked the Eevee. To Nord, she asked, "What do you feel like having?"  

[Magician Arcana]

He decided it was better to ignore both comments, and instead grabbed his wallet and his jacket, slipping it on. He noticed how Bill seemed happy in Tymiko's hold and felt a pang of jealousy. Well, that's to be expected. He kept a straight face and walked out of the sleeping area, motioning for the teen to follow.

"I'm thinking burgers or a diner, something simple." He didn't want to blow a ton of money on food at the moment, "Sound good to you?"

Bill WAS happy to be in Ty's arms, and snuggled into her affectionately, "Eeevee." He solemnly intoned, confirming that his trainer had been like this for some time.  

[Tymiko]

"A diner sounds good. Let's try something healthier, though," she suggested. "I'm paying." Stroking Bill's ears back and scratching the top of his head softly, the young lady continued to study Nord as best she could while they walked.

"So, what have you been up to while I was away? Still picking up trash? Training with Bill? It really is easy to make more money if you battle and I bet Bill would enjoy it, too. It'd keep you both active and you might find it fun yourself." Ty held up a finger pointedly and poked Nord's shoulder with it.

"Plus, the more you two train, the stronger you'll get. The stronger you get, the more pokemon you can capture. The more you capture, the bigger your team will get and the more powerful you'll all become. And the more powerful you are, the more battles you'll win and the more money you'll get. That doesn't sound like such a bad way to make a living, does it?" She tilted her head at him.