RP Log - Rest
Who: Pidgeyman Falkner, Bugsy
When: BACKDATED - Saturday, September 23, afternoon
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: On his journey, Bugsy meets Falkner in Violet City. The two gym leaders talk about what Bugsy will be doing, and learn a little bit about each other in the process.
Notes: References to the Pokémon manga...
The forest outside of Violet City was really dense. Bugsy sighed, eyeing the map in his hand. He had not been to Violet City in a long time, not that it mattered. But Violet City was on the outskirts of the Johto border, so Bugsy needed to pass it. He had only been traveling for a few days, and he was already beginning to have doubts about this journey. What if the gym was not protected enough? What if someone in Azalea Town needed him?
What if this was the completely wrong thing to do?
Though Bugsy had never left the Johto region before. Maybe this would help him get more experience and learn new things that would help his being a gym leader. Augh! He was so nervous! What a stupid thing to do… travel alone…
Today was a lovely day. Perfect to relax, and let the Pokémon out for a breath of fresh air. Pidgeot was flying wide circles high up, along with Hoothoot flying lower to the ground. The little Pidgey that Falkner had found was hopping through the grass, pecking at the sand patches and occasionally returning to Falkner's side, nibbling at the hem of his robe. He smiled, and ran a hand over its back.
Hopefully, there would be not quite so many little children coming to his gym. He wasn't really intent on battling today. A kettle of tea, a nice book, and happy and fed Pokémon was on his agenda. Nothing extreme.
He picked up the Pidgey, petting its head as he watched Pidgeot and Hoothoot fly around happily, swooping up and down and around. Perhaps he'd let them wander out all day today. Yes, that's what he'd do. They always came back; they were good Pokémon.
Well, maybe a quiet day would happen some other time. Looking up from his map, Bugsy saw a familiar gym leader in blue. What would Falkner be doing out here? Maybe he was not really having any luck with gym battles either. Not that it mattered. Never being one to be rude, Bugsy decided to approach the other. Saying hi would not hurt anything, would it? After all, they were fellow gym leaders…
“Good afternoon,” he said, approaching the other. It was actually quite comforting to see a familiar face.
Falkner turned his gaze from the sky down to the young man approaching him. It was a bit of a surprise; weren't gym leaders supposed to be ... you know ... in, or around their gyms? Or at least their towns?
"Good afternoon," he echoed, nodding in his direction. "Shouldn't you be in Azalea Town?" he asked him, putting the little Pidgey back on the ground. Familiar face Bugsy may be, but that didn't mean they were beyond formal greetings and idle questions.
Hm. What a question to ask. Bugsy frowned… That just made him feel more like he was doing something wrong, by not being in his town. He took a deep breath, folding up his map. “I… Have decided to take a leave of absence…”
Falkner didn't mean to make him feel unwelcome, but perhaps that's the way Bugsy took it. So much for social skills.
"Have you a destination in mind?" he asked, eyebrows raising in question, softening his expression. He was genuinely curious to know; it wasn't like gym leaders to leave on a whim. At least not any gym leaders he'd ever heard of.
“Not… really,” replied Bugsy, rubbing the side of his neck. He had just up and decided to leave, actually, which probably was not the best thing. But he had been feeling restless. “I just wanted to get out of Johto and see what else there is to see.” He felt terribly embarrassed. He sounded very immature.
Telling Bugsy he was a terrible traveler would probably upset him, and it was already bad enough that Falkner didn't have too many friends to begin with. He'd been told time and again to work on his manners; might as well start with someone who wasn't frustrated with him.
"How long d'you plan on being gone?" he asked. He really was wondering if Bugsy made any plans at all about this trip. Besides, there was always the possibility of something happening in Azalea Town (again).
Perhaps Bugsy was just too honest. “To tell you the truth, I’m not really sure.” He sweat dropped. “Probably not long.” There were a lot of things happening in Azalea, but nothing there excited Bugsy anymore. “I want to explore.”
Falkner looked almost disappointed. Not because he wanted Bugsy to leave, but because he thought the young man to be a better planner than that. Perhaps he should have expected it.
"Is the gym closed?" Boy, he was full of questions. He wasn't sure what else to say, poor guy.
“It is for now,” replied Bugsy. “I have some friends looking after it, though. But no badges will be given out until I get back.” Falkner did not look very pleased, at least, not to Bugsy. He lightened the mood as much as he could by smiling. It was a bit forced, but at least it made him feel a bit better. “I don’t think anyone will come by, though! The gym’s been pretty empty.”
"You never know. Sometimes rushes can come at the most inopportune times," he spoke. He tried to appear a little friendlier; if he didn't know better, he'd say that Bugsy was starting to get a little irritated, what with that pressed smile of his. "I hear Kanto is a pretty busy place," he went on, referring to the bustling cities and such. He didn't know if Bugsy would like that sort of thing; personally, he didn't.
Hearing Falkner say that was not reassuring at all. What if, the moment he left, challengers started flooding to Azalea expecting a badge. This really was a bad idea! “Well, Kanto or somewhere else, I think it’d always be busy. Maybe that’s what I need right now…”
Falkner shrugged. He didn't know what Bugsy needed or wanted; he was just going by what he was told and his own experiences.
"If it works," he spoke, leaving the sentence for its obvious interpretation. "Are you walking there?"
Bugsy nodded, eyes filling with just a bit of determination at this point. He had come this far, right? “I’ll do whatever it takes… Walking, riding Pokémon, or getting a ride by some other means.” Here he was, talking so big. And he did not even know where he was going.
Determined little guy, hm? Falkner gave an amused chuckle. "You do that."
Though, that did sound a bit rude. Perhaps he should follow that up with something that would lessen any sting it might have had, or to emphasize that he wasn't being rude on purpose.
"... If you run into any problems, you can come here," he added.
“…”
Bugsy’s eyes widened a little. Man, he had never heard Falkner say something like that before. Then again, he did not know him very well. But then again, then again, Falkner seemed to be rather anti-social. He felt a small bit of pride swelling in himself, and he smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind…”
He nodded. "Are you in a hurry?" he asked him. Bugsy seemed to have caught him in a good mood; lucky him! He was even feeling hospitable today. "I was going to make tea," he explained.
Another surprise! Bugsy had to remind himself to not let his jaw drop. Maybe he was not that anti-social at all, or he had grown out of it since Bugsy last saw him. “I’d like that very much,” said the other. He would not be stopping again after this until he got to the border. A little rest would do him good. “I was rather tired.” And hungry.
Falkner nodded and stood, bending to pick up the little Pidgey and bring him inside. The other two could stay out; they were trusted to not fly off and get lost.
"I bet," he replied, turning to go inside, an invitation for the other to follow. He still wasn't too social, but he was trying. He was in too good a mood right now to let his arrogance get in the way of things. But things could always change; you just never know.
He nudged off his sandals by the door and set the little Pidgey on the floor, letting it hop around and coo as he padded to the kitchen to prepare aforementioned tea. "... Make yourself comfortable," he said hesitantly. He was afraid of something getting dirty or messed up; he didn't want to clean today!
Bugsy followed, also taking off his shoes before he went inside the dojo. “Thank you,” he said as he looked around. Finally his eyes fell on the small Pidgey. He smiled warmly at it, squatting down to take a closer look. “Is this one new?” he asked. A part of him wanted to reach out and pet it, but that could be dangerous, especially if it was trying to get used to its new trainer.
"I found it a few days ago," he said from the kitchen. "It was weak and undernourished, so I brought it here," he finished as he began spooning the tea leaves into the bag, turning the stove on and setting the kettle of water onto the burner.
The Pidgey hopped up to Bugsy, looking up at him expectantly. Like he was supposed to give it food or something, even though it was not long ago that it was fed! It cooed and flapped its little wings a bit, then settled down again.
Aw, it was cute. Bugsy just continued to smile at it, before standing up again. “I guess you really can be a nice guy, huh?” Hm, maybe that was not the best thing to say. As soon as he did say it, he wished that he hadn’t. “I mean…”
He peered from out of the kitchen. "... What do you mean by that?" he asked, a look in his eye that demanded answers ... or else. What business was it of anyone else's to talk about him when they didn't have the slightest clue?
Sweat drop. Bugsy stood up straight, silently gulping. What a rude thing he said. “I… I didn’t mean it like it sounded! I meant… Well…” How to put it so that Falkner would not get mad. “I… it doesn’t seem like you’d stick your neck out for people.” But Falkner had invited him to come back if he needed help, and took care of the Pidgey. “You just seem like you like to be alone.” Crap.
"I don't," he said, in reference to sticking his neck out for people. "I offer help when I feel it may be needed and is deserved," he told him. His words were tight and almost sounded forced. Like he was trying to maintain his cool composure. "And I like quiet." It really wasn't that hard. Well, perhaps there was more to it than that. But he wasn't going to go into detail about it. He gave Bugsy a suspicious look, and returned to the depths of the kitchen, fiddling with the teapot and gathering the cups and plates for a brisk lunch. He also got out the food bowls for his Pokémon, with some extra ones too in case Bugsy had brought his own with him. They probably wouldn't like the food he had, but it was healthy and therefore he used it.
Eh. Bugsy felt awful. “Sorry,” he muttered before sitting down. He folded his hands in his lap, continuing to look at the little Pidgey with a pout. He should really learn to be more careful about what he said… He was just too curious for his own good, sometimes. Perhaps he could change the subject to something more tasteful.
It was silent for a while, as Falkner continued to mess about in the kitchen. The Pidgey hopped up onto Bugsy's lap and made itself comfortable, settling down and preening its feathers. Falkner passed by the doorway, and glanced at the tiny bird. A smile crossed his face. Not a big one, but one that showed genuine amusement. "He likes you a lot," he mused as he brought out dishes for them to eat and drink off of, setting them on the low table there.
Ah, thank you, Pidgey, Bugsy thought as he pet its head. That seemed to ease the tension between them, and it seemed that Falkner did not mind. “I suppose he does,” replied the bug trainer, eyes softening. As he watched Falkner, his eyes caught something on the floor near the table. A newspaper. While that was not as exciting as other things, at least it would give them something to talk about.
On the front page, the main headline stood out in bold letters. ‘Excavation in Alph Ruins Success.’ Hn. He tilted his head to the side, reading a bit of the article from where he was sitting. Was this new? He wondered where the Alph Ruins were. “Did you read any of this article on the ruins?” he asked, concentrating. For some reason, this was very fascinating to him.
Setting down the knife and bread plate on the table, he shook his head. "I haven't had any time to read it yet," he replied. "Is it good or bad?" He asked him, standing up to return to the kitchen and gather the rest of their meal together.
“I’m not sure,” Bugsy said. He could not see too much of the article from where he was, and he did not want to move and disturb the Pidgey. But there was a picture of a group of excavators and some scientists on the page. That was most likely the group that went there. “It looks… cool…” Being someone who went into pyramids and old ruins… Always exploring… What a neat job!
Falkner came back out with fruits, glanced down at the paper again, and nodded. Noting that the Pidgey had decided to make itself comfortable on the other gym leader's lap, he slid the newspaper closer towards him, putting a plate in its place. A nice gesture, perhaps? "Hopefully it's good news," he said, placing a plate down and some fruit on it in its place.
Bugsy nodded a thank you. “Well, they all look happy… And the title suggests that things have been going well…” Maybe he would have to pick up his own newspaper to read the article later. “So, I’m sure it is…”
Finally, the tea kettle whistled, and Falkner soon took it off the burner and turned the stove off. He brought it out and set it on its own special plate, and poured it out for the two of them. Nice hot herbal tea. Yes. "Good," he replied as he slowly poured out their tea.
Ah, it was nice relaxing. Bugsy felt happy again. When Falkner was done pouring the tea, he took his cup, letting it rest in his hands a bit. Warm… “I think… I’ll go check that place out.”
Falkner settled on the floor, holding his own cup to warm his hands up some. He didn't have much to say about it, so he opted to nod and take a small sip of his tea. Whatever worked, you know? "Eat too," he said.
Oh, oh, right! Bugsy had been too excited about that article, and he forgot about the food. “Thank you!” he said, smiling warmly. It was a nice atmosphere, but Falkner had not said anything about Bugsy’s idea. Perhaps it was foolish. But the more Bugsy thought about it, the more he wanted to go and see what those people were doing out there.
As Bugsy ate his meal, the Pidgey began to sleep. The little guy would have to move sometime.
Maybe it was a foolish idea. Falkner hadn't been to the ruins in a long time. So he didn't know. He watched the little Pidgey tuck its head under its wing and go to sleep, and looked up to Bugsy, then back to the Pidgey. After another sip of his tea, he spoke again. "He's never slept on anyone except me before."
Bugsy continued to smile. “Well, you said it was new, right? Young Pokémon sleep often…”
"Not on visitors." He took the bread knife and sliced a piece off, nibbling on it thoughtfully.
Hm… Bugsy did not know how to reply to that. So he just kept his mouth shut and ate some fruit. After a while, when the food was just about finished, Bugsy rolled his shoulders. “I should probably let you get back to work.” He did not want to wear out his welcome, but he would help with the dishes… If Falkner let him.
He didn't mind Bugsy's company, actually. He wasn't being annoying, and if Pidgey liked him, then perhaps there wasn't a reason to boot him out. "I'm not working today," he told him, finishing off his tea.
“Ah…” Bugsy blinked. “Oh, alright…” Well, what had Falkner been doing earlier? Just standing around? He placed his cup on the table. “In any case, thank you for making this lunch. I enjoyed it very much!”
He'd been relaxing outside, duh! "You're welcome," he told him, standing up to gather the plates. He stacked them neatly and took them to the kitchen, beginning to fill the sink with hot water and soap, letting them soak a bit before he scrubbed them. He didn't know what else to say; he figured Bugsy was gonna dash, and sort of anticipated it.
Ah! Wait. Falkner had gotten up so fast! Bugsy gently nudged the Pidgey awake and moved him onto the couch. He then got up and moved closer to the kitchen. “Can I help with those?” After all, he had made part of the mess, but still, Bugsy was just too polite to let anything like that go.
He turned around, frowning a little. Falkner really thought Bugsy was gonna go. "... Sure," he said, his frown fading. At least the boy was polite. He turned to kneel and get the sponges out from under the sink, and handed a sponge and a drying cloth to Bugsy, soon reaching in to the sink to get started.
Oh, good. Bugsy was quite a bit relieved. Again. He smiled and began to wash the dishes. There were not that many, so they finished quickly together. Falkner’s house seemed so… quiet. Empty. If that was the way he liked it, it was okay, but Bugsy briefly wondered if the other gym leader got lonely.
When they were finally done, Bugsy went to the door to put on his shoes. “I had a really good time,” he said. “I don’t see the other Johto gym leaders often. It was nice to rest.”
Falkner followed him, picking up the sleeping Pidgey and doing his best to not jar him awake. He nodded his thanks to the younger one, a smile appearing again. "Me too. Good luck," he told him. "You can come back any time." He gently pet the little Pidgey along its back as he spoke.
Bugsy nodded. He cooed a good bye at the Pidgey and thanked Falkner again before walking out the door, refreshed and a little more relaxed about his journey. Today, for the most part, things had gone well.
When: BACKDATED - Saturday, September 23, afternoon
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: On his journey, Bugsy meets Falkner in Violet City. The two gym leaders talk about what Bugsy will be doing, and learn a little bit about each other in the process.
Notes: References to the Pokémon manga...
The forest outside of Violet City was really dense. Bugsy sighed, eyeing the map in his hand. He had not been to Violet City in a long time, not that it mattered. But Violet City was on the outskirts of the Johto border, so Bugsy needed to pass it. He had only been traveling for a few days, and he was already beginning to have doubts about this journey. What if the gym was not protected enough? What if someone in Azalea Town needed him?
What if this was the completely wrong thing to do?
Though Bugsy had never left the Johto region before. Maybe this would help him get more experience and learn new things that would help his being a gym leader. Augh! He was so nervous! What a stupid thing to do… travel alone…
Today was a lovely day. Perfect to relax, and let the Pokémon out for a breath of fresh air. Pidgeot was flying wide circles high up, along with Hoothoot flying lower to the ground. The little Pidgey that Falkner had found was hopping through the grass, pecking at the sand patches and occasionally returning to Falkner's side, nibbling at the hem of his robe. He smiled, and ran a hand over its back.
Hopefully, there would be not quite so many little children coming to his gym. He wasn't really intent on battling today. A kettle of tea, a nice book, and happy and fed Pokémon was on his agenda. Nothing extreme.
He picked up the Pidgey, petting its head as he watched Pidgeot and Hoothoot fly around happily, swooping up and down and around. Perhaps he'd let them wander out all day today. Yes, that's what he'd do. They always came back; they were good Pokémon.
Well, maybe a quiet day would happen some other time. Looking up from his map, Bugsy saw a familiar gym leader in blue. What would Falkner be doing out here? Maybe he was not really having any luck with gym battles either. Not that it mattered. Never being one to be rude, Bugsy decided to approach the other. Saying hi would not hurt anything, would it? After all, they were fellow gym leaders…
“Good afternoon,” he said, approaching the other. It was actually quite comforting to see a familiar face.
Falkner turned his gaze from the sky down to the young man approaching him. It was a bit of a surprise; weren't gym leaders supposed to be ... you know ... in, or around their gyms? Or at least their towns?
"Good afternoon," he echoed, nodding in his direction. "Shouldn't you be in Azalea Town?" he asked him, putting the little Pidgey back on the ground. Familiar face Bugsy may be, but that didn't mean they were beyond formal greetings and idle questions.
Hm. What a question to ask. Bugsy frowned… That just made him feel more like he was doing something wrong, by not being in his town. He took a deep breath, folding up his map. “I… Have decided to take a leave of absence…”
Falkner didn't mean to make him feel unwelcome, but perhaps that's the way Bugsy took it. So much for social skills.
"Have you a destination in mind?" he asked, eyebrows raising in question, softening his expression. He was genuinely curious to know; it wasn't like gym leaders to leave on a whim. At least not any gym leaders he'd ever heard of.
“Not… really,” replied Bugsy, rubbing the side of his neck. He had just up and decided to leave, actually, which probably was not the best thing. But he had been feeling restless. “I just wanted to get out of Johto and see what else there is to see.” He felt terribly embarrassed. He sounded very immature.
Telling Bugsy he was a terrible traveler would probably upset him, and it was already bad enough that Falkner didn't have too many friends to begin with. He'd been told time and again to work on his manners; might as well start with someone who wasn't frustrated with him.
"How long d'you plan on being gone?" he asked. He really was wondering if Bugsy made any plans at all about this trip. Besides, there was always the possibility of something happening in Azalea Town (again).
Perhaps Bugsy was just too honest. “To tell you the truth, I’m not really sure.” He sweat dropped. “Probably not long.” There were a lot of things happening in Azalea, but nothing there excited Bugsy anymore. “I want to explore.”
Falkner looked almost disappointed. Not because he wanted Bugsy to leave, but because he thought the young man to be a better planner than that. Perhaps he should have expected it.
"Is the gym closed?" Boy, he was full of questions. He wasn't sure what else to say, poor guy.
“It is for now,” replied Bugsy. “I have some friends looking after it, though. But no badges will be given out until I get back.” Falkner did not look very pleased, at least, not to Bugsy. He lightened the mood as much as he could by smiling. It was a bit forced, but at least it made him feel a bit better. “I don’t think anyone will come by, though! The gym’s been pretty empty.”
"You never know. Sometimes rushes can come at the most inopportune times," he spoke. He tried to appear a little friendlier; if he didn't know better, he'd say that Bugsy was starting to get a little irritated, what with that pressed smile of his. "I hear Kanto is a pretty busy place," he went on, referring to the bustling cities and such. He didn't know if Bugsy would like that sort of thing; personally, he didn't.
Hearing Falkner say that was not reassuring at all. What if, the moment he left, challengers started flooding to Azalea expecting a badge. This really was a bad idea! “Well, Kanto or somewhere else, I think it’d always be busy. Maybe that’s what I need right now…”
Falkner shrugged. He didn't know what Bugsy needed or wanted; he was just going by what he was told and his own experiences.
"If it works," he spoke, leaving the sentence for its obvious interpretation. "Are you walking there?"
Bugsy nodded, eyes filling with just a bit of determination at this point. He had come this far, right? “I’ll do whatever it takes… Walking, riding Pokémon, or getting a ride by some other means.” Here he was, talking so big. And he did not even know where he was going.
Determined little guy, hm? Falkner gave an amused chuckle. "You do that."
Though, that did sound a bit rude. Perhaps he should follow that up with something that would lessen any sting it might have had, or to emphasize that he wasn't being rude on purpose.
"... If you run into any problems, you can come here," he added.
“…”
Bugsy’s eyes widened a little. Man, he had never heard Falkner say something like that before. Then again, he did not know him very well. But then again, then again, Falkner seemed to be rather anti-social. He felt a small bit of pride swelling in himself, and he smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind…”
He nodded. "Are you in a hurry?" he asked him. Bugsy seemed to have caught him in a good mood; lucky him! He was even feeling hospitable today. "I was going to make tea," he explained.
Another surprise! Bugsy had to remind himself to not let his jaw drop. Maybe he was not that anti-social at all, or he had grown out of it since Bugsy last saw him. “I’d like that very much,” said the other. He would not be stopping again after this until he got to the border. A little rest would do him good. “I was rather tired.” And hungry.
Falkner nodded and stood, bending to pick up the little Pidgey and bring him inside. The other two could stay out; they were trusted to not fly off and get lost.
"I bet," he replied, turning to go inside, an invitation for the other to follow. He still wasn't too social, but he was trying. He was in too good a mood right now to let his arrogance get in the way of things. But things could always change; you just never know.
He nudged off his sandals by the door and set the little Pidgey on the floor, letting it hop around and coo as he padded to the kitchen to prepare aforementioned tea. "... Make yourself comfortable," he said hesitantly. He was afraid of something getting dirty or messed up; he didn't want to clean today!
Bugsy followed, also taking off his shoes before he went inside the dojo. “Thank you,” he said as he looked around. Finally his eyes fell on the small Pidgey. He smiled warmly at it, squatting down to take a closer look. “Is this one new?” he asked. A part of him wanted to reach out and pet it, but that could be dangerous, especially if it was trying to get used to its new trainer.
"I found it a few days ago," he said from the kitchen. "It was weak and undernourished, so I brought it here," he finished as he began spooning the tea leaves into the bag, turning the stove on and setting the kettle of water onto the burner.
The Pidgey hopped up to Bugsy, looking up at him expectantly. Like he was supposed to give it food or something, even though it was not long ago that it was fed! It cooed and flapped its little wings a bit, then settled down again.
Aw, it was cute. Bugsy just continued to smile at it, before standing up again. “I guess you really can be a nice guy, huh?” Hm, maybe that was not the best thing to say. As soon as he did say it, he wished that he hadn’t. “I mean…”
He peered from out of the kitchen. "... What do you mean by that?" he asked, a look in his eye that demanded answers ... or else. What business was it of anyone else's to talk about him when they didn't have the slightest clue?
Sweat drop. Bugsy stood up straight, silently gulping. What a rude thing he said. “I… I didn’t mean it like it sounded! I meant… Well…” How to put it so that Falkner would not get mad. “I… it doesn’t seem like you’d stick your neck out for people.” But Falkner had invited him to come back if he needed help, and took care of the Pidgey. “You just seem like you like to be alone.” Crap.
"I don't," he said, in reference to sticking his neck out for people. "I offer help when I feel it may be needed and is deserved," he told him. His words were tight and almost sounded forced. Like he was trying to maintain his cool composure. "And I like quiet." It really wasn't that hard. Well, perhaps there was more to it than that. But he wasn't going to go into detail about it. He gave Bugsy a suspicious look, and returned to the depths of the kitchen, fiddling with the teapot and gathering the cups and plates for a brisk lunch. He also got out the food bowls for his Pokémon, with some extra ones too in case Bugsy had brought his own with him. They probably wouldn't like the food he had, but it was healthy and therefore he used it.
Eh. Bugsy felt awful. “Sorry,” he muttered before sitting down. He folded his hands in his lap, continuing to look at the little Pidgey with a pout. He should really learn to be more careful about what he said… He was just too curious for his own good, sometimes. Perhaps he could change the subject to something more tasteful.
It was silent for a while, as Falkner continued to mess about in the kitchen. The Pidgey hopped up onto Bugsy's lap and made itself comfortable, settling down and preening its feathers. Falkner passed by the doorway, and glanced at the tiny bird. A smile crossed his face. Not a big one, but one that showed genuine amusement. "He likes you a lot," he mused as he brought out dishes for them to eat and drink off of, setting them on the low table there.
Ah, thank you, Pidgey, Bugsy thought as he pet its head. That seemed to ease the tension between them, and it seemed that Falkner did not mind. “I suppose he does,” replied the bug trainer, eyes softening. As he watched Falkner, his eyes caught something on the floor near the table. A newspaper. While that was not as exciting as other things, at least it would give them something to talk about.
On the front page, the main headline stood out in bold letters. ‘Excavation in Alph Ruins Success.’ Hn. He tilted his head to the side, reading a bit of the article from where he was sitting. Was this new? He wondered where the Alph Ruins were. “Did you read any of this article on the ruins?” he asked, concentrating. For some reason, this was very fascinating to him.
Setting down the knife and bread plate on the table, he shook his head. "I haven't had any time to read it yet," he replied. "Is it good or bad?" He asked him, standing up to return to the kitchen and gather the rest of their meal together.
“I’m not sure,” Bugsy said. He could not see too much of the article from where he was, and he did not want to move and disturb the Pidgey. But there was a picture of a group of excavators and some scientists on the page. That was most likely the group that went there. “It looks… cool…” Being someone who went into pyramids and old ruins… Always exploring… What a neat job!
Falkner came back out with fruits, glanced down at the paper again, and nodded. Noting that the Pidgey had decided to make itself comfortable on the other gym leader's lap, he slid the newspaper closer towards him, putting a plate in its place. A nice gesture, perhaps? "Hopefully it's good news," he said, placing a plate down and some fruit on it in its place.
Bugsy nodded a thank you. “Well, they all look happy… And the title suggests that things have been going well…” Maybe he would have to pick up his own newspaper to read the article later. “So, I’m sure it is…”
Finally, the tea kettle whistled, and Falkner soon took it off the burner and turned the stove off. He brought it out and set it on its own special plate, and poured it out for the two of them. Nice hot herbal tea. Yes. "Good," he replied as he slowly poured out their tea.
Ah, it was nice relaxing. Bugsy felt happy again. When Falkner was done pouring the tea, he took his cup, letting it rest in his hands a bit. Warm… “I think… I’ll go check that place out.”
Falkner settled on the floor, holding his own cup to warm his hands up some. He didn't have much to say about it, so he opted to nod and take a small sip of his tea. Whatever worked, you know? "Eat too," he said.
Oh, oh, right! Bugsy had been too excited about that article, and he forgot about the food. “Thank you!” he said, smiling warmly. It was a nice atmosphere, but Falkner had not said anything about Bugsy’s idea. Perhaps it was foolish. But the more Bugsy thought about it, the more he wanted to go and see what those people were doing out there.
As Bugsy ate his meal, the Pidgey began to sleep. The little guy would have to move sometime.
Maybe it was a foolish idea. Falkner hadn't been to the ruins in a long time. So he didn't know. He watched the little Pidgey tuck its head under its wing and go to sleep, and looked up to Bugsy, then back to the Pidgey. After another sip of his tea, he spoke again. "He's never slept on anyone except me before."
Bugsy continued to smile. “Well, you said it was new, right? Young Pokémon sleep often…”
"Not on visitors." He took the bread knife and sliced a piece off, nibbling on it thoughtfully.
Hm… Bugsy did not know how to reply to that. So he just kept his mouth shut and ate some fruit. After a while, when the food was just about finished, Bugsy rolled his shoulders. “I should probably let you get back to work.” He did not want to wear out his welcome, but he would help with the dishes… If Falkner let him.
He didn't mind Bugsy's company, actually. He wasn't being annoying, and if Pidgey liked him, then perhaps there wasn't a reason to boot him out. "I'm not working today," he told him, finishing off his tea.
“Ah…” Bugsy blinked. “Oh, alright…” Well, what had Falkner been doing earlier? Just standing around? He placed his cup on the table. “In any case, thank you for making this lunch. I enjoyed it very much!”
He'd been relaxing outside, duh! "You're welcome," he told him, standing up to gather the plates. He stacked them neatly and took them to the kitchen, beginning to fill the sink with hot water and soap, letting them soak a bit before he scrubbed them. He didn't know what else to say; he figured Bugsy was gonna dash, and sort of anticipated it.
Ah! Wait. Falkner had gotten up so fast! Bugsy gently nudged the Pidgey awake and moved him onto the couch. He then got up and moved closer to the kitchen. “Can I help with those?” After all, he had made part of the mess, but still, Bugsy was just too polite to let anything like that go.
He turned around, frowning a little. Falkner really thought Bugsy was gonna go. "... Sure," he said, his frown fading. At least the boy was polite. He turned to kneel and get the sponges out from under the sink, and handed a sponge and a drying cloth to Bugsy, soon reaching in to the sink to get started.
Oh, good. Bugsy was quite a bit relieved. Again. He smiled and began to wash the dishes. There were not that many, so they finished quickly together. Falkner’s house seemed so… quiet. Empty. If that was the way he liked it, it was okay, but Bugsy briefly wondered if the other gym leader got lonely.
When they were finally done, Bugsy went to the door to put on his shoes. “I had a really good time,” he said. “I don’t see the other Johto gym leaders often. It was nice to rest.”
Falkner followed him, picking up the sleeping Pidgey and doing his best to not jar him awake. He nodded his thanks to the younger one, a smile appearing again. "Me too. Good luck," he told him. "You can come back any time." He gently pet the little Pidgey along its back as he spoke.
Bugsy nodded. He cooed a good bye at the Pidgey and thanked Falkner again before walking out the door, refreshed and a little more relaxed about his journey. Today, for the most part, things had gone well.