Break the Ice for the 50 First Dates

[punchvolcanoes]

Who: Mostly guys, but girls are welcome too
What: Open Office Log that is really an Open Date Log
When: Jan 5th-Feb 10th
Where: ANYWHERE YOU WANT. FOR A DATE.
Warnings: M for Mostly men. And probably usage of the nose-blood icon. Also protective brothers, collect the entire set!

Sasha had never really dated. Being a 18 year old girl who hadn't really

Comments

Jan. 8, afternoon

[notsilvertongue]

Lyra had come to the conclusion that she must have been under some kind of gypsy curse. That was the only possible explanation for her ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE luck in the dating world. Her first date? One of her Rocket archenemies. Her second? Apparently... a Charizard?

She was quite sure that coupon had shown up under her door as a mistake. Sasha had probably confused the boy dorms with the girl dorms somehow. With the coupon in hand and Janus waddling along behind her, she headed down to Sasha's dorm, determined to sort this out. She knocked at the door, calling out. "Sasha, are you here?"

Re: Jan. 8, afternoon

[punchvolcanoes]

Maybe fate as just setting you up for your lucky third Lyra. Or maybe you'd end up just dating Giovanni.

Dates during the afternoon were different and not something she had been expected. Tossing the book she had been reading for things to say to men, what to expect (apparently a lot of undressing and walking without shirts...she could respect that) and dating tips. The centerfold wasn't too bad either.

The voice sounded like someone she knew but she couldn't make it out, unlocking the door and peeking only to see Lyra standing there. She hadn't talked to her since the hospital visits and so her gaze quickly moved away for a few seconds in panic before she was able to look at her again.

"Lyra...uh...need something?"

Re: Jan. 8, afternoon

[notsilvertongue]

"Um... I think maybe there's been some kind of mix-up." Lyra held the coupon out toward Sasha. "I'm here because you asked me out on a date."

Which sounded pretty silly when it was said out loud, didn't it? It seemed like Pokemon dating people was a perfectly ordinary thing in FDC, but Lyra was still trying to shift her lifelong beliefs around -- she didn't want to seem close-minded or anything, but somewhere in the back of her head, there was still the lingering idea that it was kind of like somebody asking their neighbour's African Grey to join them for a candlelit dinner and drinks.

Well, that, and Sasha was an 18 year old woman.

One who probably didn't like Lyra that much anymore, considering how upset she'd been over... the... the thing that had happened. Lyra certainly hadn't forgot about it, either. Even if Sasha had been a cute boy, Lyra would have had some reservations about agreeing to any romantic excursions. Judging by Sasha's uncomfortable initial reaction to Lyra showing up, she probably wasn't exactly swooning,

Re: Jan. 8, afternoon

[punchvolcanoes]

"O-oh you got one too?" Wait no she should have said that out loud, that was really impolite, she could almost feel Kojiro glancing down harshly on her. Second faux-pas of the day. She quickly sighed and held out a hand. "I-I'm sorry I just don't remember giving you o-" Wait does that mean someone had been passing out notes with her name on it. Oh no. Oh no that was just cruel and not nice and aergathryj suddenly she turned bright red.

"Uh...well Koko's always told me that it would be impolite not to honor contracts so if you want...we could go somewhere?" Like a reversal date maybe... "I don't know much about the place yet, but I got a few pointers since the past few days."

Re: Jan. 8, afternoon

[notsilvertongue]

Just like she'd thought. It had been a mix-up. Now there was the awkward situation where it'd be rude to say no, but it was probably still just a little too soon for the two of them to be getting friendly.

...If Lyra could forgive Vinnie, then she could forgive Sasha too. She might not have spent as much time with Sasha as she had with the Venusaur, and Sasha might have been the one to incite that whole... incident... but she was still a Pokemon. Maybe Lyra ought to give it a chance? "Sorry, Sasha, one second."

She turned around to look at Janus. "What do you think?" She whispered. Janus looked confused. "About this! The whole situation seems a little funny, don't you think?" Janus shrugged. "I mean... date coupons? She obviously didn't mean to give me one, so how'd... I mean... unless... maybe she meant to give it to you?"

"Urf," went Janus.

"Oh. Yeah. I guess she wouldn't be human right now if that was the case. So... what should we do?"Janus paused, looking deep in thought. "Urf," he said

Re: Jan. 8, afternoon

[punchvolcanoes]

Her mood instantly brightened. "Okay gimme a minute!" She quickly slammed the door, threw her break homework (most of it in a half-done state due to the classes she had missed) under her bed and reappeared a few minutes later with a key to lock her door, a small wallet to keep what little pocket change she had, and a clean pair of pants for the evening.

Granted her current repertoire of locations was very limited, but she knew there was at least ONE large mall if they took the bus there. Yett after seeing Janus there (hello slow, timid awkward wave), she realized buses wouldn't be needed. They could fly.

Plus it was cheaper.

Wait, maybe she should ask Lyra first.

"Does the Mall sound good?"

Re: Jan. 8, afternoon

[notsilvertongue]

"Definitely!" Maybe it was a little stereotypical-shallow-girl of her, but Lyra happened to love shopping just as much as the next girl. Running wild in Goldenrod's department store had been an amazing time for her: growing up in tiny little New Bark Town, which didn't even have a Pokemart, she'd never had the chance to see so many things being sold in one place. And FDC's malls... they were nothing to sneeze at, either! TMs, vitamin supplements, potions, Pokedolls, all kinds of pokeballs...

Oh and also clothes and shoes and stuff. Those were pretty good too.

It was a good choice: one could almost feel some of the lingering awkwardness starting to evaporate. Lyra took Janus by the hand and gave Sasha a sunny smile. "Definitely! Let's get going!"

Re: Jan. 8, afternoon

[punchvolcanoes]

"Let's go to the roof!" she exclaimed, Lyra's melting awkwardness affecting her own joy-de-vivre and suddenly Sasha didn't think this would be a bad 'date' at all! Heck, maybe she should just call it a trip.

"We can get better air currents there. The Mall sticks out in the middle of town and is pretty easy to spot!"

Re: Jan. 8, afternoon

[notsilvertongue]

Flying! Of course! That was way more exciting than walking everywhere, and getting there faster meant less time out in the cold - good news for Janus. The cold really didn't agree with him.

Oh... speaking of that! By the time they reached the roof, Lyra dug into her trusty trainer bag, pulling out a scarf. She motioned for Janus to lower his head, and wrapped it around his broad neck as best he could. "Haha... this is actually my scarf. Looks a bit silly, doesn't it? It's really hard to find stuff big enough for my team, now that they're all evolved. I bet you guys have the same problem, right?" Two-thirds of Red's team was, after all, pretty huge. She finished by taking off her hat and sticking it on Janus' head. As poofy as it was, it... really only covered his antennae and head-spike.

"Maybe it's not a big deal for fire-types, though. My Magcargo's always warm. ...But my Magcargo is made of lava, so maybe that's an exception. There used to be rumours that you guys lived on Mt. Silver, and I've heard that place is always freezing

Re: Jan. 8, afternoon

[punchvolcanoes]

"Yeah we did for a while," she had to laugh at the memories because Red wasn't exactly the most...well, perhaps she had to explain it. "Red's a wanderer by choice. He also..." How could she put it lightly. "Well when he sets his mind on something, he sets his mind on something. When he wants to climb a mountain...he...doesn't bother getting a coat." A pause. "He's just that amazing! Bearing the cold, barely complaining. We were glad to find a cave, mind you, but it took a while for us to settle in. Sonny? He snores. But he makes a great barrier against the cold. Combined with the fire on my tail, no scarves needed." Mostly. She was talking a lot since pretty soon Lyra would have no idea what she was saying.

"Basically, we did with what we had and survived because we're an amazing team. We did have a bit of help too, but I learned so much."

Re: Jan. 8, afternoon

[notsilvertongue]

Living up on a freezing mountaintop without even a coat? Lyra instantly filed that away as another Team Rocket Kid accomplishment to match. She remembered sliding her way through the Ice Path, a Croconaw huddling against the back of her legs for warmth. And she especially remembered all the bats. But that had been a far shorter trip than a vacation on Mt. Silver, and there were no blizzards to worry about inside a cave. Could a normal person really survive those kinds of conditions? What about her Pokemon? Janus and Xatu hated the cold, and the ones that had survived in the wild definitely hadn't lived on a freezing, barren mountain.

...Just another reason, then, that the Team Rocket Kid was so far above other trainers. Thinking about it made her feel... small and strangely uncomfortable. "You guys are pretty tough, huh?" She lifted herself onto Janus' back, patting between his shoulders. "Just a quick flight to the mall, Janus. No problem, right

Re: Jan. 8, afternoon

[punchvolcanoes]

"Take it easy? " she said with a grin, "you've just challenged a Charizard!" "I could be half dead and wouldn't back off." she raised her arms in the sky and gave out a wing and arm few stretches.

"You think the both of you are really up for it?"

Re: Jan. 8, afternoon

[notsilvertongue]

Lyra exchanged a look with Janus.

"Well... alright. We don't believe in holding back, though, okay?" She wrapped her arms around Janus' neck, pressing herself down flat. "On the count of three! One... two... three!"

Janus sprang off the rooftop, wings working furiously.

Re: Jan. 8, afternoon

[punchvolcanoes]

It didn't take too long for Sasha to come behind him, practically leaping into the air as she transformed and adjusting her wing flaps to the suddenly changing wind currents. Maybe she shouldn't try to pull that stunt during a race.

"CHAAAR!" she warned them. Janus probably understood that as "Chaaaaarge!"

Yeah it was pretty close when you thought about it. Blame the language.

Re: Jan. 8, afternoon

[notsilvertongue]

Well, Lyra was pretty impressed by that takeoff, for what it was worth. Compliments would have to wait, though. Even if it was just a friendly game, she also saw this as a chance to test the waters, so to speak -- her first chance to put one her Pokemon's skills to the test against one of the Team Rocket Kid's.

"Come on, Janus, let's show her how Johto Pokemon do it!" Janus put on some altitude, scattering a passing flock of Taillow. It just seemed like a trip to the mall, nothing to really get that excited over... but if Lyra said hurry, then he'd hurry, all right.

Re: Jan. 8, afternoon

[punchvolcanoes]

She adjusted her movements accordingly, trying to conserve as much energy for biggest burst that would be needed near the end. Thankfully the wind was helping her out today, as she gave a few more powerful flaps and reached near Janus' side.

Still, Lyra had wanted a challenge and by Arceus, Sasha was going to give her all and make it the biggest one she could manage. Janus was a pretty fast Pokemon, and Sasha's strength was in her power, not her speed.