victory_road | [005:] Ecruteak Inn

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[005:] Ecruteak Inn

Action: Outside the Inn

[As had become the norm, Angel had settled herself outside, seated on a bench while her Pokemon ran about. Today, Floette was facing off against Mari, while Bailey squared off with Skagbait. Each of them exchanged blows, though not particularly aggressively. Occasionally, Adorababy, who watched the fighting pairs, would reach out, adjusting the Floette's positioning. Skagbait, on the other hand, would nudge Bailey into a better stance. As far as she was concerned, it seemed that, despite Angel's own cluelessness, her Pokemon were picking up on the complexities of battle.]

[Settled behind her was her Furret, wrapped around the girl and resting his head on her lap. She scritched at the top of his head every now and again, which he responded with a loud dook or three. All in all, she was firmly enjoying her chilly afternoons. Especially if, depending on the day, she'll have ice cream in hand.]

Video/Action, Route 38

[While Angel might have called herself weak, her Pokemon thought otherwise. As she stood in the woods, with Mari facing off against a lone Hoothoot, there was an unmistakable air of confidence about her. She issued commands calmly and quickly, and while it helped that Mari was drastically over-levelled for the area, Angel's relaxed nature was certainly helping.]

[Once the Hoothoot had been dispatched, Angel turned around, then huffed at Pokemon filming her. The Pokemon let out something like a laugh, dancing backward as the girl swiped at her. It didn't take long for either of them to collapse into the ground, sounds of mirth erupting from the two of them.]

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... I thought people only eat that during the warmer months.

[Hey, Angel. It's your kinda-mom, staring with a raised eyebrow at the ice cream in your hand. It's not one of Athena's judgy looks, of course not, she's just... almost curious.]

Does the cold not bother you?

[Athena may well have been her mother, considering the fact that the girl shrank down like a scolded child. She glanced away rather sheepishly, studying a tree rather than taking in what she assumed would be a stern look.]

I feel the cold, if that's what you're asking. [She pantomimed a shiver, which, to her chagrin, manifested into a real one.] It probably isn't good for me but... I rather enjoy it. It's nice to just... feel, you know? Even if it isn't always the best sensation.

Her eyes drifted back to Athena, and she offered the woman a smile.]

Besides, it tastes really good, and I've never had it before. Imagine waiting until the summer months to try something this good. I... I don't think the weather should get in the way of enjoyment!

[... It's almost amusing, that Angel looks a little guilty over this. Not because of what she's doing, oh no, but it's just... coming from a world like Pandora, where even good people are capable of doing some pretty bad (or at least questionable) things... it's a little funny that someone would get nervous over food like that.]

You're simply enjoying something you were never able to indulge in back home. I suppose I can understand that. [She... won't touch on why. Of course not. She'll just take a seat next to Angel, watching her out of the corner of her eye. She saw the way the girl shivered...] Having an overabundance of foods that would be considered the highest luxury on Pandora will likely make one a bit... impulsive.

[But she totally wasn't like that when she first arrived. Nope. Not at all.]

[Angel paused, a frown threatening to spread over her lips. While her upbringing was hardly worth admiring, when it came down to it, Angel could have had any of those luxurious foods if she so much as asked. They wouldn't have been enjoyable, all things considered, but the option was there. Jack had been inclined to spoiling Angel, and while she hadn't been receptive to those methods in the past few years, it didn't change the fact that she'd had a more privileged upbringing than those on Pandora might have had.]

[She let out a sigh, and winced at the growing tightness in her chest. She'd done well, not feeling guilty over her past affiliations. Most of the time, she could convince herself that she was merely a victim of circumstance. Not now.]

It's just... nice to have an appetite again. To be able to taste things beyond eridium.

[Athena still isn't exactly the best when it comes to human interaction, but after her years with Janey and her time in Johto with her new companions, she's gotten... better at some things. like recognizing awkward silences, at the very least, even if she can't pick out the cause.

Well.... shit. She's not sure how to deal with that.]

I'm certainly not going to stop you from enjoying yourself. Indulge all you want.

[Feels almost weird to be able to say that... and yet. Not weird in a bad way.]

[Well, that was enough of a distraction from her troubled thoughts. Though she may not have needed Athena's permission, considering the role that the woman had taken on in Angel's life, it was more than welcome. In fact, it had the girl practically beaming.]

Would you like some? The place isn't far from here -- we could walk there, maybe even jog if you'd like. [She paused.] They have coffee type flavors, you know. I think you'd like them!

... Coffee flavored. Wouldn't coffee-flavored ice cream defeat the point of coffee?

[??? Coffee is supposed to be hot and bitter, the direct opposite of what ice cream is???

(also there certainly isn't a "no" there, so...!)]

Just... [Angel stood, shifting her bowl into one hand and taking Athena's hand with the other. Her body shifted, pointing in the direction of the storefront she had spent most of her time in over the past few months. There was determination and strength in her form, a way of moving that was entirely foreign just a few months prior.]

You're going to love it, I promise!

[It shows just how far Athena's come as well, not just in her time here but in the past few years of her life in general, that she lets Angel take her hand, lets herself be led. It's a little thing, but it's trust... not really something she used to give out much.]

I suppose I could try it.

[Athena says it as if she has an option. Angel wouldn't take no for an answer at this point.]

[Well, she would. Quite readily in fact, if Athena was stern enough. It was the same reason she felt like a scolded child when the gladiator had first approached her and the same reason that she felt so safe around her as well. She was family, in a far truer sense than Jack had ever been.]

[It meant that she was going to get the full-force of Angel's enthusiasm, as well as a rather striking sort of power over the girl. Angel trusted her enough not to abuse it. It was more than she could say for some people, at least.]

I promise, you'll really enjoy it. Cold or not.

[Well, it's a good thin Athena is used to such enthusiasm. You can't date a girl like Janey Springs for a few years without learning to deal with getting dragged around like this. The only difference is that with Janey, she was usually getting dragged to auto shops or other junk dealers, not ice cream shops.

SO yeah, the dragging she's used to. She'll still look a bit skeptical, though, when they reach the shop and Angel orders. As the worker gets everything together, Athena can only raise an eyebrow again.]

Is the taste similar to regular coffee? Because I prefer lattes.

[... Most people would probably peg Athena as a straight black coffee drinker. The fact that she drinks more or less the complete opposite is... surprising.]

Oh. [She paused at the counter, turning to glance at the woman with a concerned, perhaps sheepish look. Her gaze flicked back to the man behind the counter, then to the display, and back to the woman once more.]

There's that. But there are also mocha and espresso flavors, if you'd prefer that. I can eat the coffee one. [As if Angel would complain about more ice cream. Even if it resulted in a stomachache later, she'd be happy. Probably.]

[She wouldn't complain to Athena, at least. Krieg on the other hand...]

That isn't necessary. If this is something you're suggesting, I'll try it. But with how easy it is to customize coffee, I was... unsure if ice cream was the same way.

[Athena is in no way a picky eater, especially when it comes to things that, back on Pandora, she could go ages without seeing. She'll absolutely take whatever's given to her! She just... doesn't know that much about ice cream flavors, that's all.]

Okay...

[Angel relaxed a little, and took their orders once they were prepared. She led the gladiator to a table and sat down, then pushed the coffee ice cream over to her. Rather than digging into hers, she fixed an expectant look on Athena.]

I really hope you like it.

[Looking at Athena, it wouldn't be unreasonable for one to think that she must hate sweet things. But oh no... it was hard to hate sweet things when your favorite drink is absurdly sweet lattes. And damn, she liked them enough to compliment Atlas on their latte machines. That said a hell of a lot.

So she doesn't make a face when she takes her first bite of the ice cream. In fact, she doesn't seem to react at all.. until she raises an eyebrow, and takes another bite.]

This is... interesting. And not quite what I expected.

[Interesting... was not quite the reaction she was hoping for. Her own first taste had filled her with absolute delight. Armin and Jean had both been over the moon when they first tasted the treat. She had hoped that Athena might do much of the same, even if it was uncharacteristic over her.]

[Still, Angel didn't look too bothered by Athena's stoicism. Yes, she had hoped for a miracle, but she knew Athena well enough. A muted reaction was not an outright rejection of Angel's suggestion.]

Is that interesting good or interesting bad?

The former.

[Sorry, Angel. She may have grown a lot since defecting from Atlas, but Athena still has a little trouble navigating personal interactions with others. It doesn't help that her body language isn't exactly the best, outside of when she's angry. Still, it's clear that she must be enjoying herself, with how she hms a little as she takes a few more bites.]

I was expecting it to be more bitter. Taking it black seems to be the popular way of drinking coffee, after all.

[Angel relaxed. She was used to her chief guardian's gruff behavior -- enough that it usually wasn't all that off-putting. It was only guilt that had her worried in the first place, fear that perhaps she might have pushed the gladiator too far and made her try something she absolutely didn't like.]

[The idea of ruining ice cream for someone was awful.]

To be honest, I wouldn't know about all the ways of drinking coffee. It was obviously out of the question on Pandora and here, well... [A shrug.] My system is unstable enough as is. Wouldn't want to upset the balance by pumping caffeine into my body.

[... Athena wants to ask. It was obvious to anyone who isn't even half as observant as Athena is that Angel was extremely malnourished when she first arrived on this planet, so of course she wouldn't be able to handle a lot of foods. But there seems to be... something else there.

She never asked the full story of just what Jack did to Angel. Maybe the time to bring it up is coming soon. But not now. Now, they still have something else to focus on.]

You seem much stronger and healthier now. If you can handle this- [She holds up her ice cream.] then you can probably handle a small cup of coffee. If you want to try it.

I have had a lot of training when it comes to ice cream, though. [It had become her favorite thing to do with friends, after all. But still, Athena had a point. If Angel could handle sugars and the like, then certainly she could stomach something more.]

Soon then. With you around. Perhaps we can make a habit of going out like this? [Their relationship wasn't strained or awkward, at least not in Angel's eyes. But that didn't mean they couldn't spend more time together.]

I'm glad you think so, though. That I'm healthier. Sometimes I look in the mirror and I still think I see shades of purple and left over scars from what happened. But the runs we went for helped, and so does just walking around and eating more.

It's... good to finally be getting past all of that.

[Athena snorts at that. Training? With eating food? Sounds ridiculous, but hey. Whatever floats Angel's boat.]

I... could do this again, yes. [It's not like she has much else to do with her time, outside of battling and training.] With the weather becoming less harsh, I'd like for our group to start traveling, but until we're all prepared... this is good, I suppose.

[For all that she projects the stock, uncaring attitude and boredom with everything except fighting, Athena does like casual things like this. They're nice changes.

... But any enjoyment there evaporates a bit at what Angel says next, unfortunately.]

... Purple?

[Athena hadn't examined the girl too closely when they first met, so she could have just meant bruises. But that... still sticks out in a way that Athena's sure means something else other than bruises.]

Who says it has to be here? [Angel spooned some of her own ice cream, and then sucked thoughtfully on the spoon. She doubted this was the only ice cream shop in Johto, after all.] You can conquer the gyms in the region, and I can conquer all of the ice cream shops!

[Like Athena, Angel sobered up when reminded of her own words. She was used to Krieg and his pinpoint knowledge of what had happened to her. She was also used to the gladiator's incredibly perception -- the fact that she hadn't spotted the bizarre tone of Angel's skin.]

[Perhaps then, it wasn't as bad as she had thought. That, or the woman simply hadn't understood what she was seeing.]

A... side-effect of Jack's treatment. [She let out a breath, almost like a laugh.] There is no quicker way to charge a Vault Key than a siren boosted by eridium.

[... And that's when everything else just sort of fades away. The lighthearted conversation they were having. Angel bringing up one of the ideas that had been on Athena's mind. All of that just blanks out with those few little words.

She thinks back to Elpis. She thinks about Zarpedon, and the corrupted, mutated soldiers of the Lost Legion, exposed to too much eridium and the bizarre technology (magic???) of the Vault. Those beings already touched by the Eridians who were able to mutate even further with just the right push...]

... He didn't just hurt you. He used you as a tool. A battery.

[Athena stands up, very suddenly. Her ears are ringing, so loud she can barely hear her own voice, and that white-hot burning is starting to flood her veins again. It was like confronting Cassius, like when she'd seen what Jack did to Tim...

Shit. Shit. She needs to get out. Angel will barely have time to notice how Athena glances at the door before she's up on her feet in an instant, practically charging out of the ice cream shop...]

Edited 2017-03-13 04:06 (UTC)

[Angel didn't have time to respond, to affirm or deny what the gladiator had asked. She watched the woman stand, stunned into silence by her shift in demeanor. It wasn't as if she had expected this talk to go pleasantly, but this reaction was... a bit on the unexpected side.]

[It didn't take Angel long to stand herself, nor did it take any convincing for her to try to reach out, to offer some amount of comfort in the face of her obvious distress.]

Athena --

[Before she could finish, before her hand could make contact with the woman's shoulder, she was gone, moving almost too quick for the siren to hope to keep up with. She glanced at their unfinished ice cream, to the staff, then to the door. This wasn't at all how she wanted their outing to go.]

[But she wasn't going to leave it at that, either. She followed the woman out of the little shop, not nearly strong or fast enough to hope to keep up. Instead, she waited until the doors closed behind her to shout after the woman.]

Athena, wait! [She wanted to say more, but none of the words would come to her. What was she even supposed to say in a case like this?]

[Athena is halfway down the street (heading suspiciously towards the Pokemon Center and the fast travel station close to it) when Angel's call finally cuts through the haze in her head. It's like a light switching on in a dark room, and she refocuses so fast she has to shake her head.

She'll let Angel approach her, so she's not completely lost, but she's not calm at all. Her hands are clenching and unclenching, and she's shifting her weight from foot to foot. Athena is the very image of a time bomb about to go off, but she's trying to hold it back. For Angel's sake.]

After seeing Jack's fall the way I did, seeing the things Hyperion had done on Pandora, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. But...

[She thinks of the horror, the utterly consuming sense of self-loathing she felt when she cut down her parents. When she realized what she'd done to Jess.]

I can't comprehend this.

[005:] Ecruteak Inn

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