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Walter nodded and took back his newly purchased TM. He'll use it on Doll when he gets home; no doubt she'll want to judge his new clothing herself as well. He lead the way up the stairs, bypassing the elevator and opening the door. He held it open for Diana.
They had spent quite a while shopping. The Sun wasn't setting yet but the shadows were long on the ground, and from up here it was pleasantly warm, with a soft, cooling breeze. Several drink and snack machines were lined up and a vendor offering muffins, cookies and sandwiches had been set up to capitalise on the summer weather. There were several tables and chairs lined out for people to sit and eat by the railings, where the occasional Pidove perched and searched for crumbs to pounce on.
And past those railings was a gorgeous view of Goldenrod City. The city was spread out below them like a toy set from this height, and it was possible to see the National Park and, on the other side of the building, Ilex Forest. While the sound of traffic drifted up it sounded distant, especially in contrast to the soft murmur of conversation from the other tables and the hoots of the Pidoves. Almost like the rooftop was isolated or suspended from the rest of the city.
Walter murmured an instruction to Darkness, who spread his wings to claim a table for them, and headed to the vendor to buy their food. "What would you like?" He asked Diana, choosing a sandwich from the selection.
Charlie scuttles after Darkness, pulling himself atop the table and waggling his 'head' excitedly.
"Wow." Diana's gaze is instantly drawn to the view, her fingers itch to wrap around the railing and lean over the edge for a better look. Instead, she remains stood where she is, looking out at the city skyline. Goldenrod was where she first arrived all those months ago, but she'd never really seen it like this. Somehow she'd forgotten how to really appreciate being somewhere, she was always desperate to keep moving. To stop herself having that crushing feeling of being stuck.
Walter's question snaps her back to the moment. She looks at the selection and her lips press into a thin smile, a familiar feeling rolling in her stomach.
"How about you get me a sandwich?" Her hand is already delving into her pocket again.
"And to drink?" But seeing as she hadn't specified what sandwich, he picked one at random for her. She could always change it. He handed them over to the vendor, ordered himself a mocha and slipped two muffins onto the tray as well. He knew Diana would see and if she wanted something different, he had a feeling she would change it outright.
Darkness preened himself, looking over the city with sharp eyes. He soon found the building he was looking for; the infamous 'Sharkhouse', home to his mate and half of their children. As he groomed his feathers he kept an eye on Charlie. He didn't want the young Pokemon to go falling off the roof.
She's surprised at Walter's offer of a drink and muffin too. "How about a hot chocolate? Thanks."
Diana takes the bags to free Walter's hands and heads over to the table Darkness is saving for them. Tucking them under the seats, she instinctively reaches out to stroke Darkness the way she would Strut but stops herself in time.
"Sorry D." She smiles at him and sits down, flicking Charlie's 'ear' affectionately as she does.
Charlie chitters happily and moves closer to Diana, resting against her arm and tugging on the strap of her bag. "Alright, just let me eat first."
Darkness had jutted his beak up in a slightly haughty way - but when she drew back he relaxed and nodded.
Walter returned with a tray of their food and drinks, setting it out on the table and taking a seat opposite Diana. He looked over the railing, taking in the sight. This was one of his favourite places in Johto so far. When he had lived in Goldenrod, after being introduced to this spot, he had made a habit of coming here so he could feel...not quite alone, there was almost always someone up here. But distant. Separate from the people down there, so small and meaningless from this height.
Diana wastes no time in pulling the packaging of her sandwich open and taking a bite.
"Lyra? Wasn't that his girlfriend?" She asks as she digs around in her bag and pulls out a PokeBall. A small flash and soon Petey's large eyes are bearing up at her. Charlie lets out a noise of excitement and greets the Pokemon, who continues to stare ahead.
"Say 'hi' to Walt, Petey." Diana mumbles around a mouthful of food.
"She is. You intend to visit her?" "Yes." Walter opened his sandwich and considered it, before nodding to him. "Come back to me before the weekend." Darkness hopped forward and affectionately fussing with Walter's collar, accepting a rub under his chin before spreading his wings and taking off, soaring towards his love.
Walter watched him go quietly, but turned and nodded to Petey when the Espurr appeared. Jennifer took the seat beside Walter, sitting so she could peek over the tabletop. At the sight of Petey, her ears lowered. Espurrs were very strange. She never knew what to make of them.
Petey turns to look at Walter. In a very slow, methodical manner, he climbs up onto the table and stands infront of the male trainer. After few more moments of direct eye contact, a small paw reaches out and touches Walter on the cheek.
One. Two. Three pats.
Then Petey moves back towards Diana, who's just been watching the whole exchange in a rather bored fashion, and tugs on her bag strap the same way Charlie had been.
She finishes stuffing the rest of the sandwich into her mouth. "Yeah, yeah, I've got a toy for you." Diana pulls out a small box of colourful geometric tiles, that Petey immediately takes and starts organizing on the table.
Charlie jumps up and hovers around, chirping with joy when Petey lets him place a piece.
Diana gives Walter a wry smile. "Kids, right?" She says with just the right tinge of sarcasm.
"I wouldn't know." He'd never had children, and he didn't see his Pokemon that way. They were companions - not pets or minions or children. Something entirely unique and special. But even he could see that Petey was a different kind of unique. He still has no idea what to make of Petey's behaviour towards him, or the constant cheek pats.
"He seems..." He paused, trying to find the correct words. Autism wasn't well known of in the 80s, let alone in small, middle of the wood orphanages run by abusive cults. He could tell this wasn't...'damaged' behaviour. Petey wasn't acting like the frightened, truamatised kids Walter grew up around. But it wasn't typical behaviour either. He ate thoughtfully. "He seems different, to other Espurrs I've seen."
Petey completely ignores them talking about him, totally engrossed in his game of making patterns with Charlie.
"Yeh. I think he's got ASD. Or, like, whatever you'd call it for a Pokemon, I dunno." She reaches out and runs her fingers through the soft fur atop his head. He doesn't react. "Or maybe he's just different. Who knows? But I can sorta figure out what he wants now."
Diana starts picking pieces of her muffin off to eat. "Sorry he, you know, made you buy him shit the other week."
"ASD?" Nope, no idea what that was. But he shook his head at her apology. "No. It didn't cost much. And...he wasn't a problem." While he never would have approached another person as a child, the lost little Espurr had reminded him a little of himself when he was younger. Maybe it was his very quiet behaviour.
At his side, Jennifer reached out a paw to try and bap at the blocks they were playing with. Walter reached over and touched the top of her head. Don't interrupt their games, Jennifer.
"You know. On the spectrum? Autistic?" She shrugs. "But, like I said, I dunno. I'm not a doctor."
At the intrusion of Jennifer's paw, Petey slams a tiny hand down onto the table and fixes the Fire type with a stare. Charlie squeaks as the pieces start raise off the by themselves.
The Espurr raps both hands at a rapid pace against the hard surface and seems to be making a low humming sound of agitation. His wide eyes still fixed upon Jennifer. The pieces shaking in midair.
Diana starts to rake her fingers through his fur at a faster pace, placing more pressure on his crown. "Arlight Petey. She didn't touch 'em. Calm down. Stop."
"I haven't heard of that before." He had studied medicine, but it was more surgical than mental health. He watched Petey's behaviour carefully as the little Espurr glared at Jennifer - who had immediately leapt into Walter's lap, eyes wide at Petey. She gave a small, unsure chirp to Petey, apologizing for making him mad and pressing into Walter's chest. Walter pet her head and murmured softly to her and she nodded, agreeing to return to her Pokeball.
"She meant no harm. But she can be rash." He would call out another Pokemon, once Petey was calm. He didn't want to be by himself, without one of his Pokemon with him.
"Really? Huh. Weird." Diana watches the scene play out and frowns.
"Don't worry about it." She stops stroking Petey's head to flick his ear. "Petey, look what you did. You're such a jerk sometimes."
The pieces drop back to table as Petey turns to Diana and starts flapping his arms even more rapidly, his humming turning into a long quiet squeal. Charlie moves to hide under the table as Diana rests her chin on her hand and stares at Petey, unimpressed. "What? You mad at me now? What you gonna do about it, huh?"
She smirks as Petey thrashes his arms and brings his face up to hers.
In a sudden movement, Diana wraps Petey up in her arms and bear hugs him to her. She roughly rubs her face atop his head and rocks slightly, humming loudly.
Diana does this for 20 seconds and Petey fights her for about 3 of them before calming down. Once she loosens her hold he just sits on her lap, leaning back to tap his head against her chest rhythmically.
Diana, meanwhile, coaxes Charlie out from under the table with a hand gesture and offers him the rest of the muffin to make him feel better.
"Sorry Walt." She gives him a half smile in apology for Petey.
Walter watched her calm him curiously. He simply had no experience with people, or Pokemon, who needed special care like this. Truama he was deeply familiar with but this was different. And it seemed like Diana's method's worked on soothing little Petey. He shook his head again. "There's nothing to apologise for. No harm was done."
He considered which Pokemon to bring out. He didn't want to upset Petey, but he was clearly a Pokemon with very particular behaviours. The choice was quickly obvious. With a flash and a sheen of light, Claudia appeared on the table by Walter's arm. She took in the scene quietly, shifting closer to Walter and fanning her tails in front of her, a little shyly. He offered her a piece of his muffin too, to help ease her.
"Claudia, this is Diana, Petey and Charlie." The vulpix looked at each of them with her softly violet eyes.
Charlie rushes forward to wave at the new face and chirp in a friendly manner. He pulls another tiny portion of Diana's muffin off and offers it to Claudia. "Friend?"
Diana meanwhile is inspecting the soft Pokemon from afar, Petey apparently unaware of the newest member of their party. "Aren't you very pretty?"
She looks a little confused for a moment and she digs about in her purse, pulling out a photo. She peers at it, then looks back at Claudia.
"Oh, I see it now. She's got like a lavender tint instead of an icy blue one." She smiles. "Classy."
Claudia ducked behind her tails, watching Charlie. She slowly lowered them and took a very small bite. "Hello."
"It isn't very noticable." He admitted. "I do wonder if that will change in an Alolan Ninetales. But she is good as she is." He wasn't ready to evolve her, and she wasn't ready for that either. "Is that a picture of your Vulpix?"
"...My name is Claudia." She unfurled her tails a little, relaxing slightly but not budging from beside Walter.
Walter didn't ask to see the picture. He returned to his sandwich, looking over the railing. For him, it was a comfortable quiet. Claudia remained close but relaxed with Charlie, speaking to him softly. "You seem very much like Bea...were you hatched by Diana?"
Diana stares at the photo for awhile longer, biting the inside of her cheek and her stomach rolls over. She lets out an irritated sigh and drinks the rest of her beverage to distract herself.
"Yes!" He bounces happily at her guess. "Diana hatched me. Looks after me. Lets me keep shiny stones!"
"Shiny stones...what kind of stones?" Was this little one collecting evolution items that Diana let him keep?
As the wind brushed back Walter's hair, he remembered...what seemed like so long ago. "...There was a man who brought me up here. We had met at a festival in August, and he asked me about parties. When he heard I'd never had one, he immediately said he would celebrate my birthday with me, right then and there, and took me to try a cinnamon bun." He smiled a little vacantly, half lost in the memory. Rhys had been the first person to really reach out to him, and that he ahd felt non-threatened by. "He's gone now, from Johto."
"Ones with things inside. Ones that are colourful. Some are smooth. Some you can look through." He's getting very excited explaining them to her. "But but but! My favorite one is a big that has a shape like this in it." He picks up one of the geometric shapes. "My Diana found that one and said I could keep it! She's so nice!"
Diana doesn't notice Petey get off her lap and start organizing the shapes again.
Instead she folds her arms on the table and rests her chin on them, watching Walter. She doesn't bother asking if she misses the guy, of course he does. Instead she smiles softly and asks. "Did you try one?"
Claudia looked at the shape carefully. She didn't mind Charlie's excitement. "...I'd like to see that stone sometime." She had a feeling there was more to these stones than Charlie could accurately describe. But if she could see them, perhaps she could shed some light on their true nature.
"...It was very sweet. He said it tasted best when it was warm, freshly cooked. He was right. But they're still good cold." He exhaled softly. He did miss Rhys. It had taken a while for him to realise exactly what had happened but when he did, it had been...hallow. A gentle, gnawing loss that still felt empty when he gave himself time to reflect on it.
"He brought me shopping here too. I was never able to repay him for his kindness." He turned back to his drink. Diana had been kind. Thoughtless and self serving, but also kind. It was important to remember both.
"I'll bring it next time! I promise!" Charlie is so giddy about the prospect of showing off his collection. "I keep them in our room at HQ!"
Diana's hand twitches and she lifts it, hesitant. She wants to pat his shoulder or arm or something, but thinks better of it. She sighs, using the hand to push back her hair.
Why is being comforting so difficult? She's not good at it at all. She wants to say something snarky and sarcastic. But the air feels thick in her throat, and she feels like the wrong words right now will crack the glass bridge between them forever.
"He sounds nice." She manages. Her fingers trail along the handle of her mug, her gaze flicking to the face down photograph on the table. "I'm not nice. I'm not even kind."
A single, joyless chuckle bursts from her and she runs a palm over her face, her lips curling upwards in a humourless fashion. "I wanna buy you a cinnamon bun now."
Claudia nodded gently. "I look forward to it. And if I find a nice rock, I will give it to you."
Walter reflected on her words, sipping his drink. "Neither am I." He let the liquid warm his throat, a contrast to the cool breeze brushing over his skin. He spoke in his typical, soft tone, his expression reflecting that he was trying to pick his words carefully. "I have not been good, or nice, or kind. But...today, you went shopping with me. And I brought you this. It does not make us good people. But...I think it means something. Even if that something is small."
People were still fundamentally flawed and hurtful to others. He wasn't going to say 'oh no, you're nice' to Diana. He didn't know her history or her mind. But up here, with just him, Diana and their Pokemon, something like this felt...significant. Claudia smiled and stepped into his arms, very proud of Walter and pressing her cheek to his jaw.
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They had spent quite a while shopping. The Sun wasn't setting yet but the shadows were long on the ground, and from up here it was pleasantly warm, with a soft, cooling breeze. Several drink and snack machines were lined up and a vendor offering muffins, cookies and sandwiches had been set up to capitalise on the summer weather. There were several tables and chairs lined out for people to sit and eat by the railings, where the occasional Pidove perched and searched for crumbs to pounce on.
And past those railings was a gorgeous view of Goldenrod City. The city was spread out below them like a toy set from this height, and it was possible to see the National Park and, on the other side of the building, Ilex Forest. While the sound of traffic drifted up it sounded distant, especially in contrast to the soft murmur of conversation from the other tables and the hoots of the Pidoves. Almost like the rooftop was isolated or suspended from the rest of the city.
Walter murmured an instruction to Darkness, who spread his wings to claim a table for them, and headed to the vendor to buy their food. "What would you like?" He asked Diana, choosing a sandwich from the selection.
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"Wow." Diana's gaze is instantly drawn to the view, her fingers itch to wrap around the railing and lean over the edge for a better look. Instead, she remains stood where she is, looking out at the city skyline. Goldenrod was where she first arrived all those months ago, but she'd never really seen it like this. Somehow she'd forgotten how to really appreciate being somewhere, she was always desperate to keep moving. To stop herself having that crushing feeling of being stuck.
Walter's question snaps her back to the moment. She looks at the selection and her lips press into a thin smile, a familiar feeling rolling in her stomach.
"How about you get me a sandwich?" Her hand is already delving into her pocket again.
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Darkness preened himself, looking over the city with sharp eyes. He soon found the building he was looking for; the infamous 'Sharkhouse', home to his mate and half of their children. As he groomed his feathers he kept an eye on Charlie. He didn't want the young Pokemon to go falling off the roof.
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Diana takes the bags to free Walter's hands and heads over to the table Darkness is saving for them. Tucking them under the seats, she instinctively reaches out to stroke Darkness the way she would Strut but stops herself in time.
"Sorry D." She smiles at him and sits down, flicking Charlie's 'ear' affectionately as she does.
Charlie chitters happily and moves closer to Diana, resting against her arm and tugging on the strap of her bag. "Alright, just let me eat first."
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Walter returned with a tray of their food and drinks, setting it out on the table and taking a seat opposite Diana. He looked over the railing, taking in the sight. This was one of his favourite places in Johto so far. When he had lived in Goldenrod, after being introduced to this spot, he had made a habit of coming here so he could feel...not quite alone, there was almost always someone up here. But distant. Separate from the people down there, so small and meaningless from this height.
Darkness hopped to Walter's side. "Lyra."
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"Lyra? Wasn't that his girlfriend?" She asks as she digs around in her bag and pulls out a PokeBall. A small flash and soon Petey's large eyes are bearing up at her. Charlie lets out a noise of excitement and greets the Pokemon, who continues to stare ahead.
"Say 'hi' to Walt, Petey." Diana mumbles around a mouthful of food.
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"Yes." Walter opened his sandwich and considered it, before nodding to him.
"Come back to me before the weekend." Darkness hopped forward and affectionately fussing with Walter's collar, accepting a rub under his chin before spreading his wings and taking off, soaring towards his love.
Walter watched him go quietly, but turned and nodded to Petey when the Espurr appeared. Jennifer took the seat beside Walter, sitting so she could peek over the tabletop. At the sight of Petey, her ears lowered. Espurrs were very strange. She never knew what to make of them.
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One. Two. Three pats.
Then Petey moves back towards Diana, who's just been watching the whole exchange in a rather bored fashion, and tugs on her bag strap the same way Charlie had been.
She finishes stuffing the rest of the sandwich into her mouth. "Yeah, yeah, I've got a toy for you." Diana pulls out a small box of colourful geometric tiles, that Petey immediately takes and starts organizing on the table.
Charlie jumps up and hovers around, chirping with joy when Petey lets him place a piece.
Diana gives Walter a wry smile. "Kids, right?" She says with just the right tinge of sarcasm.
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"He seems..." He paused, trying to find the correct words. Autism wasn't well known of in the 80s, let alone in small, middle of the wood orphanages run by abusive cults. He could tell this wasn't...'damaged' behaviour. Petey wasn't acting like the frightened, truamatised kids Walter grew up around. But it wasn't typical behaviour either. He ate thoughtfully. "He seems different, to other Espurrs I've seen."
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"Yeh. I think he's got ASD. Or, like, whatever you'd call it for a Pokemon, I dunno." She reaches out and runs her fingers through the soft fur atop his head. He doesn't react. "Or maybe he's just different. Who knows? But I can sorta figure out what he wants now."
Diana starts picking pieces of her muffin off to eat. "Sorry he, you know, made you buy him shit the other week."
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At his side, Jennifer reached out a paw to try and bap at the blocks they were playing with. Walter reached over and touched the top of her head. Don't interrupt their games, Jennifer.
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At the intrusion of Jennifer's paw, Petey slams a tiny hand down onto the table and fixes the Fire type with a stare. Charlie squeaks as the pieces start raise off the by themselves.
The Espurr raps both hands at a rapid pace against the hard surface and seems to be making a low humming sound of agitation. His wide eyes still fixed upon Jennifer. The pieces shaking in midair.
Diana starts to rake her fingers through his fur at a faster pace, placing more pressure on his crown. "Arlight Petey. She didn't touch 'em. Calm down. Stop."
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"She meant no harm. But she can be rash." He would call out another Pokemon, once Petey was calm. He didn't want to be by himself, without one of his Pokemon with him.
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"Don't worry about it." She stops stroking Petey's head to flick his ear. "Petey, look what you did. You're such a jerk sometimes."
The pieces drop back to table as Petey turns to Diana and starts flapping his arms even more rapidly, his humming turning into a long quiet squeal. Charlie moves to hide under the table as Diana rests her chin on her hand and stares at Petey, unimpressed. "What? You mad at me now? What you gonna do about it, huh?"
She smirks as Petey thrashes his arms and brings his face up to hers.
In a sudden movement, Diana wraps Petey up in her arms and bear hugs him to her. She roughly rubs her face atop his head and rocks slightly, humming loudly.
Diana does this for 20 seconds and Petey fights her for about 3 of them before calming down. Once she loosens her hold he just sits on her lap, leaning back to tap his head against her chest rhythmically.
Diana, meanwhile, coaxes Charlie out from under the table with a hand gesture and offers him the rest of the muffin to make him feel better.
"Sorry Walt." She gives him a half smile in apology for Petey.
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He considered which Pokemon to bring out. He didn't want to upset Petey, but he was clearly a Pokemon with very particular behaviours. The choice was quickly obvious. With a flash and a sheen of light, Claudia appeared on the table by Walter's arm. She took in the scene quietly, shifting closer to Walter and fanning her tails in front of her, a little shyly. He offered her a piece of his muffin too, to help ease her.
"Claudia, this is Diana, Petey and Charlie." The vulpix looked at each of them with her softly violet eyes.
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Diana meanwhile is inspecting the soft Pokemon from afar, Petey apparently unaware of the newest member of their party. "Aren't you very pretty?"
She looks a little confused for a moment and she digs about in her purse, pulling out a photo. She peers at it, then looks back at Claudia.
"Oh, I see it now. She's got like a lavender tint instead of an icy blue one." She smiles. "Classy."
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"It isn't very noticable." He admitted. "I do wonder if that will change in an Alolan Ninetales. But she is good as she is." He wasn't ready to evolve her, and she wasn't ready for that either. "Is that a picture of your Vulpix?"
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"That's why I had to check." She attempts a self depreciating smile. "You'd think I'd be able to tell the difference."
Diana worries the edge of the photograph. "Yeh, Emma's on here."
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Walter didn't ask to see the picture. He returned to his sandwich, looking over the railing. For him, it was a comfortable quiet. Claudia remained close but relaxed with Charlie, speaking to him softly. "You seem very much like Bea...were you hatched by Diana?"
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"Yes!" He bounces happily at her guess. "Diana hatched me. Looks after me. Lets me keep shiny stones!"
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As the wind brushed back Walter's hair, he remembered...what seemed like so long ago. "...There was a man who brought me up here. We had met at a festival in August, and he asked me about parties. When he heard I'd never had one, he immediately said he would celebrate my birthday with me, right then and there, and took me to try a cinnamon bun." He smiled a little vacantly, half lost in the memory. Rhys had been the first person to really reach out to him, and that he ahd felt non-threatened by. "He's gone now, from Johto."
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Diana doesn't notice Petey get off her lap and start organizing the shapes again.
Instead she folds her arms on the table and rests her chin on them, watching Walter. She doesn't bother asking if she misses the guy, of course he does. Instead she smiles softly and asks. "Did you try one?"
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"...It was very sweet. He said it tasted best when it was warm, freshly cooked. He was right. But they're still good cold." He exhaled softly. He did miss Rhys. It had taken a while for him to realise exactly what had happened but when he did, it had been...hallow. A gentle, gnawing loss that still felt empty when he gave himself time to reflect on it.
"He brought me shopping here too. I was never able to repay him for his kindness." He turned back to his drink. Diana had been kind. Thoughtless and self serving, but also kind. It was important to remember both.
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Diana's hand twitches and she lifts it, hesitant. She wants to pat his shoulder or arm or something, but thinks better of it. She sighs, using the hand to push back her hair.
Why is being comforting so difficult? She's not good at it at all. She wants to say something snarky and sarcastic. But the air feels thick in her throat, and she feels like the wrong words right now will crack the glass bridge between them forever.
"He sounds nice." She manages. Her fingers trail along the handle of her mug, her gaze flicking to the face down photograph on the table. "I'm not nice. I'm not even kind."
A single, joyless chuckle bursts from her and she runs a palm over her face, her lips curling upwards in a humourless fashion. "I wanna buy you a cinnamon bun now."
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Walter reflected on her words, sipping his drink. "Neither am I." He let the liquid warm his throat, a contrast to the cool breeze brushing over his skin. He spoke in his typical, soft tone, his expression reflecting that he was trying to pick his words carefully. "I have not been good, or nice, or kind. But...today, you went shopping with me. And I brought you this. It does not make us good people. But...I think it means something. Even if that something is small."
People were still fundamentally flawed and hurtful to others. He wasn't going to say 'oh no, you're nice' to Diana. He didn't know her history or her mind. But up here, with just him, Diana and their Pokemon, something like this felt...significant. Claudia smiled and stepped into his arms, very proud of Walter and pressing her cheek to his jaw.
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