chilling in the park {{open thread

[Kitty]

The sun was directly overhead, which meant that it was the lunch rush in Kepa City. Indeed, people were bustling to and fro, hurrying to the residential side of town, where most homes were located, to eat with family or heading towards the restaurants in the business side of the city. The streets were packed with workers and Pokémon alike.

Harriet Martin was no different. She'd finished her morning cleaning job for Mr. and Mrs. Tilder. Their house was one of her favorites; luckily the place wasn't too large, and Mrs. Tilder was the type who felt bad making the house cleaner do all the work, so she usually picked the place up a bit beforehand. Given that the Tilders were an elderly, retired couple whose children had all moved out, every Wednesday morning was guaranteed an easy one.

Juliet, Harriet's Marill, was perched on the young adult's shoulder as she squished her way between two commuters. The Pokémon let out a squeak of indignation when she was bumped by a particularly large construction worker, still clad in his bright orange getup, as he walked by. Kepa City, Harriet reflected, was definitely somewhere she would be moving away from as soon as she got the money.

The swell of people and Pokémon the duo had been caught in reached a crosswalk. They waited for light to change then crossed with the group. When she reached the other side, however, she fought her way to the edge of the herd and turned down a different, considerably quieter street. Not many people liked to go hang out at the park on their lunch break, but Harriet enjoyed climbing the trees and Juliet, being a water type, absolutely adored the large fountain in the center of the park.

As expected, the park was relatively empty. A small family occupied the swings and an adolescent boy threw a Frisbee for a dog. As per usual, Harriet made straight off for the fountain, taking up her seat at the fountain's edge and pulling out her lunch bag. The Marill let out an enthusiastic squeak and bounced off the woman's shoulder, right into the fountain.

This park right here was one of Harriet's favorite things about the whole city.

[Cai]

It was hot today in Kepa City. There was a kind of muggy haze in the air that made travelling unpleasant, particularly when you were dressed in a heavy black overcoat and carrying a pack containing all your worldly possessions - which, when in the case of Finnigan Black, were not many, but still. Not a good day for a traveller. Finn came here every so often: not quite intentionally, but somehow it always happened, and he ended up in the ranching city. The last known location of a missing person. He'd arrived a couple of days earlier and had decided it was his best option for the imminent future - at least the duration of the heatwave that was making life far more uncomfortable. He could find some grungy inn to bed down in for a few pokédollars once he obtained them and search the city while he was here. Just in case she'd came back.

It was a stupid mission of course. He'd pretty much given it up after a couple of months of searching six years earlier, but it was almost like a pilgrimage now. A long trek back to the place where he'd come so hopefully some eight years ago. He had thought he would find Amy, just like that, and he'd be able to rebuild his life again. But no. He knew she was long gone, probably not even on the island anymore, but still. It gave him a small sense of purpose to return to Kepa every now and then. Just to pretend there was still someone to look for.

Only money was tight, always tight, because Finn was essentially unemployable with his record and his lack of any qualifications or job experience. He never had enough money, and stealing was his soul-damning lifeblood now. It was worse than ever. He was picking on girls, silly girls, ones who would let him in after a flash of a smile, only to have him take everything. But he had to survive. He steeled himself. Sentimentality had no place in his life.

A girl sat on the edge of a park fountain, absorbed in her lunch the antics of a Marill who played beside her. She was young. She looked healthy and cared for and her purple hair could only suggest an adventurous streak that would make her a good target. Finn glanced down, his sub-thoughts already bringing him guilt over what he would try and do next, but he shrugged it off and jammed his hands into his deep coat pockets. She had her lunch. He didn't. He had his Buizel at his side, and a look passed between them. Both knew what was coming. Buizel stared back at him, and Finn sighed. At least she never judged him.

"Hi", Finn said softly, approaching the girl, treading carefully and slowly. Buizel streaked forwards and jumped straight into the fountain to join the girl's Marill, and Finn smiled his doleful smile - a smile that had won him too many conquests in the past. It drew people in, made them think he was mysterious and interesting and soulful. He wasn't, of course; he was just another nobody on the city streets, but it would be too late before they knew that he was, at the end of the day, a bit of a disaster waiting to happen, and always had been.

[Kitty]

The young woman watched her Marill play in the fountain for a while; the Pokémon was thoroughly enjoying herself. As Harriet watched her splash her large tail down, water erupting, she pulled out the peanut butter sandwich she had made for herself that morning from her lunch bag, and a bottle of water. House cleaners didn't have large salaries, so that was about the best she could conjure in the mornings, along with a bit of fruit. Sometimes her employers would offer her an apple or a pop or something before she left. Harriet always accepted. She was not modest.

She was halfway through the sandwich when she sensed that there was someone walking nearby. "Hi," came a soft, definitely male voice. Harriet looked up at him, and was met by the sight of a tall man with very, very light blond hair. His dark clothing contrasted oddly with his pale skin, and the bag he carried suggested that he had no permanent residence. Harriet assumed he was one of those Pokémon trainers that seemed so common these days. He was very attractive, in an odd way. She'd never seen a guy quite like him before. Certainly not a guy like him at a little run down park.

It was then that the young woman realized she'd taken a massive bite of peanut butter sandwich and had to be looking positively gorgeous at the moment. She made quick business of chewing and swallowing, then leaned casually back on her bench, her feet still propped up on the fountain where she'd placed them after she sat down.

"Hello there." She wasn't about to get too chatty with this stranger right off; he was a handsome guy carting around a suitcase alone wearing a massive black jacket in broad daylight. She didn't find her distrust completely without reason. But oh my, he was quite attractive.

[Cai]

Finnigan smiled slightly, observing the girl take a generous bite of her sandwich, before realising it may be taken as rude to stare in such a manner. Perhaps it was all the living on the edge of hunger, but somewhere along the line he seemed to have developed a slight habit of staring intently at food. He dumped his bag to one side before turning around and leaning his forearms on the fountain edge, trailing his fingers in the water as he watched his Buizel attempt to make friends with the girl's Marill. It was a favour to him. The girl was bound to trust him more if she thought her Pokémon trusted his. And he needed her trust to get her where he wanted her, or else this was a waste of time.

If it worked, at best this would be a bit of an adventure for the girl: a run in with a rogue, and maybe she'd end up looking back on it with fond memories. Some girls liked that. The bored ones. Those were the easiest ones, because they found it exciting that he was some loveable rogue who was dashing off into the big wide world, and they didn't mind that he left them. They'd always be able to tell the story of the blond boy with the rakish grin who'd turned up one day.

On the other hand, at worst this would just be a horrible day which she'd try to forget about, and would probably succeed in doing so before long. The sheltered ones usually responded like that. Went running to Daddy, and Finn would be long gone by the time some red-faced father came looking for him.

"She's always trying to convince other people's Pokémon to play with her" he commented, his voice calm, a low steadiness making it a fairly soothing sound. He gestured vaguely at his Buizel. "She likes making everyone fall in love with her" he added dryly, as she floated cheerily on her back in the water. Finn glanced back at the girl on her bench. Proceed carefully, he thought. No scaring her off. You're still just a weird-looking stranger in an unseasonal coat carrying a bag too bulky to be normal. With any luck, the odd appearance wouldn't put her off.

"I'm Finn, by the way," he said softly, looking away from the girl again. "I'm just passing through. What brings you here?"

[Kitty]

The stranger was very intent on watching the two Pok?mon playing in the fountain--Harriet's own Marill, and his...Buizel, perhaps; she'd never been terribly into learning every kind of Pok?mon out there, but she was pretty sure that this was a Buizel. The man living in the apartment across from hers had one, she thought. The Buizel and the Marill were having a grand old time. Juliet loved to play, so whenever she found a playmate she leaped at the opportunity. Harriet observed the two for a moment until the stranger started talking again, drawing her attention.

He was simply explaining his Pok?mon's antics; how friendly and lovable she was. "She's certainly got Juliet won over," Harriet commented. "Of course, she's the same way. All my employers adore her." No need to mention that they probably adored her because she was adorable when she helped her owner clean windows. Perhaps it was best to let a handsome stranger Harriet wasn't likely to see again think she was much more successful in life when in reality she cleaned people's toilets for a living.

It was quite depressing, put into that perspective.

The man introduced himself as 'Finn'--nice to have a name to go with the face--and explained that he was just passing through. "I could have guessed as much, judging from your luggage," she remarked, gesturing to his large bag. "I'm Harriet. I live in the city; my Marill likes to play in the fountain so we come here to eat lunch occasionally." More like every day, but she definitely didn't feel comfortable enough with Finn to tell him that. There was something a bit off about a guy carrying his luggage through a park while wearing a coat fit for winter in the middle of summer.

[Cai]

Finn listened carefully to the girl's words, and though he let know sign of it show, he gleaned every scrap of information he could from what she revealed. There was a carefreeness about her that indicated her lack of concern over basic things like health, food and shelter. Her simply being in the park, relaxing with a Pokémon, suggested she wasn't a person with too many concerns at all. Juliet, she called her Marill, and Finn nodded slightly as she spoke, encouraging her to continue. All my employers. So she had a job. Or was it jobs? She had multiple employers, and multiple incomes? Was she rich? What did she do? Finn thought over his questions carefully, planning his response.

He chuckled slightly at their Pokémon's joint play, and nodded slowly at the girl. Harriet. "Yes, I suppose the bag is a bit of a giveaway..." he said with a self-deprecating laugh. He was hot, and the heat was practically radiating off him in waves, so he puffed out his breath and shrugged his black coat off while he leant on the side of the fountain. "Phew," he muttered, slinging the garment over his arm. "It's a pain carrying all your things around with you," he said wryly, catching Harriet's gaze and holding it a moment. "but I've nowhere to leave it. I don't live anywhere, really, as you may have guessed. Travelling's my thing. Do you like the city, Harriet?"

He found the best way to get anyone to believe you was to tell them the truth, and that way nobody picked up on the little lies that might be woven in with it. Not that he was even lying to her, and it might not be necessary to do so. He wanted to scope out exactly who Harriet was, be it rich, poor, naive or worldly-wise. Yet he felt suddenly weary, looking at her, fresh-faced and somehow interesting to look at. Not radiantly beauty, or china-doll perfection, but full of character, and confident. Not the sort of person to buckle under the slightest pressure, but not someone who deserved to be mistreated.

But then most people deserved better than what they got. Life, Finn thought sardonically, was not known for its fair play.