( closed ) tell me why the dark side just captures my eye

[geophile]

Who: steven ( geophile ) & rideaux ( pr159 )
When: IC 8/11
Where: a classy little bar in the pleasure district.
What: in an attempt to see if he has any basic social skills, rideaux has invited steven out for drinks. things escalate.
Rating/Warning: 14A for alcohol consumption, some heavy drunken flirting, and a morning after, but nothing worth locking.

---

[ it isn't that steven is nervous about this meeting in the slightest - when rideaux has asked him out for drinks, it was in a snarky, borderline malicious way that steven understood. this is nowhere near a date, and he intends to hold his own and prove the other man wrong about whatever silly assumptions he had made about him thus far.

still, he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't anticipating whatever interaction was going to come out of this. he can't say that he likes rideaux very much, but he seems like an interesting person. if he's the kind of drinker that finds himself to be loose-lipped upon having one too many, he might learn a thing or two.

of course it doesn't occur to him that he himself may be the first one to get tipsy, but that's a bridge that will be crossed later. for now he's sitting at the bar, finger swirling around his glass of whiskey (neat, no ice) as he waits for his "companion". ]

Comments

[pr159]

[ rideaux raises an eyebrow at that slip -- a social what? -- but he lets it go, assuming it's probably some monster crap he doesn't care about. "social butterfly" is a ridiculous enough image already given how aggressive those things in rieze maxia can be, but for him, maybe that's appropriate. ]

You know you're really not proving your case here if your idea of competence with personal interaction is sticking with someone you don't like who you claim is boring you because you don't want to talk to anyone else.

[ he raises his head, straightening back up a little. ]

But all right. How about this -- we can each ask each other anything we want, but then we have to answer the same question ourselves.

[ that way he can get at least a little of what he came here for, and there won't be any risk of the conversation getting boring because half of it will be about him. ]

[geophile]

I think that the marker of being adept at personal interaction would be the ability to change all of that. I just need a hook.

[ he's almost done his glass at this point, but won't hesitate to signal the bartender smoothly to order another round once he is. ]

That sounds fair.

[pr159]

Excellent.

[ he gives a bit of thought to his first question as he takes another drink, and deliberately settles on something pointed that can't actually be turned around on him while still qualifying as "the same question". ]

What was it like to grow up with all that money?

[geophile]

Unless you are from the same situation, I believe you're already breaking your own rule. But I'll still answer, if you're willing to ask something so specific.

[ he doesn't know about rideaux's past, but he has a feeling that he didn't have as affluent of a background as him. ]

It was comfortable in terms of having to not worry about things, but at the same time... isolating, I suppose. I was raised to be ready to take on my family business when I became of age; there wasn't much time for other things. I took refuge in my passions whenever I could.

[pr159]

[ he has to scoff at that answer. ah, yes, the classic story of the lonely rich kid. he can't find even an ounce of sympathy for that kind of thing. the "poor but happy or rich but lonely" dichotomy that the world always seems to latch onto is complete bullshit as far as he's concerned. ]

Oh, I can still answer it myself, so I'm not breaking any rules. My answer is just "What money?"

Your turn.

[geophile]

[ it's not something that he'll comment on. he knows that he was born into privilege, and he isn't asking for sympathy for it. he spent the majority of his time running away from his affluence when he could, be it through travelling or pokemon training. ]

I wouldn't be able to tell that from a glance. You've made quite an image for yourself.

[ he'll take the opportunity to give him a quick once over with his eyes. barring the weird feather boa, that suit isn't half bad. moving on... ]

You never struck me as a botanical researcher. Is that really what you did in your own world?

[pr159]

It's amazing what talent and hard work can get you.

[ and being taken in and given a job by the president of the most influential company in your world, but that part doesn't have any place in the story he likes to tell about himself. ]

I did research to develop medicines and medical devices, but no, I didn't focus on the potential for plants in that development like I'm doing now. [ he finishes the last of his drink, and sets the empty glass down with a sigh. ] Given the state of nature in my world that would have been a little difficult.

[ until the schism had been dispelled, anyway. of course, after that, he'd had other things to focus on. ]

[geophile]

Indeed.

[ he knows that much. his own position was something that he had earned from years of training - the champion title wasn't something that could be bought, and he never expected it to be.

that sigh makes him raise a brow, though. ]

Was it scarce?

[pr159]

[ he holds up a finger. ]

Hm, I don't remember making follow-up questions a part of the arrangement.

[ not that he cares, he wasn't the one who wanted to make this into some kind of trivia game in the first place. ]

Are you really that curious about Elympion vegetation?

[geophile]

I'm admittedly interested, but I suppose that can wait for another day.

[ or never, with how their relationship is going thus far. but whatever, that's fine. he can hold back. ]

I'm not a geologist by trade, as you know - I only collect rare stones as a hobby. My main profession is as the Champion of the Hoenn region's Pokémon League.

[ he won't mention that his title was recently usurped by a 12 year-old girl, seeing as that wasn't part of the question. he's still the incumbent champion while she travels around, after all.

he takes another drink. ]

Your turn.

[pr159]

[ to be fair, the medical part of his job is secondary to the dimensional affairs part, but that also was not really part of the question.

before moving on, he pauses to catch the bartender's attention and order a second drink for himself, opting this time for a simpler vodka martini now that he's already made his fashion statement for the evening with the first. ]

Let's see... Do you have any sort of superhuman ability of your own, or does whatever power you have come strictly from the monsters you command?

[geophile]

[ he'll be sticking to his whiskey, thank you very much. it's something he's developed a taste for over the years, and the aesthetic of a gentleman's drink just isn't something he can pass up. ]

Unfortunately, no. I'm as human as they come. [ though he'll bring a hand up to his chin in that icon pose. ] Though now I'm interested to hear if the case is different for you.

[pr159]

[ this is, of course, one of those things he's not supposed to be talking about so openly, but spirius and bisley bakur don't exist here in this world, and he's fucked when he goes back to his own anyway, so what does he care. ]

It is. I have a physical transformation that enables me to travel to and destroy fractured dimensions -- what you might call alternate timelines, though that isn't completely accurate.

[ he smiles; this is certainly one area in which he has superiority. ]

I'm also very difficult to beat in a one-on-one fight, so I wouldn't recommend trying.

[ he probably could have used this power to keep steven from getting skewered by that monster in that underground cave that one time, but. you know. ]

[geophile]

[ thankfully(?) steven hadn't noticed that rideaux was nearby before getting tendril-skewered, so he has no idea that the man in front of him had witnissed his death. his other pokémon have, though... namely, a certain ancient sea lilly that's been wanting to give him a piece of her mind. but that's for later. ]

...Not that it was on my mind before knowing that, but I don't think I'll be challenging you to a duel anytime soon.

[ rideaux doesn't appear to be bluffing, and even if he suspected that he was, that would be quite an elaborate story. the colony has taught him to not be gullible, but understand the endless possibilities of different worlds. he's not "impressed" per se, but now he definitely has his interest piqued as he takes a sip of his second drink. it's at this point that he's starting to feel a light haze over his thoughts. he hums. ]

With recent events in mind... your ideal partner - in a non-platonic sense, mind you. Describe them.

[pr159]

[ the bartender passes him his drink right as he gets that question, and he takes a quick sip before setting it down with a smirk and bringing his hand to his mouth in amusement. ]

Recent events, hm?

[ this isn't exactly where he thought this line of questioning was going to go -- especially not with steven actually relating it to his little cradily romance troubles -- but all right. ]

Ideally... [ he takes the pick from his drink to give he olive a little tap on the edge of the glass. ] ...a feisty woman with a nice body and lots of stamina.

[geophile]

[ look, he can laugh at it now!! that's why he's bringing it up - for something lighthearted to talk about. it's about the furthest into "personal" territory he's willing to get, so he may as well set the bar now. alcohol helps, too, but that doesn't mean he won't grimace a bit at his answer. ]

A tad superficial, don't you think?

[pr159]

[ he shrugs. sure it's superficial, but he's not looking for anything deep. that's the only kind of partner he's interested in -- he's never been the type that secretly craves affection.

or at least he hasn't been in a long, long time. ]

Just honest. I like to have a good time as much as anyone, but I'm not interested in romance.

[ he turns the pick in his fingers playfully. ]

I'm eager to hear your answer, though.

[geophile]

Fair enough.

[ it's not something that he can agree with, but he's not about to start a fight about it. his finger trails around his glass as he thinks about his own answer. ]

Intelligent. Brave. Passionate. Inspiring. [ he'll pause to smile. ] And if we're truly being idealistic, someone that can best me in in battle.

[ "i love a man/woman that can kick my ass" - steven stone, 2k16 ]

[pr159]

[ oh, how cliché can you get? rolling his eyes, he pops the olive in his mouth and smoothly drags it off the pick with his teeth. once he's done with the olive, then, his next question -- suddenly a pressing one -- comes automatically. ]

Are you a virgin?

[geophile]

[ narrows eyes, takes a drink. ]

Too personal. Pass.

[pr159]

[ after setting the pick down neatly on his napkin, he chuckles and raises his glass to his lips for another sip. ]

Please, you were inviting the question with a flowery answer like that. And passing on a question was also not a part of the arrangement. It's not off-limits as long as we're willing to answer it ourselves.

[ that "within reason" crap had gone out the window when they agreed to this. he leans forward slightly, and rests his chin in his hand. ]

So here's my answer: No.

[ obviously, given that last answer. ]

And now, again, it's your turn.

[geophile]

[ ugh. he finds himself recoiling as much as rideaux leans forward - in an attempt to be lighthearted, he's been pushed into a corner. he'd really rather not answer a question like this, but he supposes it wouldn't really be the end of the world...

though that's not to say his fluster doesn't show lightly on his cheeks. he clears his throat, hoping to regain some kind of composure. it just wasn't proper to talk about things like this so frivolously. ]

...No.

[pr159]

[ rideaux raises his eyebrows. he's a little surprised, honestly, in part because he wouldn't expect that much defensiveness from a grown man if the answer was no, but whatever.

he just hopes it was with a human. ]

That wasn't really so hard, was it?

[geophile]

Let's move on, shall we?

[ yes it was with a human, oh my god... but it isn't out of shame that he was being defensive, but because it just wasn't something that he's one to boast about. it isn't a part of what makes him who he is, and he was brought up to have a little more tact than to talk about such a private thing in a very public venue with someone who isn't a partner.

he takes a longer sip of his drink this time to take the edge off of his thoughts. there has to be a way to switch this around somehow in his favour...

... oh.

he smiles. ]

Are you aware of the meaning of your first name?

[pr159]

[ the smug look rideaux has been wearing for a while now changes to one of mild confusion as he frowns at the question -- and at the suspicious smile that accompanies it. ]

The meaning of it? It's a first name, it doesn't have to have one.

[ it's middle names that have real meaning in elympios, so he could tell him the meaning of that one. as for his first name, though, he doesn't know where it came from; he imagines his mother just liked the way it looked. ]