bravenewworld | 04 - [Action/Open]

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04 - [Action/Open]

[While he had been training more extensively with Martin and expanding his own horizons outside of Union, Matthias was still undoubtedly a member of the Swords, and that meant that while he had time away from other things, he had those responsibilities to tend to. To that end, he found himself out this early evening on a patrol with Basil, walking through the winding city to make sure that things stayed as calm as they felt at the moment. The sun hadn't quite come down from the sky yet and bathed the streets in a gentle orange light, but the chill of night had started to set in; thankfully the heat of the day made any breeze that happened to pass by pleasantly warm.

An hour into his patrol left Matthias with not much in the way to do however; nothing broke the calm, everyone seemed perfectly content to move about their day without incident, and everything seemed rather quiet, quiet enough to let the young man slip into thought about things. His time with Martin had been more productive than he could have ever imagined, first off; every lesson he stepped out of was one with less bruises, more confidence, and a better grasp of his skills, it was more than enough to make him feel better about himself than he had in a long time. He also thought of Yuuna, and her offers to train him in hand to hand combat...it was an exciting prospect to say the least, but one he would have to work up towards. Swords and staffs he was used to...his own hands however had only ever been used for cooking and tending to gardens and Pokemon.

Speaking of cooking, he'd recently taken up the task of learning how to bake. He'd wanted to learn ever since he'd gotten the idea to make small cakes for the people he'd worked with during their raid on Sanctuary; he'd never had a thought to learn until then, but now was the perfect excuse to try. His first few attempts...had been less than stellar, and he'd had Martin come over a few times to make sure he wasn't burning the spare house down. He'd wised up after the third failed attempt and sought out help from a local baker nearby Martin's house, a kindly older woman who'd been delighted to teach Matthias the ins and outs of the noble art! As he pulled a few snack cakes from his pouch and handed one off to Basil, he mused that he'd been making good strides.]

What do you say, Basil? A short break before we get back to things?

[Basil nodded and hopped over to a nearby bench so he could begin eating his cake with gusto with Matthias arriving shortly after. He might as well take advantage of his lull, things usually livened up around the time the Taverns started opening their doors anyways. And for once? He was actually hoping he might fall in to a conversation or two; he'd been so busy with things lately that he'd enjoy some extra company]

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[Yukiko just happened to be in the general vicinity when she spotted Matthias wandering down the street, Basil in tow. She herself had Pavarti with her, the little Cherrim bobbing along merrily at her side. And when she spotted the boy, she couldn't help but wave.]

Matthias, hello! It's been a while.

[That was a voice he wasn't expecting to hear and he could feel a heat come to his cheeks. He hadn't had a chance to see Yukiko since their little foray into Sanctuary, but it wasn't as if he'd simply forgotten seeing her evolve that time. It was enough to throw him completely off his guard as he fumbled around for something to say; thankfully she was far enough away that by the time she got close, he had something prepared.]

O-oh, Miss Yukiko! I uh...it's a lovely evening, isn't it?

[Nailed it. Nailed it so hard he didn't realize he never took the snack cake away from near his mouth.]

[She smiles at him radiantly, and the happy little Cherrim does too, the light around the pair of them seeming to intensify and crystallize. It was a side effect of evolution, that she was never going to be caught in dimness again. Light just followed her, and even the fading rays of the sun at dusk couldn't help but bend around her.]

It is, yes. How've you been, Matthias? I haven't seen you since...well...Sanctuary, I guess? I've had a lot going on, y'know. But I bet you're the same.

Mmm...

[He hummed a little in thought at the question, the memories of Sanctuary surfacing once more in his mind. He still had real questions about what they'd done...what they'd seen in their time there and in the end, all he could offer was a small nod as he finally took a bite of his cake.]

I think we've all been busy since we got back. There was...a lot to take in after everything was said and done.

[To say the least.]

But you've been well I hope? And your friend as well?

[He said with a smile, nodding towards the Cherrim. It was just like the old days all over again in some ways, simply focusing on Pokemon helped to focus him in some small way, at least to the point he wasn't stumbling over himself.]

[Yukiko watched him with a vaguely amused smile. Something was off, and she could tell he was nervous, but as usual she had no idea why. It was fine, though, he seemed happy and content and that was what mattered.]

It was, wasn't it. I mean, all those people.

[Pavarti chirps a greeting, wiggling her head at him and swirling in a circle before actually bowing. If she had arms, she'd probably do something like curtsy but that was not really on the table.]

Ah! And yes, I've been well. Though, I've been rude. This is Pavarti, my Cherrim friend.

[Stooping, she picks up the little plant and nuzzles it before holding it towards Matthias.]

And this is Matthias. He was with me in Sanctuary. He's very brave, you know. [The flower nods sagely.] Really, he was an excellent distraction

Ah, hello Pavarti! It's a pleasure to meet you.

[He couldn't help but smile bemusedly at the twirling curtsy he received and in kind, he gave the Cherrim a small bow in full Swords flavor; an arm across his chest and his head fully facing the ground, the whole nine yards. That is until he started getting praise. How could she have possibly known his one weakness?]

Ahhhh...haha...I..that's very kind of you to say Miss Yukiko, b-but I was no more brave than anyone else there! I mean...you of course, you...really handled the situation fantastically! Y-you really saved the day, if y-you don't mind me saying...

[Oh man he was losing his cool, and Basil wasn't helping at all. He was more content to silently laugh behind his hands under the guise of finishing his food than he was to help his friend any.]

[Okay...so, this kid is pretty awkward, but Yukiko's trying to laugh it off. She waves a hand and shakes her head, trying so very awkwardly to not...make an ass of herself by making him more uncomfortable.]

No! NO...it wasn't me. I mean...I just...evolved? Lots of people do that. I just...hah...it was lucky, you know.

Luck...I think we were all lucky back there, but the way you calmed everyone down was just...

[He was a little hard pressed for words on the matter; apart from his usual social awkwardness, it was something the likes he'd never seen before, so putting it into speech was a little tough.]

No one there could have done what you did...we all did our parts but you definitely stopped things from getting out of control. So...thank you for that.

[Oh, that was right! He'd been learning how to bake things for this very reason, to thank everyone he'd worked with for all their hard work. He quickly reached for his pack and produced two wrapped snack cakes, which he handed out to Yukiko.]

I almost forgot! These are for you and your friend here, I just learned how to make these without actually burning something in the process.

[Great way to make someone confident in eating your food Matthias.]

[Yukiko shakes her head sadly and looks away for a minute.]

It was...nothing.

[The food though? she accepts and takes a bite, without looking. And turns back around immediately.]

Oh! These are...actually really pretty good!

You think so? I'm glad to hear it!

[That was definitely good news! He'd definitely chalk this up as his first major success in his foray into baking.]

Martin threatened to ban me from the oven after my last try before this current batch. Apparently honey doesn't smell quite so good when it's burnt to a crisp.

[Yeah...not even a little bit.]

Did he?

[Yukiko smiles somewhat vaguely and shakes her head.]

Well I consider this quite a success, Matthias. Thank you for sharing.

Well thank you Miss Yukiko, I feel a lot more confident now, I'm happy I shared with you.

[He seemed to actually be warming up finally, or at the very least he seemed less awkward than he had been. He just needed to be pushed out of his comfort zone sometimes.]

That said, might I ask what brought you here? Just out enjoying an evening walk?

[It's a start, definitely. Her smile warms by degrees, bright and happy..]

Yes, that's right. We're just winding down after work. It's been a bit of a long week, honestly. But I'm giving myself tomorrow off, and the whole evening to just relax. Summer evenings are just so...relaxing. Wouldn't you say?

Indeed they are...I'm a little more partial to fall evenings though, if I'm to be honest. Not too hot, not too cold, and everything just feels festive.

[He sounded almost nostalgic in a way, as if remembering better times.]

But summer does have it's charms. There's nothing quite like a relaxing day in the Flower Grove with some nice Cucumber Sandwiches and a pleasant wind to help you unwind.

[ Evenings were the best times for shopping. The various stores always did their specials at that time, so Sanae was able to restock the theater's kitchen well under budget. Carrying a few parcels in her arms, followed by Moriya the Poliwrath (whose arms were also quite full), the shrine maiden hummed a little tune to herself--a song from a previous production, perhaps.

She noticed Basil first (lopunnies weren't too terribly common around town), hearing a familiar voice. ]

Matthias? Basil? Hi!

[Hey, he knew that voice! Basil was the first to hop to action, as was per the usual, bounding up out of his seat and landing in spectacular fashion with a bow. Matthias took his time getting up, but he was happy all the same to give a wave to his friend.]

Oh, Miss Sanae, hello! Just finishing up some shopping for the evening I take it?

Yup! Our theater family is getting a lot bigger lately, so we have more mouths to feed.

[ She hugs her bags a bit, beaming at that fact. She really did like her new Union family. ]

What about you? What do you have there?

Oh...this?

[Matthias held up his snack cake, laughing a bit that he'd forgotten he was even holding it.]

I've been learning how to bake, actually, this is just one of my more recent attempts. It's nothing terribly complex, just some baked oats, almonds, and honey. The vanilla topping with cinnamon was Basil's idea.

[True to form, Basil stood tall and beamed happily. It was the best of ideas, naturally.]

I have a few more, if you and your friend would like to try some.

You are? That's great! Baking can be a lot of fun.

[ Sanae blinks a few times. ]

But I don't have anything to give to you.

Hmm...you can give me your opinion then! I'm still learning, so the critique would be much appreciated.

[Honestly, the more he got his food out there, the better he'd know how he did. Sure he and Basil liked them...but in the grand scheme of things, that only meant so much. So he reached into his pack and pulled out two more, neatly wrapped to avoid getting icing all over his pack, and held them out.]

If you're sure that's enough...

[ Juggling her parcels a bit, she tries to take the cake, before Moriya taps the young priestess on her shoulder. The Poliwrath sets his things down, gesturing that she could do the same. ]

Oh.

[ Right, she could do that! Setting her bags down, she takes the pastry gratefully, unwrapping it and taking a look. ]

Hmm...

[It seemed innocuous enough in her hands. A simple square of granola and chopped almonds really with a white topping and some cinnamon sprinkled atop it. A squeeze would show that while firm, it still had some give to it and that the honey had caramelized enough that it was only slightly sticky. All things considered, it seemed a good effort; all that was left was to give it a taste.]

[ Sanae takes a bite of the granola cake. ]

[Mostly it was sweet, though the types of sweet seemed to layer themselves rather than competing for the spotlight; the vanilla was light and smooth across the tastebuds, complimenting the slight spice of the cinnamon mixed in with it, and the honey helped to level out the savoriness of the almonds and oats instead of outright overpowering them. There was a slight twinge of bitterness from some of the granola on the bottom that had been burnt a bit, but it was nothing that ultimately got in the way of the taste.

The honey itself though made chewing a little difficult, giving each bite a tendency to stick to the roof of the mouth every now and again, but upon each occurrence any stuck piece was easily removed by a few more moves of the mouth. All in all, a decent effort for a first successful batch.]

[Yosuke is walking home from work, trying to work a kink out of his neck from the long day when he sees a familiar face on a bench. His eyebrows lift, and being who he is, he walks over to get a better look and to say hi. It is indeed the same guy, with his Lopunny next to him. He waves, trotting up to Matthias.]

Heeeeey, long time no see! [Even if it was at Sanctuary, Yosuke remembers him.] I haven't seen ya since I first got here, how's it been hanging?

[Matthias looked up and was slightly surprised to see someone there, not having expected anyone to actually show up. He knew who this was, it was one of the people he'd worked with during their excursion to Sanctuary.]

Oh...Yosuke, right? It has been some time hasn't it? I think we've all been a little busy since we last met but...things have been...hanging well I suppose. How about yourself? Have things been...hanging?

[He's totally got this slang thing down, right? ...Right?]

[That all earns a grin from Yosuke, the guy remembered his name- and he totally screwed up that phrase. Who even does that?]

Same old, same old, you know how it is. Chillaxin' while trying to make sense of everything- but I got an upgrade since last time!

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04 - [Action/Open]

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i'm sorry i'm late, life and work and being on top of things = ded

No worries at all!

smashes into \:D/