RP Log - Family Gatherings
Who: Falkner, Bugsy
When: BACKDATED - Saturday, January 6, night
Rating: PG
Warnings: SUGARYCUTEATTACK
Summary: Bugsy finally returns to Violet City with the little Spinarak like he said he would. Falkner's baby Pidgey feels better with visitors.
Notes: DIEOFCUTE.
Well, he was a few days later than he had promised. Bugsy had expected to make it to Violet City by Thursday, and it was Saturday night, now. His journey had required him to make frequent stops… The baby Spinarak were too young for pokéballs, and they tired of traveling easily. Most of the time, the Azalea Town gym leader and the young Spinarak rode on Heracross.
Now that he was finally here, Bugsy put Heracross away and walked along to Falkner’s gym. His main Spinarak was on his head and the curious babies followed behind him in a little line. It was a rather interesting sight to see.
Falkner stared down at the baby Pidgey in his lap. Its head was tucked under its wing, when normally it would be hopping around eagerly for dinner. He frowned, unsure of what else to do other than to force it to eat. He scratched along its wing, attempting to gently awaken it. His own dinner was sitting on the table, while Hoothoot was eating happily from his bowl, Pidgeot having flown off to find his meal of choice. When the Pidgey refused, he sighed and just stared at it. He was starting to feel rather helpless when it came to this poor thing.
After a few moments of silence, there was a knock on Falkner’s wall. “Sir…?” It was one of his students. “Forgive me for bothering you, but a guest has arrived. It’s the gym leader from Azalea Town.”
Falkner gave a nod, peering up at his student. "Let him in," he replied. Had it been anyone else, he wouldn't have even bothered answering. But Bugsy had rather grown on him, though he had not been there for very long. They had kept in touch, however, and it was through that medium that Falkner had grown to consider the young man a friend.
It was only a couple of minutes before Bugsy entered the room, the Spinarak following behind him in their neat parade. He nodded thanks to the student and then smiled, turning to Falkner.
“Good evening. I apologize for my tardiness.”
He shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He motioned for the young man to sit with him, and eyed the trail of little Spinarak behind him. A hint of an amused smile crossed his lips. "Playing mommy?" he questioned, petting the Pidgey's head gently. Out of curiosity, the Pidgey had popped its head up to observe the visitors, fluffing up its feathers indignantly.
Bugsy’s face became warm at the comment, but he laughed it off, joining Falkner on the couch. The Spinarak followed one by one, until they sat on the floor in front of them, blinking with wide eyes. “It’s a bit difficult,” he said. “But I really don’t mind.”
Falkner nodded. "Good," he replied. "How was your trip?" He asked, watching the little Pidgey flap its wings to stretch out some before hopping to its feet.
“Tiring!” Bugsy said without thinking. But then he remembered his place and regained his composure. “It takes a long time to get from here to the Alphs already, and I constantly had to stop for the babies. You can’t rush them when they are so little.”
He nodded again in agreement, leaning back on the couch some. "They look strong and healthy for their age," he told him, watching them blink up at the both of them with beady eyes. "Healthiest ones at that age I've ever seen, really." His own cheeks tinged a slight shade of pink; compliments, for him, were hard to issue out. But he was working on it!
Bugsy had to turn to look at Falkner, eyes lighting up a bit. “Th-thank you! That means a lot.” He smiled, pleased. His older Spinarak moved off of his head and onto the floor to look around and make sure things were safe.
The baby Pidgey looked up, recognizing the young man and hopped into his lap, fluffing up its feathers happily and bumping its head gently against his hand. At the look from the other, he bowed his head down a little, as if to hide his face! "You're welcome," he replied, looking up again when he felt composed once more.
Ah? The young Pidgey seemed to remember him, and that made Bugsy happy. He pet the soft feathers, still smiling. “So. Have you had any better luck with him since we last talked?”
A shake of his head. "Not quite. He's lonely. He can't play with the older Pokémon because they'd be too rough with him, and as a human, I'm not all that entertaining to him," he replied. "There's no other Pidgeys out at this time of year, so there has been even less hope of finding him a playmate."
Still the same, huh? Bugsy frowned, looking down at the Pidgey. “He’s very light, too. He doesn’t even want to eat?”
"No," he spoke. "If you were lonely and depressed, would you want to eat?" he asked him, turning to look straight at Bugsy.
Bugsy was thrown off a bit when Falkner looked at him like that. He slumped a little, turning his head away. “No. I suppose not.” One of the baby Spinarak moved up onto the couch and nudged the little Pidgey gently.
The baby Pidgey spun around, peering right into the face of the baby Spinarak. The little bird nuzzled its beak under one of the baby Spinarak's legs, as if to experiment a little as to what it was. Falkner's eyes fell on the pair, and he began to watch. "Look," he said, diverting Bugsy's view from whatever the hell down to the two little Pokémon between them.
Urgh! Bugsy turned back when Falkner beckoned him. He immediately caught sight of the Pokémon. Hey, this was good. At least the Pidgey seemed interested. “Be nice,” he said, smiling to the Spinarak. It seemed to listen, patting the Pidgey’s beak gently. Bugsy’s spirits were revived, and he smiled again, leaning back against the couch. He usually sat up straight and polite, but he wanted the Pokémon to feel relaxed.
The little Pidgey let out a pleased chirp, one that Falkner had not heard from the little thing in several days. The Pidgey ruffled its feathers, nudging its beak against its foot again. Out of curiosity, Falkner stood to cross the living room and open a small box stashed in the side table drawer, pulling out a plastic ball with a bell in it. He sat back down, placing the Pidgey and the Spinarak back on the floor, and placed the ball between them.
The other Spinarak seemed to be enthralled with the object that made the noise, and they watched as the baby batted it over to the Pidgey, making a small cooing sound. Bugsy was delighted. He leaned forward to watch, ready to intrude if one of the Spinarak got rough.
Falkner leaned in as well, watching the Pidgey nudge the little ball back to the Spinarak, ruffling its feathers again and making a little coo of its own.
It warmed Bugsy’s heart. Haa, maybe he was getting a bit carried away. But he was happy for Falkner, really. He seemed very concerned for the Pidgey’s well-being, and now that it was happier, Falkner looked considerably better. After a while, Bugsy found his gaze trailing over to rest on Falkner, watching his expressions.
And Falkner did look less stressed. He looked hopeful, watching the tiny bird hop around, playing with the little baby Spinarak. He was even smiling, albeit a small one. The lines of worry that had been in his face were now gone, and he didn't look so tired anymore from the stress and worry.
Bugsy’s eyes softened a bit, and he looked back at the Pokémon on the ground. But he noticed that it was getting darker by the moment and he still had a way to go before he reached Azalea. So much for the happy moment. He reached down, brushing his fingers through the Pidgey’s feathers.
“I should go. I don’t want to keep you up.”
Falkner looked up to the other, having leaned down to let one of the baby Spinaraks crawl into his palm. Maybe this was a bad idea, but he'd think about it later. "...You are welcome to stay the night if you like, and for breakfast as well," he offered, watching the Spinarak begin to crawl tentatively along his forearm.
Blink. “Wh-what?” Bugsy was too astonished by the offer to remember his manners. He gaped.
"You're welcome to stay the night and for breakfast," he repeated, sitting up and letting the tiny Spinarak crawl its way slowly up his arm.
Bugsy blushed, embarrassed at himself for blurting out without speaking. He took a breath, finally getting up the courage to look at Falkner again. “…That is very kind of you,” he said. “If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like that. I’m sure they…” His gaze turned towards the Spinarak. “…would like it too.”
Falkner nodded, sitting up as the little Pokémon crawled its way up to his upper arm. "Good," he spoke, watching the little creature. "Do you want to sleep now or later?" he asked.
It seemed as though Falkner was glad he was staying, like he was not a burden. Bugsy smiled again, watching him and the Spinarak. “I’m fine now,” he said. “I don’t have to worry if I don’t have to walk back in the dark. Thank you.”
"You're welcome," he replied. "... If you are hungry, there's food in the refrigerator. Help yourself to it. I'll bring the Pokémon feed out, if you like," he offered, watching the Spinarak crawl down his arm quickly and leaning down to let it hop to the floor.
Bugsy nodded. “Yes, that would be great. Thank you.” The Pokémon looked a little tired already as it was. They’re playing was slowing down. “…They’ve had a long week,” Bugsy said absent-mindedly, reflecting. “But they’re happy.”
Falkner stood and edged around the little group, going to the kitchen and opening one of the cabinets. He brought out a large tupperware bowl filled with food he had made himself, and a large pan for all the Pokémon to share off of. He spread the feed evenly over it, and placed it down on the floor. Already the little Pidgey was hopping into the kitchen, eager to see what was going on.
The baby Spinarak followed after, making chirping noises when they smelled food. Bugsy got off the couch, stretching and then picked up the Spinarak’s parent, carrying it out to the kitchen. He had to hold himself back from laughing when he saw the Pidgey and the several baby Spinarak trying to get the food from Falkner.
Falkner placed the two babies at the edge of the pan, closing the large tupperware bowl and placing it back in the cabinet as the rest of the Pokémon came to investigate. After watching for a few minutes, Falkner glanced up at Bugsy. "Are you hungry?" he asked him.
Oh, he was spotted! Bugsy waved him off. “No, thank you! I’m quite alright.”
Ah, well. He shrugged, and settled down on the floor beside the Pokémon, watching them eat and gauging their reactions to his homemade food.
“This is probably the best food they’ve had in a while,” said Bugsy after a moment. “I only carried store-bought food with me because that was all I could get in Alph before I left. So I’m sure they are very appreciative.” Okay, so maybe he did not need to say all that, but Bugsy was still surprised Falkner was letting him stay there. He was grateful.
"It's all right," he replied. He looked up to glance at the young man square in the eye. "You can relax around me, you know," he spoke. He felt like a teacher speaking to a student; it was quite unnerving. "You are welcome here." Need he remind you, Bugsy?
“…” He did not know what to say to that. Being welcomed into someone’s home like this… Well, Bugsy did not know what else to be other than respectful. He usually always was. But when Falkner looked at him that way, he felt a bit nervous, as if he were being chided for being too polite. After a moment, he nodded, smiling. “I know. I’ll remember this time.” He almost said ‘thank you’ again, but he bit his tongue.
"It's fine," he said, patting the adult Spinarak gently before standing up again. "... Is there anything you'd like to do?" he asked, unsure of how to keep his guest entertained.
Bugsy tilted his head to the side, still smiling softly. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine. I should probably get them to bed when they’re done.”
Falkner nodded, head bowed as to hide the pink tinge that had returned to his cheeks. He was so bad at playing host, he felt rather shameful!
One of these days, Bugsy was going to get Falkner over to his gym and repay his kindness. But for now, he decided to give him a break. “Where do you want me?” Was there a guest room here?
Falkner thought for a moment, and spoke again. "I don't have a guest room, so you may share mine," he said. He stood up and left the kitchen, making his way to the closet. He took out a rolled up mat and several blankets, nudged the door shut with his foot, and headed to his own bedroom to set up the arrangements.
“Are you sure that’s okay?” Bugsy asked, following quickly. “I don’t want to impose…” This seemed a bit awkward. He didn’t want to run Falkner out of his own room.
"It's fine," he said, kneeling on the floor and spreading the mat out. He was soon arranging blankets, and tugging a pillow from under his own bed. "You sleep here," he said, pointing to the bed with the polished wooden frame. "I will be right back," he said, standing up to go to his dresser and pull out a pair of pajamas, and an extra pair for Bugsy. He left the room to change in the bathroom, returning in the clothes that looked somewhat odd on him compared to his usual blue yukata.
Bugsy waited patiently for Falkner to return. By that time, the little Spinarak and Pidgey had followed the two of them, still chirping and cooing happily from their meal. “I can’t take your bed,” he said when the other got back. “You shouldn’t have to give it up.”
"I'm not giving it up," he explained, and slipped under the blankets on the mat. It was a bit cold on the floor, but he'd be all right. It was about taking care of his guest, not about himself being completely comfortable right now.
That seemed like the end of the discussion! Bugsy stared at Falkner, sighed, and finally crawled into the bed. It was very comfortable, seeing as that he’d spent several nights in a row in a tent. “Good night,” he said after a few moments. “Sleep well.”
Falkner rolled over to face the other, and replied, "You too," to him, eyes falling closed. He wasn't sure what to say beyond that, so instead he made to force sleep upon himself.
When: BACKDATED - Saturday, January 6, night
Rating: PG
Warnings: SUGARYCUTEATTACK
Summary: Bugsy finally returns to Violet City with the little Spinarak like he said he would. Falkner's baby Pidgey feels better with visitors.
Notes: DIEOFCUTE.
Well, he was a few days later than he had promised. Bugsy had expected to make it to Violet City by Thursday, and it was Saturday night, now. His journey had required him to make frequent stops… The baby Spinarak were too young for pokéballs, and they tired of traveling easily. Most of the time, the Azalea Town gym leader and the young Spinarak rode on Heracross.
Now that he was finally here, Bugsy put Heracross away and walked along to Falkner’s gym. His main Spinarak was on his head and the curious babies followed behind him in a little line. It was a rather interesting sight to see.
Falkner stared down at the baby Pidgey in his lap. Its head was tucked under its wing, when normally it would be hopping around eagerly for dinner. He frowned, unsure of what else to do other than to force it to eat. He scratched along its wing, attempting to gently awaken it. His own dinner was sitting on the table, while Hoothoot was eating happily from his bowl, Pidgeot having flown off to find his meal of choice. When the Pidgey refused, he sighed and just stared at it. He was starting to feel rather helpless when it came to this poor thing.
After a few moments of silence, there was a knock on Falkner’s wall. “Sir…?” It was one of his students. “Forgive me for bothering you, but a guest has arrived. It’s the gym leader from Azalea Town.”
Falkner gave a nod, peering up at his student. "Let him in," he replied. Had it been anyone else, he wouldn't have even bothered answering. But Bugsy had rather grown on him, though he had not been there for very long. They had kept in touch, however, and it was through that medium that Falkner had grown to consider the young man a friend.
It was only a couple of minutes before Bugsy entered the room, the Spinarak following behind him in their neat parade. He nodded thanks to the student and then smiled, turning to Falkner.
“Good evening. I apologize for my tardiness.”
He shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He motioned for the young man to sit with him, and eyed the trail of little Spinarak behind him. A hint of an amused smile crossed his lips. "Playing mommy?" he questioned, petting the Pidgey's head gently. Out of curiosity, the Pidgey had popped its head up to observe the visitors, fluffing up its feathers indignantly.
Bugsy’s face became warm at the comment, but he laughed it off, joining Falkner on the couch. The Spinarak followed one by one, until they sat on the floor in front of them, blinking with wide eyes. “It’s a bit difficult,” he said. “But I really don’t mind.”
Falkner nodded. "Good," he replied. "How was your trip?" He asked, watching the little Pidgey flap its wings to stretch out some before hopping to its feet.
“Tiring!” Bugsy said without thinking. But then he remembered his place and regained his composure. “It takes a long time to get from here to the Alphs already, and I constantly had to stop for the babies. You can’t rush them when they are so little.”
He nodded again in agreement, leaning back on the couch some. "They look strong and healthy for their age," he told him, watching them blink up at the both of them with beady eyes. "Healthiest ones at that age I've ever seen, really." His own cheeks tinged a slight shade of pink; compliments, for him, were hard to issue out. But he was working on it!
Bugsy had to turn to look at Falkner, eyes lighting up a bit. “Th-thank you! That means a lot.” He smiled, pleased. His older Spinarak moved off of his head and onto the floor to look around and make sure things were safe.
The baby Pidgey looked up, recognizing the young man and hopped into his lap, fluffing up its feathers happily and bumping its head gently against his hand. At the look from the other, he bowed his head down a little, as if to hide his face! "You're welcome," he replied, looking up again when he felt composed once more.
Ah? The young Pidgey seemed to remember him, and that made Bugsy happy. He pet the soft feathers, still smiling. “So. Have you had any better luck with him since we last talked?”
A shake of his head. "Not quite. He's lonely. He can't play with the older Pokémon because they'd be too rough with him, and as a human, I'm not all that entertaining to him," he replied. "There's no other Pidgeys out at this time of year, so there has been even less hope of finding him a playmate."
Still the same, huh? Bugsy frowned, looking down at the Pidgey. “He’s very light, too. He doesn’t even want to eat?”
"No," he spoke. "If you were lonely and depressed, would you want to eat?" he asked him, turning to look straight at Bugsy.
Bugsy was thrown off a bit when Falkner looked at him like that. He slumped a little, turning his head away. “No. I suppose not.” One of the baby Spinarak moved up onto the couch and nudged the little Pidgey gently.
The baby Pidgey spun around, peering right into the face of the baby Spinarak. The little bird nuzzled its beak under one of the baby Spinarak's legs, as if to experiment a little as to what it was. Falkner's eyes fell on the pair, and he began to watch. "Look," he said, diverting Bugsy's view from whatever the hell down to the two little Pokémon between them.
Urgh! Bugsy turned back when Falkner beckoned him. He immediately caught sight of the Pokémon. Hey, this was good. At least the Pidgey seemed interested. “Be nice,” he said, smiling to the Spinarak. It seemed to listen, patting the Pidgey’s beak gently. Bugsy’s spirits were revived, and he smiled again, leaning back against the couch. He usually sat up straight and polite, but he wanted the Pokémon to feel relaxed.
The little Pidgey let out a pleased chirp, one that Falkner had not heard from the little thing in several days. The Pidgey ruffled its feathers, nudging its beak against its foot again. Out of curiosity, Falkner stood to cross the living room and open a small box stashed in the side table drawer, pulling out a plastic ball with a bell in it. He sat back down, placing the Pidgey and the Spinarak back on the floor, and placed the ball between them.
The other Spinarak seemed to be enthralled with the object that made the noise, and they watched as the baby batted it over to the Pidgey, making a small cooing sound. Bugsy was delighted. He leaned forward to watch, ready to intrude if one of the Spinarak got rough.
Falkner leaned in as well, watching the Pidgey nudge the little ball back to the Spinarak, ruffling its feathers again and making a little coo of its own.
It warmed Bugsy’s heart. Haa, maybe he was getting a bit carried away. But he was happy for Falkner, really. He seemed very concerned for the Pidgey’s well-being, and now that it was happier, Falkner looked considerably better. After a while, Bugsy found his gaze trailing over to rest on Falkner, watching his expressions.
And Falkner did look less stressed. He looked hopeful, watching the tiny bird hop around, playing with the little baby Spinarak. He was even smiling, albeit a small one. The lines of worry that had been in his face were now gone, and he didn't look so tired anymore from the stress and worry.
Bugsy’s eyes softened a bit, and he looked back at the Pokémon on the ground. But he noticed that it was getting darker by the moment and he still had a way to go before he reached Azalea. So much for the happy moment. He reached down, brushing his fingers through the Pidgey’s feathers.
“I should go. I don’t want to keep you up.”
Falkner looked up to the other, having leaned down to let one of the baby Spinaraks crawl into his palm. Maybe this was a bad idea, but he'd think about it later. "...You are welcome to stay the night if you like, and for breakfast as well," he offered, watching the Spinarak begin to crawl tentatively along his forearm.
Blink. “Wh-what?” Bugsy was too astonished by the offer to remember his manners. He gaped.
"You're welcome to stay the night and for breakfast," he repeated, sitting up and letting the tiny Spinarak crawl its way slowly up his arm.
Bugsy blushed, embarrassed at himself for blurting out without speaking. He took a breath, finally getting up the courage to look at Falkner again. “…That is very kind of you,” he said. “If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like that. I’m sure they…” His gaze turned towards the Spinarak. “…would like it too.”
Falkner nodded, sitting up as the little Pokémon crawled its way up to his upper arm. "Good," he spoke, watching the little creature. "Do you want to sleep now or later?" he asked.
It seemed as though Falkner was glad he was staying, like he was not a burden. Bugsy smiled again, watching him and the Spinarak. “I’m fine now,” he said. “I don’t have to worry if I don’t have to walk back in the dark. Thank you.”
"You're welcome," he replied. "... If you are hungry, there's food in the refrigerator. Help yourself to it. I'll bring the Pokémon feed out, if you like," he offered, watching the Spinarak crawl down his arm quickly and leaning down to let it hop to the floor.
Bugsy nodded. “Yes, that would be great. Thank you.” The Pokémon looked a little tired already as it was. They’re playing was slowing down. “…They’ve had a long week,” Bugsy said absent-mindedly, reflecting. “But they’re happy.”
Falkner stood and edged around the little group, going to the kitchen and opening one of the cabinets. He brought out a large tupperware bowl filled with food he had made himself, and a large pan for all the Pokémon to share off of. He spread the feed evenly over it, and placed it down on the floor. Already the little Pidgey was hopping into the kitchen, eager to see what was going on.
The baby Spinarak followed after, making chirping noises when they smelled food. Bugsy got off the couch, stretching and then picked up the Spinarak’s parent, carrying it out to the kitchen. He had to hold himself back from laughing when he saw the Pidgey and the several baby Spinarak trying to get the food from Falkner.
Falkner placed the two babies at the edge of the pan, closing the large tupperware bowl and placing it back in the cabinet as the rest of the Pokémon came to investigate. After watching for a few minutes, Falkner glanced up at Bugsy. "Are you hungry?" he asked him.
Oh, he was spotted! Bugsy waved him off. “No, thank you! I’m quite alright.”
Ah, well. He shrugged, and settled down on the floor beside the Pokémon, watching them eat and gauging their reactions to his homemade food.
“This is probably the best food they’ve had in a while,” said Bugsy after a moment. “I only carried store-bought food with me because that was all I could get in Alph before I left. So I’m sure they are very appreciative.” Okay, so maybe he did not need to say all that, but Bugsy was still surprised Falkner was letting him stay there. He was grateful.
"It's all right," he replied. He looked up to glance at the young man square in the eye. "You can relax around me, you know," he spoke. He felt like a teacher speaking to a student; it was quite unnerving. "You are welcome here." Need he remind you, Bugsy?
“…” He did not know what to say to that. Being welcomed into someone’s home like this… Well, Bugsy did not know what else to be other than respectful. He usually always was. But when Falkner looked at him that way, he felt a bit nervous, as if he were being chided for being too polite. After a moment, he nodded, smiling. “I know. I’ll remember this time.” He almost said ‘thank you’ again, but he bit his tongue.
"It's fine," he said, patting the adult Spinarak gently before standing up again. "... Is there anything you'd like to do?" he asked, unsure of how to keep his guest entertained.
Bugsy tilted his head to the side, still smiling softly. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine. I should probably get them to bed when they’re done.”
Falkner nodded, head bowed as to hide the pink tinge that had returned to his cheeks. He was so bad at playing host, he felt rather shameful!
One of these days, Bugsy was going to get Falkner over to his gym and repay his kindness. But for now, he decided to give him a break. “Where do you want me?” Was there a guest room here?
Falkner thought for a moment, and spoke again. "I don't have a guest room, so you may share mine," he said. He stood up and left the kitchen, making his way to the closet. He took out a rolled up mat and several blankets, nudged the door shut with his foot, and headed to his own bedroom to set up the arrangements.
“Are you sure that’s okay?” Bugsy asked, following quickly. “I don’t want to impose…” This seemed a bit awkward. He didn’t want to run Falkner out of his own room.
"It's fine," he said, kneeling on the floor and spreading the mat out. He was soon arranging blankets, and tugging a pillow from under his own bed. "You sleep here," he said, pointing to the bed with the polished wooden frame. "I will be right back," he said, standing up to go to his dresser and pull out a pair of pajamas, and an extra pair for Bugsy. He left the room to change in the bathroom, returning in the clothes that looked somewhat odd on him compared to his usual blue yukata.
Bugsy waited patiently for Falkner to return. By that time, the little Spinarak and Pidgey had followed the two of them, still chirping and cooing happily from their meal. “I can’t take your bed,” he said when the other got back. “You shouldn’t have to give it up.”
"I'm not giving it up," he explained, and slipped under the blankets on the mat. It was a bit cold on the floor, but he'd be all right. It was about taking care of his guest, not about himself being completely comfortable right now.
That seemed like the end of the discussion! Bugsy stared at Falkner, sighed, and finally crawled into the bed. It was very comfortable, seeing as that he’d spent several nights in a row in a tent. “Good night,” he said after a few moments. “Sleep well.”
Falkner rolled over to face the other, and replied, "You too," to him, eyes falling closed. He wasn't sure what to say beyond that, so instead he made to force sleep upon himself.