Set in the original region of Arciel, Legends Rising is a route-inspired, but not strictly route-based, Pokemon roleplay. Pick a faction, pick a class, and strike out into the wild to take on the League, master Contest coordination, research the mysteries of Pokemon and Arciel, and much, much more. Will you be a classic trainer? A criminal? A farmer? Choose your destiny on Legends Rising.
Gabe had been rather busy post Halloween shenanigans. He’d met a few people, done a few things, the like. He’d found a number in his pocket that he’d almost forgotten about until it dawned on him just who it was from, and he’d swapped a few texts with the Dusknoir since then. It happened to come up while Gabe was planning a trip down to Pine Town for other reasons, the subject of where Dusknoir lived also came to be Pine Town. Well, why not kill two birds with one stone, figuratively or literally in this case? Heh.
He attended to some other business first before finally texting Dusknoir back and mentioning he was finally in town. They settled on meeting up at a local restaurant, and now Gabe was sitting at a booth towards the front going over the menu a couple of times while he waited. Dusknoir wasn’t particularly late. Gabe was just early, and he liked it that way as it gave him time to get in, get settled, and figure out what he wanted first and foremost. His waitress had a sneaking suspicion he was being stood up, though, and kept shooting sympathetic glances every time she moved in to refill his water.
With the cool weather in full swing, Gabe wasn’t taking many chances anymore. Jeans sealed in his legs, and snow boots stuck out from them. He wore a long shirt and a fuzzy blue hoodie over it. The tan coat he had shed at least was pushed up against the wall side of the booth and also had gloves and a hat stashed in its pockets. Nasty out. It really was, heh. A jingle had Gabe briefly glancing up out of habit, and ah was that what Dusknoir looked like out of that costume, hmmm? A hand reached up and gave a brief wave in case he didn’t see him.
After he'd given his number to the Chandelure at the ball, Koray hadn't given much thought about whether or not they would contact him again. While it would be nice to see them again, the ball had been anonymous for a reason. Still, the thrill he'd had dancing that night... it had been fun and well, he hadn't felt like that for a long time. So the text he'd gotten from an unknown number had been a pleasant surprise. As it turned out, Chandelure was going to be in Pine for something or another which was a happy coincidence.
The decision had been made to meet at a nearby restaurant which was laughably, the very same restaurant that he worked at with his adoptive father. Seemed the Chandelure had good taste in food. It also meant that he could probably twist his father's arm to comp the meals this time. Koray had stopped at home to wear something a little more decent, a little more formal for this meeting. Maybe it was to keep the same impression he'd had at the dance, but... if this did turn out to be a date, he didn't want to show up in a t-shirt and jeans.
Dressed in black pants and a long-sleeve light brown knit shirt, Koray was certainly dressed for the weather. It was more than a little cold but that was sort of to be expected for this time of year. The dark brown coat he had on was warm enough, lined with fur that kept him warm even in the worst of weather. Stepping into the restaurant, Koray sighed when he felt the rush of warm air and looked around to see exactly where he was supposed to be. One of the waitresses recognized him and blushed, she apparently hadn't been expecting the owner's son to show up. A brief wave would be given to the waitress before heading over to the table. Hopefully this was Chandelure and he wasn't about to royally embarass himself.
"Chandelure, I presume~?" Koray asked, waiting for an answer one way or the other before shedding his coat and setting it aside. The next to come off would be the gloves. "May I say you look quite dazzling, even without the costume." Of course, Koray hadn't really expecting anything less with how confident the Chandelure had been regarding their looks that evening.
Golden eyes flashed between his date and the waitress he was waiting at before dropping to the water that filled his glass. Gabe took a slow sip right after and set it down again. As the Dusknoir closed the distance between them and spoke first, Gabe smiled in response. “Indeed,” he answered with a small chuckle in his voice.
The compliment earned a wry grin right back, and Gabe sat back momentarily in a somewhat questionable pose before easing forward again. “I have to say you’re much more handsome without that mask on,” he replied playfully back.
Setting an elbow on the table and resting his cheek in his hand, he smiled. “Name’s Gabe outside of the masquerade… what’s yours?” Was he looking him over very blatantly? Yes, yes he was.
As soon as the Chandelure gave an affirmative answer, Koray slid into the seat across from him and set his jacket to the side against the wall. The waitress seemed a bit disappointed now that he was clearly meeting someone else. Heh, seemed she had a bit of a crush on him. Oh well, not that he'd given her much reason to be interested. Just meant that this might be a little more awkward. Thankfully the waitress simply got their drinks and left, giving him a little more time to peruse the menu.
The wry grin he saw on the Chandelure's face earned a smile from Koray as well. Of course, the following compliment had him blushing a little, running a hand through his hair briefly, "Why thank you~," he mused, feeling a little warmer now than usual. Ah, why did this stranger have such a natural tendency to fluster him. His heart was already beating faster.
Smiling a little as he heard Gabe's name, he stopped briefly. He'd heard that name before... several times from Ara specifically. But, she'd never actually said his last name or what he'd looked like. Probably not the same one. "I'm Koray, nice to meet you, Gabe~," he stated, feeling his face warm again just by the way he was being studied. Right, changing the subject, "Nice choice of restaurant by the way. I actually work here with my adoptive dad. I guess it's as close to me cooking for you as you'll get on the first... or is it second date now?" the thought that he was actually... dating again was a little strange. But maybe... maybe it was just time to move on.
The color that came to the Dusknoir’s face had Gabe smiling a little more playfully. Goodness he was such a fidgety thing, wasn’t he? He was practically opening himself up to be messed with, really. Koray… Gabe squirreled the name away in his memories for later. “I’d say nice to meet you too, but I do believe we’ve already met,” he teased flashing a grin before letting his features relax again.
At the mention of the restaurant choice, Gabe blinked a couple of times surprised. Really? What were the odds of that? He knew Koray was a chef, but still. “What a small world. I picked it mostly for the choices it offered online,” he laughed a little. Glancing down at the menu again, he eyeballed it anew with this information. He halfheartedly wondered what Koray would do if he ordered the most expensive thing on the menu now that it was his responsibility to foot the bill. Heh… “Tell me, what would you suggest from here?” he asked thereafter.
The retort about having already met had Koray chuckling, feeling a little more at ease. This was just as fun as dancing had been, they were just meeting to have a nice lunch and that was it. "Touche~," Koray mused, chuckling a little. The mention of working in this restaurant clearly surprised Gabe which was a nice change. It steered the conversation away from him and back to the menu.
"Oh really? That was a good idea then~," Koray laughed, he'd actually been the one to suggest the website and a few of the other staff helped him to get it up and maintain it. "Mmm, as for suggestions~... the pasta is made fresh daily, none of the dried supermarket noodles here. Trust me, it's to die for. The servings are pretty big though so unless you're terribly hungry, we could split something instead?" If not, that was fine too. There were other things on the menu that would be just as delicious.
"If pasta's not your speed, the soups are pretty good as well," Koray explained, pointing to a couple of his favorites, "Don't worry about the bill either. Pretty sure I can get it comped if I twist my dad's arm enough~. Order what you like, just... don't go crazy."
Hmmm… He did like pasta when it was good pasta, and he could probably eat an entire plate on his own even with the serving size warning. His body might not be happy with the decision later, but it would certainly taste good in the moment. Hmmm… but then Koray mentioned the soups, and Gabe glanced sideways at them as well.
Gabe’s gaze flicked up to Koray as he spoke, and Gabe bit the inside of his mouth to keep the wild grin that threatened his features at bay. That was exactly what he wanted to hear (aside from the warning not to go crazy, damn…). Couldn’t beat a free meal with a stick.
“I think I’ll go with the chicken alfredo then,” he commented. A pause. “Want to split it and order salad on the side?” And maybe some breadsticks too actually… but bleh bred and pasta were both heavy and hhhhhh…. Never mind that he had fully intended to order something else just a second ago, heh.
There was no way Koray could miss the slight change in expression when he gave Gabe permission to order whatever they'd like. If nothing else, he could tell his dad to take it out of his next paycheck or something like that. Knowing him though, his dad wouldn't have a problem with it. If it was just the one time and if they didn't order the most expensive things on the menu. The decision for chicken alfredo was met with a nod and a smile. "Good choice, we can get the family sized portion. The bruschetta is amazing for an appetizer as well. If you like side salads I'd recommend the house or the caesar."
Now he just had to get the waitresses attention. Oh look, she was coming this way and... looked a little guarded, disappointed even. Arceus, do I have to deal with drama wherever I go?"Hey Cathy, we're ready to order~," Koray said, watching as the waitress put on a plastic smile and take their order, first Gabe's... rather pointedly, he might add, and then his. "I'd like the bruschetta appetizer and... maybe some dessert later if you'd like, that is," Koray finished, looking back to Gabe to see what he had to say on the matter.
Gabe’s lips twitched up high at the mention of a family sized portion. That was at least double the regular wasn’t it? Or maybe even a little bit more. He wasn’t sure what a bruschetta was but was not about to turn it down either. “Hmmm house,” he decidedat the mention of the different salads. Cesar was practically gutted with just lettuce and cheese (and whatever meat they sometimes added on top to try and fill it out). He wanted those peppers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, and whatever else was stacked on top of a house.
Looking up from the menu again to find the waitress side-eyeing him now, Gabe blinked a couple of times. His gaze flicked from her to Koray and back again as he addressed her, and a small smile came and went from his features. He ordered what he’d already said he was going to and then set down the menu again. After Koray had ordered and the waitress had taken their menus again, he mentioned wanting hot tea now rather than water, and the waitress gave a quick “Sure” in response before heading off.
Only once she was out of ear shot did Gabe glanced back to Koray. “My what did you do to her?” he asked with a small tease as he set his elbow down on the table and leaned his cheek in his palm again.
Koray would nod at Gabe's choice of salad, that was a better choice honestly considering there were so much better ingredients that went into it. Caesar was always good, but there was a lot more nutrition that went into a house salad. Cathy would be called over shortly afterwards and left after taking their order (and an additional hot tea) without another glance at Koray. In fact, it could very well be said that she avoided eye contact with him altogether. Just wonderful... Hopefully he wouldn't be stuck with her on his next shift but really, who knew at this point. Maybe he'd talk to dad about changing the schedule around so it was less awkward.
As soon as she left, Koray sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose to stay off a headache. The least she could do was be professional, yeesh. At the teasing question, Koray looked up and smirked a little at Gabe. "Actually, it's what you did," Koray corrected, giving a bit of a forced laugh, "Cathy has a bit of a crush on me. Then I show up to work on my day off to meet you." A dismissive hand gesture would be given after that before Koray ran a hand through his hair. This was all too much fuss for him to deal with right now. He just wanted to talk with Gabe and be left alone, was that too much to ask?
What you did— Gabe’s features immediately fell, and he shifted some to glanced sideways at the waitress. He didn’t say anything for a moment or two and just reached to pick up his tea cup now and take a slow sip. Well, the waitress was kind of cute, he decided, in that waitress at a restaurant type of way. He bet if she let her hair down and swapped out for a different outfit, she would be perfectly adequate looking. Even if they had just ordered, Gabe kind of wanted to get up and out of the restaurant now. Hmmm….
Words: 170 | Tag:Gabe Alim | Notes: Open mouth, insert foot.
Shit. The moment he had tried to return the tease, Gabe's face fell and he got really quiet. That wasn't the reaction he'd been expecting. Hadn't Gabe been teasing him about Cathy's behavior just a little bit ago though? "Ah... sorry..." Koray mumbled, running a hand through his hair sheepishly, "I mean... I've been telling her I'm not interested since I've... been going through a tough time since my last ex. Long story... it's complicated. Then she sees me with you and assumes..." he continued, shaking his head as he trails off briefly. Sigh.
"Guess she thinks I'm lying now but it's whatever. Sorry you got dragged into my drama though. And... sorry, guess I shouldn't tease as much," Koray mumbled, hoping that at least the bruschetta would get out here soon. Though... now that he thought about it, Gabe had been fine with the mild flirting during the ball? Did something change? Best not think about it.
Gabe’s eyes flicked sideways back to Koray as he spoke up. An ex? That was kind of vaguely interesting, especially with the modifiers that it was a long story and complicated. A small smile quirked on his features before relaxing again. “It just seems a little mean to tease someone like this,” he answered sitting back and making a small head gesture to the waitress (or where she had been if she hadn’t moved back into the back just then). Koray could have chosen a different restaurant, after all, but he had chosen this one. “But anyways….” He’d let the conversation shift for now.
Koray sighed a bit when Gabe answered and ran a hand through his hair. It hadn't been intentional by any means but well, he could see how it could be misconstrued. "I didn't think she was working today, honestly and well, you didn't seem to mind the teasing at the ball. I... don't tease like that. Not normally," Koray explained, glad to let the subject drop after that. The ball had been special. He'd been anonymous, free to have a little fun if he wanted.
"Anyways, you know what I do, clearly. This restaurant is pretty much my second home. What do you do for work or... do you have any hobbies or anything?" Koray asked after a moment, sitting back and trying not think about the looks Cathy kept giving him. Maybe a different restaurant would've been a better idea...
What did he do for work, for play, for otherwise? Heh, Gabe smiled a little and looked back more directly at Koray. “I’m registered under the league as an explorer, but I mostly work odd jobs right now,” he hummed a little. “I’ve been working on getting out more, but certain adventures take a lot of time, preparation, and planning.” A pause. “Well, if one wants to be successful anyways.” A small laugh came and went from Gabe.
He paused and fished out a Pokeball before immediately releasing a large Charmander onto the seat next to him. “This is my partner in crime, Lizbeth,” Gabe laughed. Lizbeth blinked looking from Gabe to Koray and back again before shifting her tail around and sitting head to shoulder with Gabe. “We’ve been doing quite a bit of training out on the Routes lately.” Lizbeth side-eyed Gabe but then looked forward at Koray and gave a small not back. That was true even if she didn’t like the reminder that Gabe had also caught a frickin Charizard out along the last Route. Hmph, what was this meeting or whatever even about, Gabe? Why did you call her out? As an arm shifted around her, though, Liz got her answer. Ah, he was uncomfortable.
As Gabe answered, Koray's eyes grew bright at the mention of being an explorer. That actually sounded... really nice? Exploring Arciel and just, looking around and seeing everything. If he hadn't been tied to the restaurant more or less, Koray might have been tempted but he was still a little leery to just, leave everything behind when he had finally found a home. It wasn't something he wanted to give up so easily, especially given his track record of messing things up. "That sounds like a lot of fun! Have you seen anything cool in Arciel so far?" Koray asked, leaning forward a little. Well, at least before a Charmander was suddenly released.
Blinking a few times, Koray smiled easily when the Charmander was introduced as Lizbeth. She was certainly a cute one, that's for sure. "Nice to meet you Lizbeth, you sure are a beauty~," Koray mused softly, he knew Rowan had been visiting the kitchens, perhaps now was as good a time as any to introduce him. "I think my partner's actually bringing the bruschetta. Guess he wanted to save me from Cathy," a kind of nervous laugh was all that followed as he felt, more than saw, the shiny Phantump coming their way, a plate balanced on his head and tea in hand. Heh, how cute.
"Good job, Rowan~," Koray praised, standing to take the plate from him before anything fell. The bruschetta looked great as always, and Rowan even poured the tea for them. "Rowan, this is Gabe. We met at the ball the other night though I'm not sure you saw them. Lizbeth is the Charmander," Rowan floated over by Koray's shoulder and waved at both, the plate would be set down in between them while Koray pet his Phantump, a little relieved he'd shown up when he had. "I got him at the lab in Birch a few weeks back, he's pretty special." Of course, there was more than one reason for that but Gabe didn't need to know about his spirit sensing. That wasn't exactly a first or second date conversation.
Gabe breathed a little easier with Lizbeth close by— not that anyone aside from Lizbeth would even notice either way. She was his safety net and warm blanket all wrapped up into one. With her there, now, he answered Koray’s question briefly. “So far just the ocean. I’ve been to Cedar Town, Birch City, and now here.” Lizbeth closed her eyes briefly and nodded at the compliment in thanks. She was very pretty and knew it, but it was still nice to hear.
At the mention of Koray’s own Pokemon, Gabe glanced back over his shoulder to assess just how many were in the restaurant. Ah, only one. Well that made the guess easy. A shiny though…. Gabe smiled a little. Shinies were worth quite a bit at market. A thought for later, though. “Nice to meet you, Rowan,” Gabe hummed back. Lizbeth gave a small nod to the Ghost type too.
Half a dozen questions had come to Gabe, but as Koray spoke, they faded out. “Very special, shinies are quite rare even with certain items on your person,” he commented fishing up the cup of tea and drinking some before handing it sideways to Liz. She took a small sip, decided it didn’t taste good, and set it on the table again. “I take it you’re a fairly new trainer then? Going to start your journey soon or something of that like?” There were other reasons that one received Pokemon from the lab, but that was the most common one Gabe had ever come by.
“I’ve had Lizbeth for a couple of years now,” Gabe commented. “Though I haven’t been training all of that time.” He shrugged his shoulders. Even the most dedicated of trainrs tended to have bumps in the road, so he’d let that impression fall like that.
Koray nodded when Gabe went on to explain where he'd been thus far. It might not have been very far in Arciel, but it was further than Koray had traveled thus far. He'd been to Birch, a few routes, and Pine and well, that was about it. There had been a few times he'd considered going to Bass but... there were several good reason why he avoided that city for the time being. It was nice to see that Lizbeth appreciated the compliment he'd made thereafter though. Shortly after, Rowan came and cooed happily at the greeting. The Phantump seemed to puff up a little at being called rare which earned a soft chuckle from Koray. Yes, Rowan was special, and one of the best partners he could ask for.
"Yeah? Well, I guess I must have a special touch. I have a shiny Litwick and a gorgeous unique colored Yamask. Perhaps after we're done eating, I can show you. It... kind of happened by accident, but I guess I favor ghost and dark types," Koray explained briefly, taking a sip of his tea thereafter. He would nod at the question about being fairly new and shrugged a little at the follow up, "My adoptive father actually convinced me to get Rowan. I haven't really gotten the confidence to explore the routes that much though. And my job's in Pine so... I suppose yes, but... I don't really like straying too far from home, I guess."
Hearing that Gabe had Lizbeth for a couple of years had Koray nodding. Yeah, he could tell that the two were close. That wasn't a bond that could be forged over mere weeks. "I can tell you're close. That's a special bond to have. I guess to me, it doesn't matter if you have been training a lot. I'm close to Rowan because... well, we just understand each other. Maybe it hasn't been all that long but... it's like I've known him so much longer," Koray explained, shaking his head as he struggled to explain the bond he felt so clearly. Right, there was food to be had, "The bruschetta's great though, care for a piece?" he continued, pushing the plate a little closer to Gabe. He'd had it before but considering Gabe was the guest, Koray wanted to give him the first choice.
Shiny Phantump and Shiny Litwick? And a different colored Yamask? Gabe’s lips parted for a moment and then immediately closed. A smile curled onto his features instead. “I’d love to see them,” he answered the offer. Dark and Ghost types… Hm, interesting. “You might consider getting a Flying type that can carry you,” Gabe commented at the follow up. “They make travel a lot easier.”
A hum escaped from Gabe as Koray spoke, and a small nod was given at the mention of bonds. “That’s wonderful,” he answered briefly. And part of the reason I don’t steal Pokemon… Usually, anyways.
The mention of food drew Gabe’s attention back down to the table again. “Ah, yes…” A hand reached for one of the bruschetta, and the other broke it in half handing over one piece to Lizbeth while raising the other to Gabe’s mouth. “Oh wow—“ Gabe paused and then smiled. “This is very good…” He could probably sit and eat the entire thing by himself, but he wouldn’t admit that then. “Impressive…”
Liz rolled her head one way and then the other before frowning at the taste before looking up at Koray. Needed more spice! The noise out of her conveyed that clearly. Gabe immediately snorted. “Humans can’t eat that level of hot, Lizzy,” he reminded her. The Charmander immediately rolled her eyes in response. It didn’t matter. It needed to be hotter!
Gabe snickered. “Chew on coals.” The Charmander immediately scoffed and picked up another of the bruschetta and shoving it directly in her mouth before the smell of smoke made it clear what she was doing— burning it in her mouth. Chomping after, she gave a sagely nod. Yes, that was a better taste.
Koray smiled and nodded when Gabe mentioned that he'd like to see his other pokemon. "Certainly~, I'm sure they'd love showing off. Admittedly, Lórien is a little shy but Elanor loves to meet people," Koray explained briefly, nodding at the suggestion that came thereafter, "I actually have a Murkrow, Rowlet, and a Gastly. They're still too small to carry me per say, but I'll get them there eventually." Exactly when that would be remained to be seen but well, the restaurant did take up quite a bit of his time.
Explaining about the bond between him and Rowan took a bit more time and was met with a kind of embarrassed blush after Gabe's response. Of course, he diverted the conversation back to food and grinned when it seemed that the bruschetta was well received. "Glad you like it~," Koray mused, taking a piece for himself and Rowan while he was at it. The response from Lizbeth however had Koray chuckling. Mmmm, there were some red pepper flakes on the table. Perhaps that would add some spice to the bruschetta for the Charmander.
Rowan however was quite enjoying the little snack. Even if ghost pokemon didn't need to eat, per say, he still enjoyed a few treats here and there. "Here, Lizbeth. Try adding some of these to it," Koray suggested, handing the pepper to the Charmander. He didn't know if she could put it on herself or not but well, Gabe could probably help her if nothing else. Oh... was she... burning it? Heh, that was pretty funny actually. "That's one way to add extra heat, I suppose," Koray chuckled, finishing the piece of bruschetta he was on.
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