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Post by Hugh Wells on Mar 19, 2014 14:16:16 GMT -5
AND I SAID HELLO, AUBRE The man had came to the large establishment known as the mall to participate in some harmless shopping for his grandparents. Unfortunately, what he originally came to purchase was out of stock in the store that usually carried it, therefore he would have to play treasure hunt in the dozens of different stores stretched out throughout the mall.
The Pokemon that accompanied the young intelligent man was his old 'nanny', a deaf Kangaskhan by the name of Marie. The older Pokemon would often use her pouch to carry miscellaneous things as she had long since lost her baby due to the years. As Hugh headed into one of the stores he managed to find something similar to what his grandparents were requesting. Two sweaters with thermal built right into the stitching along with a matching pair of socks, his grandparents had wanted a very specific color and design.
Nanny Marie smiled at the man before reaching for the bag after the items had been purchased and stuffing them into her pouch neatly. Hugh reached into his back jeans pocket and retrieved a crinkled piece of paper that acted a shopping list. He retrieved a nub of a pencil from the same pocket and scratched off 'sweaters' from the list. "Now they want...some kind of lotion made from Miltank Milk." Where did his grandparents even hear of this stuff? Hugh exited the clothing store and walked down the mall, smiling warmly at a pair of young women that walked by with bags in tow.
His destination would be a fragrances store that sold all kinds of lotions, bath soaps, bath beads, colognes, and so forth. After diving into the store and buying the somewhat expensive lotions, Nanny Marie would place the bag right next to the other one within her pouch. The old Kangaskhan was beginning to look tired from following the man back and forth across the mall, yet Hugh wasn't quite finished shopping yet. Normally the man would walk his pokemon, (anyone really), home. The trainer reached for a pokeball in his pocket and released a Dragonite. "Xander, could you do me a favor and walk Nanny Marie home? I'm not quite done here yet." The large bipedal dragon nodded and patted his chest roughly with a claw. "No problem." The dragon spoke.
The man turned to the kangaroo pokemon and signed a few words to her indicating that Xander would be taking her home and he would come home later. Nanny Marie smiled and nodded before following the dragon out of the mall. Xander was a wise dragon, he had been his mother's pokemon and had vowed to looked after his late trainer's son. He could be depended on to look after Nanny Marie and get her home safetly.
Taking a deep breath the man turned around, adjusting his jacket, and heading in the opposite direction. It looked as though he had finished everything on the list for his grandparents, maybe it was time for him to do a little shopping for his self, something he rarely did. Hugh was the kind of guy to always give, but never take. Others needed his help more than the other way around. He didn't ask for favors and was always willing to lend a helping hand, he was the Chansey of human beings in a sense.
As he headed up the escalator to the second floor he spotted a familiar head of strawberry blond hair. For a second the man's heart sunk, probably due to surprise more than anything. He never really expected to run into people he knew outside of the restaurant. Without further hesitation, the man approached the familiar blond. "Long time no see Aubre." He spoke up in friendly tone so as not to frighten the young woman off.
644 words /o/ i just got a weird plot idea. (i should disregard it)
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Post by Aubre Ellen McKenna on Mar 22, 2014 2:27:13 GMT -5
(I love weird plot ideas. Hit me up.)
Why did someone call in on her day off? Didn’t anyone care that she might have a life outside of mixing potions, counseling sick Pokemon, and running a cash register? You know full well you don’t. Everyone else likely knew it too. She likely had lifeless loser with a slug’s esteem written across her forehead. Alister had written worse before. Paranoid hands wiped across her brow. Had he managed to scribble on her when she was looking elsewhere? The redhead waited. They remained pale and unblemished—except for hints of white scars.
Bags, those of her newest customer, tumbled onto the tiny countertop. The first one slipped across the scanner. Today, with her coworker ill, she had no opportunity to hide in the backroom. She was laid bare, ready to be lashed with angry tongues, before the customers. She seems like a nice lady.
Today, as Serena was at home with a stmach ache, it was the Helioptile sitting upon the counter. His beady blue eyes, filled with nothing but boredom, watched as the customer gathered her bag. A lazy wave. Ivory claws flashed. He returned to picking
Ching! “T-thank you for shopping at McKion’s.” Clang! The cash drawer, now heavier with money, slammed closed. A lock slid into place. Like a sad prisoner, the money was forever locked away. In another half-an-hour, as the store closed early today, she could batten the hatches, lock the door, and put away the day’s garbage. Is it just me, or is the clock moving slowly? The emerald-eyed girl, standing at attention in an empty shop, began to fidget. Foot to the left. Foot to the right. Fingers reaching up to place a curl behind her ears. This was the dangerous time. Most robberies in this area occurred before closing. She had to be attentive. The clock, beckoning with its minute hand, Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock! Was it time to leave yet? Now?
Twenty eight minutes to go. Aubre tried her best, from that moment on, to avoid glancing directly at the clock—it was difficult. Her curiosity, even while hidden beneath her nervous exterior, kept sneaking peeks. An eternity later, which lasted only twenty-five minutes, she had exited the little store.
Her feet hurt.
Her favorite television show was coming on!
She could barely keep her eyes open.
Home. Her mind chanted the word repeatedly.
Her hopes of going home, leaving this place behind quickly, were dashed. Alister spoke up and grabbed at her hand; his claws buzzed with static. Emerald eyes filled with prayer. What if he just wanted to be thankful for the day together? “I need to buy something—come on Mouse.“So much for that. Deciding to give the electric-type the benefit of the doubt, deciding his purchase wasn’t frivolous. Gesturing him forward, watching him bound through the crowd, she followed behind at a slower pace. “Hurry up! I need your wallet!” Tired eyes blinked up at the sign with a frown. The plastic Mantyke, which guarded her money, was tugged from her hands. Was this a DVD store? Was anything in there worth prolonging her torture? The clicking of claws on the floor, from a distant dog, set her heart racing.
A flash of orange and cream, jutting just above a shelf of CDs, turned emerald eyes to dilated black. Turning away, focusing on the television broadcasting advertisements, Aubre quietly called out to her friend. Begging. Feminine words, a bit tentative, emerged from her chewed lips.“Please, Alister, if you can, h-hurry up.” The little clawed hand, with a show of irritation, waved away her pleas. It wasn’t like she was the one shopping—he had no issue waiting for crowds, letting others get in life first, and peeking at all the packages for information. He was a quick shopper. “I’ll be back—chill out.” The clock seemed even slower than before, Aubre wondered if it was running backwards. Would she be a toddler swaddled in a hoody before too long?
A voice. Male. For a moment, as it sounded familiar, her heart sank. Rather quickly, for being exhausted anyway, she realized who it was. She had ran into him once or twice at the restaurant. It had become her boss’ favorite restaurant. It was awkward now. They weren’t at work. Would he act differently? Should she act differently? “It was just last week actually—“ She had been meaning to see him. Her pockets were heavy with a gift—it wasn’t the best gift. Hers rarely were; they were barely above ‘ugly Christmas sweaters’. “It’s nice to see you again, sir---sir—Hugh.” A tiny smile. A nervous twitch. The same thing.
“I actually had been meaning to come see you—“ She fished out the movie gift certificate. “I know it’s not much—you saved my life—but I couldn’t afford more.” Then she heard the tap tap tap. “Who the fuck is the bear, Squeakers? Got yourself a boyfriend?” His bag, filled with new movies and a CD, swung from his claws. A sigh emerged from his trainer. “This is Alister," She gestured to the lizard and held her breath. He saved my life. You don't even know it was in danger.. "Alister, this is my friend, Hugh.
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Post by Hugh Wells on Mar 24, 2014 20:17:05 GMT -5
AND I SAID HELLO, HELLO The nervous woman had came into his restaurant once or twice in the past, retrieving orders from her boss. The man would always offer to give the woman a meal to take with her on the go. He felt sorry for her, he didn't exactly understand why. Perhaps it was because he still felt bad for her when he saw her for the very first time. Burnt, wounded and alone without anyone to come to her aid.
Perhaps it was just because Hugh was too nice for his own good. His kindness was often taken advantage of by others. "Last week then." He corrected himself. It was sad that the woman was unable to take a joke. She took everything so seriously, that was no way to live a good life. A life filled with stress, fears and negativity wasn't a life at all. It was a living hell, but not truly living. "It was a joke Aubre." He added in a gentle tone after a moment.
A joking smile lit up the man's features after a second. "No need for formalities, I'm no one special. Just call me Hugh, unless you want me to call you miss or Miss Aubre?" The man paused before adding, "Don't think too much on it." Hopefully the woman wasn't thinking vile thoughts about him. Hugh wouldn't be that surprised, however, Aubre appeared to be a nervous, fragile thing.
The man looked confused when the girl announced that she had been meaning to come see him. "Another order for your boss?" He spoke at first, but was eventually corrected when the woman fished some form of certificate from her pockets. "Oh no no, you don't owe me anything." It was clear that the man was even more surprised by this. He understood that he had saved the woman's life, but did any true hero ever really expect something in return? "Seeing you alive and well is enough for me." He admitted.
His attention was taken away from the conversation when a creature with bad language approached the pair. A bear? A boyfriend? Hugh stared at the unruly little creature for a moment, he'd never curse or call people names. "Uh.." The man had lost his train of thought for a moment. Did he really look like a bear? He wasn't hairy was he? He had gained a pound or two, he knew he should have kept up with his daily exercises instead of making them weekly exercises.
Aubre soon introduced the little monsterpokemon. "Nice to meet you Alister." The man spoke after he had regained himself. "So what brings you two here, shopping?" Why else did people go to the mall? Then again, Hugh had seen a few people from time to time just window shopping. "If you want to see a movie, Aubre, I wouldn't mind tagging along." What was the point in going to the movies by yourself? If a person was going to do that they may as well stay at home on the couch and watch a movie on the television. It took out the fun of going to the movie theaters when you went by yourself.
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Post by Aubre Ellen McKenna on Mar 28, 2014 1:11:11 GMT -5
Free food? The little Styrofoam containers, always one too many, resembled the spinal discs of some prehistoric animal. Wrapped in plastic, hidden by a cheerful smiling face, the little squares gasped from the top. Steam curled away from the top in little spirals.
Why? Each time, as she waved away the offer for dessert, her eyes asked that simple question. It made little sense. Her own contributions to this man were as follows: a ruined night, the smell of burnt flesh, burned fingers, and a butchered hody. People just weren’t that generous. It was dangerous to wear your heart in the open. Humans were sometimes rotten animals. They would stomp on it. They would turn it into ash—if given the chance. Didn’t he know that? Aubre had learned. Didn’t Hugh know? Some part of her wondered, if he was aware, what dark reasons lurked behind those eyes. A darker part of her, that still gave it her all, wished she could be ignorant again.
While tempted, as she rarely had time to eat with her errands, Aubre resisted. Her head shook. Her smile fluctuated between highs and stormy lows. The word ‘free’ was false. It would always cost her something in the end. Would her boss think she was a thief? Would he accuse her of begging for pity? Sometimes, when he refused to take the gift back, she dropped pocket change against the nearest table. Ching! Ching! Ching! It was less of a burden. Favors needed to be paid back; she couldn’t return what Hugh had given. She could just whittle away at the total with little gestures. How much did she owe him? What was a life worth? “Thank you—“ The parting words, which always referred to more than the food, fluctuated between truthful depressed, and bitter.
Things would be different if some people weren’t so kind. It might be a better world—but, question was, for who? Being hurt was sometimes worth it. Sometimes.
Her boss had not had any strange cravings this week. Her lunches had been eaten at the dusty little table, with its crooked top, the past five days. Had her loneliness in that time, or lack of interaction, eroded her sense of humor? The dark-haired man before her seemed to think so. For a moment, green eyes sparking with hurt, she took a step back. “I k-know.” Was it not obvious? Had the sound of the dog sent her smile running away? “I was making one too—well—one back—it wasn’t very funny, though.” She needed to work on sounding less bitter. How did she make herself sound cheerier now? “It was nice, not running a marathon to get to lunch—I was going to visit tonight.” It was fated that they would meet today. Was that good thing or a bad thing? The gods truly don’t like me anymore.
Her head shook rapidly. The younger person was meant to be respectful. “I’m not really a ‘Miss Aubre’ or ‘Miss McKenna’.” Her cheeks flushed a bright orange. Hands lifted to her arms, immediately beneath the frills of her uniform, to rub away the cold. “Hugh t-then—I’m sorry. It’s just a habit. I need to stop doing that. I do. I know.” Formalities pushed people away. It held them, like a velvet barricade, at arms length. It told people that you didn’t wish to be close. At the same time, as this mn had did so much (even if some of it was bit unappreciated), it was hard to deny te urge to be friends. “I won’t—“ None of her thoughts were vile. The only person she was ever vile to, besides a single relative, was herself.
It began with a simple shake of her head. Feeling pressured as she fished in the purse, Aubre debated on an explanation. Was it not just better to show him? Would he even like this movie? You idiot! Why did you do something so stupid!? He’s going to laugh at you. Likely just throw them away. The movie ratings had not even came to her mind until they hovered between them. What if the reviews were horrid? Would it seem like she was foisting trash upon him? “I feel as if I do—“ This time, with his wishes, a bitter laugh was hard to hold inside. “W-well! I owe you a bit more than this movie ticket then—“ You look like a trainwreck. He likely regrets doing it. Just smile. Lips curled upwards in a trembling smile.
The little lizard was poorly trained. His trainer, who had been half-dead when he was being raised, had left out some lessons in manners. The loud-mouth, when she tried now, quickly buried her protests. The Helioptile, weaving between ankles, moved a bit closer. “ ‘ Uh’—seems like she’d go for the elegant types.” The bag slammed into the ground repeatedly. Needle-sharp fangs displayed in a smile. Telepathic protests from Aubre, asking for proper managers, were somewhat ignored. “You too—Bear.” Monikers had a tendency, with the little electric type, of never quite going away. Hugh would be ‘Bear’ until the day he died.
The redhead relaxed. Alister had not gotten them set on fire yet. They would be just fine. Looking down at her clothing, wondering if the remnants of her uniform went unnoticed, Aubre spoke: “No, n-not quite. I was at work.” Her nametag was rarely brought with her to the restaurant; it seemed to weigh her down. “Or—well—Alister went shopping.” The electric-type had waited for acknowledgement with baited breath.
“A date is it!? Fun.” Alister glared. Blue eyes narrowed. His trainer flushed and glared.
“I really just meant it for you—as a gift.” Aubre realized, knowing Hugh, that it might have been better to give the tickets in an anonymous manner. You just want to subject someone to your company. “I do have time—but—it was meant for you.” Why did she sound like a broken record? “I’ll take your damn ticket if you won’t!” Alister, unlike the silly mouse, knew exactly what movie he wanted t o see.
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Post by Hugh Wells on Apr 2, 2014 20:54:50 GMT -5
AND I SAID HELLO, AUBRE Hugh wasn't going to take no for an answer. There was no way he was going to go to the movie theaters by himself. It was just downright weird.
Aubre didn't seem to understand the awkward nature of going to the movies by one's self. "Aubre, I'll even buy an extra ticket for you and Alister if that's the case." The man suggested as he looked at the little beast that was so keen on calling him 'Bear'. Could have sworn I told him my name was Hugh.. The man thought to himself in silence as he looked away from the electric reptile.
The man sighed quietly after awhile, but he wasn't upset or angry. "Aubre, I promise you that you don't owe me a single thing, okay? So, please, please stop thinking you owe me something, okay?" The man said after a moment. He had already told the woman that seeing her alive and well was enough for him. He didn't need any favors or gifts wrapped in gold.
He was glad that he had handed the bags to Nanny Marie earlier, it would have been annoying to have to lug them around all day. "Come on, let's talk and walk." He suggested as he gestured to the food court and theater in the distance. It wouldn't be a surprise if the man offered to get the woman lunch again once more, he'd probably even get something for little Alister, even though he was a bit of a pain in the arse.
Clearing his throat the man turned and began to walk to the other side of the shopping establishment. "I think a date involves two people who are romantically interested in each other, Alister." The man explained after a moment, half wondering if the lizard would get a pissed that he made a comment in such a manner.
Hearing the girl beginning to protest about the gift again. "I understand that, Aubre. I accepted your gift with great gratitude, seeing that you were determined to give it to me. But, I felt like I should treat you as well, all's fair right?" The man commented. It sounded like a never ending trade of paybacks and fairness. A look was given to the electric reptile as it piped up with yet another cursed sentence. "Is the attitude really necessary, Alister?" The man asked the lizard directly.
It was obvious that the reptilian wasn't very well trained and it lacked severely in manners. What a potty mouth. The man thought to himself before looking towards the movie theater. "Now Aubre, what movie would you like to see?" He asked as he looked back at the board that showed all of the movies that were playing. "I haven't been to a movie in a long time, so I haven't been keeping up with new movies. I'm sure you know more than I do." He stated as he waited for the woman to make a decision.
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Post by Aubre Ellen McKenna on Apr 6, 2014 2:33:14 GMT -5
Aubre felt like a horse being lead to water—if the water flowed with hydrogenated vegetable oil and popcorn kernels. Her stubborn streak, which was hidden beneath her flexible exterior, was beginning to butt forward. “I meant for t-this to be a gift, Hugh.” Why had she not just sent them in the mail? Offering them, now that she knew the kind of man she spoke with, seemed like asking for an invitation. Would he believe her if she stated she didn’t have time? Sadly, as work had just ended, she had nothing ahead but an intimate night talking to herself. “ I can’t let you do that—you have Pokemon you can take too.” That Blaziken was his, correct? “I c-ca—“ Alister, hearing an invitation to a free show, grinned. The redhead winced.
Alister didn’t really care if his name was Hugh or Princess Annabella. He had immediately, as Hugh lumbered over on long legs, been reminded of a grizzly bear. Unlike a real ursine, who were intimidating, this one just looked stupid. The blue eyes continued to peer at his face. Poking at people, made him feel a bit bigger—or at the very least, less puny. “We’ll go. She’s just shy—“ Hearing the protest, he turned. Taking a step back, in a familiar dance, he avoided her prodding tennis-shoe. “And ungrateful as hell!” If the dancing circus bear wanted to take them out o a date, who was he to refuse? Aubre could tolerate some fun for a bit—even if the redhead was allergic to it.
With a thump, the worn rubber of her shoes dropped against the tile. Hands curled into tiny fists. It was anger at the nosy lizard—or at least, mild irritation. It vanished. A single sigh was all it took. “Alister, you don’t understand—can you please, if you can resist, not butt in?” Surprisingly, for the electric-type at least, he reined himself in. He pulled his DVD from the bag and began to read its back. Meanwhile, ears twitching, Aubre could tell he was listening. Aubre was not about to tell him what was happening—that night was a secret. “I just feel indebted—I’ll try.” Don’t the good and the bad cancel one another out? The movie tickets had been her attempt to bridge any gap. Tierase any judgments he might have made. Her life, which she valued lower than some discount tickets to the matinee, seemed far too little for a perso n like Hugh. “I just—even if I feel differently at times—wanted to show you did the right thing.”He’s not Pavlov’s dog! Now you made it sound like you’re training him. ‘Heel Hugh! Roll over!’ Cheeks flushed. “Sorry—that came out a bit wrong.”
Wanting to refuse, a noise coming out, Aubre trailed behind him. Not a single nod came from her chin—it wasn’t really her agreeing, after all. It was idiotic to just leave him there. As they walked, reen eyes lifted upwards. Exit signs, blatant in their arrows and crimson contours, pulled at her thin limbs. The doors weren’t far. Could she come up with an excuse? The burden of owing someone this much, and not be certain how she felt about it, was crushing. She wondered if the man, likely having a broken skull, had some sort of crush—a hero complex maybe? The dark-haired man, in his response to Alister, slammed the coffin closed on that. “Yes! Which we’re not…” Her own protest to Alister was half-hesitation and half exclamation. She did not wish to insult Hugh. The ivory teeth of her little friend could tease for hours. Aubre could hear the scoff from the Helioptile—he didn’t push the issue, for now.
“That’s not fair! You did so much—“ She wagered, while she did not believe in gambling. if he had his way, her gift would end up costing money for the thickly built man. Did Hugh not understand what a gift is? The redhead saw Alister’s reaction before it happened. It was scathing words, an insult, spoken from between his fangs. “Touchy ass bear.” Aubre flushed. Her head hung low. Alister was her failure, or maybe he had sucked all of her remainin spine out with the bendy straws he adored so much.
You spend too much time on movies Aubre. Her bitter mind translated his final comment. “I’m not any good at decisions.” She stared at the exit door. Teeth chewed at her bottom lip. “I really don’t know—“ It was not her plan to come to the movies after all.
Claws scrabbled across the wooden podium and onto the tabletop. His thin lips peeled back from ivory teeth as he stared at the selection. “Hey. Bear. Do you have any vision problems?” The 3D movies looked fun—it was always fun to watch Aubre fidget in her seat.
“. . . or Alister can pick.” Deep inside, beneath her wishy-washy exterior, she was drawn toward a movie. It was between action and thriller. It didn’t have any sort of sex scenes—from what she knew. Then again, as the film up top truly called to her, she had to wonder if Hugh appreciated children’s movies. “I really can pay for us..” She fidgeted. ”Please.”
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