Starving Eyes Lead By Subtle Lies

The usual whine that Locke’s tone held when he spoke his friend had kicked up a few notches as he rocked back and forth from his seat on the couch. His body trembled and even with the pill cocktail he’d downed he was still in a lot of pain. 

blossomingattourney:

[txt] About…? [txt] …Are you talking about what I think you are? [txt] Francis, do you want me to come over or anything? I’ll keep talking with you no matter what though.

Francis grit her teeth, pressing her forehead into the crook of her elbow. She didn’t want to scare Tilly again. Last time she went to stay with her family for a week and a half and Fran nearly lost her mind.

[txt] not that. she knows about that. [/txt]

[txt] tilly’s about to leave for work, i dont want to be here alone [/txt]

Fran turned her light off (tricking Tilly into thinking she was asleep) and waited until the front door clicked shut. The blonde rose from the dark room to unlock the door before retreating to the living room, Caster gripped tightly in her bony fingers.

[txt] jacques, i watched those last few vines you made, they were really funny! your friend alphonse does great impressions :D if the school ever does a play, you two should definitely go to the auditions. we should do another call sometime, its been a while!! anyway, how have you been? [/txt]

A watched pot never boils just like a watched phone never rings. Francis placed her Caster on the green ottoman and stared at it. In her somewhat uncomfortable stomach down position on the couch she waited patiently for her brother’s reply. Some twenty or more minutes later, her Caster finally buzzed.

[txt] Good. With friends, busy. [/txt]

The blond got his jacket on and gave the mewostic watching his every move a pat on the head, "Watch the place, okay Bijou?  No wild parties."  She rolled her eyes slightly but her voice echoed in his head, agreeing to the terms.  Nathan would take Locke's charizard for transport, but he was likely chilling on the roof of their apartment.  He needed a couple other companions.  He paused as he felt his weavile scratching as his pant leg.  The blond gave a apologetic smile to his baby, "Sorry Elsa, you should stay back too, I don't need an entourage this time."

He did feel a little bad, but he didn't need everyone to come with and crowd Francis.  However a couple would be helpful.  He turned his eyes to the two eeveelutions watching from the distance.  "Alright you two, you're with me on this one."  He called out to the sylveon and vaporeon before he returned them to their balls to travel.  Lotus was a sweet heart on her own and could be very comforting and Javert had those soother ribbons of his that had helped Nathan calm down many times.

[txt] hahahaha [/txt]

[txt] ...Are you talking about what I think you are?

[txt] no one will take me seriously [/txt]

[txt] I... why have you acted as you have on the holofeed?  I've seen it pop up and it doesn't seem like it's you

-Secretarial skills, including typing, answering emails, phones, scheduling appointments

-Knows how to successfully run a small business

-Can write effective ad copy

-Probably knows basic web design

-Extraordinary customer services skills, including ability to deescalate potentially volatile situations

-Skilled aesthetician, including knowledge of make-up artistry, hair-styling, nail art

This was it. 

Locke cleared his throat quietly as he stood on the fine line of what he considered safety and damnation. Kalos was just a step to the left while the airport with his plane headed back to Hoenn was a step to the right. A frown pulled the corners of his still bruised mouth as his knuckles turned white from how hard he gripped the handle of his luggage.

By his side Nathan stood quietly. A solemn expression on his face as he was forced to say goodbye to his best friend for who knew how long. He would see him in December for the holidays, but it surely wasn’t the same. Next to the blond was the heir’s beast of a Chesnaught and at his feet was his small golden Meowstic. Bijou’s eyes shone with something other than disdain for once as she too was forced to say farewell to her trainer.

The door swung open and a disgruntled Nathan appeared with lopsided boxers, rubbing his eyes under his coloured specs. “Francis, what the hell, it’s past 3. I have an exam tomorrow morning. This morning.”

The frizzy maned girl collapsed inside, grabbing onto her friend for support. She began to giggle and sob simultaneously while trying to explain her almost one-night stand kicking her out of his apartment before they even had a chance to have sex.

Nathan frowned and pulled her cardigan over to cover her bare shoulder. He hauled the light woman to his bed and let her lay down.

"Every time, Nath," she slurred, rubbing the backs of her hands along her smudged eye-makeup.

A more characteristic narrow of the brows quirked onto Locke’s face at the teasing sentiments. “Oh please, nothing is going to happen.” He was just going to be stuck at a desk doing work, shadowing his family for experience, or talking with people their family worked with…at least he assumed. Boring stuff. 

The blond chuckled softly as his friend got into one of his usual moods, but assured Nathan he wouldn't be getting in trouble.  "I know you Maurice, you have a bad habit of getting into trouble.  Or having trouble find you, where you then aggravate the situation to be worse than it was already." He spoke with a matter-of-factly tinge.  It was only a matter of time before the Cabrera got himself into trouble.

Locke did perk up a little at the mention of holidays. Right! Nathan’s family would want him around so things looked normal still. It was too bad the only holidays important enough were going to be over soon. “Please do, I want to see them when I can.” If his team stayed with Nathan it was just all the more incentive to either return to Kalos or to get Nathan to return to Hoenn so the friends didn’t need to be split, at least that was what Locke figured. 

He looked at his friend, doing a good job of keeping his voice even.  Nathan knew why and did try his best to match it.  "I'm... I'm going to miss you too." He said delicately, a somber smile remaining on his face.  He didn't know what he was going to do without him around.  Locke was one of the few things that helped him from spiraling into depression, him and his many jobs that kept his passive attention normally.

Locke shifted the coffee cup back and forth in the little plate it sat on. He hadn’t drank more than two sips of it before the taste on his tongue had turned sour. His dark eyes shifted back up to the blond and a small sigh escaped him. 

"He was here for business since I failed to complete my tasks." He groaned the words. "Figured he may as well drop by unannounced. I should have known better than to open the door but he already knew I was here, I believe."

His normally graceful face only sank down more into a somber frown.  Locke didn't do his job so he was getting collected where they could watch him and make sure he did it.  Where they could curb him if he wasn't the spitting image of the heir they wanted.  Nathan let out a shaky sigh and tried to keep tears from his eyes the best he could.  He knew Locke would get reprehended for not doing what his family wanted, he'd warned him many times.  To pull his leash so hard that he was choking wasn't what Nate expected to happen.

"Purple is not my color, is it?" His tone was completely deadpanned, despite his attempt at lifting the mood. He really needed to feel something other than fear at the moment. But Nathan needed to know what had happened.

Nathan tensed up and his eyes widened at the words that came from the other.  His father?  Why would Mr. Cabrera fly all the way from Hoenn to Kalos?  Oh wait, Locke had been avoiding his calls endlessly, but  Nathan had imagined that he'd just send someone else to snap his son into shape, not show up in the flesh.  He was glad he didn't pass him on the street or anything

Then Locke shared the reason after a small pause.  Nathan looked at the other, almost dumbfounded at everything, it felt like it was happening so fast.  The blond slumped down in the chair, eyes fixed on the table for a short while before he looked back to Locke.  He felt like he was being crushed with the reality of the situation.  His closest friend was leaving, the one person who know all the things that happened to him and who was there to snap him out of stupid ideas or depression.