shockingstar

[shockingstar]

When Lucian stands and starts to head towards him, Volkner braces himself for what he expects will be some sort of violent strike.  As docile as Lucian seemed most of the time, it wouldn't surprise him if he got punched after what he did.  But when he gets a kiss instead all he can do it stare at the other smaller man in disbelief for a moment before he begins to smile and laugh softly himself.

"...much better," he says, wrapping an arm around the other's waist and pulling him a little closer to him.  "And that's what I wanted."  Volkner leans in, giving Lucian his own affectionate but quick kiss.  When he pulls away there's a grin on his face and he laughs again, this time louder with more emotion in it, becoming incredibly energetic and lively compared to his usually dull and apathetic  attitude.

Letting go of Lucian, he steps back some.  "I have to be honest, I'm surprised a bookworm like you actually knows how to kiss, Luce." This time it was obvious that Volkner was only teasing, trying to force away whatever embarrassment remained with a joke.

A trip to the beach

To say that this was an unexpected development was an understatement. Lucian was completely caught off guard enough that the indirect kiss and whack to his forehead made him dizzy and almost knocked him over. For a moment, he just sits there, holding his forehead and trying to get his glasses back in order. 

“…uh…well…” he finally managed to speak up, “…that…that was something, Volk.” He stood up and brushed off his pants, trying to smile despite the very slight headache from the headbutt. “Were you perhaps trying to do this?” He walked over to Volkner and pulled him close by the hand to him, offering him a very soft but affection kiss on the lips. There was a moment’s hesitation though, Lucian surprising even himself by this, but he wanted to try and relieve Volk’s panic in some manner. And quickly. And thus the kiss is brief. 

“There…better now?” he said with a deep red blush of his own on his face and a silly smile. “I mean, if that’s what you wanted, you could have just said so instead of whacking my face like that!” He laughed shyly.

[shockingstar]

Feeling man's hand on his causes Volkner's blush to turn darker.  His heart beat feels as if it speeds up and he swears he can hear it beating in his chest now.  Being touched by others rarely got any sort of reaction out of Volkner, let alone one like this.  But something about Lucian was just so...so...he didn't even know.  Whatever it was had him expressing himself in a way he almost never did, forcing emotions he hardly felt.  And it causes him to quickly turn back around, kissing Lucian on an odd impulse.

Well, trying to anyways.

The moment he went for it, a strong breeze went by, whipping the Gym Leader's blonde hair in front of his face, blocking his view.  He ended up smacking forheads with the other, lips just barely brushing against his nose.  With a small groan, Volkner rubs the now aching spot on his head before his blue eyes go wide, realizing what he just did.

Quickly he stands up, taking a few steps away from the other, face now burning redder than before, becoming painfully hot.  "I--I..." He tries to get out some sort of apologize, but his throat becomes dry in his embarrassment and he seems to forget how to talk as he stares at the other male in panic.

A trip to the beach

Lucian gave a bright grin at the suppressed but still present smile on Volkner’s face. “Great! I can’t wait then. It’ll be fun to get a look into each other’s lives.” He then turned to scan the beach, watching as the stray Wingulls pecked at the sand for scraps on the shore. He was quite oblivious to the looks he was getting from the blonde, until he turned back again and caught the momentary flash of that dark blush.

He wasn’t sure what to make of it but found it to be unusually cute on Volkner. It was an expression he had never seen before. Just like the teasing, it was a bit of a shocker. Unsure of himself, but wanting to see what the matter was out of concern, he lightly touched Volkner’s hand and tried to get his attention again. “Something the matter, Volk? You’re blushing red as a cheri!” He gave a small smile of reassurance, lilac eyes alight behind his glasses, “What’s on your mind?”

[shockingstar]

There's a look of surprise on Volkner's face at that suggestion.  He didn't expect that Lucian would actually be enjoying this so much that he would like to meet up again.  A small smile slowly grows on the blonds face, causing him to look away from the other for a brief second, somewhat embarrassed over it, and he nods.

"...that would be...nice."  He turns to look toward Lucian, suppressing his smile as much as he can.  Another breeze goes by, causing the other man's violet hair to blow and Volkner to blush.  He had never noticed how nice looking Lucian actually was...His blush gets a tad darker when he realizes the thought that just went through his head and he turns away again, this time so Lucian can't see his face.

A trip to the beach

He listened with a thoughtful, respectful silence and look, giving a nod afterward with a smile. It was interesting to hear all this about Volkner. “I honestly didn’t know you spent so much time away from home. Then again, I know you’re more about keeping up the city’s power and your gym, so I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised, haha.” He brushed a hand through his violet hair, keeping a breeze from mussing it up, and gazed out at the sea again. 

“I can see why you’d find this place to be so much more relaxing then. It’s close to home, but it’s also got fresh air and a lovely view— not a lot of people either.” He gazed up at the mountains, “Maybe we can go visit my place and then yours in the future, hm? Could be fun! Today’s been nice so far.”

[shockingstar]

It takes a moment for Volkner to think about how to answer, and not because of his usual hesitance.  The Gym Leader actually spent so little time in his home that he would often forget what it's like. He does his best to describe it slowly.  "It's...not very large and it is at the same time.  It's only one floor and it only has enough rooms for the essentials, I suppose; kitchen, bathroom, a living room and bedroom and just one other small room I use for storage. "

Pausing, he tries to recall other details before continuing. "...I'm not in it often, since I spend a lot of my time working and staying at my Gym.  But it's kept...tidy and clean, if you ignore the various bits of tools and electronics that are around.  And of course, it's a bit more...advanced than a normal home would be, technology wise." He shrugs some then turns and points to one of the mountains close by behind them.  It's actually right up there..."

A trip to the beach

It was hard to tell if he was joking, not just from the tone of voice, but also because it was unexpected. Lucian hadn’t known Volkner to just toss around teases or jokes and it takes him a moment, but eventually a slow smile takes away his confused stare. “Haha, I see. I could see how that would be the case, considering, well, I’m attached to books at the hip!” He patted his back pocket with a tease in his voice.

“But no, I have my own place. Bought it a year or so ago and remodeled it quite a bit to suit my needs— redecorated a whole room to be a mini-library!” It was a point of pride and Lucian sat a little straighter on the spot. But then he turned to Volkner again, “What about you though? I thought you were all about your power grids and whatnot. What is the Shining, Shocking Star’s home like?” 

[shockingstar]

It may not have showed, but Volkner was happy to see Lucian smiling.  There was a nagging worry in his mind that this was all a terrible idea, that he had made a mistake and was wasting both his and the Elite's time with this outing.  It was a relief to know that wasn't the case.  

"You actually have a home, Lucian?  I would have thought you just lived in that library,"  he teases, somewhat regretting it the moment he says it.  Due to the usual almost monotone way he spoke it was hard for others to tell when he was joking.  

A trip to the beach

Lucian crossed his legs in front of him, hands holding to his knee and he stared at Volkner with something like shock on his face. And then he blushed while trying to laugh at the whole subject, “Well, yeah, I am always prepared! But I promised I’d only break it out if there’s any danger of me passing out from boredom. So far, that hasn’t been the case!” He smiled cheerfully again, trying to show he was enjoying himself despite the awkward tension between them.

And he was enjoying himself. The whole walk, despite the lack of conversation and general worry that he was just not doing well enough at this whole socialization nonsense, Lucian found himself liking Volk’s company. He really wanted to find a way to make the other man crack a smile or talk about himself some more. And then to his surprise, he did!

“Oh? I didn’t know that. This is a beautiful place…I absolutely love the view of the ocean here,” he turned to face an incoming breeze and smiled softly, enjoying it. “I…don’t really hang around any place as nice as this outdoors, but I prefer my personal study at home over Canalave’s library when I want to relax.”

[shockingstar]

Volkner hesitates before sitting down next to him, stretching out his long legs as he tries to relax.  Despite how calming the scene was, he was having a hard time doing so.  Like usual, he stays quiet for a few moments before he quietly mutters something out. "...I'm surprised you haven't pulled a book out by now.  I know you're hiding one on you somewhere..."

With a sigh, he leans back, resting on his elbows and looking up at the sky, actually managing to relax some now he that he had actually said something, though that something wasn't exactly simulating for conversation.

Once he heard opening up to others is a good way to talk and befriend them.  Maybe that's something he could try. "...this is my favorite place in Sunyshore.  It's so quiet and secluded...it's a nice place to come and think.  So relaxing..."

A trip to the beach

His hands were itching to get the book that was in his back pants pocket.

But Lucian had made a promise to himself several days ago, and even further than that— at the behest of Cynthia, to actually try and be socialable with Volkner. Especially today. It was a wonderful day and the waves and scent of the ocean were just right. Not too overpowering, the sun just perfect. It had provoked Lucian to take off his suit jacket and carry it around for a change, just to get a feel of the breeze.

But the tension was incredibly thick and beyond awkward. Several times through the walk down the beach, the book-obsessed Elite kept trying to think of something to say, anything, to break it up and get the other man to laugh or something. Just to relax. Lucian wasn’t the best at it though and several times they just dropped the small talk into awkward silence again.

Honestly, he was beginning to wonder if he had made some sort of mistake or already messed up on some polite issue with Volkner. The man was hard to read as it was already. Who knew what was really going on inside Volkner’s head? Well, besides Flint.

But it was a small comfort to see something of a failed smile on the his face and Luce took it as a sign that maybe things were lightening up a bit. With a cheerful smile, he sat down, relaxing on the spot and gestured for Volk to do the same. “C’mon, Volk, let’s try and relax, yeah?”

[shockingstar]

A trip to the beach

It was a wonderful day to visit the beach.

The sun was shining bright today in Sunyshore.  There was an occasional breeze went by, cool and refreshing, that kept it from getting too hot.  In the distance Wingull could be heard along with the sound of waves gently washing up on shore.  This part of the beach was secluded, making it calm and quiet, perfect for relaxing.  It was a wonderful day to visit the beach...for anyone else that is.

A strong, awkward tension hung in the air as Volkner and Lucian walked down the beach together in silence, neither exactly sure of what to say to the other.  For any other pair of people it may have been a pleasant leisure walk, but not for these two who, despite being acquainted for years, were so unfamiliar with each other.  It made Volkner question why he was doing this in the first place, or, better yet, why he even suggested it.

For the most part, the two men rarely seen each other and when they did it was only because of a mutual friend, Flint. When it came to talking, they tended to only speak the bare minimum, making the smallest of small talk.  That is, if they even spoke at all.  But now, after years of knowing Lucian, Volkner  decided to make some sort of attempt to get to know the other man for some reason unknown to him.  Perhaps all that time alone was finally starting to get to him.

Such a terrible idea... Volkner sighs, slowly stopping, trying, and failing , to force a small smile as he finally speaks up. "...this seems like it would be a nice place to sit."

[shockingstar]

Whatever, just don't end up, dead, or something, I guess... [He shrugs.]  Okay, we'll go somewhere then.  I'll be sure to not start on something new...

Sometimes. If it’s questionable…like gives off some odd scent like…chloroform or the like, I tend to turn it down. I can’t be rude though! Wouldn’t reflect well on my position. [He shies at being stared at like that by Volkner.] How about the weekend then? The library tends to close early and it’s expected to be nice then, weather-wise.

[shockingstar]

You accept food from strangers?  [He stares at him.] ...alright then, sure.  Just...tell me whenever you're not going to be busy reading.

[He gets a look of surprise at the suggestion doing something together and then gets a small smile, hiding a laugh in his voice.] That sounds like it would be fun! Let’s do it then, Volk. Just don’t be too mean to them…they give me things sometimes, like cake or new books…mostly really bad romances, but still! It’s the thought that counts. 

[shockingstar]

[With a huff, he turns away, face burning from a blush.]  ...t-thank you, Lucian.  I guess... [He clears his throat, looking at him again.]  You know, if you do want to go out sometime, we could possibly do something...together.  I'm sure I could keep your...fans from bothering you too much.

shockingstar replied to your post:

[He looks shocked to see the girls.] …that’s surprising. Sort of. You are kind of…handsome, I guess.

[He laughs nervously, brushing a hand through his hair as he does.] Yeah…I didn’t really expect it when I became an Elite Four member, but they just started popping up at random… [He then blushes from the compliment.] Uh…well! Thank you, Volk. Y-you’re…kinda…handsome yourself…I suppose…

[shockingstar]

[He shakes his head, sighing.]  No, you haven't, unfortunately.  I should be close to completing soon, but not yet..

Now now, Volkner. Don’t make me look to see if you’re telling a lie. [ Riley smiled sidelong at the gym leader, the jest clear in his gaze. ] I thought I might stop by— see if I’d missed the news of any daring feats in the field of engineering, à la our dear electric leader. Have I?

[shockingstar]

It would probably lack the essentials you need to live anyways...unless you actually live on rocks or something.

Huh? Ha, that’s really funny. But I would like to live in the museum except they don’t have enough space.

[shockingstar]

isenseyourstrongaura started following you

Riley? Is that you?  It's been awhile since I last seen you.  What a...pleasant surprise.

[shockingstar]

That's your house?  I expected you to live in the museum or something.

[Before the new silence made things more awkward, Roark brightened up]

Oh! Hey we’re here! My house is right over there. [He points to a small building]

[shockingstar]

Reading and hanging out with Lucian was...nice.  Calming too. I thought it was going to turn into a giant, well, waste of my time.  But... [Shrugs] I'm kind of hoping it's something we can do again. 

[shockingstar]

[He nods, trying to repress a smile.] Right...I'm glad then.

O-oh, that’s nice. [He clears his throat, one hand clutching the side of his pants]

Ah.. I won’t get scared off by something like that! I think it’s really nice.. I mean, I don’t really get compliments much anyway.. S-so I can’t be too used to it, even though I give out a lot every day ahahaha…

[shockingstar]

Oh no. I couldn't be scared off from someone as likable as you, especially when I have similar thoughts involving you..

...[he freezes up for a moment, realizing what he's said.] ...I hope that doesn't scare you off.

Ah.. really? That’s good! I thought I would’ve scared you off or something, sorry, haha.

Whoa seriously? Haha, I’m glad you find at least some interesting. Not very many people really think so even though you can find so many cool pokemon through fossils! Not only that, we can learn so much about the past with them too, it’s really cool!