Stayed Heart // Lynne & Nate

[NATE]

Eight years had passed in the blink of an eye. Eight, longer than a lifetime cut short. The city of Saffron was unusually ecstatic for a supposedly quiet long weekend afternoon, especially the travel routs in and out of the downtown epicenter. Everywhere you looked there were people rushing to be somewhere, strangers coming and going as they pleased with their own agendas and lack of attention spent on the others, often hurrying into collisions with them in the street. Old men always with something to sell, young women and teens rushing along with their friends to enjoy their freedom with their pokemon, while the attendance of Lux operatives was the biggest standout in this crowded mess of a shopping district. It seemed like every resident and their grandma were out today to enjoy the nice weather, but it seemed more rushed than the man had ever remembered of his hometown. This place was tranquil back then for the most part, busy streets were nowhere near as overpopulated and aggressive as they were today. All the same, eight years was a long time for a place to change, and change it had--almost to an unbearable degree. If it wasn't for his reasons, the officer wouldn't even be within Kanto in the first place.

The memories this place brought him were both comforting and cruel at the same time, and upon after seeing so much change year after year when he would return to Saffron on this day, he was feeling less and less obliged to make the journey. The visit wasn't for himself, and the loyalty he had to the one he had come to visit was unwavering regardless of how difficult a task it would have been to travel across every region every single year. The hustle and bustle of the city life felt almost stifling today under the summer heat, but determined to press on through the crowds to reach the shop ahead his stare couldn't avert from, he finally waved his way past so many rushing people to waltz right through the shop's sliding front doors. This was an oddity among the many sights and places in the downtown of Saffron, but it was a tradition to make his visit each year. Upon stepping across the welcome mat spanned out on the floor, the bright red-haired man stood greeted instantly by the elder shopkeep just behind the counter. A tall, white-bearded old man had a warm grin written on his features, offering a slight wave as the tall stranger wandered over for a closer conversation.

"Hey, Sackson. It's nice to see you again." The young man smiled back kindly, his gaze meeting with the shopkeep in a familiar softness. "Hello Nathaniel, it's always nice to see you step foot into my shop. I already have your usual in stock, if that's what you're here for I presume?" The old man replied, smiling as Nate seemed just the same as he had always been. Lacking hesitation, the young man nodded and reached a hand in his hip jacket pocket, bringing out a handful of bills and holding them out for Mr. Sackson to take. "Of course. I would have figured you'd of forgotten the date by now, but you never fail me every time." Nate withdrew his hand as the old man took the payment, nodding back as the young man's expression looked less openly impressed and more cool and serene. "I couldn't forget, I look forward to seeing you each time you return. I'm so proud of you, Nathaniel. I know he is too." Sackson gave a caring glance to the strapping officer standing in his usual black and white-rimmed jacket, the bound headband across his forehead and gloves made him seem almost insane to travel in the late summer in dark clothes, but the eyepatch made the old man's smile fade slightly, then stepping back from the counter for a moment when Nate's eyes met his with a melancholy aversion.

"I'll go get your order ready, just a moment." The man then walked off behind the counter and into a doorway into the back of the shop, Nate then turning back and leaning against the counter to patiently stand there lost in thought. Glancing around the humble wooden shop with only a handful of customers quietly browsing and talking amongst themselves, his eyes wandered the many glorious colours of the floral arrangements in full bloom. Every beautiful flower as breathtaking as the last, the many shelves stocked with well-cared for flower beds and rare species, his stare wandering at last until he was entranced by a beautiful orange-coloured rose sitting in a lonely vial among the glass shelving next to the bright sunlit street just behind it. The single small flower sitting by itself stood out against the white daisies and blue carnations just beside it, the petals looked almost ablaze in that reflecting yellow lighting from just outside, while the bright pink thorns on it's short watered stem gave it the dangerous beautiful appeal that made it so interesting to behold. Nate's mind wandered as he looked almost in complete solace from staring at the rose, hardly noticing the time or people moving around him as he waited in the flower boutique in complete silence.

[lynne]

Lynne had never particularly liked crowds. When people were in crowds, they'd lose themselves; just walking down the street during a commuter hour was a fascinating study in mob mentality. The most polite, generous people in the world would bump your shoulder without a word or put their hands on your back pushing forward as if by doing so they could make the crowd move quicker. Lynne couldn't see over about ninety-percent of the heads in the crowd and didn't dare try to stop to stand on her tiptoes when the masses of people surged forward. After Poncho had his tail stepped on twice in a short span of time, she had picked the small hyena pup right up and carried him in her arms. The small Poochyena seemed in a fowl mood, though whether it was the fact he had a thick black coat in the stifling city heat or his tail Lynne could not tell.

She hadn't meant to lose track of where Elliot had gone, but one moment she had been right behind him and the next, he had completely disappeared. She had chosen not to bring her laptop on their trip to Saffron city because of the seedy reputation of the gang-infested city. Now she wished she had a phone or laptop or something - after circling around the general vicinity where she thought she had lost him, the horrible feeling of anxiety started to make her stomach do flip-flops.

Shit. Now what?

She looked around, wondering if there was a pay phone or similar she could use before realizing that she had no idea what Elliot's number was... or if he had one. Where had they been going? A park. Something about a park. There was a place there that they could stay come evening. What was it called again? Stevens park? Stanley. Stanley park. Maybe. She supposed she could look for a map... but where could she find one of those? The streets were lined with some smaller shops on the bottom floor of larger apartment complexes, cute boutiques and offbeat collections of things, but it wasn't exactly central.

She supposed she could ask for directions.

The idea of asking a random stranger didn't exactly appeal to her. Most of the people on the street didn't seem like they'd stop, anyway - they moved in their own direction, head down and stride purposeful. This wasn't some small town where everyone said "hello" as you passed them on the street; Saffron was chaotic, overpopulated, and ruled by gangs. You didn't want anyone thinking you were giving them a weird look.

Lynne's gaze settled on a flower shop that seemed rather quaint and friendly compared to the other options. Maybe the shopkeeper would be able to tell her where she was. Lynne couldn't imagine an unfriendly flower shopkeeper; it seemed like one of those things that never happened. Sufficiently psyching herself up enough, she pulled back the door, a bell chiming up above her head to announce her arrival.

Lynne hesitated in the doorway, shifting her weight foot to foot for a moment before seeming to make up her mind and fully crossing the threshold. She moved up to counter, drumming her fingers nervously against the wood surface and glancing at the thin-strapped watch around her wrist. She noticed that there was another man at the counter who seemed to be waiting as well. She glanced in his direction, gave him a small smile (was it even a smile, or a grimace?), then quickly looked away, drinking in the sight of colorful boutiques of flowers framed by the sunshine filtering in through the wide windows.

She didn't seem to be in the most patient of moods however, and when the shopkeep did not appear right away she became visibly more agitated. She looked again at the man standing at the counter with her, biting the inside of her lip. Finally, she cleared her throat and, in a voice that wavered only a fraction, timidly tried to get his attention.

"'Scuse me?"

When he turned, Lynne for the first time noted that the man sported an eye patch. She tried not to let her gaze linger, instead finding herself examining the grayish laces of her faded red shoes. She hated reaching out to people - it was awkward and unnatural and now he probably was wondering what the hell she wanted. Resolve faltering, her next words were even quieter than her first, little more than a mumble:

"D-Do you happen to know where Stanley Park is?"


ooc; eeeeh sorry, my muse is blah today.

[NATE]

Fading out of mind for the time being, Nate's eye glazed over with a sort of softness as if he were on the verge of tears, but it was a serene sort of stare that made him look so peaceful. The shop itself had emptied without his notice, though it seemed he wasn't alone when he was brought back to reality with the sound of a soft voice at his side. The serious gaze faded when he was drawn back from his lulled state, looking a small bit shocked when he turned to see a shorter young woman looking up at him with a slightly concerned look on her face. There was a soft mumble, and she almost fell silent before he instinctively smiled kindly back at her. She'd never seen her before in his life, but she seemed kind and uncertain at that moment. It was unexpected, but never unwelcome. "Why, yes, of course. It's just a few blocks to the north-east of here, in a less crowded part of town." Nate had settled his hands in his pockets while he leaned his back against the counter, but stood away from it now to turn fully to the girl and withdrew his hands to his sides. Trying not to appear too forward, his eye met hers before nodding slightly and offering his full attention. "I'm headed in that same direction, if you'd like to accompany me there. Though if you're afraid of strangers I'll be happy to simply give you a map to get there on your own."

It didn't take long for Nate to hear footsteps from another person echoing into the almost silent storefront, the old man from earlier had returned from the staff-only hallway in the back and was carrying a wrapped bouquet in his hands. It was no small bundle of flowers either, put together were at least twenty fiery orange and yellow lilies with a single bright white lily nestled in the center. Bound together tightly by a beautiful silver ribbon in a bow, the old man approached the young man and girl from behind the counter and held them out for Nate. Amazed and solemn for a moment, the young man took the flowers and held them carefully in his hands, smiling sadly to Sackson just before taking his hand for a thankful handshake. "They're even better than last year's, thank you very much." The old man smiled cheerfully in response before shaking the young man's hand and nodding with the same respect. "It's my pleasure, son. Take care of yourself, and I shall see you next time." Pleased now with what he came for, the red-haired officer turned to the young woman again and had the last of his offer ready. "What do you say, miss? Shall we be going?" As he started for the door, he pulled open the entrance with a bright bell chime again, holding the flower bundle at his side and turning back to present the chance to the cute girl behind him.

[lynne]

His rather serious expression had intimidated her at first, but his face seemed to smooth itself of whatever concerns were written over it when he turned to face her. Despite his rather formidable appearance, she felt more at ease when he flashed her a rather friendly smile. He answered her quickly enough; it seemed that he knew his way around these parts, though he could have told her anything and she wouldn't have been able to discern any inaccuracies. A few block north-east? Though it was a very adequate answer, "north-east" meant almost nothing to her. A few blocks sounded optimistic though. Maybe then Elliot would have the same idea to meet her there. His next words surprised her, eyes widening slightly. Her first instinct was wariness when he invited her to join him, then guilt at her default distrustfulness. It was how the world worked now - a stranger was assumed friend before foe. That resonated especially true in a place like Saffron in the middle of Lux Kanto, where if a thug didn't get you, a Lux officer would. Despite her instinctual caution, however, Lynne naturally wanted to place her trust in people. She wanted to believe the best in people, especially this guy with the nice smile.

Before she could open her mouth to answer, however, the presumed storekeeper reentered from somewhere in the back carrying an absolutely beautiful bouquet. Lynne couldn't take her eyes off them; the orange contrasted so sharply with the single white blossom. She had never seen an arrangement like it. Even Poncho raised his ears, nose twitching at the strong scent the bouquet brought into the room. Lynne couldn't help but eavesdrop - did it even count as eavesdropping when she was clearly within earshot - as the shopkeep and the man with the eyepatch exchanged a few words. Better than last years? Lynne's curiosity was piqued, to say the least.

She wasn't sure whether it was instinct that made her choose to trust this strange man, or simply intrigue at his bouquet of lilies.

"Oh, o-okay." she stammered, stepping through the doorway he held open back into the frantic hustle and bustle of Saffron City life.
"Thank you." she remembered to add as an afterthought.

Though she trusted him to leave the way, she did try to pay closer attention to her surroundings as they walked. She wasn't too keen on getting lost again, and it was always good to be somewhat aware of her surroundings. However, even as she tried memorize streets or landmarks of note, her mind kept drifting back to the flowers the young man carried along with him. She felt it would be improper of her as a stranger to ask what he was doing with them, but... Hey, what the hell, she was just a stranger. A face in the crowd. If it turned out to be some horrible social blunder, they would part ways at Stanley Park and he would never have to see her again. She was, in this city, a Nobody. Lynne didn't ask bold questions, but under the comforting guise of Nobody, she felt a strange braveness.

"Those flowers... they're beautiful." she began, and she meant it too.

"...What are they for?"