fuck it. why not. this was the primary thought that had gone through his head, before he was making his way through the crowd with evergrande’s captain towards the bar. any bar.

he didn’t have a drink of choice, really. he never drank much, so usually, he settled on beer.

”whiskey’s good!”

while they waited, bo’s gold eyes scanned the crowd around them, surely rowdier than usual due to the extra business splashfest was bringing in. it kept the blood pumping, but still, it was easier to talk than back at the concert.

when the glass was set in front of him, he raised it at ollie. ”to living.”

ollie morales

☉

there's already enough alcohol in him by the time that they find their seats and the drinks arrive, though ollie has never needed anything — least of all, liquor - to smooth his tongue.

[break][break] "to the end of the world!"

[break][break] the classes clink together, and ollie downs his own whisky back.

[break][break] "so you got a bucket list? cool guy like you — i bet you have a hundred think you'd wanna do before the end of the world." he flashes a grin.

[attr="class","ooc"] boruta maher [break]

glasses clinked and he brought to his lips to sip, wincing the smallest bit at it—clearly not a drinker, and definitely not a whiskey drinker when he was.

ollie thinking he was cool felt unwarranted. bo had grown up a cool kid, but he’d become one of those guys that had never left the pond. he worked for his hometown, where he knew everyone, and it often felt like he did the same monotonous shit between tending to hoenn’s various tragedies.

”i mean… i’ve never left hoenn. it’d be pretty cool to see other places—like the sekra mountain range, maybe.” he smiled, briefly wistful, despite their situation. ”might be a little late for that, though.”

he wasn’t really sure about other bucket list experiences. skydiving? honestly, fuck that.

”what about you?”

ollie morales

☉

"still can't believe that you've never left hoenn." ollie sighed, a bit wistful, as he brought a drink to his lips. "i love traveling."

[break][break] with a twinkle in his eye, he looked at bo. "maybe i could show you some pictures sometime — once, i walked through the cliffs in cyllage. they were gorgeous."

[break][break] his head tilts.

[break][break] "probably traveling somewhere i haven't been - anywhere. i heard galar's pretty in the summer." his grin is a bit wry. "though, kind of late for that."

[break][break] the alcohol is like fire through his veins, making him feel muddled.

[break][break] "when i was in high school, i'd always wanted to do something - you know - thrilling. i love being a ranger, 'course i do, but i never really got the chance to do something... you know, totally stupid."

[break][break] he chews on a chicken wing, the sauce caught on his bottom lip. his tongue darts out to catch it.

[break][break] "you ever feel like that?"

[attr="class","ooc"] boruta maher [break]

”i mean, i like exploring the region. i’ve been all over, y’know—just not overseas.” mostly, knew hoenn like the back of his hand, from the highest peak to the deepest valley; and yet there were still mysteries, like the ancient temple he’d seen, and the dome they kept tapu koko in. what other secrets were there, right under their noses?

when ollie mentioned photos of the cliffs in cyllage, he smiled. of all the regions, he knew the least about kalos’s geography. ”yeah, i’d love to see ‘em.”

a galarian summer. ”perfect time to visit the crown tundra, apparently.” or so read some article on the internet.

”i dunno, man, i’ve done some pretty stupid shit,” he chuckled. ”think i might like to try sky-diving, bungee-jumping… all that cliché bucket-list stuff.” he guessed all the places were likely booked up.

”what kinda stupid are you talkin' about?”

ollie morales

☉

"oh. well that's better. only a little though." he winks at the other, giving him a small smirk. "i traveled a lot in hoenn too, but there was something about crossing the seas that just - ya know - called to me."

[break][break] the last time he'd explained his wanderlust — to PENELOPE LIVY — that hadn't gone so well. this conversation seemed to be going loads better.

[break][break] the conversation shifts away from ollie's travels and instead towards his bucket list, and he tips his glass back to drink as boruta maher shares his.

[break][break] "oh, sky-diving is great! i did it a few times in kalos - no thrill like it." he sighs pleasantly. "or hiking at dawn so you can visit the sun-rise. you get some amazing views."

[break][break] ollie blinks when the other presses him for questions. he waves his hand flippantly.

[break][break] "oh you know, stupid kid shit. like, skipping class or getting drunk and hooking up with a stranger. when i was a kid, i was way too busy on my dad's farm and focused on raising my kid-sister." though, calling Eva Morales his kid-sister would've certainly given him a slap on the head. she was barely younger than him, but that didn't make him any less protective of her.

[break][break] "i grew up in a big family but with a single dad so i always felt like i couldn't really make mistakes."

[break][break] a pause, gaze flickering towards bo.

[break][break] gold light flecks in his gaze.

[break][break] "especially after ma died."

[attr="class","ooc"] boruta maher [break]

despite the sweet electricity that he felt from being winked at by ollie morales, it was made a little bitter by the teasing of his being untraveled. one day, maybe, if the league’s plan worked, and the barrier eventually disappeared somehow, he would make those trips he’d always wanted to. between work. if he could save enough. if roman didn’t need him for a couple of weeks. if he could shirk all of his responsibilities, just for a little bit.

yeah. cause that would totally happen.

”i feel that. if the barrier ever lets up, one day, i’ll get out there. i wanna see everything.”

ollie was well-traveled and he’d been sky-diving. bo was starting to feel pretty uncool, but the enjoyment of a good morning hike was something he could relate to, at least. to do it over the views of kalos? ”that sounds awesome.”

he listened more. surprisingly relatable, although bo had skipped class a time or ten. a good kid, they’d called him, just a bit misguided. he’d still swore up and down that trouble found him, not the other way around.

his smile finally wavered, then. bo knew too much about losing a mom, about being the older sibling and feeling responsible for pretty much everything and everyone.

at first his golden gaze didn’t stray from ollie’s, finding himself taken by it regardless of the discomfort of their conversation’s dark turn.

”sorry to hear that, ollie.” a pause, and his eyes finally fell away. ”i know about being the oldest, for sure. always got my nose into trouble trying to look after my little brothers. couldn’t imagine raising them, though. our mom was always there.”
the whiskey came to his lips.

”she passed away nine years ago. miss her every day.”

ollie morales

☉

fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately?) for bo, ollie remained completely oblivious to the sour notes of his thoughts. spending night with the other, in the comfort of drinks and good food, as well as a cool companion made for a wonderful afternoon, and it said as much in ollie's mannerisms, in the ease which he popped some popcorn shrimp into his mouth.

[break][break] his eyes glows bright as boruta maher mentions traveling the world.

[break][break] "that's great!" he says, enthused. for whatever reason, he's never yet been able to find a travel buddy, not any one besides his pokemon to fulfill his dreamas with. "let's go together! that's a promise, okay?" he winks.

[break][break] another carefree laugh bubbles to his lips as he tosses his drink back once more, smiling a bit goofily at the other as he basks in the glow of his company.

[break][break] in the dark light of the bar, there was something thrilling about locking eyes with boruta maher.

[break][break] his hand wanders over to the other's, placing one on top of the other's. his gaze is warm and empathetic.

[break][break] "that really sucks, dude."

[attr="class","ooc"] boruta maher [break]