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Not long after Priam enters, Kingsley follows after, as equally water soaked as the younger kid. His top half is bare save for a towel thrown over his shoulders, one he's still dabbing at his face with. There's a myriad of small scars caught along his chest As Priam takes off towards the strangers, Kingsley stays where he is, cool gaze passing over each new face. His eyes linger on the tallest (@bronze ) in the room then settle back on Priam.

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Kingsley smiles, a lazy sort of grin that gives him a look of nonchalance. His head tips to the side and he pats a palm against his ear and then repeats it with the other side.

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"Yo," he calls out, arm dropping down. He walks towards the table and stops beside the woman with green hair. The smell of salt water clings to his skin. "Don't mind the kid. He gets really excited when he sees good food."

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I thought of angels Choking on their halos Get them drunk on rose water See how dirty I can get them Pulling out their fragile teeth And clip their tiny wings

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@poufkin @bronze Isra Nightingale priam conrad

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FInally, the brat was gone. Oh, no doubt she thought herself quick and clever with those furtive little snatches of movement, but he’d caught the motion from the corner of his eye and elected to ignore it. They were Rose’s pastries, after all, and if she had no qualms about the little shit greedily taking far more than her share, well. Bronze wasn’t her father. Thank Arceus.[break][break]

The man gladly refocuses upon Rose, a far more reasonable entity entirely, it seemed, and to her question he responded with a quirk of the lips, one side of his mouth pulling up in a wry show of humour. ”No, not coincidence. It was a nickname as a child, for a fascination with a certain metal I am certain you can guess the identity of, and I much preferred it to my given name.” Heavily muscled shoulders lift in a languid shrug. ”So I kept it.”[break][break]

Her joke and accompanying smile elicit a bright flash of teeth, eyes alight with humour as he inclined his head towards her gravely, tone somber. ”Indeed. I was shaken to my very core by the sheer, titanic presence you possess.”[break][break]

His brows lift at her uncommonly enthusiastic reaction to his nidoking’s arrival, eyes flicking over to the great purple beast and then back to the pink woman. Was she a..Particular fan of the breed, perhaps? He’d received compliments on the level of care he’d shown his pokemon before, of course, but this was a most unusual reaction indeed. ”Kharrus-Tah.”, he corrects, emphasising the slight roll of the ‘r’ and the deep ‘u’ before nodding in the affirmative. ”He is indeed, as was Ravun-Tus. I do my best to keep my companions in the best possible form. They deserve it, after all.” The smile he turns on the nidoking is a fond one, the majestic creature tilting its chin up and blinking slowly, chest swelling ever so slightly as he doesn’t quite preen, but comes close - that would be undignified, after all, and Kharrus-Tah couldn’t have that! Instead, he suffers the praise with all the gracious patience of a king having his exploits sang to him by a bard.[break][break]

His attention shifts briefly to the green haired woman, whom very obviously was recently roused from slumber, and he nods, gesturing towards the kitchen. ”The kettle is freshly boiled, as it happens. Teas are in the cupboard above and one to the left of it. Help yourself.”[break][break]

He had just been about to rejoin the conversation with Rose to explain the techniques he used to give Varun-Tus such a wonderfully gleaming finish, when the door abruptly boomed open. It was a good thing that his tea had been mostly finished, swift drinker that he was, or the jerk of reflexive alarm would have sent it spilling all over him. As it was, he snapped into an upright position, features transforming into a still and severe expression, his weight tilted forward with the air of a man ready to spring forward at the slightest provocation. [break][break]

Then he sees the sodden youth at the entrance, the utter lack of weaponry or overt ill intent, noting the young man’s exuberance, and settles slowly back into his chair, though with a more guarded and wary posture. Once more, Bronze’s brows draw down in disapproval as the pastries are, yet again, snapped up without permission. His tone is frosty as he comments, ”Those were not yours to take. Ask, next time, and say thank you. You have ill manners.”[break][break]


Then yet another individual enters the hall - he supposed this was the start of the flood of bodies for the day - and this one causes Bronze to react in a manner that he has to none of the others so far. There is no immediate, overt show of alarm, but instead the man shifts subtly in his seat, setting the cup to rest upon the table as he secures a pastry and adjusts his weight in the manner of a snake coiling into readiness. He’d seen the scars on the man’s chest, and though he couldn’t quite discern the nature of the old wounds, he was not one to give the benefit of the doubt.[break][break]

Despite this, his expression is relaxed, and he offers the other man an easy smile as he says, tone steady, welcoming, “Hey. Welcome to Hyacinth Hall. Fellow early risers, I see. How’s the water?”[break][break]

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Bronze took his first bite of the baked good, the outer pastry shell giving way in a pleasantly flaky, cracking fashion. The pastry itself was flavourful, without being overpowering or unduly sweet, while the artfully diced apple core was fresh and brimming with taste. An appreciative noise escaped the man as he chews, savouring the morsel, breathing a soft sigh of satisfaction. A true treat, this - he'd have to ask if he could purchase some from Rose, to tide him over for later.[break][break]

The green haired girl, at least, possesses manners, despite her evidently somnolent state. Chalk up one point of approval from Bronze.[break][break]

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Certain she's overstayed her welcome once the stillness of the room fills with the various smells of sea and sweat, an influx of new faces, and the sounds of relaxed exchanges between unfamiliar voices, Rose itches to make her escape. Bright blue eyes dance between each in attendance, biding her time by quietly sipping tea while waiting for an opportune moment to politely slip away. [break][break]

In truth, Rose would have loved to stay and hear more about @bronze 's Pokemon: How he took care of them, how he managed to train the Goliaths, what purpose they played in his life... unfortunately, she feels it oddly out of place in the here and now. Pulling free from these thoughts, a cursory glance is cast towards Bronze at his bodily reaction when the... strapping? (she supposed... it was hard for her to judge these things), shirtless duo dripped onto the scene. Her hummingbird heart flutters instantly at Bronze's presumed provocation and only regulates once he seems to ease up. In noticing the scars littered across @kingsley 's chest, she swallows.[break][break]

Rose opts to remain quiet and observe how the newcomers receive her offerings, unable to take quite the same offense as Bronze does to the ill-mannered youth. She surmises that perhaps he was food aggressive... a man his size certainly would require a substantial amount of food. However, despite the lapse in manners, Rose can not deny the rush of satisfaction she feels when each person takes part in the turnovers, which were brought explicitly for this purpose. Rose is especially delighted at the comment of "good food", and she relishes in the validation by beaming in priam conrad 's direction. "Good, enjoy. That's what they're here for." She beams pleasantly as the green-haired girl nods in her direction, but garners an especially potent rush of affirmation at Bronze's contented sigh.[break][break]

"Thank you for having me! Would you like me to put this away?" She address the group and gestures towards the kitchen, where the green-haired girl had headed while holding the now emptied mug in her opposite hand. Directing her attention specifically towards Bronze, Rose attempts to assuage his prior ire towards the others taking their share of the pastries. "I would be happy to bake something for you, provided you tell me a bit more about your best care practices for Pokemon. You can find my number in the Ranger directory-- I'm listed as Rose Golding. Shoot me a text, if you'd like." She's not about to be presumptuous and is contented to leave the ball in his court. Rose does not consider the implications for how this invitation might have been construed, innocent as it was. Warmly smiling towards the others, Rose waves with a dainty hand in parting. "Good luck, everyone!" she chirps out, genuine in her intentions and delivery, then returns to Canary Hall.[break][break]

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He held up a large hand in a warding gesture, intended to fend off the idea of Rose doing anything of the sort. "Absolutely not. You were kind enough to bake these and bring them to us, the very least we could do is clean up.", he said in a firm but not harsh voice, offering her a smile. [break][break]

He rises to his feet as she makes her intent to depart clear, nodding his head in an agreeable fashion as he says, "Of course, I'd be happy to. I am always willing to share what I know about caring for pokemon, particularly those that are misunderstood or underappreciated." He escorted her to the door, walking her out, and waved a polite farewell. "Thank you once again for your kind gesture, Rose, it is greatly appreciated." This done, he returned inside and, since he was standing, offered, "Any of you want some tea or something to eat? Long day ahead of us, I think."[break][break]

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Kingsley registers the sign of apprehension in the other man's posture but he offers it no more attention than that. He's familiar enough with this routine and with the idea of alphas between two men and the perceived threat in being overtaken. Even with the relaxed look, Kingsley is accutely aware of the change in demeanor.

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"Water's great. Perfect temperature for swimming," he answers, taking the offered pastry with a thank you. He examines the treat, smell of warm apple heavy in the air. Kingsley doesn't like sweets, but he eats it anyways. As Rose talks, he listens with half interest, though his eyes remain on her in the same manner one does when giving their full attention.

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"I'm about to go make some coffee," Kingsley says once Bronze returns. He has finished the pastry and he wipes the flake of crumbs off on his swim shorts. "Me and the brat aren't much for tea. You eat eggs or pancakes?"

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As he talks, Kingsley makes his way towards the kitchen.

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I thought of angels Choking on their halos Get them drunk on rose water See how dirty I can get them Pulling out their fragile teeth And clip their tiny wings

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@bronze priam conrad

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Bronze's mouth turns up in a lopsided smile as he gives a slight shrug, admitting, "There isn't much I dont eat, really. Whatever's easiest - I can help out, if you like, or I can give you the space to work and just clean the dishes after. Your call." His tone is relaxed, amiable, and his posture is largely that of a man at ease as he leans up against the doorframe of the kitchen, watching the others go about their business. He adds, after a moment, "I can rustle something up for everyone's pokemon, if any of you want, too."[break][break]

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Seemed like it was the time of morning that the majority of people began to rise, judging from the steady influx of bodies migrating towards the kitchen. That, or the smell of coffee and the promise of a possible meal had enticed them from their lairs before their habitual wakeup time. He cocks his head at the latest such individual to have arrived, raising a brow at the man's complete lack of greeting, verbal or otherwise. "Not very lively before your morning coffee, or just unimpressed?"[break][break]