He's in the middle of looking up the number when Onyx snaps at him something vicious. He's frozen for a moment, cold in the wake of it all as eyes move to his guest. For a moment he can't think, only register the frustration- the anger. For a moment he's back in Galar, stunned into silence once again. [break][break]

And then the words register and Andres stops hunching over his phone, jaw setting and eyes hardening. "Excuse me?" Neurons fire off one emotion after another. Confusion, anger, panic. [break][break]

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Because there's so much loaded into that. What does he care? He lowers the phone, forgetting entirely about dinner. It's not like Andres talked about his flings and hook ups, but it wasn't like he didn't have them. It wasn't like he kept it hidden form Onyx. He just never flaunted it. It'd gotten worse maybe. Juggling dates and visits and weekends just to numb an ache. But it's not like he bragged. Not like he bothered to keep track either. It's inconsequential. Filler in his head until something exciting happened. Like Onyx. Though, as adrenaline began to pump through him, this wasn't the kind of excitement he'd wanted.

[break][break]

+ onyx straub || affections confections (ee) [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

He doesn't notice Onyx and his covert orders, too busy reloading the little corks into the gun and readjusting his aim. He closes one eye, pulling the toy rifle in tightly. POP! And off it goes flying, somehow hitting a bit high on the can but still enough to knock it over. "Yes!" he gives a little fist pump, proud of himself. [break][break]

His grin only broadens as Onyx leaned over. "Anything for Zia Jr." he said, turning to Onyx for a moment as he reached over for another cork to shoot off. Andres was pretty happy, all things considered. Almost like he didn't mind if the cans didn't fall off the first time. No, that'd be to easy. And wouldn't it be all the more impressive to win down to the wire? He fires again before adding, "What artery clogging treat do you like, by the way? Just. From the fair. In general?" he asked, making conversation as he moved to prep and fire a final shot, nonchalant about the whole affair.

[break][break]

+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

"Y'look good...nothin' on your face or anything." Andres said with a snort as he took a few careful steps forward, spin snapped into position. At least he didn't have that weird ass full waddle he thought he might end up with. He goes first, knowing Onyx can keep up and turns the lock before slipping out into the wall of noise that was the club.

[break][break]

+ onyx straub | GOD ITS SO NASTY ON THE BATHROOM FLOOR? [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Onyx was right. The world constricts, tightens. It adjusts to their movements and blocks their backwards path. The bramble thickens and grows as they're herded forward, towards the noise. Towards the ultimate joke of it all. [break][break]

"I- I don't know-" the children who are not children because he doesn't anything here coalesce from the shadows before them in the distance. Playing- no running- no. Chasing. Andres feels a headache coming along with a side of chills. "Take care of Rodric-" he said, nervous as the children turn from blurry wisps of color to something more solid.
[break][break]

"He's our priority." They'd come in here looking for him after all. Though maybe this job was better suited for a ranger than anything else. Clearly, because Andres wasn't ready to go back to Galar. He wasn't ready for the memories to come crawling back despite how seamlessly they were taking shape. With one child sprinting past the rest and the others giving chase.


[break][break]

+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

"Two? Isn't that a little greedy?" He asked as he leaned forward and propped his elbows on the counter, butt of the wooden rifle in the crook of his neck. He's given a handful little corks. More than enough to make the shots, if he wastes maybe a couple of them. [break][break]

But it's worth it for Onyx. Plus, be never liked leaving without some sort of memento from these places. Sure they were cheap, he could probably find it himself for cheaper, but where was the fun in that? [break][break]

"Let's try it then." He said grinning a little wider as he turned to look back at Onyx, noting a soft flushing of dark skin. Encouraged by this, he turns to begin shooting. As predicted the little corks go flying wildly. By the third shot, he's only managed to glance off a can and nudge it back, but as Andres loads his next shot he seems unfazed.


[break][break]

+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

She knows the cookie dough is on the ground. She's staring from the bedroom, standing there staring down Onyx, but she doesn't intrude. Noting the weird tension between both men, she opts to hide in her bedroom and wait till more scraps are ready for filching. [break][break]

Onyx doesn't respond. Not really. Not like before. He doesn't ask further questions, doesn't probs. He makes his way to the living room and the coffee table to begin picking up old containers and used napkins. He stops briefly to look over? "You burn yourself?" he asked, hearing the disappearing jingle of Chuchi's collar as she hides away in her bed. [break][break]

But Onyx is actively on the ground scooping up trashed cookie dough and angrily tossing it in the trashcan. Andres is quiet, check for wrappers and crumpled up chip bags between the cushions. He found bottle caps, and spare buttons. Maybe a lost, dried up french fry Chuchi had missed before dropping the cushions back down. He had been unwell since December it seemed. He'd done a huge clean in January only to...get sloppier. More frustrated. "Shit- right the pizza-!" he should order it now before they ended up waiting forever. He goes to grab his phone, quickly looking up the number. [break][break]

"What toppings you want? Or any specific soda?"

[break][break]

+ onyx straub || affections confections (ee) [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

The MC narrates the fight, both giving context between booth fights: styles, win records, losses, stakes! Andres is aware of the stakes, aware of the vague blood stains on the arena. Aware that he's actually bet a lot of money on his companion who he couldn't be sure if he wished was fighting or not. Onyx was in his element after all. Why take that from him? [break][break]

The crowd cheers as the Barbarian surges forth to take a swing at Onyx and Andres' heart leaps into his chest. He holds back a gasp, watching Onyx move, smooth as butter on his own feet. His heart rate spikes as he turned to watch the Incineroar moved, with the Bisharp intercepting, but not before injuring the human trainer. "Oh shit-!" he exclaimed, as Telluria smacks into the dual type. [break][break]

His eyes are back on Onyx and his opponent. Just in time to see the man lift his leg damn near above his head and kick the shit out of the other man. He can see the red spit flying and in that moment, felt his heart jump to his throat. Eyes wide and locked on Onyx. And for a moment, he remembered watching Onyx battle all those years ago. Cheering him on just as fervently from the stands as before. [break][break]

"Let's fucking GOOO!" he screamed, as the man stumbled back.

[break][break]

+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Andres picks up after Onyx, trailing behind carefully, beginning to resemble a guilty dog more than anything else. He doesn't want to talk about it anymore, trying to move past but it felt like everything he said only elicited more questions than really satisfied Onyx's. "Well I-" he said before being silence as Onyx shoved the tip of a spoon with cookie dough in his movie. He gladly scrapes it off with his teeth, chewing. After a moment he nodded at him. "Tasting good." he said, still smiling. It's more temporary pleasure at the little taste of dough rather than the conversation. [break][break]

He can't distract Onyx well enough but it's too late to try anything else. He can't change the subject, can't kiss him. The offer of a night in didn't do much. Onyx isn't listening to any of that. He's too focused. But he can't....stop talking. That may make him angrier. [break][break]

"Uhh...like...a busy week?" There's a pause as he wandered out of the kitchen and around the immediate area to shove his hand and grab by the handful trash he had shoved underneath. He's currently using a bra as a scoop for using condoms before dumping it all into an open bag. "You know, going out. Meeting people. Hanging out." Fucking. A lot of fucking.

[break][break]

+ onyx straub || affections confections (ee) [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

The damage isn't that bad- or maybe its that there's other things to draw his attention right now. But Onyx sputters and then runs from him while the 2 quadrupeds dogpile the Mimikyu. Andres scrambled to his feet, not arguing with Onyx and giving a sharp whistle for the other pokemon to follow.
[break][break]

Chuchi snarls in return, unflinching in the face of the endless pummeling. Her face in the dirt, she bristles waiting for the second it slowed down before using COPYCAT to throw herself at the Mimikyu with a copy of PLAY ROUGH. As she does she barks for the Nidoran to get up and go, readying an escape for herself while Andres and the rest escaped.
[break][break]

At some point, the blonde rights himself to fall in step with Onyx but he's not entirely relived. "Are Mimikyu always that aggressive?!" he asked, breathless as he went through his mental rolodex of pokemon. He'd never encountered something quite so territorial. Mimikyu were...well not harmless but certainly needed provocation to attack.
[break][break]

By this point they're a little lost. Trees and forest going on and on and on as the sounds of battle fade behind him before the flora begins to thin just a little. The giggling is back, but also the warbled sound of taunts. Through their panting, as they thin out, he can hear it. Children, laughing jeering at something. "No way- Rodric's the only one I as told about." he said, blood going cold as he looked at the young boy in Onyx's arms. His eyes swivel out to the path in front of them, searching for any other student that had wandered off.

[break][break]

+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

It's one of the worst carnival games known to man, the fucking cork gun games. Where the corks either hit too soft or the cans were weighted. "That one!" he said, pointing at the string of oversized Rookiedee's both shiny and not. "What do I do to win my sweetie that one, pops?" he asked, a boastful laugh erupting from him as he slaps tickets down. [break][break]

The older gentleman sits up from his reading material and began to grab the little corks and the air soft gun. [break][break]

"Three outta four of the top top cans." he said. There were little pyramids of canons stacked at different levels on the shelves. The bottom ones were bigger, easier to hit, and probably lighter. The ones at the top were much smaller and probably hiding something inside. [break][break]

He takes the gun, grinning. He's excited to play even if he knows how rigged this thing is. "Pick a color Onyx." he added as he closed an eye and put the butt of the little riffle in his shoulder.

[break][break]

+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

At some point he's wandered closer to the kitchen to grab a trash bag. It's not just wrappers and lingerie he needed to toss. Take out containers ( licked clean ), empty water bottles and cans, empty bags. Miscellaneous trash he was too tired or too lazy to get up and put in the garbage proper. He's unfurling one when Onyx turns to him, surprised at how often he go around. [break][break]

"It's not- a hook up doesn't last that long-" he said. It's more manageable than Onyx is thinking. Especially when Andres isn't always the one taking it, as it were. "I mean- it varies? Sometimes I get really busy. Sometimes things in my schedule line up-" he added trying to explain himself. Sometimes he went off on a sadness bender because of a fight with Onyx and sometimes he stayed celibate for weeks. It all depended on his mood and how mad he was. But again, he doesn't tell Onyx this. Doesn't confess how much he affected him. Even if it was very clear once they ended up in each other's arms. [break][break]

But Onyx turns back to his cooking and Andres takes a moment to try to help. He rummages through grabbing a can of PAM spray and a new cookie sheet. He rips the cardboard label off, shoving it into his newly opened garbage bag and moves to the sink to spray down one tray, setting it aside before doing to the same to a second one. Carefully, he leaves it there, not wanting to get in between Onyx and his work. [break][break]

He's not stupid, not always. He's pretty smart all things considered. Day to day, not much simulated that side of things. But Andres sometimes understood, sometimes pretended not to. The line of conversation wasn't making anything better. Whatever it was, irritated Onyx, just a bit. Or perhaps, frustrated him? Was he mad he had so many partners? Or perhaps a safety concern. [break][break]

"I don't always have a good week, and you know, I'm always safe about it."

[break][break]

+ onyx straub || affections confections (ee) [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]