A Day Off

[fluffymcsnuggles]

[Refs]

He wouldn't call her annoying yet. Admittedly Louise had a lot more barriers put up than she gives off. There's plenty of stuff she would like to do, but she doesn't do it. Why? Plenty of reasons, fear being the biggest factor. Maybe one day she'll be braver but not today motherfuckers. She just goes from hopping between her feet trying to get rid of the shaky feeling that is running through her veins.

She gave a quick nod at his suggestion and began to look around. Ty wasn't a guy that liked things that stood out TOO much, so maybe look for things with a pop of color or more towards accessories that might provide that. She looked at a few jackets that looked a bit like high fashion streetwear. But the cool kind you see on blogs where you wonder where they got those sick ass vaguely futuristic jackets that nobody can seem to pinpoint where it's from. She pulls that off and goes looking for some joggers. Fleece lining means warm but also easy movement. She's so great at this. She moved around grabbing armfuls of accessories and she decided she grabbed all that she wanted.

She'll make one last circle round the store just in case though. "Wow yeah, I know. That was months ago. There was sooo many people that came into my shop after the dance!" she said excitedly, nearly dropping the clothes before readjusting them in her arms. She felt her face heat up from the compliment and she let out a small chuckle. "Thanks Ty! I was working on the light thing for months before the festival so I'm overjoyed with how it turned out. Plus with a light show like that it was sorta hard to miss." That was the whole point since she actually wanted people to look at her and pay attention to her. Far more than she wants to admit to herself.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    With how Louise immediately went towards more flashy clothing options, the only real though that popped into Ty's head was a brief 'Oh no...' as he realized he may have given the pink-haired fiend just a bit too much power. Sure, he expected her to pick something a little more out there, but it wasn't until this moment that the boy realize he didn't exactly understand what that entailed. Chances were, he was going to be walking out of the store looking like a bargain brand cyberpunk character. 

    At least it still had punk in the name?

    Gods, when Tyler got home Callahan was going to give him such a judgmental look. Oh no... he's going to fucking eat me alive when he finds out I let a girl dress me up too. Cal was the type of older brother that looked scary and exhausted on the outside, but inside was t he kind that never passed up an opportunity to tease his younger sibling. 'What are you wearing Ty?' Oh nothing just something a friend picked out. 'A friend, hmmm? They wouldn't happen to be a girl would they?' ...No...?    

    'Man Ty, I can't believe you're letting girls pick out your outfits now. Who knew you were such a softie!' Oh gods Callahan's going to murder me. Why didn't I think this through a little bit better? But, hey. Louise looked happy picking them out. So maybe it wasn't all bad. Ty could just say a friend was having a bad day and they went to look for something goofy to lighten the mood. Perhaps the young punk could get away without any sort of major ribbing if he gave that sort of excuse. Wouldn't even really be lying, Louise had some dark clouds looming over her just a few moments ago. The man was very likely going to make jabs about the outfit itself, though. There was no escaping that. 
    
    Hopefully it'd be warm. 

    He smiled, though, when the young techie started talking about how well the festival had gone for her. The new customers, the attention it brought to her doorstep. Louise deserved it. Whether or not she had that sort of self confidence in herself, not many people could make their own mechanical limbs. Much less modify them to that extent. "Honestly, I'm just a little sad you didn't hit the dance floor more. We could have teamed up. Lil bit'a darkness shit, lil bit of light. Would have been pretty fucking cool, you gotta admit." 

    A grin played upon his features as he gave the girl a small nudge. "Plus, let's be real, pretty girls always steal the show." The young punk walked away after saying that. Almost cruelly letting the other girl sit with what he'd just said as he combed through other articles of clothing. Was he fucking with her? Most certainly. But did he say it just to fuck with her, or was there a truth to his teasing? Or did he say that to get her mind racing on purpose? Unfortunately, with his eyes always hidden, it was really hard to tell what was going through his head. 

    "So come on, tell me a bit about what other things you like to do." And he just moved on without addressing what he just did. This fucker played dirty. "I know the music you jam to, but what about movies or anything like that. Hit me with what games you play or any other hobbies you have outside of tech shit. I'm dying to know what is actually capable of holding your attention." 

[fluffymcsnuggles]

[Refs]

Listen, to Louise everything she was grabbing she considered understated and casual. Be grateful she was attempting to tone herself down here. Besides she wasn't expecting him to buy the damn outfit just humor her and try it on. Most of the accessories she nabbed happened to be pins and patches someone could use to decorate a coat. She debated grabbing him another hat- just to see if he would wear it. Somehow she couldn't help but think that would go over badly so she decided against the idea.

She had to admit she couldn't wait to see how he looked. This definitely wasn't his exact style but she tried to capture the spirit of it ya know? She needed to find a place to put all these clothes anyway. She didn't want to have to keep carrying this. Where were the dressing rooms? She peered around the store to see if she could catch a glimpse of it.

"Yeah. But you made it a lone challenger competition instead of a tag team one," she said with a shrug. A shame, it would have been fun to dance with Ty. He probably could have taught her a thing or two. Maybe next year though so there was no need to fret about it so much. She goes to playfully swat away his nudge- dropping the clothes on the floor. "Ah fuck-! Well," she let out a small sigh before she continues to speak "Good thing I'm awful at stealing shit!" Seriously she's super bad at being deceptive.

Of course, what Louise doesn't realize is Ty's attempt to compliment her appearance. She somehow managed to deflect that shit and not even notice there was supposed to be more under the surface to that comment. It's normal to compliment friends right? Don't ask Louise, she's no expert on friendships.

She blinks a little in surprise at his eagerness to get to know her more. What? She picks up the clothes she dropped and hums in thought. "For movies I really like a lot of stuff that can make me laugh. Or or sci-fi stuff! I'm not really picky about films. I can't really sit still for a movie though. Also, I talk a lot during movies...which I don't mind cause I'm normally watching them on my own." She usually avoids watching movies with others since she knows that people, for some fucking reason, like viewing their films in silence.

"Hobbies outside of tech though? Well, before my limbs were- ya know... I used to go roller skating a lot. That's why I made my legs do what they could do so I could keep on skating. Oh! I also really like baking! It doesn't even take that long to do most of the time." Actually that depends, there are just some recipes she won't touch cause it seems like far too much work and she would easily mess that shit up. "The alarms are suuuper useful. Um...what else," she mutters to herself now tapping on her lower lip idly. She sighs and gives a little shrug. It's one of those situations where the minute someone asks her about herself, she's forgotten who she is.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Ty crouched down and helped Louise with the dropped clothes. He should have known better than to distract her from what she was doing, but at the same time... it was a little funny. If it were anyone else, the young punk would probably tease them about doing what she'd just done. Fortunately for whatever ego she still had left, Louise didn't exactly have full control over that. The boy was at least courteous enough to not make fun of someone in that way. 

    Somewhere in the shop a few workers discussed their plans for the weekend. In another part a few individuals around their age bickered over which of their favorite bands were better. Outside, the snow had started coming down a little heavier. Everyone had their own little bubbles separated from one another, while the world itself felt more at peace. Little moments like this helped remind the young man that it was good to be alive.

    Instead of handing the clothes he'd picked up back to Louise, the punk held onto them when he stood up. His shadowed gaze wandered towards the windows, to the snow beyond. Well... guess I'm gonna need this jacket after all. He begrudgingly admitted. "Alright, let's go pay for these and I'll try some of them on." The boy stated, jerking his thumb back towards the register where the workers were essentially lounging. 
   
     He tucked the clothing under one arm as he led the way back through the shop. "As far as the movies I like go, I tend to watch a lot of action flicks. Adventure stuff. Comedy's. Unsurprisingly, I'm pretty easy to please. A lot of my friends tend to be a lot pickier about what they want to watch, but I can watch just about anything and still find some sort of enjoyment out of it. Even if I have to make my own funny commentary myself. For hobbies-" He paused as he placed the clothing down on the counter, taking the rest from Louise. "-Gaming, skating, baseball. Also know how to play drums. 'But Ty, all that stuff is super obvious!' You might say, however, something a lot of people don't expect is that I'm also a sucker for card games and collecting said cards." 

    Even the cashier gave the punk a weird look at that, though it was hard to judge whether it was because of the way the young man presented that hobby or if it was the hobby itself that caught them. They did seem like one of the elitist-type punks. Tyler didn't take notice, and if he did he probably didn't care. "There's a few other things I like to do but I either haven't done them in a while or just aren't notable." The boy continued, paying for the clothes.

     "Do you wanna stay here and get anything for yourself?" He asked, shedding the backpack so he could pull on the new jacket. Gaudy it may be, it did feel noticeably more warm. The metal baseball bat clinked around in the pack as he shrugged the bag's straps back over his shoulder's. Despite it's sheen, it still had signs of random grit along it's metallic surface. Faint dents that obviously had tried to be buffed out but couldn't fully be repaired.

    It just had an eerie air of mystery around it, just like the man himself. 

    "If you want anything, I can pay for you. My treat, seeing as I'm the one who invited you out here to hang. If not, we can take a run to whatever shop you do wanna head out to." Taking the clothing bags, the young man tugged at his backpack straps. The jacket looked a bit weird on him. Not bad, just out of place. 

[fluffymcsnuggles]

[Refs]

Her brows furrow when he suggests paying for them. He's not gonna try any of them on first??? He's just gonna buy it? But what if he doesn't like them? That's just a stupid waste of money! She followed after him and chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Don't you wanna see if you like how you look in the stuff first?" She asked. She never dares to purchase clothing without trying it on. Mostly for sizing issues but even then something that looks pretty on a hanger doesn't always look pretty on her. The same logic applies here- though pretty isn't the word she would use to describe Ty. Cool more like it.

"Good to know we have similar movie tastes at least! Movies are a little easier to sit through than shows. Mostly cause I try and marathon shows all in one sitting if I can and it's like- super hard to sit still for that long. Unless it's a super good show." It was rare though to find a show engaging enough that she would be locked to the screen for hours. That doesn't mean it hasn't happened though.

She grinned when he mentioned card games. One wouldn't think it on a first impression but when Ty mentioned he played, she looked over at him and nodded. He does actually seem like the type of person who would. Why? Dunno he just gives off that vibe when it's revealed. "Wait, if you know how to play drums were you ever in a band with your friends?" She asked excitedly. The idea of having a band just seemed really fun, even if nothing ever came out of it. Not that she was musically talented in any way so she could only fantasize about that stuff.

Her excited grin fades a little when he begins to pay for everything and slip on the jacket she chose. He doesn't look all too happy to be in it- or maybe she's just making that up. It just looked weird on him. There was a sudden seizing feeling of guilt all over again. He wouldn't be wearing something like this, he's only doing it because she's forcing him. He's probably so uncomfortable. Ugh, this is all her fault. She could feel her throat burn and she turned away from him and the register to look out over the store.

"Mmm... no... I'm fine." She says absentmindedly. She doesn't wait for a response before she begins to head out of the store, silently answering his next question. She'd rather throw herself into some form of work right now than deal with the overflood of shame that's consuming what should be a fun day. Man she hates days like these. She was having a really good happy streak and her brain is just going 'fun is illegal right now you must be sad.'

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Even if it wasn't his aesthetic, the jacket was warm and fairly comfortable. Not the worst pick in the world. The only thing that really made the young man think twice were the pants, but, after a quick stop into the changing room, Ty followed Louise outside wearing the entire outfit she picked out for him. With a soft hum, the young man looked himself over and did a slow spin. He supposed he understood wanting to get to the other stores rather than spending the whole day shopping for new digs, but that didn't stop him from wondering what she'd look like in a new outfit. 

    Tyler struck a pose at Louise, fingers under his chin as he really tried to show off the clothing she put him in. "How do I look?" It was a mixed bag. The outfit on it's own was pretty solid, but for some reason it just felt weird that someone typically so plain was wearing flashier clothing. Contrary to her mental panic, though, Ty didn't mind it all that much. Sure it was going to take some explaining away, but the clothes were actually comfier than he anticipated. "I know you were afraid of me not trying them on, but listen. I said you could dress me up, so I-" He struck another pose "-did exactly that." 

    And it was unfortunately bringing out the fashion model in him. 

    When a gust of wind battered the duo, the young man seemed much more resilient towards it. Of course, under the heavier jacket, his normal hoodie was still there. Hood still popped up over the ballcap, collecting snow atop it as the gentle white flakes drifted down. Ty wouldn't have been surprised if there were a few more inches added onto the ground by the end of the night.

    It was pretty, though. Despite the cold wind, the drifting snow had a soothing effect. It gave the world a stillness. A gentle silence. Not to mention how the smooth layers of white seemed to just put the world under a clean slate. If the young man had to pick any word to describe snowy winter days such as this, he'd have to say 'Dreamlike' fit the bill the best. 

    "Your turn to pick the shop." He said, giving Louise another gentle nudge. The punk was done posing for the metaphorical cameras, and sidled up alongside her. With a grin, the punk saluted the pink-haired techie. His voice was haughty and had a stereotypical adventurer accent, cockney twang and all. "Lead the way, Captain Louise. I'll follow you to the ends of the world and back."

    By the time silence settled in, the fact that the girl was trapped in her own head became more and more apparent. The sound of snow crunching underfoot barely broke the monotony, instead creating its own rhythm, emphasizing the odd, dreamlike ambiance. Shifting cloth broke the rhythm briefly, and were Louise to look over to Ty, she would find him offering one of his earbuds over to her. Phone in hand, one earbud already in.

    The "Mellow" playlist, as it had been titled, was packed full. It set a calmer, more ambient mood as they walked. Almost blending with the scenery to emphasize a more peaceful atmosphere. The young man didn't know if his picks were going to help settle Louise's mind any, but just in case, the punk handed the phone to her anyways. Letting her pick what she wanted, or letting her choose to stop it completely if that was what she desired. It was up to her if she wanted to take the earbud or not.

[fluffymcsnuggles]

[Refs]

She let out a small weak chuckle seeing the outfit. It didn't look bad, just a bit strange seeing as he was normally so plain. But this was also plain to her, yet it kinda felt like too much at the same time. She needs to stop overthinking this it's literally an outfit. She's getting upset over a fucking outfit, brain why?

"I mean I wanted to make sure you liked it at least..." she mumbled looking away and snickering a little at his ridiculous poses. At least he was having a good time and knowing that made her feel a little better about it. She had to move some hair out of her face as the wind smacked her upon exiting. Man, she hates when that happens, hair in her mouth sucks.

It might have been wise to go and actually purchase some better winter gear for what was likely going to be a few days of snow. But Louise needed to budget and she only had so much gold on her person at any given time. She'd rather spend the money on the equipment for her tech and that's exactly where she heads. It's a crystal shop in the market square that sold other magical general items like incense, herbs, candles, and other components. Not a place she would normally hang out in but they have a good solid supply of crystals.

She looks around trying to find the familiar exterior before looking back at Ty and giggling at the nudge. "I know where I wanna go I just need to find it," she mumbles frowning and she continues to move and scan around the place. She gives another laugh and shakes her head at Ty. "You wouldn't wanna follow me.
You'll probably get lost." Besides she found that statement hyperbolic at best and downright unbelievable.

Louise gently grabs the offered earbud and slips it in. Oh shit, she even gets the aux as well? She didn't mind the music that was already playing admittedly. Plus she was curious to see what Ty might have on his playlist. One can learn a lot from a person based on the songs they play and treasure. Plus she was pretty sure if she picked her music she would get carried away and likely forget about the whole shopping thing.

"You ever been to a magic shop before?" she asked Ty. Technically it was a magic shop, though she was no magician herself. Well- ok that's a lie she knows a few tricks up her sleeve but she's certainly got no talent for it. "I don't go there suuuper often but the people there are really really nice. They even have some neat books. I've tried reading a few, couldn't get through the first couple of pages though," she admits with a shrug. Regardless it was a fun place to check out too. She was usually extra vigilant about her touching things there since she was well aware it was dangerous to fuck with any magic shit one did not understand.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    "For myself? No. But I've been to a couple with some friends before. You know, helping them figure out study material or find shit they need for-" The young man made a vague gesture, swirling his hand about in the air before him. "-Whatever it is they were doing. Most of my magical ability is right here."

    Ty patted his bicep, which wasn't visible underneath the jacket right now. But it was there, probably. The punk actually was struck by a weird thought. Louise is the first person who's never seen me get into a fight... For some reason, that revelation twisted his gut harder than he thought it would. Like a surge of anxiety, gnawing into him and filling him with a creeping sense of doom. Like he was going to throw up then and there. 

    Obviously she'd never seen him get into a fight. Louise didn't grow up with the boy, and she had never been part of the Lost Boys. The girl knew nothing of The City or what it meant to survive there. What it took to do so. But for some reason, the realization felt as though it was going to eat him alive from the inside. Focusing on the music quelled the feeling somewhat, instead leaving him with lingering confusion. A question as to why it spiked like that in the first place.

    He was not an anxious person. Nor was Ty easily frightened. But something about the thought just... yanked and pulled at him in a way he never felt before. Was it fear? Was it mistrust? Or was it something deeper? Unfortunately, the young man didn't have the answer to that question. Only scant assumptions and brittle ideas. Not worth worrying about. He chastised himself with a shake of his head. Thinking about it wasn't going to get him anywhere. 

    Tyler stuck beside Louise as she wandered through the shop. Both because he was curious about what she was getting, and because he was practically attached to her via the earbuds now. Sure, either of the two could pull one out and walk away whenever they wanted, but the vibes were good. Truth be told, the young punk didn't even try to hide his curiosity when it came to the vast array of unique items the shop had on offer. The stores he'd been to with the aforementioned friends had been more like thrift-shops. Bottom of the barrel type shit that wasn't even worth an eight of what was on sale right now. 

    And a lot of the stuff was legitimately fancy. Gold bindings or shimmering gemstones. I thought Louise was a techie, but Gods, now I'm wondering if she's been keeping something hidden here. He thought as he picked up one of the gilded tomes. It was so hefty that he felt as though he shouldn't even be touching the damn thing. As though his fingers were just going to inherently lower its value just by the virtue of who he was. 

    He put it back immediately. 

    

[fluffymcsnuggles]

[Refs]

She let's out another laugh at his joke. Though she doesn't doubt his fighting capabilities, the dude had a baseball bat with dents in it. She may be oblivious but she definitely wasn't stupid. It didn't take much to figure that Ty has probably used the thing for more than just baseball. That's just how growing up rough is. She remembered seeing kids from the orphanage beaten, bloody and broken. But she remembered one kid who came back and simply grin when she said he looked like shit and replied 'you should have seen the other guy.' Huh- she literally has not thought about that guy in years. What was his name even? Hm. Man, now she just feels weird.

Louise is entirely oblivious to the internal monologuing and panic occurring within Ty's head. She's far too concerned with her own mental voice to pay attention to anyone else's. She pushes open the door to the store and hums excitedly as she walks in. Her eyes light up upon seeing the familiar face of the shopkeep's apprentice. They didn't talk much- mostly because Louise was terrified to talk to them. She would just content herself with gestures and actions as her form of communication.

She makes a beeline towards the crystal selection and begins to look them over. Her eyes narrowed in sharp practiced scrutiny. Louise didn't pick up any of the crystals but she was moving around them to try and get a better view. What was she looking for? Who the fuck knows. Louise kinda does, but even then she's sort of winging this a little. She's only learned what to look for after years worth of data she made on the subject.

She has to be mindful of how fast she walks since she's nearly lost an earbud three times and gotten tugged back a few more by the earbud. It's annoying but also she wants to listen to music dammit. Is there a remote way to listen to music with headphones so that two people could listen and not have this annoying ass cord? Wait-

Louise scrambles and shoves her hands into the pocket of her dress pulling out a pen and notepad quickly writing down her idea before she forgot. She might have to do more research since she doesn't wanna make a thing that's already a fucking thing. That would be super lame, but if it is a thing she could maybe improve it. Implying she could even find the designs or reverse engineer the product which would be suuuper expensive.

She blinks as she realizes she's suddenly just been standing there, completely zoned out with pen and paper in hand. She shakes herself out of her thoughts and tucks them back in before grabbing a few crystals to head to the register to purchase.

"I think that's everything... I just wanted these thingies.  Did you wanna get anything.  Something weird catch your eye?" Magic shops are fun for all the wacky stuff they got in it. She wanted to see what might have caught his eye.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Ty did his best to give her as much slack as possible so she could still listen to music without yanking the cord. Unfortunately she was as quick and skittery as a gods damned rabbit on crack. It made it feel like wrestling with a puppy on a leash more than trying to follow a friend with an earbud. It was especially difficult once Louise started studying a table full of crystals, not even touching them, just walking around and throwing her head this way and that. It was a pain to try and follow, but gods did he try.  
    
    His attention was snared by the pen scratching at a notepad, breaking the flow. She seemed to jot down a bunch of different notes for long enough that the current song faded out, and a new one faded in. A few times he tried to nonchalantly peak over Louise's mechanical shoulders to get a peak at what the girl was writing. Unfortunately, the punk couldn't read her handwriting very well from the angles he was at. Especially with her fingers moving as fast as they did. 

    It got a chuckle out of him. Sure, she Louise was scatterbrained, but somehow that fray led to new ideas. Ones she felt so strongly about that she had to write them down. It was endearing. Ty cleared his throat once she put away the notepad and grabbed up a handful of crystals. "You know..." He began "...I've been thinking about it, and Honestly. You're like a puppy, you know? Easily distracted, scattered, hyperactive, soft, and so damn innocent at times. It's honestly a little... adorable?" That word felt weird coming out of his mouth.

    But it was the only thing that really fit. 

    "Don't worry about me, though. I'm all set. Even if I was the kinda mage that needed to shop here, I wouldn't even know where to begin. We should take Luna out here at some point, though. Or at least you should. She's always doing her best to try and better her abilities, so I'm sure she'd appreciate getting to join you on this kind of outing." While he would definitely love to see how those two got along, he also was deeply afraid of the chaos they would cause. Fun to watch at a distance. Terrifying to be around up close. It'd be like setting off an explosion to see an awesome boom, only you're standing ontop of it. Sure, you get to see it. But only for, like, a millisecond before it turns you to dust and ash. 

    Then again, Luna wasn't entirely the same person as she was before. So maybe it would be a bit more tame? No, you know what, not taking that risk. I don't have a death wish. His resolve only steeled itself when he remembered how the faunus knocked him out and the duo drew all over him. Bastards. 

    Ty watched as the crystals were put down at the front register. The mental math ran through his mind as the young punk tried to decipher what about them was special. Obviously they were magic, that was a no brainer. What got him was that he had no idea why they were better than the ones Louise left behind. Were they just less flawed? Had more power? He kind of wished he knew what to look for.

[fluffymcsnuggles]

[Refs]

Putting any kind of leash on Louise is asking for a bad time. Someone would surely dislocate a shoulder at the end of the day. She had to admit she was impressed Ty was able to keep up at all. She rummages around her pockets to pull out the coin purse she had while walking towards the cash register, crystals in hand. She made sure to be careful with those fuckers, dropping them means she has to pay AND she doesn't get anything out of it. Which sucks. Plus she might get banned and then where would she go to get this stuff?!

She nearly paused in her tracks at Ty's words her face feeling hot at the compliment. Well now, this couldn't be deflected because it was so fucking obvious. She flashes him a flustered grin and lets out a small laugh. "Never thought about it like that... Maybe I've been a dog this whole time!" She gasps dramatically before it dissolves into a giggle. Kinda feels weird knowing someone thought of her as adorable. That's not an adjective she would have used to describe herself, but she's not upset with being called adorable. It's just- it's... new.

"What brought on that train of thought?" Sorta seemed like it came outta nowhere. Oh wait- is this out of pity? Is it because he feels bad? Cause if that was the case the compliment didn't feel as good. "That's a good idea. Maybe I'll invite her sometime-!" Wait Louise doesn't know how to contact her. But, she does know where the girl works so maybe she'll just have to pop into the place and look around. Besides, Louise didn't even know Luna could do magic on top of already being strong. Like- she was strong enough to snap Ty's neck like it was nothing and knock him out. Now she has magic to boot too? Cool.

She goes and places the crystals on the cash register. The apprentice goes to ring it up and she begins to gather her coin. They announce the total and she resists the urge to cringe at the price. She wasn't hurting for cash, and she could definitely afford it. But on instinct, she just shuddered at the price. Not like it was unreasonable given the items she was purchasing, but she still kind of lived like she was just barely making ends meet. At least- mentally. She knew she was better off now but it was still hard to believe and adjust to.

The apprentice grabs the gems and wraps them up before handing her the bag. She gives them a wave goodbye and makes sure to walk slow so that the earbuds don't fall out and she doesn't leave Ty hangin. "What store next?"

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    "Game store next." He stated once the transaction was complete. Clothes and magic crystals were certainly necessities, but games were just good fun. No bullshit personal politics, no reason to get into some sort of headspace. Just dumb goofs and good times. "And as for what brought that up? I unno, just being yanked around made me think about it. It seemed funny and cute, honestly. In a good way, of course." 

    Ty gave the top of Louise's head a karate-chop bop. Nothing hard, he just seemed to be a very physical person. It was how he showed his affection towards his friends and loved ones. "Now don't go thinking that's me being condescending or anything. I said it was a good thing, and I mean it's a good thing, so take it as a compliment, Pinky. Or else." He grinned and patted his bicep again. 

    A cold breeze berated the duo the second the door opened. The snow had started coming down a bit heavier, and it made Ty second guess his choice of footwear. He let out a small hum, but shook his head and wandered back out regardless. It wasn't going to kill him, and they were going in and out of shops frequently enough that he didn't really have to worry about his feet freezing off. A more upbeat melody came through the earbuds as they walked, and once more Ty nudged the young woman beside him.

    "Feelin a little bit better?" He only slightly turned his head when he asked that. Even beneath the shadows, it was obvious that he was looking at her from the corners of his vision. Enough so that he could still look at her without worrying about running into anything. The young man turned his head away from her as he continued. "I can tell when shit's going on in your head. You always get real quiet for a time, and then you try to force yourself to act like nothing happened in the first place. I didn't really wanna mention it cus I figured you didn't want to bring down the mood, and I didn't want to bring down yours..."

    "But I want you to know I noticed, and that I wanted to help cheer you up a bit. Not out of pity, or because I want to baby you or anything. But cus you're a good person, and I like hanging around you. This outing is just as much for you as it is for me. You know?" His full attention was on her now, head turned to face her entirely. The young man shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I invited you out so that we both could have a good time. I don't want to thank you for coming by leaving you feeling worse than when he joined me." 

    Another shrug and a small head shake as the the young man faced forwards again. "Anyways, let's get a few games and talk about what animals would be funny if they were mashed together. I'm going to say a Duck with a chicken and a fish body. A MERducken, so to speak."

[fluffymcsnuggles]

[Refs]

She pumps her fists excitedly at the mention of the game store. She probably wouldn't be able to purchase as many games as she wanted to but she had enough for something. That was good enough for her and she couldn't wait to grab something she could get lost in for hours. She can only raise a brow when he mentions cute and funny. Sure- yeah she supposed she could relent and see that. Maybe. But like- people being nice to her because they want to feels weird.

"Ow," she said jokingly when he chopped her over the head. "Fine fine I'll accept it." Though it still made something in her twist and she couldn't really tell if it was a good feeling or a bad feeling but it was certainly a feeling she wanted to stop feeling.

Dang the snow was getting pretty heavy. She looked at her arms hoping that the snowflakes wouldn't melt and fuck over all her equipment. She'd be fine out here for a few minutes, but it too many land on her limbs and melt off well... excess water exposure to such sensitive material was never a good thing. She was still working on trying to make everything waterproof. Not quite there yet though.

"Yeah, I am. Just- been an off day I guess? No reason for it really just..." One of those days. Which really sucks, because she preferred having a reason for her shitty feelings. She tenses when he begins to speak, biting down on the inside of her cheek. She hates that she is such an open book when it comes to reading her feelings. Not that being expressive was a bad thing, but it managed to get her into a lot of shitty situations. Part of her wanted to snap at him and cut him off. Why's he bringing this up anyways? What's the point? What's he trying to do? Why does she suddenly feel so angry and defensive?

Her fists are locked up tight and her jaw is clenched but she continues to listen like actively listen. She felt so bad about feeling angry because he was just trying to be nice. She doesn't even know why this makes her angry. It feels really dumb to be angry about and she isn't even sure what about this is pissing her off. She took a deep breath and let out a deep sigh the tension and anger forced from her body with the exhale. "Thanks Ty. Really that's," she swallows feeling the burning lump in her throat of the confused screwball of emotions that are at play here. "It means a lot. You're a really nice person and a great friend and I'm grateful you invited me out. And like- also being my friend and giving me a job and introducing me to your friends and stuff..." You know...generally making her life better? "Um... I- I dunno what else to say cause no one has ever been this nice to me?"

Man, she feels like such an asshole for how angry she feels. In a way, her body and mind are screaming she doesn't deserve this. Or that this is somehow a lie. But she didn't want to give those emotions the time of day when they don't serve her at all. She gives him a gentle nudge on the shoulder and a grin to try and translate her appreciation accurately.

She let's out a laugh at the thought of a merduckin. What would that even look like. Would it just be a bird with gills? How does the chicken even come into play here? "Oh oh. What abouuut a lion, a lizard, and a rat. It's a liozarat. Liozarat? Liozarat." She repeats to affirm the name.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    It was nice hearing that what he said actually meant something. Ty had never been great at the whole emotion thing, but he knew enough from the other kids to tell when they were confused and unused to actually being treated right. The young man wondered idly what sort of hardships Louise had gone through to put her in that deep of a hole. When she said that she wasn't used to hearing good things about herself, it made him frown. It wasn't surprising. No one just magically gets a complex like this unless they had others being cruel to them, but still.

    "Well, I can easily say you deserve to hear good things about yourself, man. Hopefully you hear them a lot more often." The frown was gradually replaced by a small smile. His animal fusion topic was a good segue into something lighter, and Louise latched onto it readily, adding on the Liozarat "Hah! What would that even look like? Would it be as big as a lion or as big as a rat?" The young punk snickered. "How about a dragon, a baboon, and a unicorn? A Drabcorn. It takes all the most boring parts of the creatures they came from and it makes it look really drab. Get it?" 

    Before they got to the game store, Ty paused and pulled Louise under the cover of a shops awning. Despite the cold, he pulled off the two jackets he had on, left in only a long-sleeved shirt. He cursed as the cold bit into his skin. "I noticed you kept looking at your arms whenever snow fell on them." He stated, biting back a shiver. The young man tossed her his hoodie and pulled on the heavier jacket Louise picked out for him. Having it back on helped warm Ty back up. "I'm gonna guess that you're worried about them freezing or something like that, so you can use that to cover them up a bit. Protect them from the elements and shit." 

    Ty tugged his backpack back over his shoulders and took a moment to rub the coldness out of his limbs. Another muttered curse. "We should have gotten you a jacket or something when we were back at the shop, but that'll do for now." A puff of mist came out as the young punk gave a hefty sigh. The music from his dropped earbud could be faintly heard. Shadowed eyes, however, continued to look at the growing wall of white. After a moment's pause, he finally spoke again. The punk's voice was wistful. "Shit's pretty to look at, isn't it?" 

    It was nice to take a moment to appreciate the world they lived in. 

    "Alright, c'mon." He said, breaking the stillness with an open handed pat to her back. "Put that on and let's head on over to the game store. We can continue our animal fusion conversation inside where we don't have to worry about our limbs freezing solid."  The smile that Tyler gave Louise was as genuine as ever. Despite the Mysterious^TM aura, the guy always seemed to try his best to be open and accepting of Louise. It was like he was stubbornly refusing to let her feel bad about herself, or to let her feel alone.

[fluffymcsnuggles]

[Refs]

The past was a subject Louise would love to leave by the roadside and never think about again. Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that and she hates to admit she lingers in the past more than she wants to. It's frustrating cause she wants to stop but she doesn't know how. Just another list of things to deal with inside her scrambled brain.

She gives Ty a small smile. She isn't sure what spurred him on to do all this other than the obvious of just wanting to. But still, someone just wanting to be nice to her felt weird. Most people that kept her company usually did so with some resentment, but not Ty.

How long is that gonna last?

"I think it would be about as big as a rat- cause like, the lizard is also there and lizards and rats are pretty similar sizes. I think? I dunno been a while since I've seen a lizard since it's cold." She let's out a delighted laugh upon hearing his next frankenstein creation. "That's no fair to combine really cool animals only to make 'em look lame. But I appreciate the dedication to the pun.
What about a crow, a cat, and a horse. A cratse? Yep!" She pops the p as she declares the name of the creature and is satisfied with it.

She goes to walk into the door of the store before she is suddenly yanked aside. She let's out a small noise of surprise finding herself under the awning rather than in the sweet sweet warmth of the store. When he started pulling off his layers of clothes she knew exactly what he was trying to do- well not really but she had an idea. "Oh Ty-! I don't get cold so it's not-" she stops talking as he continues explaining and just handing her the hoodie while he puts the jacket back on. She looks down at the jacket and sighs before slipping it on. It is warm, that's for sure. She'll make sure to give this back to him before they part ways. Note to self, next time wear long sleeves.

"Thanks..." she mumbled looking out onto the street. Mostly to avoid the gaze she can't actually see. "Nah I'll just wear something with long sleeves next time I'm out. I'd feel silly buying a jacket I don't really need." However if it was cute enough she would just impulse buy it. Man, that reminds her she really needs to organize her closet and get rid of some old clothes. Turns out, some materials don't work well with mechanical arms, pieces getting snagged and caught in the machinery sucked.

She nodded in agreement, before realizing he likely wasn't looking at her to see her response. So she just hummed lightly in agreement. The snow was really nice. She remembered running around and playing in it till her fingers and face went totally numb. The number of times she got yelled at for getting frostbite...

Louise turns to look at Ty when he pats her back. She sees the genuine smile and finds herself reflecting one of her own. "Don't need to tell me twice! To sweet shelter and warmth!" She yelled out before pushing the door open and waltzing inside the store.