Down
Chapter 3 ~ Nina
Author's Notes: Here's the third chapter of 'Down'! I'm pretty content with it. Pardon any mistakes I may have made grammar or spelling wise though.. Still attempting to find a beta. Note me, or say so in a review if you're interested~
Hope you all enjoy!
My low heeled shoes made dull clanks as I attempted to maneuver around the heavy door with grocery bags in hand. I huffed slightly, frowning as I somehow squeezed my pelvis through to the other side, into my apartment. Getting my upper half to follow smoothly was not such an easy task.
After several more minutes of grunting and cursing, I managed to shimmy into my apartment, moving into my kitchen to set the weighty bags down. Relief settled into my back and shoulders as I plopped down into one of the 'dining room' chairs we kept in the kitchen. My muscles stung in an oddly sensational way as I allowed myself to relax, tilting my head back to close my eyes, feeling them flicker behind their lids. The frequent naps and overabundance of sleep due to boredom I'd been inclined to taking as of late seemed to be taking their toll on me. It seemed to be sapping my energy more then it was helping to boost it. I mean, I suppose I can see how it is slightly logical that your body would be tired and groggy if you oversleep... But still. The idea seemed slightly absurd.
My eyes opened after a moment, and I stared up at the ceiling, tempted to purse my lips at this thought. I really needed to find something entertaining to do with my life. A hobby. But what sort of hobby could I possibly get into?
You'd think a gazillion and nine ideas would come rushing to when I attempted to make the connection between 'adult' and 'hobby', although I strangely felt as though the virtual creativity tit of my mind had been sucked dry. This didn't particularly trouble me though –I'd never been very creative.
"Gineen..? Gineen –are you home?"
I looked over towards the hall upon hearing the familiar voice of my roommate, taking note of it's semi-curious, although admittingly paranoid edge. My face twisted into an amused smile as I pictured the short woman tip-toeing down the hall in her cute little ballerina shoes, a putter raised delicately over her head. Oh, what an odd image that was indeed.
"Yeah.. It's me!"
I saw Nina poke her wild red head in almost the moment I called out towards the hall. She gazed at me evenly before straightening and slipping in –her bare feet noiseless against the tile flooring. As I looked my roommate of two years over, I couldn't help but feel affection for the younger woman. Nina was a short one –hardly reaching 5'2, but that certainly didn't bother her. She looked as though somebody had taken a paintbrush and had flicked her many small brown angel kisses all over her face, neck and shoulders. It was rather cute, I thought, and I never could understand why she disliked them. If I could have chosen to have freckles like Nina, I certainly would've. She said they made her uncomfortable in public, or something of the sort.
"Gin.. What kind of soup did you get?" I watched Nina move over to the counter and raise her hands to daintily start removing objects from my shopping bags. Leaning back in my chair, I was simply content to be of no help.
"Chicken and tomato mostly.. Although I got some of that veggie stuff you like." I murmured, starting to pick at my dirty fingernails in an absent-minded manner.
"Oh.. Well, thank you. I appreciate you doing that. I'll pay you back?" At this, she looked over her shoulder at me, offering a kind smile. I blinked, and looked up to meet her eyes, shaking my head abruptly.
"Don't worry about it.."
"Ok then. If you say so." Nina shrugged, looking back to the bags and continuing to unload the groceries I'd bought in silence. Quiet fell upon us, the only sound being the distant thrumming of the AC in Nina's room down the hall. I simply shifted my interests down to my nails and attempting to make them look slightly more decent. Several minutes passed, and I'd managed to clean up four of the five nails on my left hand before I looked up to see something that made my heart sink.
Nina was holding the Abra's pokéball in her hands, examining it intensely. She wasn't particularly fond of pokémon, and I knew that I probably should've thought to ask her before I brought the creature into our house. I felt guilt settle in around my mind as I watched her turn to look skeptically at me. "...What's this?"
"Annie wanted me to take him.. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about it first. She kind of had her hands tied..." I mumbled, feeling slightly embarrassed as she frowned at me.
"Well, what is it?"
"They leafed through a pokébook before I got there."
"And?"
I shrugged lightly, moving to stand. My body ached in protest, longing the support and comfort of the chair I was leaving, but I simply shook it off, stretching offhandedly as my roommate continued to stare at me. She sighed when I moved over to take the pokéball from her, although she handed it over nonetheless. I pressed the red and white ball to my chest, crossing my other arm absently as I thought to myself, still feeling rather guilty.
"..m'sorry, Nina."
"It's ok Gineen... Maybe it'll be helpful or something." The redhead tried to flash me a smile at that, and I couldn't help but look thoroughly amused. I'd have to do my research, but from what I'd taken the time to experience, Abras were definitely not the most 'helpful' pokémon out there.
"Sure.. Sure." I chuckled, holding the pokéball up to examine it absently. "It's a cutie.. You might like it for that, at least."
"Did you just call a pokémon 'cute'?"
Now it was Nina's turn to chuckle as I turned my eyes to regard her in a very sober manner. "Yes, I did. And that's because it is cute." I said defensively.
"Oh please.. you think those greasy, drunken slobs down at the Lucky Duck are cute... I'm slightly terrified to see what your taste in pokémon is." Nina giggled as she talked, starting to reach for the pokéball. "I'm kinda curious though."
"You insult my taste in men and you don't get to see the damn thing." I smiled down at her, pulling the pokéball up, above her head and out of reach. My roommate frowned at me, reaching upwards for it.
"Oh c'mon Gineen.. Please?"
"Jump for it."
"...No."
"Then it will forever remain a mystery."
"This is harassment."
"It's fun being tall."
We stared at each other for several minutes before Nina abruptly started to giggle, shaking her head. I quirked a brow in return, smirking faintly as I lowered my arm, dropping the pokéball into her own eager hands. Perhaps I was a little too nice at times. This certainly wasn't bothering Nina though. She smiled up at me briefly before looking down at the red and white ball.
"..So, how does it come out?" The red asked after a moment, looking back up to me. I thought to myself before shrugging.
"I think you throw it or drop it."
Nina paled a little at this. "...I don't want to break it.."
"Toss it gently?" I offered, amused at the skeptical expression dawning her freckled face. She handed the pokéball back to me, mumbling about how I should do it since I'm it's master. I felt like rolling my eyes, but figured she'd probably take that the wrong way. To be truthful though, I've never really taken the liberty to learn how to throw a pokéball correctly to catch or call out any sort of pokémon. Once again, I blame that on the lack of interest in them I had as a child.
'I suppose there's a time to learn everything..' I mused to myself, looking to the pokéball. A little tingle of alarm went off in the back of my head, and I silently prayed that it wouldn't break as I prepared to drop it. Looking to Nina briefly, I exhaled sharply upon letting it's round shape slip past my fingertips.
As soon as the red and white object hit the floor, it bounced, swinging open in mid-air and letting out a rather blinding sort of white light. Nina startled, jumping backwards a few feet, whereas I continued to stare down at the mass forming from the light. The brightness faded after a moment, seeming to retreat back into the pokéball, leaving behind the inert mass I knew to be my Abra. I myself startled as the pokéball abruptly hit the floor once more, flying back towards me. My hand came up to catch it reflexively before the object could hit me in the face. The Abra definitely didn't seem to be phased by this. In fact, he still seemed to be sleeping.
It took a minute for Nina to react to all this, and I brought my eyes up to watch her a bit wearily as I waited. Her expression touched upon nearly the entire spectrum of human emotion, from confused, to surprised, to even angry at one point. Finally it settled on what seemed like a mild cross between polite inquiry and disappointment.
"Uhm... Gineen, what exactly.. is he?" She questioned, her tone implying complete and utter confusion on her part. I sighed to myself, partially in relief. I was simply thankful that her reaction wasn't worse.. At least confusion could be converted to understanding.
"It's an Abra, we think.."
"Never heard of it... Why isn't he doing anything?"
I looked to my pokémon, a bit surprised that he could find the time to sleep with all this commotion. He seemed to be perfectly at ease, his back slouched slightly as he sat on the ugly green tile of my kitchen floor, almost entirely oblivious to the world around him.
A brief silence fell between Nina and I as we looked down at the creature, the only sounds being the Abra's soft breathing. A minute that was neither particularly comfortable nor uncomfortable passed before she leaned back against the counter. I looked up to her, relieved to see a small smile dawning her freckled face. "..I suppose he is kind of cute, 'neen." She murmured quietly as she continued to gaze at the motionless pokémon.
"Yeah.." I nodded once or twice in agreement, absentmindedly turning the pokéball over in my hands. The anxieties I'd had about introducing them subsided for the moment as I watched Nina move towards the little fellow, reaching down to gently grasp him by his brown pseudo-carapace. A delighted smile lit Nina's face up as she lifted him up slowly, straightening herself to examine the sleeping pokémon she now held in her arms. "Just be careful.." I cautioned my roommate, moving over to her side. "Annie said her sister found it hurt."
"Oh?" At this, Nina looked to me, pursing her pink lips. "..Poor little guy."
"Yeah.." I agreed, turning my eyes from the shorter woman's to the pokémon. He simply continued to sleep peacefully, seemingly either undisturbed by the prospect of being held by my roommate, or unaware that she was doing so. Either way, I inwardly felt appreciative that he simply kept on sleeping. It made him look cute, and Nina seemed to be more accepting of cute things.
Maybe he wouldn't be such a burden after all...
~Fin Chapter 3
