[Rex Summers]

@toni

It turned out that one of the smaller rooms in the Mana Dorm had a piano in it, which honestly made Rex squeal a little inside. He was very glad that there was a grand instrument such as this somewhere within the halls of his new home, and what was better was that it was fairly far from the bustling living room, so he didn't have to worry so much about people suddenly barging in on him.

All of his Pokemon besides Beat, his Riolu, had been left in his dorm room, for the little Pokemon had a great curiosity and love for music like his trainer. Rex closed the door but didn't lock it, then he approached the ebony piano and took a seat. It looked like it hadn't been touched in a while since there was a layer of dust on it, but the trainer knew that was going to change starting today. This was definitely going to be his go-to place if he just wanted to relax. With the window wide open and sunlight streaming in, he started to play. It didn't take long for him to be lost in the familiar sounds of pressed keys, and Beat had climbed up on the piano and immersed himself too. Certainly this was different from creating a beat with his own paws and any surface, but it was soothing.

[Deleted]

Today felt like a slow day. It had been busy – with classes and getting her two newest Pokemon used to life with a trainer and everything else - but she hadn’t gone anywhere that wasn’t absolutely necessary, and had spent most of her time either in her room or just outside the dorm with all her Pokemon, watching them all play together. Maybe that was the problem. Productive day or not, she herself hadn’t done all that much.

Now, most of her Pokemon were settled in the room for the night. She kept Fluorite with her, hoping the one-on-one time would help her settle in. The Noibat had been surprisingly skittish when she first met her, and their time together so far had only marginally helped. Granted, that was only a few days ago, but she felt bad for the Pokemon. Being so scared of everyone around her couldn’t make for a very happy life. If she could at least get to where Fluorite trusted her and the rest of the team, that would be a vast improvement. Then she could work on getting her used to Lilith and her Pokemon, and the other inhabitants of the dorm. Then…by that time, she’s probably be graduated and on her way home, but maybe the Pokemon will have gained enough confidence to adjust without too much trouble.

Toni wandered the halls at random, her arms securely wrapped around the Noibat. Fluorite seemed to at least trust that she’d keep her safe, so she thought carrying the Pokemon would be better for her than having her walk or fly on her own. That, and she’d rather not risk them getting separated. What if one or both of them got lost? She still didn’t know the dorm as well as she thought she should, so that was more of a possibility than she was comfortable admitting.

Suddenly, Fluorite’s ears twitched, and she let out a curious squeak before wriggling out of Toni’s grasp and flying off. Toni stared after her a moment, unable to process what had just happened. Then she recovered and ran after the Noibat. “Hey, wait!” That was weird! What had gotten into her all of a sudden?

As she ran, a faint sound entered her ears. She seemed to be running toward the source, because soon she could hear it a bit more clearly and recognize it as music. It wasn’t a song she was familiar with, but that wasn’t important just now. What was important was that her Pokemon could get herself lost.

Fortunately, that didn’t happen. Toni caught up to the Noibat just outside a door. With a sigh, she scooped the Pokemon up and stared at the door. The music was coming from in there. This wasn’t someone’s private room, was it? She didn’t think so…it wasn’t in the right place.

After a moment’s hesitation, she opened the door and slipped inside, looking around until her gaze fell on the boy playing the piano. She didn’t know anyone in the dorm was a musician! Though…she supposed someone, at least, was bound to be. There was also a Riolu – how cute! Maybe she should seek out one for herself sometime…once she got her main team trained up a bit, and that was still missing two members.

Fluorite seemed to be calm now that they were where they could hear the music clearly. She looked between the piano and the door. She really didn’t want to leave… Fluorite was happy, and the music was really pretty. At the same time, though, she didn’t want to intrude. Was it really intruding, anyway? The door hadn’t been locked…

[Rex Summers]

One could note that the room itself was hardly furnished. It seemed to be a storage room, with some stacked boxes here and there. The place itself wasn't very large, but the space was comfortable enough - plus there was a window. The sunlight that had been coming from it was already turning orange as the sun was starting to set, but thankfully there was a working light bulb in the room if needed. Though Rex wasn't planning on staying here for long; probably when the sun had set, he would leave. He'd come back another day to take care of the piano.

Really, after a day of wandering around the Academy in order to get used to the surroundings, this was a nice activity to unwind. Beat, too, looked very serene - typically whenever his trainer played some sort of music, he'd sing along, but he just listened.

Rex had learned this piece off the internet when he was getting a little tired of playing all of the classics his teacher made him play. It remained one of his favorite ones, and also one of the few that he memorized by heart. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that his Riolu had suddenly turned to the door, and in the midst of the music he had heard it open as well. Mm, perhaps he was being too optimistic on nobody discovering him after all. It wasn't like the walls were soundproof or anything, and he did leave the door unlocked. Rex continued to play a little until he found the opportunity to end it properly. His fingers had hesitated in leaving the keys as he let out a sigh.

He then glanced at the girl who had entered the room, though the trainer was more interested in her Noibat, as he had never seen one in real life, "It's fine, I'm used to people watching," he muttered as he gently glided over the white pieces, wondering if he should play something else. Typically he'd try to shoo people away, but he was in a fairly good mood because he got to play alone for most of it. Rex wasn't really keen on talking though, but wouldn't stop her from listening if she wanted. Beat, on the other hand, greeted the two with a happy cry and a wave.

[Deleted]

The boy continued to play, at least for a little longer. She looked around, finding a place to sit beside some old-looking boxes. She settled in and watched out the window as the sun started to set. Sunsets were always pretty to watch, when she had the time for it. That hadn’t been lately – she’d been too focused on classes, her team, and trying to settle in in general.

The Riolu noticed her entrance, or at least had glanced at her. His trainer hadn’t, or hadn’t decided to show if he had. That was fine – music took a lot of focus, didn’t it? Lots of things did. This room was a little dusty, too…meaning few people came here. He probably hadn’t expected any company.

The song ended, and he glanced at her – or at Fluorite. He muttered about being used to people watching, but she dipped her head to him apologetically, anyway. She probably should have left, but it seemed to be putting the Noibat at ease. At least, she had stilled and seemed happy. At least his Riolu seemed fine with her being there. He called out and waved at her, and she smiled and waved back. Fluorite squeaked out a response and pressed against her, and she hugged the Pokemon close, trying to reassure her. The Riolu was a stranger – of course she’d be nervous about having its attention directed their way.

[Rex Summers]

Rex couldn't exactly look to see what she was doing, but paid attention to the noises besides the piano music. It seemed like she got herself one of the storage boxes in the room and took a seat, which meant that she wasn't going away anytime soon. Well, he thought that maybe when he stopped playing she would lose interest, but that would just create an awkward atmosphere of silence. He let out a small grunt when she had bowed her head as an apology - he shrugged it off. She wasn't that type of person that flocked towards him and ask him all sorts of annoying questions, so it was okay that she decided to stick around.

He had turned his attention back to the keys for a moment, but before he started to play again, he heard the Noibat let out a small squeak in surprise. Rex then glanced at his Riolu, who looked confused as to why the other Pokemon had reacted that way, "The Noibat seems shy, Beat." he commented, which puzzled the Pokemon even more. The Fighting type then jumped down from the piano and approached Toni with curiosity, letting out a cry as if he was saying that there was no need to be afraid.

The silence was starting to get to Rex, admittedly, "You dorm here, right?" he directed this question at the young girl, but didn't meet her gaze, "I think I've seen you around." his sentences were short and curt. He had no intention of introducing himself unless prompted to.

{ooc: this is kind of hard since Rex doesn't like interacting and Toni is shy XD}

[Deleted]

The boy grunted and shrugged. She didn’t know if he was irritated with her or just not very sociable for some reason or other. He wasn’t yelling at her, at least. Maybe it was okay. If he’d let her, she hoped she could befriend him eventually. Dorm life would be best if everyone was friends with everyone else, wouldn’t it? They were pretty much family until they left the school.

It looked like the boy was about to play again, except that Fluorite seemed to have upset or at least confused the Riolu. The boy explained that she seemed shy, and she nodded, giving the Pokemon an apologetic smile. It wasn’t anything he’d done, nor was it Fluorite’s fault. She wasn’t sure why the Pokemon was that way, but she would figure out a way to help her relax and be comfortable, at least around here.

The Riolu approached, and Toni scratched around Fluorite’s ears. “It’s okay. It’s safe here, see? He’s being friendly.”

The Noibat squeaked at her trainer and turned to the Riolu, ears twitching and head tilting to the side. She seemed to calm down a little, though she was sticking close to Toni for the time being. It would take time, and this was actually progress, so Toni let her do whatever made her comfortable for the moment.

In the meantime, the boy spoke again, asking if she dormed here. She nodded to that. “I just moved in not too long ago. My name’s Toni.” She felt like she should say more, but wasn’t sure how much more she should say, so she ended things awkwardly at her name. It was just as well – that would be about as far as her nerves would let her get, anyway. She wasn’t to the point of feeling her insides tighten, but there was a vague discomfort that suggested she was approaching that point. She took a couple deep breaths to try and settle the feeling before it could start. She needed to move past this!

((It is. XD It’ll get easier, though. Toni’s shyness is supposed to be a temporary thing.))

[Rex Summers]

When the Noibat had glanced at Beat once more, the Riolu let out a happy, friendly cry, though it wasn't too loud or anything in case it would scare the other Pokemon. Wondering if there was anything he could do to show her that he was being friendly, he went to the stack of boxes and picked one up. He blew the dust on top of it and tested it out by hitting his paws. It would make a decent enough rhythm. He played with it a little, and would let out a small cry to the Noibat as if inviting the Pokemon to join him.

On the other hand, Rex was still not really in the mood to talk, but since Beat wanted the company he couldn't really do anything about it, "Yeah, same for me." he responded, referring to the fact that he hadn't been here for very long. Her name was Toni, huh? He didn't immediately reply back with his own name, and so noticed that the girl seemed to be...hyperventilating? It was probably at that moment that the boy's expression had broken from its emotionless mask into one of concern, "Are you as shy as your Noibat?" he asked with his eyebrows furrowed. He then shrugged and turned his attention back to the keys, "Well, unfortunately for you, I'm not as eager to encourage as Beat, but there's nothing to be afraid of." he said.

Rex then started to play, picking a song that he knew that Beat could give a rhythm to. The Riolu quickly caught on and started to use his paws to make some noise with the box he was hitting.

[Deleted]

The Riolu seemed happy now. She couldn’t help but smile as he took a box to play with and called to Fluorite to join him. The Noibat was watching him intently – she still didn’t move, but she seemed very interested in what he was doing. Toni wondered if she’d join him eventually, once it hit her that she really was safe with the other Pokemon. At least, the Riolu didn’t seem interested in hurting her and seemed to be actively trying to help. Really, she should be at ease here – weren’t flying types strong against fighting types? While she was thinking on it, did Pokemon even know about type match-ups without a trainer instructing them? She wished she could understand pokespeak and ask them. Maybe she’d figure out another way to learn that information, someday.

The boy responded that he was new as well, and she gave him a small smile. Knowing that was a little comforting – he was in the same boat she was. But then he spoke again, asking if she was as shy as Fluorite. She winced at that – yeah, it would be obvious, wouldn’t it? – and nodded when he said he wasn’t as eager to encourage as his Pokemon but she had nothing to be afraid of. “I understand, and thank you. I’m not always, but I have been lately. I guess it’s still a bit overwhelming, being here and all…” She really hoped that was all it was. That meant it would go away soon, as she got more familiar with everything.

The boy started to play again, and the Riolu started to hit the box he’d claimed. Toni watched him for a moment – that really was cute – and then turned her attention back to Fluorite, who was still watching the Riolu. She seemed to have moved an inch or two toward him, so Toni gave her an encouraging smile. If she could make this friend, that would at least be a boost in confidence, right?

[Rex Summers]

Beat was already wagging his tail because of how excited he was to play and perform in front of someone else. He genuinely wanted to help the Noibat out, if possible, since that meant he'd gain a new friend. He continued to hit the box and make catchy rhythms that sounded good to him, but eventually he wanted to try playing with what the humans use. He believed that it would sound better than anything else he had ever played with before.

Being encouraging wasn't something what Rex would do, but at least he wasn't trying to get her to leave or anything. There wasn't anything to be ashamed of when one was shy - he knew a number of shy people back in his old school that managed to become great coordinators later on. Being with Pokemon somehow made it all the easier, and if one had to perform, then confidence was necessary in order to carry one's self on the stage. He had glanced at her again to see that wince - it wasn't like he was lying - "Mm, well, you'll get used to it." he replied nonchalantly.

For a while Rex had forgotten that he had company and just played with the piano in sync with his Riolu. He had fun with this song since it was energetic, but it was a lot more interesting to play whenever Beat was with him since he'd follow the rhythm. Typically, he also played this song if he wanted to challenge himself or play something faster, but he supposed deep down he also wanted to show off a bit, as much as he didn't want drawing attention to himself.

He was already starting to hum with the music, but stopped himself from singing along. It wasn't in his own language and he didn't know the exact lyrics, but he knew it was a beautiful song. Poetic, somehow.

[Deleted]

The boy responded that she’d get used to it, and she nodded. She hoped so. In the meantime, though, this was nice. Nerve-wracking, but nice. Maybe if she found herself in this situation again, she’d have all her Pokemon with her. The music seemed to be helping Fluorite, so they’d probably benefit in some way, as well. Maybe she should try to learn an instrument…but first she’d have to be able to afford one. Eh, she’d figure out something.

In the meantime, Fluorite was very slowly inching toward the Riolu. Toni never saw her move, but every time she glanced over to check on the Noibat, the two were just a little more separated. Sneaky little thing… But then, naturally nocturnal Pokemon seemed to have a talent for sneaking even if they weren’t of the dark type. She wondered why that was – wasn’t sneaking at night easy?

The Riolu’s tail was wagging now, and the boy was humming, prompting a grin from the girl. They both seemed happy, or happy-ish. She wasn’t sure if they’d all end up friends by the end of this, but maybe they’d have a start on that as an eventual thing. Did the boy even do friendship? He seemed to prefer his own company. Maybe he’d at least let her accompany them sometimes so their Pokemon could befriend each other? Then they could at least be comfortable in each other’s company.

---

((+1 Sandile hatch count {1/10}))

[Rex Summers]

He continued to play for a while longer, and as Rex did this he would glance at his Riolu and the girl's Noibat, who seemed to be inching closer and closer to Beat anxiously. His own Pokemon would then let out a small cry as if coaxing the other that everything's going to be alright. Music was going to hurt nobody, he probably thought. At least on their end things were going well. On the other hand, the trainer wasn't exactly giving effort in being friends with this girl, but he had to admit that he felt some form of...ah, was it pity or compassion? He wasn't quite sure, but he supposed he could pretend to be interested in continuing conversation for the sake of the girl. It was what he'd do sometimes with his classmates, and who knows, maybe at some point he wouldn't have to fake it.

"So, do you play?" he asked, referring to any musical instrument, "Or are you focused on being a trainer? Your Noibat will grow to be a valuable asset, if that's the case." he hadn't seen a Noivern for himself, but he knew that most Dragon Type Pokemon were very powerful and often utilised by strong trainers. In fact, he wouldn't mind owning one for himself, but he wasn't quite sure what Dragon Type would fit him best, "Though, you were in the class with Ms. Bonnaire, right?" he didn't dare ask if she wanted to be a coordinator, since he knew he would probably show a disgusted face. Even if he was in that classroom, he still had conflicted feelings about the whole thing. It wasn't pleasant to the slightest. These thoughts carried over to his playing though, and he ended up making a few off-key mistakes before his fingers stopped pressing on the piano keys. He let out another sigh.

Beat had quickly noticed the mistakes - they were not like his trainer to do that - and asked what was wrong, or at least it sounded like his cry was of concern. Rex just lightly shook his head, a gesture that he was fine, but the Riolu didn't believe him. He could, after all, sense emotions to a certain extent - at least the more obvious ones like tension and fear. He hadn't stayed with Rex long enough to know exactly what bothered him though. The Riolu had stopped playing and was now wondering if the Noibat was going to play with him or not.

[Deleted]

This really was nice…she could almost say she was relaxed. Almost. The anxiety was still there, but it was much lower than it had been, and Toni felt…if not happy, then at least hopeful. She’d probably end up emailing some family about this later. She wasn’t sure whether that meant her parents or sisters or everyone or some mix yet, but they’d be glad to know she’d had a good day, right? They always seemed happy when she checked in and mentioned some achievement or other, so why not?

That would be later, though. For now, she was content watching the two Pokemon. More than content, in fact, since Fluorite was actively trying to be outgoing. Today had been good for the little purple Pokemon. Maybe her increased bravery would be a permanent thing. Toni would love her no matter what, of course, but it would be nice for the Noibat to stop being so fearful of everyone, for the Pokemon’s own sake. Being afraid all the time was miserable.

Then the boy spoke again. She hadn’t expected it, and he’d ended up startling her, but she did her best to recover quickly and shook her head. “I wish, but no. I’m not too bad at singing, but I don’t know anything else about making music.” She managed a grin at his saying the Noibat would be a valuable asset. “Thanks. I was really lucky to find her.” Especially given her personality…how would she have handled a rougher trainer? “I happened to see a Noibat flying around the Zodiac Ruins a while ago, and I couldn’t forget about it. It took a couple searches before I managed to find her, but I found a really cute Ralts while looking, so I don’t mind not finding her right away.” She glanced over at the Pokemon, her grin widening at Fluorite. She was getting really close…and visibly trembling, but the fact that she wasn’t flying away to the opposite corner of the room was impressive. “I bet the same can be said for your Riolu. About being a valuable asset, I mean.” Fighting types were generally strong, weren’t they? And, if she remembered right, they evolved into a part steel type, which had a lot of good defenses.

He then asked about her being in the class with Ms. Bonnaire, and she nodded. “I’ve been encouraged to try a bit of everything while I’m here, so I’m attending all the classes I can.” She still didn’t know enough to be sure if she liked coordination or not, but she would stick with it as long as she could, anyway. It’d make her parents proud if she came out of the academy well-rounded, and she might learn something she could use for training.

She didn’t know much about music, but this time she could pick out that the song seemed to veer off from what it was supposed to sound like. The boy sighed, and – when his Riolu let out a cry – he shook his head. Toni frowned. Had she said a wrong thing? Or was he thinking of something that had nothing to do with what they were talking about? Should she ask?

“A-are you all right?” she tried after a moment, unsure of what to do or say. It bothered her that something seemed to be bothering him, though, and she wanted to help if she could.

Fluorite, meanwhile, had gotten almost close enough to touch the Riolu if she wanted. She stopped there, with everyone distracted by whatever had just happened, and let out an anxious squeak. Did something bad just happen? If so, how bad was it?

---

((+1 Sandile hatch count {3/10}))

[Rex Summers]

Oh, it seemed that Rex had caught her off guard. He supposed that was what happened if one was so jumpy, as much as a Wild Pokemon that didn't want to be seen. He nodded when she had replied to his question. "That's alright, you're still young, aren't you? It wouldn't be too hard to pick something up if you really wanted to." there was a small smile on his face as he said this, for he remembered when he started playing piano. While the original tutor wasn't pleasant, his more fond memories were sneaking into the music room and trying out sheets that he had gotten from the internet.

He had nodded and listened as Toni told her story on how she found her Noibat, "A Ralts, huh? I think I'd like to have one in my team too some day," he mulled it over a little, "But then again, two fighting types in the team might not be a good idea." he had wanted a Gallade, of course. Though, he also had a Tepig in his team, which was also going to evolve into a fighting type...a team of fighting types? That sounded pretty awesome, but not viable for Pokemon Battling, "Yep, though I'm no rush to evolve him or anything. A Riolu evolves through high friendship, so I'm just here for the ride." Beat had continue to coax the Noibat to him, getting even more excited the closer she got.

But when he stopped playing, well, it seemed to bring the mood of the whole room down with him. He glanced again at Toni, but his small smile had already disappeared. It wasn't an emotionless mask that showed, but one who looked confused and sad at the same time. Beat had let out a few cries, telling Fluorite that there was something bothering his trainer, and he acted this way too after he attended that class. He sure hoped that his trainer would be alright soon. It was much better playing with the piano rather than all by his lonesome.

"Just thinking, is all." he muttered before glancing at the window. It was getting dark now, maybe he should just go get dinner then hole himself up in his room for a while.

[Deleted]

He tried to reassure her and told her that it wouldn’t be too hard to pick something up if she wanted. She nodded to that. “Thanks.” What would she want to play, though? She’d have to think about it, maybe do some research. She’d probably also have to make sure she’d have the time. Between classes, collecting more Pokemon to fill her team and take on the wardens, and everything else, she wasn’t sure what she had time for.

He also seemed impressed by the fact that she had a Ralts, saying that he might have to find one someday as well. Then he said something about two fighting types. But…wasn’t the Ralts line psychic and fairy? But then she remembered that male Raltses – well, Kirlia – had another path they could take. Maybe that one was fighting? Her own was female, but that probably wouldn’t have changed anything for her. She liked Gardevoir and would be thrilled when Tourmaline reached her final evolution. That reminded her of Moonstone’s eventual evolution and the new type she’d be gaining. “I’ll end up with two psychic types…I think it’s probably not so bad as long as they don’t share two different types. You’ll have one that can cover some of the weaknesses of the other.”

When he said he wasn’t in a rush to evolve his Riolu, she nodded. “Me either. I want to make sure both me and the Pokemon are ready when it’s time.” Once a Pokemon evolved, it could never go back, right? She wanted to make sure that she and Fluorite were both fine with her changing forever before that happened, and same to the rest of the team.

The mood of the room seemed to shift. The boy gave her a sad look, and she wondered what had happened and what she could do to make things better. There was something, wasn’t there? He explained that he was thinking and glanced at the window, and she resisted the urge to follow his gaze. She knew the time of day, and looking outside wouldn’t be able to tell her much else.

“Is there anything I can do?” she asked after a moment, not sure what else to say or do to improve things. They’d been getting on well…she was a bit confused.

Fluorite, meanwhile, had reached the box, encouraged by the Riolu and their trainers. She couldn’t stop the fear and trembling, but she supposed this was good. At least, it made others happy when she got close to them, for some reason. She stopped near the box, but once things started going south she turned her attention to the trainers, watching them nervously. The Riolu mentioned that he was also this way after a class, but this wasn’t a class…was it? There weren’t enough smells in the room for that to be the case. What was going on? Should she be looking for a hiding place? She cast her gaze around the room, just in case.

---

((+1 Sandile hatch count {8/10}))

[Rex Summers]

He mulled over what Toni said, clearly deep in thought, "Well, even if their secondary typing is different, it still is risky when they're both facing against something that's strong against them. Like, what if you face a ghost or a dark type, and your secondary typing can't cover against that?" he paused for a moment, "...though then again, your Ralts is part Fairy, which can hit Dark types hard. Hmm." it was clear that Rex was taking these details very seriously, "My fighting types won't work against Ralts' evolution line either, especially if Gardevoir were to Mega Evolve. That would surely be a problem...but once Beat evolves into Lucario, his Steel type should be able to..." his voice trailed off when he glanced at Toni again before looking a little flustered and annoyed with himself, "...sorry, I ended up talking too much."

He only nodded when she spoke of her opinion regarding evolution. Rex was pretty sure that his Pokemon were either okay with the idea or excited to evolve since they want to get stronger, so there was no problem there.

But the fact that he was still conflicted on what he wanted to do was definitely a problem. Should he say anything about it or continue to stay silent? He never actually told anyone about his own thoughts on this before. Maybe...maybe saying it out loud would actually help him figure things out, "Not really, it's sort of..." he grumbled a little before taking the lid of the piano before covering the keys. He then let out a sigh, "...I don't like Coordinators. Or, well...I guess I just really don't like my mom, who is a Coordinator. It's pretty stupid, honestly. Maybe I shouldn't talk about it."

Beat on the other hand was concerned about his trainer more than Fluorite. This information was new to him, after all, but he had never met Rex's mom, so he didn't know why he didn't like her. He let out a small whine at that.

{ooc: sorry for the late reply! yay my character is opening up lol}