Playtime [Niko]

[Nikolai Campbell]

Niko hadn't considered licking, but it certainly was more of a kiss. If he had thought of it, he wouldn't be too alarmed. Settling for what he got was one thing Niko knew he had to do. He had to settle for hand-me-down clothes and toys, and he had to live up to preset standards that those before him had met. This, at least, was something he could talk to his peers about without seeming to be on a different wave length. But, it was something that one got used to, unless there was a particular situation that reminded him of the annoyance he felt.

"I just wanted to try it because Moxie didn't make a face, and they didn't look that bad."Niko defended. He didn't actually feel badly for trying it, and with the taste out of his mouth, he wasn't giving it much more thought. Besides, he'd been curious, and now his curiosity was satisfied and all was well with him. Still, there was something that stood out to him with what Akira had said. He'd heard it before, but it really set in when he gave himself a second to consider.

"If your brother did it, why didn't you? Don't you want to be like him?"Niko questioned. Unfortunately, he had no way of knowing how Akira and Moxie felt about Seta. All he could conclude was that he must think like this brother if they both tried the food, while Akira refused. And, if that was so, Niko couldn't see how Akira could say that he'd never tried it. Didn't he want to be like his brother, to mimic everything the elder boy did? Niko was exposed to quite a few teenage kids in the home he grew up in, and when there, he'd wanted nothing more than to follow their lead. Of course, he didn't like the ones that were mean to him, while he loved the ones that stood up for him. That wasn't the least bit surprising, though. Most felt the same way. He'd learned the hard way that just because they were older, it didn't mean they'd be a good example.

"Ohh,"Niko agreed with a nod in response to hearing that Moxie liked apples and strawberries. He'd remember that, and try to remember to give her an apple or a strawberry the next time he saw her. Getting one might not be the easiest thing, but he figured it'd be worth it if it meant she would get it instead of a treat.

"Fall asleep? Really?"Niko questioned eagerly. He wasn't sure he could sit still that long, but he was going to try. "I think Moxie is very cute, and my hamster wasn't as nice as she is. Moxie's definitely my favorite, but I don't know if all ferrets are nice, or if they'll bite." Niko wasn't ready to agree to loving ferrets, but he did adore Moxie. With her on his shoulder, it was hard not to. She was so close, which gave him such a warm feeling. If Akira would have vocalized the fact that Moxie went to class on his shoulder or in his hood, Niko would have understood why he'd want her to. Maybe he wouldn't have before she was on his shoulder, but now it was clear.

"Do you know if an animal can be a meta like us? LIke, a meta animal?"Niko asked abruptly, turning his gaze from the grass up to Akira. He'd decided that being quiet would be the best thing to do if Moxie wanted to sleep, but he lost his resolve when his train of thought veered toward the subject of the powers of himself and others. It would definitely be cool to have meta animals running around. He did have an advantage- if animals did have powers, they didn't have the support system that Niko had while he was at Hammel. If the animals had powers, they probably wouldn't know any other animals with powers, which would be unfortunate.

[Akira Faulkner]

Settling was something Akira knew, too. Hand me downs from his brother were common, including Moxie herself. Seta had wanted a pet, and couldn’t be bothered to put the work into taking care of her. So, he’d dumped the little animal on his little brother. But the general rule in their house was, if Seta didn’t destroy it, it was passed on to Akira. Clothes, electronics, anything of that nature. Even if it survived his older brother, chances were, whatever the item was was on its’ last legs anyway.

Niko’s logic was so simple, it made Akira smile. “Moxie doesn’t make faces when she doesn’t like something. She’ll just drop the treat and ignore it. ... And tell me not to give it to her again.” He smiled fondly at the little animal. He supposed at Niko’s age, everything might look tempting to try. His mother had often told he was mature for his age, so he didn’t really remember being much like Niko.

... Niko had no idea what he was getting into when he asked that question. Akira laughed and shook his head. “No. Not at all. My brother is... well... interesting. My best friend things he was dropped on his head a few times.” Which probably wasn’t so far off the mark. “He’s eighteen, and he’s not very nice, or very smart. I really don’t want to be like him at all.” In fact, if he acted like Seta, Toru would probably question his sanity. Or quite possibly not want to be his friend anymore. And that was just a sad thought. Akira loved Toru, and he’d never want to alienate him like that. If he wanted to be like anyone in the world, it would be Toru.

“Yeah, she might. She likes cuddling with people and falling asleep. She does it to me all the time. So sometimes she comes to class with me, because I don’t want to wake her up.” The news that Niko’s hamster wasn’t that nice didn’t surprise him. “Animals are like humans. They all have different personalities. But most hamsters are sort of... not very nice. Moxie was raised to be a good girl, but most ferrets are playful and the nice. Of course, the more they’re handled, the nicer they are.” It was a good rule for any pet.

His next question threw him for a just a moment. Honestly, he’d never thought about it. “Uh... I don’t think so. At least, I’ve never met one.” It was an interesting thought, though. Meta animals. Maybe it was possible. He smiled. “I bet the librarian would know. Mr. Morrison. He’s really nice, and he knows a lot.” Even if Mr. Morrison didn’t know, chances were, he’d be able to find information on it for Niko.

[Nikolai Campbell]

"If she did make faces, I'd have been warned. Can she make funny faces when she wants to?"Niko questioned. If it would have been bigger, if he wouldn't have been able to eat it in one bite, he probably would have set it down himself- it was a smart thing to do, made smarter by the fact that Moxie would do it. Niko would have picked up on that sign, too, though if she'd given it. Unless he assumed she was bored, which was a very plausible assumption for Niko.

"I think having a brother would be fun, but I would hope he was a nice brother,"Niko stated,"Is he your only brother or sister, or do you have a nice one?" Siblings were generally something Niko was always curious about. Niko often said he was an only child, but of course that was only because his mother died before she was able to have more children. In itself, being an only child was not a bad thing. Lonely, not his idea of the best situation, but not something he complained about. Since he grew up in the home, there were always people around even if he didn't call them brother or sister, they kept him from getting too lonely. In Akira's case, maybe a nice one would weigh out the one that wasn't very nice. Or, maybe he could avoid the mean one all together, and still not feel too badly.

"Your teachers don't mind?"Niko questioned curiously. If he brought a pet to class in his old school, it was a big deal, but maybe that was because he was still considered a child while and Akira was a teenager. Teenagers got many, many more privileges in almost everything they did, so it wouldn't have surprised him much to hear that was the reasoning.

"Next time, I'll pick a nice animal,"Niko offered."What's the nicest animal you know of?" Getting a pet was not in the near future. In fact, Niko wasn't sure he'd be allowed to until eighteen, which wasn't a bad thing since he really couldn't take care of it all by himself, but why not ask while Akira was here to talk to him? Not that he couldn't approach him later if he wanted to, because of course he could, especially since he was good friends with Niko's roommate.

"I don't know Mr. Morrison."Niko responded with a shrug."I know Chase and James, though." Which, in Niko's mind, meant he wasn't asking Mr. Morrison whether Akira said he was nice or not. Perhaps he'd consider it later, if he was given more reason to, but not now. Niko hated meeting strangers, especially if they were twice his age, or older. He got too nervous around them, too shy, and he didn't like it at all. Teenagers were a bit easier to approach, but not much. Usually he let them do the talking until he assessed whether they were noticeably aggressive or not.

"Actually, I didn't know the institute had a library. Do you like the library?"Niko added. Which, surprisingly, said little about his usual attitude and approach toward the library. Niko wasn't exactly the best reader in terms of ability, but he was only in third grade, he hadn't received enough practice nor did he take enough interest in it. But that did not mean that he was your stereotypical child or teen who never entered a library and who preferred comics to books without pictures. He did not avoid the library, and he did not avoid books, he merely didn't seek them out on a regular basis, and they certainly were not his first choice of entertainment because they implied solitude to Niko, something Niko didn't feel a need to seek out.

[Akira Faulkner]

“I guess that’s true. Um... not really. If she doesn’t like something, she’ll drop it and look at me. I guess it’s hard for me to tell. I rely on what she tells me, not her body language.” The fact that the ferret liked the treats wouldn’t have played in Niko’s favour, if he was looking for a sign that they weren’t good to eat. If she could, Moxie would eat them all day, every day. Too bad for her, she was fed ferret pellets, and hay. Treats were just that. Treats. (Especially if Toru was over, and chicken was involved.)

Brothers were fun. Just... not when they were jerks. Akira could count on one hand the nice, fun things he’d done with his older brother. “He’s a big pain. And every time I’m home to visit, he’s mean to me. But I do have a nice sister. She likes horses.” If he had a choice, he’d spend time with his sister, hands down. Time with Seta tended to involve teasing, pain, or just general discomfort. (Seta had no tact, nor did he censor himself in public. Makes for fun trips to the mall.) “Our family isn’t that big. Just me, and my brother and sister. My uncle lives in Pilot Ridge, though. He’s a vet.” Once Akira had graduated Hammel, he was planning on going to university to be a vet, just like his uncle.

“Mm... most of the time, they don’t know. She sleeps in my pocket most of the time. The few times she’s been awake, she stays quiet. So they don’t mind. And I need her for training.” Well, he had. He needed to move on to unfamiliar animals now, and he was having a hard time adjusting.

The nicest animal? “Um... well, Moxie’s the first one I think of. But I’ve met lots of nice ones. Dogs are really nice. My sister has one that’s really sweet. And the horse she rides is really nice. They’re just like people. Some are mean, some are nice.” He smiled at the younger boy. “I’d help you pick a pet, if you’re allowed one.” Naturally, he didn’t know about Niko’s lack of parents, and therefore, lack of money or grownups to help him with the pet thing.

Akira knew Mr. Morrison, but that was because he liked the library. It was quieter than the student lounge. “He’s nice, and he knows a lot.” Akira had gone to him more than once for reference material for class. And he’d held several conversations with the librarian’s dog. She was really lovely and sweet, but he’d had to tell her several times that Moxie was neither prey, nor a toy. He did know Chase, though. “I know Chase. He’s a good trainer. ... I don’t think I know James, though.” At least, if he did, it wasn’t by his first name.

“Yeah, it does. It’s got a lot of stuff in it. But a lot of the time, you don’t need it. If he has time, Mr. Morrison knows like... everything.” He smiled. “I like it in there. It’s quiet. And sometimes Mr. Morrison brings his dog Zero to work. She’s really sweet.” He mostly liked it for the quiet factor. He and Toru had spent a lot of time in there. “Most of the quieter students like it in there.”