I'll mess this up

Fae was something else indeed. The blue Sylveon she had ran into a couple of days earlier, wouldn't leave her side. At the point that Djodie got the idea, that Bell may grew a little jealous. But the pinkhaired girl hadn't realised at first, was the fact that she had a deeper connection with the fairy pokémon, because of just that. It was a fairy. Besides knowing each other only three days, it felt like a lifetime. She had no other way to describe it.

The girl strolled along the city with the blue ribbon pokémon by her side, as her eyes layed rest on a very familiar figure.
There was something different about him, she could tell already, she couldn't just put her finger on it. With a chuckle she shook her head, mentally noting that surely she was imagineing things, before walking up to him.
"Ming! It's been some time."

There was something different about the man, but Djodie couldn't quite lay a finger on it yet. His whole energy felt off, as there was something weighing on his shoulders. And, despite the fact that he had always looked that way a little bit, this was different.

He recognised her voice and stopped, forcing something that should have been a smile, on his face. Good thing the man couldn't see Djodie's expression. He asked her how she had been and she chuckled lightly, as she knew very well, their last encounter had been in the café, after... After she had nearly frozen to death.

"I've been quite well, honestly. I've burned some bridges, so to speak - or I'm trying to at least - and, well, yeah. I've been doing a lot better lately." There was a hint of calmness in her voice. "What about you?" There was something troubling him, she saw it, she felt it. Yet she was in no position to go and pull it out of the man.

Good Gods. If 'sad' would be a person, Djodie was quite sure it would be Ming. Or maybe he was just way more down to warth then she was. Especially now.

Mingze replied at her words before telling her he had secured a job in a café not far from here. Djodie's eyes lit up. "That is great! Which one?" As she was well aware that not all café's were too eager on hiring a blind man - and she had a vague feeling on who might have hired him.
As he told her about the job, there was a genuine smile on his face, which Djodie was relieved to see.

"Do you still live in the Bonfire-apartments?" Not remembering the real name, it was now simply memorised in her mind as the Bonfire-apartments. With her growing collection of Pokémon, Djodie was wondering if she might need to find a place with a backyard. But acquiring that would take her some time. Save a few paychecks, she'd be fine in the end.

Djodie's smile widened as he started the name of the café. "Tales and brews!" She finished, just as he did. "I guess we're gonna be colleagues then!" Hopefully that did sound as a good thing to him like it did to her.
It soothed her a little, to know that she'd have at least three people in the café that she knew, knowing Lucina also got a job there.

Ming added that he indeed still lived in the Bonfire apartments, noting that it wasn't much. Djodie chuckled, her apartment wasn't much either - especially with all the pokémon strolling around there now. She would soon find a better place for them to live. Somewhere with a yard, perhaps, even if it was just a small one.

Djodie was pulled out of her thought by Mingze's words, before he cut them short, remembering he had already asked her how she'd been. With a soft laugh Djodie nodded. There had been, however, something that she remembered from their previous encounter. Something he had said.
"Can I ask you - Last time we spoke, you asked me if I felt... Different. After the lake thing." She took a moment to consider her next words. "Where you talking about an affinity?" Somehow her thoughts could never exit her mouth in a subtle way. "Because I did not understand back then. But I understand now."

He did not match her enthousiastic energy, which was to be expected, 'cause her energy was a lot. Despite that, Djodie watched the man force a smile on his face as he asked her which role she'd have. "Barista! What about you?" She was beyond happy to finally be able to serve coffee's and frappe's and whatnot. To pour her heart and soul into new creations.

The conversation took a turn, when she brought up their earlier encounter. She could almost see the doors in Mingze's head that represented his emotions, shut closed one by one, as he turned his blank face in her direction. Cautious, Djodie leaned back a bit, on her heels. To not step back but still create some more distance between them.
As he asked her if she did, it was clear to Djodie, that he was looking for a whole other sort of 'understanding'. For a short moment she tilted her head, scanning his face. "I think so. I gained an affinity a short while ago, at the prayers." For a moment she considered pressing on, asking him what was wrong. But Djodie was almost certain he wouldn't answer her.

So instead, she took a breath, calming herself down. If he wished to discuss what was troubling him, she'd gladly listen. But she wouldn't be able to drag it out of the man anyway.

Ming answered that he'd be sort of the assistant manager. Djodie's eyes widened in surprised enjoyment, genuinely happy for him. "That's great! And no, better not be serving perhaps." she answered with a chuckle.

The conversation took a turn when she'd brought up affinities. It seemed to make him tense, which wasn't what she had intended at all. When he snapped at her, Djodie raised her hands a bit and took a step back. Only then realising he couldn't see that. "Easy now. I did not pray for one. Most certainly not. I prayed for sunny days, off al things." She said, after which a soft sigh escaped. "When I touched the tree in the temple, it felt like some energy was going through me. Everything felt and looked different after." Better, but she decided not to tell Ming that, feeling like if she did, it could make the man explode. She hadn't witnessed this... more cold, nervous side of Mingze yet. The talk about affinities seemed to surely have triggered something.

"You don't seem to comfortable with your affinity?"

"You fool," Djodie clenched her jaw together as Ming continued, asking her if she just let it happen. "I -" She wasn't sure what to say now. "I didn't realise I could have done something about it..." She swallowed, confused on why he was suddenly so tense. Djodie crossed her arms in front of her chest, grabbing her upperarm with her hand. She didn't exactly had have the time to think, as Amigo had evolved right after. The whole situation had been overhelming to her.

When she shot her question, Ming widened his eyes in surprise, muttering how she knew. But it was clear to her, radiating off the way he reacted to the topic. He then added that he wasn't comfortable to just his own. Djodie tilted her head. "Why is that?" She spoke softly, calming herself down but carefull not to cause any more irritation. "I'm just trying to understand." Because she didn't. She did not understand his hostality towards affinities - towards all of them, it seemed. What could have happened to him, to make him feel this way?

His answer made him appear broken. Djodie frowned in worry, closing in on the man but not sure what to do. They weren't close enough for her to just go and hug him - even though she wanted to do so.

After she asked him to explain, he answered she wouldn't understand. Djodie tilted her head as he went on, saying that he hoped her affinity would change her life for the better.
For a moment Djodie's head started racing. Why wouldn't it? Could it change her life for the worst? Even if she had felt so good, so full of life from the moment she had gained it? It had felt like a piece she didn't know was missing.
Clearly it did not feel like that for him.

"I believe it will." Her mind had calmed down. "I, I guess you have other experiences, but an affinity doesn't seem like a bad thing. A fairy affinity - I can't speak for any of the others, ofcourse." Djodie spoke softly. "I don't know what you're going through, Ming. But maybe I can help. You don't have to go through it alone. If you let me."

Mingzé's answer came bitterly, and Djodie closed her eyes for a second, remaining in her calm composure. As she continued talking, she noticed to late, her words had a different effect then she had intended. The man's jaw clenched, and she wasn't even finished before he interrupted her, claiming he wasn't alone.

Djodie sighed softly, shaking her head. "I didn't mean it like that. I was just - I'm just trying to offer some help. A listening ear." Djodie simply answered. "But maybe it's not the time now. I hope you can find comfort with it." She wasn't going to stand here and take his snapping at her. She understood it wasn't directed to her personally, but that didn't make it any less of a fact that he was still snapping at her. It was time for her to leave.

"If you ever want to talk, please know that you can, okay? For now, have a good day." And with that, Djodie turned around and walked on.