He waved at Jane and she smiled, waving back.
“Patrick! Ludo here was just telling me about how the lil’ antenna on Gemoids is actually a nose!” she said to Pat as he got closer.
Ludo cleared his throat “T-that's not exactly what I said, I just meant that they can detect certain types of frequencies and odors around them, and-”
Jane pat Ludoviko's back, cutting him off. “Yeah, same thing.”
Ludo looked down sadly. Pat sighed. “Why does it glow sometimes? Do you know?” He asked the man. Ludo's face lit up and he smiled a bit, happy to talk more about Gemoids, Pat assumed. “W-well there have been theories of what it might've been used before, l-like for hunting or attracting mates, although nowadays I don't think there's m-much use to it..”
Pat lifted his eyebrows and nodded. “Nice.”
Ludoviko made a happy noise, and opened his mouth as he was about to talk more, but Jane put her hand in front of him to cut him off once more, taking a step forward and grabbing Pat's shoulder, turning him towards her. “ANYWAY! I saw your Gemoid became fertile. Didn't know he was as young as you.”
Patrick looked up at the clear blue sky. “Yeah, my father thought it would be good to have a young one so we'd be able to train it ourselves without having to bypass anyone else's training.” He said, putting his hands in his pockets.
“Are you gonna castrate it?”
He shrugged silently. He had to be honest, he didn't know what he wanted. There was this odd feeling inside of him whenever he was asked this question. Like… emptiness? No, that's not quite right. He couldn't put a finger on it yet.
As if he didn't want to listen to what the others would tell him.
Odd.
“Well, you've got a few days ahead of you I guess. I'd say you keep it if you're the type of guy that can't do anything by himself. I've seen yours is more of a maid, must be nice.” She looked at her own Gemoid and then back at the inside of the veterinarian's building. The door opened and a woman, who Pat guessed was Jane's mother, came out, waving at the girl. “Welp, I have to go. I'll see y'all tomorrow!” she then said, tugging on her leash, her Gemoid following her silently.
A few seconds of awkward silence passed, as Pat and Ludo were now alone in the veterinarian's building's entrance. Ludoviko cleared his throat and pointed to Pat's neck. “Jane told me your tracker was really old. Is that even allowed?”
Pat sighed and shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets again. “The principal said it was okay, I'd believe his words..”
“I still can't believe you went to see the principal. And you're sure he said it was okay?” Ludo asked again, seemingly nervous.
“Y-yeah, I wouldn't lie, don't worry.”
Pat then looked down, a little sadly. “Oh, well, I should also tell you that uhm, I couldn't finish the book, so I'll be giving it back to the teacher tomorrow.”
Ludoviko frowned. “What do you mean? Can't you just read it after you go back home or something?”
Pat shrugged. “It's… it's a long story.”
A few seconds of silence passed, and Ludo looked around, then shrugged. “Well, I got time for long stories, if you wanna tell me.”
A few more seconds passed.
Pat didn't like telling people about his father. He wouldn't want them making matters worse or anything like that.
"I… I'm not really gonna go into details but I guess if you wanna know I can tell you a little about it". Pat ended up saying. Ludo nodded and leaned closer, showing he was listening.
"My dad is… a bit strict… he doesn't like books, because he says that they tie us to the past and that the past should stay forgotten."
Ludoviko frowned, rubbing his brow with his thumb. "That's… uhm, alright.. is that it?"
Pat stayed silent.
"I-I mean if you don't wanna talk about it more it's fine too! B-but uhm…" Ludo took out his tablet and turned it on, sliding the two handles away from each other, the screen popping up in between them. "If you need anything or you just wanna talk, uhm, I'm always here." His fingers slid across the screen, tapping on the keyboard, and Pat's tablet buzzed. He took the handles from his pockets and looked at the notification.
34, Reverie Street
"My address. You're welcome anytime if you wanna just kinda get away from, uhm, people I guess?" He smiled awkwardly and Pat smiled back. "T-thanks…"
"Huh, maybe he's not so weird after all… he might be actually nicer than Jane.." the man said to himself. Just because the guy was a bit of a conspiracy freak didn't mean he couldn't show normal human emotions, Patrick thought.
"So I'm guessing you're also here for your Gemoid?" The blonde said, cutting through the silence that had settled between them. Ludo shook his head. "Nah, we're not rich enough for one, sadly. I'm just here for my dog. She got really sick recently and my dad wanted to go check up on her to see if she was still alright."
Pat nodded. It felt nice to finally see someone without a Gemoid, it felt familiar. Where he used to live, not that many people owned them, due to the price being so high over there. They seemed a bit cheaper around Castel, probably due to the breeding grounds being so close.
"What type of dog?" Pat asked.
"British Ramilian. Y'know, the big blue ones with the small noses?"
Pat nodded. He didn't really like these types of dogs. Too invasive, especially with their long tongues and face tentacles. He'd seen a few before, they'd always jump on him and lick his face, he didn't like it at all, it went in his personal space too much.
"Huh, nice. What happened to her?"
"Not really sure, I think it's something she ate, although my dad says it could be something she contracted when she fought with this other dog."
Pat's eyebrow lifted. "Oh?"
"Yeah, this Cornal Sheppard got really aggressive with her for no reason. I mean, she's a sweetheart, she'd never hurt anyone, I don't know what happened but the other dog attacked her and, well, I said fight but she didn't really do anything."
Ludo teared up, his voice breaking a bit with the emotion. "She's like a gentle giant, y'know, she's not a fighter, she was just laying down there, whimpering, while that other dog kept biting her, y'know? Thank god we were able to break it up cause I don't know what I'd do without her.."
Pat nodded, looking at Ludoviko wipe his eyes with his thumb. He sure sounded like he cared a lot for his dog.
"Damn, that sounds rough.."
He paused for a second. "S-sorry.."
Ludoviko shrugged, sniffling a bit. "W-well, don't worry, she'll be fine. She's been sick before. I mean, we've had her for what, 10 years now? She's a strong girl."
It sounded like he was telling that to himself more than to Pat.
"Uh, that's gonna sound a bit weird, b-but, do you have a mom?" Pat asked after a while. Ludo hadn't mentioned anyone like that for the entire time he'd talk about his family, and Patrick was a bit curious.
Ludoviko laughed softly. "Heh, I've heard that question before but I never heard it phrased that way until now…"
Patrick blushed in embarrassment. "S-sorry, I didn't know how to ask that, it just kinda came out like that!" He blurted out in panic.
"S'alright, it didn't offend me." Ludo said, waving his hand in dismissal.
"So, uhm.." Patrick said quietly, wondering if he had done the right thing to ask about Ludo's mother. He was wondering about a lot of things lately, actually. This wasn't the first weird thing he had done today.
"M-my mother left a bit after I was born, a-and then so it's only been me and my dad after that."
He paused and chuckled. "And, well, also Camilla. Th-that's the name of my dog."
Pat nodded and looked at the sky, clouds passing in front of the crimson sun and blocking it's rays. While he did wonder why Ludoviko's mother left, he assumed the man probably didn't want to talk about it, else he would have gotten more into details when explaining.
"Kinda like me and my father…" He thought briefly.
Ludo suddenly leaned over to look behind Pat's shoulder, and his expression dropped, making him turn around quickly and hang his head.
"Fuck, not them.."
Pat looked back and frowned, curious as to what Ludoviko had seen. A group of students, three girls and two guys, were walking by on the opposite street, talking loudly and laughing. They seemed to be around the same grade as Pat and Ludo.
"You know them?"
He didn't have a great memory when it came to remembering people's faces, and he couldn't recognize any of the students.
"Y-yeah, they're in the other class though, except this guy" he subtly pointed to one of the two guys, a tall and lean man with very pale skin, who sported bright neon green hair in a manbun and a bit of a fuzz on his jaw. "His name's Chris Grassiere, he's in our class, you might not remember him, since he's pretty quiet and he sits at the back, near the window."
The guy in question turned his head in the two men's direction and smiled, his eyes widening as he pointed to them. The other students had a similar reaction, and in a matter of seconds, they arrived right in front of Pat and Ludo.
"Hey new guy, you're friends with him?"
Pat looked back at Ludo, then up at Chris, who had just asked the question.
"Y-yeah, I guess. Why?"
Chris sighed. He stared at Ludo, who had taken a few steps back, trying to get away from the gang.
"It's… it's just-" Chris stuttered.
"He supports the rebels." A smaller dark-skinned girl with short pink hair said, shooting a murderous glance at Ludo, who looked away in distress. "You should stay away from him, dude." She then added, and Chris nodded.
Ludo took a step forward. "I don't support them, Allie."
Allie, the girl with pink hair, growled and frowned. "Oh yeah, then what's up with that stupid question you asked on the first day of school?"
Ludoviko blushed and looked away, tears forming in his eyes. "Th-that's.. not why I asked that.."
Pat looked back and forth between the two and took a step back.
"You were trying to say that Gemoids are intelligent, right?" Chris said, his eyes narrowed, gaze still locked on the small round guy, who was trying his best to hide behind Pat. "What else would that question mean, other than you're trying to be friendly with them??"
"S-stop it Chris." Ludo mumbled, his breathing getting faster.
Pat sighed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Look, guys, can we just not fight, please?"
"What the fuck is your problem, man? You're siding with him??" Chris barked, taking a step forward and looking down on the blonde, towering him with his imposing height. Pat took a step back. He was getting really nervous, he didn't know what to do. On one side, it's true that he didn't think being all chummy with Gemoids was a very intelligent thing to do, but at the same time, he liked Ludo, he was a good man, he didn't mean to hurt anyone, and seeing these guys intimidate him like that annoyed him. "I never said that. You're twisting my words." Pat said, his voice shaking in fear. He honestly was starting to regret having said anything in the first place. What was going to happen if he kept talking back? Would a fight break out?
Chris growled. "Fuck you, you're defending him, it's obvious you agree with him."
Ludo suddenly pushed Pat aside and looked up at Chris. "And what's wrong with that?? W-what's wrong with wanting t-to find more intelligent life out there??" He yelled, his fists tightening.
"The Gemoids aren't intelligent, have you never been in a history class before??" Chris answered, rage painted all over his face.
"O-our hate for them is unjustified, you're j-just blinded by propaganda!!" The smaller man retorted.
Allie grabbed Ludo by the collar and pulled him close, a sinister smile appearing on her face. "Careful, you know what happens to conspiracy freaks like you, hm?"
Ludo's fists then loosened, and he looked down, defeated. "You wouldn't wanna end up in prison now would you?" Allie then said, and let him go, before Chris pushed on his chest with his hand, making the smaller man fall to the ground. Pat looked at the gang and growled. "Hey, can you please calm down? He's not hurting anyone!" He said, a bit angry at the two student's behavior.
Chris violently grabbed Pat by the hair, dragging him up and staring right into his iris. "You're lucky your shitty old tracker doesn't have a microphone, 'cause you'd be dead by now." Pat winced, trying to avoid the man's gaze. Chris then let him go, and the group started walking away. As soon as they were out of sight, Pat turned to Ludo, who, still on the ground, had his face buried in between his crossed arms. He looked like he was crying, judging by the slight jerking of his shoulders and the muffled noises coming out of him.
Pat sat down and scooted closer to him. "Hey, uhm, are you okay?"
Ludo didn't answer.
"Are you hurt? They pushed you pretty hard there, I hope you didn't break anything."
The man's head shook slightly. That was probably a "no".
Pat looked down and stayed silent. He honestly didn't know what to tell him, how to comfort him. He didn't even know what to tell himself.
Just a weeks days ago, he probably thought exactly the same as Chris and Allie, he might've even acted like them in a similar situation. But up until a few days ago, something started happening to him. He wasn't able to agree with all these things as easily as before. He felt like something was off with the way everyone was thinking. And yet, he couldn't help but to think that maybe he was in the wrong.
After all, the Gemoids deserve to be persecuted, right?
...
Right..?
His heart filled with horror as he realized even that question sparked doubt in his mind.
He couldn't possibly be changing his ideals now, could he? That wouldn't be a very good thing. He looked up at the sky and passed a hand in his long blonde locks, nervous. He couldn't possibly start to think something else. That would be impossible, immoral, wrong.
Pat closed his eyes and sighed, breathing in and out slowly and loudly. He was probably just overthinking it. "I'm sure it's nothing. You're protecting your friend, that doesn't mean you agree with him. You're normal, you're okay, there's nothing wrong with you.." he thought, and then reopened his eyes, looking back down at Ludo. His head was moved slightly up, just enough so that his eyes and nose were showing.
He sniffled and looked up at Pat. "Why did you defend me? That wasn't a really smart thing to do." He said, his voice shivering and muffled by his arms, covering his mouth.
Pat shrugged. "I… I don't know… I-I mean, you're my friend, they were being mean, a-and shouting all these lies about you, I just couldn't take it, y'know?" He stuttered.
Ludo chuckled sadly and looked away. "Yeah.."
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