[S1 Trip and younger Gold, closed to gold_drum]

[serperiority]

The warm colours of autumnal leaves and the crisp, cool air of the changing season was similar, but not the same as it was in Unova, but even if it was, without him here, it simply wasn’t going be the same. The festival, too, for all the nostalgia it invoked in him, if it wasn’t going to lead him any closer to Alder or defeating him, it wasn’t something he should concern himself with now. He needed to train.
Things like eating sweets or enjoying the sights and sounds of a festival was for children and had no place on an adult’s world, Trip decided, and walked on.

… even with these thoughts, he still paused, briefly, here and there, to take photographs. The beauty of this season was ephemeral and while he no longer had any place here, he couldn’t ignore it or the way it made him feel, even as pursuing his goal overtook anything else…

Comments

[gold_drum]

"Okay." Gold nods seriously, satisfied by these conditions, even if Trip got kind of confusing in the middle there. What, he'd take away Gold's shoes if he kicked somebody with them or something? But the important part is that Gold's stuff is Gold's stuff even if he leaves Trip.

"Then, I promise." Gold straightens his back and looks Trip in the eyes. "If I find somebody I'd rather stay with than you, I'll go with them. And if you think that somebody I'd go with isn't good enough, then you'll take me back... Um, promise?" Gold's confidence wavers a bit at the end. Trip mentioning that chance that somebody Gold could want to go with could be bad has him kind of worried, so he wants that to be an official part of the promise.

(A part of him may be imagining some scenario of a cartoonishly evil villain trying to kidnap him and Trip coming to his rescue. Possibly while they're all standing on top of a moving train.)

[serperiority]

"I promise. As long as we're both still here, as long as I can... I'll look after you, until you find someone better," he said solemnly.

Promises were something Trip took gravely seriously. He hated the idea of breaking them, more than anything else.

"Shake on it?" he asked, extending his hand, as if to seal the deal, even if the gesture reminded him a bit of Alder.. but he won't be like him.

He intended to keep this promise, no matter what... unless something completely out of his hands separates them, he won't abandon Gold.

(... we appreciate the imagination, Gold, but Trip's unlikely to be able to balance atop a moving train and, hopefully, no one will kidnap you!!)

[gold_drum]

"If I find someone better," Gold corrects, and reaches to take Trip's hand.

He shakes Trip's hand, holding tightly. He's determined to keep this promise too. Even if the promise seems so easy to keep on his side, because he can't imagine finding someone he'd rather stay with than Trip. But since he promised Trip, he'll try his best to think about it if he meets someone he gets along with!

(It's always a possibility! It's important to prepare for future possibilities!)