Blood and Roses [open]

He seemed confounded by her eccentricity. This was a reaction she was familiar with. Since she left her small island home, she met many people who were put off by her very open personality. She never found herself worrying about her outwardness, but she occasionally felt slightly dejected whenever someone would turn away.

Thankfully, even if he did seem a tad bit uncomfortable, he hadn't completely rejected her just yet, even if his hands moved away slightly. Her green eyes flicked across his face, noting the different reactions and emotions in his eyes, brows, and mouth. Cara grew startled when a frown appeared on his face.

"No no! I'm not pitying you! I just want to make it up to you for my stupidity and for troubling you." She let one of his hands free and tugged on the other. "C'mon! I'll buy you some ice cream," the girl spoke and turned towards where the food stalls stood. Alf yipped at the mention of one of his favourite snacks and hopped onto his trainer's shoulder. Turning around, he laid down comfortable, his tail somewhat in Cara's face, but his eyes glued to Theodore. The Pokémon grinned his signature grin at the boy.

She...The straight forwardness of this girl was throwing him off. He simply wasn't used to it. Part of him wanted to get away - so he didn't have to be so confused on how he should act but he also didn't want her to feel bad. He did blink thought at the remark of 'ice cream.' He opened his mouth for a second, wondering if he should admit he never really had ice cream before - he spent most of his time caring for his siblings or studying. No time for snacks or sweets like that. But, after a few moments he sighed as he shook resigned himself to his fate. "Fine...Ice cream it is," he said before pausing as he caught the grin that the Zoura was giving him. He simply responded in a very much force small smile of his own. He was going to regret this, wasn't he?

Abetting? The boy thought about years in prison, a scraggly old beard clinging to his face, dead flies clinging to it after succumbing to his stench. "I'm kidnapped!" he protested, mouth dry from the fear and long run. "I'm framed! Help! Help! This lunatic has caught me!" It was a short effort drowned out by the cheers of people and the loudspeaker that flooded noisily through the streets, the utter orchestra of festivities and pure noise. That and, of course, the brutal shove as he was taken into an alley.

Meanwhile, the out-of-breath boy continued to speak of prison.

"My father...will get me out..." he breathed. "You...who are you? Some balcony crawling, parkour...er nobody?" He looked at the sketchbook in his hand as they ran, creased with tension marks as he gripped it. "If you don't stop now, I'll have my Pokemon beat you up!"

Cara turned her head back and flashed the boy the same cheeky smile that her Pokémon had given him. She pushed through the crowd, her green eyes scanning for a stall that appealed to her. Alf hopped off her shoulder and trotted under feet, his nose high in the air. Trusting the small fox, the girl followed him until he abruptly stopped and began wagging his tail. The Zorua yapped and turned to his trainer with eager blue eyes. Cara laughed and looked at the shop they were now standing in front of. Although it was small in comparison to other, more well known stalls, she trusted her friend's nose more than any corporate company. A small, balding man stood at the counter, a bright smile on his aging face.

"I'm going to get a Pikacone! What do you want-- Uh..." She turned around and looked at the brunet, dumbfounded. How could she not have asked his name? Laughing a little, she took her hand back and knocked her own head lightly with her knuckles. "We don't even know each other's names! I'm Cara. Cara Dempsey." The grey quadruped below her huffed. "Hehe, and this is Alf," she added, gesturing to the Pokémon. He held his head up proudly at the mention of his name and puffed out his black, furry chest.

Pika...Cone? Did all ice creams have such cheezy names? Theodore frowned softly as he leaned past the girl and stared at the stall, attempting to figure out what to say when she introduce herself. He jolted slightly, blinking as he focused his gaze on her. Cara? It...Was a nice name, he supposed. "Its...Nice to meet you, Cara," he hummed, attempting to act as nonchalant about it as he could. "My name is Theodore - Theodore Ronan. As for the ice cream I want..." he drifted off, almost annoyed at how hard this simple choice was when he didn't know what he wanted. He had gotten almost everything he wanted as a child and now he was forced to deal with the fact that he had failed to gain the simple luxury of having ice cream. Of course, his parents would say that it wasn't fit for somebody who would one day be a famous trainer to eat or some silly excuse like that. So, he forced a bored look on his face as he shrugged at Cara. "I couldn't care less, I'll suppose I will take a Pikacone as well."

Within a flash, they had already started running off again before she could another word in, bolting down the alleyway in the opposing direction. Her eyes narrowed, fingers curled up into fists. "Hey, wait...!" Inhaling deeply, she started off in their direction, straying further and further from her station. It didn't even seem like the boy was directly involved with all of this, if anything about his attitude said something about the whole situation; his mouth was constantly opening and closing, in spite of his words drowned out, but they didn't appear to be anything regarding satisfaction or being an accomplice.

Who would need an accomplice for doing parkour, anyway?

This could've been solved so much more quickly if those two had stopped when she asked them to. Now that they're openly disobeying officials, she really would have to give them a stern talk instead of letting them get away with just a warning. The alleyways were a overcomplicated and large maze, but Marian was certain she knew them like the back of her hand from being thrown into training regarding it. Leaving her inside it all alone to find her way out by herself on various occasions. Trial and error, as they called it. She couldn't let her eyes glance away from them for even a second if she wanted to just because of how vast Eden City had to be.

It was then that she had wished she had taken her partner with her. How much easier it would've been to catch up to the pair if she had done that instead. No time for regrets. Working with what she had now and adapting was the best she could do. Marian shook her head, allowing her pace to pick up. Her lips parted, as though she were ready to speak something, but she immediately decided against it. No point in wasting her breath on words that would fall on empty ears.

"I'm not a lunatic! And I'm not a nobody!" she yipped, sloshing through a dirty puddle and spraying muddy water all over her legs. Sheeeesh, couldn't he just relax? As long as they didn't get caught, it'd all work out, so if he just worked with her for a second and played along, then maybe...! "You think your father would wanna talk with a dirty convict? It'd be a disgrace! His poor old heart would give out from the shame! His own son, gutter scum!" The humanity of it all. "So just keep running!"

His Pokémon?

Ellen skid to a stop as she rounded the corner. A dead end. "Eeeeek...!"

"We came together to build a vision no one else had dared dream of..." The voice filtered through the alleys, more distant now.

Her fingers brushed over the Pokéballs at her belt. She turned around, looking left, right, up. A fire escape? A dumpster? C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon...! I can't battle a ranger! I'll be dead for sure! Ellen whirled on the boy, a wavering, almost manic grin on her face as she gripped him by the collar. The ranger hadn't caught up yet, but... "C'mon, q-quick, think of something, buddy! I'll do anything, I just can't get caught, I'll, I'll..." Oh dear. She was hyperventilating. "Just help me out here!"

She really was firing back at him. The boy bit his lip to withhold the hurt caused by her comments. He wanted to protest. His dad loved him! His dad would never be ashamed of him! the nerve of this girl, the nerve of this girl! Was he even that in trouble? What kind of ironfisted government ran the archipelago!?

Suddenly, they reached the dead end, and the boy felt some relief flood through his veins. and with this relief came a smug satisfaction. Despite the possible felon he had been made into, he smirked.

"I'm not your buddy!" He argued, running fingers through his bangs. "And I thought I was gutter scum. Now you need my help? I see, I see..." He didn't seem quelled by her hyperventilation; possibly because he was too dense to notice it.

The boy looked at his finger nails thoughtfully. Agonizing seconds ticked by, seconds he let pass carelessly. He hardly even had a plan. As the sounds of their pursuer came forth, however, he shoved his hand in his pocket, dusting off his sketchbook.

"If I get you out of this, you're my subordinate for the rest of all time. Capisce?" No matter that he had no plan. With each footstep that echoed distantly from the ranger, the boy fought the nervous wince that came with. He was running out of time. Perhaps he should think of a plan...

Nope. He instead stood straight upwards, like a king posing for a royal portrait.

"I, Agamemnon Atreus Hoover, shall be your better. Your master, if you will."

She looked like an academy student, anyhow. This was the opportunity to never do homework again, to never do chores again, to have a servant at his beck and call. It was also the first of many admirers in his still-young life. He got his first one at fourteen! Before his first art gallery!

Of course she had to agree. And he had to get them out of it in thirty seconds...

"W-w-w-what?!" Sheesh! That was the first thing that came to mind for him? She'd been thinking of something a little less intense, like... oh, whatever, okay, so she hadn't thought it through! "All time?! That's a long time! Too long!" But the clock was running out. She could hear it ticking down in her skull like a time bomb, tapping away in time with her heartbeat. And what kinda name was that, anyways? Did he make that up on the spot? He was messing with her, wasn't he?!

But what other choices did she have?

"Ooh...! Fine, fine, fine!" she snapped, clenching her eyes shut and balling her hands into fists. "I'll be your stupid servant, but only if you help me out!"

The Cross name is ruined... ; _ ;

There was an elation in this. Agamemnon put on a smug Aha face, rubbing his fingers on his jacket, but the facade dropped so quickly, the thud was almost audible. Crap, he has wasting precious seconds! The boy reached quickly for his Pokeballs, the orbs tucked neatly under his jacket, fingers slipping on the shiny metal as he rushed. He finally grabbed one, however, and threw it; or, more, he began to throw it, and grabbed it back to stop from alerting the ranger, almost dropping the ball as it burst open in his hands. Out came a small purple creature, a rodent with wings. A Noibat.

The wall that blocked their way was topped by a roof no more than 40 feet off the ground. That wasn't so tall, right?

"Noibat," the boy said in a deep, almost sultry voice. "Be a dear and blow us up there, okay?"

The Noibat seemed to comply with his suggestion with something of a swoon, its flight taking a short, momentary dive. Aggie winked at it. Its wings fluttered viciously.

He turned to Ellen. "Grab my hand, this may hurt...a lot."

And before she could question, a loud burst of wind came from the little bat. Before he could blink, they were 40 feet in the air.

Well, a little more than 40 feet...

That Razor Wind may have been a little too strong.

Aggie embraced Ellen as they fell at least 10 feet onto the roof, rolling with her as they crashed down. They separated into individual heaps. His back felt like it exploded.

But somehow, someway, that little bat got them up on that roof.

The Noibat came fluttering up to their level, peeking cautiously to see if they were okay. It seemed more concerned with Aggie, however, flying completely over the girl, to the boy that was just starting to rise.