two steps forward, three steps back [will]

[♫~Leap~♫]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding:0; margin: 0; background-image:url(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc436/AmberLehcar/LoreleiTable.png);background-repeat:repeat-y;width: 500px;height:600px;] "What has become of our world, Freude? Look at all these people, sitting idly by as their Pokemon suffer. It is almost pathetic how sad our race has become over the years." Shoes clattered against dull colored side walks, creating a rythmic sort of noise between the sound of the collision of rubber and concrete and the slidding of object against object. The cries of nearby Pidgey seemed to match in time perfectly. The wind in the trees, the ordinary sounds of life itself seemed to create their own song. However, this was not another one of those bothersome musicals and the perfect harmony of the sounds together was broken as the sound of feet against stone came to an abrupt halt. A lone figure, a long shadow stretching from where their frame met the earth to somewhere far across the deserted street stood in the afternoon light, staring at the sun that peeked over the horizon, almost as though hiding from something. Them, perhaps? That would be a laugh in the making. Lorelei was alone. She always had been from the moment she rand away from home. And, even when she was living in that cursed place - had her sister not been around - she had always felt like she was alone. No one by her side. Empty. She had grown used to this feeling, however. Fond of it? No. Company was always a pleasure. Someone to actually be aware of her presence and converse with her, anyway. But something about her must have scared away others, as few ever tried to approach her. Out of common curtesy, hoping not the disrupt her thought process, perhaps. Or maybe the scowl on her face was just unpleasent enough to ward off any stranger. Whatever the reason, there was no one there in those streets that afternoon. No one but a tall figure and her Larvitar. "Perhaps, even I, myself, should not claim ownership over a Pokemon like yourself. Does it bother you that, in our pursuit to free Pokemon around the world, we, ourselves, enslave them?" Though, from a distance, it may have seemed that the dark-haired woman was talking to no one but herself. However, she and the duel-type at her feet had a certain connection. Well, no. The male was just enough of a baby to cling to her and listen to her complain about the cruelty of life without running away. It was a little pathetic, sure, but that Pocket Monster had been her one and only gift from her younger sister. The only thing she had left of her. She would treasure it until the end of time, that much was certain. To her question, the rock-type seemed indifferent, sitting on the concrete slabs and hitting said material with a stone that he had picked up who knows when. The child-like behavior the Larvitar emitted was something that the two would need to work on if she ever wanteda Tyranitar to her name. The journey would be long, but at least it would be worth it in the end. Reguardless, a sigh escaped her lips and she leaned over to lift her partner up and into the air. "Sometimes I wonder if you listen to the words that I speak at all." He looked up at her with his best "Bambi eyes" look, to which she responded with a scowl. "I'm not a fool. I will not fall for such tricks." Freude pouted slightly, struggling out of his owner's grip and falling to the ground with an oof. He looked up at her with a pleading look, about ready to cry at the wounds he had recieved. She said frankly, "Well, obviously you don't wished to be carried. If I cannot carry you, I cannot help you up. Come one. We have work to do." That was a lie, actually. Well, if you concidered finding you way hom work, than it wasn't entirely a lie. Word that Nymah - leader of Team Imum and Lorelei's boss - had mysteriously disappeared, stating that the brunette was in charge in the blonde's place had reached her the previous night. At that time, she had been near Route Three. Lost, she had asked for directions toward the town nearest the base, only to be given phony advice and find herself lost in such a place as this. Vardent Town... she recited, legs already beginning to carry her deeper into the town. She could at least spend the night before retracing her steps and heading in the opposite directions. Such a bland place, indead. I wasn't even aware such a place existed... Aware of it or not, it was real and this was where she was trapped until the morning after when she could continue her search for the Team Imum base. How sad - the temporary leader losing her way while searching for the one place she could actually call him. "I just want to get this over with..."

[Will]

The dull squeal of water being forced through pipes cut through the air. The air itself was misty, moist and thick, leaving a low hanging fog to drift around the room lazily. Not a care in the world. Simple and clean. Everything that William's life wasn't. The water within the shower was hot, nearly scalding, completely the opposite of the cool mist that drifted heedlessly. The stream was harsh on the teen's skin, pelting it strongly enough to cut through the days' worth of grime that had become caked and hardened over his being like a second skin. As the water trickled down his body along with the dark residue of nature there was something else to be spotted.

Red.

The substance drifted from unhealed wounds that cried crimson streams at the rough treatment they were being put through. The distinct coppery smell in the air should have unnerved Will, but he couldn't find it in him to care. The teen was numb to it, like he was numb to majority of things these days. The teen watched how all the various corruptions mingled together, touching and twisted, as they sunk into the drain and were washed away. Then he deemed himself clean enough and stepped out after turning the water off. Grabbing his towel he made to walk out, but caught a flash of more red in the corner of his eye. Turning, he was met with the sight of his reflection, blurred and hazy in the glass. It did nothing to keep his own green eyes from cutting him down.

Taking a step closer he brushed a hand across the surface and looked at himself. He noted the changes, some minor others glaring, since he'd started traveling around. Yet, the anger lurked deep within those emerald depths. Words from his mother drifted across his mind at seeing passed his own defenses. "Why are you so angry?" Will didn't know. Why not be angry!? It was easier than being sad or happy especially when there was nothing to be happy about. Sadness...He looked at himself more carefully. "You look just like your father..." He saw red for a moment and found that the glass had cracked, a spiderweb branching out from where his fist had connected. He couldn't deny the truth. He was almost an exact copy of the man. Every day he caught his reflection that was the first thing that came to mind. It was as if the world had to remind him, taunt him even.

"But I'm not my father." He growled to himself walking away. The day had already passed he noticed. He'd come back to Vardent yesterday. He wasn't sure why anymore. At first, he told himself that maybe the professor wouldn't mind a few questions. It was such a rare chance that he could let go to waste. So he got stronger. Did his best to better his pokemon. Little good that did though. Improvement was almost nonexistent and the professor was out anyway. It wasn't good enough for him. Nothing was good enough for him. He knew he could do better. Stepping out and dressing the three pokemon that he'd earned watched curiously. Will ignored them. He knew they could do better. He packed furiously at the reminder that he was still in the same spot he started at.

"We're leaving again," after one day. He couldn't stand around here much longer. The people, happy and content in their daily routines. They annoyed him. Didn't they want more? Night was almost upon them. The stronger nocturnal pokemon would be coming out around that forest. And in the mood Will was in, he was full for the idea of battle. He'd even jump at the chance to help his pokemon fight that boogeymon that spooked the natives around here. He glanced at the walking stick he'd picked up on the way back. Thick wood with a metal cap. Good for moving and if Will put his strength and weight behind it, he was sure he could break the bones of an average pokemon. He done so already. It had push them to victory. A pokemon rarely expected to get attacked by a human. Will wasn't stupid, but if someone heard about or saw that they may have wondered if he had a death wish.

Will walked out the door and was out of the building before they could pin the shattered mirror on him. His pokemon followed. The Venipede that had still yet to earn a name settled on his shoulder. Varuna kept the pace, eager to prove he could keep up. Will had the feeling it felt inferior to the Cyndaquil since he'd used her more often than he for nearly a week. Nothing that disrupted teamwork, but he was always ready to prove himself the superior fighter. Sati didn't notice, or ignored it, she was starting to take on some of his more no nonsense traits. Everything was serious for her now. She never underestimated or overestimated another pokemon. Her attacks were strong and she pushed herself regularly. They were becoming the pillars to his team.

Taking the path out, he pulled a cigarette from the recesses of his jacket and lit it. He refused to look back. This wasn't his home. He didn't have a home. The place where he lived the early stages of his life were like any other the only difference being it helped him become who he was, for better or worse. As he distanced himself, he noted a woman in his line of sight. Normally he would have ignored her like any other mundane individual. However, with the way that everything from the way she held herself to the very aura she eluded screamed different. Will had to force his eyes away and onto the small pokemon with her to keep from staring. A Larvitar. That was a rare and impressive breed she was trying to raise. However, he didn't like to approach people. Then even if he did, he wouldn't know how to.

So Will continued onward, expecting to pass her up on his way out, as a trail of smoke left his lungs.

[♫~Leap~♫]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding:0; margin: 0; background-image:url(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc436/AmberLehcar/LoreleiTable.png);background-repeat:repeat-y;width: 500px;height:600px;] The sad thing about the position she was in was that she had absolutely no idea where she was to be headed. This fact had already been made aparent earlier - she had lost her way whilst headed towards, home. However, this was not the same kind of lost. She had never been to Vardent Town before, sad as it may have seemed in the eyes of others. For this reason, she was... unsure of what direction she was to be heading. Was the Pokemon Center west...? No, maybe it was north... South? East of all things couldn't be right... "Blast it all," she hissed under her breath, glaring at the quaint little town and wishing that a meteor, in the near future, would be sent crashing into all of it's buildings and residents. "And I thought that Veherna was hard to navigate through..." The woman muttered, cursing under her breath as she continued walking aimlessly. It was a difficult place to navigate through, Veherna city. However, she'd been there for so long that she had at least the smallest of an inkling on where she was going and how she was supposed to get there. This place, though small, was just big enough to provide a challenge for her when it came to making her way through it. Not that she had ever been very good when it came to directions. This, along with her poor memory, were two of her worst traits and would have been her most noticable had she not tried so very hard to cover them up. She was of a high status. Having her inferiors thinking little of her just would not do, now, would it? "I think... I'm supposed to go... this way? No, that just does not seem right..." The blue-eyed female paced to and fro, her feet carrying her in one direction only for her mind to tell her otherwise and tell her feet to be carried in the opposite direction. In a matter of moments, she was absolutely aggrivated, tired of being utterly and completely lost. "A map! A map was all I needed! Freude, why must my mind fail me ever so?" The Pokemon who was being spoken to looked up at his master with worry evident in his dark-colored eyes. He was honestly upset about her anger - a loyal little creature, wasn't he? Icy-blue eyes landed on the duel type and yet another sigh escaped her lips. "[color=TealPlease refrain from staring at me like that. You make it look as though I've been told I have only a few days left of life to my name.

[/color]" Crouching down, she patted the Larvitar's head with a blank stare and a bit of a grunt in the effort. To this, the creature let out something like a purr, rubbing his head eagerly into the palm of her hand. At the collision of soft and rough skin, the woman flinched and her hand removed itself from atop his small head. She was not used to praising her Pokemon as such and it still seemed odd to her, that kind of physical contact.

"Perhaps we should look around town," she suggested frankly, her stare hardening once more in a mixture of displeasure and determination. "[color=TealIt isn't as though this place is terribly large - I'm sure we'll find it before the sun has completely disappeared.[/color]" However, the universe must have loved proving her wrong - it tended to go it quite frequently, if you asked her. The sun had nearly disappeared, swallowed whole by the horizon when she finally gave up, recognizing the street corner as the one she had seen at least five times within the hour. Bitter and upset beyond all belief, the woman crossed her almost in an almost child-like manner and tapped the toe of her to small flats against the concrete below.

"If someone had told me it would be this difficult to find the Pokemon Center, I would have thought them crazy," she stated with a growl.

But, just then, he appeared. A young man - probably in his late teens or very early twenties, if she had to guess - passing through the otherwise deserted streets. What was someone like himself doing outside at such a time? And was that... a cigarette? Lorelei, herself, had tried to take up smoking at one point in her lifetime. However, the items were... How to put it... Not particularly something she could say she enjoyed. She could handle other smokers - it was their decision and she would respect that. And, if that ended up being the death of them, that was just one less human to kill off to free the Pokemon, correct? - but to see something like that in the mouth of a boy such as that...

Well, she did not know him.

How would she know what he was like and why he had decided to take up such a habit?

Instead, she realized something. He was the only one she could ask directions from. Everyone else had long sense locked themselves up indoors. Perhaps the monster rumored to live in the forest just outside of their quaint little home scared them all that much. But, putting that aside, it was not as though she could simply walk up to a home, knock on the door and ask if anyone knew how to navigate to the Pokemon Center; they would, most likely, think her mentally insane and slam the door in her poor face. But this boy... She would not seem as much as a mad woman if she approached him. Hurrying to stand a little ways behind him, she slowed her pace so she was able to match his step by step, trying to seem at least a little inconspicuious.

"Excuse me," she said, her expression only giving away a fractino of her anger. "I hate to be a bother, but you would not happen to know the way around this town, would you?"
[/div]
[/td][/tr] [/table][/center]

[Will]

The breeder attempted to occupy his mind as he drew closer to her. Little things, lists of what he'd need to accomplish soon, even the training that he was about to put his pokemon through. Anything that wormed into his mind to keep his thoughts busy and off the strange traveler. The dull aches and sharp stabs of pain from his healing bruises and cuts were helpful in their own way. They helped keep him focused and allowed him to put his thoughts into preventing future happenings that caused them. The teen took to focusing the irrational anger that permeated his being as well. All means to an end and all necessary.

That irrational anger caused by the likeness he held to his immoral father. He could have harnessed it to destroy the beauty of the world if he wanted. It made Will relish the breaths of smoke filled air his lungs processed. The teenager knew that there were possibilities and even logical reasons that the man might have had behind his motives. Yet, even so, he shut them out of his mind venomously refusing to accept them. He remembered thinking as a boy that it wasn't fair. That he didn't deserve it. However, he soon come to the conclusion as he grew older. Wouldn't it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them? The things that Will himself deserved from the numerous attempts of rebellion and bad decisions must have been dreadful. So he accepted unfairness and pushed onward.

The Venipede on his shoulder gave a low vibrating hiss. Low, but loud enough to draw William from his deep though. The teen instantly took note of the woman from earlier that had now come to fall in step next to him. The breeder stopped abruptly at the woman's polite beckoning and turned to face her, his emerald gems meeting her icy glaciers unflinching. His pokemon stilled as well, eying the woman unabashed before turning to study the larvitar with her with a passive aggressive intensity. They wouldn't act unless in self defense or ordered, but they held themselves with a trained air that he'd drilled into them. Lesser pokemon might find them intimidating or at the very least worthy of respect.


Will allowed her question to hang in the air a moment before answering. "I do." Fortunately, she hadn't asked for a battle. Neither Will nor his pokemon had the patience required for things like mercy or holding back. If that Larvitar wasn't trained it was likely to get thrashed even if won in the end. Granted, the woman could have much more impressive pokemon. Still, this wouldn't deter his pocket monster for pushing for one good attack breaking through a vastly superior pokemon's defenses. At least, he wouldn't have to look a Joy in the eye after leaving only to come back moments later with hurt pokemon. The mirror couldn't have been found yet either...hopefully.

More importantly, from the question Will gathered that she was probably looking for something. Odd since this was a small town. Would she now ask for assistance? Will mulled over it, trying to find a way out if she did. This town was only becoming more intolerable and he wanted to leave as soon as possible. That meant that he'd be better off just giving her what information she needed and leaving. "What are you looking for?" The question was blunt and direct to the point, however no rude in the slightest. Will could fake the helpful bystander act easily. He didn't come off as overly warm and friendly, but he did managed to give an air of being approachable.

[♫~Leap~♫]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding:0; margin: 0; background-image:url(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc436/AmberLehcar/LoreleiTable.png);background-repeat:repeat-y;width: 500px;height:600px;] Ah, yes. Returning to the sad and pathetic subject of one certain female being lost. There isn't really much to say after that, however - the woman couldn't find her way, had no one to turn to, and was about to be forced to sleep on the street corner that she swore she'd seen twice within the span of the previous five minutes. What was she to do? Where was she to go? Wandering aimlessly through the streets only led her to walk in circles, her aggrivation increasing and her mind losing even more focus as she went on. A break would have been nice - rest on the side walk all while taking a few moments to calm herself and think about ways to get to her destination and to... well, go about life itself. However, as the minutes ticked by and her anger grew closer and closer to a boiling point, this option seemed much less likely than when it was first concieved. Perhaps she wouldn't even be able to calm her mind due to the worry she may be lost in the quiet little town she was trapped in for an eternity. That was stupid, though, she assured herself with a sigh. No one was lost for an eternity, especially not in a place like that dump. Ah, that map she had cried out for earlier? It was really beginning to make her feel like a fool. It would have taken ten, no, five mesely minutes out of her life to go in pursuit of one. In comparison to the hour she had spent, utterly and completely lost, five minutes earlier to save her troubles then seemed like they would be a godsend. Certainly, she could have been resting in bed already by that time had she purchased one in her free time a while ago. However, the idea of someone of her status relying on a simple sheet of paper in order to find her way had made her feel just as stupid when she thought about it before; this was her reasoning for now claiming one in the first place. Now, the idea sounded like the greatest idea to ever spark a human's mind. Exhausted and generally defeated, the dark-haired female let out a sigh and slipped to the ground, her rear end landing on the concrete sidewalk with a thud. In Veherna, she mused, this would have been a risky move, especially in the less populated areas. Criminals lined almost every street and, her letting her guard down in such a manner could have lead to much unneeded trouble. The thought that someone might attack her here, though, was foolish and incorrect. She doubted anyone here had committed a crime in their lives. Ever. She didn't fit in well, guessing as her purpose as a higher up in Team Imum was to wipe out the majority or an entire race. Yes. She didn't fit in whatsoever. Speaking of the organization, she took this moment to think about some issues she would have to face in the future. The icy blue-eyed female had never been fond of staying cooped up inside the base. She had dedicated herself to the life of a trainer, which involved traveling the world. How did that song go? Oh, yes. Travelling across the land? Searching far and wide? Yes, that was right. Each Pokemon to understand the... something or other. But that wasn't the point. With Nymah gone, she would likely have to stay at or near the base a lot more than she did already. A visit onces every month - maybe two - would not cut it. She was unsure of how exactly her boss led the organization, reguardless. How would she go about it if she was not particularly skilled in the ways of public speaking and leading other people. "Of all the people she could have chosen for the possition," Lorelei muttered, lifting herself off of the sidewalk and streching slightly, "why did it have to be me...?" It was true, if you truly thought about it. She was hardly leader material. Somewhat awkward around others and clueless when it came to ordering other's around... What she needed was someone to show her the steps so she didn't fall flat on her face, making a fool of herself and throwing the rest of the organization. Of course, these were all thoughts to be, well, thought when she actually made her way back to the Team Imum Headquarters. As much as she hated to admit it, her main problem was the one at hand. "I can't believe it... Lost. Again. I wouldn't doubt it if I lost my head had it no been attatched," she grumbled in anger. This all happened before the peculiar red-haired male arrived, strolling through the streets in a rush as though he wanted nothint to do with the town at all. Heh. That made two of them. Upon falling in step with him and asking the million dollar question, she recieved an answer. However, there was a noticable pause between her words and his. Perhaps he had hesitated in answering? No, she doubted it. It wouldn't take much thought to utter what he did. "I do." Oh. Was that it? Nothing like, "Of course I do! Do you need help finding your way around town? I'd be more than happy to assist."? Hm. Maybe not everyone who lived in this town lived the life of a goody two shoes. Then again, she realized at the last moment, there was always a possibility that he was making his way through the town, as well. But that was beside the point, if one were really to think about it. He did not answer right away, which tickled her mind. Many people she encountered like this stranger - he had a Venipede, which meant he was a young trainer, correct? - were usually much more open and, sadly, loud. Well this is a pleasent change of pace... "What are you looking for?" The question was straight forward and, despite the fact that something told her he was trying to hide it, she got the feeling that he really didn't want to be there. Whether it was the town, talking to a complete stranger like herself, or something she could not possibly fathom, she'd never be sure. However, a smile smile tugged on the corner of her mouth and she decided to play along for a bit. "Oh, I don't know..." she sighed with feigned exhaustion. "Perhaps it would be ever so wrong of me to ask for assistance from a young man like yourself. I would hate to waste your time, after all..." Of course, this was exactly what she was doing and she wanted to make it apparent to him that it was what she planned to do. Not many people caught her attention and she intended to learn a bit more about one of the few that had. "What's your name, boy?" she asked, her tone fading from the teasing voice she held before to her colder one. Perhaps, if she played this out right, she could have a very interesting encounter on her hands...

[Will]

There was something about this woman that William couldn't quite understand. The breeder had little trouble isolating it from all the different vibes she gave him. There was no trouble there. He could separate and analyze each thoroughly. However, he couldn't understand them. They eluded the limited grasp he had over understanding his own emotions. They were, for all intent and purpose, a mystery to him. Will hated mysteries and things that escaped his understanding only served to agitated his already foul mood. It wouldn't do to attempt to experiment with how he reacted to his own emotions right in front of her either. The woman was still very much a stranger. A stranger that was proving to be an obstacle to his next destination. And to be honest, Will didn't know what to expect from her.

As a normal person who often watched others instead of interacting with them, he could generally tell someone's character from afar after studying how they acted and filing it under a likely hypothesis that was similar. However, when a persona chose him as their outlet of interaction Will fell short. The boy had to act and play a part himself and as a result became less observant, having to split the study over himself as well as the other person. Making sure he acted appropriately also meant that he had a chance of missing things that would have normally been glaringly obvious when seen from a third party observation. Emotions could be so troubling sometimes. However, his mask stayed firmly in place nonetheless.

He played through all the actions that one could expect from a silent, but still novice teen. And he made a point to hide his intense observation of everything going on. He painted a portrait of something that he wasn't and gave it to her with barely any effort whilst hiding what he really was. The only thing that could have been a chink in the armor was his eyes. They remained as sharp and calculating as ever. This could only be offset by the bangs that cover them. Not only did the follicles serve a purpose in differentiating him from his sire, they also served to make him seem more innocent than he really was. And even then they were guarded hiding what little emotion that seeped through the cracks.

Will had to suppress the flinch on annoyance at her contemplative words. Polite, flattering and a bit whimsical, but with an underlying maturity. This woman was toying with him. Infuriating enough by itself. Yet, she seemed to do it intentionally even after baiting him into conversation over what seemed to be nothings. That made it worse. There was no doubt in his mind. The teen had no idea what she may be playing at, but he wasn't in the mood for humoring it. Will felt edge and cooped up in this town. Her stalling him and trapping him with conversation gave a feel similar to that of an animal being backed into a corner and teased. However, he refused to lash out. Too much attention too late in the evening would only spell consequences.

Then she inquired his name, doing a complete shift in persona. Like a sheath, the playful musing slipped away to reveal a coldness as sharp as a blade. William's false nonchalance dissipated similarly. The approachability shifted to a firm self guard and sureness of self. Standing straighter he refused to be cowled by this woman. "I am no boy," he stated simply, unfazed by the adjective but correcting it anyway. William was no babe suckling from a mother's teat. The innocents of a boy had long been crushed by his own past and development throughout. He might not have been a man in the eyes of those elder to him, but he was certainly far from a wide-eyed boyish youth new to the world. He was aware of the rotten inner workings hidden beneath the shiny surface of life. And he made that absolutely clear with how he carried himself.

Taking a deep drag from his cancer stick, he let that sink it and process before answering her question. "Ryan," Truth in lies and a lie in truth. This woman drew in his curiosity and fascination, but in a way one studies a poisonous flower or pokemon, he found himself treading carefully. Flawless in execution. She didn't ask for which name and his family name could be used as a first name. It'd keep him out of sight a bit easier if she made a point to try and inquire about him around town. "If your just touring, I'm afraid I can't offer any worthwhile knowledge of the sights around here."

He didn't bother to ask her name. It wouldn't matter since they'd probably never see each other again. However, he did spare a glance to the forest where the beast was rumored to rest. Will had gotten plenty familiar with that particular area over the days. He played off the glance by checking in a few other directions as well. No one was around, but Will still felt so exposed. He didn't realize that he'd left himself open for the inquiry over his knowledge of that area. If she decided she needed a "guide" he wasn't quite sure what excuse could be used to get out of the task.

[♫~Leap~♫]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding:0; margin: 0; background-image:url(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc436/AmberLehcar/LoreleiTable.png);background-repeat:repeat-y;width: 500px;height:600px;] Children were dull. Maybe she should have come to this realization sooner. Actually, there was no maybe about it. Their idiotic, trusting gazes, their dependancy on other humans far smarter and older in age than themselve, their feeling that they always had to belong... It all added up to the same old story for every single one. Of all the young of age people she had encountered, not one of them had managed to amuse her in the slightest. If anything, they were a complete and utter bother to her; something she'd rather rip up, crumple, and toss in the nearest garbage bin than actually converse with. But, of course, there was a first to everything, was there not? This particular child was peculiar - she had come to this conclusion after hearing his breif answers and how he watched her as though it was his only form of communication. He gave off the typical, innocent feel of any novice trainer his age for the most part, causing her to wonder if stalling him out and trying to gain various reactions from him was as good an idea as she'd initially thought. And yet, all at the same time, something gave her the feeling as though there was something amiss. Was there something he was hiding from her? Something he would not speak of but was bothering him? No, neither of these ideas seemed entirely likely in her mind. However, whatever the reason fo her discomfort, she would eventually find out. Few things slipped past Lorelei when she honestly put in an effort. Something drew the woman's gaze to this stranger's eyes. Hidden perfectly behind long, fiery bangs, there was no telling what they would look like. Eyes were the window to the soul, she recalled. If there was some emotion he was not letting out, she would be able to find it there. For the meantime, though, she brushed the thought aside. She did not need to stare at him to find answers. This male was still fairly young - let teens, early twenties, she had to assume - and would be decently easy to play like a harp is she was careful with her words. Even if he was more careful than he was letting out at the time, a slip of the tongue was bound to happen if she spewed a relentless assualt of words, stringing phrases together that would send whatever sheild he'd set up for himself crashing to the ground. When she teased him, completely going back on her idea of asking for directions and, instead, wasting both his and her precious time, he did not react as expected. Silence. That was what she was given in responce to her words. Not even a scowl? A smirk? If anything, she would have believed he had zoned out, his mind wandering into a world she could not follow him to, causing him to miss what had come out of her mouth. She took this back in a heartbeat, however, finding that idea silly and unlikely. He was either unfazed or just thought better of letting her see how he truly felt about her trying to drag out their boring conversation longer than need be. So she stood there, icy gaze raking down his frame as she awaited him to actually speak and prove to her that he had not gone deaf in between the time of the words he had last spoken and her own. "I am no boy." Ah, there it was. Dialogue. Something to prove that he was, in fact, paying attention and had just decided to remain generally quiet for that long period of time. He seemed far from annoyed, simply correcting her "mistake" with four simple words that did not give way to anything else he might have been feeling. Most people usually were more open with their emotions, even when speaking to a complete stranger like herself. But, there were always lucky exceptions to any rule and this particular red-head was one of those very, very few. She could not find it in herself to agree with him, however, responding with a simple, "Ah, but to me you are. If you're not a man, but not a boy, than what are you saying that you are?" She was more interested in what he would answer with than she would care to, but she pushed those thoughts away as well when he continued to answer her actual question. "Ryan," he said, though something told her that something wasn't quite right about this either. "Ryan, you say..." the dark-haired female said, words not as cold and abrupt as the question that caused him to give her that answer. "Interesting. And how did your parents come up with that name?" If he reacted badly, even if in the slightest, she could probably assume he was lying. If not, well... She'd have no choice but to believe his words. Did he have any reason to lie to her, though? The saddening answer was... yes. Yes, he did. Mainly because she was temporary leader of an organization planning to kill off his kind. I wonder if that means this boy will die at my hands... Hm. Interesting. At that time, killing others wasn't exactly one of her favorite things to do, but she had to set an example and, though she didn't enjoy it as much as others, that was the only way she could. "If you're just touring," this "Ryan" boy continued, snapping her out of her daze, "I'm afraid I can't offer any worthwhile knowledge of the sights around here." Hm. Trying to get rid of her already, was he? She watched as his gaze darted from the forest, to the city, and then all over the place. Was he... looking for something? Was that why he was so intent on shaking her off his trail? She tried to tell herself that wasn't a grin tugging on the corners of her mouth. "Not touring..." she answered after a moment, dragging out her words in an effort to waste even more of his time. "If I was touring, I surely wouldn't choose a place like this to hang about. It's much to quaint and peaceful for my taste. Nothing like Veherna City; have you been there? That's my favorite place to waste my time." It wasn't. She wasn't sure if it was anyone's favorite place to spend their time, being as filthy and crime filled as it was. However, she did spend more time there then any other place due to her job. That wasn't saying much, of course, guessing as she travelled around a lot. "Of course, I'm more used to that maze of a place. Seems my sense of direction has packed its bags and left me lost in this pathetic place of a town," she explained with an honest scowl. Speaking of the fact that she was lost to someone, especially a child who was more likely to criticize her about it made the situation more worse than it already was. "Being lost is really an awful thing, isn't it? Especially in a place as small at this."