Raise Your Glass

“Cooking is so fun~! Cooking is so fun~! Now it's time to take a break and see what we have done~!” Elena sang from the kitchen before opening the oven to remove its contents. “Yay, it's ready!” She placed the cake on a cooling rack on the counter, Eden hovering overhead and watching curiously. The researcher scratched her Breezeon affectionately under the chin, proud of the Pokemon. She was part of the reason for the cake.

Elena had decided to throw an party, for both Eden and Ryan. Eden had been so brave and had saved her. And Ryan had agreed to accompany her and even, in a way, protect her. She hoped that Ryan's attack on the woman's Absol would deter her from coming after her again. So to thank and congratulate them on a job well done, a party was in order.

Once the cake cooled, the researcher attempted to ice the cake while simultaneously trying to chase away the handful of Eevee that pawed at it. She smiled. Everything was as it should be. A happy day with her friends. How could the day possibly get better? With the icing finished, Elena carried the cake out to the dining room where Ryan and her eeveelutions all waited.

She set the dessert in the middle of the table. “What do you think? I'm not the best baker, but I hope it turned out all right,” she said taking a seat across from the man. Eden floated down into the researcher's lap. Everything was perfect. She picked up her glass of Moo Moo Milk and raised it for a toast. “To Eden and Ryan!”

Will did not sulk. He did not brood either. Such things were childish. Though it might have looked like he was currently sulking or brooding, he most certainly was not. The breeder was merely thinking. Mistakes of the past were simply in the past and the man could do little to change them. However, they still managed to bother him, leaving a foul taste in his mouth that no amount of the consumed whiskey could wash away.

He made a mistake. One that nearly got the woman killed. Will wasn't quite sure how much it would have bothered him (most likely quite a bit if he was still mulling over it), but it would have defeated the very purpose he'd gone there with her. To protect. He had the strength, the skill, and the determination. Yet, he had almost failed... again. Almost. Will ended up regressing to a state where he wasn't concerned about anything but himself. Only sheer luck prevented the woman's death. A small, nearly minimal, chance that would have been more correct in theory had she fallen to her death instead. It had been so close because he had forgotten that he wasn't alone at the time.

Will set aside the bottle and swept his gaze over the mass of eevees and their more mature forms. He...wasn't alone. Since when? A sigh escaped him. This was too...comfortable to last. Surely, undeniably, it would be stripped away from him. Whether by others or due to his own hand. The red haired breeder couldn't allow it to last. Because...it would hurt all the more when it ended. Just like with those before Elena. After meeting Lyra and a couple of others he'd ended up being hunted and killing to stay away. If that could happen from just a handful of encounters and one ally. How far would he fall from another ally and kindred spirit?

What would have happened if Elena had died? Besides the obvious death of the other woman and her Absol, of course. Will gritted his teeth, he didn't know. He would have failed. Lost something. He was a killer of those that attacked him, but he wasn't a mindless murderer. Those too weak to be called a challenge were spared his attention. The man had saved a girl and her pokemon from a flock of pokemon before. He'd won a challenge he had never known existed until he'd completed it. The correlation was clear. Will didn't deny that he was possessive. He guarded what was his and selfishly horded it to himself on occasion.

Now he was set with another ally. His ally. His tool. One that could be used as a means to an end. To what end he wasn't sure, but it was something. Her voice carried passed the sound of excited eevee to his ears. What uses could she serve? Everything had a purpose. Through her he had knowledge, a new eeveelution, and a source of income.

She belonged to him. Whether she like it or not, just like his pokemon and items. Anger rolled through him suddenly. Something still wasn't right! He should be elated for another pawn, but something was amiss. And he didn't know what. Could he even keep her close without being attached? Will knew he'd become attached to his pokemon, they understood each other. The bond felt sacred, as much as such a description sickened him to use. Would the same happen with a human? He already had trouble forcing away thoughts of that other one!

Without realizing it, he drank heavily from the bottle once more. Then he clamped down on the thoughts and simply drifted in a haze. Will didn't want to think anymore. Not right now. All he wanted, needed, was peace of mind. Only when Elena placed the cake in front of him was he pulled from the void he'd willing thrown himself into. His bottle joined her glass in the air while on autopilot. Moments later words registered.

"Looks good," he said in simple honesty. The man didn't move for a piece though, content to finish his bottle as it was already beginning to affect him. To his surprise a small form of warmth nuzzled into his lap. His own eevee must have released itself from the pokeball earlier while in he was distracted. He ran a hand through the fur without a fuss. His other pokemon were too large to fit in the home anyway.

"So what now?" He was at a lost. Party meant nothing to him. Sure he could knew how to act in one, but this was a small thing. Little of social protocols were needed and without being able to hide behind them, Will's lack of social interaction was painfully apparent. Still, the man didn't shrink in on himself or shy away. Will was simply curious and content to learn.

EVERYTIME I STOP AND STUMBLE

Lyra had heard about the Eevee breeder long before she'd made it her number one goal to pack her bags and make a visit - "long" being about a week or so for her - so the lovely Ms. Dahlberg was no stranger to her. No stranger in the sense that, while they hadn't ever truly met face to face before or even knew what the other looked like, she was aware of the other's existance and, therefor, she knew her. With her, it was just best not to question these things and go along with them. Anyway, the thought of a laboratory filled with Eevee was horribly tempting and she nearly made the journey right then and there upon catching wind of it in town. But she was busy, still making preporations for her Daycare that she was modelling after her grandparents' back home near Goldenrod City and dropping everything then and there for the sole purpose of petting a bunch of stinking adorable Pokemon didn't really seem like the greatest idea ever. Of course, when she caught wind of a suspicious slaughter of Altaria and Swablu and a new, rumored Eeveelution by the name of Breezeon nearly the same day it happened, she just knew she had to come meet the researcher. Plus, if she was a breeder, they could exchange tips, right? Er, more like the one she was visiting giving her all the tips and her just nodding her head and taking notes, that was. But, still, that was beside the point.

So, there she was, the pig-tailed brunette, in Aria Village with the supposed makeshift research lab just up ahead and in her track of sight. Being here brought back a wave of memories of passing through this place multiple times only a year ago. First, it was a stop on her Pokemon journey when she first arrived in Lyeant. Then, there was the battle against Team Imum which involved a lot of moving around and her current location just so happened to be one of the more frequent stops in the general area. Then it became a matter of keeping in trouch with friends from across the region and getting tips on how to be a successful breeder. After finally deciding to settle down, longish trips were pretty far and few, so to be walking through a somewhat familiar area was like getting a light sucker punch of nostalgia in the face. Goodness, she loved nostalgia's sucker punches. All the wonderful memories that occupied them. She brought herself out of her own subconcious just in time to stop herself from colliding with a thin, sick looking tree a few yards away from the door, feeling a little stupid for nearly having run into it before moving on and headed toward the doorway. She could hear voices inside - muffled and impossible to make out from where she stood, but voices none the less - which was a nice little assurance that the person she wished to visit was home. That also meant they'd have even more company than the two of them.

Crossing the distance between her previous position and the door with ease, the breeder slowly rose a hand and let her knuckles collide with the wood slab repeatedly in the form of knocking. It was only good manner. However, much to her surprise, the door was slightly ajar, something small lodged between the frame and the actual door making it look shut when, in all actuality, it swayed in the slightest upon her contact. Not catching the tiny object keeping it ajar and running through options, she contemplated whether this was a concious effort to invite people in or if she just always left the door open. Regardless of what it was, curiosity to see inside got the better of her and, before she knew it, she was slowly pushing it open further. Deciding she didn't want to sneak up on the researcher and however many people she had over, she knocked again - louder, this time - stepped inside, and called, "Um... Hello? Anyone home? Ya' don't mind if I come in, do you? I'm lookin' for someone named Elena Dahlberg!"

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IN DOUBT AND DARKNESS

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“So what now?”

Elena stopped herself midway through cutting Eden a slice of the cake. What was next for the two? Other than the small, blonde girl who had stopped by, no other trainers had come to her to aid in her research. But they had made good progress thus far, what with Eden's evolution to Breezeon. The wonderful thing about small towns was that word traveled fast. Luckily for the researcher, she lived in a small town. She hoped that news of the new eeveelution had spread like wildfire and some new trainer looking to make his mark on the world would want to aid her. So far, nothing but a party had occurred. Sadly and without a word, she finished cutting the piece and placed it in front of the Breezeon. She refused to touch the cake and instead looked sadly at her trainer.

She watched as Ryan's Eevee, Mithra, jumped into the young man's lap. Of course! She still had someone willing to help her with her research. “Mithra,” she answered. “Have you decided what kind of eeveelution you want? Because if you're willing to take a chance, he could become a new kind! You'll be the talk of the region!” She wanted more. Elena wanted to see more of the eeveelutions. Breezeon was only the beginning. She was excited to see more.

"Um... Hello? Anyone home? Ya' don't mind if I come in, do you? I'm lookin' for someone named Elena Dahlberg!" a voice called from the foyer.

The researcher jumped up excitedly. “I'm Elena Dahlberg! Hang on one sec!” She raced down the stairs to the front door and immediately held out her hand to a young brunette. “I'm Elena Dahlberg,” she introduced more calmly, “breeder, researcher, and leading expert in all things Eevee. It's very nice to meet you!” Eden floated down next to Elena's head, letting out a “Bree~!” to the young woman. “I'm sure you've heard about Breezeon, yes? Is that why you're here?”

Will's emerald orbs focused on the knife in her hand when she paused in cutting the cake. Call it paranoid if you must, but he had not stayed alive so long without the careful analysis of things around him. Elena wouldn't really attack him would she? The woman didn't seem like the type to cut off loose ends. However, the pause held long enough. To the point where the paranoia could not compound within his mind in self preservation. The eevee breeder held onto thoughts too long for them to be of his demise. Honestly, the man was glad for that.

Then the woman finished cutting a slice from the baked morsel. The words seemed to have struck a blow to her. Inspiring a saddest that Will couldn't pinpoint a cause for. Elena's eyes went to the furball on his lap and he was suddenly struck by realization. Elena had effectively used up her primary raw recourse. The woman was at a dead end now until she could build a relationship strong enough to inspire more experiments with another eevee. But to use Mithra as a subject? Will couldn't help but shoot her a skeptical look.

He had barely started to train him. The potential was there, but Mithra suffered from a basic movepool and sub-par conditioning limits. It wasn't his or Elena's fault, the basic form his body took simply couldn't be pushed further than a certain point. Sure, he made up in bounds and leaps with sheer determination and viciousness worthy of any pokemon Will brought onto his team. However, for now he just held a space on a team of juggernauts. Fame of the discovery both appealed and disgusted him though.

His eyes shifted to the creature curiously anyway. Will had...theories, thoughts, and an intrigued determination to make it different. Superior to those before it. Would he take the risk of turning Mithra into something new and throwing off the balance of his team? To do so might require him to drop one of the promising members to remain adaptable. The decision was hard when he could capitalize on a know form and focus on taking it to the limit. Still, the thought nagged at the edge of his mind. Could this creature's DNA jump the gap from normal to dragon?

The train of thought was derailed violently when a new voice cut through the quaint little research home. A voice that he recognized immediately. A sound that made him stiffen despite himself. Why, he did not know. Yet, it still did. Elena jumped off to greet her while his eyes followed. Without thought, he downed the rest of his whiskey and guided Mithra to his shoulder where he snuggled in securely before standing. Carefully, he made his way to the top of the stairs to look down at the two woman.

There was no mistaking it, that was her. Not even the shadows could hide her. The way she moved spoke volumes of her presence. All he did was watch silently whilst shoving his hands into his pockets. Odd that she'd find her way here, surprising even, but not overly so. Should he greet her?

How should he greet her?

I CLOSE MY EYES

She realized just the slightest bit too late that what she had just done - you know, the whole butting in through the open door thing? - might not have been the best idea. To say she was a bright young female in terms of intelligence was such a large exaggeration that it literally broke the scale of how big one could be, but she should have known better than to poke her head in without warning, even if there was a possiblity that the ajar wooden slab was an invitation for any visitors. It would have been justifiable if she could have a better reason for coming in than just "the door was open and I thought that meant you wanted people to come inside at will". Of course, sadly, that was her only explaination for her course of actions. She didn't know how Ms. Dahlberg acted personality-wise; what if the open door was an honest mistake and she hated visitors? What if she had a gun and thought the brunette was a robber or something and shot her in the head and then left her to bleed and die and then she continued with run on sentances and oh gosh, was this what a panic attack felt like and she was in total trouble and was it too late to back out now or was she already -

Lyra: Abscond.

What? Abscond? You don't even know what that means, what with your infantile mind. Is that some fancy word for flinging pudding at a rubber chicken? You recall having tried that at one point in time with your dear friend ETHAN, the end resault being a huge mess of the kitchen and a case of where exactly you aquired said rubber chicken from.

Lyra: Retrieve arms from magic chest.

Another prepostorus request. Your arms are firmly planted on each of your shoulders as you can clearly see. There aren't even any chests around, much less ones glittering with what would signal the term "magic" to appear in one's mind. Even if one was present, how would you be sure that there even WERE arms within them? You are currently in another person's residence and the idea that they'd have a spare pair of arms laying around in a "magic chest" doesn't exactly leaving a good feeling within the depths of your digestive track. Er. "Tummy" as you prefer to refer to it as. Also, this useage of second person is beginning to make your head throb unneccesarilly. How you even changed the tense of the post is baffling and you desperately pray for an OFF SWITCH. Oh, look. There's one right there. Before anyone can spot you in your struggle to explain the strange voice telling you what you are doing and throwing silly commands your way, you hastily pull down the lever that you believe will set this literary work on the right track again. Oh, see? Isn't this better?

The option of flight rather than fight was swiftly cut short - that is, if you would call that whole fiasco above "short" - as an excited voice from the upper level of the split level home rang throughout the domain and succeeded in causing her to flat out freeze in her tracks. "I'm Elena Dahlberg! Hand on one sec!" As the sound of heavy footsteps reached her ears, nearly every danger signal was blaring in Ms. Castiel's head as the supposed "enemy" approached. Sure, the voice seemed kind enough and there wasn't a very good chance that the person she'd come to visit was a raging, potential murderer, but the seed of doubt had been concieved, planted, and sprouted in record time. And, before she could turn on her heel and run for the hills, a brown-eyed, brown-haired woman was before her, holding out a hand and spaking a bit too fast. Did this remind her of someone? Hm... Well, maybe. The cheery personality did seem familiar and the brown hair and eyes was similar to what she'd seen on someone before... The ability to shrug off a potential intruder was also giving her a sense of deja vu. Sadly, she couldn't quite put her finger on who she was thinking of. Oh, well. She'd have to dwell on that later, wouldn't she? "I'm Elena Dahlberg," the woman was saying, "breeder, researcher, and leading expert in all things Eevee. It's very nice to meet you!"

Crazy, gun wielding woman? Pfft, what had ever made her think that? It was painfully obvious that Elena was a delightful young woman who, unless suffered some sort of mental illness causing her to be bi-polar, was probably of no direct threat. That was good. Accepting the handshake after realizing she'd probably left her superior hanging too long, she cheerfully shot back, "I'm Lyra! Er, Castiel, that is. Like, that's my last name, I mean. Lyra Castiel. It's nice to -" However, before she could continue her horrible awkward introduction, a pale blue Pokemon resembling the brown ball of fluff she'd gotten so aquainted to floated down, letting out a shrill cry, successfully pulling her train of thought into a different field entirely. "Eeee~!" she all but squealed, reaching out to touch it's cloud-like fur. "It's so cute!" Almost right on cue, the woman explained, "I'm sure you've heard about Breezeon, yes? Is that why you're here?" Looking thoughtful for a moment, she replied, nodding her head and watching her pig-tails bounce, "Well, yeah! ... And no? I mean, yeah, I wanted to see all the Eevees an' stuff, but you're a person, too! I wanted ta', like, get tips! And girl talk! Or... somethin'?"

Before she could make things even more awkward between she and the researcher, Lyra's attention was once again stolen from the taller brunette and pulled to a familiar figure up the stairs. And the he was in all his ginger-haired glory: none other than the allusive Will. Er, well, she supposed he wasn't all that allusive if she always managed to tumble into him, but it was still a pleasure none the less every time they met up along their seperate journeys. It'd be nice if we could hang out every day, she thought with a thoughtful grin, giggling a bit as she tried to imagine how horribly that'd turn out. Poor boy would be dead within the first month with having to look forward to her every day. And, while she would never wish any ill will toward the young man, she couldn't help but think to herself that it would be worth it. Realizing that there was a woman and a flying-type Pokemon preventing her from running up the stairs and tackling him, she settled with waving happily and beaming her typical smile at him. "Oh, hey! Long time no see, huh? Didn't think I'd be meetin' you here!"

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AND THINK BACK TO YOU

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Elena blushed. “You want tips from me?” she asked, bringing her hands to her cheeks to hide her increasing blush. “I'm not the best researcher, even if I do say I'm the leading expert in Eeveelutions. I could very well need to get tips from you!” She watched as Lyra's attention rested on something behind her. She turned to see Ryan at the top of the stairs.

“Oh hey! Long time no see, huh? Didn't think I'd be meetin' you here!” Lyra called to him.

Something within the breeder sunk. Her heart maybe? It did not make sense to her. What could possibly cause this sinking feeling? She decided to push the feeling aside. She had left Lyra standing in the doorway for far too long.

“Come inside, won't you?” Elena asked, beckoning the girl towards the stairs. “We were just having a party to celebrate my Eevee, Eden, becoming a Breezeon! Also, it's a thank you to Ryan for saving my life.” She smiled up at the young man, silently thanking him once more for his help. The researcher returned her gaze to Lyra. “You are more than welcome to join us if you'd like! The more the merrier!”

((OOC: Short post is short, but better than no post... sorry for the wait, guys...))

Unconsciously, Will's eyes softened slightly. Green eyes lost just some of the cold rage and malice that lurked beneath the surface. Always there just in case a newcomer were to cross his path. There was never a chance to let his guard down because he had to stay strong, hold himself in a way that told people to back off on instinct. The gaze couldn't be really called warm, but for someone of Will's reputation it would be close. A look that spoke of acceptance. It was the closest he could get to weakness.

This was someone he knew back from when he had first started off. Lyra was still mostly the same in his eyes. Yet at the same time, like with every time he some how managed to cross paths with her, there were subtle changes in the way she carried herself. That in and of itself spoke volumes. A flash behind her eyes, a level of caution that wasn't there before, or a tensing when she became aware of something that she'd missed. He could spot the way she hid the evolution even from herself, but it was there. Lurking, just like the whatever laid in wait in the recesses of his mind.

Will wouldn't admit it to anyone, but there were times when he saw her and thought that maybe just maybe that he had found a companion in her. Though they were opposite in more ways that one could count, there was a sense of kinship that he feared to think too much on. Weighing her pros and cons were constantly becoming more challenging and sometimes the breeder wondered if it would be as easy to throw her away for the sake of something great should he have too. The young man was concerned that he was becoming biased toward her.

But often it didn't bother him nearly as much as it should have. She had already barged into his life and he had become at ease, if not comfortable, with her presence in it. Just like Elena. He even found himself drawing a comparison. They were obviously different, but there were quite a few parallels. The most important being that they'd stuck with him. Despite the danger, his efforts to push them away, and his outbursts they waited. They let him take the time to get used to them and though annoying, he pushed on to even help them.

A few minutes ticked by as Lyra greeted him. Honestly, he didn't know what to do. A friend should respond, right? But was he a friend? He didn't know if she or even he considered them such. However, he felt that he should take the chance. Grasped at it, used it, and taken a leap of faith. It was difficult, but the words formed and eased from his lips gently as he considered them before they escaped. "It's good to see you." His attempt to return her smile failed spectacularly. Before it could even fully form it had fallen from his face.

His attention turned to Elena and raised an eyebrow at her praise. He didn't get praised. Wasn't used to it. The breeder would rather drift into the background. The feeling made him feel slightly uncomfortable. The young man waved off her praise, "I'm pretty sure that was your little puffball down there," he grumbled. He moved to turn away, but something caught. Normally, he'd have been able to recover with ease. All it would have taken was a small step to balance himself. That would have been his move if the whiskey hadn't decided it was the right time to attack every part of him.

His brain fuzzed, he limbs became lead, and everything stopped responding for one shocking moment. That was all it took for gravity to snatch hold of him and pull his weight down. The last glimpse was of the Eevee flying from his shoulder and meeting his eyes as the floor fell away for a clearer view of the ceiling.

Straight down the stairs...

Out of all the things that happen to Will up to this point it wasn't hard to say that this was one of the top five most embarrassing and pathetic things to happen to him. "Ow..." he managed to rasp in a deadpanned manner. Still, he didn't move. While the damage was minimal, as he had taken far worse, the world was still spinning around him. Both because of alcohol and the fall itself. How much had he drank again? It probably didn't matter, but he was still quite thirsty. Dazed, he looked toward the startled squeaking Eevee that had been on his shoulder moments before. It rushed up and nuzzled his cheek,

Stupid thing. He was fine, he just didn't feel like moving. There was no pain, no warm wetness from blood, or even a concussion. Just his wounded pride.

((OOC: I'M BACK! Sorry for taking so long. And the sub-par post.))

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,background-color: fafafa; border-radius: 35px 35px 35px 35px; border: solid 10px #edf1f5; width: 400px; height: 400px;] brick by boring brick SHE LIVES IN A FAIRY TALE TOO FAR AWAY FOR US TO FIND, FORGOTTEN THE TASTE AND SMELL OF A WORLD THAT SHE'S LEFT BEHIND “You want tips from me?” Elena asked as though she were almost surprised, cheeks being dusted a rosy color that turned more of a red under the hands she used to cover them up. This was a surprise; she was the leading expert on Eevee, right? She'd just discovered an Eeveelution when everyone else thought there were no more to be found. Why weren't people running to her door step, begging her to give them help with their own Eevee, or even just breeding? Was Lyra honestly the first person to have the idea to go to a now-famous breeder in hopes of gaining a few pointers to assist in her running of her tiny daycare? No, that couldn't be right. Any time Lyra thought of something that wasn't completely ridiculous and thought she was the first, it turned out someone had always beat her to it. She had actually expected to have to wait in line before being let into the researcher's door. “I'm not the best researcher, even if I do say I'm the leading expert in Eeveelutions. I could very well need to get tips from you!” Now, the pig-tailed breeder wasn't exactly what you would conciser a paragon in terms of things like manners. She spoke with her mouth full, put her elbows on the table, and could come off as down right rude depending on the situation simply because no one had ever really bothered to teach her what was acceptable and what wasn't in that area. But she did know some things, and one of those things is that you don't laugh at people unless they're making a joke. This is why she felt guilty even while she began giggling uncontrollably. It wasn't like it was her fault, either! It was just that even she knew that the idea of getting tips from Miss Lyra Madeline Castiel was so laughable... she literally laughed out loud. “What? That's silly! I ain't got nothin' that you don't already have if we're talking 'bout tips!” Managing to calm herself down, she added, “And don't say that, silly! If you weren't a totally awesome researcher, how would I know about ya' at all? Your gonna be the bees knees some day, I just know it!” She almost threw herself inside to give the older woman a reassuring hug when Will stepped into the picture and her attention was stolen easily. For a while, he sort of just stared at her, though she was pretty much used to it by now. Actually, if she had to think about it, she might be kind of worried if he didn't stare at her as if he were trying to read her mind at least once every encounter. There were some times when it did worry her, but she supposed it all depended on the context in which his staring happened. He didn't look mad at her at the moment and she didn't think she'd said anything wrong, so it was pretty safe to assume that he was just... thinking. It took a while – really, in her impatient and childish mind, it took far longer to her than in reality – but he finally countered her greeting with, “It's good to see you.” And then his face did this thing. It was like he tried to copy her smile, the corners of his mouth starting to turn upward before he stopped halfway through and the infant grin died before it really ever had a chance to shine. To that, her eyebrows creased and a pout overtook her cheery expression. This just wouldn't do. “I saw that, mister!” she scolded, but a certain kind of playfulness was weaved into her words. “Now, I know you can do it, so do it! Smile for me! No one's gonna get mad at ya' or anything! But if ya' don't, then maybe I'll get mad!” She really wouldn't. It took a great deal of effort to get Lyra to become angry with someone. Frustrated was more likely, but even that was rare. She'd be a little disappointed and probably try to force one out of him if she had to, but that would be the worst of his punishments if he failed to comply. Elena started talking to her, seeming to remember she was still in the doorway and inviting, “Come inside, won't you? We were just having a party to celebrate my Eevee, Eden, becoming a Breezeon!” Her cheery expression returning full force, she practically “squeed”, “Ooo, I love parties~! Congratulations!” However, the next comment once against wiped the smile off her face. “Also, it's a thank you to Ryan for saving my life.” Confusion overtook joy as she tried to figure out why she'd just called him Ryan instead of Will. This only continued to baffle her when he responded, muttering, “I'm pretty sure it was your little puffball down there.” His name was Will, right? He wasn't lying to either of them... was he...? “Ryan? What's that, a secret code name?” Rolling with it, she continued, “Oh, oh! I want a secret code name, too!” Nodding to Elena in thanks and making her way inside, she'd only just begun to start up the stairs when a loud sort of bump rang in her ears. Looking up, she found herself looking at the red-haired breeder once more. However, this time, he was taking a tumble down the stairs on a path for collision. Sucking in a surprised breath, she turned to the side and flattened herself against the wall just in time to miss the human-turned-projectile. However, not a second after he passed her and hit the floor did she jump into motion, kneeling down by his motionless body and inspecting him. For a moment, ice made its way through her blood stream as she watched him lay completely still. She would imagine falling down a flight of steps would hurt, but she didn't think it could kill someone...! “I warned you about those stairs, bro,” a voice mocked in the back her mind and she tried to bat it away with hypothetical arms. “I told you, dog.” However, when he groaned out a simple, “Ow...” it was all she needed to let out the deep breath she wasn't entirely aware she was holding in. The Eevee she assumed to be his ran up as well, rubbing up against his injured face and part of her almost wanted to do the same. “Oh my gosh, Will, are you okay?” she asked, intending for her words to come out strong only to hear them come out as a fragile statement hardly over the volume of a whisper. 1173 words elena and will i told you, dog.

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Elena couldn't help but feel jealous. Here was a new person walking into her home and Ryan smiled at her, not the one holding a party for him. She could sit there and pretend that it was okay – she even put a smile on her face to hide her jealousy – but the fact remained: she was jealous. Maybe even a little angry. She couldn't quite figure out who or what she was really angry at. The situation? The new girl? Ryan? Herself? Regardless, she decided to grin and bear it, inviting the newcomer into her home.

She heard Ryan say from behind her, “I'm pretty sure it was your little puffball down there.” “At least give yourself some credit; that woman would have probably continued her attack had you not been there.” And that's when the cat finally came out of the bag. She'd been lied to. Ryan wasn't his real name. And here she thought they were friends. Sure, maybe people couldn't be as trusting as she was. But she'd honestly considered him her friend. Why did he feel the need to lie to her like that? It was becoming more and more painfully obvious that this Lyra was a much closer friend to him than she was. But just as she was about to confront “Ryan” about this, the young man fell down the stairs. Her instincts kicked in, and she immediately ran to his side to make sure he hadn't hurt himself. Pangs of jealousy continued as Lyra moved to do the same.

She smiled at the little Eevee, worried about “Ryan” just as much as the girls were. She brushed his bangs out of his eyes to check on his condition. “Are you okay?” she asked calmly, her concern etched in her face. “You don't seem too beat up, but I want to make sure...” She shouldn't care. He was a liar. But she couldn't help herself. She did care. It was one of her character flaws, too trusting and concerned for others around her. And so Elena offered a hand to the young man. “Here, let's get you to the couch so you can lie down for a bit, kay?”[/color] She managed to smile somehow. “We can talk to your friend upstairs!” The researcher gave into her curiosity. She had to know where this Lyra girl fit into “Ryan”'s past.

Will should have known that his luck had been a little too good lately. Help out the woman with her research? No problem. Ideas were born from capable minds examining the others' theories. Actually succeed? The warning bells should have gone off. Multiply for each event milestone he reached during the task without visible effort. Occurrences that other people would give everything in their possession for. Crush some aggravating upstart that thought the world of themselves? Check. A free Eevee as a consolation prize? Check. An extremely unlikely chance that the woman wouldn't leave his name out of her papers and accounts of the new evolution leading to good publicity. Check. And finally, her throwing a party for him. Strange that nothing spontaneously exploded in his general vicinity.

Things like that just didn't happen. Not for Will.

All of that was enough to make his head spin. So much so, that the alcohol made all his doubts ease simple because intoxication proved to dull his thoughts to the point of apathy. Will was a monster. Someone for good guys to hate and measure themselves up to. Someone to crush lesser evils in order to prove who the real menace was. The breeder spent hours, days, and even years justifying it to himself. Blur the lines in his own mind. Make excuses for himself. After all, when there is evil in this world that justice cannot defeat, would you taint your hands with evil to defeat evil? Or would you remain steadfast and righteous even if it means surrendering to evil?

The young man never saw himself as a 'good' person so he often never even bothered to try. Thus, when he found himself helping, being a hero steadfast and strong. Granted he did give into his normal brutality for a while, Will still managed to help this researcher. If he had to be honest with himself, deep down he enjoyed whatever the feeling was that came from the outcome. It unnerved him. Maybe the fall was a warning. A sudden burst of chance ill in his favor to remind him that things would have to balance out. He would regress. A monster would always be a monster.

Such a conclusion was met with a tingling of remorse. However, the world around him was slowly crumbling. Lyra, in her naivety, had already destroyed his alias. Will was a liar despite never outright deceiving either of them. Both of them were starting to corrode at his mask of indifference. Lyra had drawn out a smile from him by just being there and the time he had come to start relaxing in Elena's presence was downright terrifying. Honestly, he wanted to continue helping them. They were his weren't they? He helped them when they needed it. He protected them at points. He fought with them. They owed him. They belonged to him! Didn't they!? They had too. Will only protected what was his. Only cared about what belonged to him. Item, Pokemon, Tool, Person. The young man had convinced himself there was no difference.

But he was proven wrong already. His pokemon simply listening to him and growing under his command served as a reminder that they were more than that. Will was attached to them. And staring at the two women, he noted that he wanted to be attached to them as well. Curiosity, he reasoned only for his loneliness to echo. He tried to strange the emptiness with common sense. They would merely be another experiment. Could he instill the same dedication in them had his pokmeon held? However, the seed of doubt still refused to be purged. Will wanted to keep the peace he normally felt around them. But... Monsters don't have connections. Never in his life had he felt so confused as the epiphany struck him. Will just didn't know anymore. As his bangs were shifted away and his emerald orbs exposed to Elenas calm brown Will felt more exposed than ever. Vulnerable. Lost.

"I'm fine," He answered both of them after he found his voice. And he was, despite how Mithra looked at him. The Eevee might have been trying to burn holes into him with his eyes in an effort to get him to confess to nonexistent wounds. The worrying little fur ball had even perched himself on Will's chest, padding around carefully to try and feel out the damage. But he still didn't make an effort to move. Not right away. Only when Elena held out an expectant hand did he shift onto an elbow. He was tempted to swat it away. He wasn't weak. Sure, his head was still spinning, but it was because half of his focus was still plagued by what he should feel for these two and what he wanted to feel.

Yet, he took hold and accepted the help as Mithra scurried back to his seat around his shoulders. Standing on now stable feet, he glanced at her hand and tilted his head, but didn't strengthen his grip or let go. The contact didn't burn so he didn't yank his appendage back. The Eevee's soft fur brushed along his neck as he waited to see what she would do next. Not that he noticed.

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,background-color: fafafa; border-radius: 35px 35px 35px 35px; border: solid 10px #edf1f5; width: 400px; height: 400px;] brick by boring brick SHE LIVES IN A FAIRY TALE TOO FAR AWAY FOR US TO FIND, FORGOTTEN THE TASTE AND SMELL OF A WORLD THAT SHE'S LEFT BEHIND Lyra had heard the first mention of Will saving Elena when said female had invited her inside to celebrate, but at the time she'd brushed the idea off in favor of lighter subjects such as that cute little flying-type Pokemon floating around their heads and the prospect of shoveling more cake into her mouth than her grandparents back in Johto ever would have let her. She hadn't even thought much about when her old friend had given up the credit to the new evolution just discovered oh-so-recently. However, when the older brunette protested against his own protests, her attention couldn't help but be grabbed. “At least give yourself some credit; that woman would have probably continued her attack had you not been there.” Woman? Attack? She wasn't a stalker or anything, but it was nice to know when major stuff happened in her friends' lives and being attacked by someone was pretty major. And, sure, she and Will weren't exactly the best of friends – closer to friends than she was with Silver, but less so than she was with Gold or even Crystal – but wouldn't that be a more important discussion? And then she realized that she'd only been here for, what, ten minutes? And if they didn't want to talk about it, too traumatized by the event or just enjoying to feel of keeping a secret, it wasn't like she cared. Her most important concern, however, was the striking resemblance to an old, shared enemy. … Okay, well, not that much of a resemblance, but “being attacked” and any mention of a slightly dangerous female made her uncomfortable with the idea that perhaps Lorelei, the dreaded leader of Imum had come back. “Wait, wait,” she said carefully, face contorting into a thoughtful, albeit childish expression. “Who was attackin' you? Like, if ya' don't wanna say, that's fine. Just wanna make sure no one's in danger, right?” At her mention of secret code names and the like, something flickered onto Elena's face. Maybe if she was better at reading people, it would be much more prominent, but the fact that she could tell something was wrong at all spoke miles. What was wrong with having a secret code name? Was it something that she wanted to be special for only she and Will? Biting her lip, she quickly tried to remedy, “Uh- Um- I didn't... say nothin' wrong, did I? I don't need a code name if it's that important... Sorry...” The look continued on, disappearing for a moment while their shared, male friend took a tumble down the stairs only to return with much less force, but still enough for her to notice. Something was telling her this went beyond silly nicknames. But what was the problem? “Are you okay?” Elena said, mimicing her own words in a much more calm voice. It was evident that she was handling the situation correctly, a stark contrast to Lyra's mostly inward and slightly outward mental freak out. “You don't seem too beat up, but I want to make sure...” “I'm fine,” the red-haired breeder said in reply to them both, but she felt more like the Eevee pacing circles around his chest. He was fine, he said. He was fine, she'd also said. So why was she still having a panic attack? “Here, let's get you to the couch so you can lie down for a bit, 'kay? We can talk to your friend upstairs!” Even after he took her hand and hoisted himself up, the normal-type Pokemon visibly calming as well, she was still struggling to find it in herself to calm herself down. “Ya' sure you're alright, Will...?” the breeder said, voice stronger than before, but still very shaky. “Ya' didn't get hurt too bad, did ya'...?” 662 words elena and will my muse killed itself in a fire.

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