Dammit, now he was getting flustered and forgetting what he had said before. Elliott just thanked whatever entities were above, if there were any, that Cian didn't mention it and followed him into the woods.

"I'm not asking you for money. You know I'm not going to do that," he said, giving him a look. "I just... I don't know. I can't do that." Eli looked back at the woods.

Maybe it was something his parents taught him. About working - or stealing - to get what he needed. Not depending on someone else.

Well, this was about as good as he was going to look when it wasn't a shoot or some event he had to go to involving his model status. Elliott hated ties, and to hell with the top buttons. Who needed those?

He walked into the soiree, joining a cheers at the end of Dr. Holo's speech. He made a face. What was she talking about? Eh, he didn't care. He was here to get drinks and have fun.

Both of his pokemon, Enya and Hestia, followed him, adorning cute bows that he found in a shop in Rustboro. The two girls looked excited, Enya looking at the food expectantly. So, he snatched some of the snacks and fed it to them. A little treat.

As they walked further into the crowd, a familiar face caught his eye.

"The hell?"

Elliott changed his path, making his way over to Lana and whoever this guy he was clinging to was. "Why the hell are you here?" he asked, tilting his head and giving a raised brow as he looked him over. "Didn't you just try to rob me the other day?"

---

outfit
- reacted to Dr. Holo's speech
- gave his pokemon some treats
- uh oh, run Lana

Elliott took an inhale from the cigarette he held between his fingers, exhaling the smoke after a moment's pause. A random can on the ground was kicked out of the way as he walked through the alleyway to his destination of the night.

Well, perhaps his first one. He'd see how the night went.

He had all the intention of staying out tonight, drinking, partying, having fun and being free instead of being contained in shoots or working. Why wouldn't he take advantage of such an opportunity? He had already stopped by his parents' place to give them their money and said hello. He had no strings to control him now.

Eli tossed the cigarette and stomped it on the ground to extinguish the embers that were left at the end, ducking behind a curtain of the bar he partook when he came home to Rustboro.

The barkeeper recognized him with a loud holler, making the blonde smirk and flip him off before ordering a drink and sliding into a seat.

It was good to be back.

Elliott felt some relief when Cian followed, shoulders dropping a bit when he noticed him beside him. He hoped he didn't notice.

"Money, dude. I gotta send it home," he reminded him. "Mom and Dad need to eat somehow."

The further they got into the woods, the more he dreaded coming. "Why are you here?"

Elliott's struggle seemed futile. Whatever grabbed him, the things, were too quick and too strong for him to get out of their grips. So he was reduced to cursing and screaming while kicking his feet as they dragged him further and further from the bar. Shit, there went his great night of getting drunk and just being an idiot.

He was going to fucking murder someone as soon as he was released.

The things brought him to the end of an alleyway, where they held him still. He heard a voice, which made him look around for a person. There he was!

"I'm going to kick your ass! What the hell, man?" Eli said, trying to rip his arms out of the ghost types' grips. However, they took his wallet and gave it to this guy, who took his money right in front of him.

Oh, that was it.

"I'm going to strangle you! What the fuck!" He began to struggle again, but as soon as he did, he was released. Elliott fell on his face, his wallet tucked back into his shirt. Ouch. He looked up, seeing the perpetrator right in front of him.

So he jumped up, grabbing him by the front of the shirt and pushing him against a wall. "What do you think you're doing, stealing people's money right in front of them? Huh?"

Rye was the first person to tell Elliott exactly what was going on. The photographer himself. Not hair and makeup, not his costumer, nor his manager. They were on set, ready to go, and now he found out what the hell they were going to do.

Oh my fucking god. Eli was furious.

His face began to turn red, not from embarrassment or cold. He was holding his breath, rage slowly building inside as reality began to hit him.

"Are you SERIOUS? You idiots want to do a perfume shoot in a cold ass cave when I'm wearing almost nothing?" he practically shouted, his voice echoing in the cave. It wasn't directed at Rye, but to the team in general.

He saw them covering their ears from his outburst, which seemed like a screech in a relatively quiet place. He stomped away to the side, where Rye had pointed out there was coffee and other warm beverages. But before he could get there, he heard some strange noise from deeper in the cave.

Looking at Rye, Eli raised a brow. "What the hell was that?"

Eli rolled his eyes and gave Cian a lovely middle finger. "Shut up. I don't need your help for this," he claimed, trying to boast his confidence.

But, he really actually did. Because as soon as his friend decided to make fun of him, he got defensive.

"N-no, I'm not! Idiot!" he said, stomping towards the woods as if to prove the point. And boy, Eli felt his stomach drop the further he went.

"Come on, let's go!"

So the rundown was to go to Petalburg Woods and clear out any potential ghost pokemon. That seemed simple enough, right?

Ugh, except Elliott hated ghost types. They were just... creepy.

And why did he have to go when it was getting dark? It just didn't make sense.

Eli begrudgingly accepted the task because of the promise of money. And the promise that he wouldn't be alone. So, he made it to the location, his Houndoom and Ninetails out to join him. Not because he was totally afraid.

Looking up from his phone, he noticed the person who was supposed to accompany him. "Well, I'll be damned. Cian, you son of a bitch. You're here to help out?" he asked, smirking.

A weekend after a busy week of shoots and petty thefts. Elliott had just finished his delivery at the post office, sending out a letter full of cash to his folks in Rustboro so they had enough to buy groceries and eat this week. Maybe they could treat themselves as well.

Him? Well, he was fine for today. Going to the bar, opening a tab that he'd pay back promptly. They knew him well enough, that he was to be trusted to pay back his debts.

He was alone, walking the dirtier side of Mauville City to get to the bar of his liking. Eli raised a cigarette to his lips, casually lighting it to smoke as he walked.

However, something made his skin raise, goosebumps covering his arms and legs.

Was it cold? Why did his heart race all of the sudden?

Holding the cigarette in his fingers, he turned, not really spotting anything. Until suddenly, something grabbed the back of his hood and began to drag him backwards.

"What the fuck? Hey! What's going on!" Eli struggled, but whatever had a hold of him was not letting go. "Let me fucking go!"

The only proof of him being where he had been was the burning cigarette left on the ground.

Well, choosing a casino to rob wouldn't have been the first choice on Elliott's lists of "places to rob." Though, when he had been told about this job, well... he knew it had to pay well. He supposed the benefits would out way the costs.

At least, he hoped they did.

He kept telling himself as he got ready that it would be fine. In the report, he was told that Slateport City was getting lax on its observation for crimes like these. And, most of the focus nowadays was on Sootopolis.

Still, there was something in his stomach making him a bit anxious as he attempted to slick his hair back before deciding that it looked utterly ridiculous. The casino worker's outfit that he had was fine, and his hair would be decent enough without looking slicked and neat.

Eli ran his hand through his hair as he entered the casino, a nametag displayed on his chest. He took a few measures to hide his normal appearance, though it was mostly cosmetic. Just some eyeliner, mascara, just a bit to attempt to throw people off.

Ah, there was Mint.

"Sorry, I got caught up getting ready," Elliott told his companion, approaching his side and slipping his hands into his pants pockets.