“mm.”
[break][break]
She glances around, examining their surroundings despite having already taken the view in. “maybe. i mean… i still think slateport is better. and honestly, i don’t think anything can convince me that you wouldn’t like it more but… it’s not as bad as i thought.” finally, she surrenders.
[break][break]
there’s a good chance that she was overselling slateport city. i mean, considering the city’s history… it shouldn’t surprise anyone - including herself - that some people weren’t so drawn to it. After all, it did suffer from a rocket invasion not too long ago. And then there was the alien pokemon she fought…
[break][break]
”for the record, my opinions usually don't change so easily. but how i feel about your town doesn't really mean anything, anyways. i mean, every place in hoenn has its own... bad parts?" she wasn't sure if that was the best way to put it, "a boring city still beats a rocket-controlled one."

[attr="class","ooc"] boruta maher [break]

[attr="class","pkmnparty"]

”ah, i’ve been to slateport. it’s alright. big place.” its seedy underbelly had been the setting for many a violent crime in his past.

a rocket-controlled city. bo looked at her a long moment. was she really out of rocket? how had she managed that? giratina, maybe… that meant it was doable. all CIAN MAHER had to do was tame a ghost dragon from hell.

”yeah,” he agreed with a nod and a vague smile. ”i guess it does.”

he weighed dropping a hint on the tip of his tongue, but ultimately opted against it. he didn’t know katherine well enough to risk it. instead, he asked, ”can i buy you lunch some time?”

Katherine Fairburne

☉

Her eyes fluttered quickly at his question, seemingly caught off-guard by it.
[break][break]
And who could blame her? This was a surprise. Breaking into his house, having a late-night walk with him, being invited to have lunch with him… If she didn’t know any better, then she’d have assumed that her Whimsicott knew what it was doing.
[break][break]
“Depends. Are you asking me out on a date or like.. a business meeting?” Then again, it could be just as a friend thing, but she doesn’t stop to consider that.

[attr="class","ooc"] boruta maher [break]

[attr="class","pkmnparty"]

he watched as her eyes became like surprised butterfrees. deep red, almost unsettling surprised butterfrees. had he made the wrong move here? was giratina around the corner? his eyebrows rose a hair, briefly, in concern for his own well-being.

and what was the right answer to her question? he searched within that deep red for it, but he still found himself clueless. was he even sure what he was asking?

”uh... well, i don’t know if i have much to offer in the way of business, but i’d love to talk battling strategies.”

he paused a moment. the corner of his mouth curled a little more and he shrugged. ”and you could call it date, sure.” it was a thrill to take the risk, considering who she was.

Katherine Fairburne

☉

"then sure. you can buy me lunch."
[break][break]
thanks to the bad lighting, the subtle pink that washes over her expression is nigh-impossible to notice. if anything, it blends smoothly as makeup.
[break][break]
her eyes avert elsewhere for a brief moment or two before meeting bo's own.
[break][break]
"I'm not staying here. rustboro, I mean. i'm going back to slateport later tonight." maybe more towards the morning, but it's all the same for her.
[break][break]
"but," she pauses, unsure of her words. "er, if it's too difficult for you to get there..."
[break][break]
she could probably find a reason to come back to this dull city. probably.

[attr="class","ooc"] boruta maher [break]

[attr="class","pkmnparty"]

wow. it’d actually worked.

”cool.”

his father, still a diehard loyal rocket, would be disappointed. maybe it was part of what drew him in. katherine was one of the few people he knew had also gotten out, she’d just gone about it in a different way. now, she opposed them ruthlessly. he didn't blame her for it.

”nah, i can get there. i have an aerodactyl.” because at this time, it had not yet been taken from him.

a thought occurred to him: would the sunlight at lunch be the key to recognizing him as some stranger in the crowd in a past life? likely not, but there was still something strangely thrilling about the possibility.

just to be fun, just to drop the smallest hint, he commented vaguely, ”y’know, you’re familiar somehow.” 

Katherine Fairburne

☉

"huh, really?"
[break][break]
"so are you actually. I feel like I know you— or that like, i should know you. but honestly, it happens a lot." she wasn't great with names, and she was even worse with attaching a name to one's face. It's no wonder that she didn't recognize Bo from Rocket.
[break][break]
in fact, that might be a big part of it. He seemed like the furthest thing away from them, her past life. So the thought doesn't even cross her.
[break][break]
She'll feel stupid when she finds out. If she finds out.
[break][break]
"Do you have like a famous brother or something? Someone I might know?"

[attr="class","ooc"] boruta maher [break]

[attr="class","pkmnparty"]

really? ”mhm,” he nodded, his smile almost too knowing to not be messing with her. ”i’m sure i’ll think of it, eventually.”

her almost-successful attempt at recollection only further tempted him. why? he’d have to ask himself later. katherine was something of an interesting mirror he hadn’t been around before. a glimpse of what familiar darkness looked like walking amongst everyone else. or... breaking into his house, perhaps naturally enough.

when asked about his famous brother, bo shook his head with a smile. of course. cian might’ve been smaller, but he was still always somehow in his shadow. ”yeah, i do, actually.” he chuckled, shaking his head. ”you’re probably thinking of CIAN MAHER . track star?” punkass. ”he runs a minor league gym in rustboro now. maybe that’s it.”

Katherine Fairburne

☉

what a roast. the devil surely was ruthless. bo smiled, more amused at her bluntness than at his brother’s expense. he was proud of CIAN MAHER , even if he wasn’t a real gym leader.

”yeah, maybe. he seems pretty into it. i think he’ll go far if he wants to.”

he chuckled a little, looking at her. she was young, powerful, beautiful, and famous. he figured it was probably too easy to overlook things that weren’t as big as she was, so to speak.

”you should check out to some of the local places some time. lots of trainers look up to you, y'know? plus, who knows, you might find some undiscovered talent.”

Katherine Fairburne

☉

though she might’ve been wearing different colors these days, katherine seemed to retain every bit of the poison that rocket craved, weaponized. he found himself conflicted, part of him repelled, while the other part remained too intrigued by their mutual experiences to turn away.

he smirked, teeth flashing in the moonlight. still, he wondered if his time with her was wearing thin. if, maybe, it should’ve been regardless.

”yeah, well… maybe,” he chuckled.

”so, you’ve seen the fountain, now. i don’t wanna keep you out too late, if you had somewhere you were headed…” why would she just be walking through rustboro in the dark, after all, if she didn’t like the city? he wondered, but didn’t ask.

Katherine Fairburne

☉