Frankly, she had nothing to hide. She just didn't trust nor care for the help of others. Some had said she was fiercely independent to a fault. At the very least, it was something her mother used to say while breaking plates Remi had hand-washed herself.

"How would you know that?"

Slightly defensive, Remi stares back at him with creased brows. All of a sudden, she has a craving for a cigarette. The burn of Gabriel's alcohol isn't enough. She glances at the glass as it rises, closing them in. She's never been claustrophobic before, but she feels it now.

"Do you know where he is?"

GABRIEL BLACK

☉

It was fucked up, how quickly information could spread.

She should be thankful, probably, that he already knows about her brother. But it doesn't, because it just means that she's drowning on dry land, fumbling for answers and asking too many questions and drawing attention to herself.

Maybe her brother wasn't as clen as she'd thought, if someone like Gabriel had even heard about him.

Or maybe that was a character flaw of her own doing, not Roman's. Probably that.

"Yeah, well, I'll find him."

Her laid-back, open personality has shut closed. Gone is the lazy smirk and the lingering attention. Alcohol warms her chest but it burns in her belly, sparked by her rage, by her protectiveness.

"I don't see how you can help me, then."

GABRIEL BLACK

☉

she postures like a cat, hackles raised like they do when they're cautious. if her could spine bend the way a pyroar's could, she'd would be on her haunches poised and ready to strike.
[break][break]
it amuses the titan.
[break][break]
"a man of my resources could be useful in many endeavors, remi. but if you do not want my help..."
[break][break]
the statement trails as his lips hide behind the rim of his glass, far more content to take in the smoky aroma, than to succumb to her frigid bite.

[attr="class","ooc"]Remi Cassel[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pyroar"]

Her brows crease, the corners of her eyes crinkle just slightly. Unease washes over her as she mulls over his words and his challenging stare. She follows the length of his nose as it dips into his glass, hiding the inevitable smirk.

Or maybe she's assuming.

Regardless, her body moves of its own accord, desperate to know. He threatens to take away what he's offered, and her own pride isn't enough to reject him a second time. Remi puts her hand on his knee, meets his stare.

"I.. do want your help. I do, Gabe. I need to find him."

GABRIEL BLACK

☉

his heavy gaze lands on their contact, giving it a moment, then two, of his time. when it finally lifts, he catches the desperation hidden behind her one good eye. the fear.
[break][break]
"start by telling me what you already know."

[attr="class","ooc"]Remi Cassel[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pyroar"]

Subtly, she squeezes.

"He told me he had found something real in connection to legendary Pokemon and avatars. He's been obsessed with the idea ever since we were little kids, more so now than ever."

What with the sudden influx of people who had actually accomplished such a bond, his inspiration and desperation had grown.

"The last I heard from him, he said he was in Hoenn. Didn't say where, or what he was doing."

GABRIEL BLACK

☉

he perks up, eyes turning into thin slits for but a moment, before hiding his expression behind his glass once more. had this been the answer to his prayers? another connection to these legendaries? to these avatars?
[break]
[break]
"but did he say anything about what he'd found?"
[break]
[break]

of course, it probably wasn't as easy as that. it never really was.

[attr="class","ooc"]Remi Cassel[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pyroar"]

She scoffs, pulls her hand away with a lazy drag across the fabric of his pants, back into her lap to clutch the glass.

"No. He stopped telling me things years ago. Just enough to appease me, to let me know he's okay."

But he'd sounded.. happy. Excited, distracted, rather than irritable and far-away. She'd caught a glimpse of the real Roman, the boy she'd grown up with. Her best friend, her other half.

And now.. where was he?

GABRIEL BLACK

☉

if her aim was to seduce him, she'd need to try harder than that. beautiful as she was, and with the fire and passion that he sought in a woman, gabriel was no simple predator.
[break][break]

"what makes you think he wants to be found?"
[break]
[break]

his question comes from above an outstretched hand, eyes dropping to the woman's class in clear motive.

[attr="class","ooc"]Remi Cassel[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pyroar"]

"He doesn't."

She glances back at him, her irritation growing.

"But I haven't heard from him in months. We always check in, even when we're angry. This isn't like him. Something's happened."

With one gulp, she finishes the rest of her glass. It burns all the way down, makes her face contort. But it gives her control where she feels like she's losing it.

"I don't give a fuck if he wants to be found or not. He's my twin, and he's my responsibility."

GABRIEL BLACK

☉

his outstretched hand returns, his offer going unanswered. perhaps out of spite? hm.
[break][break]
"i understand."
[break][break]
the car finally begins to come to a stop, a knock at the onyx shaded glass.
[break][break]
"let's speak more of this later. i will have my people look into the matter. we should eat something before the alcohol begins to settle."
[break][break]
the door opens from outside, and he beckons her out.

[attr="class","ooc"]Remi Cassel[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pyroar"]