she nearly forgets him. her other duties, the gift she'd been waiting for finally given to her, have put their dance at the far reaches of her mind. it's only by happenstance, upon finding moxie curled under her bed, and the box with all her pictures, does she recall that night. 

it's with more reservation this time that she approaches his ring or bar or whatever the hell it is. it's a lawless place and surely she could have been more inconspicuous, but instead she opts to shake the ground outside. 

lyune hisses lowly as she dismounts and she pats his shoulder, returns him and fixes the ball back upon the necklace that adorns her.

inside, she turns a few heads. her hair is back in its braids, bright white. she takes a seat beside him, smells the liquor on his skin. 

"bit early for that, isn't it?"

☉

"fuck off," it comes instinctual, the heavy drawl of annoyance tinging his voice ice. only when he actually deigns to look at the woman, does he spot the resemblance. the princess, only this time, lacking the punk flair of their earlier encounter.
[break][break]
"ah," he starts, exhaling a puff of amused air, "ye've finally come down from yer ivory tower. was beginnin' ta think ye forgot." he'd given her thought less than a moment of his time, since then, content in the reasoning she'd be unlikely to return. only she had. amusing. "got ta admit, ye look better with black hair."
[break][break]
a lie.

[attr="class","ooc"]freya morningstar[break]


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

she sniffs, wry grin lighting up her features. her temple is still a bit discolored, nose a shade darker across the bridge, but fernando has no shortage of healing pokemon and his access to medical care is ridiculous. and so it's without pain that she can crinkle her nose as he comments on her looks. 

men. it always comes down to one thing. she doesn't care about the jab, or the fact that his gaze lingers over her hair. she's known the effect she has on men and it's usually unwanted, and unwarranted. it's never easy to ignore, but it's damn well close. 

"i did forget," she says as she catches the eye of the barkeep. "whiskey. neat." he eyes king, but she raises a brow expectantly, and tilts her head, turning her attention back to her company. 

"it was too inconsequential. until it wasn't. and even while flying here, it was hard to remember why i was coming. odd, don't you think?" she rubs her temples. 

by the time she drops her hand back to the bar, there's a tumbler set neatly on top of a bar napkin. she sets her fingers over the rim, tilts it. 

☉

he shrugs, not offended in the slightest. it was expected. "odd?" was it? was this a game, joke, or flirt? he shrugs, fingers tapping against the glass in front of him. "i probably hit ye ta hard, or did ye forget that too? the new crook of yer nose tells me it didn't." half of his mouth turns up cheekily.
[break][break]
his eyebrows go up sarcastically, to the bartender, and he chuckles huskily in response. "so, now that we're all honored ta be remembered by ye — what ye want?"
[break][break]
he suspected he knew the answer.

[attr="class","ooc"]freya morningstar[break]


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

none of the above. but she doesn't know how to tell him that the mist inside her is the one pulling the strings, choosing what she can and will remember. she's not even completely aware of it herself. but she trusts her instincts, even if they can't tell her why. and she trusts lyune, who'd brought her here in the first place. 

she touches her nose and then drops her hand, annoyed he'd gotten a response out of her. yes, her nose will never look the same, even with fernando and all his technology. and she'll always say it doesn't bother her, but...

"oh, come. don't play dumb with me. or have you forgotten?" she sips her whiskey and leans her arm on the bar, slouching into her shoulders.

☉

her reaction gives gives him a smug grin, cheek clicking in amusement. small victories were still just that - victories. "i haven't forgotten," he says twirling the glass atop the bar, his attention lowered and focused onto it, "just makin' sure yer not here for somethin' else."
[Break][break]
a loud cheer sounds behind them, the fight having reached its conclusion. it was the last of the night, and already, people were making their way in every which direction. "give it a few 'n we can head in the ring." he brings the glass to his lips once more.

[attr="class","ooc"]freya morningstar[break]


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

oh, how she'll love smacking that grin off his coy face. she doesn't plan on being beaten so easily today. no matter how roughed up she gets, she'll count it a win as long as she can land a hit. eventually, down the road, maybe she'll return the favor and break his nose. 

she's a feeling this place's entertainment is largely due to the fights. some continue to linger, grabbing a couple of drinks, while most settle up and make their way out. she watches the crowd, seeing if there are any faces she recognizes from her groundwork days. 

anyone she helped put behind bars. 

the whiskey gets nursed. she's antsy and wants to get on her feet, not get bogged down by liquor. 

"somethin' else?" she mimics and then raises a brow. "you keep hitting on me like this and i'm going to start to think you're serious."

☉

he was eager to see what the prime freya had to offer. then again, he held serious doubt it would even matter. her practices were in a controlled environment, with no one getting seriously hurt. here? he smirks at the thought.
[break][break]
"maybe i am serious?" the rim of his glass meets his lips again, eyebrows lifting in thought. "can embrace the three F's, eh? fun, fuck, and fight." he clicks his cheek, turning around in the stool to face one of the 'referees.' "oi, clean the fuckin' ring. i'll be usin' it in a few."

[attr="class","ooc"]freya morningstar[break]


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

she's going to fight dirty. because at the end of the day, when lives are on the line, when fernando's life is on the line, that's all that matters. she'll be his meat shield, his last defense, but she'll throw tooth and nail at her opponent before she's cut down. she'll give them something to remember her by. 

all she'd needed was to find someone willing to play their part in her madness. and though she'll be incompetent for a while, at least there's a chance for her to rise above king. after all, he's only human.

"made that up yourself? clever." she snorts. not clever at all. "not part of the deal, unfortunately. seems like you get off on breaking pretty girls' noses, so i'll give you that much." she takes another sip, smiling over the rim of her tumbler, "and nothing more."

☉

he laughs, letting his flirtations fall to the wayside, chewing on his bottom lip a moment. "sure, sure, but lets get somethin' straight — a broken nose is the least of yer problems. when i'm done with ye, ye won't even be able ta walk." king gives her a wink, pushing the glass further in and towards the bartender,
[break][break]
"get yer ass up 'n go change. there's somethin' for ye in my room. from 'er on out yer nobody. ye haven't earned the right ta use yer name in my ring." he himself would move off to ensure his command was taken with the utmost haste.

[attr="class","ooc"]freya morningstar[break]


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

the innuendo wipes the coy smile off her face. he won't leave it alone and only in another universe could she find his affronts even remotely amusing, nevermind attractive. no, although emma has come and gone, freya's convinced she'll be the only one she ever thinks of during those lonely hours of the night. 

leave him to his begging, then. it's almost pathetic. he'll see it, in due time, that she's no prize to be won. she's here for business, not pleasure. 

she fought tooth and nail for her own namesake. she was born to nothing, to moondust, to a father who never wanted her, and nearly killed himself trying to give her the world. the morningstars took her in and, yes, she will always be grateful, but she worked damn hard to earn that name. to be their daughter. 

she doesn't say a word. there's no need. either he already knows this about her or he doesn't, but the outcome is the same. she will lose her name and she will fight for it again. 

so she undresses and dons his required clothing - simple armaments they are. her circlet, she clasps back around her neck. the gaudy dragon's wings will hurt when struck, but she doesn't trust him yet to leave her pokeballs lying about. 

she does, however, untangle her braids and put her hair up properly. the hood did little to stop it from spilling around her last fight and she'd rather not have it in her way. 

☉

similarly to freya, king had to fight for his name too. only, he lost. he'd wanted to rid it of the filth, and stain, that he'd associated with it. but in the end, he added to it. made it worse.
[break][break]
maybe delta could do what he couldn't.
[break][break]
by the time she comes back he's standing in the middle of the ring, rolling his neck and cracking his fingers. he was already dressed in something non-descript and loose-fitted, so there was no other preparation to be done.
[break][break]
"ye ready, Nobody?"

[attr="class","ooc"]freya morningstar[break]


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

nobody. how lovely is that sentiment. how lonely is that truth. she will not be remembered when she burns upon her pyre. and it shouldn't bother her, that simple fact of humanity, but it does because of its humanity. her ascension will never come, she's sure of that. not unless she's crazy enough to pursue sacrilege, offer herself as the vessel to another. 

the thought blasts a migraine through her and she bares her teeth, shakes her head like a dog. instinct takes over and without warning, she charges. two steps and then a sidestep, palm out to strike his shoulder and throw him off balance.

☉