an easy mission, she thinks. [break][break]

thankfully, rocket was always accommodating to their little snake, so she got herself a verbal briefing and, with thanks to some psychic pokemon, she was able to get a good idea of what they were looking to snag, and where she was supposed to meet her partner. they're meant to look for gemstones and valuables, so she'll trust her gut, and her salazzle to do the work for her. [break][break]

and so, using her sense of personal space and her aron as her own little alert, she's able to make it to the supposed meeting spot - not too far away from their target. the aron softly clanks about in her arms, letting out soft cries of excitement acting as her eyes. "oh, we're here already?" she asks the little steel.. dog? she'll assume it's like a dog. [break][break]

there's no point lowering her sunglasses over her eyes to get a better look, so she walks around the outdoor tables, guided by the aron until his little head bonks her arm as a signal to stop. "hey there~" the woman gives a smile, "so sorry i'm a little late. never been to this part of town~."

Dal-yong Nam [break]
mission: a diamond in the rough

☉

Ah. Finally~.[break][break]

He didn’t have to wait too long, at least. By the time he’d sought to lower his cup again, he’d pulled his mask back up to cover the lower half of his face, glancing around through contacted, artificial hues of azure before noting a person walking along with what seemed to be a number of little helpers. He eyed her as she approached with a touch of amusement within his gaze, the chains and the like hanging around his neck jingling softly as he leaned forward and onto his elbows as if further invested by her presence.[break][break]

She stopped close by. He hummed as she spoke her part. ”So long as you didn’t miss the meeting, altogether- but even then, I could’ve done this, myself~,” he mused with no shortage of nonchalant confidence and arrogance, alike. He eyed her for a while longer, and then did the same towards the one within her arms before tilting his head.[break][break]

”...Huh. You must hit the gym more than meets the eye if you can carry your little friend like that so easily.”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: a diamond in the rough

☉

oh? cocky, was he? [break][break]

she can deal with cocky. [break][break]

hearing the confidence, she gives a smile and blinks her artificial eyes. she doesn't bother to glance around, though the aron in her arms seems restless as she reaches out to grasp at the chair, tugging it out so she can properly seat herself across. her ears, however, perk up before she tilts her head. "hm? ohh, you mean aaron here?~" her eyes move to glance down instinctively, where the steel dog should be sitting in her lap. usually, she wouldn't be able to carry him. and she could tell him what she's doing, but where's the fun in that?[break][break]

"yeah, he's my own workout routine. aren't you, aaron?~" the pokemon clanks a bit, letting out a little whistle of joy. how endearing. [break][break]

the woman crosses a leg over the other, raising the small, steel pokemon on the table (and he barely makes a sound, with how light he's made himself with autotomize), then she rests her elbow against the table, then resting her chin against her palm. "so, concocted a plan in that pretty head of yours? i got an appointment i don't wanna miss."

Dal-yong Nam [break]
mission: a diamond in the rough

☉

”...Well, aren’t you a lively one~?” he mused after some listening, raising a brow as he leaned further back into his set. His foot tapped gently against one of the bars supporting the table within an absentminded manner as he gazed between her and the creature within her arms, briefly thinking upon the words spoken to him before shrugging and nodding. ”...Yes, though. I do, so if all goes well, you won’t have to worry about missing that appointment of yours~.”[break][break]

Reaching down into one of his pockets, he nodded at her before lifting it a short time after and flicking something across the table. A small earpiece, by the look of it. ”That’ll help you communicate with a friend on the outside. Might even already know him, depending on how many people you’ve gotten friendly with in Rocket~.”[break][break]

He inhaled deeply before sighing, rolling his neck slowly before doing the same with his shoulders. ”Long story short, I’ve already worked the details of a fake identity with that outside mine. I’ve already contacted the place we’re looting ahead of time, and as far as they’re concerned, they’re meeting with some rich person with money that’s interested in their stock.” Humming, he began to roll his wrists, as well, before reaching over the table to take hold of his cup, once more. He took another sip, eying her small, metallic creature once more. ”I’m working the distraction out in front. My friend is working the cameras to make sure there’s no record or trace of us. You can choose to meet with him and enter through the back to get to their storage room, or you can help with distractions in the front while my Pokemon help him with the goods. Your choice~.”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: a diamond in the rough

☉

how confident. at least she'll have something to hold over his head - since she can't really tell the time or confirm, she'll just have to check through an alarm. or her hatterene smacking her upside the head for being late. it's one or the other. so for now she'll smile, holding the aron in her arms, patting the little steel type who honestly weighted little to nothing. (but she'll play the illusion that he doesn't, what with all the stares she can already feel on her and her noodle looking arms). [break][break]

the sound of a small marble gliding across the table is heard, and she instinctively reaches out to try and find the small thing. once it's between her fingers, she lifts it up, getting a feel before slipping it beneath the layer of her platinum hair to sit snug in her ear. with a hum and a whistling listening to his plan, her smile grows as she leans back in her seat. the aron tilts his head and curiosity. "if that's the case, i can have my pokemon help with the heist." though she only has one pokemon who can help with the technology. [break][break]

she closes her eyes and ponders in thought, fingers gently rubbing the metallic surface of her little armoured.. dog. probably a dog. "i can join you in the distraction. i think i have some pokemon who can deal with some guards?" a sobble's tears should be able to cloud their vision just enough, right? "just gotta pretend i can see em~"

Dal-yong Nam [break]
mission: a diamond in the rough

☉

”Mmn… Honestly speaking, it shouldn’t even be groundbreaking if you didn’t~.” He eyed her and her little companion for a few more moments before leaning back in his seat. Shifting his hands atop the edge of the table before him as a means of leverage, he treated his feet similarly in order to gain a proper means of support prior to pushing back. He stood up once the seat he occupied slid back, taking a brief moment to pick his drink up. ”The whole, ‘pretend you can see them,’ thing, I mean~. …Worst case, we can just get you to the back by excusing you to the restroom or something.”[break][break]

He gave a small, idle whistle under his breath (partially for activity, and partially as an indicator to let her know they would be moving) while taking another sip as he began walking along. ”The security visuals should already be down by the time we’re about to really move in, anyways. Guy in the back should have that well accounted for— and speaking of him, if you’d do the honors~...”[break][break]

Without missing a beat, a rather chipper voice sounded through the earpieces they wore. ”Oooon it, on it~!” the man chimed in with an upbeat laugh. ”Not gonna lie, I don’t remember the newbie’s name off the top of my head— but~! If she’s got any questions or concerns before we go in, I’m moore than glad to answer ‘em!”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: a diamond in the rough

☉

she's grateful for the audible sign, at least. he's being considerate, especially since the footsteps aren't enough to act as a signal. and so the woman raises herself from the seat, gently tucking it into the table when the two of them need to start moving. the aron in her arms is recalled in favour of her moving on closer to a man, though with the intention of reaching over to grab a man by his arm, gently, more as a lead. [break][break]

"hope you don't mind me sticking like this for a bit~" she chimes, cheeks raised as she walks along with relative glee "it'll sell home the image of some couple just wanting to buy gems or something. or siblings, what ever you prefer~" she perks up anyways, at the sound of a voice coming through the ear piece, tilting her head slightly as she adjusted it in her ear "name's aria, and just let me know where i can drop off my pokemon to help with the smuggling, mmn?" she's speaking softly at the tail end. low chance of anyone over hearing, but you can't ever be too sure.

Dal-yong Nam

☉

Before he could so much as make a statement himself, the other voice chimed in.[break]
It made explaining easier, at the very least.[break][break]

”When you guys get there, there should be an alleyway just to the left of the actual building,” the man said over the communication link, his voice ever chipper. ”Just pop whatever Pokemon you wanna have help out before ya enter. They’ll find some fake company van not too long after the first turn. That’s me~.”[break][break]

To that, Daylong gave a faint smirk under his breath, glancing towards the woman held onto his arm and tapping the earpiece he wore (instinctively; he, of course, remembered the situation he’d gathered regarding her sight) while continuing along the sidewalk with a hum. Her invitation of guidance hadn’t been lost upon him, nor had it really been cared about, truthfully. She needed a way to walk without crossing ongoing traffic, after all.[break][break]

”Just as he said~. No need to fret, anywho— I’ll let you know when we’re right by the alley entrance~.” He eyed her for just a moment longer before reaching across with his free hand, leisurely taking her own, unoccupied one and giving it a quick, mannerly shake prior to releasing and pocketing his own during their walk. ”Dalyong, by the way— but for this specific mission, I’m Kangmin~. Don’t worry too much about your own cover, by the way. Just act as you will and as you feel would help so long as it doesn’t put us in jeopardy~.”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: a diamond in the rough

☉

oh. [break][break]

she can't see him, but just feeling his arm tells her that he's fit. and that's enough to prompt her to tug herself closer, a smile to her lips as she hums leisurely. if she's going to do this job, she may as well do this right. so with both hands on his arm, she tries to keep up with his pace. "oh, don't worry about me~" she chimes, giving a tilt of her head "... as long as you're not opposed to some PDA to make them uncomfortable?~" not like she is. [break][break]

"and it's to buy some time~" and so she can enjoy herself. we mustn't forget that she just wanted to enjoy herself. they're on a job, but she's not one to turn down a chance to get a feel for a man if she can. [break][break]

whoops.

Dal-yong Nam

☉

’To buy some time,’ she said.[break]
He smirked under his breath at the notion, his stride ongoing and brisk.[break][break]

”Act as you will,” he began in repetition, casting a vague, amused glare towards her from the corner of his eye, ”so long as it doesn’t jeopardize the mission~.”[break][break]

His gaze drifted down to his arm, eyelids lowering faintly more upon noting how eagerly she seemed to hold on. He chuckled lowly before bringing his attention forward again.[break][break]

”...That aside for a moment, though, you definitely seem like you’re enjoying yourself~.”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: a diamond in the rough

☉

"is that a problem?"[break][break]

she's asking with such a sing-song voice, ad it's times like these where she'll thank arceus that she's blind? because then it gives her an excuse to be touchy, under the guise of needing to be able to get a feel for her surroundings. of course, most of the time it's all a pre-tense - the polite ones never try to push her away. [break][break]

"don't'chu worry about a thing~" they're supposed to be acting like a couple as a distraction, after all, while their pokemon came through the back to get work done. "i can't see the looks on their faces when they find out they've been robbed blind, so i need to find a way to enjoy myself~" [break][break]

and she'll stay like that until they reach the store, her pokemon all ready to rob them blind.

Dal-yong Nam

☉

”Far from it,” he chuckled, narrowing his eyes. ”If anything, it makes me glad that you’re enjoying yourself so~.”[break][break]

A tone to match her own, however sarcastic it may have seemed to be as a result. The lightness of it all seemed to imply that the words were spoken with true intent, but at the same time, a smarter person likely couldn’t help but to question where the words truly came from.[break][break]

Nevertheless, they were spoken with some tone of amusement as he guided her along.[break][break]

”...The irony of that, though, mmn? Being robbed blind by a blind person~?” He chuckled once more, side eying her as they walked along. ”I almost feel sorry for what we’re about to do~.”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: a diamond in the rough

☉

"don't be." [break][break]

she chimes with a cheeky grin, a free arm reaching up and over to tuck a lock of platinum with a hint of blue hue behind her ear. "it's about time they got a taste of their own medicine, no? they'd may as well be robbing people blind with those prices of theirs~. for all i know, the diamonds aren't even cut to prime." spoken like a woman about to cause trouble, she's almost tempted to call for a manager when they go on their own escapade. maybe she will for giggles. [break][break]

either way, she seeks to enjoy herself with the howling of realization that they've been robbed. maybe she'll switch out her contacts to be something more subtle, and less striking when they get to play the part. after all, they certainly weren't going out to play the parts of a wealthy couple in the tacky everyday wear they were in? no, she'd have to be stupid to do that. [break][break]

so they'll get changed, and the show will begin. if only she could see it.

end

☉