[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i"]her features quickly fall into a pout.

her hand retracts a moment later, sticky fingers kept away from the crystal stem.

"maaan, really?" it's half whined out, as if it's painful to stare at pretty things and not be able to snatch them. and sometimes, it is.

"are they, like, off limits or something?" it'd make sense, perhaps. there's so many though... surely they wouldn't mind missing one or twelve, right?

Alexei Ivanov
mission

[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i"]off-limits... the concept, truthfully, has never deterred her before. she sees it as a suggestion, nothing more.

and her grin grows with stammering, with information hidden in stuttered syllables and the hesitant tone rising from his throat. yes... that'll do nicely.

"i'm sure a few ghosts wouldn't mind being rid of these things," she idly comments. her fingers trail up and down the glowing petals of nearby flowers. they clink together for a moment, rigid in the way they sway.

she hums over the explanation, plucking through it until something interests her.

"they grow everywhere, hm?" quite a wide range to protect, isn't it? she sees a plan formulating. if she's thwarted here... well, there's other locations. "how do they ensure all of them aren't disturbed?"

Alexei Ivanov
mission

[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i"]rangers protecting some simple flowers? they must be important... and the desire to have them grows in response.

she's certain, now, they would fetch quite the price. her hands itch with inaction at the thought.

"are you a ranger?" she questions. her smile begins to bloom, petals sharp as thorns. "have you been sent to guard these?" one person is easier to get rid of than, say, twenty.

she lingers on a particular piece of information, however. strange properties lures her in, raises her curiosity, and threatens one of her nine lives. curiosity did kill the cat, after all.

"what kind of strange properties?"

and satisfaction, after plucking these pretty flowers and hauling them away, brings the cat back.

Alexei Ivanov
mission

[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i"]the million dollar question, asked with a hardened stare.

and why does she ask, hm? perhaps it's better to show him...

a dusk ball opens to breathe life into the form of a pokemon. a shady fox, snickering and snarling, slowly grows to full height behind her. and as it fully stands, she plucks two crystallized flowers from their bed of life. the remaining flowers shudder slightly as the two stolen flowers are replaced beneath her zoroark's illusion ability. it's almost as if she never took them at all...

"a shame that it's classified," she idly remarks, slowly rising to her feet. the procured flowers are kept hidden, her zoroark working to ensure a safe get away. it could fail, that much she knows. "it sounds like such interesting information."

Alexei Ivanov
mission

[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i"]she feigns innocence with a soft gasp and a look of confusion. her, up to no good? absolutely.

"what do you mean?" acting dumb has, unfortunately, gotten her out of too many scenarios to count. she hasn't kept breathing or kept out of prison out of sheer ability alone. no, thieving includes putting on a show. and really, she'd prefer to act her way out of this than get her hands dirty.

"i thought my zoroark might enjoy the flowers too," she offers. the fox grins, stepping forward to stand at her side. the illusion holds strong for now, it seems.

her head tilts, then, to survey their surroundings. she sees no ground reinforcements standing firm behind him. she doesn't trust the sight, however. people are sneaky, that much she knows. her body stays relaxed despite the concept, as if she can weasel her way out of anything.

and sometimes, she can. other times... well, handcuffs aren't as much fun as she thought.

"i'm sorry," she murmurs. it's genuine enough of a sentiment to pass. "are we no longer enjoying each other's company? i could head to another spot if you'd prefer? there are still graves to visit, after all."

Alexei Ivanov
mission

[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i"]a shrug rolls his statements off pale shoulders. he's pointing out holes in her story and she's quickly lying her way through it.

and in a way, it's her favorite game of cat and mouse. which one is she, though?

"you know," she begins, flashing a smile. "zoroark's, unfortunately, have a terrible reputation." the fox beside her mimics a saddened look. the pair are practiced, poised in the art of deception. her zoroark is the best partner for crime she'll ever have, that much is clear.

"i figured it'd be the safest route to not call out my darling little fox until i was certain no one would harm it." one of her hands reaches out to pet the dark fox, fingers shifting to scratch at its chin. the sad look is quickly replaced with an affectionate one. they play the part of loving trainer and pokemon rather well, if she does say so herself. "is that not good enough reason for you, sir?"

Alexei Ivanov
mission