it doesn't take long for their privacy to be disturbed by what she may recognize as a familiar voice. no, she definitely would. she'd spent days listening to him, after all.[break][break]

"as much as i admire your grit, i believe you'd fare better against another person."[break][break]

stepping into the scene, theo approaches with a lurantis trailing behind.[break][break]

"shall we train?"

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-lurantis color-shiny"]

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]that voice...

her entire body stills, going rigid as if turned to stone. and perhaps, in some way, she is.

"i believe you don't know your head from your ass."

her golurk rumbles low, staring down theo as he approaches. the clay titan remembers what has transpired between the two humans all too well.

and despite the sneer she wears as armor, there's a curiosity in the air that just won't die.

"train? with you?" the faint after what you've done to me? hangs in the air, unspoken but somehow alive.

is he insane?

THEO BECKETT

the golurk's presence no matter how it may attempt to loom and intimidate is no more than that: a presence. whether it exists or otherwise matters little to him.[break][break]

"yes."[break][break]

who else? theo spares a quick glance around them to make sure they're alone.[break][break]

"what better way to get familiar with the enemy?"

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-lurantis color-shiny"]

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]"and who's the enemy?"

she stares at him, face struggling to maintain neutrality.

"haven't you familiarized yourself enough?"

two weeks.

she remembers a cage, metal bars, a broken wrist, and echoes of his voice.

what else could he possibly learn from this?

THEO BECKETT

"oh, i didn't mean for my sake."[break][break]

theo has more than enough familiarity with league personnel of all shapes, sizes, and ranks.[break][break]

"this is for you. can't have yourself getting captured again, can we?"[break][break]

after a click of his tongue, lurantis leaps forward to throw the first LEAF BLADE against her golurk.

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-lurantis color-shiny"]

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]a scowl finally begins to break through.

"why would that matter to you?"

she doesn't quite understand. something isn't clicking, as if a piece has been changed without her knowing. it's irritating.

"i find it hard to believe you care about my wellbeing considering you captured me the first time."

the golurk tries to step out of the way of the leaf blade. the size of the automaton makes movement slow. it's enough for the attack to clip its arm and it rumbles out an annoyed sound. she doesn't order an attack, however. instead, she observes as her golurk takes the initiative to launch itself up before plummeting back toward his lurantis with heavy slam.

THEO BECKETT

much to her surprise, her competencies at least in the realm of battling and fighting matter to him. only he knows for what reasons exactly.[break][break]

"on the contrary, i care a considerable amount for your wellbeing. after all, it was me who stopped them from executing you."[break][break]

size plays a factor in this battle. lurantis is swift and agile, able to avoid the HEAVY SLAM with relative ease. tendrils and vines shoot out from it before sticking into the ground, now INGRAINED.

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-lurantis color-shiny"]

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]"for what reason could you possibly car--"

she stops.

the words repeat. and as one sticks out, it's almost as if a light shudders on in an empty home.

a breeze picks up and billows through her hair. with it, something shifts.

"it was you?"

a concept she doesn't quite understand. he stopped them. he... saved her life?

her golurk slams into the earth and comes out empty handed. speed and size really do matter, huh? the golurk swaps tactics and slips to shadows, phantom force allowing it to emerge from behind the lurantis. it swings a large clay arm at the bug type once half of its body rises from the creeping dark.

THEO BECKETT

"yes, it was."[break][break]

lurantis doesn't turn in time to see the golurk emerging from the shadow. its arm slams into it and would've sent it soaring if not for the INGRAIN.[break][break]

the roots snap, shifting its momentum as it propels the lurantis back for another LEAF BLADE.[break][break]

"and i was glad to hear of your escape."

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-lurantis color-shiny"]

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]it's confusing, this new information.

she's not sure how it makes her feel... there's still a hatred and yet, it feels lessened now.

"why?"

perhaps knowing the reasoning will, in some way, help the conflict inside.

her golurk lets out a growl as another leaf blade threatens to strike it. the automaton is quick to slip back into shadows, another phantom force beginning. it resurfaces behind the lurantis and swings yet again.

"you were?"

it doesn't make sense. and yet, she feels disarmed a bit further.

"did you allow my escape?"

did Felix Gallagher face any difficulty in getting to her?

THEO BECKETT

"i did. it was almost like i set you free myself, if you think about it."[break][break]

words weave together into a carefully spun lie as the web continues to grow, soon to entrap her within his grasp.[break][break]

the lurantis is quicker this time. when the golurk reappears, lurantis is there to greet it with an X-SCISSOR.[break][break]

"i believe you're an asset to the region, professor, and i saw little use in holding you captive."

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-lurantis color-shiny"]

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]she stills at the concept, quiet and contemplative.

if he allowed her to escape... does that mean he knew Felix Gallagher was coming?

it's confusing, as if pieces want to fit into place yet they aren't as smooth together. not quite cohesive enough to look pretty but somehow, they still make sense.

"you... think i'm an asset? i'm not one of your scientists, though."

doesn't he have his own? ones that are better, less restricted?

her golurk grumbles in irritation as x-scissor hits its swinging arm. and without waiting, it brings the clay limb back with a quick dynamic punch.

"why capture me at all, then?"

THEO BECKETT

"protocol, mostly. how would it look if i were to have let the league's head professor go when she'd just trespassed onto our territory and taken our samples?"[break][break]

golurk's DYNAMIC PUNCH slams into the ground, scattering dirt and dust into a cloud that surrounds the duo. silence follows, indicative of the INGRAIN, perhaps.[break][break]

"now, should we train?"

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-lurantis color-shiny"]