Cal’s got about eight more tasks she needs to tick off of her mental to-do list before she can even think about taking a breath. The league offices behind her as she trots down the street, cartons of individual coffee orders in hand. It’s all a bit annoying really. Sure, she’s URIAH BLACK ’s assistant, and it makes sense that she should drop off a file for him here. But just because she’s the assistant doesn’t mean she should be relegated to coffee mule just because the shop is on the way back.[break][break]

Picking up an order for her boss is one thing, but the rest of the office staff catching wind of it and dropping orders on her plate is another entirely. So it doesn’t help that she’s already stewing internally when she sees the dark-haired man, and misjudges his distance from her. When she realizes that he’s not noticed her and isn’t drifting away from course, she tries to twist away from the thump of his shoulder. It’s too late.[break][break]

“Shit is right,” she grouses back at him, head whipping around to glare at the stranger. There’s a terseness in her voice that’s likely unexpected from her when she cuts such a soft, small figure. But Calla has never been the sweet and mild sort, no matter her looks. The teal shade of her eyes sharpens as they fix on him. Not quite so lenient despite the fact that he’s stuck around rather than run off before she could gripe at him.[break][break]

“I should hope you’re sorry. These are for at least a third of my office’s staff.”[break][break]

Calla, staring down at herself, huffs loudly. “Just my luck. My dress..” The pale aqua of her skin is now coated in mocha brown that wicks down dainty legs and spatters on her prim little flats. All around her, cups lay in varying states of emptiness like a sad, sad starbucks battlefield on the losing side. “I guess it’s better we’re outside.”

[break][break]

+ paxton concordas [break][break]


[break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

"Ah...I see." he said before quietly clocking the girl as an intern. He looked for flown away napkins before handing what he could salvage to her to help wipe that from her dress. "That's...difficult. And no one else came with you?" he asked watching a coffee lid get kicked away as people continued passing by. [break][break]

"Yes..." he decided he shoudl probably not little and began picking up half empty cups and tossing them to the nearest trash can before coming to a stop next to Calla. "Would- uh- If you still have notes on your orders, I can help you carry them. My appointment isn't for a couple of hours so I have time to help you." he said before offering his hand to her in greeting. "I am Officer Concordas from Lilycove City PD. But you may call me Paxton." he said, introducing himself.

[break][break]

+ calla roth [break][break]


[break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Calla continued to fret with her skirt, attempting to shake out some of the coffee spill from where it had soaked through the fabric. At least the man who had run into her seemed apologetic enough, and hadn’t kept right on walking. “No, this was just supposed to be a quick errand,” she paused, pointing at the league building, “I was dropping off some paperwork here for my boss.”[break][break]

The coffee had been a side task. An annoying one, because she wasn’t just an intern. She had a job title and everything.[break][break]

It was easy to feel relegated to intern, though, with the shrug worthy regard some of her co-workers viewed her with. Stooping, she also began picking up toppled cups. Dusting her hands when she was done, Cal looked over at the stranger with a tilt of her head. “Yeah, that’d be helpful.” Pale eyes flit down to his hand before she offered her own in a short shake. “Calla. You’re a long way from Lilycove, Paxton.”[break][break]

She wasn’t about to waste any time, though. Adjusting her bag on her shoulder, she headed down the street to the coffee place she’d first picked up the orders. “I’ve got all the orders on my phone.”

[break][break]

+ paxton concordas [break][break]


[break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

"Quick but...if you have to carry more than you're capable of..." he trailed off as he gestured at the mess. His handshake is firm, and he gave her a nod. "Nice to meet you Calla." he said, repeating her name to get it right before letting go. "I have a meeting in HQ today, actually." he said with a nod over at the building in the distance. [break][break]

"Then we're set." he said not at all minding the delay. He'd planned for something like this after all. As he followed the girl back in he asked, "So who is your boss? What do you do?" He was 90% sure he had never spoken to her over the phone, so definitely not the secretary.

[break][break]

+ calla roth [break][break]


[break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Oh, no, I don’t disagree with you.” She rolled her eyes with a light scoff, voice dropping low in an obvious mimic. “Everyone else said they were too busy to come along. Even though I have just as many tasks to work on.” Normally she wouldn’t care to complain to a stranger as she was, but…well, perhaps Calla had decided it was her subtle payback for the collision.[break][break]

“Likewise.” Aquamarine eyes drifted to the directed building, and she considered his words. “Sounds very official.”[break][break]

Calla slowed her pace and fell in step alongside her new companion of the afternoon. “Oh, I work at Akura, for URIAH BLACK? I’m his assistant.” Fishing her phone from her purse, she began scrolling through her notes to find the long list of orders. “His father is on the council.” Her glance shifted sideways to him with a slight upward tug of her lips. “But if you have meetings at HQ and all, I’m sure you already know that.”

[break][break]

+ paxton concordas [break][break]


[break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Paxton grumbled when she explained no one had the time to accompany her for coffee. Certainly, the response appropriate was that therefore Call had no time to fetch their coffee. However, that's impolite in strict hierarchies of authority. Maybe the solution was for her boss to give her specific instruction to fetch only his coffee. "I see." [break][break]

He snorted, a small huff of a laugh as he controlled the way it left him after bubbling up suddenly. "Force of habit I guess." he said, letting the woman take the lead. He nodded like he recognized the name. It's familiar and it isn't. Like he should, but he really doesn't. "Ah...so an personal assistant." he said, which was about as much as he understood. [break][break]

"Oh- yes. I haven't have the pleasure of interacting with Councilman Black's family." Wasn't it large? Man had a lot of kids right? They got in line, the place still a little busy probably from being backed up 12 orders. And about to be even further inconvenienced by another 12. "So why did you want to work here then? HQ I mean?"

[break][break]

+ calla roth [break][break]


[break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Mhn.” Her own hum of agreement was equally as grumbled. Extra hands would’ve been useful—they could’ve assisted her easily, but nooo. Calla can do it all, or so her department thought. She shot him a finger gun at his assessment, winking in tandem. “Bingo.” It wasn’t a glamorous job, and low level, but she supposed it could be lower still had she not been the PA of the company’s CEO. Plus, Calla liked working for him. Uriah was easy to get along with, even for a prickly pear like herself.[break][break]

“That’s sorta understandable, given how big the family is,” she shrugged loosely. Or would that make it easier? Calla couldn’t claim to know—she’d only personally interacted with Uriah. She sighed, looking at the line and sullenly accepting the fact that it would set her behind schedule a bit. There wasn’t any use trying to rush the situation, no matter how gogogo Calla could be.[break][break]

She turned curiously, back to Paxton, brow lifting. “Hm? I never said I wanted to work here.” Her lips curled just a teeny tiny bit, “I suppose you’ve caught me, though. I would. Someday, maybe.” She liked the idea of making a difference. Or maybe the illusion of making a difference. She’d always felt so helpless to the tumult around her, back in Kanto. But Paxton was more or less a stranger, and she was not about to unravel all of that on him.[break][break]

“An interest in being ground moving, I guess.”

[break][break]

+ paxton concordas [break][break]


[break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

"Good start if you want to work for the government. Already got a security clearance from that, I'd imagine." A basic one but a clearance was a clearance. [break][break]

He arched his eyebrows at Calla. "Ah, I seem to have misunderstood then." he said nodding an apology. "What exactly is your goal then, if I may?" he had time. "Or is it just the stability you're after? That's why I took my promotion." he said. He liked being a nobody cop, but he could appreciate the beauty in a 9-5 with very few coworkers. [break][break]

There's a small pause before he nodded again. "I think it's a noble pursuit. The ground moving- change affecting." He'd once tried it himself. And of course, he regret it. But he wasn't about to tell Calla that.

[break][break]

+ calla roth [break][break]


[break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Yep! Sure do,” she replied with a short nod of her head. Just basic clearance. Not as much as an actual intern might, but it was at least enough to get in the door to make the occasional delivery.[break][break]

Calla waved a hand at the misunderstanding. “No worries. Easy to do.” Her head tilted, smile turning a hair mischievous. “I’m a comms major. Journalism.” In a word– excessive curiosity. “Though, stability sounds nice too. My current job does at least offer that for now.”[break][break]

It helped get her through what schooling she had left. Even if looming student debt was still something she was inevitably bound to deal with.[break][break]

Her smile is small, but she nods all the same, though there was a coy twist to the corners of her mouth. “Noble, yeah. Change can happen in so many ways. It’s just a matter of how you choose to go about it.”

[break][break]

+ paxton concordas [break][break]


[break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

"Journalist...have you spoken to PENELOPE LIVY , yet?" he asked, begrudgingly bring up his new boss' name. After all, he'd met the woman while chauffeuring her for a report with the Lilycove City PD. He doesn't try to dwell too long on that heated escort, putting it out of his head as much as possible now that they were work colleagues. [break][break]

"And how are you going about it then?" he asked. They pull up to the front of the line and Paxton puts in his order. A simple Vanilla Cream Cold Brew, extra shots of vanilla syrup. Then he pays quickly and directs the cashier's attention to Calla, half smiling at the mess they were about to throw at her.

[break][break]

+ calla roth [break][break]


[break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Blue eyes drifted back to Paxton, sharpening with curiosity. “Councilwoman Livy?” she replied, head tilting one notch to the left. “No…can’t say I’ve managed to pull that sort of meeting off just yet.” Would she be eager to do so? Of course. She knew the council member’s name. She knew her position before being a part of that council. It was important. People in the journalism field could make a mark, and then sustain it.[break][break]

But Calla herself was still a small fish in a big pond.[break][break]

“Well…” her expression faltered, brows knitting together as a tiny frown marred her expression. “I’m still figuring that out.” It was enough to start with herself first, and it had taken a lot of work and sacrifice to get to where she was now. Even if it didn’t seem all that impressive yet.[break][break]

She didn’t say anything else just yet– too focused on running down the same list she’d given the cashier earlier. And from their expression, they recognized her. She couldn’t do anything else but shrug helplessly, though.

[break][break]

+ paxton concordas [break][break]


[break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

"Yes, her." he said wit ha small nod. His employer, unfortunately. "Her roots are journalism, and while I don't pretend to be privy to what you might want to speak to her about...she is there." he said with a small shrug. "Her secretary takes appointments." he added with a snort. Though, he realized it was a lot to consider for someone who's just interning. [break][break]

"So, you have ideas then?" Paxton pressed gently before moving aside. His drink finished and handed over. He takes a sip as he steps back to Calla, ready to help. "I only ask since...I see the potential interest in her. I don't mean to pressure you to speak with her either." he added. "Myself, I know next to noting about journalism except how an-...resilient journalists can be." he said, almost having a slip of the tongue.

[break][break]

+ calla roth [break][break]


[break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Soooo, in theory, I could name drop you, and have a potential in,” she replied, nose wrinkling immediately. “I’m kidding.” Maybe, probably. Her own soft shrug follows. “I can’t claim that even I would have an exact subject to discuss, but I guess that’s the point of learning.” She was still figuring it all out–a pursuit to forge the proper connections for when she finished up her degree.[break][break]

“I mean, don’t most people have opinions?” she countered with a slight raise of her brow. If there was one good journalism skill she’d taken to, it was dodging at the right moments. “Oh, you’re fine. I’m definitely curious. Just been a bit busy to try getting my foot in the door.” Stepping to the side to wait for the order, she snorted softly. “Resilient, huh? Careful choice in words.” It was playfully said, though. She knew the reputation garnered.

[break][break]

+ paxton concordas [break][break]


[break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]