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There were tons of these little events popping up all over Hoenn. It seemed the closer doomsday got the more people wanted a chance to live out normalcy for as long as they could. Rosalie couldn't argue with that. Last ditch efforts to enjoy what you had before it was gone were simple coping mechanisms. Things that kept people sane in times of crisis such as these. [break][break]

Rosalie was here to capture some photos from the event so the article could be written up. Spreading positivity in dark times or something like that. Rosalie had rolled her eyes at that but work was work for now. Plus it was for charity. Can't say no to charity right? So Rosalie decided to carve up her own pumpkin after snapping some shots for the first half hour of being here. [break][break]

With a soft sigh she carried her large pumpkin over to the table. Doing a bit of a wobble before setting it down on the table and taking her seat. "Rose?" her name being spoken in a masculine tone took her by surprise as she glanced over to the side to find something she didn't expect. Azure eyes widened as she stared back at the infamous 'black hand' from Kanto. [break][break]

When Rosalie woke up from her coma she certainly hadn't expected to be in Hoenn and even more so to run into people from her past here. But then again it was lights out for her for years so of course things were expected to have changed. Quickly recovering Rosalie offers her former partner her best smile. [break][break]

"Zev." she said affectionately, "It's been so long, how are you?" She was surprised he still recognized her. After being asleep for so long when Rosie saw herself again it was foreign. But she assumed not much had changed except for her hair growing longer and maturing more into her body. [break][break]

Glancing over at his pumpkin she chuckled. Somehow she couldn't see this blood thirsty contract killer substituting carving up bodies for carving up pumpkins. But still it was..."...oddly fitting." she finishes her thought out loud before clarifying. "The pumpkin carving I mean."
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"I'm doing just fine. How about you? You look well." Rosalie smiled as she continued to mark out where she would begin carving on her pumpkin. What a loaded statement that was. But it was to be expected, after all as far as Rocket knew Rosalie was considered dead. She figured she'd end up in this situation one day but she hadn't been prepared for it to happen today. "Likewise," Rosalie answered him softly as she continued to work.[break][break]

"I didn't know you were in Hoenn," That was a code. One she hadn't heard used in a while but one that she could never forget nonetheless. "I knew you'd moved, but your family didn't say where. What have you been up to?" An easy smile steadily remained on her lips. She was seemingly unphased on the outside as she paused drawing on her pumpkin to face Zev.[break][break]

'I thought you'd died. What are you doing here?'[break][break]

"Ah apologies friend. It must've slipped my mind while I was in a rush packing. You know how bad my memory is." she said with a soft chuckle. "I came to visit my great aunt after my uncle passed away suddenly, Arceus rest his soul." She continued as she took a pause as if to give a slight moment of silence. "I've been here taking care of her ever since. Once I finally had a thought to reach out to my dear friends I realized I no longer had you guy's contact information. What a blessing this is! I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive this forgetful fool."[break][break]

The lies rolled off her tongue with ease but then again this was part of her job, she was trained to do this. Her words in their coded language were as such: Sorry, after the events that caused my accident I suffered from amnesia. Due to the severity of my condition I was moved here after Silas' passing, recovering. Once I regained my memories I stayed hidden and had no way of reaching out again.[break][break]

Rosalie's bright blue orbs turned to face Zev as she finished talking. She hoped he would understand, but not only understand but accept her little story. What would come after this she wasn't quite sure but it was all dependent on how 'the black hand' decided to deal with her.
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"I forgive you, Rose. And I'm glad we got to run into each other again." Zev said with an easy smile before reaching for the carving knife. Rosalie would be lying if she said she still didn't feel uneasy. He relatively accepted her lies with no more added questions. Possibly because they were still in public. Or perhaps he was already making plans to deal with her later, unsatisfied with how she was withholding information. [break][break]

He was dangerous and Rosalie would have to keep her guard up around him. If anything the cogs in her brain were already beginning to work up how she could get him to trust her again. After all, she knew better than most that it was better to have Zev on her side than becoming one of his prey. [break][break]

"So what do you do now?" Zev asked as he began to carve his pumpkin. Rosalie was still sketching on hers but she beamed up at him at the mention of her vocation. "Oh, nothing fancy really." She said as a slight blush colored her cheeks. She reached and grabbed her camera that she had sat beside her on the table and held it out to him. "I work as a photo journalist for HNN." she said as she scratched her cheek. "Mundane I know but it's good work." [break][break]

Rosalie went back to sketching out her pumpkin, not quite pleased with how it was turning out. "I'm not that good so, promise you won't laugh when you take a look." Rosalie said as she shyly turned her azure eyes to Zev and her cheeks puffed out ever so slightly in a pout before melting away quickly. "What about you? What have you been up to this whole time?"
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After pursing her lips for a bit Rosalie went back to mapping out what she wanted to do for her pumpkin. She decided she wanted to go for a cute look as opposed to a scary carving. So instead she carve the berry to look more like a cute pokémon instead. With a vision in her head she began to quickly get to work this time, not wanting to be left behind by Zev next to her. [break][break]

"Sounds like a waste of your talents." Zev replied in response to her being a photo journalist. Rosalie offered a small chuckle and nodded. It certainly would be a waste of her talents if that was all she was doing. "I don't disagree with you," she said as she continued to mark up her pumpkin. "But considering the circumstances, I didn't have much of a choice." she said before finally setting her marker down and grabbing a knife to begin her carving process. [break][break]

"But I guess if you enjoy it, then good for you." Zev added and she shrugged. "It puts food on the table." She said as she flashed him a sympathetic smile. Back when she was in Rocket she was known for hating simple work. She always wanted challenging tasks assigned to her before she always got the greatest dopamine rush when she completed her work flawlessly. Of course she wouldn't be satisficed working as a journalist when she was used to prime time, adrenaline pumping, life or death missions. [break][break]

"It looks fine," Zev said in response to her pumpkin before flashing her a smile she had never seen him wear before. It almost took her off guard and caused her to falter for a moment. It looked so natural too. Luckily for her Rosalie really was practiced at this too. She laughed and gently bumped her shoulder against Zev's. "Thank you for not laughing." She said before she beamed back at him. [break][break]

"I own a bar in Slateport's Lower District called Howling at the Moon. Have you heard of it? We were a sponsor of Splashfest this past summer." Zev went on to respond to her earlier question about what he was up to. "A bar?" Rosalie said as she glanced up from her carving. A cold blooded killer turned bar owner was as odd as they come but then again, Rosalie was in a similar situation so it wasn't really that strange. [break][break]

"Oh yeah, I think I did hear about that place during Splashfest. Oh wow, look at you. It's crazy how much has changed over the years." she said with a smile. "I'll have to drop by sometime. You'll have to make me your best drink." she said as she flashed him a playful wink before turning to pop the top off her pumpkin and begin pulling out the innards. She grimaced, she never did like slimy things getting on her hands.
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Rosalie was indeed and excellent liar. She made it her business to be really. It was the only way to survive and show her importance within Kanto Rocket at the time. With that being said, out of everyone she worked with, the one person that challenged her was Zev. His instincts were insane, to put it lightly. [break][break]

Having witnessed him in action when supplying him information on his targets in the past, she knew how methodical he was in his work. His senses were what made him so lethal in his trade. She could remember in younger years often being in awe of how different it was working with him than working with @caelan. [break][break]

If there was another thing that Rosie prided herself in, it was being aware of her surroundings and what she was up against. She was quite good and knowing when she could stay longer or when she should get out of dodge. Call it her danger sense, but it was something that was constantly going off around Zev. He was someone she had no business playing with, that was for sure. [break][break]

So. To lie or not to lie? That was the question. [break][break]

With how crazy his intuition was Rosalie was sure she would only be able to get so far with something fabricated. Even her best, well thought out lie, might end up unraveled and exposed under Zev's scrutiny. If that were to happen then she would now be a target of Zev's anger and that's just not a position she wanted to be in. She was a freak in many ways but she always prioritized her life.[break][break]

Perhaps that's what made this exchange so off-putting. On the outside they looked like the best of friends but in reality Rosalie had managed to be cornered by a bloodthirsty wolf while she was just as hapless lamb. If not careful, Zev would eat her alive, and not in the fun way. "Definitely drop by! I'd love to have you over. In fact, why not stop by on a night when I'm not working so we can catch up on old times?" Zev replied smoothly as he wiped the pumpkin juice off his hands and reached for his phone. [break][break]

Meanwhile things had been progressing with speeds ever since she figured out how she wanted to carve her pumpkin. She quickly finished ripping out the insides, not wanting to spend any long with the slimy innards of the pumpkin on her hand than she needed to. After the inside was clean to her satisfaction she grabbed a knife, and with practiced precision she'd learned from watching people like Zev, she began to carve up her pumpkin to resemble her Sylveon. [break][break]

Zev extended his phone to her which is what caused her to look up from her work. "Let's exchange numbers." There was a slightly hesitation but Rosie played it off as not being sure whether to put her knife down first or wipe her hands. "Sure thing!" Rosie said with a cheerful grin that shifted into something more mischievous as she began to put her information in his phone. "You're surprisingly good at this too." she said as she quickly snapped a pic of herself for her caller id. "Smoothly getting a girl's number I mean." she continued with a giggle, "Who would've thought?"[break][break]

Passing it as a joke, Rosalie was well aware she had no choice but to hand over her information to Zev lest she invite more of his suspicion to her. Ah, she'd have to think about how to handle this situation thoroughly later. Rosalie handed his phone back to him once she was finished with everything. "Well, it was nice seeing you again." Rosie replied as she sat her knife down, having finished her little pumpkin project. "I look forward to that drink, so don't be a stranger." She said with a playful wink flashed in his direction before she gathered her things and headed out.
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