"That spit out wad of chewing gum can, quite frankly, go fuck itself."

Roman's relationship with Lorelei's ditto was a complicated one, to say the least. (Well, not necessarily, he just hated the obnoxious thing.) When Arcanine bucked and sent it flying, it always managed to get a genuine laugh from the otherwise miserable man. Though he'd seen the way the female Houndoom looked upon his Arcanine and felt a sense of pity for the creature. To love someone else when ironically being stuck in an unwanted relationship was something he felt to be quite relatable as his good eye flicked to look at Lorelei, then back at the Houndoom she called Mother.

"I'm not interested in any missions with anyone quite frankly. I'll work alone or begrudingly work at your side."

His answer was short and simple, and it seemed laughable that her favorite dog even so much thought he had a say in the matter. The company was nothing to him, so it's not like he had even a small sense of obligation to show for the matter. What's the worst that could happen? Another live dissection? He'd survived the first one begrudgingly, he'd survive another. (In hindsight, maybe he should have just let Lorelei put that parasite into his brain so he could let it eat away at any sense of consciousness he may have had in the present.)

Though one idea did come to mind as he spoke to her in a gruff manner. "If you allow me to bow out from this mission, I'll sweeten the deal for you and not only let Mother and Goobly play with Arcanine all they desire, but I'll even join you for a date. It's a win-win for you, you don't have to listen to Goobly complain about wanting a new steed, nor do you have to worry about me saying too much when we attend this mission."

The Arcanine halted and looked bewildered for a moment that he was being offered up as a bargaining token.

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LORELEI DU'MOT

"Fine. Anytime today given that it seems you have the time to humor me at this very moment."

A simple offer, really. But as he eyed his Arcanine, he motioned for it to go spend time with Mother. The pokemon seemed to hesitate, as the last time he'd spent with mother, she'd practically shattered his hind leg. The injury had been healed, sure, but the pain still felt fresh in his mind. But ever the loyal dog, he listened to his trainer and approached the Houndoom pair. The male of the pair seemed more than jealous that an opposing type had dared to tread upon his territory, but the Arcanine bared his teeth, ready to strike. Roman then proceeded to shout at the two.

"Both of you. At ease."

The Arcanine backed down at his trainer's command, but It didn't seem to keen on listening. Which was no surprise. He wasn't the Houndoom's trainer. But it wasn't long before he felt the familiar blob of slime begin to crawl its way up his shoulder. Speak of the devil, and it shall appear. Upon his shoulder sat Goobly as though Lorelei had conjured Bloody Mary herself. Both he and the Ditto seemed to share an expression of disgust that they'd grown fonder of one another. Was that the case? Given how it willingly crawled up Roman's shoulder and how Roman had yet to push it off, it seemed it was. But the two vehemently denied such.

"Hardly. That creature and I couldn't be more opposed."

Roman folded his arms as Goobly readjusted itself accordingly. Whenever Lorelei decided their date would start, he was willing to go. Missions hardly interested him, but it seemed she always wished to drag him along.

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Roman could only nod to her plans. She was a much better planner than he was. He hit the button on the key fob and unlocked the doors, then opened the back doors for both canine like dogs to enter. The way they crawled in one at a time and seemed to lay with one another seemed almost cozy. Perhaps the two had become more acquainted with one another a bit too much. That much had been evident in the little Houndour and Growlithe whom had suddenly made their ways out of the woodworks. Roman looked away and scoffed to himself. Perhaps his team was growing too soft -- he was growing too soft.

Once the dogs were secure, he moved to the passenger side and opened the door for Lorelei. She'd have his head otherwise if he didn't do that much. Once she was in the car, he shut the door and took the driver's seat. All the while, Goobly continued to make its perch upon Roman's shoulder. Perhaps she'd be upset that he went against her orders, but Roman figured it would be better this way. This was supposed to be a team building exercise, so why not do it in the comfort of their own home? Roman started the car, adjusted the air conditioning, and started the journey.

"We can tour the building another time. If we're looking for team bonding, it's best to start with something more intimate," he insisted. "I figure we can go home and start working on dinner together."

Perhaps that was the first time he'd addressed it as simply home. He often referred to it as 'Lorelei's apartment' given he had no right to it. But she insisted that her home was his home. Mm, perhaps he was growing soft. Roman cautiously reached a hand out and placed it on top of Lorelei's. While his hand seemed stiff, it was a start at the very least. From the rear view mirror, he saw the way the two dogs playfully nipped at one another. Just weeks before, they had been beating one another to a bloody pulp, now they seemed inseparable. Ironically Goobly and Roman were the same.

"We'll leave work in the car until after dinner. From there, we can discuss our trip to the Kanto region for business. Does that sound fair to you? We can't focus on team building if we've got work on our minds."

It wasn't long until he pulled the car into the parking garage and then killed the engine. He was first to step out, then opened the passenger door for Lorelei, then allowed the dogs out. Once everyone was assembled, he took the lead to their shared apartment. The elevator ride to the top floor seemed longer than he anticipated, but he didn't go out of his way to make it awkward. Roman reached the apartment first and unlocked the door for their small ensemble, then followed close behind as he closed and locked the door.

He and Goobly went to the sink to wash their hands (or in Goobly's case, its stubs.) After which, Roman searched through the fridge for some ingredients. Since things were a bit more at peace among the two, he went out of his way to make sure the apartment was properly stocked. Lorelei often seemed too busy to worry about such trivial matters. Once he gathered what he needed, he took a few snap peas and fed them to both Arcanine and Mother. The fire dogs seemed thrilled with their new treats. Goobly however didn't seem interested. Roman turned his attention to the vegetables he'd brought out and then turned to Lorelei.

"We're just going to make a simple stew if that works for you. My dad taught me how to make it. If you wouldn't mind, take the meat and begin to cut it into thin strips, then grab some beef broth, oregano, thyme, basil, and olive oil from the cupboards and start mixing them into this pot."

Roman took a pot out from one of the cupboards above the stove and placed it near Lorelei. His focus fell on peeling some of the vegetables and slicing them up, but he did stop just a moment to help Lorelei hold the knife a bit properly once she was ready to cut. To anyone else, it seemed like an intimate gesture with him standing behind her as he helped guide the knife to show her the proper width he wanted her to slice the beef. For a moment, he seemed at peace, but soon pulled away and gave an awkward cough.

"Apologies, I shouldn't be touching you without your permission."

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LORELEI DU'MOT