Why did they let a child in on this job!?

That was the question racing through the Mad Dog's mind, as they made their way over to the dig site. Sure, the girl had the experience and skillset needed for the job, but he thought she was far too young to put herself in harm's way.

Dorian was used to dealing with children, considering his frequent visits to the orphanages he sponsored. But he would never get over the fact that they let a kid like her on such a job.

"Very carefully. Though good communication, and keeping track of landmarks.", he'd tell the young thief.

"You should listen to your Castform. Little guy's just trying to keep you safe.", the veteran Rocket told the girl, who was less than half his age.

Finally, Dorian would spy their destination. "We're nearly there!", he called out, attempting to distract the two from their argument.

---

tags: Harper Mann
notes: tl;dr

[attr="class","samjermain"]To Harper, this guy wasn’t some rabid maniac. He was just another boring adult who worried way too much about stuff. She could see it in his face and stern expression. It made her want to giggle. His answer drew a frown from the thief. A puff of hot air escaped as she blew errant bangs out of her eyes. “That sounds boring AF.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’ll just use the stars like old sailors did!”

Not that she knew anything about stars. Growing up in the poorest parts of Slateport, the closest she got to seeing them was the lights on plane wings. But she’d figure it out eventually. Planning and being careful had never been her things. Cats had nine lives after all, and she wanted to live that way!

When Dorian mentioned Cumoo, Harper sighed. “I know he is, but he doesn’t have to be so pushy.” She narrowed her eyes at the Castform, sneaking a raspberry when she thought Dorian wasn’t looking. How am I ever gonna learn if I ain’t given a chance to do anything.” For a kid that’d been risking tetanus as long as she could walk, a domestic life felt like a casket. Those months she spent with her foster families—getting up at the same time and going to bed super early.

The call was met with an excited grin. “Really!?” Her breath emerged in a breathless gasp as she leaned up and over the Flygon’s neck. Still new to flying, the dragon grumbled, trying to steady himself as she slid further up his back. Then, the woods cleared. “Wooooow! Dorian, look! It’s full of old stuff!”

She gently prodded the Flygon with her feet, now hanging into his face. “C’mon, Chompy! Get down there!” Before he touched the ground, she jumped off and raced toward the nearest entrance.

[attr="class","samjerpoke"]

Dorian shook his head as she mentioned using the stars. "You know how to use the stars?", Dorian asked her skeptically.

As she protested his support of the Castform, he sighed. "The Castform's just looking out for you. Means that the little guy clearly loves you, and doesn't want to see you get hurt.", he'd tell her. "There are better ways of learning that don't involve you getting seriously hurt, or killed.", he'd continue.

This was gonna be a long mission, he could tell.

As she raced inside, Dorian would recall Flaming Lizzy, and send out Smoochie Duckie in her place.

"Hey, careful down there!", Dorian called out to her, coming in after her.

---

tags: Harper Mann
notes: tl;dr

[attr="class","samjer","samjertag"]
dorian westcliff

Dorian shook her head at how dismissive the young girl was. "Famous last words.", he remarked. At the end of the day, he didn't want her to figure it out too late.

"I don't even see 'daddy' around.", he retorted. He didn't know that her 'daddy' was a disabled Liepard. But one thing was for sure, he knew that 'daddy' was a terrible influence on the girl. Though he was the last person who should be calling such a thing out.

Dorian scoffed as she brought up books. That was the farthest thing that Dorian was thinking of. "No, but there are hands-on ways to learn about it without getting yourself hurt or killed in the process.", he'd retort. "You can learn lockpicking without fumbling around in hostile territory. And you can practice backflips in gymnasiums or yards.", he'd tell her.

Services which Rocket gladly provided. They could procure almost any lock on the market, in order to help members learn how to defeat them. And backflipping could easily be taught by one of the more experienced members.

Dorian sighed as she said she wouldn't activate any booby traps. He'd believe it when he'd see it.

"Probably thousands of years old.", he'd tell the girl. "Like the Megalopolans? I think it'd look a bit - shinier, if that were the case.", he'd reply, allowing himself to play along.

Just because the path was well traveled, didn't mean danger wasn't lurking somewhere. Dorian and Smoochie kept vigilant, should anything crop up. The Mad Dog was closely watching his step, making sure he didn't hit any pressure plates.

---

tags: Harper Mann
notes: tl;dr

[attr="class","samjermain"]The pinkette just grinned at the stuffy man. Her tongue stuck out at him as she danced across the floor. “That’s only because those people died.” She shook her head with a sigh. “Waaaay more people have that and have been perfectly fine!” Just like she’d be. These traps were ancient. She doubted most of them even worked anymore.

When the guy mentioned Daddy, the girl’s mood soured. She could hear the derision in his words, and to Harper that was akin to blasphemy.. “That’s because he doesn’t have time for you!” The girl muttered—turning to face him. An old tennis shoe barely danced over a pressure plate. “And he’s busy.” Doing what, Harper didn’t know. But it had to be important, or he wouldn’t have left this to Captain Dandruff Shampoo here.

His rebuttal drew a wrinkled nose. “I already know how to do that stuff.” When most kids were playing with plastic keys, she’d been fumbling with secondhand lockpicks. And backflips? Hah! She could totally do those in her sleep with her eyes closed. “This kind of stuff ya gotta learn through experience!” It isn’t like normal people had trap axes in their backyards. Unless they were some crazy rich butthole.

“That’s almost as old as you!” Harper responded with a teasing grin. There was a click beneath her as a tile sank a couple of inches. “Uh-oh.” With a hiss, Harper dropped to the ground. “Get down!” Empty puffs of air followed as long empty dart barrels activated.

[attr="class","samjerpoke"]

There was no getting through to this girl, was there?

Whoever this boss of hers was, it seemed his remark about him struck a nerve. "If you say so.", Dorian told her. Clearly, the disgust of letting a young girl endanger herself in such a manner didn't sit well with him at all.

"My point is that there are safer ways to learn from experience.", Dorian told her.

The Fire specialist rolled his eyes at her remark about his age. That was, until he heard the pressure plate, and the sounds of darts flying towards them.

Instinctively, Dorian took to the ground, attempting to use his body to shield the teenager from anything that might hurt her. Once the danger was over, Dorian got up, and offered to help Harper up.

"You need to be more careful.", he remarked.

---

tags: Harper Mann
notes: tl;dr

[attr="class","samjermain"]All this talk of daddy made her wish he was the one walking next to her. He'd probably be better at it than Chinese Takeout hair next to her. The fact that he wasn't hurt. "Yeah." She muttered. "I just did."

Harper smiled. "Daddy says pain is the best teacher." A mindset expressed in the hundreds of white scars dotting the girl's extremities. "And, it's not like this way killed me or nothing." After all, she'd done plenty of risky stuff and she was just fine.

With a huff, Harper rolled out from under him. "It's just air, Mister Dorian." She shook her head. "I'd be super surprised if any of this junk still worked."

She muttered. "All those people probably died of boredom."

[attr="class","samjerpoke"]

"Yet.", Dorian added. "Eventually, everyone's luck runs out."

Dorian looked around at the aftermath of the trap, finding no darts had pierced the walls. He was in disbelief that it was indeed a broken trap.

"Assuming things like that will eventually get you killed.", Dorian warned her. "Best practice is to always assume things will go sideways, and prepare accordingly.", Dorian continued.

The Mad Dog would continue to make his way into the temple. With the revelation that the traps weren't functional, it made the trip that much easier. Despite his annoyance at the child's recklessness, Dorian continued to act as her protector, even if she didn't need it this time.

---

tags: Harper Mann
notes: tl;dr

[attr="class","samjermain"]The pinkette just grins. "That's why cats have nine lives.' Dull fingers flexed at him--as if a kitten showing off teeny-tiny claws. as she stared at the lack of aftermath. One trainer kicked irritably at shards of rock. The broken remnants of a once fired trap.

"Better to be dead than paranoid." A life like that sounded terrible. She was a kid not a turtle. And, she wasn't about to turn and run at the first sign of trouble neither. It wasn't what Daddy would do. "It makes me think you need a therapist." Then again, her own sunniness shocked many people. For a kid that went to bed hungry most nights, she had a lot of faith in the future.

"This sucks." Harper murmured as they passed over a broken trip wire. This she also toed with her foot, hoping to get anything out of it. All this work and her heroic moment turned into nothing but a museum tour. Finally, they reached the room at the temple's base. "And, it's gone." She pointed to a platform where a gem once sat.

Underneath a pile of rubble, a stone gleamed. The last thief to die here clutched to it like it could save him from the giant boulder that'd crushed his spine.

[attr="class","samjerpoke"]

"Paranoia has its benefits, especially in our lines of work. You'll understand, in the future.", he'd tell the teenager.

"Speak for yourself.", Dorian scoffed at the pinkette.

Dorian watched as she teased the broken traps. Dorian questioned how long ago this temple was last raided.

When they finally reached their destination, Dorian sighed. It seemed that the prize had already been claimed. That was, until he spotted the gleam from the rubble. Dorian, with his strength, was able to move the rubble aside, to take the stone away from the arms of the dead thief.

After looking around, he looked back to Harper, offering her the prize. "Now, let's head back home."

---

tags: Harper Mann
notes: tl;dr

[attr="class","samjermain"]The pinkette just grins. "That's why cats have nine lives.' Dull fingers flexed at him--as if a kitten showing off teeny-tiny claws. as she stared at the lack of aftermath. One trainer kicked irritably at shards of rock. The broken remnants of a once fired trap.

"Better to be dead than paranoid." A life like that sounded terrible. She was a kid not a turtle. And, she wasn't about to turn and run at the first sign of trouble neither. It wasn't what Daddy would do. "It makes me think you need a therapist." Then again, her own sunniness shocked many people. For a kid that went to bed hungry most nights, she had a lot of faith in the future.

"This sucks." Harper murmured as they passed over a broken trip wire. This she also toed with her foot, hoping to get anything out of it. All this work and her heroic moment turned into nothing but a museum tour. Finally, they reached the room at the temple's base. "And, it's gone." She pointed to a platform where a gem once sat.

Underneath a pile of rubble, a stone gleamed. The last thief to die here clutched to it like it could save him from the giant boulder that'd crushed his spine.Harper just shook her head. "Adults always say that." She blew an errant puff of hair out of her face. "But it still hasn't happened. I'm starting to think it's bull." It wasn't like they ever gave her a deadline or anything. So, if she ever learned, they could just tut-tut and say they were right. "And, I always do." Unless it was Daddy asking her to do something. Obviously, she couldn't just ignore her daddy. Except when she did.

With eyes aglow with Sableye greed, Harper scooped the thing from Dorian's hand. With a smirk, she tucked it in her messenger bag. As if to make sure it hadn't levitated away, she gave the worn thing a couple of pats. "Daddy's going to love this." She snorted. "Shows him useless." Nodding to the elder man, the pinkette would dance her way back to the surface. Then, they'd make their way home. Which for her meant one of five different abandoned storefronts.

Hopefully, they hawked this thing off for a good price. Obviously, a lot of people had wanted it for something.

[attr="class","samjerpoke"]