Seeing the other so chipper really helped. This was a tough thing she was attempting here, after all. Having Jo be so glad to see her put that heart of hers a bit more at ease. Still not greatly, but she would make do. She always did, after all.
[break][break]
But this bit more of energy saw her nod to herself and rise fully. “Greetings, challenger Johanna,” she announced, partly echoing her new line of work, but also because she tended to put most things into battle terms. Helped her form her thoughts properly. Plus, she was going to poise a challenge at the other. That was why she raised her arm and pointed it right at the bluenette.
[break][break]
“I hope you are ready to face Megan’s surprise seaside super challenge. Because it is here now. And the prize is the greatest in this world: important knowledge that you might not even know you were looking for.” Naturally, she was all upbeat as she spouted that half nonsense, but she clearly was also determined. That inflection would probably not leave her voice when something was important, ever. “The one I mentioned in the finals, of course. I do hope you are ready and can overcome it.”

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“The rules are simple. You can’t just run away from the challenge and you can’t lie. Pretty straightforward. This is about getting some truth, so just being deceptive would not do.” She shrugged briefly, putting some emphasis on her theatrics there. But it was decidedly playful nonetheless.
[break][break]
As was evident by the smirk she offered after. “Not that I would think that you would be lying. You might be crafty, but not really all that deceptive.” Heck, even during her time as a Rocket, the other, at least when it came to Megan, had not exactly done a good job at lying to begin with.

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“I expected nothing less of you,” Megan noted, nodding her head over crossed arms. It was, indeed, what she had expected of the other. There had been a time when Johanna had seemed, to her, like an antsy person, like someone who did not truly knew what to do with herself. But that had ended when they had met up again on that mountain, or so she reckoned.
[break][break]
Thinking back to that time always came with truly unpleasant memories, of another being seemingly killed just a few feet from her, Megan unable to do anything about it. A memory that still often came to her at night. But she had decided to not run from that anymore, either. Even though she certainly had not become so powerful as to easily deal with such things, of course. She had not changed in that regard. Just in another.
[break][break]
Which was why she was trying to address something head-on. Even though it somehow still ended up being in a roundabout way. “Very well then. Let us start with the easiest or hardest challenge first. A simple question.” She phrased it that way on purpose, simply because it was up to Jo what it was. Because it was all up to the other what she took as the question itself, there. Either way, Megan tried to fixate the other’s gaze before she actually poised it anyway.
[break][break]“It’s simple, so I ask you. Who am I?”

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Hmm,” she sounded in response, seemingly lost in thought. Jo certainly had not failed the challenge when it came to the veracity of the statement. That was, indeed her name. And it probably was what they were to one another, too. Well, what she was to Jo, at least. Still though, even though the other had said that so quickly and decisively – and it was definitely positive – she still found herself feeling a bit, well, off.
[break][break]
Hence, she was briefly lost in thought. “That is definitely good to hear, and I am indeed grateful,” she ultimately decided to reply, nodding to herself. Then, she looked up at the other again. “Then I will give you the next question to answer, because I don’t really why, myself. Maybe someone can tell from the outside.” She rubbed the back of her head as she said that. “Why do you think did I feel a bit of disappointment when you said that, still?”

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Ah, don’t worry about it too much, I’ll be fine,” she replied with a laugh and a gesture of pushing things to the side for the time being. Though that did not feel quite right. Megan just did not really know why or how, either. She groaned briefly, trying to wrap her head around things. “But you lose two points, one for not answering and one for asking questions. That’s my turn right now.” Which was not entirely fair, since she was making up the rules of all this. But it was probably still fine.
[break][break]
Somehow, at least. Ugh. She did not like feeling this way. Hence, she made another step closer towards Johanna. That did feel right, at least. “There could be a hundred reasons, but there is only one. But leaving that aside, what about you? You seem like something is bothering you, too. And remember, you are a point down now.” Now that was probably a bit unfair, but that was just another word for posing a proper challenge to the other. At least that was how it worked in her head, anyway. This was supposed to be difficult, after all. How else would they attain truth?

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Oh. She kind of had brought this upon herself? This tersity, the air feeling surprisingly thick from one moment to the next – she had put a lot of pressure on the other and, in a way, on herself, so that was all on her. But still, this was something that had bugged her. Ever since that ancient thing, something had been odd. Something had felt like it had stood between them. And it had not been the other jumping between life stations seemingly uncertain where she wanted to go. That was something that Megan could relate to, after all, and she had easily accepted it.
[break][break]
But something had been there. Something she could not vocalize, something that seemed to stop the other just a step too short or something like that. Hence, she had set all of this up. To clear the air and get out what was there. Even if she did not understand it, she could still tell, on some level, that it needed to get out somehow.
[break][break]
Still, she felt a bit bad, seeing the other struggling like this. It was difficult for her, too. But it felt necessary still.
[break][break]
And hence, when that answer came and she realized what was going on – at least as well as she could without relevant experience – Meg could not help it but lead a hand to her own mouth and chuckle. Which then transitioned into a clear, genuine laugh. Megan just felt quite….elated was probably the right word. There had been quite a weight lifted from her shoulders. Everything beyond them was just gone momentarily. And while she was cognizant of Johanna still, she just could not imagine the other taking this as some sort of ridicule.[break][break]
Still though, it was probably just proper to apologize at least a little. “Sorry, sorry, I am obviously not laughing at you. More at, well, I kind of thought you we were growing apart or that you had some problem with me. Not something big, just something nagging or so. This is actually quite a relief. Besides, it’s not negative at all. I am flattered.” She briefly scratched the back of her neck. “And I guess I might be the same? I honestly don’t know how that works. But that’s probably why it felt bad to just be best friends, you know?”

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy

[attr="class","pokeclass"]