While still out of sight, she stretched once more, taking a deep sigh. A deliberate action, given that she had to kind of psych herself up a little bit. And she did not want to be seen doing it, really, because that was kind of weird. They were just going to travel, after all. Nothing ground breaking. Something she had done over and over in the past. Not as often with this woman, but it was still kind of normal. A nothing to see here kind of moment, as far as she was concerned.
[break][break]
But it still kind of felt weird, after everything that had happened. Weird, but not necessarily bad. In fact, she had a kind of good feeling about it all. The fresh air and sun were already doing her good and she enjoyed being on the move again instead of cramped up in or near a hospital.[break][break]
Megan tried to focus on that as she put on a smile, rounded the corner and started walking towards the two azure beings on the bridge. That was the kind of positivity they needed. So, she would do her best to conjure it up, by force if necessary.

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Now, this did make her laugh. Not really at Jo, no, but the casual way she just said that, it just broke a bit of a dam that she had to get out now. At least for a few moments before it started hurt a bit. She had been thrown around a bit back then, too, after all. Probably best to take it a bit easier for the time being. “Look at who just took my goal over,” she replied instead, smirking a little. It was a bit odd to hear Jo say it, but Megan could relate, to an extent.
[break][break]
Though their motivations were fairly different in that regard. Which actually did make her ponder, if briefly. Then, she decided to put on a bit of a more serious face. “But, well then, I guess it is decided then. Once you are better, you are coming with me for a bit. For one, because you really need to be at you’re a-game for that, if you want to go for it. You probably don’t want to run straight to the league after all this, just in case someone remembers you somehow. But most importantly, I guess we are in the same boat here. You probably don’t have a gimmick to go right away, so we can strategize together a bit in that regard. But also…”
[break][break]
She let that stand in the room for a bit as she tried to fixate Jo with her gaze. What she wanted to say next probably came across as a bit rude and serious, so she really only wanted to say it once. “I might be overstepping my bounds here a bit or get it all wrong. But I don’t know, it’s something I have been struggling with a lot myself. Part of the reason why I am doing things in a roundabout way. But being a gym leader, teaching, helping others along the path…I have come to realize that it’s not something one should do for the wrong reasons, else you just teach the wrong lessons, right? Don’t get me wrong, I could see you as one. But you should want to be one because you want to be one, if that makes any sense? Not because you feel like you should, for others.”

[break][break]

+ ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Well, I would not suggest Pokemart employee, at least if you do value your health and sanity,” she replied, laughing lightly. Incidentally, she didn’t really recall whether or not she had actually told the other about that. They had been too busy either ignoring dark histories or focusing on Jo’s so far, after all. Probably best not to say much in that regard.
[break][break]
Crossing her legs at the ankles, she leaned back and though. “But, hmm, I am not sure I can be of too much help in that regard. I am kind of unemployed myself, just doing odd jobs as I travel to make money to keep me afloat. Not exactly a steady life with a regulated income, but for now, it suits me. I am on a journey, after all.” It wasn’t for everyone, she knew that. But she also did not want to lie. Though she had not exactly planned on continuing as she did, that just sort of happened. “Want to join me?”

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Good!” Her reply did sound a bit more invigorated now. Was it because she had gotten her way there? Or was it just because she now had at least a semblance of a plan? Either probably worked, even if neither truly seemed fully applicable.
[break][break]
Either way though, she immediately felt at least bit more lively already. Thus, she was able to sit back down and even ease up a bit. Those things had had to be said, yes, but aside from that things were getting a bit more decent, weren’t they? “That being said, let’s hope nothing too bad happens anytime soon. I kind of had my fill of those kinds of adventures for a while. And you will need to recover for at least a few days the doctor said, so I guess I will stay in town for a while, too.”
[break][break]
And yes, that was just what was going to happen one way or another. Jo didn’t really have that much of a say in that particular matter.

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

This all was just no good. To be like this, to be like this in front of someone who had suffered way more than she had, it was all but rude, really. And with every second that passed, she kind of felt worse about it all. Megan sighed, softly, as she rested half-sitting on the bed for the time being, though also careful to not be too close to the injured one.
[break][break]
Who still seemed to take this in a lot better stride than she did, admittedly. Megan was half surprised at the sentiment, half not. Her friend had seemed rather unhappy with her situation when everything got revealed. It probably was just that simple. If you got frozen in shock when a friend found out about your job, it was probably not a good one. [break][break]
Meg reached out, starting to say something, but then she did not. Instead, she briefly patted the other on the head. That one had not been bandaged, so it was safe. “I am not going to second-guess that due to the danger you speak of. But promise me one thing regarding that job change. If there is anything I could do to protect you from that kind of retaliation, you tell me. I can’t take on gods, but I can take on thugs to protect someone I care about. At least that.”

[break][break]

+ ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

The best thing the other could do to get her out of that space was, ironically, to move. Because Meg was very quick at getting up herself when she saw that and gently, but decidedly, pushing the other back down onto the bed. “Doc says you stay in bed, so you stay in bed,” she replied, strictly but with a bit of warmth in her voice. There was no telling what kind of issues came from coming back from the dead, after all. It was better to not take any chances.
[break][break]
“But yeah. I know. And I am still not sure how I feel about you almost dying. I mean, we don’t know each other for that long. And you could have probably died in-between our meetings as well without me ever knowing, with that dangerous job and all. I am grateful that we both survived. But that also just means I will worry more in the future. That I will have to get strong enough so that I can actually do something the next time something like that comes up. What if I can’t and either of us does end up dead?” It was definitely eating at her still. And that brush with death was difficult to just get rid of.

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

This was a veritable army. And not one armed with bamboo swords, no. Those blades and edges were all very sharp, much in the same vein that the knives she had had made for Jo not too long ago. Only they had two. And they seemed rather dangerous. It was probably best to just watch and wait, see if any of those rose to become threats to the people around them before doing anything.
[break][break]
Those things did look intimidating, but that wasn’t it. They just were dangerous, there were many of them, and any one of them could probably seriously injure or kill. It would have been rather foolish to just casually engage. Though Megan did put some time aside in her observations to look for stragglers or those that strayed from the pitfights. Just in case she could snag one for herself. Which would admittedly be kind of awesome.

[break][break]

+ bamboo

[attr="class","pokeclass"]