Toni did cast a small glance towards Andrew at Blue did. She gave the bartender a nod. He returned it with a subtle one, pleased the woman approved of the whiskey, “He hasn’t led me astray yet,” the bartender just seemed to know exactly what you craved. It was a useful talent. If only Toni had such insight life would be easier. Her gaze drifted back towards Blue as she toyed with the glass in her palm. If she has half the insight Andrew had, perhaps she’d be able to figure out what Blue needed to make her stronger – and make toni more money.

Unfortunately, she’d have to guess. Or maybe slowly peel away the layers of this bitter, distant woman. Good thing Toni is a patient person.

“Hm,” she considers blue’s typical ‘routine’. Just seemed like more torture.

“Is that all you do?” she emphasized, a concerned look crossing her olive complexion, “Just fight day in and day out?” she takes a delicate sip of her martini, “Do you ever have fun? Unwind those tense muscles? Forget about the fight for a bit?”

---

blue murtagh
Outfit

Toni may be able to handle herself, but she’d rather not have to. Her dirty work was strictly in the poaching game, all else she’d rather contract out. After all, she’s mostly spoiled and rich, and rather lazy. The only drive she felt was the one the please. It stemmed from deep daddy issues she’d rather not elaborate on.

“Excellent choice,” she praised as she brushed by Blue to head to the bar. She spent a small amount of time chatting with the bartender, this was a frequent haunt of hers when she comes down to the Outskirts.

Toni turned to find where Murk had chosen to take a seat. She slid onto the other side of the velvet booth and pushed a crystal glass towards blue with simple, amber liquid, “I hope you like it,” she grins, her head motioned towards the barkeep, “Andrew says it’s one of his favorites,” it’s certainly not well whiskey, Toni wouldn’t be caught dead purchasing that.

“Cheers,” she raised her martini glass to gently clink against her new companion’s. She took a small sip before setting it back down on the table, gently spinning the stem between her fingers, “What do you typically do after a loss?” Everyone had a routine or a vice that made them feel better, she guessed Murk was no different.

---

blue murtagh
Outfit

Toni inhales the addictive smoke of her own cigarette. She holds her breath for a beat before slowly letting the white fog drip from her lips. The woman’s slender shoulders shrug lightly, “Not enough to worry about,” she admits, but that could be quite a bit of money for the average person. Toni, on the other hand, was very privileged.

As soon as Blue shows the slightest bit of interest in join her, Toni smiles. Its pleasant, and genuine, “I guess I offered, didn’t I?” her intention was to pay as she typically did. One of Toni’s toxic traits was the insatiable desire to please, “I will owe you for escorting me through the dangerous streets of Slateport,” there was an obvious tone of humor to her words.

“Nice to meet you, Murk. I’m Toni,” she responded, “This way then,” she starts down the street once more at a steady pace. The only sound is the echo of her heels off the brick buildings. She mostly walks in silence, giving Blue a little bit of peace as they enjoy the company of the nicotine.

It’s not a far walk, and about two and a half blocks later she leads them down a dark alley to a rather plain door with a faint neon light above it, “Have you ever been here?” she looks back at Blue before tapping the butt of her finish cigarette against the brick wall.

As soon as she yanks the door open, the faint sound of light jazz can be heard drifting up the stairs, “After you,” she holds the door open for Blue to descend then follows closely behind her.

It’s a dark, intimate bar. It’s small and clearly not meant for many people to be inside. Luckily, it’s not a busy night a few couples seem to be enjoying the relaxing atmosphere,

“Have a seat, I’ll get us drinks,” she motions towards a few open tables, the bar doesn’t have much room. Blue can choose what she’s comfortable with, “What would you like?”

---

blue murtagh
Outfit

Composure comes easy enough for two practiced pretenders. Well, for now. They let the boiling lust simmer for a few moments longer. Toni’s heartbeat quickens, betraying her excitement as his breath lingers on her ear. The sharp nip sends a jolt through her core, causing her grip to tighten again on his arm. Her fingers snake up into his silver hair, leverage to pull herself close, scarlet lips find his ear and she repeats a familiar phrase, “Lead the way, Stranger.”

---

Amor Rose | Costume Party
Outfit

The orange flare of the cigarette cast a dull light on Blue’s features. The poacher’s soft gaze traced the silhouette of darkening bruises across her cheek, and the swelling bubbling up from beneath. Toni admired strong woman, and Blue already had a leg up on others considering she willingly jumped into the ring night after night. That took physical strength and steeled mental strength, both very attractive qualities. The woman’s enthusiasm to win made Toni smile, “And win you shall,” hopefully. She’d bet money on Blue again.

Toni wasn’t one to give admiration freely – only to those that deserved it. With admiration came genuine curiosity. What made Blue tick? Did she have the drive to truly win next time? Although Toni’s motivations may be monetary in nature, she hated to see wasted potential. When she saw a fellow strong woman crumpled on the street, she couldn’t help but pick her back up. Needed to, actually.

“Care for a drink?” she turned to face the empty streets of the Outskirts, “I’m on my way there now. It’s a nice little speakeasy a couple blocks away,” she glanced over to judge if Blue seemed interested or not, “They make a wonderfully strong dirty martini,” one of Toni’s favorites.

---

blue murtagh
Outfit

A relationship built on lies was not a relationship at all. Good thing that’s what neither of them are looking for. Between all the lies, their desires overlap. There’s a shadowed area amongst their privileged lives that’s taboo. Tonight’s the night to dip their toes in the dark water, to bite the forbidden fruit, to cast aside a sense of purpose and indulge in selfish behaviors.

Deep down, Toni despises men. They’re animals that typically preyed on the weak. She’s a predator, and most men posed a threat to her whether that meant in business or amongst their social circles. What would it be like to take a fellow predator head on? Fight to the death until their desires are equally met?

Tonight would be the night to live fearlessly. After all, what is there to fear when none of it is real?

His lips creep closer, close enough to feel the warmth of his breath drift across them before he pounces. She meets the predator on his level, sharp nails dig into his arm as she pulls herself closer to deepen the passion of the kiss. She’s equally as aggressive and unhinged, biting at his lip before she pulls away, “Mmm,” she licks her lips, a shaky breath replenishes her while a desire for more claws at her chest. She likes the taste of losing control, “Delicious.”

---

Amor Rose | Costume Party
Outfit

Toni didn’t stop the gentle tug as he pulled her closer. Her own movements flawlessly shifted just slightly to keep her from stepping on his feet. The world that spun around them seemed to of little consequence to either as they hungrily devoured each other’s company.

“Mm yes, no consequences,” who wouldn’t be enticed by that? “I certainly find it exhilarating,” she admits, wondering what sort of trouble she’d allow herself to get into with the promise of no consequences.

The music slows, and she falls into a dip, her weight pressing into the hand on her back. She places trust in the Stranger not to let her fall. Her lips twitch into a small smirk as she looks up at him, dark eyes bearing into his, “Perhaps we’re both lucky,” she responds in a quiet voice.

---

Amor Rose | Costume Party
Outfit

For years her mother groomed her to remain among the high society in Sinnoh. Balls, galas, philanthropic events: they were all a staple in her previous life. It’s not that Toni didn’t enjoy them, but they were never quite as exciting as gatherings like these. But her mother had trained her well, and when the Stranger proceeds to lead them into a Waltz, she falls into pace with him naturally, staying close.

Toni laugh lightly at the thought of someone running around with nothing but a mask. It’s true though, at events like this, the promise of anonymity could be almost too alluring – no consequences.

“This is actually my first event like this,” it’s a lie, but so is everything else tonight, “But I do see the appeal.”

---

Amor Rose |Costume Party

Outfit

Amongst mingling guests, it’s easy to spot someone moving against the crowd. Long silver hair, tall, a dark suit. Toni’s scarlet lips turned up in a smile of greeting before she took a small sip of her dirty martini. The bitterness of the olives soothed the sharp sting of the chilled vodka.

“Yes, that would defeat the purpose,” she agrees with a soft smile. Her dark gaze only breaks from his for a moment to inspect his outfit, it’s more stately than what she chose to go with. Her reputation wasn’t important tonight, no one would know who she was, she could be whoever she wanted to be.

Her head tilts subtly as she considers the offer with another sip of her cocktail. The sip quickly turns into a few gulps as she finishes the beverage. It would be too hard to dance with one in her hand. Her tongue gently traces the curve of her lips to pick up any stray beads of the martini, “Sure,” she lets a nearby waiter take her drink before she steps forward to slip her arm underneath his, “Lead the way, stranger.”

---

Amor Rose |Costume Party

Outfit

Cotume parties were always quite fun, especially masquerades. There’s always an air of mystery around each attendant which always added a little spice. Toni, in particular enjoyed the deception. Anyone could be whoever they wanted to be, no rules, no strings attached.

“Thank you,” she purrs, delicately taking the full martini glass off the tray offered by the waiter. Even the staff were dressed to the nines, hiding their faces behind matching masks. The night is young, and she had yet to find herself getting in any trouble, but her dark eyes do sparkle with a hint of mischief as they prowl across the partygoers, admiring the variety of costumes.

---

Amor Rose |Costume Party
Outfit

Toni wasn’t the kind of woman to be deterred that easily. She’s a predator; once she sets her sights on her prey, she’s locked-on, like a Dragapault ready to fire its Dreepy. It’ll take more than a few swats of her sharp claws to drive Toni away.

Blue posed a good question; how could a stranger possibly know? After Toni took back the handkerchief, she stood, tucking it back into the pocket of her leather jacket, “I have an eye for precious gems,” a true statement, in more than the literal sense, “And you, my dear, are Alexandrite,” The color changing gem, a rare and extraordinarily beautiful stone that never looked the same no matter how many times one inspected it. At first glance, it could look like a dull brown, and the next a blue as brilliant as the woman's hair. The analogy might not mean much to Blue, but Toni is willing to educate her should she ask.

The Poacher returned to her previous habits, withdrawing the carton of cigarettes from her other pocket. One found its way between dark red lips, she offered Blue one before replacing the carton with a lighter.

The fire cast a glow over her thoughtful expression as she lit the cigarette. It gave Blue a brief glimpse of her perfectly shaped eyebrows, the delicate lines of her make up, and her flawless olive skin. She’s obviously a woman who takes great care in her appearance, a stark contrast to the bruised a bloody fighter.

“Well, I had to get you up off the ground, bad for business,” her smile was somewhere between sincere and mischievous. It’s hard to tell beneath the shadows of the streetlights, “Or perhaps I should have left you there . . . the odds would have been better next time – when you win,” she handed Blue her own cigarette to light hers if she took one when Toni offered.

---

blue murtagh
Outfit

You wouldn’t catch Toni dead in the middle of one of those rings, but it wasn’t uncommon to find her hovering around the edge, where she can feel the sweat and blood sprinkle against her cheek after a good right hook. The thrill of the fight had always been appealing to her: two predators driven to tear the other apart. As always, the heiress had cash to burn and betting on fighting had become a past time.

Unfortunately, tonight, her champion didn’t win. The cash she lost wasn’t of importance, but she was still frustrated leaving empty handed. Toni just liked to be right, and when she wasn’t, she would go out of her way to change the narrative. For the next fight, she’d be right, doubling her bet to prove it.

The soft click of her heels echoed across the rather empty streets of Slateport’s outskirts. Her next destination was a local bar, somewhere she could end the night on a positive note. She knew the way through the dark streets like the back of her hand.

She reached into her pocket to extract a cigarette as a means of company while she walked. The familiar motion was stopped by flash of blue hair she recognized from not too long ago.

The woman she bet on was sitting in the middle of the sidewalk, fingers laced behind her head. A snappy, defensive tone and pitiful slump in her shoulder gave away the depression many felt after a loss.

The streetlights glistened off the sharp, dark gaze of the poacher as she stood above Blue. Toni didn’t see a bruised and defeated woman, Toni saw potential in blue’s moment of weakness. The potential was hers for the taking, and Toni rarely passed up an opportunity that could benefit her.

“You underestimate yourself,” the words rolled off her tongue in a steady purr. She squatted beside Blue, a perfectly manicured hand drifts up from her pocket, offering the woman a handkerchief, “You have a little something on your cheek,” dried blood perhaps? Old money, old habits.

”You have more to offer than you give yourself credit for.”

---

blue murtagh
Outfit

Toni’s lips curl into a small grin as she explains her laughter, “I’m sure we’re not the only ones . . . they can be very frustrating at times,” she spares a glances towards her own bundle of trouble. Again, she looks rather content, flicking her tail before venturing a bit further down the path.

It seemed they were done with their break, so Toni packs up the water bottle and little bowl and swings her backpack back onto her shoulder, “A pokemon shelter? That’s interesting,” Toni had heard of these places but she had never been to one. Any pokemon her family obtained was wild caught (poached) or pure bred for specific traits, “I’ve never been to a pokemon shelter. What’s it like?” she imagined they were all either injured or misfits that proved too much for trainers. In other words, b-team pokemon, something a woman of her standing wouldn’t put up with. She paid a lot of money for well-bred and trained pokemon.

A loud hiss and growl proceeded the bolt of electricity that zapped out of the kitten. A moment later, the pokemon was returning with an Archen in her maw, looking smug as ever as she dropped it at Toni’s feet. The Shinx was sure it was bigger than the Jolteon’s previous catch.

---

CJ Mizikar
Catching Archen!
- 3 Pokeball
Duo Wild (Flying/Water)

outfit