“Yeah.” Still holding onto Levy’s arms though there was no more concern of him tripping, Wren stared up at him with wide eyes. He was smiling but Wren still didn’t know exactly what it was he was thinking. It was good, right? This was good.[break][break]

And then as Levy began to speak, a mirroring smile slipped across his face. Bright pink seeped under his skin as well, still unsure of how to accept compliments like the ones Levy was littering him with. “Thanks, Lev. I just…thought it would be nice, you know?”[break][break]

His head bobbed in agreement, “I missed you too, I really hated being so far apart.” It was something he still felt a little guilty for, knowing now how much it had affected Levy.[break][break]

But he was gonna fix that, and make it better! For sure.[break][break]

“I’m definitely not, ummm, gonna move back in with my parents or anything. I should be able to afford something on the salary captains make so…” he trailed awkwardly, attention flitting to Juno where she was bowling over a gloom with QUICK ATTACK.[break][break]

“I thought maybe, er, if you wanted—I mean! We could be roommates.” It was a neutral way of putting it, and maybe taboo so early in a new relationship, but at the same time Levy was his best friend. It was something he would’ve asked anyway. So that was how he spun it.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]

Levy Alinsky     [break]
poison/bug/grass // catching gloom!

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-leafeon"]

He blurts it out before thinking about it— “A friend. I mean, er, I was looking for him. A friend.” Only a friend? Of course not, but Wren isn’t about to admit that when he can barely admit it to himself.[break][break]

Something shifts, though, and while he’s usually content and a little oblivious, he senses it this time. Maybe it’s because he knows where Elijah’s affiliation rests.[break][break]

On the other hand…Wren finds factional divide to be a more massively gray area than would likely be approved of by older League members.[break][break]

Curiosity admittedly is a driving factor as well—separate from any stance he might take. This aligns with his own interests. “I’m not scared, if that’s what you’re wondering.” Soft and lamb-hearted? Yes, sure fine. But Wren had never been one to shy away out of fear.[break][break]

In fact, he puffs up a bit right then and there (metaphorically, and also a bit literally from the way his cheeks inflate slightly as his brows pinch together in fixed determination.) “I’m not scared of you, either.”

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]

elijah gardner [break]
mission / repeat for wren

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-salandit"]

Wren has to stifle the short lived flare of pain in his foot, but it’s fine. Even if it’s a reminder to the both of them of that day. The circumstance that made their lines cross in the first place.[break][break]

“Hm?” he blinks up at Elijah, still smiling. Eyes wide and blithe. “What sort of things are you referring to?”[break][break]

It’s more than obvious that it’s not a baiting or suspicious question. It’s all simple curiosity in pure, innocent form.[break][break]

But then comes a new question on Elijah’s end and Wren cows, just slightly. A nervous titter of laughter, a slight falter in his grin. His eyes dart to the side—easy tell.[break][break]

“Oh. Er, well I wouldn’t say that bravery was something I was thinking about then.” An anxious answer, but an honest one. Albeit evasive. He’s never been a decent liar.[break][break]

Levy’s salandit, sensing the shift in his demeanor, claws his way up Wren’s pant leg into he can hold onto the reptile. Warm scales and steady presence in a small, onyx head burrowed against his next.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]

elijah gardner [break]
mission / repeat for wren

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-salandit"]

[attr="class","icon"]

Levy moved away from him and Wren watched him go like a droopy, forlorn puppy. Had he done something? Maybe it was the sudden attached at the hip attitude he'd seemingly developed out of nowhere. But then again, Wren didn't really understand or register it, either. So when Paxton looked at him with question, his brow furrowed. "Nothing's the matter...?" But that wasn't fully true, was it?[break][break]

He felt lulled by the melody still permeating the background, until the bell in the clocktower thrummed. For a moment at least, the heavy noise cut through the distracted emotions in his brain, dispelling the fog. "Huh? Yeah, guess I did. What was I.." He frowned, but there wasn't any time to begin parsing through it.[break][break]

One by one, the sleeping mechanical creatures began to light up, and as Paxton was suggesting they move, Luka was protesting that she couldn't. "What do you mean 'find it'..?"[break][break]

Releasing his psyduck, the tera orb he'd brought along slid from his pocket and into his hand. Activating it, he let the energy direct at Winston and soon the psyduck was enveloped in pale blue crystalized light. His glance strayed from Luka back to Paxton. "If you go ahead, I can back you up." At least to a decent extent. Obviously he couldn't take down all the strange pokemon on his own, but he could at least buy a little time.[break][break]

He sought out Levy then, hand reaching to make sure he got pulled back to the group in time.

tldr; utilize terastallization[break]

[attr="class","bottom"]Levy Alinsky luka chêne paxton concordas [break]

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he replied, struggling to fight off a shy little smile that followed. He didn’t know how to handle the praise, even from Levy. He was always so awkward with it, and quick to make light of anything good done. Levy’s gratitude was a big thing, but Wren had never felt the need to be thanked. He’d wanted to befriend Levy because he’d wanted to. Simple as that. It had never been an act of altruism or service. He’d been curious, then drawn to him again and again.[break][break]

Love was funny like that.[break][break]

Maybe he should’ve anticipated the surprise that followed. “Oop-” his hands shot out to steady the other, just to make sure he didn’t stumble further or fall because Wren had caught him off guard.[break][break]

“Oh, well…there was one. But she had to step down recently for personal reasons. So they’ve been managing with nearby supervision.” His eyes darted to the side, sheepish. “I maybe…applied for that too. Not that I really think I have much of a shot, but I’ve received a lot of rank promotions recently. So I thought, why not just see what happens?”[break][break]

He capped it off with a nervous laugh. Hands wringing together because Levy hadn’t given much of a reaction yet as far as his opinion went. Was it a bad idea? What if he thought Wren was putting too many eggs in one basket? Too busy paying attention to Levy, he didn’t notice any of the new pokemon creeping out of the foliage to observe them. “What’re you thinking?”
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]

Levy Alinsky     [break]
poison/bug/grass // skipping!

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-leafeon"]