He eyed the rift, curiously. It's distorted stature was definitely something he hadn't seen before, but it kind of reminded him of some game he used to play with his brothers. Though, those portals were a bright shade of neon orange and blue, and they were used to solve puzzles, not escape death. But still - it was close enough.
[Break][break]
Glancing back, the ranger's expression washed itself of anxiety, choosing to don something lighter in its stead. Light traced his eyes as his lips quirked back up, lifting into a small smirk.
[Break][break]
"'kay."
[Break][break]
He looked as his staraptor.
[Break][break]
"I go, then you"
[Break][break]
The pokemon nodded in return. So he stepped forward, letting the ice crunched beneath his boot. He took a pause, letting himself dangle between the last inches of snow, as clouds breathed out from his lips.
[Break][break]
He could feel the tear pulling at his clothes. The sound of crushing matter. So he does what felt most natural.
[Break][break]
He grabbed the woman's arm, pulled her into himself, and threw them backwards, into the rift.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] ameena abadi[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

Tightly wound, like a string nearing breakage, Liam gritted his teeth at the monster's stamina. There was no beating it - not without an ace team of pokemon, readied to reach their limits for the chance of survival. Which he certainly didn't have. Today was meant for simple scouting. Something that required two meager ingredients: his eyes and his staraptor. Yet, life held different expectations of him today, as noted by the giant roaring icicle trying to freeze their asses into the next ice age.
[Break][break]
"Yeah," He nodded, wanting to wink, but barely able to smile. "Hear that Rap? Try checkin' for that distortion. Should be this giant fucked up tear. Hard to miss."
[Break][break]
The staraptor, hearing his trainer's call, cawed in return. With one tucked wing, the avian careened leftward, then rose to a new vantage point. It took 30 seconds before another caw was heard, followed by the rapid flap of wings as staraptor returned.
[Break][break]
"Let's fucking go, rap." He glanced back at the woman, "now let's get the hell outta here."
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] ameena abadi[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

"Aye aye," He shouted back.
[break][break]
The ice beam wasn't ideal, but neither was the blizzard. Both held its consequences, frost more foreboding than any grave. One misstaken shard of ice, and Staraptor would be another pebble tossed into the snow.
[break][break]
"Keep strong. Focus on avoiding the beam!"
[break][break]
His commands sounded more of a football coach than a trainer, loud, but not too informed. He'd hardly had opportunities to battle like this before. That was more for the elites. But this was Hoenn, so his luck was bound to run out eventually.
[break][break]
As he'd expected, the Avalugg continued directing attention onto the Staraptor, who evaded his attacks with avian flexibility. Left and right, the bird would swing its body, diving whenever the beam would raise, and soaring whenever it would dip.
[break][break]
"Hit it!"
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] ameena abadi[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

The space tear came out of no where. One second Liam was chilling around Mauville's outskirts "patrolling" via popsicle and doing donuts in the sky in his staraptor , and the next second his body was being torn into two. Spatial energy made little of his arms, eating away at him, cell by cell, until rebirth came at the price of a new environment.
[break][break]
An environment in which housed a giant ass Pokemon fighting between the ensuing blizzard.
[break][break]
"Shit, that thing is huge," He whistled, hand already cupping one of his balls. One click and his staraptor returned to him, just as bugged eyed as him. Between the washes of white, he could make out the small figure of a woman. And it was with that realization that his legs discovered a will to move.
[break][break]
"Ayo, need some help?"
[break][break]
It didn't matter. Charlie was already swooping in from the skies, hitting the ultra beast with several AERIAL ACES.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] ameena abadi[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

The bells were jingling, the snow was glistening, it was the perfect cozy afternoon for a day out in the snow.
[Break][BREAK]
Liam showed to the event wearing his classic heavy beige bomber jackets, while his staraptor strayed into more traditional fashion, wearing red and green flashing Christmas lights around his neck. They would've came matching had not for the delibird dropping their package and ruining the matching set, but alas, they'd make do.
[Break][BREAK]
When the mischievous fucker noticed a bottle of laughter and snowy hair, he knew immediately what he'd have to do.
[Break][BREAK]
"Target acquired."
[Break][BREAK]
Squatting down to the snow, Liam's gloved hand took a hefty scoop of snow, then with the other, he patted it into a precise ball.
[Break][BREAK]
Shoulder slung back, fingers curled around the snow ball, he gave himself two seconds to aim before hurling it forward, directly at calla roth's back.
[Break][BREAK]
If she were to turn around, and of course she would, he'd flash her an asshole smile and wave before jogging over. [break][BREAK]

[attr="class","ooc"] calla roth[break]

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

"well, I couldn't just take you out to the middle of nowhere."
[Break][break]
It was also easier to convince other girls to take a quick detour to the outskirts of the city than fly out to the middle of forest, or on top of Mt chimney. But he'd never admit that to Calla. For once, he'd rather play pretend for a bit longer, and act like those nights never happened.
[Break][break]
A hand instinctively found itself being offered to Calla-- a silent invitation for some help demounting the Staraptor, should she need it.
[Break][break]
"But next time let me know and I'll totally fly us out somewhere wayyy more spontaneous than this."
[Break][BREAK]
Shooting back a cheeky smile, he stepped toward the arranged blanket and lanterns, taking a moment to flick each of them on before featuring for Calla to sit, or stand, or whatever.
[BReak]
"If you think it's pretty now, just wait til you get a load of what's to come." He winked, "Not that it'll be any more pretty than you are."
[Break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] calla roth[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

"I guess that settles it. Unless you wanna go 3-0?"
[break][break]
Liam could honestly do this all night long. Win or lose, it didn't matter much to him, because either way, her spending that extra second trying to pick another house to rob was another small victory he could pocket for himself.
[break][break]
Taking a bite of the apple he had gotten himself, he allowed the juice to pour over his tongue, filling his mouth with the sweet tang of a fun night out before further parading around Calla.
[break][break]
Swallowing down the chunk of fruit, he threw the delicious apple into the air before catching it again with his other hand. Back and forth it went, from hand to hand, like a round red ball being jungled about.
[break][break]
"Ya know, you say couple costumes are cringe, but like, I feel you're missing out," He hummed, "You'd make a killer batgirl."
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] calla roth[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

When Calla spun around to retreat back into her closet for another jacket, Liam knew his victory had been secured. All he needed to do was bring a life-ending event into the mix and she was convinced!
[Break][break]
Who would've thought.
[Break][break]
Grinning, he carefully accepted her hand in his, giving just enough of his own strength to lift her from the window onto the back of his staraptor.
[Break][break]
"You know the drill. Hang on tight."
[Break][break]
After a second of reprieve, the ranger gave his large avian a tap, signaling him to take off into the clear night sky. The crisp November winds combed through their hair and between their fingers as they sped across the skyline, soaring far beyond the cityscape.
[Break][break]
Unlike thier last little adventure through the clouds, Liam made sure to keep their flight relatively smooth, limiting the amount of bumps, flips, and dives he'd normally take just to add some thrill to his ride.
[Break][break]
They would eventually find themselves settling near the outskirts of the city, where trees dominated thier surroundings and the plumes of smoke and pollution didn't clog the sky. Near the center of a encirment of small trees and shrubbery, near the outline of the surrounding forests, a small blanket is already spread out across the ground, with battery powered lanterns holding down the corners. They were even a few pillows dotting the blanket, mainly grouped up near one side of the blanket.
[Break][break]
"Here we are."

[Break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] @tag[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

Even if the joke was bad, and it was, it made Liam chuckle like low rolling thunder.
[break][break]
"Maybe they'd get sponsored by POG bank."
[break][break]
As they left the red-shuttered house's stoop, his golden eyes flicked over to hers.
[break][break]
"So you're not picky about where we go," He raised his eyebrow, grinning. The last girl he was with hated anything messy -- which, for the long term, was a big turn-off. Especially considering how Ribs were his absolute favorite. "Good."
[break][break]
Despite the letdown that was those damned golden coins, Liam wasn't one to let worry hang off his brow. Like in all things, he kept forward with enough confidence to drown in.
[break][break]
Yet again, their group walked up the grey house's stoop, and yet again the Staraptor tapped his beak against the door. This time, however, it wasn't a young couple opening the door, but an elderly woman with a basket of...
[break][break]
"Apples."
[break][break]
Aka, victory.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] calla roth[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

Oof, that hurt.
[break][break]
Like a soldier mending a strike to his heart, Liam placed a hand over his chest, grunting out a weak, "Ouch, Cal."
[break][break]
But he couldn't let that get him down. Not when his time, dignity, and night were on the line.
[break][break]
"There'll be blankets," He added, winking, though they both know she could always just dig into her closet for a second jacket. Or, if he was feeling desperate enough, he'd even offer his own for her comfort.
[break][break]
"Is it due tonight?" Practiced and prepared after countless nights of doing the same, both to his friends and others, the question immediately trailed behind her objection. "Cause if it isn't..." He extended his hand again. "C'mon. Live a little. Who knows how long we've got."[break][break]
Especially with that meteor and everything.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] calla roth[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

It wasn't Calla's hesitance that made Liam's face sour, or her reaction to his romantic gesture.

[Break][break]
The true murder weapon had been the horrific realization that she didn't know who Mac fucking DeMarco was.
[Break][break]

"What am I playing," he echoed back, still left in shock. Had Maccy loss his touch? Or, maybe, he was too underground for poor Calla to understand? That second option - that had to be it.

[Break][break]
"Nevermind, I'll show you some more when we get there." He physically waved off the tiny bump in their road before extending his hand out toward her, exactly as he did before only a month prior.
[Break][break]

"You've been working right?"

[Break][break]

The oversized hoodie and tired eyes gave her away. She was a walking mirror image of his sister during Midterms. All she was missing was a cup of coffee and a pissy attitude to complete the look.[Break][break]

"C'mon, take a break. Just this once. I promise it'll be worth it."
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] calla roth[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

Arceus, this was fun.
[break][break]
She was fun.
[break][break]
"Red shutters, obviously."
[break][break]
It wasn't obvious. Liam was just sipping on his own confidence, siding with the house whose paint job reminded him more of home.
[break][break]
Since his pick of the two was closer than hers, the party didn't even have to think before walking down the red shutters's walkway, all the way up to it's stoop. Again his staraptor gave the door the tap, and again the home owner opened the door, greeted the adorable pokemon, then rewarded them with handfuls worth of chocolate gold.
[break][break]
"So, remind me, do you prefer Asian or barbecue? Or both? I just want to make sure I get our first date right."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] calla roth[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]