i will not take from you & you will not owe (astra)

[Lucas Night]

The town was plain. Frequent renovations and rebuilding left little time for artistic embellishments. Lucas found it quite drab. Yet, there was a beauty to the place. On one side stretched the badlands, a russet stretch of hostile, dry land. It was marked off by the Ankhara River. On the other side of town stood the imposing Strider Mountains.

By all means, this place should be fertile. Surely the spring runoff from the mountains fed the river? And, yet people only got landslides for their excellent positioning. Did the mountains not catch storm clouds? Why did drought plague this place? He looked out over the expanse of dusty red with a critical eye.

The land was no good. And, yet, people lived here. Whatever. Their hardheaded determination to eke out life from somewhere that clearly did not want it (nevermind the pokemon and people who preferred these conditions; his ideas of life and thriving were so narrow) meant there were street vendors lined up along prime viewing spots of the mountains. Soon enough, the sun would set.

That could serve as a good stage for asking Astra what he intended to find out. He stood waiting, his message sent; a quiet afternoon away from their teams, a chance to relax and chat. Would she answer? Would she join him?

Luna Sallow

[Luna Sallow]

**

☽ Astra Sallow ☾ ☠ There's two sides to every story ☠ Truth be told, Astra had been quite excited to get a message from tom which was not a battle request or something similar. She was not the sort to ever go anywhere without a team of pokemon of course but knowing she could pick the smarter of pokemon she had, the calmer and the easier to work with made travelling from her home almost a breeze. Almost. Eden of course had required to be carried within a few moments to being made to walk and as the trainer wandered through the town that she had to admit she did not know well and only passed through for the dojo, she paused. Valla was walking behind her with, as they were presenting today, Matti and were chattering back and forth while Kern was mewling and clearly wanting to be carried. With the slot already taken, he slunk over to his sister as Astra was pretty sure she had found where Tom asked her to meet him and took a small breath, eyes moving over her team and even smirking at the hidden yellow fur of garreth on Valla's bone as she sent a message to inform the other trainer she had arrived outside, but was unsure where to find him. Lucas Night

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[Lucas Night]

His wrist device beeped. She was here. Spotting that head of box-blue hair was easier than her trying to do the reverse, he figured, not to mention a touch of courtesy. So, he looked out over the crowd and spotted her… along with a gaggle of pokemon.

Were they so ill-behaved that they couldn’t be trusted alone while she had an afternoon free? Poor Astra, he thought.

He smiled all the same, walking over with his hand raised high. “Hey, you made it! And, hello to all of you, too.” He cast a warm look down at the gathered creatures even as he imagined perhaps a strict nanny-like breeder or some sort disciplining them into better form.

Honestly, everyone was too permissive with their pokemon these days. He missed the bygone days…

Refocusing on the woman, he continued. “I found a spot I wanna show you.”

[Luna Sallow]

**

☽ Astra Sallow ☾ ☠ There's two sides to every story ☠ Astra took a moment to look over her pokemon, the elder duo still speaking to one and other without having their hidden companion and the two felines now beginning to mutter between one and other. It was the better of her group, though as she felt eden begin to fall asleep in her grasp, she was aware she would need to keep on eye on them all. At this point however, a voice she knew spoke and her eyes slipped back in to focus as she glanced around and looked to the trainer she knew. Breaking in to a small smile, she nodded to him since waving was not an option. "They still aren't happy with me going out alone so i have 2 bodyguards, a close freind, her baby brother and then a princess who needed doting along with the spy no one noticed had followed us" she explained, laughing a little as she did not explain which of the group was which, though did offer a nod to the males next comment and step closer to him, ready to be, she assumed, lead somewhere. Lucas Night

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[Lucas Night]

The body guards he could understand. Or, maybe even just the friend. But, all of them? Nevermind the tag-along sneak…

“You’re very accommodating,” he praised, declining to share his true feelings.

What entitled pokemon! Poor Astra. The dear wasn’t social with people, but her team did whatever they wanted. Encountering people more her speed might help with all of that. With her stepping toward him, indicating that she was ready to be shown what he had in mind, he smiled and led.

The walk wouldn’t be particularly long. The crowd thinned out here. Vendors lined the little outlook. From here, the mountains, now cloaked in the warm orange-purple gloom of twilight, stood as imposing silhouettes. Street lamps and the strung lights between them glowed a buttery yellow. The few people in the area busied themselves with eating their street food or admiring the sunset themselves.

He looked back at her. “Are your body guards going to trust you by the railing or do we need to stay a meter back?”

[Luna Sallow]

**

☽ Astra Sallow ☾ ☠ There's two sides to every story ☠ Astra chuckled as she walked with her compaion, rolling her eyes after a few moments. "I could have brought battle focused lunatics, thugs out for a fight, brothers who just want to wind each other up, spiteful little tacticians....I really went all out on pokemon and im beginning to learn why others dont" she mused as they walked, sighing at herself before she found the slope beginning to rise under her. She looked each way, after passing a few vendors she even returned a couple of her pokemon due to reaching paws and bright eyes so by the time she came close to the outlook, she only had Cherry, Valla and Eden with her in range and she knew Matti was off nearby somewhere, hiding probably. "Oh im trusted" she started as she walked a little closer to the railing, grinning as she leaned down on to it. "Until im not" she finished after a few seconds, giggling as she looked out over the mountains and the colors of greys and blues mixing in to orange and purple. "Why here? Some place to escape the office?" she found herself asking after a few moments, feeling the breeze move over her arms and try to bring them to shiver. Lucas Night

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[Lucas Night]

At least she understood why such a large team wasn’t for the best. Yes, what she needed were allies who could help better her. Lucas felt hopeful. They could assist each other.

He gazed out at the mountains, turning over how to phrase what he wanted to broach. Best approach it like walking on ice.

“I can’t show you a good view?” he teased. “... I’d visit the resorts near Lake Laleh if I wanted to escape the office.”

Feeling the breeze, he stood up a little straighter. Though the casual jacket he wore was more substantial than the hiking clothes she’d seen him in earlier, it wouldn’t be much more than another layer on anyone now. He put a hand to the front of it, clutching it loosely as he made his offer. “Are you cold?”

[Luna Sallow]

**

☽ Astra Sallow ☾ ☠ There's two sides to every story ☠ There was something to that tone, Astra wasnt quite sure what it was but there was something there as tom spoke that she found herself smiling too and wanted to taunt right back. "Oh please, because you've always been such a pain and hassle to me before, you had to make it up right?" she teased back, turning her head to look out in front of herself for a few seconds of quiet. It hung there for a moment as her eyes scanned out in front of herself, looking for movement or signs of pokemon before she realized what she was doing and tried to shut down that side of her brain. In the next moment, tom spoke and she found herself answering without thinking. "I dont get cold, warm blood, genetic advantage i guess" she caught herself saying, turning her head before she noticed the jacket. Oh, wait, dammit. Lucas Night

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[Lucas Night]

How could she know what a menace he could really be? That he’d been astonishingly well-mannered with her, patient even? Maybe he could show her soon enough. No, no, it’d likely be a while longer before she could accept that. He could wait, he figured. There were other goals to accomplish first.

Realizing that she’d accidentally denied his offer, he played it off.

“Well, I guess I shouldn’t assume!” He shrugged, content to play off the moment. Though, not too much. “I don’t run quite that hot. Grew up in a coastal town. Kind of place you wear a knit jumper to breakfast and look out of the window to see fog.”

Well, that hadn’t been the exact reality back during the glory days of the Kanto Night estate, but people did live like that in Cerulean City.

“This place reminds me of it a little of the cape near it. Had a great view.” And, now, he had to proceed carefully. This had to be encouragement for her to confide in him, not prodding. “I’d take it you’re from somewhere colder, Miss Heater?”