Far From Friendly (Closed)

Subject: Re: Far From Friendly (Closed) Fri Mar 30, 2018 9:51 am

Why does he have to be so fast!

She huffed in irritation. It probably helped he had a flashlight and much more knowledge of the immediate area, but still! She cut her gaze to the fire type perched on her shoulder, but shook her head immediately. She wasn't that dumb. Besides, Kari highly doubted that accidentally starting a forest fire in order to catch up to him would get her on Elliot's good side. She shivered at the thought and stumbled clumsily over an uplying tree root in her momentary lack of focus, her knees colliding with the ground hard. She hissed out a rather colorful expletive when a jagged stone decided to rid her of the skin on her right knee, pain lancing up her leg. Grumbling, she got to her feet once more and dusted herself off, wincing at the sharp throb from her newly acquired scrape. Well that was just great. It was then that the panicked cries of what sounded like children reached her ears and she froze.

Well, she must be close.

Ignoring the protests of her injured knee, she dashed forward, wrapping her hands around a low-hanging branch directly ahead of her and using her momentum to swing her body forward feet down a ledge, skidding down and just barely managing to keep her balance before continuing to run towards the sounds of the kids. Breaking through the treeline, she stopped in her tracks. She managed to arrive just in time to watch Elliot use his Styler to pacify a rampaging Tropius. She couldn't help but smile, crossing her arms and leaning against the trunk of a nearby tree. She could tell that this wasn't anything uncommon to him with how swiftly and easily he handl ed the situation before it became disastrous.

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't impressed.

The children were huddled behind Rayler's protective flank, eyes wide and fearful. She quickly put two and two together when Elliot began to scold them. She had to stifle her snickers so as not to be noticed when they began arguing among themselves, pinning the blame on each other as soon as they realized they were in trouble. However, she quickly realized it was in vain when two sets of golden eyes turned towards her direction. Ah well, looks like she'd been spotted.

No use in hiding now.

She made her way over from the treeline, momentarily ignoring the obviously pissed ranger and turning her attention to the cowering children. Crouching down, she smiled invitingly at them. "Hey there ya little squirts, that was quite a scare huh? You're okay now."

The tiny chick Pokemon atop her shoulder hopped down, chirping at the three and hopping into the arms of the nearest one to help calm them down. Kari pat one of the kids on the head, "This is Hotaru, he's my partner! Y'see, you gotta be nice to Pokemon, and they'll be nice back. Next time you try to be little adventurers, remember to treat others the way you want to be treated. You wouldn't want your brother or sister coming up and taking your toys without your permission, would you?" Her tone was warm but chiding, motherly even, hoping to show them the error of their ways without terrifying them more. Hotaru's soft, down-covered body seemed to radiate warmth, warding away the chill of night. Kari couldn't help shoot a pointed smirk in Elliot's direction after the kids settled down a bit.

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Not that he'd ever admit it out loud, but it was better that Kari had been there to talk to the children instead of him having to talk their heads off until his throat was hoarse from trying to explain to them. The moment the redhead had closed the distance between herself and the cluster of kids, Elliot backed away, dialing up the parents that had sent in the rescue request in the first place. Kids were safe and sound, if not a little in shock, but hey, kids be kids, and they'd probably be bragging to their friends in the morning about how they had survived an oh-so-terrifying encounter with a monster, leaving out the details that they had obviously been wailing like babies or the fact that they had to be rescued. Whatever made them look better to toughen their annoying little egos.

He didn't even have to look to tell that Kari was taking the opportunity to lord her absolutely amazing people skills over him, to which he rolled his eyes. The children had easily softened up, and with a few sniffles, clearly hadn't learned their lesson as they reached for Hotaru's wings to stretch it as wide as they could and two of the others finding their attention with Rayler - one at his tail and the other at the anklet on his left paw.

"Uwahhh, the feathers are so soft!"
"Pokemon wear jewelry too? What's this? What's this?"

Rayler shied back in discomfort, and Elliot pulled the Luxray's Apricorn ball out of his pockets to summon his partner back in. It was for the better, honestly. Loudly clearing his throat, he gestured with one hand towards the Tropius. "Apologize now." What had been disappointment from having from having their playmate stolen away from them turned into startled squeals and flinches as the trio hastily muttered their sorry's.

Letting out a low chirp, Tropius used its head to launch one of the kids into the air and onto its back, doing the same to the other two before taking a small flight (not too far out of sight or too high that they would be in danger). He slipped the Pokeball away. 7 minutes or so until their parents would come take them home.

Glowering with the same ferocity that Rayler's eyes contained, he faced Kari, the corners of his mouth pulled downward into a tense frown. "I thought I told you not to follow me," he started softly. "But... Thanks. I guess."

Subject: Re: Far From Friendly (Closed) Fri Mar 30, 2018 11:37 am

Hotaru reluctantly put up with the children's pawing and smothering, clearly unhappy with it but putting up with it to keep them calm. Kari chuckled and scooped the little fire type up after he was released from their tiny clutches by the Tropius piggyback ride. The abused Torchic nuzzled into her chest with that, closing his eyes and radiating a comforting warmth. The redhead then turned to the surly man, grinning in satisfaction. She decided to give him a break by not shoving it in his face, instead responding with a rather pleasant, "Anytime, hon. Despite what you may think, I'm not a totally awful person." She held up her hand, little finger outstretched and totally expecting him to ignore her, but still jokingly saying "Pinky promise!"

Dropping her hand, she looked up at him with a more relaxed, friendly expression. "I know you don't much like me or the way I act. You also caught on to what I wanted a bit faster than I had anticipated, but all I ask is that you think about it. Don't expect me to disappear just because you get a bit gruff with me. I'm eighteen man, I don't run when some big scary 'adult' gets huffy with me."

Her gaze lifted to the giggling children and the now-happy Tropius, a wistful smile crossing her features. Seeing them called up memories she'd rather leave buried. With a sigh, she continued. "You're good at this, and I find it admirable what you do. All I've ever wanted to do with my life is prove myself... but I guess wanting to see people smile and be happy isn't all that sappy and hopeless after all..." She shook her head and met his gaze again, that passionate determination burning deep within her eyes once more. "I won't take no for an answer until I know you've actually taken the time to consider it. Until then, I'll keep coming back and trying to prove myself to you."

"That's a promise."

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A pinky promise. She couldn't be-- Okay, thank Arceus she wasn't actually serious about that. Elliot mumbled something incomprehensible underneath his breath, along the dregs of 'wasting my time' or maybe it was 'your time' - really, same difference, right? Fiddling with the ends of his disheveled hair, the ranger considered holding back on saying what was on his mind because this was clearly supposed to be some sort of heartfelt moment for Kari, a chance to show that she could really do this and that maybe he should change his mind, but...

"Yeah, not happening, kid." A bland as can be response, flat and almost disinterested. "I already said no, and there's no way in hell I'm taking you under my wing. You got the information you wanted firsthand" - lucky break for him, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise this time - "so I have nothing to offer you."

With footsteps approaching in the distance, he put his fingers to his lips, whistling to call the Tropius down. Parents retrieving their children and some awkward social etiquette necessary with thanks and the basic procedures, he shoved both hands into his pockets, preparing to walk back to the cabin on his lonesome. Maybe she thought he was jumping to conclusions too quickly (it was a bad habit, he knew), but after Magnolia and the others had asked him to be the ranger for the island, he had spent enough time thinking to himself about it. She wasn't a bad kid, but he was a god-awful teacher and there was no point in passing down knowledge for so long as the Oasis was as peaceful as it was with the worst being pre-teens bullying a local Pokemon in the forest.

Out of the corner of metallic golden eyes, he cocked his head in one direction to signal her to follow. "You're going to get hopelessly lost if you stay here, so hurry the fuck up if you don't want me to leave you behind." There was no way that she knew the way back after aimlessly chasing him into the depths of the woods. Just this once he'd do this. He wasn't going to be responsible for some street rat dying of starvation in the woods because they couldn't find their way out of the lush greenery.

Subject: Re: Far From Friendly (Closed) Fri Mar 30, 2018 5:28 pm

She rolled her eyes. She had already made it clear enough that she wasn't going anywhere, so she didn't bother arguing the point any longer. Whether he liked it or not she was going to stick around. Instead she chose to tease him, trotting after the surly bastard with a chipper "D'aww how cute, you really do care! I'm touched, really." and a mocking grin. She wasn't about to let this go, but she figured she'd cut him some slack. There was always tomorrow after all. She caught up to him, studying the device strapped to his wrist as they walked side by side. "Do they all look like that?" she asked, motioning towards the Styler. Her knowledge on rangers was limited to what she had seen on television, so she couldn't help but ask. She didn't recall them looking so sleek. Her Torchic lay nestled in her arms, seemingly having fallen asleep. Kari held him close, trying her best to shield it from any stray low-hanging branches.

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"Don't flatter yourself too much," Elliot bit back, mimicking the words and tone she spat out earlier without missing a single beat. Escorting her out of the forest was, unfortunately, part of his job and failing to do so would get him into more trouble with authorities, a headache in itself that he didn't feel like messing with. Whenever the two of them were right next to each other, he would quicken his pace a tad bit, sparing a look ever so often to make sure that she was still following and not getting distracted by every damn shiny thing she saw like a Sableye.

Quietly, he shook his head. "No, they don't. There are different versions given out depending on how high your rank is." More experience, better and more costly equipment placed into the rangers care. It was only a natural progression by any means, just like how Pokemon evolved. He had to keep reminding himself not to take his more difficult to pass through shortcuts, steps pausing ever so often to steer clear of one path in favor of a route that a citizen would take.

Though the forest had brimmed with energy and life during the day, the eerie silence, save for the hoots of the owl Pokemon or misguiding lights of mischievous creatures lingered nearby, a rustle with each one. "Mine is a prototype for a newer model." For now.

Input accepted: information regarding Model 7B version 0.0.8 requested and process-

The digital voice peeped up from his wrist, a vibration with the device alerting him and nearly causing him to stumble over a loose stone on the ground. Hand reaching for a tree branch to catch his balance, Elliot hissed, "Shut the fuck up, GiA. I did not say you could give out classified secrets."

Processing. Command terminated. Request for the manual guide has been canceled. Suggestion: designation L34 should use less expletives when speaking in order to form more meaningful bonds.
"What are you, my mom?"
Confusion. GiA is a--
"Enough already. Don't get in my way."

Subject: Re: Far From Friendly (Closed) Sat Mar 31, 2018 2:06 am

Kari bust out laughing at his reaction, dismissing his earlier snarky response. It seemed Kari wasn't the only one that teased him. "It talks? That's so cool! So this one is like a smart Styler? And it even has a name?" She couldn't stop giggling as she followed him. She might not be entirely used to the forest floor and all its rocks and roots and what not, but she spent a lot of time in the city. Parkour, climbing, and navigating sharp angles and such was nothing to her. Even so, she noticed the path they took this time around was much less straightforward. The terrain was easier to navigate. Honestly, she wasn't complaining. Her knee continued to throb, though thankfully it had stopped bleeding. In the low light, she couldn't really check to see how bad it was, but by the persistent sting she could only guess there was something lodged in it. Probably pebbles or dirt or something of the like.

She wasn't about to pick at it right now and draw his attention to it. She did her best not to favor it. Last thing she needed was him scolding her like a kid for being reckless or stupid. Instead, she silently thanked him for picking out a more tame trail, and tried to sneakily avoid her knee being touched by any stray foliage. "Yeah Elliot, gotta form those more meaningful bonds!" She snickered, nudging his shoulder slightly with hers in a friendly manner. This was just too funny

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Rabbit limbs stiffening with the nudge, if it were a few years ago, he would've immediately backed away a good five feet to avoid that sort of thing again. Instead, his body grew rigid as he shuffled one or ten steps to the side, fingers curling in and out within the pouch of his pockets. God, he should've turned off the Styler as soon as he finished (not that he ever could, for there was no telling when an alert needed his immediate attention) for the night. With a few grumbles, Elliot rubbed the back of his neck, "Like hell I do. I already have my hands full with Claire. Anyone else is too much."

Foreign voice detected. Answer: this model does not have a name. GiA was the registered designation chosen by L34 due to his incapability of using the full designation.
"You try using that mouthful of a name all the time just to get you to activate, and maybe you'd know how I feel," Elliot retorted, pointing to his throat. "I lost my voice more than enough times during trial sessions with this damn thing."

The Styler on his wrist flashed, an almost emoticon-like image projecting on the holographic screen hovering above with two question marks for eyes and an underscore for a mouth. Cannot compute. This model is incapable of feelings and does not acknowledge the action of 'losing one's voice.' Well, no shit, Sherlock. Full designation is Model 7B Gifted A--
"Alright, didn't I tell you to shut up already? Nobody wants to hear your damn title, so get off your high horse, GiA."
Conclusion. L34 appears to be displaying symptoms of hallucinations, for this model is incapable of being perpetually mounted on a horse.

Twisting the volume mixer down to zero, Elliot allowed himself the smug satisfaction of watching the 'face' of the Styler mimic that of anger when it realized that its voice was no longer being projected. "It's not anywhere close to smart. The thing is real damn annoying sometimes and won't leave me alone, just like someone else here."

Subject: Re: Far From Friendly (Closed) Sun Apr 01, 2018 3:52 am

Her giggles had yet to cease and she had to clamp her hand over her mouth to stifle them long enough to speak. This was just too funny! He was bickering with it like it was his wife or something. "Dude, you do realize you're arguing with what's essentially a special watch, right?" She said, dropping her hand to grin teasingly at him. "And d'aww, but you keep it around~ Don't worry, you'll have a hard time getting rid of me too." Kari's eyes dropped to his wrist with that, studying the high-tech device with open curiosity. "How do Stylers work anyways...? Do you just loopy loopicate them and tadaah, Pokémon is happy or what? What is it about them that lets the Pokémon understand you?"

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Gee, she just had to point out the obvious, didn't she? Of course, the research development team back at the Union would take offense to the idea that she was calling it a 'specialized watch,' and GiA itself would have listed out every detail possible that would prove that it was far more than that (the Styler was most definitely doing so right now, even on mute). "Yeah..." Elliot's scowl deepened against his features, twitching into thoughtful displeasure as he tested the words in his head. "I don't fucking know how exactly they work, but I know how this model works a little." GiA had drilled it into his head several times - though he never bothered to remember it - and the lessons back at the school had been more than enough for him to figure out the basics.

All he had to figure out was how much to tell her. His boots made soft tapping noises with each step against the forest floor, brows furrowing.

The professors in Almia would most definitely destroy him if he gave out all of their secrets with this new model in development - they were truly afraid of them stealing their plans and build in a fit of competition, no matter how much Elliot insisted that they weren't the least bit interested in inventing anything that would aid a ranger -, and one wrong word would lead to trouble. After a moment of deliberation, he continued, "Almost all of them transmit signals to the Pokemon that makes it easier for them to understand and reason with them."

"Understanding the Pokemon's feelings is the most important part, though." Most important part, but it'd all fall apart if the Ranger in question didn't know each technical little detail in how to use it. Remembering which gestures to use, the right way to wave the damn thing, making sure not to let the Styler get damaged and so forth...

Arguably too much work for anyone who wasn't persistent enough to learn how to use it (he knew a number of his colleagues who originally wanted to be a Ranger, only to switch to being an Operator or Mechanic instead in frustration). Made it all the more satisfying to do successfully.

That better be enough information to sate her curiosity. Elliot intended to refuse giving any more details; it was already too much as is. She was lucky he was in a slightly better mood.

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