[X] My Assistant

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Do not apply for this RP. The characters chosen to play within this particular storyline are Living Arrow (Ivy), Pumpkin King (Victor), Hungry Hungry Houndoom (Jay), and Umbrae Calamitas (Sagira).

Also, any bunnying of characters has been pre-approved by the characters and RPers in question.

Cats and dogs are considered by most to be mortal enemies.

Dogs chase cats up trees, and cats leave the nose of a dog covered in scratches.

That was how it worked, and everyone knew it. Cats and dogs aren't meant to be friends. They don't get along. They are enemies. Bound by Fate to face each other from different sides.

But Sagira had never followed the laws of the world.

She had considered Ivy a friend. Her first friend, in fact, since Mattie. At points, she would even call Ivy her sister, as she considered her pokemon to be her siblings.

Maybe that was why it hurt so much to jump in front of Jay and stop Ivy from tackling him.

Or maybe it was because Ivy was nothing but coiled wire, propelled forward by anger and hatred. Her entire weight (which really wasn't all that much) slammed into Sagira with nearly as much force as her Buizel's aqua jet attack could manage. Sagira, however, dug the heels of her boots into the ground and pushed back against Ivy. She spun the girl around so her back was facing Sagira, and then she tightened her fists around the girl's thin wrists and tried her damnedest to keep her still.

Her damnedest wasn't going to stop her three attacking pokemon, though.

"Calypso, Paladin, Umbrae!" Sagira yelled.

Three of her four pokeballs burst open. Umbrae was the first out, running forward before the red light even faded. He tackled Alpha to the ground and the two of them rolled past Victor, snapping and snarling at one another.

Calypso and Paladin appeared at the same time. The Ralts hovered in the air and spread his arms. Abruptly, Ivy's buizel froze in midair and looked around in confusion, obviously wondering what in the hell happened to physics and why he wasn't plummeting at his target.

Calypso dashed forward like a scarlet streak, sending a abrupt burst of flame in front of Beta that brought the electrike to a sudden halt.

Her wrists aching from Ivy's continuous squirming, Sagira gasped for breath, finding herself exhausted. When Ivy slammed her head back into her chin, Sagira hissed loudly and gave up being gentle.

She wrapped her arms tightly around Ivy's torso in what constituted as one hell of a bear hug, pinning the girl's arms to her sides. Then, kicking Ivy in the back of the knee, Sagira hit her own knees, dragging the girl down with her.

When she felt she had a more stable hold on Ivy and her own semblance of balance, she swore loudly, aware that she was, from this position, speaking directly into Ivy's ear. "Would you calm down, you damn mutt?" she snarled. "I don't have the energy to deal with you right now."

Ivy made no verbal response that Sagira could understand. She snapped her teeth together angrily and let out a series of growls that her pokemon obviously understood. Alpha barked loudly, but Umbrae, the larger of the two, was keeping him verily occupied in a furry wrestling match. Calypso was using her flames to keep Beta from moving any closer, but was about a second away from using a Confuse Ray. Paladin...

Paladin seemed to be having the least amount of trouble. He was holding the confused buizel in the air and the two seemed to have come to the agreement that it was a lot less of a hassle to simply watch what transpired.

Sagira was about to make a comment about that to her newest pokemon, but Ivy had started to squirm again. She swore loudly and tightened her hold on the feral child.

"For the sake of the Goddess and my limited patience, Ivy, would you stop being so... so... silly!?"

Sagira shut her eyes and shook her head, trying to dislodge whatever connection she had to her dog-girl, as Paladin put it. That was certainly going to confuse the mutt.

Oh, Goddess, show me some mercy?

And so... it begins.

This post has been edited by Umbrae Calamitas: Jun 8 2009, 03:41 PM

[Living Arrow]

With all of Sagira's weight on top of her, Ivy had no chance of getting free no matter how much she struggled against the Catlady's iron-like grip. She kicked and elbowed with all her might but not once did she managed to find her target. Luckily for Ivy, however, she had a very clever Buizel.

"Bui bui?" Kappa asked the Ralts floating in front of him politely. The psychic Pokemon cocked its head to the side but made no response. Obviously, Kappa did not know that his opponent was deaf. Unluckily for his opponent, Kappa was not limited to physical attacks. He drew in a sharp breath and a strong Water Gun erupted fiercely from his mouth to blast the Ralts out of the air. Plopping to the floor, Kappa span and fired two more Water Gun at the two Fire-type canines attacking his teammates.

The Houndour was caught up immediately, freeing Alpha from the close-range battle and allowing him to run to Ivy's aid. Calypso, however, nimbly dodged the stream of water but at least it left Beta to scamper towards his adopted big sister and offer his own support.

"Crap." Sagira muttered, jumping off Ivy before Alpha and Beta could reach her. Clearly she wasn't fool enough to stick around when two defensive dogs were charging in.

I've got to stop this sillyness! She can't be protecting him! If she is, then she's bad! I've got to do all I can to bring her home! Stop her then stop the one controlling her! I can make things alright again! Ivy battled with her conscience even as she threw herself onto all fours and splayed her legs wide in the beginning stance of her specialist move. Alpha and Beta automatically rushed to leap onto her back while Kappa kept their opponents at bay with Water Gun.

"I'm sorry Sagira, but you have to get out of my way!" Ivy screamed, hurtling towards her at top speed. Alpha and Beta flew into the air with a co-ordinated surge which Sagira watched warily. Wrong move. Ivy was still coming. With a slide, Ivy dashed in under Sagira's nose and kicked upwards. The wind was instantly snatched from the girl as bare-foot met ribs and a fresh gasp of air was brought in even as the girl was launched from the ground.

"NO, IVY!" Victor squealed from behind but the move was already in motion. Alpha and Beta's jaws clamped onto Sagira's arms even as Ivy jumped clear and announced her speciality:

"FANG OVER FANG!"

This post has been edited by Living Arrow: Jun 8 2009, 03:40 PM

[Master Houndoom]

This has gotten way out of hand!

Jay only recognized Ivy from Paladins description of the "dog-girl" and Sagira's insistance to find the "Mutt" early on. Luckily adrenaline could clear a tired mind as much as it could cloud an alert one.

Ivy evidently thought that Sagira was in the way of something, and the only thing she'd gotten in the way of was Jay. Therefore Ivy was after Jay, and with a vengeance.

He watched Sagira go down to Ivy's foot, and saw red. However, years of keeping his emotions in check for fear that his psychic sister would be hurt or worse overrode his instinct to leap into the fray, kicking like wild rapidash. Just once, I'd like to be able to blame blind rage for my actions. Just one time!

I, for one, am currently finding your restraint refreshing...

Jay pointed at the electrike that was leaping at Sagira, and Hinata managed to hold it in place, spinning to Sagira's left and a little behind her. I can't catch the other one, she cried mentally, distressed. Jay swore, making a mad dash for the boy that was simply staring at the fight. He released Videl, who was wobbly, but still standing, steaming from the near KO of the last fight. "Videl, ROAR!"

"DOOM!" The sound was like thunder, and the four pokemon around the blonde's feet cowered at the sudden noise. It was the opening Jay needed, but he just knew that Sagira had gotten a nasty bite.

"ALL RIGHT, ENOUGH!" Jay had dashed at Victor, grabbing him and pulling his arm behind his back, sliding a choke hold around him, too. "Everybody FREEZE!"

The three were still, but movement had not entirely ceased. A group of glowing leaves floated around the buizel, the electrike struggled against Hinata's hold, Calypso and Umbrae quivered in anger, and Ivy was about to fly into a towering hissy fit. Jay made his voice firm and loud to forestall any new action.

"Hinata, let it go. You, girl, Ivy, you need to listen to us! We're tired, and desperate, and frankly we've been through a whole lot of crap! Now either we sit down to a nice hot meal somewhere, BEFORE the guards come to catch us all, or Sagira and I let our psychic types teleport us out of here, after I break Blondie's arm!"

um, Jay... I've never teleported in my life. Neither has Paladin. And we won't last in a fight, they out number us and Videl's a hit away from a mandatory nap!

I know that. They don't.

Jay made sure his hold on the blonde wasn't actually choking him. He leaned in, whispering to the other boy's ear. "Seriously, dude, sorry about this. But your meowth is chewing on my boot, so I'm not too sorry."

"Well," he growled to Ivy, "what'll it be?"

[Pumpkin King]

This is why I'm not cut out for Team Aqua, Victor thought as he waited patiently in Lange's grip. Ivy seemed to be taking the battle very seriously, but Victor's mind was elsewhere. Starbucks...

"Hinata, let it go," Jay Lange said. "You, girl, Ivy, you need to listen to us! We're tired, and desperate, and frankly we've been through a whole lot of crap! Now either we sit down to a nice hot meal somewhere, BEFORE the guards come to catch us all, or Sagira and I let our psychic types teleport us out of here, after I break Blondie's arm!"

Another one! I hate nicknames! Victor was just about ready to accept defeat, but that hot meal was sounding pretty appealing.

"Seriously, dude, sorry about this. But your Meowth is chewing on my boot, so I'm not too sorry," Lange whispered in Victor's ear. "Well," he growled to Ivy, "what'll it be?"

Ivy opened her mouth to speak, but Victor interrupted with the clearing of his throat. "If you don't mind," Victor said. "I think I should do the talking." He gave a stern look to Ivy and continued. "My associate and I will gladly accept your offer and talk things over like civilized people. And-"

"But-"

"Shh!" Victor cut her off. "And I would very much appreciate it if you let go of me. I'm chafing and it's ot very comfortable. I'll call off my Pokemon and-" He glared at Ivy. "-Ivy will do the same."

Jay hesitated, but put his trust in Victor. He let go and as promised, Victor returned his Pokemon to their Premier Balls.

The group relaxed for a moment. The area was silent except for a low growl in Ivy's throat. Victor was staring her down, but it didn't seem to be very effective. In a flash, Ivy pounced on Jay.

"Ivy!" Victor cried while the two wrestled. Sagira intervened and separated the two.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Sagira pushed herself to her feet, groaning. Her chest hurt where Ivy had kicked her and she rubbed it unconsciously as she stood. Shit, she's got one powerful kick. She supposed it had to be the running on all fours.

When the boy Jay was keeping a tight hold of took charge, Sagira immediately had her doubts. For starters, despite whatever battles and trials had done to the boy's image as it was when he started that morning, it was clear that the kid wasn't your next Indiana Jones. For starters, his hair was styled and he looked the type to try out for a modeling career.

For another thing, this was Ivy. And Ivy... was a dog.

"Shh!" the boy snapped, cutting off Ivy's attempt to speak. "And I would very much appreciate it if you let go of me. I'm chafing and it's not very comfortable. I'll call off my Pokemon and-" He sent a fierce glare at Ivy. "-Ivy will do the same."

Sagira heard the growl begin in Ivy's throat even as Jay, taking the boy at his word, released him. There was a few moments of peace, in which both the boy and Ivy recalled their pokemon.

Of course, Sagira knew that it wasn't just Ivy's pokemon that were dangerous.

A moment later, Ivy had launched herself at Jay and both of them collapsed to the ground, writhing in a mass of flesh, Ivy snarling and snapping.

Having been at least semi-prepared for Ivy to do something, Sagira rushed forward and grabbed the girl by the arms and dragged her off of Jay. Moving more on instinct, Sagira spun on her heel and shoved Ivy to the ground on her back. Laying half on top of her, Sagira's right arm was spread horizontally over Ivy's chest, her left pinning both of Ivy's arms above her head. Eyes narrowed to slits, Sagira met Ivy's eyes with a glare. She didn't think about the fact that meeting a dog's gaze was a challenge, or that whoever turned away first was admitting defeat. She didn't think about how a dog baring its belly was a sign of submission.

She didn't think.

She simply acted. Staring into Ivy's eyes, she tried to convey, without words or even her own understanding, that she needed to back off and listen.

And somewhere beneath the animalistic nature that had overtaken her mind, much like the one that Ivy had been born into and accepted long ago, Sagira prayed that this worked.

Arrow, hope you don't mind my pulling the whole challenge-stare. I've always had a thing for Dominance Theory, and anyway, it'll be fun to see how this plays out.

This post has been edited by Umbrae Calamitas: Jun 9 2009, 11:34 AM

[Living Arrow]

*She has me...*

Ivy mentally panted, her brain working into overdrive.

*She has me completely restrained...*

Old memories flashed to forefront of Ivy's mind. More specifically those concerned with finding her place in the pack. When she had been very little and fighting with the Poochyena to gain some status under their collective PokéMama, Ivy had come up against one particularly burly bitch who had managed to hold her in the same way, arms imobilised and weight restraining all other muscles in an effective body-lock. Naturally, it had been the case for Ivy to give in - you don't snap at the claws that are gripping your belly unless they squeeze tigheter.

Even so, Ivy was loathe to give in here. She was not fighting a Pokemon - this was a human being. A person who had once been Ivy's comrade and yet now protected one who had betrayed his cause. She couldn't believe that Sagira would do it on her own but just like the mind of Team Magma, her old friend's thoughts may have become addled by talking with a cunning traitor.

"-Ivy will do the same."

"VICKY!" Ivy gasped, her frustration getting the better of her as it always did. "We've got to-"

"Oh, come on, Ivy!" Victor whined, pointing up at the arm around his neck. "We aren't in the sort of position to complain or negotiate here. Let's just calm down and think things through before we start fighting again, alright?"

Ivy's resolve wavered slightly.

"Bui!" Kappa called from nearby, a worried frown displayed on his muzzle as he anticipated the encolsure of the leaf-cage around him.

Ivy chewed her lip with mutual worry.

"Trike?" Beta hung limply in the air, a sorrowful grimace of defeat searching his sister for guidance.

Ivy's eyes began to itch.

"Pooch..." Alpha stood strong, the fur on his hackles rising and falling rythmically. He claimed to be ready to keep fighting but Ivy could weigh up his opponents just fine from where she lay - he stood no chance against a Vulpix and a Houndour, let alone an evolved Houndoom.

Slowly, Ivy's muscles eased and she looked back into the slitted feline eyes of her captor. Those eyes were hard and commanding but something else was there, too. They looked like the eyes her PokéMama used when she was angry...

"Fine..." Ivy grumbled, pouting petulantly with unshed tears grasping her hazel eyes. "We can talk but please don't hurt my friends, 'kay?"

[Master Houndoom]

The little monster tackled me!

Jay tired his hardest to try to get Ivy away from him without hurting her, but he was rapidly losing control of himself. Something about the girl simply made him not want to hurt her. For a brief, giddy moment as she struck and bit at him, he wished it was Ezira. He'd hit Ezira before.

Sagira, of course, if she'd heard that thought, would think he'd wanted Ivy to be Ezira for a completely different reason, but that was stupid.

In the short tussel, he learned two things about her. She earned her reputation as a dog girl. She was trying to bite as much as hit, claw as much as grapple. And she had tiny, bony, hard little fists.

Then the weight was taken off of him, and Sagira wrestled with her friend, finally pinning her and staring into her eyes.

The blonde kid stepped toward the pair, but Jay's hand was out. "What's your name?"

"Um... Vi-vitalis..."

"Well, Vivitalis, if you take another step toward them..." his glare finished the sentence more effectively than any threat.

He felt his lip. Bleeding. He touched the bandage on his cheek. Gone, and therefore the scratch was also opened again, and stinging. He spit. waiting for Sagira to either need his help again or get her friend under something like control.

It was odd that the girl's pokémon didn't attack, but Jay could see why in a moment of contemplation. The buizel was still surrounded by floating, glowing leaves courtesy of Paladin, and Hinata floated in front of the electrike, eye's glowing, the air between her horns shimmering, looking for all the world like she would like nothing more than to smite the little electric pup to tiny little sparking bits. Videl, still shaky, Umbrae, strong and angry next to her, and Calypso, tails snapping back and forth more like a cat's than a canid's, faced the poochyena, all growling at each other.

When Ivy finally capitulated, he attempted, one more time, to bring a semblance of peace.

"Hinata, let him go now. It'll be all right. Videl, stand down." His pokémon warily did as he said, Videl sitting wearily and Hinata, reading Jay's intent, lowering the elctrike gently rather than dropping him. Jay sighed, then spit again, frowning. "This is stupid and pointless," he growled, unheading of Vivitalis next to him. "Why do things have to go so bad for Sagira..?"

He didn't notice Vivitalis take notice, or ponder, his concern for his partner.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

It shouldn't hurt, Sagira knew, to hear Ivy ask her not to hurt the pokemon. They were fighting. They were enemies. It was common sense. It shouldn't hurt.

But it did.

It did, and Sagira couldn't keep herself from whispering, "Ivy... they're my friends, too."

She was just tired, that was it. She was tired, and that was why her eyes burned a little. She needed sleep. Nothing more. Nothing. More.

Slowly, Sagira removed herself from her position over Ivy. She was sore, and exhausted, and she wanted nothing more than to pass out happily, somewhere safe.

Obviously, Fate thought it was amusing to keep her from being able to sleep. She didn't know how much longer she could run simply on adrenaline, though. She was wearing thin.

"Ren," Sagira said softly.

There was a soft hiss in reply, and Serenity slithered out from her position wrapped around Sagira's wrist. Ivy's eyes widened slightly at the appearance of the ekans, and Sagira didn't bother to tell her that, yes, Serenity had been wrapped around her wrist the entire time, and no, Sagira hadn't told her to bite Ivy.

She didn't know how much good it would do, to tell the mutt that she didn't want to hurt her.

"All right," Sagira said, not even bothering to stand, but rather folding her legs Indian Style and sitting comfortably on the ground (or as comfortable as was possible on the ground), "we need to have a little chat, so let's start this Pow Wow."

In response to this, Serenity crawled up to hang over Sagira's shoulders. Umbrae and Calypso dashed over to stand on either side of her, and Paladin floated down to sit in her lap. Sagira sighed.

"So... I think there's been a bit of a misunderstanding."

"You thing?" Jay asked, raising an eyebrow.

For the first time since before she had pinned Ivy, Sagira looked at him. She blinked. "You look like hell."

"Thanks, Catseye," he retorted sarcastically.

Sighing, she pulled the first aid kit out of her pocket, a little annoyed at Fate for making it become such a familiar object. She tossed it to Jay and he nodded in gratitude.

Sagira turned back to Ivy. "So. You were sent to hunt us down."

Ivy's eyes narrowed and she sent a glare in Jay's direction. Unlike before, however, she did not attack. She had been shown her place and it was a testament to her loyalty to her upbringing that she followed the laws of Dominance. Sagira mentally sagged with relief.

"We came to bring you home, Sagira," she growled, "and to turn the traitor in." If looks could kill, Jay would most certainly be dead.

Sagira sighed. "Jay's not a traitor, Ivy." The girl huffed and crossed her arms, obviously not willing to believe a word of it. "He's my friend. He was my partner on a mission." She narrowed her eyes. "A false mission."

Ivy glanced her way out of the corner of her eye, which Sagira took meant she was listening, if reluctantly. "He saved my... well, he saved my ass, Ivy." Jay looked up at her. "My life, too." She looked back at her friend turned enemy. "He's not a traitor. Or if he is, so am I, but we're not... bad." She rubbed her head. "I'm too damn tired to do this," she growled, "and I'm hungry, and my head hurts, and I keep channeling you! It's bloody annoying!"

"Why don't you show them the papers?" Sagira looked down at Paladin. "If she doesn't believe that you, or Jay, aren't traitors, then why don't you show them that Dawson is corrupt?"

Sagira smiled. "Thanks, Paladin." She motioned to Jay who, obviously having heard Paladin's advice, handed over the papers.

Sagira handed them to Ivy. "Take a look at this," she said, "and then tell me if you still think we're the traitors."

[Living Arrow]

"Take a look at this," Sagira said, "and then tell me if you still think we're the traitors."

Ivy didn't like confusing words like 'channeling'. She also didn't like the way that Sagira spoke fondly of the traitor. But most of all, Ivy didn't like the talk of 'papers'.

Ivy took the forms from Sagira with a suspicious frown and automatically walked them to Victor, passing them quickly to him after galncing over it with disinterested eyes. Her illiteracy was an embarrassing topic among humans and she didn't really want to start a talk over her inability to view the evidence for herself. She did, however, trust Victor to tell her the truth and explain what to do next. She honestly was happy that Sagira was proving herself to be a good-guy still and hoped that Victor would be able to tell her just that.

"Well, Vicky?" She pursed her lips with mock-scrutiny, trying to make it look like she had already read them. "What are we thinking?"

This post has been edited by Living Arrow: Jun 9 2009, 12:47 PM

[Master Houndoom]

Jay busied himself with the first aid kit, Hinata helpfully providing him a mental image. Sagira was right. He looked like hell.

She didn't look much better. Her hair was mussed, her face drawn, and she looked like she wanted to cry.

And you still think she'd beautiful, so quit trying to fool yourself. Hinata's words were tinged with a kind of wistful amusement. He tended to his cheek, then pulled out a potion from the kit and administered it to Videl, who perked up instantly.

He didn't dignify Hinata's observation with a remark. It was almost impossible to lie to a psychic type, anyway.

"Hey," he said, not knowing what he could offer. He was decent at tactics and good in a fight, but this was beyond him. "It'll be OK," he said, finally, lamely. "If she's as good a friend as you seem to think, she'll believe you."

He hoped that it was true.

* * * * *

Videl sat, rear legs poised and ready to lunge if needed, forelegs flat to the ground. Her head was up and her eyes alert. The spray medicine had worked again, but not as well as it did when she was littler. Still, it would be enough. If Hina-dancer and Palaghost could keep the Spitter down, she could take care of the other two alone, if she had to.

Cutie growled in his throat, not threateningly, but reassuringly. Manytails made a kind of chirrup noise that meant the same thing as Cuties deep manly hotness growl. She wasn't alone.

Even Chew Toy (Noooooo, Hisser!) was confident. She hadn't bit the Ladydog, and that made Videl want to trust the Ladydog, but the Ladydog's pack was still warily watching, and the Ladydog was sending challenging stares at the Alphaman. If she wanted to take the Alphaman's place in his own pack, well, she'd get a fight.

Alphaman's hand rubbed between her horns, and that felt goooood. She let her tongue loll out and grinned her happy grin, tail whipping. She even tapped the Kittywoman's side playfully.

Alphaman liked Kittywoman. Videl could smell it. She wondered, briefly, what the pups would be like, until Hinadancer made her shush.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Once Ivy had taken the papers over to the boy, Sagira moved over to sit near Jay. She felt... off. Out of place. Ivy had been her first friend since Mattie, and Jay was a good friend, too. On some levels, he was more than that. Sagira felt like she was being pulled in separate directions, and she didn't want to choose.

"You shouldn't have to choose."

Life isn't always fair, Paladin, Sagira whispered softly in her mind.

"It should be."

I know.

"If she's as good a friend as you seem to think, she'll believe you."

Sagira sighed. "Maybe," she admitted, "but Ivy is... different. We're both different. She has loyalties that come before her friendship to me. Her pack comes first. Her way comes first."

"It's the same with you," Paladin noted. Sagira didn't offer up anything to admit that, but nor did she deny it. "You've changed. So can she."

Yes, but will she?

"She might not have a choice. People change people."

"I'd have to agree," Jay admitted, revealing to Sagira that Paladin had been projecting for both of them.

He ran his hand down between Videl's horns, and the large demon dog let her tongue loll out, drooling heavily. Sagira smirked. How strange, that she had come to be so dependent on the presence of even one canine.

"You're drawn to their loyalty. Jay's like that, too."

I know...

Sagira squirmed when Videl pressed her tail into her side, and she batted the tipped appendage away softly with a paw... hand. She shook her head. Sometimes I wonder, she mused, if I'm not falling too far into this whole cat thing.

"Personally," Paladin offered with a smile, "I think you're more like your Doglady than you know."

That was something to think about at another time, as Sagira looked up to see the boy walking over, holding the files.

You know, HHH, if I dying laughing from your posts, I can't write anymore. :P

You're up, PK. I think we've stolen the limelight enough, no doubt.

[Pumpkin King]

@UC- You think? You guys really attack the topic. BTW, I'm gonna be gone this weekend, but my absence doesn't seem to affect you that much.

... To be honest, I don't know very much about Jay and Sagira's situation cuz I lost track of their storyline. I'm just gonna conveniently sidestep it in this post.

Victor scanned the file handed to him. He was dying to take a shower, but the mission was supposed to be a priority. I better get promoted for this, he thought. Ivy anxiously stood over Victor's shoulder waiting for a response. Most people would get a sereve scolding from Victor for penetrating his personal bubble, but he let it slide. After reaching the end of the files, Victor realized he hadn't picked up most of the information. His mind was busy thinking about the luxuries he craved ever so much. "Umm... Yup! They're totally innocent! Smythe and Lange."

Ivy looked at the letters on the page for a moment in disbelief, hoping a better explanation would appear. However, no divinity would intervene. Victor walked over to Sagira and handed her the files. "So what're we gonna do Vicky?" Ivy said. Her tone was uneven, as if she was unsure how she should react to the situation.

"We should... take them to Kyogre's Maw of course!" Victor said cheerily. "We can explain what happened, show them those files and I can take a well-deserved shower!" The emphasis in tone was definitely towards the end of the sentence.

I've got homework. Sorry for shortness.

This post has been edited by Pumpkin King: Jun 9 2009, 04:18 PM

[Master Houndoom]

We should take them to Kyogre's Maw, of course...

The words floated through Jaima's head like a bullet through a butterfly. He glared up at Vivitalis and levelled his best "were you born stupid or did you grow that way" look at him.

"Yes, yes, let's go there. Let's head straight to base with two known criminals about whom it has been said 'attack on sight', and see if we can get the people who made that order listen to reason." He stood up, wary not to make sudden movements lest the fighting start again. "You have no idea what those papers said, do you?"

He stalked to Vivitalis and plucked the paperwork from his hands, handing it back to Sagira. "You want to take proof that an Elite is stealing pokémon from the local zoo, sleeping with subordinates and then putting them in cushy jobs when he's tired of them, and basically being a real ass, and you really think they're just going to say 'Oh, wow, how wrong were we?'"

He looked back at Ivy. "Sagira's commander tried to hurt her. He tried to take her away and make her do something that no woman should be forced to do for anyone. And I stopped him. And that was when we were called traitors." He pointed at Sagira, his anger boiling over. "She's been chased, hit, punched, and used as an object, and now you want to let them take the only thing we have to prove we're not the horrible people they say we are?"

He deflated. "Well, I'm not letting the only proof we have slip into their hands, not when her lively hood is resting on it." He pulled out the two pokéballs from his belt, ignoring the third. He clicked the button, recalling Videl and Hinata, ignoring Hinata's cry of Noooo, my head pa-- DAMMIT!, and clipped them to his belt.

"Let her go. Let her prove her innocence. You can take me in her place."

[Umbrae Calamitas]

"Wait a second... WHAT?!"

Sagira stormed up to Jay and stuck him hard in the chest with her finger (she was careful not to use her left hand, since that still bore the clawed glove). "You. Are not. Going. Anywhere." She spoke slowly, in case her message had to take time to travel through his thick head. "Of all of the stupid, idiotic, asinine ideas that you had come up with since we've met, this has to be the silliest-"

Sagira put a hand to her head and groaned. She was getting so sick of that.

"Yeah!" Paladin interjected in Sagira's moment of crisis. "Stop being so noble and charming!"

"Paladin," Sagira said warningly.

He gave her a small grin. "Sorry, Sagira, but you have to admit, you like it. Makes you think of princes and people opening doors for you-"

"PALADIN!" She fumed silently, trying to keep her anger up high so that her embarrassment wouldn't show on her face. From the looks she was getting, she knew that Paladin had been projecting so that everyone could hear him, and she was decidedly annoyed.

"I am not a happy cat," she growled through clenched teeth.

"Go buy some catnip," Jay suggested. "In the meantime, Catseye, do you have any better ideas?"

"Yeah!" Sagira snapped. "First off, BlueJay, you quit 'Catseyeing' me, trying to butter me up. You are not letting yourself get dragged into the Maw. Do you know what a maw is? It's a mouth. Of fangs. Bigass teeth. You go in the beast's mouth, you come out the demon's ass, as chopped liver. Dawson called us traitors." She looked at Ivy. "They would never let us even get close, mutt. The way things are going, I'm pretty damn sure they'd take us out before we even reached the Maw." She rubbed her head. "Look... can't we just... wait? Can't we all just go, find a nice hotel, sleep for two days, and then decide how to commit suicide?"

It looked like Jay was about to reply, when he was interrupted by an unfamiliar, and unwelcome, voice.

"Hey! You there!"

All four of them turned to see the mass of Aqua members making their way down the corridor, toward the door they stood in front of.

"Goddess damn it," Sagira swore.

"Why is it always Goddess with you?"

"Personally belief," Sagira muttered. "Hey, isn't that the guy whose pokeballs I nicked?"

"There's that damn bitch!" the kid swore.

"They looking for you, too, Ivy?" Sagira asked sassily.

"Where are my pokeballs?!"

"Check your boss's office. I hear Dawson's in the poke-napping business."

They finally moved out of the building and stood together, revealing that there was six of them. Sagira pursed her lips in annoyance. She was really too damn tired for this.

"We know who you are," one of the men said with a cocky nod.

"Wow, give the boy a gold star," Jay said sarcastically.

"Can it!" one of the others said - a tall, lean man with wild black hair. "You're Jay Lange," he said, nodding toward Jay. He merely glared in return.

"And you're Iris Sagira Smythe," one of the others offered.

"Wow," Sagira said, with a mocking smile, "that's so nice of you to introduce us. Here, let me do you." She pointed out the three nearest her. "Harry, Curly, and Moe."

Jay nodded and picked out his three. "Looks like I've got Dumb, Dumber, and-"

"Let me guess," the third snapped, getting right up in Jay's face, "I'm Dumbest?"

"Well, if you insist. Personally, I thought since I was Jay, you could be Silent Bob." And then he punched 'Bob' in the head.

And then, all of the pokemon came out.

Sagira didn't like their odds too much. Who knew, anyway, if Ivy and her friend were going to fight with them, or against them.

She looked over at Jay. "Are we ever going to get to sleep today?"

[Living Arrow]

"But Mister Door-sun is nice..." Ivy muttered quietly to herself, her lower lip sticking out with a forlorn droop. "Why's he wanna hit Catlady unless she did something wrong..."

Things were getting too much for Ivy. She'd not been the subject of lies by any Pokemon but humans almost made her sick. Why could they go around saying untruths all silly-willy-nilly? If they did that all the time then no-one would believe what anyone said and that only meant that no-one could be friends because they couldn't trust each other...

"Let her go. Let her prove her innocence. You can take me in her place." Lange said forcefully. Ivy wanted to believe him because he sounded like he meant it, but if he meant it that only meant he liked Sagira a lot. And if he liked Sagira a lot, they *had* to be friends. But then again, humans did a thing called 'acting' and that meant they could practice at lying all the time so if he sounded like he meant it then it might not mean that he meant it and-

"Oooh..." Ivy clutched her frizzy hair with a hopeless look of confusion on her face. "I don't know what to do" (Ivy -> )

When Sagira started yelling at Lange, Ivy was in no condition to listen to more human-talking. It all sounded the same when she started getting worked up and confused. Sagira suggested waiting but that made Ivy nervous, too. If she decided to wait with them, that could mean that her bosses would think she was a traitor, too.

"Hey! You there!"

Ivy flinched to find a total of six Aquas striding towards them. They did not look very happy to see them.

"There's that damn bitch!" One of them said in an angry tone.

"They looking for you, too, Ivy?" Sagira replied.

"They're looking for me!?" Ivy jumped to the wrong conlusion. "I've done nothings wrong!!!" She leapt to Victor's arm where she took hold and shook her head with wide-eyes at the other Aquas. She watched on as Pokemon came to their trainer's sides and squared off against each other. Everyone was naming each other in the formal manner in which humans sometimes did when signalling that a fight was going to start.

*But Sagira says that she is inni-...inna-... hasn't done anything wrong!* Ivy warred with herself, looking back from one side to the other. *And more people want to hit her now... People shouldn't hit my friends... But if I get involved, I might be shouted at for going all traitory... But look at those Pokemon... Catlady and her friends are tired now and so are Lange's... Oooh... what do I do?... What would PokéMama say?...*

Ivy looked up sadly at Victor. "I's got to. I hope you don't get mad at me, Vicky..." And with that, she ran to Sagira's side. Alpha, Beta and Kappa launched themselves to stand prepared at her feet.

"AND MY NAME IS IVY!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. "LEAVE MY FRIEND ALONE!"

This post has been edited by Living Arrow: Jun 10 2009, 12:52 PM

[Master Houndoom]

Jay sighed. It wasn't that he hated fighting. He liked it. Even though he hadn't fought for anything more important than training before he came to Noverus, he found that the danger of fighting an opponent "for real" hadn't dampened his enthusiasm.

So it wasn't the prospect of a fight, or a battle, it was the fact that he and his team were so tired, and he knew that Sagira and HER team were, as well.

When the battle began, he reached to his belt to pull off Videl and Hinata's pokéballs and accidently pulled off a third as well. Great. I threw an empty ball. Air, I choose you!

However, instead of simply bouncing in closed mockery, the ball opened, revealing a trembling, angry Misdreavus.

Misdreavus HATES that thing! Misdreavus doesn't like YOU, EITHER! You made Misdreavus go into darkness!

"The hell?!" Jay stared up at the misdreavus, when one of his opponents, a large, square built man he'd dubbed "dumber", pointed at the misdreavus.

"YOU! I'll take you apart MOLECULE BY MOLECULE!""

Leave Misdreavus alone! Despite the ghost type's angry entrance, she seemed more afraid and sad than anything. Misdreavus is HUNGRY! She whined, terrified.

Jay thought deeply. "Hungry, eh?" He grinned. "You eat fear, right? If you do as I say, you'll make them afraid of you... and I'll make sure you eat afterwards, if it's not enough."

The Misdreavus looked back at Jay longingly. Misdreavus... Misdreavus doesn't trust you...

Jay directed Hinata and Videl to attack, but answered the Misdreavus without looking at her. "You have my word.” When the Misdreavus didn’t move, he bit his lower lip. “I’ll feed you myself.”

She turned, opened her mouth, and screeched at the water type that had put a bead on Videl. It started, then staggered as a psybeam attack hit it.

Ah! No fair! She knows Psychic attacks?!

But the ghost was suddenly lively, swooping down and attacking any Aqua guard’s Pokémon it could reach, not bothering to hit one until it was down, but skipping from opponent to opponent. Videl and Hinata stuck with a traditional one on two or three battle style, but the new addition was chaotic, and it was confusing their opponents enough to give Jay’s team a real edge.

The misdreavus screeched again, and Jay grinned at her enthusiasm. “I think… I’ll name her Siren.”

Spell it with a Y! Spell it with a Y!

Jay laughed. Despite Hinata’s initial reaction, he felt that this little show of exuberance was a sign that she liked the ghost. “Siryn it is.”

Siryn thinks maybe you’re not so bad after all!

Jay turned to see how Sagira was doing, surprised that the “mutt”, Ivy, was helping her. Then he saw something that chilled his heart, and he wasn’t thinking anymore, he was moving.

This post has been edited by Hungry Hungry Houndoom: Jun 10 2009, 09:37 PM

[Umbrae Calamitas]

There were many things that Sagira didn't know about Umbrae: Where he came from. How he managed to end up among her father's pokemon. Why he was so fond of cats.

And that he was afraid of ghosts.

Of course, the moment that Jay unwittingly released his mysteriously-caught third pokemon, Umbrae went completely nuts. And, of course, Paladin decided this was something that needed to be shared.

"It's a GHOST!" Umbrae wailed loudly, Paladin channeling his cries for her to understand. "It's a ghost!" He threw his head back and howled loudly, accidentally sending a Pidgey fluttering away in fear. Then, with a loud whimper that embarrassed Sagira to no end, he went and ducked behind Videl, crouching low to try and hide himself from view. "It's a ghost! Make it go AWAY!"

"Umbrae, you big baby!" Sagira yelled.

He made no response other than to continue whining and crying out, "It's a ghost!" every time he spotted the Misdreavus darting from one opponent to the next. The only good thing about it was that his frequent howling was startling some of the opposing pokemon into making mistakes.

"Shit!" Sagira swore, leaping out of the way of a darting Quilava. "Calypso, take out that Leafeon!"

"What, and stifle her cries of how perfect she is? Why would I ever want to do that?" Her sarcasm was not lost on Sagira. Nor was the look of joy on Calypso's face when she quick attacked the eevee-evolution flat on her ass.

Paladin was doing some weird dance move in midair, channeling Sagira's pokemon, even as he sent confusion attacks in every direction. He seemed to have adopted Siryn's fighting style minutely, choosing to take on a number of opponents at once, rather than just one.

Like her, Paladin seemed fairly good at it.

Abruptly, Paladin twitched, his attention caught by something else. He barely managed to teleport out of the way of a thunder attack, but when he reappeared, he cried, "Miss Sagira!"

Miss? Sagira pondered, turning to see what had grabbed Paladin's attention. She caught the glint of light reflecting off of some metal object, and then the sound of a gunshot rang out through the suddenly-still air.

Arrow, we leave the events up to the firing of the gun, and even some after, to you, as it concerns Ivy and Alpha.

[Living Arrow]

"Friend, huh?" The closest Aqua rounded on Ivy and sneered. "I hope you realise that you're defending a fugitive and a traitor, Kylarian."

"Well, DURR!" Ivy stuck out her tongue and pulled a face at the silly man. "I's not stupids, y'know?!"

"Well shall see about that." The Aqua retorted, calling upon his Nidorino and Nidorina to both attack together. The Poison Pins broke into a charge, hurtling straight for Ivy's trio who were standing firm.

"Bui?"
"Trike?"

"Yeah, guys! You two, go!" Ivy sent Kappa and Beta into battle with the poison type Pokemon, opting for herself and Alpha to run straight at the man himself. "Let's go, Alpha! Time for our super special one-on-one move. You ready?!"

"Poochy!"

"Great, then let's get started!" Ivy switched to running upright and allowed Alpha to back-somersault and land on her shoulders. His teeth glistened wetly as he salivated with the hunger for battle - something that their opponent noticed straight away.

"Hey, whaddaya doing?" He sounded nervous.

"OK, Alpha! Now!" Ivy yelled, letting Alpha jump forwards and straight at the guy's head. She dropped to the ground and skidded straight past him, springing back to her feet behind him. Alpha's flight was straight as an arrow but the dude moved just quick enough to dodge the Poochyena's teeth from clamping on his neck. Instead, Alpha's teeth found purchase on his collar bone which produced a high-pitched howl from the Aqua.

As fast as Alpha landed the Bite, he was moving again - his momentum from the jump still carrying him through the air. Ivy's outstretched arms were his target. She grabbed his middle soflty but firmly, turning the motion into a spin before throwing him straight back at the Aqua. Alpha's teeth this time, caught a wrist before the man could move and in much the same way, Ivy was already waiting on the other side of him with her hands ready to catch and return Alpha.

A total of six times, Ivy dashed around the man while throwing Alpha right at him to deliver Bite after Bite which rapidly drew free long rivulets of blood from the fool's head, arms and torso. Not once did Alpha have to touch the ground as Ivy's trained speed carried her around the target faster than it took Alpha to fly through the air like a living arrow. With the final strike, Alpha sprng free of his target to backflip through the air and land neatly on Ivy's back.

"Kylarian Cani-Fang Combo!" She announced proudly, Alpha mimicking her stance almost to the hair. He barked once, extremely proud of himself and suddenly began to glow. "Wha?" Ivy gasped, watching her little brother suddenly explode with growth and very rapidly become her big little brother! "Alpha! You 'volved!?"" Ivy was awestruck as a glossy-maned Mightyena grinned proudly back at her through insanely white teeth.

"Why you!" The man roared, blood flowing past his eyes from the Bite wound in his brow. "You'll regret messing like that with me!"

Ivy's eyes immediately widened as her opponent raised a short metallic weapon from the holster hidden underneath his jacket to point straight at Ivy's face. A tiny hole in the device produced a sharp click sound as it was armed and, before Ivy could make the observation of "A gun?", a deafening *BANG* split the air like an overripe melon.

[Master Houndoom]

Jay heard a little pop, and something hurt, but the blood rushing past his ears was overpowering everything. This guy pulled a gun. On a kid. Sure, she had probably been the one that caused the cuts and scrapes, but she was still a kid. He'd almost shot her, and that royally. Pissed. Him. Off.

He'd managed to get in front of him before he'd pulled the trigger, his foot arcint out to strike at his gun hand with the instep. That was when the pop started, and that was when he felt the burning sensation. He spun and lashed out, sending a backfist to the bridge of the man's nose. He squawked and staggered back, and Jay's backfoot came up as he spun, driving his foot into the man's gut.

His left arm wouldn't move, but that was fine. He only needed one for this coward.

"You son of a bitch! What kind of coward brings a gun to a pokémon battle?!" He reached down and grabbed his enemy, slamming a knee into the man's chest as his fist gripped the man's collar. "Is it that important that you win? You a big man now?!" He spun the man and slammed a fist into his kidney, before grabbing him and sending his head into a lamp post. The man staggered up, eyes wide, seeing the gun on the ground and nothing between him and a raging martial artist.

Videl leapt in and savaged the man's shoulder, and Jay stopped. The pain was worse, and he was feeling woozy as the adenaline left him. Videl would take care of the guy. He just wanted to sit.

He turned to see if Ivy was OK. She was staring at him, wide eyed. But not his face. She was looking down and a little to his left. He took a moment to check on his friends. Everyone had stopped, and he had no idea why. Sagira's eyes were just starting to bug out, and Vivitalis, who was surronded by fallen or fighting pokémon (his team was performing admirably), had his hand to his mouth. He looked at Ivy again. "You OK?"

She pointed to his arm, and he wondered, briefly, why it looked like she would cry. He looked down, noticing the spreading red blotch on his left shoulder and chest. "Huh," he said, as if someone had proven that the sky was actually a cool yellow rather than blue. The red spread a little farther. "Shit."

And then he fell as blackness claimed him.

* * * * *

J-jay..?

She couldn't see him, but she felt him as his thoughts receeded, like the fading light from an old tube style television. Which he had let her watch through his eyes. So much had been seen through his eyes, including her. To him, she was beautiful, and smart, and a wise ass, but a good wise ass. He couldn't be gone.

Jay?!

No one else was doing anything. Videl had leapt off the man, who was, unfortunately, alive after shooting Jay, and nudging Jay's leg, whining. Siryn was silent, still. No one was moving. No one was doing anything.

Jay!!

He was silent, in her head. She had't even known he was there, but he wasn't now. No vision came through his eyes, no sound through his ears. Nothing. She couldn't find anything that said the bleeding lump on the ground was ehr Trainer. Her friend. Her father.

And the man who'd shot him was still alive.

To the outside world, Hinata rose. Her head crest turned black as she gathered what dust and dirt to make it so telekinetically, and shaped it to be smooth and sleek and BLACK. As black as her mood. As black as her heart without Jay.

The man stood, shaking, bleeding in the shoulder, and stepped toward the gun. Maybe if he'd stepped away, Hinata would have let him.

NO! She stopped him with her mind, enveloping him with purple fire that was her biological father's gift to her. She lifted him, turning him to face her.

What is your worst NIGHTMARE?! she snarled into his mind, into any mind that could hear her, but focused her power on him, forcing his mind to grow more and more addled. He screamed, and screamed, and screamed. And then was silent.

She dropped him and turned to the others.

One guard from the building turned to the other, completely unconcerned that he'd soiled himself. "Hey," he said in a shaky, high pitched voice. "Ever see that movie, Carrie?"

Small, thin arms came behind her, and Paladin's soothing voice sounded in her head.

You need to stop before you do something you'll regret.

You need to let go before I do something you'll regret.

Hinata-

Bored now, she snarled, and threw him, telekinetically, toward Sagira. She felt the flash as he flew, but didn't heed it. She had men to kill.

I said, said the voice, in a much deeper tone, you need to stop now.

This post has been edited by Hungry Hungry Houndoom: Jun 12 2009, 01:52 AM

[Umbrae Calamitas]

It didn't quite hit her right away.

Of course, the fact that Jay continued to kick ass like he had been blessed by Ares, God of War, didn't help her to connect the dots. She could feel a charge around him, as well, as though there was a storm and lightning was striking from the ground everywhere around them. Her head was pounding, sending pain down her neck and spine, and causing the world to take on a white tint. She thought that she was losing her sight for a moment due to the headache, until her vision abruptly shifted, and she was staring into the world of colored lines.

The lines seemed tighter this time than they had been before. There was lines connecting Ivy to her pokemon. The lines to Alpha and Beta were thicker than the line to the buizel - Kappa, she suddenly knew - but his line was growing.

The lines connecting the boy - Victor, but then why does Jay call him Vivitalis? - were thinner than Ivy's, connecting to his pokemon. They, too, seemed to be growing, however.

Sagira could see the lines connecting her to Serenity, wrapped tightly around her wrist, and Umbrae, snapping and snarling with another pokemon. Calypso's line was a gentle pinkish-white, stretching from her heart to Sagira's. Paladin's line connected at their heads, as he held a continuous link to her mind.

Hinata and Videl were linked strongly to Jay, which didn't surprise Sagira. He was close to both of them. Even the Misdreavus held a link to him, though the line was think and barely perceptible. Still, it was there, shimmering and growing. Sagira could also see waves rolling off of some of the pokemon, but especially off of Umbrae, and flowing to Siryn.

She was feeding, of course. No doubt enjoying herself. Heh.

But the lines were shifting, changing color, tone, and position. Sagira blinked and then she seemed to see both layers of the world at once - the world as it was to any other, with the colored lines super-imposed over top of them. Like plastic wrap held over a television screen and doodled on, to make it look like there was a magic makered dinosaur eating Scarlet O'hare, or something of the sort.

There was a snarl as Videl leapt for to rip the arm off of the guy that Jay had been fighting with - the guy with the gun. Though, the gun wasn't in his hands anymore.

Sagira caught sight of Jay as he staggered drunkenly. He looked like he had been drugged, and his eyes were dilated, but glazed. Almost feverishly.

And then, of course, she saw the blood on his arm and chest. Funny, how the world can slow down when you realize that all of the puzzle pieces were there, and you were just too damn stupid to see it.

"Shit," she heard him mutter, before consciousness seemed to abandon him like an unwanted toy.

Sagira didn't quite remember moving.

Of course, she wasn't sure that her brain was working at full capacity. It seemed to still be locked heavily on "Oh my Goddess, Jay's been shot!" Obviously, however, something seemed to be working right, because she had managed to dart forward and keep his head from slamming into the ground at a tremendous weight.

The boy wasn't exactly light, though, and it hadn't been Sagira's most graceful moment. She'd forgotten about Serenity and the ekans had been squished momentarily by Jay's falling body, but she had simply slithered up to rest on Sagira's shoulders. Sagira could almost feel the concern rolling off of her and, distantly, she noticed that the lines were all still there in her vision. They simply weren't as noticeable as when she fell into that world completely.

Sagira sank to her knees, Jay dead weight against her chest. She moved her body around his, until he was held up by her right arm around his shoulders. She could feel hot, sticky liquid sliding down her arm, and she felt tears come to her eyes as she found the source of all the blood. She tore off her jacket and quickly pressed it hard against the wound, but bit back a cry of fear when he didn't even react. He didn't even react!

Vaguely, she could hear the sounds of battle around her and see the flashing of lights both from attacks and her own lingering link to the world of colored lines, but she ignored the goings-on. They weren't important. Only Jay was important.

Only Jay.

"BlueJay, you bastard, don't do this to me!" she snarled. She kept her jacket pressed tightly against the wound in his chest, trying to stop the blood. She couldn't stop her tears, though, and they slid down her cheeks in rapid succession. "Jay! Jay Lange, you son of a bitch, wake up! WAKE UP!"

He didn't react, though, and Sagira simply sat there, holding him, crying, wondering if this... was this the end?

~*~

Her anger was less an emotion, and more a physical force.

Paladin could hear it. He could feel it. Like an ocean's wave, the air around them was sucked toward her, before she released it with all the enraged strength of Poseidon, Lord of the Sea.

When she telepathically knocked the man unconscious with his mind's own worst fears, Paladin finally stepped in.

He floated up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She really needed to calm down, or she was going to do something that she regretted when the anger receded. He knew she didn't really want to kill anyone - not as Hinata.

But she wasn't Hinata right now, and she proved that when she telepathically flung him away from her.

But he had to protect her, even from herself.

When the light enveloped him, it was warm. It gradually grew from warm to hot, and he felt it melting his body, reshaping it to fit a new and better purpose. He felt some things become clearer, and others more important.

And then he was righting himself, before he could slam into Sagira, who was still holding Jay and begging for him to wake up, with a quiet, hoarse voice that was too choked on tears to be fully understood. But the message was there. The need was there. The love was there.

And here.

Paladin moved through the air swifter than before, more gracefully, and instead of coming up behind Hinata, he moved in front of her. In between her and the men she so desperately wanted to hurt in her rage. He didn't take time to notice that he had evolved and congratulate himself on the accomplishment, because that wasn't important right now.

Hinata was.

Taking her hand in his, he knelt down, even as they floated in the air. "My lady," he said softly, linking his mind to hers so that she could see through his eyes, "please... do not act now with anger, when your heart isn't present. I don't want to see it cry when it is permitted to return." He stared into her face, wishing that she could see him, but hoping that his holding her hand would be enough to show how sincere he was. "It is your heart that it needed now, my lady Hinata. Your heart for your trainer, not your anger." He squeezed her hands softly. "Please, my lady."