[PRP] Rainy Day

[Suudonym]

Rem, happy to show off her speed at any opportunity, dug in her heels and sprang in the opposite direction to avoid the incoming attack, stopping short when she was clear of its radius and launching a crackling Thunder Wave.

The distance of the thunder lulled the area's occupants into a false sense of security - a little rain never hurt anyone, and a few flashes of lightning only served as a dramatic background setting - and none were prepared for the wicked bolt that fell from the sky and struck the field. Several of the recruits yelped in surprise, and Luke turned with a start towards the now seared grass.

"Okay," the instructor called, exiting from the nearby building and clapping his hands loudly to attract attention, "unless someone out here has a pokemon with Lightning Rod, I suggest you get inside. Radar looks like it'll pass quick, but it'll be a nasty one while it's here!"  

[Tori Honoo]

The thunderwave struck its mark, pulling a roar of pain from the arcanine, though she was able to stand her ground for the time being. Shaking it off as the electricity jumped from her fur, she immediately opened her eyes, looking to attack again.

Until the bolt of lightning struck not far away from where the trainers had been standing.

With a quick look toward the instructor as he spoke, her hand held out toward Aurora in silent gesture to pause the battle if she would, Dove nodded, then stepped toward the fire type, pulling the ball from her belt again as the other hand quickly brushed over the dog's nose. "Good girl... get some rest, okay?" she rewarded hastily, dropping her hand as the arcanine disappeared into her ball. Trill, who had already been hiding from the rain under its trainer's hair cooed against her neck, shivering from lightning's effect, while Lovey stayed right under her trainer's step, against her leg until the woman picked her up.

Dove looked to Rem with a smile and nod-- the jolteon was impressive. Very impressive-- then turned to Luke as she started back toward the building. She was sure he was capable of getting back on his own, but as a battle partner at the very least, she felt it only polite to wait for him, or at least make sure he was well on his way inside. They needed to hurry, it seemed, as thunder clapped again and the wind kicked up-- much to her clear displeasure. She tensed once close to the door, her eyes on the clouds above.  

[Suudonym]

Rem frowned at the turn of events. She was still only just setting up; she hadn't even had the opportunity to attack properly yet... Luke wasn't very good at reading his team yet, but he could at least perceive the Jolteon's pouting disappointment, and he leaned down slightly to address her, "I'm sure we can pick up a round two sometime later. Let's head in for now, though, okay?"

The electric-type turned up her nose but still waited obediently to be returned to her ball, a task which was quickly accomplished. The great ball joined to his belt alongside its companions, Luke moved to return to the building with the other recruits filtering in that direction, offering an apologetic smile to Dove, "Bad luck, huh?"  

[Tori Honoo]

She returned his smile, though her gaze quickly and nervously flitted back to the trees around the area as wind swept harshly through again. "Yes, I suppose so..." she agreed, shifting her hold on Lovey to move her hair from her neck and give Trill more room to cling. "Thanks for asking me to battle, though. It was fun."

She paused, wondering if it would be better to address her pleasant confusion or not, then stepped along again, herded along with the group through the small hallway until they were far enough in to still against a wall and still allow room for others to walk around them. "Did you want to grab lunch or something instead? I don't think we'll be able to go outside for a--" Thunder crashed, and she felt as though it might have shaken the very foundations of the building. "...for a while..."  

[Suudonym]

The sound of thunder felt familiar, and he looked towards the doors that led out into the storm even once they had been pulled shut. It was a thunderstorm, so he supposed he shouldn't have felt surprised by the sense of nostalgia - it was a common natural phenomenon, especially given the time of year - but he was certain there was more to it, some kind of association...

He returned his attention to the individual beside him as he realized she had asked a question, responding with a cordial smile and a light shrug of his shoulders, "Sure, if you'd like."  

[Tori Honoo]

The thunder, though loud and daunting, was accepted much more readily than the wind to Dove, and she stopped herself from shuddering at the idea of a strong spring blast. That wouldn't do at all, and she instead latched onto the conversation and opportunity at hand, smiling brightly when he accepted her offer.

Careful not to interrupt the flow of recruits as she started toward the commons area of the building, stopping just inside and waiting to get into a line for food.

Once their food was received, she wandered toward the tables, selecting one a safe distance from the window. "This okay?" she asked, waiting to see if it was alright before she would take her seat.  

[Suudonym]

He moved to follow almost absently, reminding himself at the sound of the sudden question to pay attention. He nodded, setting his plate down on the surface with a passive "sure."

At a time like this, he thought, it was polite to offer some kind of subject for conversation. He still needed to be cautious, though, and so he avoided initiating anything for the time being, resigning himself to following his company's lead.  

[Tori Honoo]

With his acquiescence, Dove took her seat across from him, welcoming Lovey to sit at her side as she offered the eevee a pecha berry from the small cup on her plate. Trill was offered one next as she spoke, taking the initiative to start conversation before the pause became uncomfortable. "So are you enjoying Special Operations? From what I know about you, it seems like a pretty good fit so far..."  

[Suudonym]

"I guess?" he replied with a mild shrug, unwrapping a packaged sandwich. "I mean, so far it's mostly a lot of learning... not that I dislike that, but I'm not sure I can judge whether or not I'm suited to it yet." He certainly didn't mind the learning - the more he was able to expand his sphere of knowledge and experiences, the more satisfied he was - but many of the concepts they were taught sounded so dangerous. Responding to an armed enemy, determining if it's justifiable to use lethal force, emergency care... He tried to trust in others' opinions of his suitability and avoid feeling too intimidated.  

[Tori Honoo]

She nodded. Though he seemed like someone suited to Special Ops, she guessed it wasn't too much of a stretch that he might also be someone to second guess himself. Maybe. "I guess so...It is a lot of learning. At least it's interesting, at any rate. The stuff they're teaching us, I mean." She took a plastic fork from the packaged silverware on her tray and drizzled dressing over her salad. "I just hope it's all enough next time, you know?"

This was odd, she thought to herself, having such a casual conversation after what had transpired between them. It was a miracle to her that it hadn't been brought up in some form, but as he didn't seem opposed, she would leave it in the past for now. Maybe their misunderstandings were behind them, at least in the workplace.  

[Suudonym]

He didn't really know what constituted a lot of learning versus a normal amount. For Luke, everything was learning, from names and faces to the layout of the city to things as simple and ingrained as his daily schedule. The idea that one day the merciless barrage of information would be lessened by a growing sense of familiarity was a distant but attainable hope. He traced a trail in the condensation of his glass. "'Next time?'" The phrase was vague enough, he felt, that he could get away with asking after a little elaboration... not that he expected the explanation to sound recognizable anyway, but still.  

[Tori Honoo]

She passed him a confused look, then explained, wondering how it was possible for him to have forgotten. "The next time Rocket decides to try something, I mean. That desert raid was... well, I wasn't as prepared as I could have been. It'll be nice to have a full group of people together who know what to do, and to be part of it," she admitted quietly, fighting the tiny surge of shame from the memories of how it had ended. Their group, at least, had done well, even if she hadn't been of much use.

Lovey turned her head to study the young man at the table with her girl. Something was definitely quite off...  

[Suudonym]

He resisted the urge to respond to her look with indignation - how could someone possibly know what a person was talking about from a phrase as ambiguous and out-of-context as 'next time'? Even if he had his memories, he would still only be able to guess... probably. "It's not as if they haven't done anything else," he said, half under his breath. He didn't know when what she was referring to took place, but he knew that it was an encounter with a Rocket that had gotten him into his present situation, and he knew said encounter was still very recent.

He had his doubts that things like filing reports and announcing arrests would really be useful when it came to facing an adversary who meant harm, but... "I guess a lot of it has to do with mentality," he said. "Just knowing that you've had training can help you feel more prepared and confident." Especially for someone who was confident about very, very little.  

[Tori Honoo]

She paused at his reply, and looked away from him. "That's true... sorry." He had a point, though she was sure he was referencing his run in in the forest. And even if he wasn't referencing his run in, Special Ops couldn't be all about major operations; Rocket terrorized without making big moves against the league. Trainers in Kodo were still unsafe...Still, she wouldn't choose either explanation, lest she choose incorrectly. She hated to bring up such a sensitive subject.

"I just meant--never mind..." Explaining herself multiple times last time hadn't worked in her favor at all, and had only annoyed him. She'd steer clear of that this time, especially as it appeared he was giving her a second chance. Or...third. Still, for him to have forgotten such a huge event--one that had nearly killed him-- was odd, and though she didn't want to press him--no, no, no-- she couldn't help but be a little concerned, though she couldn't pinpoint why.

"Yeah, I guess so," she agreed, "Like why I picked up gun handling, too--'killed without confidence';. Are you still practicing?" He had been at her first lesson, after all. It was a decent connection, though the thought of their 'instructor' made her through tighten. Her eyes fell back to her salad as she gently stabbed at the leaves.  

[Suudonym]

He frowned for a moment as he considered the question. Gun handling - as in manipulating a live firearm? Granted, he couldn't really think of what else the phrase might imply. It sounded dangerous, but... He'd been attacked once that he knew of, and he was hardly ignorant of the wide array of scars that marked him from head to toe. Rather than frivolously dangerous, perhaps that was simply a sensible way he'd found to defend himself. "Not recently," he answered truthfully.