[FIN] Those in Need

[Blood_Goddess]

Ray's wide grin returned, the unsettling smirk she wore usually, though with no ill meaning.
"Oh, back to me again then? alright, well, lets take a look. I've already explained the last impression that I have of your intentions the last time you went storming off in the fields. and while I had a pretty good handle on the kind of person you were, I come to find you again, in a state that I truly didn't expect."
Ray stepped forward again.
"You are a selfish, egotistical, blind little girl." She tilted her head softly "So Painfully blind! And whats more, you make yourself that way, if anyone here even opened their eyes they would be able to just smell, just BREATH the danger in this place, but there you are, flitting around -ignoring it- just like so many other people here, dumb, untalented, ignorant and demotivated."
Ray jerked her head sharply. "and then I come up on you now, and to my surprise, what do I hear? you're sad, for the sake of someone who is not you. someone you call a friend. Now right there that tells me a whole lot more then I originally suspected. Somewhere under that makeup and fancy clothing and heeled strut there is actually a person that could be worth something, only that person can't get through becasue she's to busy, ONCE AGAIN feeling sorry for herself."

Ray leaned forward even closer. "And I know EXACTLY how you are going to take what I just said." She grinned again. "I know you'll get huffy, probably shrike a lot and storm away saying something along the lines of "how dare you" so I'll tell you what, I'll let you get your freebee swing in now." Ray tilted her head, patting a black painted finger nail against her cheek. "Right there, go ahead and get that out of the way. becasue when all this is over, you need to start realizing the kind of person that you could be, one worthy of these "friends" that you seem to have, and most importantly, for the pokemon you are BLESSED with."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Despite not knowing what she'd expected Ray to say, it was very clearly not that. She did not expect any of the things the taller woman said, and her surprise showed plainly on her face as her eyebrows rose slightly, and her expression became more and more angry. Ray's tone when she brought up her friends, however, only made Sera more upset - but instead of being angry, it was a poignant reminder of the current circumstances. Luke practically dying right before their eyes, not to mention the kidnapping and being shot at and death, had served to make her realize just how precious her friends were to her. She didn't want to lose them, not any of them - not now, not ever. Mention of danger reminded her of that as well, and of so many things Team Rocket had done that didn't bother her before but they bothered her now. She didn't want to ever admit to anyone, even herself, of her gradually declining hope of ever seeing her precious Umbreon again.

"You don't have to ******** tell me s**t's dangerous," she said in low, venomous tones, glaring down the older woman despite the obvious and laughable difference in height. A brief flash of pain shot through her angry countenance as she added, "So much s**t's happened I could tell you about because you don't even know." Like Vahy'n, Jasmine, Mieu, and Anastasia; the contest, the raided ball and the little girl that died, the kidnapping, the shooting, Luke's swiftly declining health. "So don't you come over here and start calling me blind and ******** stupid and how I don't know how dangerous s**t is around here because, believe me, I do know. Get the ******** off your high horse b***h before somebody knocks you off."

Instead of getting huffy, screaming and shouting 'how dare you's and taking Ray's free punch in the face, she merely got angry, kept her tones level (despite the venom) and pointedly did not punch her in the face. Instead she opted to brush past her and start walking away quietly, and Isabella got up and followed after her.  

[Blood_Goddess]

Ray threw her hands up, but didn't straighten herself up to her tallest point, still hunched over to talk to Sera. "Well you could have FOOLED me! You could have fooled everyone really, 'I can just pay someone to do that for me.' 'I don't need help' If this is you understanding how dangerous this place is, and your life is, then you are in for a world of hurt, becasue when the time comes for you to actually do anything-" Ray paused, arching her eyebrows "Well- come on then, be honest with me, how well prepared are you going to be to face it? REALLY prepared? Since now you should know what you're dealing with. Right, Right?"

Ray pointed to the girls pokemon with both hands, the two that were around. "Words are one thing! but being able to follow through? Being able to show that you understand, since apparently-" flicks a hand toward Sera "you 'say' you understand."
Ray's voice lower, sounding calm but with a soft competitive growl from her throat "Then go ahead princess, prove me wrong. Proove me wrong and I won't ever, EVER cross your path again. Take me off this high horse you say I'm on. But understand, that this so called high horse, was something you have to work to climb on first, and believe me, there have been higher horses. So knock me down. if you think you are so right."
Another smile spread across her lips  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Sera wasn't facing Ray anymore, instead aiming her angry glances at the sidewalk a few yards ahead of her. There had been a couple times thus far where it was her time to act, and the first time she had practically shamed herself with how quickly and easily someone had stolen Anastasia from her, and how she didn't even realize it until the poor Umbreon was gone. Instead of walking away completely, she stopped a bit away when she realized Ray wasn't going to just end. Her hands balled into small fists again, but she was quickly getting worn down not only by the argument, but because of how emotionally exhausted she was from worrying herself sick over her friend. "All I said was I know s**t's dangerous," she elaborated, her tone unfortunately conveying her waning resolve, "I didn't say how prepared I was." Because she wasn't. At all. And it had cost her the best friend she'd ever had.  

[Blood_Goddess]

Ray finally straightened up, putting her hands on her hips as she stared at the girl's back.
"And how important is it to you that you be ready for that danger?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Sera just sighed, and with the exhale went the rest of the fight she had left in her, leaving her feeling tired and empty. "It's... really important, I guess," she replied lamely, making one final attempt at being stubborn. It didn't work well though.  

[Blood_Goddess]

"Good." That was the first step anyway. "And do you think that doing this all on your own is going to help you fast enough?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

If Sera had pockets, her hands would be buried in them, but unfortunately she didn't, so they just hung there uselessly. "...no," she admitted. What point in there was denying a fact she told her friends whenever training was brought up? Training was not at all her forte. It wasn't her specialty. Rosie and Luke were much better trainers than she was, though she'd never directly say as much, but that didn't make it untrue.  

[Blood_Goddess]

It was a simple answer again, she could tell that this conversation had probably warn down on the already upset girl, but it was slowly starting to relive what the girl felt, and being able to express it as honestly as she seemed to be able to.

"My offer still stands." the tall wiry women shifted her weight into one foot, tilting her head so that she could look at Sera with both eyes. "I can give you the best opportunities to learn, you might not like me very much but I know what I'm doing, and I can help."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

The brunette continued to simply stand there for a few long moments while she inwardly debated, but honestly she was too physically and emotionally tired to really put too much effort into it. Instead, she half-turned to regard the woman behind her. She looked tired, but also a little wary. "Why?"  

[Blood_Goddess]

"Because your pokemon deserve it." She shrugged one shoulder. "Maybe I just feel like it, who knows, this could be an interesting challenge. Or it could be that I'm interested in seeing the kind of trainer someone like you can become."
She shifted her head when the Zubat behind her squirmed.
"whatever the reason, its a genuine offer."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Sera continued to watch her for a few more moments as she spoke, then turned away again. The girl exhaled heavily, too tired to even put up a fight anymore, too tired to even care whether this was a good idea or not. She was done. "...fine."  

[Blood_Goddess]

A sharp snapping noise came from Ray at the women snapped her fingers. "Excellent"

"Well, considering you probably have a friend to get back to, and this experience was probably... enough training for today, I'll come find you sometime, when I do, we'll get started. becasue we have a lot of work."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Okay," was all she said before she started walking away again. Ugh, she was going to regret this eventually, but right now she was much too tired to care about anything else.