[PRP] Hide and Seek

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

"If I lied, it would be detrimental to my career as an informant, ne? And how could I deny the truth to someone being so honest with me in turn? I'd like to think we're being mutually truthful," Izaya answered musingly. "but feel free to test me if you'd like."

He smirked at the Caterpie. "Oh? Now that's interesting...I don't know any 'Taavi', but I know a certain 'Sasha'... What might they have looked like? Perhaps we have a mutual acquaintance."

The Japanese man looked back up at Zevran. "Ah, he mentioned that he - in your company, I presume - met one other person who understood him so far and that was someone by the name of Taavi...a boyfriend of someone named Sasha." He chuckled. "I'm surprised this Sasha was mentioned at all since he could have just said some guy named Taavi understood him. Do you know Sasha better, Zev-san?"

He snorted loudly and involuntarily at the emphasis on 'flexible' but dared not ask about the possible implications behind it. Chances were Zevran was just joking around again, but regardless of the reason, it was nice to have someone to laugh with. He hadn't realized how long it had been since he had really, actually had a real reason to genuinely laugh; and with someone instead of at them.

"Sure, sure. There are a few places I can think of that should be able to accommodate two suspicious-looking figures such as ourselves at this time of night," he chuckled, starting to walk back toward the main street where the lights and windows of still-open restaurants and fast-food diners flashed. "Right this way."  

[TawnyAngel]

When Izaya started addressing Amigo Zevran's brows rose slightly and a smile lit up his face, well there was proof if he'd needed it! He hadn't needed it as it happened because while he certainly didn't trust the stranger at all the matter wasn't important enough to worry about one way or the other. It was nice to know that Chrome was being truthful though, and it was nice to hear from Amigo again too.

"I would say that we know Sasha better yes, in that we have met them twice whereas we have met Taavi only once," Zevran replied in somewhat amused tones as he set off beside Chrome. "As it happens I met Sasha on the same day I found Amigo; like myself they had answered the advert to clear an excess of wild pokemon away from a farm, we got talking, and I went to dinner with them and Taavi in the evening. As for whether it is the same Sasha, ¿white curly hair;" Zevran gestured an inch or so away from his head with each hand to illustrate the volume of it, "pale skin, about my own height and with purple eyes, one is glass? I think it would be difficult to mistake them for any other Sasha."

<> Amigo added helpfully. <>  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

"Well, well! It’s a small world after all. As it happens, I've actually worked with that very same Sasha," Izaya commented. “Not closely, of course, but we’ve encountered each other from time to time. The next time I see them I’ll be sure to let them know we have a mutual acquaintance! Or two of them, to be exact,” he amended, chuckling. “Funny that I’m finding out more about them through you, like the fact that they can speak to bugs and that they have a boyfriend named Taavi." He sneered at Amigo. "...and that, evidently, they like to lick tattoos."

Izaya may not at all have been on board with the idea of being able to understand any kind of pokemon at first, but the more he heard, the more he was starting to appreciate the ability. As an informant, it was incredibly useful for gathering information, especially since people didn't generally pay much attention to what pokemon saw or knew. Small, sneaky bug-types were even less conspicuous.

"An advert, huh? Was that a sort of job, then?" he asked, curious about what Zevran had mentioned prior. "Or just something else you enjoy doing as a volunteer?" The skinny man continued to converse as led the way to the nearest open dining place with reasonable prices.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Amigo!" Zevran laughed and tapped the bug lightly on the head. "We do not kiss and tell, it's very rude; Sasha's inclination to lick me should not be spread around like that."

<> the Caterpie pointed out sounding rather confused.

As he had no idea what the bug had said Zevran just shrugged, maybe Chrome would fill him in? Anyway there were other things to talk about. "Ah, I think I worded that badly," he said with a shake of his head. "Sasha I am told speaks to dark types, Taavi to bug types. Do say hello to them next you see them though! I would be glad to see them again, they make for entertaining company." It was a shame their evening plans had fallen though though, he had been interested to see that koi tattoo Sasha had.

"Advert...." Zevran groped for a better word as they headed towards a brightly lit doorway. "It was a flyer? Promoted as a fun day out, they gave you a couple of pokeballs and you took away the pokemon eating their crops. I suppose you could call that a job of a sort! Bartering is alive and well no? To be quite honest I went along because I was bored and curious, I didn't expect to walk away with two pokemon and an egg." Zevran laughed and shrugged expressively. "Life is full of surprises!"  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

"..."

Forget 'incredibly useful'. Izaya was now mentally replacing that phrase for talking to pokemon with 'unfathomably priceless'. Not to mention entertaining! Heck, if he had known he would be able to do this, perhaps he would decided against joining Team Rocket in the first place. Who needed to worry about getting information from people when pokemon were so trusting and willing to spill the beans?

He quickly reminded himself, however, that if he had thought of this, others must have thought of it too, like the police force, the League, and the KSO. What kept them from already knowing Rocket secrets, then? Of course; Rocket pokemon were kept on as tight a leash as their trainers. If not, well, then...that's probably why they had taken Delic from him.

Shaking his head, the man quickly cleared it and feigned a double-take. "...I'm sorry, did you say Sasha tried to lick you?" he asked, unable to hide his grin. "Amigo told me - and I quote - 'they're very energetic and apparently they like to lick tattoos? But they didn't get to because Taavi said no." His grin threatened to split his face. "...And here I had assumed the person Sasha had been trying to lick was Taavi, since I've never seen the guy. I didn't imagine it'd be you." He let out another peal of laughter. "It seems you're telling more than your little Amigo, here, Zev-san!"

Fighting down his chuckles - which wasn't an easy feat considering the Caterpie's perplexed and amusing response to his trainer - Izaya just barely managed to explain. "He means - your trainer was using a play on words. It doesn't actually mean kissing...unfortunately," the man couldn't help but add. "He meant it's rude to tell people about secret, affectionate things like kissing. Isn't licking how some pokemon kiss, after all?"

He paused when Zevran apologized for his wording. "Oh, no, my mistake. In all the talk of names, I forgot it was Sasha's boyfriend and not Sasha themselves who could speak to bug-types. Sasha can speak to dark, though? That's good to know." Especially since the majority of his own pokemon were dark-types. The informant would have to warn them to stay away from that Rocket in case Sasha found out something about him they shouldn't have. As it was, Sasha probably had no idea how much valuable info Izaya was getting on them right now and all they had done was befriended a man and his pokemon with their boyfriend.

"I'll be sure to tell them you send your greetings," Izaya assured him. Along with a few other things. I'm sure we'll have plenty to talk about now, thanks to you. "Perhaps we should all get together sometime if possible."

"Ah, I see...what a clever way of getting people to do work for you," he snickered, listening to the lighter-haired man as he reached forward to open the door for him. "Bartering is a better way of putting it, though, I suppose, since both of you get something out of it in return." To the ex-Rocket, two pokemon and an egg were not desirable compensation for one's work, but if Zevran was happy, good for him. "Heheheh...I can certainly agree with you there, Zev-san. Life most definitely is full of surprises. I think that's what makes it so worth living; to see what unpredictable thing happens next."  

[TawnyAngel]

Zevran gave a brief laugh and shrugged expansively. "Less tried more propositioned, and I'm sure I am telling you nothing they wouldn't tell you themselves if you asked! Though perhaps I should not have assumed you had already guessed that it was myself, not Taavi, who was being referred to." Oh well! It was done now and he really couldn't imagine Sasha minding somebody they knew knowing given that they had made the offer to somebody that had quite literally just met. "And that sounds like a fantastic idea to me, perhaps we should meet on the beach? You have such lovely shores in these parts, they must be taken advantage of!" Zevran smirked then and added; "But no licking if Taavi is invited, I think he would be quite flustered even if he and Sasha were not involved."

When Chrome opened the door for him Zevran stepped through with a nod and a word of thanks. "I have to agree with you on that," he said as he idly studied the large colourful menu board, no doubt intended to be legible to people who were one drink away from being horizontal or perhaps to people who were bleary-eyed and fed-up after a long day at their soul-sucking job. "If you knew what would happen tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that why would you bother to live? It sounds so terribly dull. Mmmh, and what will you have my friend?" Zevran gave Chrome a faintly smirky smile and gestured to the list of food and drinks. "I did invite you here for one and for another you are an acquaintance of somebody I have met twice who offered to do intimate things to my tattoos - all of them - and surely such a connection makes us practically brothers? There is little family resemblance I know but we can be kin nevertheless!"

Amigo made a noise of amusement and shook his head. <> he said cheerfully.  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

"Even better," Izaya mused. Silently, though, he didn't think Sasha would really have told him any of that if he'd asked. The Rocket didn't seem to like him all that much and already seemed privy to his nosiness. Not that Zevran needed to know that. "A day at the beach with amiable companions certainly sounds nice.”

Taavi… Now that Izaya thought of it, that name, unique as it was, did ring some bells. It had been a while ago, though; before he'd even discovered Trainee Gaia. The mystery of her and her resemblance to Aila had wiped a lot of other things from his mind including, it seemed, the names of aquaintances from before. He wondered if it could be the same Taavi, but the chances were very likely considering he'd recalled having met him in Camphoreon before and that was where they were now.

"So very true," the informant mused at Zevran's comment about knowing what would come day after day. "Hmm...I suppose I'll see if they have some tea." He snickered softly at the other man's elaboration of how they could consider each other kin. "I'm afraid I'm not even all that close to my real kin," he confessed, "but when you put it that way, our connection does sound very personal."

His gaze slid from Amigo to his trainer as he relayed, amused, "Your friend has made the observation that humans are weird and that the pair of us are extra weird and that he likes us. Must have good taste."

TawnyAngel

((Aww Tawny, I'm sorry I’m so forgetful! I forgot Izaya already met Taavi in that other rp! XP *headdesk* I do plan on replying to that so, though, if you’re still willing to continue it! Thank you for bringing it back to my attention <3))

 

[TawnyAngel]

lZAYA ORlHARA

Haha, no worries! I'd forgotten too. I'm most happy to continue with all our RPs! =D

Zevran grinned wickedly. "Ah, have you not heard the saying? The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb; the connections we choose and those we pledge ourselves to are more important than the circumstances of birth which are a mere roll of the dice. I can't speak for the relative thickness of tea of course but perhaps the sentiment can carry through to drinks shared by strangers who met by chance and yet share interests and connections." Now smiling innocently, too innocently for the mischievous light in his eyes, Zevran made an open gesture with both hands. "It seems to me that our meeting must have been fated. Are you a religious man Chrome? Which God or Goddess should we thank for this happy occasion?"

<> Amigo put in. <>

Zevran arched an eyebrow and looked around at the bug on his shoulder. "Are you saying how strange we are again? That's rather rich coming from a creature that changes its form at random but," he nodded to Chrome, "I will agree that he has good taste! And speaking of taste what is yours?" For a moment Zevran paused with a hint of a smirk before continuing; "I mean in tea, of course; it seems they have black tea and green tea on offer."