say something . open

[Anna gully]

Five days. Five whole days since she's had to service Fernando. The fact that he's sent her on a mission instead of requesting her presence unnerves her, puts her on edge, makes her uncomfortable. Her bruises were starting to heal-- he never let them heal. She was lost, confused, and not sure if she was being given the luxury of relaxation just yet. Of course, Anna was just as competent as she was in the field as she was when she was doing her 'chores'-- which, in Fernando's eyes, would never be enough. Even so, she could not deny that she was on the streets of Saffron, gathering information on the current state of Akiro and how its residents felt about the rest of the world. It was a monotonous job and she had little to gather-- most information was obvious. She was to complete her assigned task, however, and was told to not return until she learned something she had not known before. How boring. She sighed, looking around her. People everywhere. Busy, moving, shuffling around each other like toy soldiers on auto pilot. Anna was to talk to these automated machines? Why, they were only following daily routines. Anything less would throw them off, unnerve them, make them run away. 'You have a pretty face, just do your job.' Fair enough. Smoothing her face of any frustration, Anna took a shot at communication (it had been so long since she had talked to anyone new; how was she supposed to address them?). "Excuse me, would you have a moment to discuss the foreign affairs between Akiro--" The name of the region was enough to get the stranger to turn their nose up and wave her off. Anna scowled, stepping away from the crowd, taking a seat on some empty bench to the side. She would rather be cleaning, preparing dinner, anything of that sort. But interrogating people? It was like pulling teeth.

[dakota wilson]

There was a certain aura of superiority that simply could not be adapted. A swagger. It was almost like a birthmark, a brand that could literally be used to identify a phony. But damnit, Dakota gave his best effort to adopt this haughtiness that the people of Illyis had, studying himself as he moved, walked, even breathed. Hours were spent trying to be Barrett, trying to emulate Barrett's frivolity and pompousness. The rich just had a confidence the less fortunate could not afford, making the Illyis-born very distinguishable from the Nevitans, as if they were entitled. Luckily enough for Dakota, they didn't intermingle much, the workers, slaves stashed away in the homes of the wealthy. And while the issue remained that Dakota himself still felt incapable of being one of them, he still felt desire claw at his insides to appear amongst them, a Zoroark.

Saffron City wreaked of comfort. The people, it was clear, moved about blindly, taking them same steps they took the day before, walking the same streets, bumping into the same people. There was almost a glaze over their eyes, and the Nevitan knew that when they would arrive at their destination, they would forget there journey, as the freedom to go to a white collar job was so normal. While angered by this, Dakota also felt himself longing for such a state. He wanted to be happy with the present. Instead, he frantically searched for a way back to Nevita without raising suspicions, all the while playing dress up and acting like a jackass. It was getting tiring and alluring nonetheless -- his soft spot for Barrett's tailored suits and all the cheeseburgers he could eat beckoned him to forget his old life. He needed to get back to his old life, however miserable.

Sadly enough, he knew that the chances of him finding a Nevitan out in Saffron City was far less than likely. All the while, he strutted as confidently as he could, eyes shifting only minimally in his hopeless search. Still, something caught his eye. It appeared to be an interview of sorts, even if it ended rather quickly. The girl had been shut down, though to be fair, she should have known that people didn't want to talk to anyone. Dakota waved her off, hoping that she wouldn't talk to him. She would surely see through his guise. Like a Zoroark, he felt as though one touch would take him out of his character, leaving him exposed. As he concentrated on his self-consciousness, Dakota came to a realization, literally stopping in his tracks and forcing those behind him to swerve and curse under their breath.

Wait, who the hell asked people questions for fun?

[Anna gully]

It wasn't motion that drew her attention, rather the lack of it. A man that had brushed her away previously had stopped, and while Anna had previously been directing her attention on the crowd's flow, the man who interrupted it surprised her (if she could call it surprised; little surprised Anna as of late). He drew her curiosity, eyes fixed on his figure as she tried to interpret what he was doing. Changed his mind? Sudden epiphany? Mentally slow? Anna would be a liar to say it didn't make her nervous, apprehensive. Her chin was up, her attention on him. With nothing to lose she approached him once more, directly this time. "It would be best that you moved away from traffic." She strayed from her point, but perhaps that's what modern citizens needed-- a reminder that there was small talk, rather than blunt requests. Her change in heart wouldn't last long. "Do you have a moment to discuss foreign affairs?" Anna never had given any mind to regional accents. After spending most of her life in Illyis she had become accustomed to the way their words sounded, yet she had never quite mastered them herself. Each region had its own way of speaking, and she was raised to be polite, but to the point. Anna simply figured it was an inherited mannerism, However, the way the 'have' left her lips was softer than the standard Illysian-- gentler, as if she were careful with the word. If Dakota was to have his suspicions about her origin than her words may be a hint for him (if he were to notice). "It wouldn't take long."

[dakota wilson]

He could feel his heart rate increase -- it always did when talking to others while pretending to be Barrett. He was nothing to these people but scum. A bottom feeder who was shamelessly impersonating one of theirs after killing him. The thoughts always flooded back into his mind; the smell of fresh blood, the thickness of the puddle, the lifelessness of his eyes. The roles had reversed, and Dakota was the predator. Why couldn't he keep that mindset? Was he bound to blow his cover with simple kindness?

His face hardened, his words stony and cold. "I know." While it came out a bit harsher than he intended, it felt authentic enough. Dakota's eyes scanned the woman -- she seemed to be about his age, yet she certainly didn't seem like these people. He gave himself enough time to inspect the yellowing wounds on her forearms, signals of some accident or abuse. He pegged her as a slave, a pang of pity hitting him. She knew his troubles, she just wasn't as fortunate as he had been.

"Sure." he could feel the edge in his voice soften considerably this time.

It was a shame, her obvious kindness wasted away on a life of presumable hell. Pity continued to swell in his gut. "I have some time." his own voice mimicked hers, a masculine interpretation of the Nevitan accent showing through. There was a small difference, not that he noticed. He should have been thanking his lucky stars that Illysians were moronic.

[Anna gully]

His voice made her skin shiver, but only on the inside. Anna had learned to control her mask, especially in public situations. That, and she was already accustomed to Fernando's icy tone-- a stranger's did little to phase her. His eyes began to roam her, and the took the opportunity to take notice of tell tale signs on him, very briefly. Anna did not bother to think much into him-- all she needed was to sense any immediate danger. She was safe enough, for now, and a very brief smile greeted him. "Thank you." She couldn't help but feel like a beggar. Going from person to person, asking for something that would help her in the long run. It made her sick to her stomach, but there wasn't much to be done. His voice was enough to make her feel nostalgic-- in a negative manner. Anna never did experience a decent home life. She had only ever been property. Sold, bought, owned. She had gotten past those thoughts years ago. "Are you aware of the current state of Akiro and its residents? Perhaps a recent visit would have given you insight? From here it would seem the nation is crumbling, yet there is interest in expanding horizons. Would you happen to have any connections there?"