A deadly game (TESSA/OPEN)

[ALICE EDELFLOWER]

It was a dark clear night, and the stars sat twinkling above the unusually calm sea. It was quiet that quelled the normally stormy ocean and to Alice it was all rather unnerving. She’d arrived at the city port quite late, she’d stumbled out of the forest area and had followed the blinking lantern lights, all in all it was a beautiful port and it reminded her of some of the places her parents would take her when she was younger. With a heavy heart and a tired sigh she entered the city. Even though it was night time it was alive with people; people boarding ships, or stumbling out of taverns it was all rather endearing and to such a young thrill seeker like herself it was all rather exciting. Smoothing down her long green skirt she followed the cobbled street to the main walkway, quietly ignoring most of the drunken ramblings of the ugly old men that tumbled out of the pubs.

She frowned as a group called over to her wolf whistling and shouting out inappropriate things to say to a lady. She rolled her emerald greens eyes and turned a sharp corner, she need to find an inn and somewhere quick, she was absolutely exhausted and she just couldn’t be on with dealing with things. Her plan originally was to get to Vermillion by early evening but she’d gotten lost through the forest and it had taken her much longer to find her path again. She smiled at the tiny Bulbasaur that ran quaintly behind her; every so often he’d duck between her legs as he hid under her skirt. He wasn’t the most frightening of Pokemon but he was tough enough to survive little battles if it was needed. Her beloved Bulbasaur was her most prized possession and she absolutely hated battling with him. He was far to precious and anyway she hardly ever needed his help, her trusty frying pan was enough to come to her aid whenever she found herself in trouble.

Alice let out a soft frustrated sigh as she met the dead end. How incredibly wonderful, turning around she felt a pit in her stomach as her eyes met with the drunken hazed expressions of one of the men from earlier.
“Hey pretty girl.” He said with a sloppy smirk. “You’re gonna behave for me, now aren’t yah?” he asked as he lunged himself at her.
“Get the hell off of me!” she yelled as her bulbasaur gave an angry growl and shot out its vines to attack the man. Except it wasn’t very effective and with great ease the man pushed them away and kicked the poor Pokemon into Submission. Alice’s eyes narrowed darkly, nobody laid a finger on her beloved Bulbasaur.
“You Arse!” she cursed as she reached for her frying pan and began whacking the man furiously. He growled and knocked it out of her hands as he restrained her arms.
“Now come on lass, if I’d have known you’d liked it rough I would have done something about it quicker.” He said with an evil laugh.

“Don’t you touch me!” she spat as she thrashed about in his iron tight grip. If she could only land a good kick, she struggled as he began to drag her down further into the alley. Oh god, was this it? Was this really going to happen?
“Bulbasaur...” she begged her green eyes landing on the unconscious Pokemon as she thrashed about, trying to break free.
“Just get off of me!” she cried angrily biting down on his hair tattooed arm, in the surprise he dropped her and Alice fell to the murky floor, scrambling up she grabbed her bulbasaur and tucked it under her arm and hitched up her skirt and ran as fast her lithe legs could carry her with the added weight urging her legs to go faster she screeched as she tripped over her long dress and fell with a clatter to the floor.

[TESSA "THE BLOODY" ROSE]

"Come little children, I'll take thee away,
Into a land of enchantment.."

Ah, Vermiliion city. Oh, such a lovely port. Yeah, not. While lively, and a key place that most pirates hang out, Tessa personally detested it. Two drunken men caught in a brawl bashed each other's faces as they cut across her path. She curled her lip, jerking her head back as they fell to the ground. She leaped over them with ease, her waist long silver hair glinting like a moon beam. She sent a glance into the air, knowing very well that she wouldn't see anything. Kazane, her beautiful Pidgeot, would be smarter than to fly low enough to be seen. Tessa much more preferred it if strangers didn't know she had such a powerful Pokemon.

Her gray cape swished about her shoulders before she drew it closer, hiding her black clothing from the drunken men of the nearest pub. She may have been a cruel, bloody pirate, but she did have a sense of honor, and well, those who didn't, quite frankly disgusted her. They were catcalling and whistling at anything that had a heartbeat and was unfortunate enough to fall pray to their wandering eyes.

Her eyes steeled as she walked past them, her head held high in a dignified manner as they whistled at her, though they received no response from The Bloody Rose. She continued on her way, wondering about, looking for an inn to spend the night in. Unlike Alice, whom she was about to meet, she was in no hurry. She could get up late tomorrow, and take her sweet time in town. She'd left her ship with a few hired mercenaries, who were promised bonuses if her ship remained intact and safe. Of course, why they would trust the word of a Pirate, she didn't know.

"“Just get off of me!”

The voice was very near, and panicked. Tessa turned her head just as a girl tripped out into the light, emerging from an alleyway with an unconscious Bulbasaur under her arm. A Bulbasaur. Hmmm. A very useful Pokemon to have on any deck in the great open seas. It might do her some good to save this poor girl from the lecherous man who was paying Tessa no heed as he reached for her. Quicker than the human eye could follow, Tessa had whipped out the hidden sword at her side, and cleanly sliced off the man's hand.

He gave a screech of pain as he stumbled back, his eyes bulging in surprise. She straighted out of the automatic position she'd gotten in and stepped protectively in front of the girl. He snarled at her, and came again, before being intercepted by fierce talons. Kazane gripped his shoulders with her feet, before giving a great flap of her wings, and leaving the duo in the alley.

Tessa sheathed her sword, and turned to the girl whom she'd just saved. The poor thing had blood on her dress.

"Come, we don' want that guys mates comin' after ya. You'll share an inn with me, and we'll see what we can do about yer dress."

It wasn't a question, it was an order. She extended a pale hand to her, her silver eyes staring at her with a blank, but somehow calming expression.

[ALICE EDELFLOWER]

She watched wide eyed as the women appeared before her striking at the man with her shining sword. In a blink of an eye she watched his hand fell to the floor and blood sprayed across her dress. She blinked softly as her hand began to shake, blood... she hadn’t seen it in such a long. She bit her lip as her fixed onto the crimson pattern that had ruined her pretty dress, she hadn’t realised she was trembling. But it was enough to anger her inner spirit, how dare that man think he could touch her. Who the hell did he think he was, Alice balled her first angrily and she wished she could have been the one that sliced off his hand.

bastard. She held her Bulbasaur to her chest protectively as she watched the large Pidgeot grasp the man in its mighty talons, her mouth falling slightly agape as the Pidgeot flew away with him. Though she froze as the women turned to her as fear struck her. That wasn’t to say she was ungrateful because she was incredibly grateful for her rescue. Hell if this woman hadn’t helped her, god knows what would have happened.

“T-thanks.” She said steadying her voice and accepting the pale hand.
“I- um.” She said as she pressed her bulbasaur closer to her chest not really knowing what to say. She stroked its head nervously as she stared at the woman.
“I wouldn’t want to be a bother.” She murmured lowly but it seemed like a pointless argument “and I couldn’t care about my dress.” Said Alice truthfully “I just want to make sure my Bulbasaur’s okay.” She said as motioned to the unconscious bundle in her arms.

She wandered quickly into the mouth of the alley and retrieved her frying pan; the metal although still intact had a tiny dent where she’d hit the pervert. She frowned as she pressed her fingers to its cool silver bottom realising that it would be impossible to straighten out.
“I could have taken him.” She said slowly as her eyes met the floor, “B-but he took me by surprise.” She admitted sheepishly as a tiny blush splattered across her pale skin, it seemed as though she simply had to excuse her pathetic behaviour, she couldn’t quite picture why though.
“Thank you, though.” She said again “I’ll never understand perverts.” She said with an ugly scowl.

“But, if there’s any way to repay you I’ll gladly do it.” Said Alice candidly, as she reached into her bag, she had enough money to spare “Hey, why don’t I pay for the Inn?” she offered as they began the long walk down the main street.

[TESSA "THE BLOODY" ROSE]

"Come Little Children,
The Time's Come To Play,
Here In My Garden Of Shadows..."

Well, she was a curious girl, wasn't she? So bashful and shy. She wouldn't fare well on her own, and she trembled at the sight of blood. Perhaps her usefulness ended at her Bulbasaur's type advantage over water Pokemon. Pitty. She'd just dirtied her sword too. Still, honor refused to allow her to let her wonder the streets alone, especially after what had just happened.

"Is no bother, lass. And, concernin' yer dress... ye might wanna have it hemmed, seein' as how it be what caused ye to fall. No' helpful, even a pirate knows that."

Tessa had no doubt that she would not run and tell on her. She'd saved her life, and now she owed her. General courtesy rules, that even most pirates followed, stated that once a life is saved, a debt is owed, to be repaid however necessary. And she was not about to let such an opportunity to go to waste by having her pay for the inn.

"No need, I'll pay. Save yer moneh fer a sword, or a gun. You'll be needin' a real weapon, not just a fryin' pan."

Not that it wasn't...original. Just not very realistic. If he could knock it out of her hand so easily, she either wasn't wielding it correctly [how do you wield a frying pan?] or she wasn't very strong, and couldn't get in a finishing blow. Not to mention that swords are harder to knock out of your hand unless you were willing to get sliced. And guns, we'll, they were kind of instant, now weren't they?

Tessa stopped in front of an old inn, that was relatively quite, and out of the way. She checked behind her to make sure that the girl was still following. With a satisfied nod, she led the way into the inn, immediately assuming her cold, and deadly look that had some how dissolved on the way here. She wasn't surprised to find a few shady characters here. [minus herself of course.] She glared at anyone who dared meet her gaze as she strode towards the front desk, where a young man was absentmindedly rubbing down the spotless wood. She briefly wondered if she should ask for two rooms, before she dismissed the idea. This girl would get herself into trouble, no doubt about it.

"A room, please."

He looked up with a bored expression, before holding out his hand for the money. She almost rolled her eyes, but pulled out 10 cold coins and placed them in his hand. He nodded, satisfied, and tossed her the keys that she caught with ease.

"Room 25. Don't make a mess of anything."

Tessa arched an eyebrow. What exactly did he think they'd be doing in there? She didn't even really want to know. She motioned for the girl to follow her.

"By tha way, what's yer name? Can' go 'round callin' ye girl, now can I?"