somethin' smells. [rory/mod]

[TX LORELEI]

tsholofelo xenocrates lorelei

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Lorelei had a thing for exploring places that most people would find frightening or revolting. It wasn't a conscious decision that she made; it was just an interesting fact that the blue-haired teen had just barely realized as she crouched in front of the entrance to the catacombs. "Whaddya think, Stal?" She asked her Liepard mentally as she stared into the catacombs.

"I think you should be institutionalized for even considering wandering about the sewers of a city, in a dress, at night, by yourself." Nostalgia responded without missing a beat. Lorelei turned to face the feline with a 'yeah, whatever' look on her face and was just as quick to retort as Nostalgia had.

"You know what I meant, Stal. The treasure. D'ya think that it really exists? D'ya think we'll find it?" After a moment, she added, "Besides, I won't be alone. I have you, don't I?" Nostalgia rolled his slanted green eyes.

"Of course." The dark-type responded to Lorelei's last statement, before taking a moment to consider the questions that had preceded it. It didn't take him long. "It might exist. Why anyone would put a treasure in the sewers is beyond me, but stranger things have happened. No, we won't find it. If it is here, its bound to be hidden well. And we don't exactly have the best of luck, so even if it does exist, we won't find it." He finished, before picking up his paw and licking it. Lorelei stuck out her tongue at him and then turned back to face the entrance to the catacombs.

"You're just a spoil sport." She defiantly told her Liepard, who chuckled at his human counterpart.

"No, I'm just like you." Nostalgia reminded the girl, sounding highly amused. Lorelei said nothing for a moment, but then she laughed. He was right, of course. Lorelei had been thinking the exact words that Nostalgia had spoken, she just hadn't wanted to say them out loud.

(Hope this thread is good for you, Ellie. :3)

[RORY BAINES]

Clearly, Rory was not the kind of fellow to just spend time in the Catacombs. One, he was far too dignified and respectable to do such a thing, and two, he did not waste time searching for a treasure that most likely had already been pillaged and discovered, just left unknown. He had better things to do with his time. So, of course, he was not going to go crashing into a sewer and hobble into a Catacomb just because.

Consequently, this was the case. In his Noctowl form, Rory was not only a predator but also prey; perhaps not to most other flying Pokemon - being fierce and a decent size for a bird Pokemon - but to trainers looking to catch a healthy Noctowl? He was certainly a prize, so to speak. Unfortunately, he was also easily distracted in this form (having heightened senses and still not really being used to it and all), so when a trainer's Rapidash sent an entire train's worth of fire in his direction, he had little to do but try and dodge when it was already hitting him.

He managed to flutter to safety in the sewers and, eventually, the catacombs, with a singed winging and covered in nasty water. Focusing, Rory shifted into his human form; his arm stung terribly, and he was coughing, and he felt so gross and smelled like sewer, but at least he wasn't getting attacked anymore.

'At least, not yet,' a part of him muttered nastily, and he coughed again to try and get the smell out of his lungs. He paused, stepping out of the water and fixing the collar of his slightly singed shirt, he paused to listen.

"You're just a spoil sport."

Rory hesitated. Should he make himself known? An intelligent young man, in a singed black shirt and an equally burned arm, dark pants, and no shoes; surely, a suspicious sight! But what else could he do? The burn was hurting so bad and he needed to get some help.

"Hello?" he called, glancing down the dark tunnel. If someone was down there, it would mean coming up with a back story, and a reason as to why exactly he was down here shirtless. He'd also have to decide if he was willing to give up whatever dignity he had left after that accident and ask for help. "Is someone... there?"

[TX LORELEI]

Lorelei had just barely entered the darkness of the catacombs, followed by the resigned Liepard, when the pair of them heard a voice. It was a male voice. But Lorelei couldn't tell where it had come from; the catacombs created too much of an echo for that. Nostalgia, however, had much sharper hearing. He whipped around to face the man, going from relaxed and content to suspicious and protective in just one instant. Lorelei placed her hand on Nostalgia's neck in an effort to assuage him, and then the pair of them took a step forward together.

"U-uh, yeah." Lorelei replied in a soft, unsure, trembling, voice. She shook her head and regained control of her voice. She didn't want to sound like a frightened middle-schooler. "Yes, there is someone here." She tried again in a more firm, mature, feminine voice. Nostalgia added a growl to the mix. Lorelei gently batted him on his skull. "Oh, hush, you." She hissed with a slight frown. Nostalgia snorted, and then padded forward a few steps and sniffed.

"He smells like a bird." The Liepard told his human soulmate telepathically. "He's a shifter." Lorelei nodded slightly, and then stepped forward. Nostalgia kept himself between the male Shifter and Lorelei, but he didn't try to stop either one of them from moving.

"My name is Lorelei." The blue-haired girl introduced. "And the Liepard is my soulmate, Nostalgia." Nostalgia huffed when his name was spoken. "There you go again, begin too trusting of complete strangers." He told Lorelei disapprovingly, shaking his head as he communicated telepathically. Then he added, "Cats eat birds, you know."

"Oh, Nostalgia," Lorelei responded to her soulmate with a small smirk, "Shifters are not on the menu, I'm sorry. Not even the birds."

(Just for future reference, italics is mental communication, and bolded is spoken communication. :3 I hope its not too confusing to sort it all out...!)