Set in the original region of Arciel, Legends Rising is a route-inspired, but not strictly route-based, Pokemon roleplay. Pick a faction, pick a class, and strike out into the wild to take on the League, master Contest coordination, research the mysteries of Pokemon and Arciel, and much, much more. Will you be a classic trainer? A criminal? A farmer? Choose your destiny on Legends Rising.
Three optional icebreaker questions are offered: 1. If you could be granted three wishes, what would they be? 2. What is the cheesiest pickup line you have heard? 3. If your friends compared you to a Pokemon, which Pokemon would it be?
Feel free to discuss any of these or use your own icebreaker!
When you got to be Lionel's age, dating got to be a bit of a chore. Not that he was old, necessarily, but... well, most thirty-eight years old were either done with dating and settled down already, or single for pretty damn good reasons. Married to their jobs, usually - like he'd once been. In truth, he'd been happy enough to be single, too. Not that he didn't yearn for a relationship now and then, but... well, why's that got to be such a big deal, huh?
At least, that's how he'd argued it to his mother, when she insisted on signing him up for the whole ordeal. Speed dating - what a concept. Led to a table by a far-too chipper usher, Lionel sits down in a chair that's just a bit too small for a man his size, and looks around at the other tables, rather than his own. The adjacent chair was empty for the moment, anyway. Uncomfortably fiddling with a tie around his neck (he was wearing a TIE,) he wonders if he could get away with slipping out? Escaping?
Finding someone you liked and testing the chemistry was once thing, but this was a whole other ballpark. A scary, terrifying ballpark. Just as his legs start urging him to stand up, the girl's brought to the table, too. Quickly, though he should've done it sooner, the man starts smoothing down the blonde locks atop his head. Was he self conscious? Don't ask him. Don't.
Realizing that was a moot point, his hand reaches out to take a glass of water off the table, that'd been set near him, and drinks from it before offering a totally formal, "Uh, nice to meet you."
Wait, that wasn't very smooth. Oh no, he kinda sucks at this.
297 words | Faolan Byrne | local man cant flirt with girls
She still wasn't entirely sure why she signed up for this "speed-dating" thing. Admittedly, a part of her thought that it was some kind of battling event and had gotten excited, but as the days went by she'd given it more thought and realized that it was probably all about connections. And romance, but connections most importantly. And since she'd only met enough people she could count on one hand, the less guarded, less careful part of her shrugged and went why not?
So here she was, not exactly wearing a tie but not exactly dressed down, either. If anything she was comfortable in a flowing black cardigan and a deep blue tunic shirt that hung to the middle of her thighs, her long legs clad in leggings that were actually quite warm despite the thinness of the fabric. After entering she'd milled about the entrance for a moment, arms tucked against her stomach while she watched people move to their assigned tables and chatting their partners up.
And then she saw her table and couldn't help but to stare outright. The man was... big. That was the first thing she noticed. And he was wearing a tie, which made him stand out in a way that she couldn't decide was good or bad. It was hard to tell how old he was with the mess of blond on his head, but he wasn't sporting any greys that she could see so that was probably a telling sign. He looked a little grizzled and gruff, but... kind. Which was an odd combination and reminded her a bit of the stuffed Teddiursa she'd had on her bed as a young girl.
When she approaches and takes a seat, even she can tell that he's nervous. Despite his size, he was nervous? Maybe he didn't do this all that often. It appeals to her base maternal instincts and she feels her normally stoic features soften in increments, and she even lets out a sigh as her guard falls just a bit. At least he's not outright hitting on her, right? Which is honestly what she was expecting, but she's not complaining.
"It's nice to meet you. Lionel, is it?" Her eyes fall to the card on the table. Maybe not so much a Teddiursa as a Shinx, then. "Is this your first time? It's just a bit of chinwagging, don't worry." Her accent comes out clean and in a way she hopes isn’t too admonishing. She means for him to relax, and she knows better than anyone that she can come off as more strict schoolteacher than anything. To ease his nerves, she offers him a half-smile. "I won't bite."
Last Edit: Feb 1, 2020 15:51:55 GMT by Faolan Byrne
As Lionel thought about it, he looked dressed a bit more like he was going to court than he was on a date. Compared to the girl - he lifts his card up to peer at it, catching her name that way - Faolan was dressed, comfortable and at home in the clothes she wore, he can't help but sigh at himself, rather self conscious for the moment. And it seems she picks up on it, with the way she talks to him, tries to ease his discomfort.
But that was a bit hard, considering she seemed a fair bit younger than him, and besides that, well... he had very little experience in this realm. It helps to a degree, though, as his broad shoulders relax just a tad, a short, handsome laugh leaving him. "Biting's not what I'm worried about." He admits, though he isn't quite sure what it is he's worried about - and doesn't follow up to the fact; it just might come across as a flirt, if he'd put any charm into the act.
Instead, he just leans back a bit in his chair, offering her an attempt at a smile in return. It isn't bad, either. Perhaps she's done a good job at placating him. Either way, he taps his little card against the table passively, as he thinks of something to do, or say - but that's what the card was for, wasn't it? Staring at it, he finds the questions oddly blase, though he supposes fitting, considering the nature of the interaction.
His eyes fall to her torso, less of her... ah, chest, and more to the Pokeball that dangled. It was broken, to his trained eye, but the sight of it is enough for him to question, "Are you a trainer?" Silly question, he guesses, considering most people were trainers, but... it was a bit better than, maybe, the questions on the card. Unless she wanted to ask those questions? That was fine, then. But he didn't want to, what, come across as a fool? Why was this so concerning? Also, why was she so pretty, but so intimidating? It sort of reminded him of other women he'd worked with - and why they never really got on well. But that just might be because you really ought not date your co-workers.
At his offhand comment she lifts both brows. Well then. Was that flirting? It wasn't tacked onto the end of a cheesy grin so it's a little hard to tell, but she thinks she's getting a read on him? Sort of? If anything he seems nice enough, if not a little nervous, and that by itself is enough to make her not despise him right off the bat.
For now, at least.
Though she imagines, as she watches his gaze move down her torso, that if she acted hostile towards him he might burst into tears or something. He's a big man, but he seems like the soft sort despite being a little rough around the edges. And he's almost overly polite, which is a little strange in a place like this when she feels like the prime objective is to find someone to share your bed for the night. It could all be just a front, of course, to get unsuspecting girls to lower their guard, but there's something genuine in the way he's failing to come up with something to do in this scenario, and how he's tapping the little card against the table like he's doing now. If he's an actor, he's a damn good one. She'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now, since she's fairly certain they won't see each other again after this.
When he actually asks about Mikhail's pokeball her expression changes into something unreadable and she hums, leaning back in her seat a bit so she can cross one leg over the other. "Is it that obvious?" She speaks teasingly, but nods all the same to his question. "Rather wet behind the ears still, but yes, a trainer. And you? ... former trainer, maybe?" He does look a little too old to be just starting his journey, but who knows?
"Ah, former?" Knitting his brow, the man supposes his age got the better of him, here. And scars, besides. Raising a calloused hand, he thumb at the scar on his nose and laughs a little, shaking his head. "No, no. I'm... I'm a Trainer now, I guess. Wasn't before. Or, I kinda was, but..." That hand moves from his nose, to rubbing at the back of his head, scratching blunt nails through the dark hair, as he tries to think of how to say it. Well, it was easy to say, but something about it felt embarrassing? "I'm a former Officer, from Unova. I retired a couple years ago and decided to get off my ass and do something that wasn't sit at home, you know?"
Lionel offers her a genuine smile then, leaning back. "Back to before, though - it's not exactly obvious, but in my line of work, you had to get pretty good at reading people. Between the little ball around your neck," he doesn't mention it being broken, out of politeness, "and your, uh... you've got a sort of serious, determined demeanor about you? It seemed Trainer was the best fit." The man looks rather pleased with himself then, apparently loosening up a bit to roll the sleeves of his dress-shirt up. At least, it made him look a little more casual, and a lot less going-to-a-funeral.
As the conversation trails on, and Faolan gives the impression less of someone cruel or passive and, maybe, just more observant and careful, Lionel seems to relax a little more with the passage of time. "Don't sweat the whole new to it, thing. I mean, I've trained and worked with Pokemon my whole life, that's not too bad. It's the traveling, the journeying by yourself that's pretty rough on anyone. I'm sure you're fine as it is. You, uh, certainly look it." Was that a flirt? Maybe. He's trying.
Realizing then that he's rambled on, probably for far too long, the older man has a rather bashful expression, and reaches for his water to sate his thirst, and to keep himself from going on again.
"You're a regular ace detective, aren't you?" The mention of being a cop has her attention and she looks a little more intently at what he's wearing, the scar over his face, the color of his hair, his eyes... almost like she's trying to commit it to memory. If she was tense at all it didn't show aside from the way she might have sat up a little straighter, but she doesn't make any further comment on it and lets him continue to ramble on. Unova was still an entire region away from Galar, after all. He also didn't look much like a cop if she had to be completely honest. Still - her gaze drifts over the broad set of his shoulders, the way his shirt is mildly straining across muscles unseen - maybe not so soft after all.
The mention of being a trainer catches her attention, though perhaps not for the right reasons. Ah, she thinks, a little ruefully, that means that he's in the challenge for the Beast Ball. That meant that he was running against her, and there were a number of ways she could treat this interaction of theirs. Being a former cop limited them even more so, but maybe... maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
"Well... former ace detective, I suppose. What made you decide to quit? You've aged handsomely, so I can't imagine it's anything like inability to perform the job well." A pause. "Or any job, for that matter." Was she hitting on him now? It's vague enough that it's hard to tell, but considering she wasn't doing anything like 'undressing him with her eyes' it's probably a telling sign. Maybe. Or maybe she's actually masking the curve of her smile with the rim of her glass as she takes a sip of the complimentary water on the table, who knows?
"Since you're apparently so good at reading people, what else can you tell about me? Aside from serious and determined. Maybe I'm not a trainer at all?" Faolan leans in as though actually interested in what he's got to say and she props her chin on one hand to gaze at him unflinchingly from where she's seated.
A short laugh leaves him, and Lionel can't help but shrug his shoulders in what can only be an attempt to eat a slice of humble pie - but despite it all, he looks pleased to be called as much, even if only for a joke. "Former, yeah," he starts, chuckling, as he scratches at the faint scruff upon his chin, "It's been a couple years since I flashed a badge at anyone."
When she asks him why he quit, he is at first slightly thrown off by her compliment as to his handsome age, a lopsided smile crossing his features, before clearing his throat. Well, he was going to reply, but then she throws him for another loop, and he supposes it made sense, considering the nature of the interaction. Speed dating, yeah? Right to the point. His hand moves from his chin to his throat, where he rubs at the swell of it a moment, before dropping it down into his lap. "Ahh, I got hurt." Waving his hand around, a finger pointed upward and spinning into an idle circle as if simulating a portal, he continues with, "I was on duty when the Beasts attacked; they did a number on me. So, actually... yeah, it is inability to do the job."
With a rueful smile, he shrugs, continuing to say, "But of course, there's plenty jobs I can still do." Leaning forward now, to lean his arms against the table, Lionel wears a smile for the woman, an easy enough one, despite his awkwardness. "Like train Pokemon, for one. Or, uh, talk to girls."
Bringing his glass of water up, he finishes off the rest of it, before idly rattling the ice around in its bottom. Her question makes him curious, and he takes a moment to look her over, at least from what he can see about her... and for a few moments, he's rather quiet, before he says, "Mmh... mean, I'm not a criminal profiler, but I spent enough time around them to get a feel for people, I think. But, from what I get from you, tone of your voice, and way you talk, you're stubborn, right? Bull-headed? Your way or the highway?" Watching her, as she watches him, he continues to say, "Also, you take pretty good care of yourself. Maybe not exactly concerned about what other people think of you, but you know how you want to present, yeah?"
Oh, that lopsided smile is nice. She can actually feel herself warming up to him a little, even if it does still feel a little awkward. Probably comes with the event, she supposes, and does her best to ignore it for now in favor of letting herself enjoy Lionel's company. A flash of sympathy crosses her features at the admission, and then when he elaborates on the Beast attack, her gaze lowers and her fingers drift to the necklace at her throat out of habit.
Sometimes she forgets that other people have lost things, too. It's moments like these that she remembers, and when she looks up at Lionel and his rueful smile, and the way it shifts into an easy one, it makes her heart hurt a little. She wonders if she looks like that sometimes.
He's cute - which is probably an odd thing to say considering how much older he is than her (she guesses at least ten years, maybe more, maybe less). He's trying, and it shows, and it helps that some of the awkwardness is starting to fade in liu of finding a conversation to hold between each other.
His guesses are pretty spot-on and it's enough to get her to laugh a little. "You're pretty accurate, though you're being far nicer than most others have been." Realizing that may seem like a pity-grab, she's quick to amend. "But I'm not exactly nice, either. My way or the highway, right? But you are right," She agrees, nudging a curtain of blonde hair over her shoulder with one hand. "I'm not particularly concerned with what people may think of me. And while it may have earned me some disfavor with people, I think I'm happier overall, and that's what matters. You can't spend your whole life wondering over what people think of you, you know?"
Realizing this conversation may have gotten a little too deep, a little too serious, and she moves to shift the topic. "Shall I do you next? Or do you think that's something best saved for a second date?"
Grinning as he's told his assumptions are a bit more like straight observations, Lionel seems almost like he's preening under the faint praise she offers him in return. With a bashful shrug of his shoulders, he idly fiddles with his sleeves and continues to say, "Well, why would I be rude about it? We've only just met - and besides, the whole point of this is to, uh... find a date, right?"
With a shrug, the man takes a moment to introspect on himself; what would she say, if she did it, he wondered? What did other people think of him? It only makes him mildly nervous, opposite the calculated woman across from him, who certainly knew who she was and how she wanted to be seen, though he does his best not to show it beyond the faintest knit of a brow as he adjusts his posture and rubs the back of his neck, scratching at the fine hairs there.
Before answering her question, he focuses first on the way she says it, amused by the way she worded it. So, he'd say, "I think doing people is generally saved for the third date?" Immediately, he clears his throat and sits back upright, laughing faintly, before moving on. "But sure. I wonder, sometimes, what people think of me. I think I've got it mostly pegged, though. Old, tired, too stuffy. Least, that's what I'd think of me."
Tilting his glass back, Lionel slips a few cubes of ice into his mouth, chewing through them quietly. Once he finishes them, he says, "Go ahead, judge the cover of the book."
Despite herself she laughs at his comment about third dates - which she responds with a quipped, "Who knows? You might get lucky", and looks at him maybe a little bit differently. She catches the way he fiddles with his sleeves, the way he's quick to change the subject and fidgets nervously, and really she feels an urge to help him with his nervousness. Not necessarily in the sensual way, but in the way that she's been there before, and she can relate perhaps a little more than most. It's also a little odd that a guy as big as him would feel nervous about anything rather than throwing his weight around like most men in her experience had a tendency to do. It didn't quite make her feel like she had to fight as hard to get a word in, and that was nice.
She watches as he chews on ice and gets into position, displaying everything for her. She takes in the way he's dressed, the tie, the state of his hair - Arceus, he really is a big guy. She wonders how tall he is standing up.
Best to start with what she's pretty positive on first.
"You strike me as the sort of man who's never done this before. Speed dating, that is; you're dressed entirely too formally and you keep shifting about like you're ready to run if anyone comes at you - or like you don't know what to do with yourself. Which you really shouldn't, since I daresay you'll find yourself with a handful of numbers at the end of the night, loose women, etc, etc..." She waves a hand dismissively. "Enough to fill up an entire month if you've the energy." She picks up the glass of water on the table and takes a drink, setting it down before continuing on. "You say you're a former cop and from what you've told me I feel like you'd rather still be on the force in Unova, even though it's been a few years. Which is why it's rather puzzling that you haven't decided to be a Ranger instead, or do paperwork - but something tells me being stuck behind a desk all day isn't your cup of tea."
Leaning in, Faolan rests her chin on her hand and looks him over with an unreadable expression in her eyes. "You're sweet, terribly formal for this sort of thing - and you have humor. You strike me as the kind of guy who would rather be out there in the world living your best life, and since you moved from a place as busy as Unova I can only think you wanted a peaceful life on top of that. Something quieter. Also, considering how fast you keep changing the subject every time I flirt with you - you're not entirely here by your own choice. Else I feel as though you'd be chomping at the bit and trying to pull me into the bathroom for some private conversations."
She smiles at him after, an easy grin that pulls at her features in a way that she hasn't felt in some time. "Am I at all close?"
Chewing through a few more cubes of ice, the former officer listens to her examination of him - and finds it to be terribly... true? It makes his brows raise, and his shoulders stiffen, just barely, how she almost goes for the throat; more than just making note of his surface attitude, she decides to lunge directly for who he was, and it almost makes him uncomfortable. But, as ever, he sits through the ordeal with the ease of a man who's interrogated and been interrogated, eventually leaning forward to answer her, though the edges of his ears have tinted a darker shade.
"You're pretty close, yeah. You got some things pretty on the mark, too." Moving one hand to rub at his chin, scratching at some of the stubble there, Lionel sighs out weakly, though he retains his smile - embarrassed as it was. "Uh, if I could, I'd still be on the force, yeah. While the Beasts didn't attack my directly - I have my, uh, former... partner Pokemon to thank for that, the battle was pretty devastating. I was stuck under debris from a battle for a while, and it almost cost me my leg. I still got it, and I can still use it, but... well, they told me I couldn't do my job the same anymore. Rangers didn't take me for the same reason, 'course I applied."
Shifting away from the dark topic, just as she had previously, Lionel moves on to the rest of what she said. "Someone else signed me up, yeah. Told me I needed to get out there, meet people. I was pretty happy just... going about, traveling and all, but at least the conversation I got isn't so bad." The smile is levied her way again, and he then follows up with, "Maybe I'm just more of a romantic kinda guy. A bathroom's hardly the place to take a girl, least of all one you might want to see again." Ah, was that a pass? It may have been.
A moment pass, and her earnest smile draws one of his own, and he can't help but say, "Either way, I might be new to this whole thing, but at least I got a pretty girl as my first match-up to ease me in, huh?"
When you play the game of life you gotta play to win..!
"The conversation's only 'not so bad'?" The bit on the Ultra Beasts attack left some questions hanging in the air, but she took his sudden change of subject as a cue that it was probably best not to continue along that particular thread of conversation. At least not today. If she were to see him again it would be out there in the "real" world, and she liked to think the rules would be a little different next time around.
At the compliment, she chuckles again, glancing surreptitiously at the clock overhead denoting how much time they had left on the first round of dates. It was nearly over, unfortunately, and she found herself not wanting to leave someone she was genuinely having a good conversation with. She hadn't felt this relaxed in ages, it seemed, and knowing that she would have to leave to start this whole process over again with another stranger didn't seem favorable.
"I'm glad I could ease you into things," She replies, and she means it. She's glad he was her first to this sort of thing, but she's a little wary over how the rest of the dates are going to go. Still - she was here to make connections, wasn't she?
"I'm sure you'll do just fine. If you still feel that way after all this is over - you can use your detective skills to hunt me down. I'll try not to make it hard for you, but you might have to bring the handcuffs just in case." Is she actually being serious? Making a pass? Or just teasing him? Who knew.
"It's a bit more than just not so bad," Lionel admits, with a smile, "It's pretty good. Sorry, I didn't mean to downplay your company. Swear." His hand raises, a rough and calloused thing from years of work, crossing an X over his heart. In truth, he thinks he probably couldn't have gotten a better first date. While he was pretty sure he had a fair handful of years on her, she didn't exactly seem uncomfortable, so... that was a plus. He guessed.
Lionel's comfort in the moment just might get him into trouble. As he chews through a few more cubes of ice, he thinks to say something else about easing in, but he gets the better of himself, and instead turns a bit red in the ears, bashful - especially as she mentions bringing handcuffs along. His hand moves up to his ear, where it rubs at the earlobe almost nervously, the man laughs out and says, "Yeah, I wouldn't mind. Maybe not tracking you down so much as just seeing if I can catch your eye somewhere."
Shrugging, apparently too shy in this moment to say anything else particularly flirty, he at least manages to say, "I haven't kept a pair on me in a while, but we'll see."
Leaning back, he all too obviously glances to the clock, and then back, looking almost disappointed that it was ending so soon. "You know, all the talk and veiled flirts aside, it's been nice. I really do hope I get to see you around."
"Well I suppose since you're swearing, I have no choice but to believe you."
Knowing that she really wouldn't mind seeing Lionel again after this, there's a part of her that wages a war within herself over whether or not it'd be best to exchange numbers or something. She's never been particularly good at dating, never had any kind of experience save for boys confessing to her and then remarking to their friends what they'd like to do to her and "that mouth of hers". And even here - when she'd been invited out to dinner or something by that flying pokemon trainer, she hadn't considered that anything romantic; sort of like how in some sitcoms they made the loser do whatever the winner wanted, things like that.
So she doesn't ask to exchange numbers, confident she could pick him out in a crowd easily enough. If there was really something there, perhaps they'd find each other again. If not, she could at least look back at this experience fondly.
The other couples dotting the area are now shifting into standing positions, preparing to move onto their next dates. She does the same, standing and stretching a little before looking around for some indication as to where she should go next. She's not entirely sure how many more rounds there are of dating, but given the event isn't slated to be any longer than a day, there's probably not that many left.
"Likewise. It's been an enjoyable experience," She agrees to his comment about their conversation, and then adds, softly, "Lionel."
As Faolan starts to stand, the man regrets having to do the same - not for sake of losing a conversational partner, but for his leg. It takes him a moment, of a struggle so often done and so normalized that he grunts only just barely to bring himself to his full height, towering nearly a full foot over her. Of course, his personality isn't quite so large, at least not when he's out of his element, and size aside, he felt rather small in this moment. His confidence was returning all the same, as he felt something good, perhaps, coming from the moment. That maybe he would see her again?
Was it wrong to be hopeful? He hoped not. That was the point of this. Surely, his mother would be glad to hear he'd met at least one pretty girl, though he isn't so sure what he'd think of her age. He isn't sure what he thinks either, but at least... she didn't seem too young? Fuck, he didn't know - he didn't want to linger on it much longer.
When she calls him by his name, it's enough to draw him out of that concern, and he smiles one of the easy kind. "I'm almost worried nobody else'll live up," he remarks, perhaps simply being kind, or perhaps meaning it, "But, uh... you have a good rest of your night, Faolan."
Pushing his chair in, and stepping away from the table just barely, he finishes with, "Real pretty name, by the way. Little wolf, right? Suits you."
It's when Faolan sees him struggling that she moves instinctively towards him, though when she realizes he's just trying to get up she doesn't move to help immediately unless he asks her to. Her gaze follows him as he slowly rises to his full height and --
Oh. He's big. She knew he was probably going to be a tall guy, but she's genuinely surprised at just how tall he is, especially up close, and for the first time since they've started speaking she feels small. She can honestly say he's the tallest person he knows, now, bigger than even her father and any of the other boys she knew in Galar. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little intimidated by it, but then Lionel speaks and she realizes that even with the height, he's exactly the same; still the big, soft bear of a man she's been having a nice time with up till now.
... just what was in the water in Unova?
"You think so?" She replies, a bit of a rueful smile on her face. When she'd come to Arciel she'd debated changing it, of course; she had always been half-convinced her parents meant to have a boy instead, and the meaning of her name cemented that sentiment for much of her life. But she's not annoyed by Lionel's observation, and considering the conversation they've had up till this point it feels more like a compliment than insult.
"It's no Lionel, but I suppose it'll do." She tucks a bit of hair behind her ear - probably the first sign of nervousness she's shown all night, done more out of shyness than anything - and with one final look at Lionel turns to go and start her second date. If he didn't find her first, she'd definitely find him.