define yourself [o]

He’d gone wandering again although this time Engel was in his pokeball and Balthier’s stride was with purpose. His eyes scanning the forest around him and examining every inch of it as he took quick long strides. He was looking for Flynn, the blonde male having gone out to catch a few pokemon and Balthier was bored enough now that he was willing to tag along. He’d been too busy earlier, purchasing supplies and getting his Cyndaquil ready for the long road ahead of them. It was nice though…to think he and his best friend would be traveling together although it would certainly be interesting this time around considering they had a slew of pokemon with them now. They’d stayed in these parts for a few days, gathering supplies and catching pokemon to help them on their journey back home.

Balthier himself was pretty happy with everything he’d managed to get done…they’d be leaving soon though. They couldn’t stay in Littleroot forever, especially not with what their goals were. Flynn wanting to complete what his Uncle and Father started and Balthier wanting to set up his own Breeders Farm for trainers. He rolled his shoulder as he paused, wincing at the kink in it and brushing away a lock of hair that fell in his face. He was dressed casually today, a white tank top hugging his torso while faded jeans hung precariously from his hips, donning a few rips and seemingly help up by a blue checkered button up. His unruly mop of hair was set in its spiky ways, his bangs just barely avoiding obscuring his vision in his right eye.

The worn sneakers on his feet beat a steady but sure rhyme as he walked once more. Life in Fortree had prepared him for life outdoors and he loved it. He loved nature, the forest and just about everything else in the great outdoors. He was a natural outdoorsmen and it was he who could proudly say brought Flynn out of his shell. The brunette blinked and shook his head, smiling ruefully to himself at the fact that the blonde always seemed to keep into his mind at the most interesting times.

A flash of red from the corner of his eyes caught the young man’s attention. The breeder pausing to look over and spot a young woman standing not far from where he was. He watched her practically stare down a rose and gave her a peculiar look…there was something off about the way she was looking at it. It wasn’t the stereotypical look of adoration some girls wore…it wasn’t even close. Unthinkingly he was turning to face her, everything else put on the back burner to examine the scene in front of him. Everything was calm and still, a few people who passed giving a few looks or muttering but otherwise easily ignored until…

She ripped it from its stem and threw it on the ground!!

Bal didn’t realize his mouth had fallen open until he closed it. What the hell was that about?! As someone who loved nature and found all its creations beautiful, he couldn’t understand this girls actions. After a moment’s thought his curiosity got the best of him and he walked forward slowly and a little unsure. If she was rude or as vicious as that action had been he would just walk away. There was nothing that said he had to stay and deal with it. He just wanted to know why and who this girl was…then he’d be on his way looking for Flynn again. Appeased with his decision he approached, calling out just the slightest. “Do you have a vendetta against roses then?” The slightest hint of humor in his tone but curiosity still lathered the question.

Well…instead of a sated curiosity Balthier kept finding himself more curious…and coincidentally amused. At her first statement a rueful smile curled his lips and he decided instead of taking it as a hit to roll with it. His usual energetic façade taking its place along his features and body language as he bowed over exaggeratedly, “Hello, this human apologizes if he’s interrupting your temper tantrum with the rose bush.” The quip was easy and playful, not exactly an insult but one that acknowledged her own words hadn’t been very nice either. His crooked grin returned a little more prominently, his eyes sliding slightly past her to the bush she’d gotten it from, eyeing the area with the missing flower with mild amusement before letting his eyes rest back on her and take in her form. She was pretty enough, not his type but he supposed for appreciation value she was nice to look at…and then she opened her mouth.

His lips twitched, attempting to keep the amusement from his features at her next words in answer to his question. What an interesting woman…just who was she? He quirked an eyebrow at her, head tilting just slightly in curiosity much like that of a pup. “And what exactly about competition isn’t healthy?” He paused, giving that a thought before asking with a bemused expression. “You’re competing with mother nature??” He gave her a slightly long look, unsure of what to think of that but no less amused or curious as he spoke up once more, “Isn’t that setting your sights a little too high, Ms…?” He let the sentence trail, nosing around for a name to put to the pretty but strange girl before him.

Balthier’s amused look turned slightly sharp when she walked forward, the playful smile still on his lips but no longer gleaming in his eyes. His head still tilted he examined her, watching the way she moved and noticing the minute details in it. Along the examining Balthier’s smile dimmed just slightly as he realized something…there was something familiar about the way this girl moved and acted. It was subtle but he was sure he’d seen it somewhere…perhaps not her herself but on his journey here…in the bigger cities. He blinked out of his thoughts and the smile was on his lips again, cheerful and energetic façade back on his lips. “I suppose the human should introduce himself. I’m Balthier…”

Questions. So many questions and not enough answers. If there was one thing he was it was curious and while curiosity may have killed the cat…as the saying went, Satisfaction brought him back.

A genuine grin curled his lips as instead of her taking the light joke the wrong way she went along with it. The slight tenseness running along his shoulders easing and he touched his heart just a tad dramatically as he said as somberly as he could, “This lowly human is very relieved to hear that, your ladyship.” It wasn’t every day that someone matched his sass and humor. Most of the time someone got offended or just didn’t understand so it was refreshing to have someone play along. He didn’t miss how her gaze followed his and his eyes flickered to her form once he was done examining the bush. Her innocent look wrenched a bark of laughter from his lips, his head shaking just the slightest. What could he say? The mysterious woman in front of him was interesting and he liked interesting things.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets he watched the woman as she mockingly mourned the rose as she spoke about the reasons competition wasn’t healthy. He let out a low chuckle before humming thoughtful, “Ah well, I do suppose you have a point. Poor rose never stood a chance then.” He made another thoughtful little noise as her next words came out rather sharply and he gave her an amused look, eyebrow arched slightly. “No…no I suppose you’re right. Sky is the limit and all that jazz. You must be quite the determined young woman…I’m impressed.” It wasn’t a lie either. Plenty people could talk and say things like this, especially trainers but…There was something about the young woman in front of him that convinced him she was the real deal. Perhaps it was the way she held herself? Or maybe it was the way she spoke with utter conviction and seriousness? Whatever it was, it sharpened the grin on his lips considerably, an edge entering the gleam in his eyes.

One day, farther down the road he would like to meet this woman again and challenge her. He didn’t often like battling but he’d been a trainer at one point and he’d like to test how strong this woman’s conviction was farther down the line. Would she still be so set in her ways? Standing tall and proud or would she have allowed a little give?

Leah…Leah Sererin…That name was…Oh!

Balthier blinked, recognizing the name from a brand his mother had been talking about and when he’d passed by one of the big cities some reporters had been talking about her. He remembered the flash of red from the picture that had been shown, it was no wonder it’d caught his attention once again this time around. Allowing another genuine grin to turn his lips Bal dipped his head slightly in greeting, “A pleasure to meet you then, Leah. That…is a name not easily forgotten in this day and age.” Not outright admitting that he recognized her and her name but it would be enough for her to know that yes, he knew of that name. However, he rarely let things like fame or the like change the way he treated people since…well in the pokemon world that really didn’t matter much. At least not to him…

The brunette gave her an innocent blink as he asked with mock confusion, “Beg your pardon? Staring at you? I’m hurt fair lady, I was simply admiring the beauty. Nothing so crude as staring of all things.” Chuckling lightly he shrugged his shoulder, mind returning to the fact that he’d need to go back to searching for Flynn sooner or later. “I was looking for a friend of mine. He went to go training or to catch some pokemon and I got bored.” A roguish grin curled his lips as he met her eyes and he quipped, “Alas I’m not so bored now. What of you?” He didn’t mind the teasing or poking, he enjoyed it in fact since he tended to give as good as he got. It’d been a while since he was able to let loose like this with anyone that wasn’t his blonde best friend.

Balthier allowed a small smirk to curl his lips as the woman in front of him replied to his ‘sky is the limit’ comment and he chuckled softly. Interesting, again he had more questions than answers when it came to the rose colored woman but he didn’t mind. On the contraire he was enjoying it. “I suppose I’ll have to keep an eye out for you in that case. Wouldn’t want to lose sight of someone who’s has no limit.” A challenge within a compliment or perhaps a promise to see how far she’d go in this world. He wasn’t quite sure but with the desire to see her again in the future he had no doubt that he would in fact keep an ear out for the girl who found even Mother Nature as a rival. It was amusing yet…strange. Unique even if he was going to go that far but he didn’t mind it…not too much. The world was made out of strange characters after all and who was he to judge so long as it was nothing that went against his morality.

The brunette chuckled once more when the woman made her quip about him having every right to be. Her confidence was certainly intriguing and drew him in, making him curious about what the future could possible hold for a woman like this. Was she a trainer? Possibly a coordinator considering her line of work…yes that was possibly more likely since he certainly didn’t see that drive going anywhere near Breeder expertise. That would certainly throw him though, but he highly doubted it seeing as her personality screamed of someone waiting to overcome the next challenge. He wondered mildly if the woman in front of him was all there was to her but…his mind reminded him of her flare of temper both with the rose and when he’d questioned her upon her limits. There was a viciousness in her that he had no doubt was hidden beneath the surface of that pretty face. A viciousness he’d constantly be wary of when he met her along their roads.

At the flash of teeth in her smile and her worlds to his obvious recognition of her name, his own teeth flashed in a roguish grin. “The next age, huh? Leaving a legacy behind in your footsteps then?” Leah was a name he would certainly remember, what with so many of his questions still going unanswered and his interest piqued the way it was. There would be no way that if they met again he wouldn’t recall it or her. Finally receiving a laugh for his efforts in his teasing, Balthier’s smile softened just the slightest and the edge melted away. Laughter in others was something he enjoyed, especially if he was the cause of it. Coffee? A crooked grin slid across his features and he laid a hand over his heart dramatically, “The fair lady wishes to drink with one so lowly as I? How can I say no to such an offer and under the justified reason as potential harm to one so beautiful.” His voice lilted the slightest before a laugh slipped past his lips.

Deciding to see how far they’d take this little game of teasing he offered his arm to her, not in the least bothered if she didn’t take it. However, he wouldn’t be able to resist chuckling if she did because really she might not be his type but she was in fact beautiful and what man didn’t enjoy a beautiful woman on his arm.