Let's IGNITE this romance story...or something

[pyritechnics]

[Jo turns off the heat, shucks off her oven gloves, and casts a clean tea-towel over the steaming pot on the stove. The air hangs heavy with spices as she peers out the steamed-up kitchen windows, smeared and buffeted by Pyrite's grime and sandstorms, into the barely discernible dark outside.

With her hands no longer occupied (Jo casts an eye over the lightly steaming pot and bowls of pathetic looking—read: Orre-standard—salad), there's another murmur of unease in her stomach. Squinting out of the dirtied panes at the smudges of light in the town, it's almost possible for Jo to pretend that her worry is for her absent guest...rather than the fact that she even has one. This whole entertaining thing has become a foreign art in recent times.

It's not really working: even trying to worry about Elisa is hard. Elisa's a big girl, she can take care of herself, though Jo had been sure to insist her young guest keep at least one Pokemon out on the way to her run-down apartment in one of Pyrite's rougher neighbourhoods (considering "rough" is most of Pyrite on a good day, she had been particularly strict that Elisa come with a pal of sorts). But the girl was tough...and she liked that. All the more reason for this evening to go right.

She busies herself with lighting candles and checking that Elisa's "surprises" are all in place, and waits for her date to arrive.]

Comments

[pyroobsessed]

[Elisa was rather honestly excited by the prospect of this little date. Her experiences with any sort of thing like that were zero to none--if this were back when she was very young, she would've probably been naive to this sort of deal. It was a little nice, the more Elisa thought about it--she found someone she liked and the other seemed to take a shine to her too, if the invitation was any indication

...It was a little nerve wracking too. Elisa was surprisingly well groomed for this--she didn't want to disappoint Jo, after all! She arrived just a little before the allotted time, her Hitone (Blaziken) and Cinder (Typhlosion) out following her to make sure she was alright. ...Along with Menori (Venomoth), who seemed to be there only to chew the heck out of Elisa's hat bow.

Still, those intimidating mons were enough to make sure she was able to take down anyone who challenged her before she got to the apartment. Now, what room did--oh, right! Elisa goes to the door of Jo's room, and even if her protag instincts her first thought is to just open the door, she stops herself. Come on, don't be the Donphan in the room--

Knock, knock.]

Guess who! --Gah, Menori, stop that! [If Jo's quick to get to the door, she might see Elisa save her hand a bit at the teething Venomoth, who maneuvers away with good control. Hee hee~]

[pyritechnics]

[At the knock at the door Jo ceases fidgeting with the heavy bangles around her wrist, takes a slight breath, and steps out into the hallway with forced deliberation. She smooths out her dress (plain, black; nothing too fancy but something to denote a sense of occasion, at least) and pulls the door open knowing that it's already far too late to decide this whole set-up was a bad idea.

...Her expression barely shifts as she lays eyes upon her guest and her companions, though an eyebrow or two certainly raises. Jo doesn't know what on Earth the...thing on Elisa's head is, but it looks flammable. And more than a bit silly. A few of the pre-date jitters promptly scrabble out of Jo's mind in a snickering gaggle, but Jo herself remains as even toned as always as she extents a cautious hand out to the barbs on the Pokemon's head.]

Interesting hat. Where did you get it?

[pyroobsessed]

[Elisa's a little distracted, even when her mind registers that Jo has opened the door and she's probably seeing Elisa's expressions of annoyance and Menori fluttering around out of her reach. Gah, stoooop--

Jo's voice brought Elisa right out of that though, her eyes going right back on Jo. ...Well, this was a bit embarrassing. Still, Elisa was willing to take that in stride!]

The hat itself was a gift from my old friend when I was seven--this, though [She points to Menori when she says that, managing a bit of a grin,] didn't come with the hat; she just likes teethin' on my bows. Gettin' her to stop is the real fun.

[Menori manages to stop her chewing to get a little bit of a look at Jo, raising a little hand in greeting! Elisa's just going to grab her Poke Balls and begin putting the mons away, though.]