Reversal of Fortunes (Lyra)

[Dan Evans]

There had to be an easier way to get to Lentimas.

Reversal Mountain wasn't exactly the safest place in the world, but it was also one Dan was very used to. Ever since he was young he scaled its precarious cliffs and stumbled over its peaks, seeking access to the supplies that made Lentimas invaluable to breeders. After all, where else in Unova besides Misaltron did you have such easy access to planes for shipment of goods? Move tutors teaching moves most Pokemon could never dream of were another huge attraction, of course, and probably one of the most important to Dan's family. Well-bred Pokemon, combined with Unova's finest moves, made for some great business.

That wasn't why Dan was navigating the Reversal Mountain today, of course. Instead it was for food. The volcano's proximity to Lentimas made for some very fertile soils, and that meant for abundant crops. It cost Dan quite a pretty penny, but surely he'd be able to secure him enough food to help stem the tide of incoming refugees.

If only those refugees were the only ones wanting.

The man clutched an arm where a Beedrill's Pin Missile had grazed, shouting out to a fleeing figure "Yeah! You'd better run!" His Pokemon celebrated victory jubilantly: Ambrose stomped the ground like a sumo, Rollins fired some warning shots of Dark Pulse into the sky, and Reigns let out an echoing war cry. A bit of an excessive show of triumph, maybe, but also one that'd hopefully convince others to back off before getting their asses kicked too.

Bandits weren't usually a problem on such dangerous routes. In a way it made Dan almost feel safer on the mountain, as if his biggest worry was his own balance. Today was not this kind of day: with the war getting closer to Unovan shores each day, it seemed thieves and highwaymen were getting more desperate by the day.

He grimaced a little as he clutched his arm. Felt kind of warm. Blood? Maybe. It was going to be really frustrating trying to climb with this sort of wound. While he tried just pressing onward, eventually he figured he'd just have to sit down and patch himself up for a bit.

Dan sat down against a rock, tearing some of his shirt into a makeshift bandage. It'd just be a quick wrap-up and then he could get right back to moving, right?

It's not like he'd have attracted any attention, would he?

lyra

[lyra]

The earth shifted beneath Lyra's feet, a deep, unpleasant rumble that went straight through her bones. Dislodged in the commotion, dirt and rocks rained down on her head, bouncing off her cheeks and forehead.

“What the hell!” She snapped as she loosed one hand from the face of the rock, pressing her body in close to keep from falling a she scrubbed dirt from her eyes. “What are you even doing up there?” Seriously, there had better be a good reason for all of the dirt, and shaking, and climb interrupting. Never mind the fact that whoever was making all of the trouble up above would probably think that she was the crazy one for not taking the paths like everyone else.

Where was the fun in that? She hadn't been out in ages, and now her heart was pumping, and she was aching in places she didn't even know she had, and everything was great! Or, it had been, until somebody decided to stir up the everything up above and send debris raining down on her head like a big debris raining, climb ruining jerk! They were lucky she was mostly good at this. What if she'd fallen? She could have broken something, or twisted an ankle, or even died!

Gritting her teeth, Lyra began hauling herself up the rock to the next path, fully intending to give whoever was up there a piece of her mind. Only, she stopped short the minute she pulled herself up over the edge. What the? Someone was hurt! There was a man leaning against a rock, and Lyra could see fresh blood running down his arm. He was tearing at his t-shirt. Was he planning to use that as a bandage? Eww. That thing was probably filthy, especially if he'd been here for more than a few minutes, which she was guessing he had been. What was he thinking?

“Wait, wait, don't use that, I've got some bandages in my bag.” And that was the closest Lyra got to a proper greeting before she was making her way over to him and dropping herself unceremoniously onto the ground beside him so that she could rummage through her pack.

"I know they're in here somewhere..."

Three overly cutesy key chains, a bright pink wallet, a set of keys, a water bottle, and a cherrrim print cloth later, Lyra tugged a roll of gauze free from her pack, followed by a roll of duct tape complete with cheery litwick's with little hearts in their eyes. ”It's better than what you were going to use!” she said defensively when she caught him eying the tape. "Now give me your arm and hold still."

Dan Evans

[Dan Evans]

Ambrose and Rollins were keeping sharp eyes on both sides of the trail, while Reigns was protectively huddled near his injured trainer. As far as the trio was concerned, no matter how stealthy any of these bandits were there was no chance anything would slip past their stalwart gazes. Anything that tried would swiftly regret it.

That's why the whole group let out alarmed cries when they suddenly heard a voice coming from Dan's location. By the time Rollins and Ambrose had turned around, they saw a girl sitting next to their trainer and reaching for something in her backpack. Immediately the two ran to join the other half of the group, jostling each other out of the way as they competed to see who would eye up Lyra first. Reigns simply coldly glared, looking at the girl to be sure she didn't have anything dangerous on her.

Dan was a bit too focused on the pain in his arm to notice until the girl was right next to him, telling him not to use his shirt as a makeshift bandage and rustling in her pack for something. His first instinct was to protectively scoot in front of his food, but he sighed with relief when he saw she was producing a bandage, not a weapon.

Wait, she was giving him a bandage? Why?

"You don't need to do that," he protested, trying to grin and bear the pain shooting up his arm. In these tough times there were so many people who would need bandages more than him. Injured refugees. The soldiers risking their lives and limbs. The elderly and children. Not some food runner who'd just heal up in a bit anyway. It was the kind of offer he'd almost feel bad taking up. "I'll be fine, honest." Still, his arm dangled a bit reluctantly, and he did keep still. If this bandaging was going to happen, he wouldn't be fighting against it.

Of course, the girl's presence was so strange to him. Other than the guy who jumped him before, there was never really anyone on Reversal Mountain. It was a literal volcano, after all, and anyone who could avoid the path did. Either she really needed to be here or she really wanted to be. Dan wasn't sure which. "My name's Dan, by the way. What's yours, and what brings you here?" He considered asking her about the bandit with the Beedrill, but for the moment decided against it. After all, sound travelled far in these echoing caves.

lyra

[lyra]

I'll be fine, the man assured her. As if! Did he not see all of that blood? Did he want his arm to get infected or was he just trying to salvage some kind of manly pride? Lyra rolled her eyes as she unrolled the gauze and attempted to tear off a generous strip. One tug, two, and the stuff was still refusing to rip. With a huff, Lyra met his gaze. “Don't even say it,” she warned before latching on to the edge of the gauze with her teeth and pulling, hard.

Riiiiiiiip.

With careful movements, Lyra reached out to steady his arm, the strip of gauze dangling from her mouth. It nearly brushed the cavern floor as she shifted forward to get a better look at his wound. Hmm...maybe he's right, it doesn't look that bad, but it could still get infected if it isn't rinsed and covered. Right, rinsing. She would need to clean away any blood and dirt before she patched him up.

Lyra's gaze slid from the wound to her water bottle, nestled comfortably between the other items that had been pulled from her pack while she'd been hunting for the gauze, and back again. Well, it's not like I have much of a choice. It would be a long trip back without it, that much she knew from previous experience (not that she made a habit of misusing or otherwise misplacing said water bottle, nope, not her). Lyra sighed around the gauze, decided. At least it was for a good cause.

Twisting the cap off of the water bottle, Lyra continued to steady the man's, no, Dan's -he'd introduced himself after all -arm up with one hand to help keep it steady and began to pour. Had it not been for the gauze, she might have worried at her lower lip as she watched the blood run down his arm and seep into the earth. Her brow furrowed.

She'd never been fond of blood, though she'd shed her fair share of it over the years: skinned knees, and nettle stings, and the dozen or so other little hurts that had made up her youth. The price of freedom, of adventure. She hadn't minded it then, when the blood was her own, but seeing someone else's was another matter entirely. No, it wasn't so much the sight of blood itself as it was the knowing: There would be far more of it soon. The war would make sure of that.

With the wound as flushed as it was going to get (or so Lyra had deemed it), she set the water bottle by her side and began busying herself with the gauze. Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't think about it. “Lyra,” she said almost absentmindedly the moment gauze left her mouth, more to distract herself from thoughts of the war than to answer his question. ”I'm Lyra.” She wrapped the gauze around his arm as she spoke, pulling it tight.

The second question went unanswered.

Dan Evans ( sorry this is so shitty xP )

[Dan Evans]

Dan cringed but smiled weakly as the water hit his wound. Looked like he was getting medical attention whether he wanted it or not. "Thanks," he said, still shocked at the selflessness of the girl. He took a quick, worried glance at the wound as water poured over it, trying to check for any discoloration or signs of poison. Beedrill were very dangerous creatures, after all, and Dan was lucky to have escaped with just a slice over the arm. Thankfully he saw nothing, but he was a bit worried about what might await him next time. Especially if that bandit had brought friends.

He had to admit, if he had seen anyone else in his place he probably would've followed after Lyra's lead. Something still sat wrong with him about using up the woman's valuable resources, especially with so much of he region in need, but for now he swallowed his worries. After all, the raiders would only get more bold as time passed. This war was just going to keep draining resources until the raiders became the norm, not the exception. It was a worrisome thought, and one Dan hoped never came to pass. And yet, if it did, he was more than ready to try and defend his home.

His question went unanswered, but truth be told he expected that. The longer the woman treated his injuries, the more distracted she seemed. When she spoke it was less like she talked to him and more like she talked around him. He figured it'd be best not to ask: when people were lost in their thoughts, it was rarely good to poke and prod at them about it. Besides, it'd be rude to try and burrow into the business of someone who had been so helpful and selfless.

He moved his arm a bit once the gauze was tightened, as if establishing it wasn't going to fall off and run away. "This was really nice of you. Wish I could repay the favor," he said, his smile a little bit less weary.

"By the way, did you see anyone on the way up here?" he asked, looking back and forth to be sure he wasn't being followed. "Had a Beedrill?"

lyra