Sorry for the long wait, I began writing the other chapters to this story and I wanted to make sure it was all working out. Hopefully it is lol. Anyways, enjoy!
Serena falls out of dreamless sleep as though pushed down a flight of stairs. Her body thuds on the floor of her dorm room and, for a moment, she cannot recall where she is and what she's supposed to be doing. Rubbing her right arm, the one she landed on, she twists around to see the alarm clock as it's about to go off at five. With a groan, she smacks the alarm off and trudges over to her bag.
Still in bed, Serena notices Ty must have escaped his ball sometime in the night to cuddle with her. She grins as the fire type settles into the spot she was in, likely to soak in the warmth before it fades.
Slipping on her running clothes is easy, she feels a quiet rush of excitement to feel some fresh air in her face. After yesterday's rain and classes, she's surprised to realize that she misses running. She never realized how much jogging cleared her head and quieted the thoughts that refuse to be quiet during the day. The blood underneath her scars soothed them, helping her sleep well too.
Out in the front lobby, she spies a group of other runners prepping to head out as well. Feeling self conscious, Serena keeps her head down to try and sneak past them when a hand reaches out to get her attention. Forcing herself not to jump away from the hand, she looks up to see one of the girls from class with Natalie smiling at her.
"Hey, looks like you're goin' to run?" she starts with a small voice. Serena nods in response causing the girl to giggle. "We usually run in the woods in groups, why don't you join us? I'm Shannon by the way."
"Oh, sure. I don't run fast though... I'm Serena," she half smiles and takes a spot next to Shannon in the group.
"That's totally fine, we just like to run in a group to make sure everyone is safe," she waves off Serena's worry.
Her words soothe Serena's nerves. She begins to hop on the balls of her feet while the group waits for any stragglers. Finally, after a few moments, she's one of the first to follow the group as they file into the back courtyard. Where battles take place.
The morning air is crisp and cool. Clouds remain in the sky, threatening rain despite the sun peaking out behind the forest. The group takes off, their uniform blob dripping away as people set their paces. Serena dives into the rich green scenery of the forest, the smell of dew and mulch filling her nostrils.
The pounding of footsteps all around her drives her forward with the last few people in the group. Breathing hard, Serena sees the mile two marker and begins to slow down as the path cuts off to a round lake. A few others jog forward, but Shannon slows down and jogs in place watching Serena gaze at the lake with a soft smile.
"The lake loop is one mile and this path leads right back to the school if you're done. It's fenced in so no danger here," she huffs in a rhythmic pattern.
"How long do you guys go for?" Serena puffs turning back to the girl.
"Three or four miles," Shannon chuckles before waving. "See you around!"
Serena waves her off before taking a breath and jogging off around the lake. The path is well worn, run by all those crazies and their three or four miles crap. She may enjoy running but she isn't about to go for the next seven miles and not take all day.
The sound of water bumping against the shore fills Serena's ears as she jogs and absorbs the scenery once more. Her mind buzzes and she loses track of time as she makes her one trip around the lake and turns back towards the school. She walks back at a leisure pace to cool down. Once in her room, Serena takes time to stretch and drink water. She then grabs her things and heads to the baths.
A quick rinse and some nicer clothes later and she's ready for breakfast. She heads in the direction of the cafeteria amongst a cluster of other students. Along the way she runs into Vittoria and her group of friends. They invite her to sit with them and she happily accepts. The smell of breakfast meats, oatmeal, and eggs wafts through the open cafeteria doors as the group heads in.
Serena's card swipes and she's allowed through into the buffet style lines. Vittoria and her friend, Dahlia, bump hips with Serena as she holds a tray and views her options.
"Saw you were out running this morning," Dahlia grins, though her voice sounds derisive. "Don't you get enough cardio in walking everywhere?"
"Running helps so your body doesn't hurt when you spend most of the day walking," Serena responds in a tight voice.
Vittoria notices the attitude coming from both sides. "Dahlia, be nice. Don't mind her Serena, she's just jealous you're out on your journey and she's stuck in school."
"Vivi!" Dahlia snaps at her, rolling her eyes.
"Is the truth scary?" Serena lets her defensive attitude go and then flushes at the outburst when the girls give her a surprised glance. "Sorry."
"Don't be, she deserves it," Vivi nudges said girl with her elbow and a playful wink thrown Serena's way.
Going down the line Serena pauses as she stares at a crepe bar. Decadent sauces, berries, whipped cream and other candies free to pick call to her. She pauses a moment before looking down at herself. She hears whispers coming back to her head when someone clears their throat next to her.
She glances up to see Vittoria gleaming at her as she plops down three crepes on Serena's plate. Before she can protest, the girl pours chocolate sauce and plops some berries on top. The firm look at the end makes Serena's mouth shut. She opts to smile back and finishes putting stuff on her plate.
The three girls join the group at the table by the wall of windows. Sunlight warms the cafeteria as it peeks out from the forest. The buzz of talk from the students is a warm welcome to Serena as she takes a bite into her fruity oatmeal.
She watches as they talk about homework and studying, much like how her, Lance and Clair would at school. Her heart aches at the memory, wishing to be with them in this moment so much more intensely than she expected. The comfort of her friends in a school setting still playing strong in her mind.
"So, you're from Blackthorn, then?" Garrett says between mouthfuls of juicy bacon and eggs. "What's it like living with dragons everywhere?"
Vittoria tosses a crumpled napkin at him, frowning at his comment. The other two snort at their friends oblivious nature. Serena rolls her eyes, a grin on her own face, and shrugs.
"It's kinda hard to sleep with them taking up the bed, but they taught our classes pretty well."
The group exchange glances for a second. At Serena's grin they bust out into laughter, and she finds herself laughing too. Garrett starts again with more serious questions and, in turn, Serena answers in the same manner. The conversation flows from there, them asking her about life in Johto and her about life in Kanto. All the while she's dug into her crepes without a second thought.
With less than ten minutes left in lunch, Serena cleans up her mess and goes to get up when the air around the table grows cold. She glances up to see Shannon has stopped by the table with a sneer on her face as she regards the group.
Serena recognizes this look and frowns. Shannon is the last girl she expected to be a bully, despite knowing the girl for a total of five minutes. The usual burn she would feel in her chest when confronting her harassers comes back and she welcomes it.
"Sitting with these losers?" Shannon sneers, but flinches back when Serena gets to her feet.
"They're not losers. You have no reason to come over here and be rude," the dark haired girl snaps back. "You were nice to me this morning, you don't get to be mean to them now."
Taken aback, Shannon's mouth opens and closes like a Magikarp out of water. The others stare at Serena, surprised by her outburst. Dahlia whistles before breaking it off with a laugh and standing up, she gathers her tray of food.
"She's got some fire, like a Charmander. Let's get to first period guys."
That dissolves the tension and Serena, her gaze having been unwavered from her statement, turns away. She follows the others to the dish window where they plop down their trays. Her heart pounds in her chest and she feels a nice rush of emotion at standing up for herself and others.
She smiles to herself, thinking of Clair, and towards the exit to see Natalie standing at the door. "Are you ready for your first class?"
At the start of her day, she would have said yes. But now, staring at her teacher's light brown eyes burning into her soul, she's more than a little nervous. Nonetheless, Serena's mind still buzzes from her confrontation, so she nods anyway. Natalie gestures for her to follow, Vivi and the others wave off Serena as they head to their own classes.
"The first class on your list is History," the teacher announces in a practiced tone. "History of both regions."
"Interesting," the young girl muses. "In my school we mainly had the history of Johto, for obvious reasons. But I did get to hear a lot about Kanto because of Mom."
"I am not at all surprised. You are also going to find that this school will have a biased curriculum as well," Nat speaks in a low tone. They round the corner to a large lecture room already filling up with students. "My classroom is 134b, just around the corner. I'll still be there when you're done. I'll be teaching your next class."
"Okay," Serena clutches her notebook and pen a little tighter as she peers into the room.
"You'll be fine," the older woman chuckles before walking off. "Do not be late!"
Once Nat is out of sight, Serena takes a few minutes to pep talk quietly to herself. Students go by her without a second glance. Finally, moments before class starts, Serena slides into a seat as close to the back as she can. None of the students pay her any mind as she settles into a spot near the left by the wall. Opening up her page, Serena takes a deep breath to settle her nerves and scars, before tuning into the lecture.
When lecture is over, Serena is scribbles the last bit of her notes before joining the surge of students in the hallway. She manages to squeeze into Natalie's room near the front by Vivi and Seth. While Natalie sets up her power point, the two involve her in their chat about their favorite types.
The rumble of whispers cut off as Natalie clears her throat. She dives into the multitude of types and ways to train them to bring out a better potential. Her slides give examples, pulling up old drawings of pokemon taken from historical texts. She speaks slowly to allow time for students to write, pausing to add an extra comment or two.
"Serena, tell us about dragon types," Natalie states after a bit of silence. A click of the slideshow reveals an ancient drawing of a dragonite.
Serena stares up at the picture of the drawing on the wall of a cave somewhere. She's seen it only once before in Blackthorn. The Dragonite is much bigger than is normal for its species and below it are humans aiming weapons at it. This was a time before those of the dragon clan came forth and showed dragon pokemon can be tamed.
A bit of pride wells up in her chest looking at it, but it's squished as she realizes all eyes are on her. "Oh. Uh, well. Dra-dragon types are hands on."
"Meaning?" Natalie raises her brow. There's a soft smile on her face encouraging her to continue talking.
"Sometimes you need to show them that you're just as tough. When I am training my Dratini, there will be times she will flick her tail at me or roll into me. She may not be as big as the others, but it still packs a punch. She sees me as an equal and will treat me like one of her own," Serena babbles, she trails off at the end. Her face turns pink as she regards the rest of the class.
"What if she didn't see you as an equal?" Natalie prods her further, leaning forward on the desk with her head tilted.
Serena glances around to see everyone the same, leaning forward eager to learn. She pauses before answering. The truth is a bit much. Then again she doesn't want anyone misguided enough to get one without actually knowing. She takes a breath before answering. "Well, she would attack me." There's a gasp all around the room but she continues on without waiting longer. "Not to kill me, but to establish that she is in charge. It would start out with lunging, which you have to either counter with your own even if you're not strong, or no flinching. If it continued it would get to baring teeth, showing attacks and anything more."
"Is it possible to still train them when it gets to that point?" a student calls from the back.
"Sometimes yes and sometimes no. If it starts to get pretty violent, find a dragon tamer and have them help you," she shrugs and then smiles. "The title Dragon Tamer is for anyone who has enough experience to tame any dragon type or dragon-like pokemon they own."
"Fascinating," Natalie beams then gestures for her to take a seat. "Thank you for sharing, Serena. I hope you all took notes!"
The collective groan causes Serena to giggle as she takes her seat and resumes writing notes. Vivi nudges her playfully and gives her a thumbs up. It makes Serena think of Clair, spreading warmth in her chest at the sight.
The pop quiz at the end comes as no surprise, Serena takes a moment to review everything before taking her quiz. It's three questions on the topics discussed as well as a bonus question about dragon types. Serena, pleased with her answers, turns in the sheet and waits back at her desk.
Once dismissed, everyone rushes out griping about the pop quiz. Serena waits in her seat for Natalie to finish. She wasn't told where she would be going next and wonders if there is another class coming in. She gets her answer when Natalie gathers her things and gestures for her to follow.
"We're going to take a short break. I'm going to grade these and get stuff started for the next lesson, it's practical battling."
Serena nods, drinking in the bustling halls of the school. It seems so much more lively than it did yesterday. Maybe a good night's sleep and a run was just what she needed to see better...
"Here's my office," Natalie pauses after they round a corner. As she pulls out some keys Serena glances down the hallway full of other offices. There's hushed voices, the sounds of typing and the rustle of paper filtering into the hall.
Natalie's door creaks open, revealing a cramped office. One wall has two windows facing campus, books are strewn on every surface. Her large industrial desk is littered with papers, books, paper weights and other trinkets gifted to her by students. Natalie clears off a chair for Serena and takes a seat at the desk.
"Would you like something to drink?" the teacher questions as she spreads out her things in an orderly manner.
"Water is fine," Serena answers while crossing the room to gaze out the window.
Dark and angry looking clouds loom over campus as if threatening to drop more rain any second. Serena recalls a forecast on the tv in the cafeteria from earlier. It shouldn't rain until later tonight, but maybe it's changed now. She watches as students jog around campus, others practice their battling skills as an official looks on.
The feel of school is stifling if she were to think about it. The education is freeing, but the environment is enough to make her scream. So many students stuck together can be hard.. Or maybe it's just been her experience. She may not know what she wants to do, but at least she knows what she doesn't want to do.
She takes a seat across from Natalie, accepting the mini water bottle handed to her from a mini fridge hidden behind the desk. She takes a large gulp before leaning back and relaxing on the chair. Her mind spins with all the information shown to her within the past few hours. It's been a few months since her last lesson, but she likes the familiar hum in her mind.
"You did well again," Natalie comments across from her. "Along with the other top scores of the class."
"Thank you," Serena mutters under her breath before taking another sip.
"I wonder how you'll do during a battle?" she muses in return.
Serena grimaces. "Not as well."
"I'm sure we can help with that," Natalie winks in response.
"I've gotten better since I've left, but I don't have a real passion for battling."
"That's okay. I am not sure what you're going to be doing in the future, however, being a sly battler will get you far."
Serena considers this. It's true, her father has had so many official battles to get to where he is in the G-men. It's a bit outdated, but another system has not yet been introduced or implemented. Another thing her father had been raging about for sometime, so much so Serena didn't realize how big of a deal it was.
Now that she's on her own she has to understand the politics around something more masculine centered. Clair becoming a gym leader was a surprise. The clan will entertain her choice but ultimately she's a girl and will not be accepted into the position if the Elder's can help it. The thought makes Serena's nerves boil. No matter how good she would be Clair won't get the chance to prove herself and it will break her.
"I see that look in your eyes," Nat grins. "Yes, it's messed up. Our regions are alike in that way. You'll need to toughen up if you want to be heard."
"How do you know I want to be heard?" Serena frowns, she doesn't know what she wants how can Natalie know?
"I saw you stand up for your friends earlier," she comments, making Serena freeze. "I'm not going to pretend to know your past, or even know you now. The way you stood up to Miss Dyer was admirable, you were quick, strong-willed and yet you didn't put her down. You could have insulted her, but instead you deterred further incident."
"That's a lot to draw from something so simple," Serena mutters with a frown. She feels strange having her actions laid out in front of her. The point feels just out of her reach and she doesn't understand.
"It is and if I'd known you longer, I'm sure I could use more examples," Natalie shrugs and pulls out more papers. "Think about it for a bit. I've got some stuff to do. Feel free to explore the office and look at stuff."
Still feeling confused, Serena opts to move around the room with mindless curiosity. Her mother also has a large collection of textbooks at home. Serena thinks of the days she used to sneak into her mother's study and pretend to know what she was reading in the complicated texts. At that time she often mused at becoming a professor... and then school happened.
There's not much else for her to look at, so Serena spends the rest of the hour detailing her notes and making them easier to read when she returns to the road. The thought of traveling again excites and worries her. Espeon still needs to go home, and there has been no news from her father on the whereabouts of her owner.
Then there's her next gym challenge, in Vermillion just a day away. The gym there has gone through several leaders, at least that's what her dad said. The last she heard, it was a ground type gym, but then the leader had to take an emergency leave. Now she heard there's a guy there with a crazy strong Raichu. Electric types are hardy and she's going to struggle with just two pokemon willing to battle. If Espeon could listen to her and trust her, Serena is sure she would be able to beat the next gym no problem.
Speaking of gyms, Lance is surely ahead of her by now. It's been a while since their last call, but even then he was past Vermillion. That's how she heard about the last leader leaving. He was the last trainer to battle the old leader before the new one was implemented.
"You're over thinking," Natalie calls from her desk.
Serena frowns in frustration. "Am I easy to read?"
"Actually, no," Nat peers over the rim of her reading glasses. "You're fidgeting with your scarf."
Blushing, Serena drops her hands and clasps them behind her back. "Oh."
"I'm almost done, then we can go get lunch."
Food will be a good distraction from her thoughts.
Serena takes a seat and fiddles with her notes for a half hour more until Nat's finished grading. The two head to the cafeteria in silence. Serena is sure, with the noise the students make in the hall, there would be no chance for any kind of conversation.
It gets worse when they enter the cafeteria. This morning it was quieter, assuming most students are not morning people it makes sense. Now, it's a bit louder but in a bigger space it's much more bearable. Serena scans the crowds for her friends. Then she remembers that lunches are staggered to accommodate the huge student body here. Not that sitting with Natalie would be a punishment, she would like a break from her over analytical comments.
The two sit on the far side of the lunch room, with the other teachers, at the end of a long table. Serena feels like a punished student, forced to sit with Nat to rectify an interruption in her class. Some of the other teachers pull the older woman's attention away with conversations about work. Leaving Serena to eat and concentrate on her itching scars in peace. Being at this school has really put her on edge and she's not sure if it's being back in a school or if it's the students. She can't let it get to her though, she wants to learn a bit more before taking off. Plus, the rain has barely let up. It's more on and off now.
It lasts through lunch. Then finally tapers off as Serena gets pulled into a mini lecture with Nat about the next hour or so of class. It's practical battle practice. While it sounds fun on paper, Serena is getting tired of advice for battling. She has so much to work on, she just needs time to let the lessons settle in.
"Students get paired up based on my observations earlier this semester," she says. "Don't worry, I'll toss you around to see where you learn best. We only have you for another day so I want to see you try different styles.
"It's a one on one battle, it can be more but most students here don't have their own pokemon and two is the max they can rent out. At the end of the practicals, students are required to write a one to two page essay. It's how they thought they did, how their opponent did and what to work on," she beams at this part. Serena can tell she loves giving out writing assignments. "I also fill out an essay on those same topics if I got around to seeing enough of your skill. Three battles will be going on simultaneously, so students are encouraged to help each other."
Serena exhales. It's a fair system, and a good way to introduce trainers into battling rather than dumping them into the real world with no experience. Serena feels a slight sting of jealousy. Due to her status in the clan, she wasn't allowed to battle much in school. But it was also dragon types all over. While her pokemon can hold themselves against physical attacks, it doesn't allow for all scopes of types and people. Nearly everyone in the city was offensive aggressive, leaving her little room to try any type of attack or comeback.
Natalie continues on with her not mini lecture describing several different battling strategies. If this was anything new, Serena would have gotten out her notebook. Instead, she opts to review what she already knows. When they go over the strengths and weaknesses of each type, Serena can't believe the amount each has.
"It all sounds so clean cut when you talk about it, I know," Natalie grins. "But just because there's so many strengths and weaknesses doesn't mean that one is better than the other. It just fits the right kind of person and their pokemon."
Serena nods in understanding. Clair and Lance are offensive battlers. Clair relies on the natural abilities of her pokemon while Lance relies on strength. Serena is more defensive, allowing the opponent to slip up before swooping in with an attack. It's not a popular tactic as it takes patience and quick pokemon, but it has gotten her this far. It's also not as glamorous either, as she remembers watching Lance's last battle. He lives to show off, and Clair is much the same.
"You've got to be confident even if you're wrong. Battling is not just about power, but trust," Natalie continues.
Serena sighs. She's heard all this before. "I just feel unsure about the choices I'm making on the field. How do I come back from a mistake? It's so easy for one mistake to cost the win."
"Stop looking at the 'win' then," the older woman replies, then laughs at the incredulous look on Serena's face. "I'm serious!"
"That'll definitely cost me," she mutters, unimpressed with this piece of advice.
"You'll see," she comments before standing up with her empty tray in hand. "Let's go to class."
On the way to class Serena goes over everything she has learned about battling in a rush. Her mind is buzzing with what everyone is going to think of her. They think so highly of her because of where she's from and the one dragon type she has, but what are they going to do when they see she can't battle?
"Serena!" Vivi suddenly exclaims right outside a tall door.
The brunette glances up to see Vivi and her friends waiting in a tight circle. On the other side of the hall are some other students conversing amongst themselves. Serena's nerves die down as she leaves Nat's side and joins her small group. The comradery is easy to slip into at this point and she's happy.
"Hey guys," she greets. "Ready for some battles?"
"Definitely!" Seth hits his chest a few times. "Even with your dragon you don't stand a chance."
Her competitive side gets the best of her and she snorts. "Cocky, huh?"
"He's always like that," Vittoria interjects as Nat unlocks the door and ushers everyone inside a large stadium.
Several different battlefields are painted on the ground. Each one half the size of an official battle field. Clearly, this is for practice and not for anything grandiose like full six on six battle. Everyone piles in and splits up into their friend group again on the sidelines of the huge platform.
Natalie gathers everyone's attention to go over the rules, mainly for Serena's sake. She also writes on a whiteboard the names of those battling against each other. The crowd of eight students rumbles at the matchups. Some eyeing a good friend of theirs while others look bored. Serena is going to be battling Vivi while two other battles are going on.
"Hey, don't worry. I'll be gentle," Vivi winks at Serena while trotting over to their assigned field.
Serena responds with a muttered thanks while taking her spot opposite of the red head. She glances left and right to see the other students taking similar positions across the fields.
Are the battles going to be that intense? She wrings her hands out while Nat gets out her tablet to take notes. The teacher perches on a lifeguarding chair mounted on the wall to help her overlook the battles below her. Serena wonders how good she is at watching several battles at once.
"You may begin when you are ready. This isn't a competition! It's a learning experience. So please help each other out," Natalie's voice comes out of some speakers overhead.
At that, Vittoria calls out a Nidorino amongst all the other shouts for pokemon. Serena watches the poison type emerge from the light of its pokeball and give its scaley body a shake. Reaching for her own ball, Serena notices several students that are not battling watching her intently. She entertains the idea of letting out Wynn, she's a good battler, but this is to learn not to show off.
"Ty, let's do this!"
Her fire type shakes his fur and lets out a cute little growl that Serena can't help but snicker at. Vittoria looks a little disappointed, making Serena frown and think that she'll just have to show her how tough Ty is. The look is gone and Vivi is quick to start the battle on the offense. Taken off guard, Serena watches as Ty is hit twice with Horn Attack before rolling to dodge more hits.
The battle is fast with Vittoria keeping Serena on her toes, thus throwing her confidence into the garbage. But Serena notices the redhead leaving her pokemon open between hits. Unable to shake her gut feeling, she aims attacks around Nidorino before hitting directly. This turns the battle around, much to the chagrin of Vivi but happiness of those watching. Enough to knock Nidorino back a few feet.
"Vivi and Serena that's enough," Nat calls after saying the same to the other battles.
The students gather around the teacher as she goes over the points for each student. Some cheer while others groan at the grades they're getting. Everyone is having their scores emailed to them so they can use them for their essays, but Serena's are given to her on paper. Nat is grinning despite the 'Loss' mark at the top of the sheet.
"Don't be discouraged. It's just because of all those hits she got in the beginning," Nat explains. She calls out more names for other battles. Before climbing up to her perch, she turns back to Serena. "I want you to watch two battles, one with Vivi against Garrett and the other one with Seth and Chris. They're happening at the same time, so try your best."
Despite being sick of the emphasis on battling, Serena can't help but do what she as she's told. Her eyes draw to the way Vivi takes a head start as soon as she's able. It's a good way to surprise your opponent and get ahead on an important battle. She also watches how Garrett stands his ground. A good defense is great to counter such a surprise and hold your own against powerful enemies.
Serena takes note, then shifts her eyes to Seth and Chris. They're both great at offense with Seth's Pidgey putting up a good fight dancing on the edge of Chris's Sandshrew's attacks. She watches as their attacks are one after another, barely a break between. A risky move considering a pokemon could get tired easily through a full battle. One on one or two on two would be fine; any more is pushing it.
The battles go by and Serena finds herself prepping for the field when a bell rings throughout the gym. Nat announces the end of the practical and leads everyone to a classroom next to the gym. It's well lit with large windows facing the field as well as two TVs at the front to show different views of the battles.
Serena takes her hard copy sheet and sits at a desk that doesn't have a computer screen. The essay details everything specified earlier. Immaculate and enough to make her mother proud. She comments on her hesitancy and errors. She finishes behind the rest of the students, she gathers her papers and hands them to Nat.
"The day is over. Rest up, your friends agreed to do some extra training tomorrow. If you leave by two, you'll be more than halfway to Vermillion," Nat finishes with a smile. "Go rest up, be a kid."
Serena starts at that last comment. No one has really said that to her before, her parents were more concerned with other things. Which is fair considering how welcoming Blackthorn was when they got there. It confuses her for a second, what does that mean? What could she do at four in the afternoon?
"O-okay," she stumbles out the door with Vivi and company following.
Vivi pats Serena on the back. "We have a little tradition after practicals. Interested?"
"You haven't told me much info?" she frowns.
"Nothing illegal," Garrett jumps in, wrapping an around Serena's shoulder. She flinches as his arm brushes across her scar through her scarf. He backs off without comment; offering a gentle smile. "Viv, Seth, me and some others celebrating some good work."
"Sounds illegal," Serena states. The group glances at her, already sure she's going to say no when they spot her smile. "Yeah, I'll go."
