Chapter One

In which Cynthia has a misunderstanding.

With it being six weeks out from her decided travel date, Cynthia sat in Amanda's office, leaned back into the cushion of the grey chair. Of all the offices at the league, the chairs in her office were always the most comfortable.

Cynthia casually looked over her hand, making a mental note to trim her nails. "You know, I would love a layover in Hoenn," she said.

Amanda stopped her typing, looking up at Cynthia over her glasses. "I can get you a direct flight from Sunyshore to Castelia. That's no problem," she pointed out.

She shook her head. "I'd prefer a layover. Mossdeep if you can, but I'll settle for Lilycove since I know it's usually easier to get into there." She just barely caught the small eyeroll from her manager.

"How long of a layover?" She returned her attention to the screen in front of her.

"At least six hours. If I'm going to spend a few months fucking around because some man can't take no for an answer, I want to have some genuine fun before then."

She then watched as Amanda moved over to give her full attention to her. She gave her a quick look over. "You're in a better mood about all of this," she observed.

Cynthia shrugged. "The weather has been nice, and I'm just trying to ride this feeling as long as possible." It was the truth, anyways. It was in the upper-thirties and had finally stopped snowing for the first time in months. The weather having an effect on her mood wasn't something Cynthia was entirely unaware of.

Amanda looked as though she were going to say something, but stopped herself short with a quick laugh. "Never mind." She returned to her computer.

"Go ahead and say it. You know I don't care." Though, it wasn't exactly a lack of caring. It was just a desire to see if she could get to the bottom of why Amanda seemed so sore about the subject.

She shrugged, not meeting Cynthia's eyes. "I was going to make a really bad vitamin D joke, but then I thought better of it because as your manager I'm probably not supposed to say things like that." To which Cynthia laughed.

"How many times do I have to assure you and the media that there's nothing physical between me and Steven? We're really good friends; that's it." While Sinnoh wasn't typically a region enthralled by gossip, being the champion of ten years left her in what little spotlight there was in the region.

The number one rumor that surrounded her was that she and Hoenn's champion, Steven Stone, were secret lovers.

While the rumor was completely untrue, it wasn't as though it was unfounded. The two had long decided against being upset with the rumor, instead choosing to exacerbate it as often as possible.

If you can't beat them, join them.

Amanda laughed lightly. "You can assure me all you want, but until you two quit the whole hooking your arms through one another's and spending every opportunity together, I'm not convinced."

She shrugged, adjusting herself in her seat. "Look, I have to get my kicks where I can."

Things were quiet for a few moments before Amanda spoke. "The best I can do is a twelve hour layover. You really wanna spend that much time in Hoenn? Just so you can fuck around with Steven?"

She smiled, innocently. "We didn't get to hang out much during the last international meeting, and with him working on setting up Wallace as the next Hoenn champion, I want to get as much time with him as possible." Again, it was the truth.

She shook her head, grumbling incoherently to herself.

While Cynthia had wanted to figure out her soreness of the subject, all she could come up with was it was more work for Amanda to do should any rumors get out of hand. Though, she could easily hand it all off to the league's publicist if she didn't want to do it that badly.

"So, you'll leave here Thursday, the twenty-second of March at four in the afternoon, and get into Mossdeep around six, Hoenn time. From there, you'll leave at six thirty in the morning, getting into Castelia around twelve thirty in the afternoon, local time."

"Sounds good," Cynthia replied.

"Now, filming is scheduled to end on the twenty-second of June, a Friday. What day would you prefer to come home?" she asked.

She pulled out her phone, scrolling on the calendar to June. "How about that Monday? And that can be direct to Sunyshore. Doubt I'm going to be in the mood to look at anyone after all of this."

She nodded. "You gonna take any challenges that week?"

She shook her head. "Not if I can help it. If I have to, I'll deal with it then." But stars above did she hope she wouldn't have to.

Amanda resumed her work on the computer. "Now, there is a chance that you'll be finished with filming sooner," she reminded. "If that's the case, just let me know and I'll do what I can to switch your ticket around. Though, can't guarantee business class if I have to switch things around."

She laughed to herself. "If it means losing business class, I might as well just keep my mouth shut and take a small vacation." She was only half joking.

"Okay," Amanda said, one last click on her mouse. "You'll be leaving out of Castelia around eight in the morning, and get in to Sunyshore around seven thirty that night."

She grimaced. "Gross." A six hour flight wasn't the longest she had ever been on a plane, and with it being business class, it was going to hardly be a burden. It was more of thinking about the five hour time difference that was going to leave her jetlagged for days that was upsetting her.

She laughed through her nose. "Says the woman who is willing to go completely out of the way just to have a layover in Hoenn."

Before she could reason that it at least broke the day up, her phone buzzed in her hand. She had an hour before she had to be back in Sunyshore for her first lesson with her acting coach. She couldn't suppress her groan.

Amanda shooed her with her hand, the bracelet on her wrist jingling. "Go on, you have to go meet up with Beatrice," she said, putting an emphasis on her name. "Also, make sure to let me know if she's just as obnoxious as I think someone with the name Beatrice is."

It at least got a small laugh from Cynthia.

From what little precursory research she did on the woman, at worst Beatrice was regarded as "not putting up with anybody's bullshit". Which Cynthia realized was probably for the best given the situation. Working with someone who wouldn't take any of her excuses, while a pain, was what she needed to get ready for filming.

"I'll be sure to do that," she said, standing up and taking her jacket off the back of the chair.

"I'm going to forward this email to you, which has your confirmation number, and make sure you have the airline's app to get any updates on the flight. I doubt much will change time-wise, but I wouldn't put it past them to change departure gates about twelve different times…"


Weeks later, winter was slowly but surely giving way to spring. The days were now longer than the nights, and snow fell more infrequently. The daytime temperatures were now peaking around the mid thirties. In another few weeks, the snow would be gone completely, and the spring flowers would start to bloom in force.

None of which Cynthia was going to get to see if things went accordingly. By the time she had returned, the first day of summer would have already passed.

In the small meeting room at the league, Cynthia brought her speech to a close, keeping her seat at the head of the desk. The entire elite four, along with Amanda, were the only ones in attendance. The gym leaders had all received letters at the beginning of the month explaining her absence, and now with her elite four properly briefed, there was nothing more for her to do other than to pack.

Lucian was the first to speak. "Rest assured, Cynthia. Nobody will get past me while you're gone."

She nodded. She reasoned she had nothing to worry about. Lucian didn't sit at the head of her league for nothing. None of them would be a part of her elite four if they didn't keep her on her toes in a battle, but he sat at the top because he was the only one who averaged at taking down half her team.

Still, a part of her wasn't fully comforted. "I trust you, but with spring and summer being our busiest months, it still feels wrong to leave."

Bertha gave her a warm smile. "You'll be back before the summer rush. Try to enjoy yourself. It's a completely new experience. Don't let it pass you by."

Aaron leaned forward, spinning his keyring around his finger. "Just remember: at any point you can always just start acting like a huge dumbass and still get sent home!"

Amanda and Flint both noticeably laughed, much to Cynthia's dismay.

Back in January, she couldn't have imagined her feelings on the matter possibly changing. She had been angry and upset over the whole ordeal, not understanding why she even agreed to it.

Every day leading up to her contract meeting, she would be seconds away from calling Amanda and telling her she had changed her mind and to forget about the whole thing. A few times she even did make that call.

Amanda always had a way of talking her out of it.

If it hadn't been for how much she liked her as a manager otherwise, it might have been grounds for her to consider firing her.

However, somewhere along the way, with the combination of the warming weather, and the challenge that was her crash course in acting, there was a small part of her that was actually looking forward to everything.

Her first lesson with Beatrice, she had been asked about why she liked research so much, especially considering how dry of a subject it could be. She had answered that she liked the process of going from something disorganized on paper, to something concise.

It had apparently been the best possible answer she could have given Beatrice, as she immediately encouraged her to try to think of acting in the same way. She told her that filming was rarely ever done in order of how it would appear on screen, so it would go from disorganized chaos of countless takes, to an hour and half episode.

Beatrice had also made a few snide remarks about the director and how the producers were in his pocket, but she decided that she wasn't interested in those politics. At the very least, she had a task that she now had to complete. For better or worse, she was in this, and even if the filming ended in disaster, at least it was something she could throw on her resume.

Well, she at least hoped she could continue to convince herself of it.

There was always the gnawing, dark, fear in the back of her mind that if everything ended in disaster, she would return to Sinnoh as a failure, and then nobody would take her seriously ever again. Which lead to thoughts of then getting thrown out of the league in one way or another, and thoughts of losing research grants because who would take such an obvious failure seriously ever again? Worst of all it would have been done in the presence of another champion, and so then Kalos would never take Sinnoh seriously, and then the rest of the leagues would never take Sinnoh seriously, and it would eventually lead to Sinnoh being taken out of the league alliance.

All because she failed at acting.

If catastrophizing was a sport, she would be an Olympic gold medalist by now.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," She said, figuring it best to keep it at a minimum.

"Also," Flint cut in. "You gotta let me know if Diantha is as big of a drama queen as Malva likes to make her out to be." He ended with a laugh, but Cynthia didn't feel as amused.

She had never said anything more than a formal greeting to Malva, so there was no telling how much truth there would be to it.

Behind her, Cynthia heard Amanda's phone go off, followed by her footsteps exiting the room.

She returned to the primary conversation she was supposed to be having, allowing for any questions to be asked.

Everything was easy enough to answer. Mostly just clarifications and things she had forgotten to bring up during her main speech.

The door opened, Amanda stepping half-in, with her phone pressed against her collar. "Hey, Cynthia." She barely waited for her attention to continue. "Permission for Diantha's manager to pass your info onto her?"

She swiveled back around in her chair to face the table again. "Go for it," She said.

Amanda's voice trailed off again. "As you can see, we do things very formally around here…"

Aaron immediately looked to Cynthia. "Oh! Getting a celebrity's number!"

Cynthia forced an amused laugh. "I'm pretty sure I technically already have access to that with her being a champion as well." Though, she certainly didn't have it, because that required effort on her part to obtain, and it never seemed necessary enough.

It took about another hour to wrap up the meeting, but by the end of it, Cynthia was at least satisfied with where she would be leaving her league. Measures were in place should Lucian be defeated, and all questioned had been answered. With any luck, however, there wouldn't be a single challenger that would even make it as far as Lucian, and she would be back before things got too busy in the summer.

Grabbing the jacket off the back of her chair, Cynthia threw it on, walking into the hallway with everyone. She made sure to give an individual goodbye to everyone, before they left.

From the end of the hall, Amanda stood there, still on the phone. She put a hand out to Cynthia, pointing at her.

She walked over, having already planned on doing so.

"Right," She said, still talking to –Cynthia assumed– Diantha's manager. "I'll be sure to do that…You take care as well." She made sure hit the end button, and lock her phone before putting it away in her pocket. "Oh, dear Arceus," she grumbled.

Cynthia gave her an amused look. "I take it her manager is every bit as charming as you are?"

She shook her head, turning her body to face out the window, Cynthia moving to stand beside her.

The window overlooked the lake that fed the waterfall, which had already thawed. While she wasn't going to see any of the spring flowers, he had at least witnessed break-up of the ice, and that was something.

"I don't say this as a way of discrediting her or anything. What I know of Kathi Lee, she's a brilliant woman, and I know Diantha pays her well." She paused for a second, as if to contemplate her reflection. She turned to Cynthia. "But she somehow has a voice that is both nasally and monotone, and it drives me absolutely insane because I can't tell if she is mad? Or happy? Or if she thinks I'm a blithering idiot?"

It got a laugh from Cynthia.

"But, anyways, Diantha should be contacting you here soon. She wants to set up a lunch date with you before filming, so you should probably pack something nice to wear in case your luggage gets lost."

With her packing three months worth of clothing, she prayed a lost suitcase was not something she would have to worry about.

"Alright," she said. Thinking it over, it left her with some anxiety towards it. On one hand, she could learn that Diantha was an absolute diva like Flint had heard, which would definitely make the experience as a whole miserable. On the other, she could be just as fine as she was to work with during international meetings, and would allow her to get to know her better than her current surface level.

While Beatrice had given her more than enough acting advice, maybe Diantha would have different advice that could help her as well.

Catching herself wanting to think only on the negative, she reminded herself to think about what could go right, instead of immediately what could go wrong.

"Hey, so I want to be real with you. I do have a reason for wanting you to go through with this other than petty revenge and something to pad your resume with."

That caught Cynthia by surprise. "And what's that?" she asked.

"Tell me: how have you been feeling over the last month since all your work with Beatrice?" She still said her name with a distinct emphasis.

She thought over the answer. It had been a hell of a month, that was to be sure. The amount of times she had been forced out of her comfort zone had stressed her far more than she would have ever liked. She was normally someone who could easily fool anyone around her that she was fine; cool, calm, and collected. Beatrice had broken through that within the first few days.

Yet, somehow. "Honestly? Feels weird saying it, but I've been…alright, I suppose." While stressed and exhausted hadn't felt optimal, the usual feeling that she could only ever describe as a "weight" that followed her around hadn't been as noticeable.

Amanda nodded, wiping her bangs across her face. "Right. While I know this isn't a magic cure-all or anything, over the last few years of managing you, I've noticed that if I can keep you active in some way through the winter, you tend to do better. Mentally, anyways."

She forced a laugh. "Yeah, but normally you just book me interviews."

"Well, yeah, but…this was a bit of a golden opportunity. I just–" She paused. She had been talking with her hands, but now made two fists. "I want you to know that getting you to do this comes from a place of caring."

Cynthia shrugged, taking a small step back. "You could have said that upfront," she said.

"Could have, but I have this distinct feeling you wouldn't have been as receptive otherwise. Now that you have some concrete evidence of it helping, well…? Who knows," she said.

For a second, she thought to dispute it, wanting to defend that she wasn't that stubborn. However, she knew herself well enough to know that she was in fact that stubborn more often than not. Especially when it came to getting motivated in the winter. It was all too easy to give into bad habits that would eventually call for copious amounts of mental energy to fix later on.

Forcing a small laugh, she looked at her manager. "We'll see how I feel about all of this by the end of June."

Amanda stepped forward, giving her a quick, playful pat on her arm. "C'mon now, at least give it a shot. You're basically going to go hang out with another champion for a few months. Try to have some fun."

She again shrugged in response. "Would you happen to know anything about how much of a drama queen she is?"

She laughed in response, crossing her arms. "No idea. I mean, yeah, I've heard that, but you've heard and read rumors about yourself, and everyone on the elite four. Rumors are rarely ever true. You know not to search yourself on the internet; I would suggest you do the same for Diantha. Figure her out for yourself."

She laughed in turn, taking the smallest of steps towards her again. "Actually, already made that mistake. At least with myself." After a few nights of lack of sleep early last spring, she had broken that promise to herself to never look herself up. Thankfully, she didn't dig too deep.

"Cynthia!" she scolded, though she didn't seem to upset. More amused than anything.

"I'm cold and aloof. What else is new?" she asked.

It wasn't as if it was something she hadn't heard, anyways. She liked to think she wasn't as cold and aloof as some of the articles made her seem. It contradicted all the times she had been asked to "get to the point" when on a subject she enjoyed, but again, with how she knew herself, she also saw where people might get that impression.

Amanda looked at her, shifting her weight to one foot. "If it means anything, I know that's not true."

"Yeah, I'm just a pain in the ass to you," she joked, earning another laugh from her manager.

"I can't exactly deny that, but that's not all you are to me, Cynthia."

She couldn't resist a grin. "A paycheck as well."

Her hands fell to her side as she laughed in an exasperated way. "Here I am trying to have a heartfelt moment with you, and you're just shutting me down."

Her grin persisted. "If there's one thing I've learned from the other champions that are also politicians, it's how to deflect when I don't know how to answer, or I know the answer could get me in trouble." It was a handy skill now and then, but thankfully she never had to really use it. Sinnoh's league wasn't a governmental body, only a formal battle institution and nothing more.

She recrossed her arms. "So which of those was it?" she asked.

"Actually, I have plans to go see my sister tonight, and before that I still have a research proposal to drop off with Professor Rowan for when I get back, so I really need to get going!" Though, she never thought of herself as a masterful deflector like, say, Lance. Whereas she thought herself obvious in her deflecting, he had it down to an art.

She turned her body away, implying she was about to walk away. She had places to be, things to do, and a suitcase that needed to be packed.

Amanda rolled her eyes, seeming to give up on whatever she had been after. "Anyways, you still need a ride to the airport on Thursday?" she asked.

She had almost forgotten about her offer. She motioned for her to at least begin walking with her. "Only if you're okay with that. I can still get a ride from someone if I need to."

She gave a dismissive wave of the hand. "It's the least I can do for basically forcing you into doing this."

They resumed their walk through the long corridors, down a few flights of stairs, eventually arriving at the league's entrance. The cold seeped in through the large doors, causing Amanda to visibly shiver.

Cynthia looked to her. "Still haven't acclimatized even though you've been here for how many years?" she jokingly asked.

She wrapped her arms around herself tightly. "Only in the northwestern parts of Almia did it ever get this cold."

Cynthia remembered her saying that before, but being so unfamiliar with regions under the authority of the Ranger Union, she would often forget. All she really knew about Almia was that its climate was similar to Sinnoh's, and that the social climate regarding pokémon battles was vastly different.

Sometimes she wondered if Amanda's family had any objections to her being the manager of the Sinnoh League, but had long decided that might have been too personal to ever ask.

Reaching into her sleeve, she pulled a hair tie off her wrist, beginning the process of pulling her hair into a low bun. Even though she had finally shortened her hair to the middle of her back, if she didn't put it up in some way before flying, it would still result in a tangled mess.

Once done with that, she reached into her coat for Braviary's poké ball, ready to get heading to Celestic Town.

"I've got a few things to wrap up before I leave, so I'll say goodbye to you here," Amanda said, keeping herself as far from the door as possible.

Cynthia laughed lightly. "See you Thursday, then."

Outside the air was cold, and the wind that was kicking up snow was even colder.

With a quick flick of the wrist, Braviary was released from her capsule. With a harsh call, she stretched out her grand wings, fluffing out against the cold.

While Braviary were on average a large pokémon, having been long bred in Unova for war, her Braviary in particular was on the extra-large side. While feeding her was quite the task, with how reliable she was as a transport pokémon, as well as on the battlefield, it was an easy tradeoff.

"Let's go see, Kay," Cynthia said, getting a few clicks in response from the raptor.

Despite being used to the temperatures, by the time they reached her sister's house in Celestic, Cynthia found her hands and cheeks burning from the cold. Not even burying her hands deep into the down of Braviary's feathers did more than take the edge off.

Shaking her hands out as she hopped off the bird pokémon, she hoped the weather would hold out in Unova. Last she checked, it was going to be in the upper fifties the first week she got there.

"That was a quick flight," she heard from behind her.

Returning Braviary to her poké ball, Cynthia turned around to face her sister, Kay.

The two were about five years apart in age, and Kay's hair was more on the strawberry blonde side like their mother's had been.

She stood at the top of the stairs, wearing a thick green sweater and a cup of something warm and steaming in her hands.

"Winds were in our favor," Cynthia answered, making her way up the stairs. The old house had once belonged to their grandparents, but had been left to the two of them after their passing four years prior. With Cynthia well established in Sunyshore City, Kay was the only one willing to keep it, but it still always felt like coming home for Cynthia.

The large property it sat on was also good for leaving some of her pokémon behind during extended trips. While she trusted Professor Rowan's staff to look after her pokémon just fine, they always preferred staying with Kay.

In comparison to the outside, the house was warm and still had an underlying smell of cinnamon from the holidays.

Cynthia made her way to the kitchen table, sitting at her usual spot while Kay brought over the teapot from the kitchen.

"So, have you decided who you're taking with you to Unova?" She asked, sitting across from her after retrieving a cup for her.

She gave a one arm shrug, pouring water over the teabag. "Garchomp is a given." She never went anywhere without her signature pokémon.

Speaking of.

She reached into her coat pocket, pulling out Garchomp's poké ball. Having been together since she was a preteen, the house was just as much of home to her as it was to Cynthia.

She appeared with a shake, careful about her presence in the small space. She brushed up against Kay before heading to her favorite spot in the living room, right in front of the fireplace. Kay's Zoroark, Zora, who was sprawled out on the couch paid her no attention.

Cynthia continued. "Braviary, too, since I'll be flying in from Undella Town once Caitlin gives me the okay to use her villa." Which wouldn't be until the second week of filming, but she was still grateful for it. Being in a hotel for a few months wasn't an option, even with how nice the hotel was.

"Probably going to take Milotic as well." On the off chance she needed any water transportation. Plus, she was also a bit of a signature.

Kay nodded along, waiting for a pause to speak. "Can I ask a favor?"

"Depends." Though, she figured at worst she would ask her to just read over a research paper before she left. Which maybe she would be willing to do.

Kay leaned over to look into the living room. "Would you be willing to take Zora with you?"

That she could definitely accommodate. "Sure, any reason?" she asked.

She shook her head. "Not really. I just haven't been able to get back to Unova in a while, and I'm sure she'd love to see Castelia again." It was where she had met the pokémon as a Zorua almost a decade ago.

Kay took a sip of her tea, a small grin working its way onto her face. "Besides, you never know when her ability might come in handy."

Cynthia laughed, swirling the teabag around the cup. "Yeah, okay, I'm not nearly as into pretending I have a legendary pokémon as you."

Kay laughed in turn. "You never know!" It was a prank she liked to pull a little too often on the battlefield, and was the reason the two got along so well. They were both tricksters in their own rights.

After catching up with one another for a while, and then Cynthia helping out with dinner, it was time for her to get heading home. She had already over stayed, but thankfully getting her research proposal to Rowan could wait until the morning, or even be done in an email if she felt so disinclined to fly all the way to Sandgem then back to Sunyshore.

Making sure Zora's travel documents were with her, and a quick check up on the pokémon she would be leaving behind, Kay walked with her to the door.

The sun had long fallen below the horizon, leaving it far colder than when Cynthia had arrived. At least she now had a scarf that she had snagged from Kay.

"Don't let the fame go to your head, okay? I don't need you thinking you're hot shit more than you already do," Kay said, standing in the doorway.

Cynthia stopped halfway down the stairs, looking back up at her sister. "Oh, just you wait. If you think I had an ego from being champion for so long, just wait until I'm a movie star like Diantha…"


Amanda's Machop returned back to Cynthia's room, a satisfied grin on her face. She had stored away both her suitcase in no time at all.

"Thanks for your help," Amanda said, returning her to her premier ball.

Cynthia looked up from her carryon bag. "Mandy, I could have gotten that."

She snorted a laugh. "You're literally still packing your carryon, and I mean, it's not like she doesn't like flexing her muscles, anyways."

She returned her focus to her bag, wrapping her phone charger around itself before tucking it away under a change of clothes.

She had spent most of the night packing her main suitcase, too anxious about the upcoming trip to get any decent sleep. She had meant to pack the previous day, but had been unable to motivate herself to do so.

At least she was looking forward to spending some time with Steven.

"And while I'm thinking about it," she continued. "You remembered to pack something nice in case your luggage gets lost?" she asked.

She had nearly forgotten that. Diantha had yet to contact her, wiping the request to get lunch together clear from her mind.

Amanda moved about, taking a seat on the wooden chest next to her dresser. She then made a quick comment about how clan her house was. All of which Cynthia ignored.

She returned to her closet which was thoroughly picked over by that point. Now she regretted letting Amanda's Machop take her suitcases to her car.

Settling for a dress shirt and some black slacks, it was all Diantha was going to get out of her.

"Passport?" Amanda asked.

"Yes," she said, shuffling things in her carryon to accommodate the extra clothes.

"Travel capsules?" she followed up.

"All my pokémon hate them, but yes." Of all, Garchomp hated them the most. They were devices similar in appearance to contest capsules, however, they instead prevented pokémon from escaping their balls during flight. It always seemed to leave Garchomp feeling stressed out afterwards.

Amanda nodded. "Everyone's do. Enough clothes and whatnot to keep you satisfied for about three months?"

"Hopefully. If not, I'll be giving you a call," she said, folding the shirt to fit into her bag.

"That's not in my job description," Amanda responded, crossing her legs.

Cynthia shot her a pointed look. "Is anything we do in this league a part of your job description?"

"Fair point. Just mind the time difference."

"I'll be five hours behind, right?" Hopefully she had that down at least.

She nodded in response. "Travel papers for all of your pokémon including your sister's Zoroark?"

"Yes." With how easy it was to send pokémon across the globe already, travel papers were hardly even looked at. Regardless, she still made sure to have them all in her possession. If anything, they were used to just keep a trail of who the pokémon was and where they were at.

"Last question: Everything arranged for you to be gone for so long payment wise?"

"Everything's on autopay, and Kay's going to come by now and then to just check on things, so yeah." It was a bit of blind faith she was putting into her sister. If something did go wrong, there was only so much she could do from all the way in Unova, so it would be up to Kay to fix the problem.

Getting up from her seat, Amanda looked her over expectantly. "Actually, one last question: are you prepared to not be seeing this gorgeous face for a few months?" she asked, putting her hand below her chin.

"Who?" Cynthia asked, innocently.

"Me, doofus," she said.

Cynthia grinned. "Oh, well, you said gorgeous face and well–"

Amanda's jaw dropped, and true to dramatic form, she playfully smacked Cynthia's arm, following her out the house. "Rude and uncalled for!"

"Gotta get my kicks where I can," she answered, laughing to herself.


Many hours later, after a long flight to Mossdeep City, Cynthia sat with Steven on the veranda of some restaurant of his choosing. Her coat had been long dismissed, hanging over the back of her chair, and she was fanning herself with the wine menu.

"It's actually pretty cool, all things considered," Steven joked, careful to mind his feet of Garchomp, who was sprawled out beside them.

She gave him a pointed look. "It was one when I left Sinnoh," she said, now speaking in terms of Celsius. Sinnoh, Unova, and Alola were among the only regions who exclusively used Fahrenheit, but with her research she was well versed in going back and forth between them. The same went with imperial and metric. "I'm assuming it's around twenty, here?"

He nodded, leaning back in his chair. "It was twenty-five, earlier."

"It's March," she reminded.

"Welcome back to Hoenn," he joked.

With good timing, their server came back with glasses of ice water, and an assurance that their meal would be coming soon.

She took a grateful sip of her drink, keeping her hands around the cool glass. "So, let me ask you: have you ever spent much time with Diantha?" she asked.

He nodded. "I've spent quite a bit of time with her, actually! She was here for a month while filming Hoenn Holiday, and we would get lunch often, and whenever she's in the region she usually reaches out to get together. I try to do the same when in Kalos if she's there."

With filming an entire movie in a month probably didn't leave him with a lot of time to spend with her, it was still more than she currently knew about the other champion. "What can you tell me about her?"

"Well," he began, clasping his hands atop the table. "What do you want to know?" he asked.

She shrugged a bit as a way to fill the silence with something.

In truth, she wasn't even too sure of what she was really looking for. "I guess, as a basic, what is she like? I honestly think she and I haven't said anything more than a formal greeting at the international meetings." Since there was no use hiding anything from Steven, she added, "I've always wanted to know her, but I just never seemed to be able to catch her at the right time."

He hummed in acknowledgement, seeming to think over his answer. "Admittedly, I just got lucky with her picking me as her opponent in the introductory meeting for Kalos. She's usually an absolute busy-bee. Hardly has a moment of downtime. Most of time when we were getting lunch together, she would have to run off back to filming." He seemed almost disappointed by his own words.

"I know. We were supposed to have a battle at the last meet, but she bailed the meeting pretty much after Kalos presented." Likely he remembered, but she brought it up just to be on the safe side.

"You had a good match against Siebold, at least," he pointed out.

Being the host region, she got to choose who she wanted to battle for the exhibition match, and she had specifically picked Diantha since they had yet to battle one another. However, with her bailing, it went down the line of succession, leaving Siebold next in line to battle her.

It had been a good match. It was no wonder he was at the top of the Kalos Elite Four. It had been a full six-on-six battle, and to his credit, he brought down about half of her team, including Roserade. But the second she brought out Garchomp, even his mega-evolved Blastoise didn't stand a chance.

"Yeah," she answered. "But it wasn't the same. It would be like you battling Lucian. Sure, he can be the acting league head when I'm not around, but it's not the same."

He nodded. "I see what you mean, but so…okay." He leaned back, rethinking how he was going to answer. "Let me ask you this: what do you think of her?"

For a moment, she thought over her answer. The quiet sounds of people and their pokémon passing by the restaurant filled the silence.

It was Steven, she reasoned. There was no point in lying or avoiding the truth with him. He would always catch her before she could even try. "Like I said, I've never really even talked to her. I only know trivial things about her. She can use mega evolution with her Gardevoir and is pretty famous in Kalos. I assume she's a big deal in Unova as well. Other than that, I've only heard other people talk about her, but I can't say that it's from people that know her personally."

His head tilted. "You sound apprehensive."

"I've heard good things, but I've also heard she's a huge diva. I guess I'm just worried she's going to be a nightmare to work with."

He laughed lightly at that. "Let me put it this way, Cynthia: I wouldn't ask her to lunch all the time if she was a nightmare. She's a genuine woman."

She couldn't resist kicking him under the table. "All the time, huh?"

He grinned, looking away from her. "Let's just say if she was single, I definitely would have asked her on a proper date by now." It got a laugh from Cynthia.

She wouldn't lie to him, and he wouldn't lie to her. She knew he was very much aware that he was considered conventionally attractive, despite how oblivious he generally pretended to be.

She also didn't realize Diantha was dating anyone. Then again, she was doing her best to not look her up in any way other than asking the people around her. If there was one thing she was certain of, it was that online articles couldn't be trusted for the most part. The more famous a person got, the wilder the articles would become.

"Flint's dying to know if she's as big of a diva Malva makes her out to be," she said, moving the conversation forward.

He unclasped his hands, now talking with them. "Cynthia, no contest, Wallace is a bigger diva than her."

She laughed hard.

"She can have her moments, just like all of us, but…Cynthia I wouldn't even worry about it. Like I said, she's a very genuine woman, and to be honest? I have a feeling you two are going to get along just fine."

As he said it, she started to wonder exactly what he meant by it. What did it mean to Steven for someone to be genuine? Was it a descriptor he would use for her? He didn't seem to mean in it a negative manner, at the very least.

He continued on when she said nothing in response. "So, where are you two going for lunch?" he asked.

"Oh, uh…" she reached into her bag, searching for her phone in the front pocket. Sliding it to open, she looked for her message from Diantha. She had conveniently forgotten to respond, and then handed it to Steven. "I…can't pronounce it. I'm almost positive it's the French name for Swanna, though." It was all she got from a cursory Google search, at least.

He hummed, handing her phone back to her before grabbing his own. After a few seconds he began to laugh.

"What?" She asked, putting her phone under her thigh.

"She must be trying to impress you! She's never invited me to a restaurant with a view of the city." He handed his phone to her, laughing again as her eyes widened at the pictures from the restaurant's website.

She handed his phone back to him, dread once again creeping into her stomach. The outfit she had picked suddenly felt severely underdressed, and nothing in her suitcase would likely suffice either. There also wouldn't be time for Amanda to send her anything…


Half awake, sprawled out on Steven's couch, Cynthia rolled on her back, looking over to Steven who sat in his chair. Something about the commercial that had just passed brought up the memory.

"Diantha is dating someone?"

He nodded, moving to pop his knuckles. "Yes." He looked up to the side, as if it would help him better recall. "His name is Mel Gardner. He's…I believe famous in Kalos, for film noir of all things."

She found herself laughing. "Film noir is still a thing? Is he like…seventy?"

He laughed at that, watching as she pulled herself into a more seated position. "I think it's technically called neo-noir now, but it's still noir." He paused for a second. "And no, he's not seventy. I actually had the…pleasure–" the way he said it indicated no pleasure "–of meeting him when she was filming in Hoenn. I wasn't impressed, but he's no older than forty. She's…I want to say the same age as you, maybe a year younger."

She withheld a laugh. Generally, she went by a "three up and three down" policy when it came to the ages of people she dated. Being only twenty-seven, she couldn't imagine dating someone almost forty.

"Why weren't you impressed?" she asked.

He shrugged, stretching his legs out in front of him. "I'm not impressed by men who spend an obvious amount of money to bleach their hair only to have it done badly."

It was almost a little too specific. She laughed again, running a hand through her own hair. "He wishes he had hair like me, doesn't he?"

He laughed along, leaning forward, but speaking a little more quietly, as if anyone other than Garchomp and his Archeops were around to hear him. "Diantha confided to me that he's a little…insecure about his battling abilities, and so I got the feeling he didn't like me because I'm a champion." He leaned back. "You being a champion combined with natural blonde hair? You're the physical embodiment of all his insecurities."

Maybe it was a little callous to make fun of a man she didn't even know, but she couldn't resist laughing.

Though, she also found herself wondering how did he handle dating Diantha, the champion of the Kalos region?

As she was about to lay back down, the commercial break ending, her phone buzzed on the coffee table. She grabbed for it before settling back down. A message from Amanda as well as a notification from her airline app. Her messages weren't set to give a preview of anything, but the app was letting her know her flight in the morning had already been delayed.

Though, if she had to guess, it was probably some vague reminder to not have "too much fun" with Steven.

She laughed lightly as she put it back on the table, getting Steven's attention.

"My manager definitely thinks we're fucking," she joked.

He laughed in turn. "We are? You should have told me! I would have at least taken my shirt off."

She grabbed the pillow out from under her head, tossing it at him. To her surprise, he caught it, tossing it right back at her. All she could do was hold it to her chest, laughing in defeat.

While maybe her trip to Hoenn was a bit of a waste of time, having some time to just laugh and be around Steven eased her anxiety towards the upcoming months...


Sunlight filtered into the master bedroom through the tall floor to ceiling windows. Everything was brightened by the grey and lavender color scheme of the room.

Diantha stood in the walk-in closet with Gardevoir, holding up two different shirts. "Which one do you think, darling?" she asked, looking between the two. Both were mute in color; a dark grey cardigan, and a lighter grey sweater. While she might have normally gone for brighter colors, she wanted to keep things as simple as possible.

Gardevoir hummed, eventually motioning towards the cardigan.

"A solid choice, my dear." She handed it off to her then started putting the other outfit away.

Walking back into the bedroom, Gardevoir had laid the garment on her bed and was now staring out the windows. Like her, the Castelia apartment was one of her favorites, and it was easy to spend hours watching the city below them go by.

Diantha grabbed the clothes off the bed, and headed off to the bathroom to finish getting ready. Just as she had finished pulling her arms through the cardigan, her phone's text tone sounded from her nightstand.

She headed back into the room, picking it up. It was Cynthia letting her know that she was ready.

Sending her a reply saying she would be heading out to pick her up shortly, she returned her attention to Gardevoir. "You know, I can't say that I'm thrilled to be working with someone so new at this, but it will be nice to finally get to know her."

One of the producers slipped to her that Cynthia had been sent a personal trainer to get ready for acting, and now she was curious to see how well it had gone. Going from no experience whatsoever to be thrown into a larger project could be telling. Though, telling of Cynthia's ability to pick up a skill, or the trainer's ability to teach, she couldn't decide on.

Once done with the last of her makeup she headed back into the room, where Gardevoir was already holding her mega charm necklace.

"Thank you again, darling." She took the necklace, clipping it around her neck.

With one last look in the mirror, she decided she was ready to leave.


Walking into the lobby of the hotel Cynthia was staying at, spotting her was an easy task. Like with the international meetings, she was generally the tallest person in the room, and her long platinum hair stood out amongst the crowd.

She seemed to be in the middle of a conversation with someone, so Diantha stood by, waiting for the right moment to make herself noticed.

In the middle of talking, Cynthia's eyes met hers. As she excused herself from the conversation, Diantha felt an anxious shake return to her hands. Tightening them around her clutch purse was about all she could do to force it down.

Whether she realized it or not, Cynthia carried herself with such an ethereal air it left Diantha flustered. "Cynthia! It's so good to see you," she greeted.

Cynthia wasn't fairing much better. She had been anxious all morning, worrying over her appearance more than she would have normally. Even during the international meetings she didn't stress over it. Of all the things she had anxiety over, her appearance was typically not among them.

Maybe it was just the desire to make as good of an impression as possible considering how closely they were going to be working over the next few months.

"Yeah, same. Sorry it's taken so long to finally get to, uh, really talk." Sometimes she astounded herself with how she could go from a noted brilliant speaker, to fumbling over a basic greeting.

She smiled at her. "Don't even worry about it, Cynthia. I'm thrilled we have the chance to be working together like this." More or less.

She turned herself more towards the door. "Ready to go?" she asked.

Cynthia remained in her spot. "Sure, but, before we go, you would let me know if I was underdressed, right?"

At that, Diantha couldn't resist giving her a look over. She reasoned to herself that it was an unspoken invitation to do so. "Of course."

A form-fitting blue blouse, and black slacks. Simple, yet on her, Diantha found it lovely. "You're tall and gorgeous, Cynthia. You could wear just about anything and get anywhere in this town." She forced herself to start walking before she could embarrass herself any further.

Cynthia forced a small laugh. "Good to know," she said, falling in step beside her.

The door was opened for them as they left the building, and her driver was quick to open their doors as well.

"Trust me," Diantha continued once in her seat. "This place is highbrow only in name. I picked it because the view is incredible. Probably one of the best in the city."

"Steven said the same thing," she said, carefully crossing her legs at the ankle. Already she found herself uncomfortable once more. As simple as it was, she wasn't used to the treatment of having doors opened and closed for her, leaving her feeling out of sorts.

Diantha turned to face her better. "Oh, you've seen Steven recently?"

She nodded. "Thursday and some of yesterday. I had a layover in Hoenn, so I spent some time with him." She didn't know whether or not she should elaborate more. She wasn't sure of how much Diantha knew of the rumors surrounding her and Steven, and now wasn't the time to stoke them.

"It's been some time since I last saw him. I take it he's doing well?" she asked.

She was very aware of the rumors around her and Steven. Always whisperings of what was or wasn't going on between them at international meetings.

She tried not to put any stock into it. Thought, she couldn't help but wonder if there was any real credence to the rumors.

"He is. He's in the middle of setting up Wallace as the next Hoenn champion, and I'm still interested to see how that's going to play out." In some ways it did make her sad. Steven had been a champion longer than she had, and had been the first one to help her adjust to her new life. While it would be another year or two before he stepped down completely, it wasn't something she was looking forward to.

Diantha hummed in response. "I would say it's a shame that he's stepping down, but it isn't as though I don't understand. I've only been champion of Kalos for five years now, and he's been it for what…thirteen years, is that right?"

She nodded.

"And in Hoenn, he's also a political figure, right?"

Another nod.

"I can't imagine the kind of stress he must be under," she said.

"Remind me," Cynthia began, adjusting herself in her spot. "The Kalos League isn't a political organization is it?"

She shook her head. "No, in fact, my league runs differently than most of the others in that my elite four and I are only active in the summer."

"Right, I remember that."

Unlike her league and the majority of the others, where she could be technically challenged at any point, the Kalos League's elite four only took challenges during the summer months. Any trainers who had eight badges were invited to attend a conference of sorts where they would challenge one another, until only the top twenty remained. Those twenty would then be permitted to challenge the elite four. If they happened to make it through the four, only then could they challenge Diantha for her position.

If she remembered correctly, Diantha only reported ever being challenged a few times during the five years Kalos had been a part of the alliance.

She had never lost, and so once the summer was over, she held her position safely for another year.

"You're also not a political figure, correct?" Diantha followed up.

"Right. I'm just the head of the league, nothing more."

They talked a while longer about the intricacies of their league's politics, finding some common ground in that, but eventually the conversation ended, and Cynthia found herself struggling to think of something else to talk about.

As someone who was often asked to "stop talking" or "please just get to the point", it was incredibly frustrating to sit in silence like this.

For Diantha is was more or less a comfortable silence. Though, she could see that Cynthia wasn't enjoying it as much.

She wanted to save most of the talking for the restaurant, which, thankfully, soon came into view.

A part of her worried about having gone overboard with her restaurant choice, but she wanted to make the best impression possible on her.

At the curb, their door was opened for them, and her driver wished them a good time.

Restaurant staff escorted them to the elevator that would take them up to the correct floor.

Diantha could practically feel Cynthia bristling beside her. "Are you alright?"

She forced herself to breathe. "Are you sure I'm not underdressed?" she again asked.

Diantha giggled beside her, nudging her lightly, trying to put off as casual of an air as possible. Maybe it would relax her some. "Darling, if I may be so bold, you look stunning. You don't need to worry about a thing." Hopefully that didn't come across as too forward.

She at least seemed to ease a little.

Walking off the elevator then into the restaurant lobby, Cynthia quickly realized that Diantha hadn't lied about the view. If anything, she had sold it short, as had the pictures she had seen of the place.

One of the tallest buildings in the heart of Castelia, the tall windows gave a near panoramic view of the city around them. The clouds above them seemed almost within reach. If she felt closely enough, she could also feel the building swaying gently below them.

"Ms. Ruston! So good to see you!" The man behind the host desk greeted, walking out from behind it to personally greet them.

"Good to see you, too, darling," she responded.

Briefly, Cynthia wondered if she called everyone darling, or if it was a placeholder for when she forgot a name.

The man was young and handsome. Dark skin and a strong jaw that was clean shaven, and he was just barely shorter than Cynthia herself. Despite his attire being a navy-blue dress shirt and black slacks, Cynthia once again felt underdressed.

"And this is?" he asked, looking up to Cynthia.

She looked up to her as well. "Damien–" so she did know his name "–this is Sinnoh Champion Cynthia," she introduced.

Something about the use of her title left her feeling a little embarrassed.

He instantly offered her his hand. "My apologies for not recognizing you, Cynthia!"

His handshake was firm. "Don't worry about it. I'm not famous like her," she said, looking down to Diantha.

She smiled to herself, but said nothing in response.

With that, he began to walk them to their table, talking with Diantha a little more. "So, what brings you both to Unova?" he asked.

"We're working on a project together," she simply put.

While they briefly caught up with one another, Cynthia took the opportunity to scope out the restaurant. It had been updated since the pictures she had seen. The decor itself was a little on the plain side, mostly black and white, accented with a royal blue. Though, in its plainness, it seemed to help accentuate the beauty of the city.

Which she realized was getting closer as Damien led them towards a table by the window. Thankfully, she didn't suffer from a fear of heights, because if she had, it might have been a bit of a nightmare.

"Thank you, darling," Diantha said, taking her seat.

He gave her a quick nod. "Lydia will be taking care of you both today, but if you need anything else, be sure to let me know," he said, more towards Diantha.

Once he had walked away, Cynthia spoke. "He seems nice."

She smiled, giving Cynthia her full attention. "He's an absolute dear. When I first met him, he was one of the caterers for the film I was in. Now, he and his husband own this place."

It wasn't the first time she had heard the words. It wasn't even the tenth time. She had heard it plenty of times over her lifetime, and even more and more frequently as the years passed. However, there was just something about hearing "his husband" that felt so comforting that it was almost a complete emotion in itself.

"So, Cynthia, I figured I would wait to ask you this for when we got here," she said, glancing down at her menu if only for posterity. She already knew what she was going to order. She looked back up at her, meeting her eyes. "Are you looking forward to filming? I know this is quite out of your…what's the best phrasing…?"

She forced a laugh. "Out of my comfort zone? Yeah, you could say that."

It worked well enough, so she nodded.

"I'm looking forward to it as much as I can, I guess. At least I'm not dreading it like I was when I first said yes."

Diantha laughed lightly. "I'm curious why you said yes if you were dreading it?"

She shrugged, not wanting to give away too much. "I just wanted them to stop bugging me, and, honestly, I thought they would change their mind when they realized I wasn't the champion who was also an actress. I didn't realize they were going to send me an acting coach."

"How did that go?" She thought to ask who her acting coach was, but figured it wouldn't lead to much.

She shrugged. "It…Beatrice opened me up to the idea, at least. I mean, if nothing else, it's an experience, and I'm committed to it at this point." She thought of mentioning that she was looking forward to working together, but found herself unsure of how that might come across, and so decided against it.

It was enough for Diantha, but before she could offer a response, their server approached their table, introducing herself and then going through her script of the daily specials.

Cynthia picked something among what she listed off, and Diantha went with what she had already decided on ahead of time. With that, the young woman headed off, leaving them to their conversation.

"So, can I ask how difficult this is going to be?" Cynthia asked, returning her attention to Diantha.

She gave a vague gesture with her hands, before clasping them atop the table. "I feel as though…I want– sorry." Words suddenly seem to refuse her. "For me, personally, if it goes anything like it did last time for the first episode, this is going to be a breeze. However, I'm able to say that because for the first time in a long time, this is my only project. I have no planned interviews or other projects running alongside it. I'm choosing to focus solely on this."

She thought to ask why, but not wanting to delve into her own mental health, Cynthia refrained from doing so. If Diantha wanted to talk about it, she was more than welcome to. Otherwise, she wouldn't press for information.

Diantha leaned in a bit, despite how far away the next occupied table was from them. "Admittedly, Cynthia, a project like this should only take…" She looked up to the side. "Honestly, two, maybe three, weeks. A month if some scenes just go to hell or there's location or weather issues." Though, most crews always had a skilled Castform with them to help keep most weather at bay.

Cynthia found that interesting. "And this is being stretched into three months?"

Diantha nodded, a look of mild irritation on her features. "I've had movies of the same length that were done in two months. Tom Sharpe is…how can I best put this?" She didn't want to badmouth her director. Doing so risked her looking bad, or getting overheard. Tom, being who he was, wouldn't stand for being badmouthed in public. But she also didn't want to be dishonest with her. "He's– The producers are, more or less, in his pocket. Normally, it might be the other way around, but I've always had the feeling he has something on them they don't want to get out."

Already Hollywood was looking to be a drama-fest.

"So, they let him take his time and execute his 'grand vision' and take far too long filming, and all of their pockets stay nice and full. Granted, I have no solid proof of this, but with how long I've been at this…it's a strong feeling I get."

She could see she was making Cynthia apprehensive. Knowing she was already on thin ice with the whole project, she realized she should be working to boost her confidence in things rather than harm it.

"I apologize," she continued, leaning back in her seat. "I realize I'm probably not selling this very well. From what I've heard, the crew is mostly the same from before, and so apart from Tom, everyone was lovely to work with. For your first time being an actress, I don't think you could have asked for a better cast and crew to be working with."

Cynthia couldn't resist teasing her when it was handed to her so simply. "So, you consider yourself a pleasure to work with?"

She laughed lightly, more at herself. "I wasn't meaning to include myself in that, but sure! I'm an absolute delight!" she said with a noticeable edge of sarcasm. While she was confident in her abilities as an actress, it wasn't her decision to make on whether or not she was pleasant to work with.

There had been a few sets she had been on where she was sure she wasn't the director's favorite actress to work with. She wouldn't lie and say she hadn't burned a few bridges in her day.

But she would keep the atmosphere playful enough, trying her best to keep on Cynthia's good side. Burning the bridge with another champion was bad for a number of reasons, but beyond that, she just found herself a little desperate to stay in her good graces. She had wanted to know Cynthia for so long, she wasn't going to try to ruin the chance she was given.

Cynthia at least laughed along with her.

From there, after promising they didn't have to talk about film-related matters the whole time, they talked about more casual things, never delving deeper than the surface. Basic things like where they grew up, how they met different members of their team, and what their ascension to champion was like.

By the time their meal arrived they were at least keeping conversation up with one another, and during the occasional lulls, it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been in the car for Cynthia.

At the end of their meal, Diantha insisted on paying since she was the one to ask Cynthia to join in her in the first place. It had taken some convincing on Cynthia's part, but she finally gave up the battle, figuring with how well things went, they might get together again offset sometime, and she would pay then.

When they arrived back at her hotel, she found herself at least hoping that would be the case.

Just as Cynthia was about to get out of the car, with one final thank you for lunch on her tongue, Diantha accidentally cut her off.

"You know, Cynthia," she began, leaning over. "I very much look forward to working with you. I will warn you, however: I don't think you have any idea of what you've gotten yourself into."

There was an amusement in her tone that Cynthia mistook for something more as a sneer. It was as if she was saying, "you're not cut out for this', and while that had been her own take on things, there was something about it that decidedly felt like a challenge.

Sure, she had finally come around to the idea of things and had stopped hoping to be sent home early on. Now, she found it quickly growing into a burning desire to do better than she even thought she could, and make Diantha eat her words.

She knew exactly what she had gotten into.

Instead of saying any of it, though, she just shrugged, and stepped out of the car.

"I will see you for script meetings on Monday," Diantha said.

With a wave of the hand, not even bothering to look back, her driver shut the door, leaving her to walk back into the hotel. She tried her best to not display the fire that now fueled her every step.

It no longer mattered to her how well she had thought lunch had gone over. The idea of getting another meal with her was no longer a consideration.

She might have been able to put on a good front, but Cynthia wasn't going to be deceived by a pretty woman with blue eyes who somehow had an even lovelier smile. She would show that uptight Kalosian actress who thought she was above everyone else just what she was made of.

– – – –

INT. DIRTY ABANDONED HOUSE - DUSK

LIVING ROOM

Scarlet walks around the room, her shoes clicking against the wooden floor, applying her red lipstick with care.

She stops in front of a mirror to check her work.

Camera pans over to see William tied to a chair in the reflection.

William struggles against his binding.

WILLIAM

Scarlet! Don't do this to me!

Scarlet laughs, turning around to face him, and starts to walk towards him as she rolls her lipstick down into its case.

SCARLET

I'm sorry it's come to this, William, but you're old news now. I'm ready to move onto the next.

WILLIAM

I can get a faster car! I can figure it out! You just gotta give me time!

Scarlet shakes her head, leaning down to place a kiss on his cheek. He struggles again, desperate to get free.

SCARLET

You know I'm not a patient woman. We've nearly been caught three times now because of you! I've given you plenty of chances, and you've failed me for the last time.

WILLIAM

Scarlet! Listen to me! I know you! You don't want to be left alone with Charles! I know you don't! You and I both know what he's like, and if he gets it to where it's just you two– This is what he wants! You know it is!

Scarlet smiles, taking a few steps back.

SCARLET

A valiant attempt at preserving your life, but I think I know Charles far better than you do.

WILLIAM

I beg to differ, Scarlet, he–

SCARLET

Oh? Really? Then beg.

She reaches into her purse.

WILLIAM

No, no, no! Scarlet–!

MOVE TO

EXT. ABANDONED HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE - DUSK

There's a flash that lights up the front window accompanied by the muffled sound of a gunshot.

Seconds later, the door to the house opens, Scarlet now standing in the doorway, her hand back in her purse. William is slumped on the ground, his head by her foot.

She looks down at him.

SCARLET

I was hoping you would beg at my heel like the dog you are, but I will settle for this.

Scarlet walks down the steps, the dry earth crunching below her. In what remains of the driveway, Charles waits for her, in the driver seat of William's old car.

CHARLES

Everything taken care of?

She's silent for a moment as she climbed into the passenger seat. She then looks over to him.

SCARLET

In all my years I've never once regretted a kill.

She leans over to get in his face.

SCARLET (CONT'D)

If you value your life, you'll see to it that I don't come to regret this one as well.

Or else.

He leans back, bumping into the door. His voice is shaky.

CHARLES

Of course. I've already got somebody in mind, so don't you worry that pretty little mind of yours, okay?

She leans back into her seat, placated for the moment.

– – – –