To say that Tanis has been... Jumpier than what could be considered his usual demeanour is putting it mildly. That is if he could be more jumpier than he was to start with. It was already proven from their first meeting that Tanis was literally a ticking time bomb with a relatively short fuse just waiting to go off, especially considering he was inches away from striking Meadow just from the mere act of talking to him. Admittedly, at that moment, he still had his reservations about the whole ordeal, both during and after it. He promised both to her and to himself that he would at least try not to trigger himself getting angry over the mere act of just discussing something, but that alone was a real task for him to pull off, he didn't think it was going to be so tough. All the more reason why he preferred to spar when it comes to discussion, to assist curb that emotion somewhat. Still, Meadow successfully left the discussion in one whole piece, which can be considered a success. While the results of it could be construed as mixed depending on who you ask, Tanis would admit that she did leave an impact on him. Not enough that he'd go out of his way to say they were friends or some such like that, but it was enough that he'd at least recognise her from a small crowd if they were both walking by. That being said, she did seem like a Pokémon who would pick him out from an even larger crowd, and actually stop him as well. Nothing wrong with that of course, but if you had asked him post-discussion whether he considered her a friend, it would be a no. Nonetheless, it was at that time that he had bestowed upon her a Favor, in which she promptly used to have him meet her again. The way she said it made it sound like she wanted him to promise to do it rather than tell him to do so, which was a contrast difference. At first Tanis thought she was joking around and thought she was undermining the idea behind his Favors to start with. It wasn't until a little time after she left and he was relaxing on the base of the tree that he considered that maybe he didn't explain the idea correctly in a way that she understood. Even so, it was a request that she did think about and one that she did want. But perhaps not to the point that she hadn't considered the fact that she had to see him to actually tell him what she wanted him to do anyway. Tanis concluded that he'd humour the request, just this once, but ensure she had a proper understanding next time.

Tanis was in no rush to actually confer that next meeting however. In fact, he was much more interested in recovering and exploring a bit more of Invictus, see what there was and if there was anything that could assist him. The following day, he spent the time traversing the main market area. As expected there were plenty of vendors peddling their wares and attempting to entice the population in making a good purchase. Although the majority of the commodities Tanis didn't have any particular use for, being a Pokémon who travels with no real need for cutlery or decorations for a home, he could see some good equipment when he saw them. He found a few stores that sold various goods, most of which he recognised as items you could specifically find in dungeons. They may not seem important to a typical citizen, but to him, he could see the real value of them. Although all he bought that day was an Apple to satiate his hunger, he made certain to try and memorize those vendors for future purchases. Beyond those shops, there were a couple of other places that held some interesting gear. One shop included bags and purses that Tanis felt could be suitable for storing items and money respectively. It would definitely be better than what he had at the moment, which was making his own bag using large leaves, grass and twigs. But he passed on the opportunity for now, considering he wasn't holding anything more than the bouquet of flowers that Meadow bestowed upon him. Within the mid'st of his travels, he did wind up discovering a few flower stores in various locations mixed in with the rest of the shops. But the one that Meadow actually spoke about: Ivysaur's Flower Shop, or something like that, was actually impossible for him to find. Not so much because he couldn't distinguish one store from the next, but more to the fact that he couldn't read the store signs and he had no idea what an Ivysaur looked like. He'd hoped instead to find Meadow working in one of the stores, but he didn't have any such luck on that day.

The second day after their initial meeting, he was traversing the forest near the city since his arm had effectively recovered minus some lingering pain and the remnants of his burn. Both were nothing in comparison to how they were a few days prior, so he was comfortable walking around without any bandage or the like on it. More-over, he was hoping he might get himself into a small scrap with a willing Pokémon since he'd been lacking in just that for that same duration of time. He had no intentions of meeting up with Meadow that day either. How he managed to hear the commotion that Lucifer and Meadow were making in the otherwise quiet woods was anyone's guess, the woods are not exactly a small place. In fact, he wasn't even aware that Meadow was even remotely involved with that commotion until he saw the scene that had transpired himself. There was no way he could resist the battle potential, even if there was more suitable reasons to get himself involved. Prior to that skirmish, he didn't think too much of Meadow as a battler, in large part because he had not seen her in action more than any other reason. He did surmise that she may perhaps be too light-hearted to fight herself: As someone who called him out for preparing an attack and exclusively tried to avoid diving headlong into an unwanted fight. He was sure that logic made sense to someone out there, but as he proved on that day, Tanis was more than willing to jump into an awaiting fight with open arms without any hesitation. In fact, it was Lucifer who didn't seem keen on a battle... Yet still wanted his way in ending Meadow's life. So much for the well-thought out plans. Not that Tanis' was much better, though it turned out better than his at the end of it all. Regardless of that fact, Meadow proved herself that she has a spark of aggression to her name than she first seems to let on, and she's perfectly capable of holding her own. That being said, Tanis could see a single fatal flaw with what she could do. He did recall her saying that she commonly blacks out whenever she uses her electric attacks, but he didn't think it was quite that severe. Not that he really had any right to discuss anyone blacking out, considering he did the same thing prior to taking that Future Sight attack.

There's just no right answer!

But he fully respected her for defending herself from a situation that was literally a life or death situation for the both of them, though more Meadow than it was for Tanis. Despite what she thought or how she felt, alongside battling through a debilitating and crippling injury, she fought with all she had, and she was rewarded appropriately with not only escaping Lucifer's deadly clutches, but also with a free ride back to Invictus which had become an otherwise serious problem once she had broken her foot. That wasn't what Tanis had in mind at first when he leapt to the rescue, as he intended to fight Lucifer to its conclusion. However, with his reluctance to battle and Meadow's condition making the possibility of escape a much more intriguing prospect, discretion being the better part of valor was what won the day. He ferried her back to Invictus, after having got away, with full confidence that they made it through, especially after the noise they both heard. As the one most able, Tanis took the lead in escorting the pair of them back, that did unfortunately mean that it took them both slightly longer to do so, not because he was carrying around some additional weight, but because he was following the exact same way he came in. Which meant all the stops and twists that he took as well. This was the point in time that he admitted out-loud, and arguably to himself as well, that she was a friend to him. Anyone who could battle under adversity like that when placed under the threat of death and come out of it alive, albeit worse for wear, is always deserving of some resemblance of credit, always. Tanis will always be the first to applaud Pokémon of that calibre, and while Meadow may not be a battler, she would have a hard time convincing him that she can't fight now. No, she is a friend worthy of Tanis' respect after that performance. To deny her that would be wrong, and he would defend that courage and last stand. It's not every day that the 'prey' would verbally assault her predator the way she did, that was the first time he recalled ever seeing anyone do that. Come to think of it, there's been quite a lot of 'firsts' come out of all of this so far!

With Meadow having fallen asleep, Tanis was a bit stumped as to where to actively take her prior to returning to the Invictus main gates. The only medical place he knew of was in the darker parts of the place, ironically dubbed the Slums by most circles. He didn't really want to send her there any more than he wanted to go there himself. He also didn't really know where this Flower Shop she worked at was, nor did he know where she called home either. His self-preservation vanishing at that particular moment, he opted to bite the bullet and inquired at a nearby vendor over where to find the shop, thinking that would be the fastest place to get to from there. It took a couple of tries from different Pokémon, but finally he managed to get the direction he needed. Thinking back on it, he likely would've had a faster time waking up Meadow herself and inquiring with her, but that thought never occurred to him at the time. Regardless, the directions led him straight to what he assumed was the Flower Shop. By the time he got there, the sun had set and the night sky filled the tranquillity and the stars shone in their brilliance. The Ivysaur inside the store was in the middle of closing up shop before one final pair of customers burst through the door, threatening to dismantle the bell off its hinges as it rung to signal their arrival. The look that Tanis got from the Ivysaur was nothing short of what he was expecting, if he was being honest with himself. He was actually a little more amazed the Grass type didn't just snatch Meadow from him at that moment, perhaps that was a feeling within him that wanted to, Tanis honestly didn't know. He skipped the pleasantries and skipped straight to the actual injury. Tanis informed Ivysaur about the broken foot, unsure of how it happened, as it occurred after Tanis arrived at the scene, and that there was a white-furred Pokémon with a scythe on his head threatening to kill her. The talk effectively ended at that moment, as Ivysaur claimed Meadow from Tanis' back with his vines and ushered him outside. That, for all intents and purposes, was the end of his part in Meadow's escape act.

For better or for worse, Tanis played no actual part in overseeing Meadow with her foot recovery. The following day, he saw to it that he repaid his debt to the vendor that assisted in giving him directions. This saw him go back to the woods for the second day in a row to gather up nuts of a particular description, which were apparently needed for the vendor's craft, and would be the Favor he would perform to repay the vendor. This did ironically send him back to the scene of the crime where the skirmish had taken place. Despite the obvious signs of there having been a fight here, there was no other sign of anyone involved being there anymore. Definitely no Meadow, but more importantly, no Lucifer. Obviously he had gone off to go find that mark he admitted to hunting after the pair ran off. That was a shame, he did want to perhaps fight him again for a spar with the risk of death off the table, he felt the dark type was competent of a battler, when he was actually bothered to actually fight. Clearly his motivations were more difficult to discern than Tanis would like to admit to. But not all was lost. The bag and flowers that he left behind were still perched on top of the large rock wall where he had first entered the scene. Unfortunately being out in the sun for an entire day without anything to keep them protected or otherwise did little to keep the flowers any more alive. That would have to be something he'd have to sort out when he got some time to himself. But it did also mean he could carry more of those nuts now. He didn't give any further thought to the aftermath of the battle, and he continued on his trek to find more of the nuts before heading back.

With his Favor fulfilled that evening, he took the opportunity to head back to the Flower Shop, in large part because he was curious to see how Meadow was doing now that she's had a day to partially recover. A broken foot, he didn't think, would take a single day to get over if his burned and injured arm had anything to say about it. Regardless, he entered the store to once again meet the Ivysaur that was tending it at the time. Without a lack of urgency or anything more than partially wilting flowers on his back, there was more appropriate time to go into more proper detail as to what actually happened. Tanis didn't know if Meadow told Ivysaur the whole story, or if he genuinely didn't actually know. Regardless, Tanis told the grass type what he knew after his initial inquiry of how Meadow was fell on deaf ears. Ivysaur was much more interested in hearing his side of things before parlaying information about Meadow. Tanis didn't mind as such, while he didn't know too much about him exactly, he did know Meadow held him on high regard, if nothing else, plus this was the Pokémon he bought Meadow to, so naturally he'd want to know what actually happened. He felt like he owed the grass type that much, so, that's exactly what he did. He recited what he could recall, which was mostly what happened during the battle, and not overlooking Meadow's contribution to it of course. He couldn't remember a great deal of the conversation Meadow and Lucifer had while Tanis was holding onto his Solarbeam, as it sounded a bit too complex for him, if he was being honest about it. The mistake he made over the explanation however, was when he called Lucifer out as an Outlaw, and Lucifer retorting back that it took one to know one. Although nothing happened at first, and despite getting thanks for explaining the situation, and informing him of Meadow's condition, he was asked to leave immediately, seemingly for no actual reason. Tanis never got a reason for why, he when he probed Ivysaur for a reason, he was only ushered out. This left him standing outside facing the door, with Ivysaur peering back at him from inside. All Tanis did was scratch his head and sigh, well, that could've gone better he guessed. Without any more fuss, he left, marking the end of that encounter.

The moment seemingly forgotten by the time the next day rolled around, Tanis continued about his business like usual without any more fanfare or any more instigation over the matter. He tried to see Meadow, and he got rejected, so as far as he was concerned, that was seemingly the end of it as far as he was concerned. So he went about his days continuing to look around and roam around the outskirts of Invictus in vain hopes of finding something that would assist him. Compared to Meadow's own injuries, his own barely took a full day to fully recover from, so he was comfortable enough to venture out for so long. It wasn't until a few days later, past the evening hours and towards the late night, that he would once again come across Ivysaur. Or more precisely, he found Tanis. At that point, Tanis had wandered around aimlessly and what others would classify as 'lost' for the best part of a day and a half at that point. Though in an ironic twist of fate, Ivysaur found him within the better part of half an hour. Tanis didn't know he was fair at first, so got caught by surprise when he suddenly found his right arm wrapped up in a vine and trying to bring him closer towards what he eventually discovered to be the very Ivysaur that tracked him down. Despite attempts however, Tanis' paws were not specifically designed to be dragged quite so willingly, especially when he still had three of them tethered to the ground. Though he was scraping across the floor simply through Ivysaur's strength, it would easily take a great deal more for him to get dragged across enough to be next to the grass type. "You know how difficult you are to find?" Ivysaur queried, not so much angry more than he was winded, not as young as he used to be to be trekking after someone in the wilderness. Tanis retorted back at him, not at all amused by these antics. "... I'm sure you tell me..."

Tanis thought that he had a fight on his paws, but as it would turn out, he was completely wrong. Though what he did wind up getting was not what he was expecting by any stretch of the imagination. Ivysaur retracted his vine after expressing he wanted a word with Tanis, and he wasn't taking no for an answer. But he started speaking before Tanis had any opportunity to object to the notion. Through admittance that Tanis would consider as him being senile or some other reason that escapes logic as far as he was concerned, Ivysaur came to him to apologize for his actions. He heard Meadow's side of the encounter with Lucifer, which corroborated and synced with what Tanis told him, alongside how she felt about all that happened. He also admitted that despite Tanis being an Outlaw, not only had he admitted it himself, but everything he had done prior, and since, has been a direct opposite of the definition of a described Outlaw. No Outlaw saves a citizen, no Outlaw goes out of their way to return them, and no Outlaw does nothing from being thrown out of somewhere. Ivysaur admitted he acted purely on the fact of hearing the word 'Outlaw', and wasn't taking into consideration everything else. Though he also admitted he still wasn't convinced that Tanis isn't a bad Pokémon... Not yet. In spite of that, he re-granted access to his shop to Tanis, and that he wouldn't stop him from seeing Meadow, though he would be keeping close tabs on him in the meanwhile. He concluded his confession with an apology for his unjust behaviour, his thanks for helping Meadow when it was needed, and a final question about where the flowers on his back came from. Tanis looked behind himself, where the bouquet, easily 70% of it having been diminished and wilted at this point and removed from the rest of them, remained slung on his back and empowering him with the remainder of their fragrance before they diminish completely. He turned back to Ivysaur after a few seconds and responded. "From a friend. There a problem?" The pair shared an exchange of glances that may appear as though one of them may go after the other at any moment. However, Ivysaur breaks the tension by looking down, closing his eyes and smirking to himself. He confirmed that there was no problem, he was just curious, and left the matter at that. Upon which, Ivysaur left, presumably to return back home for the night. Overall, Tanis had mixed feelings about the whole situation, it sounded like he was being forgiven, but not at the same time? He didn't like it...

-

The weather had made a direct impact to the land of Invictus. Throughout the entire week, sunny spells and a light wind were the only break from the norm that threatened the peace and tranquillity that were the citizenry, not that it was doing a very good job of it. Many Pokémon, Tanis included, have taken full advantage of its light-granting qualities and have performed their various businesses, whether it be shopping, seeing friends or getting out there and exploring the world. Today however has made a change from all of that. Cloud has flooded the skies and the sunlight only treacled down through the cracks for very short spurts that literally only last a minute at most. Grey and murky, yet there has not been any rain throughout the entire day. How much longer that would last, it was difficult to say. The wind was definitely threatening that it could be approaching fast, granting the clouds swift movement in the skies as a sharp chill amidst the strong winds that gale'd the entire town. It made its presence felt, as there were a definite decrease in the amount of Pokémon around the main square and the markets. Either expecting rain, and didn't want to get caught in it, or just didn't bother and waiting for a different day. Those that braved the otherwise change of weather were rewarded by having to wear something to compensate for the sudden temperature change. How long this was due to last, no-one could really say, perhaps only when the clouds dispersed and the sun comes out again.

The one Pokémon who was desperately hoping that it wouldn't rain, however, was Tanis. Against all sorts of odds that could be conceived on the idea that it might rain, he is once again out and about, braving the elements for the sake that is not specifically for himself, but instead for repaying a Favor. He had kept away in order to appease Ivysaur, and that would be his excuse should it be asked of him, but the reality is simply because this was the first actual day he's had when he hasn't been stupidly galivanting around doing something else. This was in large part because of the weather change, which he'd admit to. The other is that he was seriously starting to get a touch concerned that he hadn't seen Meadow floating around somewhere... Probably gifting flowers to another Pokémon for all he knew. This Favor of hers had actually turned out to be a really good boon for him in regards to satiating that curiosity, as he has an actual reason to see her rather than for his own lofty purposes. The real big question to ask is whether he would come see her anyway if it wasn't for the purposes of returning a Favor.

... That's a really good question!

He did strongly debate against even coming down today anyway for the single reason that it had been threatening to rain all day today, and continued to do so even now. The simple fact of the matter is that he normally wouldn't have done. However, he'd been feeling a little guilty about having not fulfilled the Favor yet, even though there have been plenty of reasons and excuses that could be made to explain why he hadn't. None of which are really good ones, and if he had time to make up an excuse for his inaction, then he's got the time to act! Hence why he's braving his own sanity here this horrible evening to correct that error. This would be the evening he would fulfil his end of the deal and bring him back to even with her. He did briefly consider their meeting in the forest as his 'meeting', and hence the Favor would be paid in full with that. He wouldn't deny the prospect of calling that him returning the Favor, and Meadow could very well argue the idea that him saving her could also be considered him paying back his debt. However, the Favor was to meet up again, and presumably to discuss something or other with questions that she admitted she had before darting off to be somewhere else. That was the deal, and by all rights, it had not yet been fulfilled. Sadly, he hasn't had the opportunity to run across her while roaming around Invictus so far, likely because she may still be recovering from her foot injury and may be taking some time to get back to putting weight on it again before venturing outside. That or he's absolutely dreadful and purposely coming across Pokémon he's trying to find without knowing where they're going, both are equally viable options.

The one thing that he was hoping was not the case, was that she had locked herself away inside and refused to go outside in fear that she's going to get immediately ripped apart by someone else who wants her dead for some unexplained reason. Even with the time spent in the afterglow of what transpired between the three Pokémon that were involved in that situation, he still didn't fathom the logic behind that Dark type's reasoning to killing Meadow. Tanis was likely thinking too much into the matter after it happened, but the conclusion that he reached was that there was an ulterior motive beyond just wanting to kill and eat Meadow. Tanis isn't a Carnivore, and nor has he hunted prey for that purpose before, so he's only truly speculating for the true purpose of the so-called 'Nature'. But from what he did understand of the basic principles behind it: You're supposed to chase and kill your prey outright so you can start eating. It's basic survival, especially in the wilderness, you try to expend as little energy as you can killing your prey, and not let them get away by being too conservative. Use up too much energy, and what you ultimately gain from the kill isn't enough to satiate, similarly, not using enough, and you lose your prey, and you get no meal. By the time Tanis actually played any sort of role with intervening the whole thing, who knows how long that whole thing lasted. Yet Meadow was effectively incapacitated, and was crying out for him to go away, or some other resolution besides what he was going to do. But that was the whole problem that Tanis bore witness to: He made no actual moves against Meadow that indicated that he actually wanted to kill her, despite the fact he claimed numerous times like some sort of repeating record that he was going to do so. No, he wanted something else out of all of that, something that Tanis didn't know. Maybe Meadow knew? He didn't consider the option to ask, not that he was planning to adhere to anything the dark type wanted regardless. After all, if he wasn't going to fight for his 'meal', yet his 'meal' and her follower wanted to, then that's an automatic loss for him. He was simply too stubborn to admit it. He didn't feel sorry for ditching the guy after striking him with his Solarbeam, if anything, he should be grateful that was all Tanis did in the end. Either way, Tanis only spent that night considering the matter, and then simply let it go. He didn't feel the need to intervene with this mark or whatever it was he was doing. Besides, Tanis got his 'prize' back, and despite the injury, she was alive, so there was little need. Of course, that's not to say that Meadow may or may not have done something in turn, but that was down to her, Tanis certainly wasn't going to stop her if she did.

Tanis had passed by the Flower Shop a couple of times after getting thrown out initially by Ivysaur, though he didn't stop or enter the shop specifically more than he was passing by it to go somewhere else, or was wandering around to see what's nearby. Today however, his target was specifically the shop itself, which is where he stood, approximately twenty feet away from it, staring at the structure as if it was the entrance to a dungeon or something similar. The walk down, despite the conditions, actually felt pleasant. In actuality, the past couple of days has been a little more smoother than it normally was, if not just perhaps a little awkward. He didn't know just what had transpired, if anything had at all, but it felt like that he was perhaps being watched, or otherwise glanced at by the citizenry. Admittedly he has been hanging around for a while now, so perhaps the population have remembered him and are inwardly commenting to themselves that he's wandering around again. That, or they've come to realize something. Tanis had done his best to at least try to keep his nose as clean as he could muster, to try and acquire some kind of second wind within a new city. But perhaps the rumour of him being an Outlaw has spread and the citizenry are taking steps to avoid him, and perhaps whispering about him behind his back. Either that, or maybe the drama and rescue of Meadow had equally spread among the population and they're revering him? Both are equally plausible, or it's just all in his head and he's imagining it all, that's also likely. What others thought of him didn't matter to him, he did his own thing regardless of what everyone considered him. Whether he's saving someone or beating someone to a pulp, if he felt like doing it, then he's doing it, it's that simple.

As 'hardcore' as he may consider himself to be, even he is someone who feels the elements, especially as someone without any fur or anything resembling warmth otherwise. Granted, his skin does grant him some protection, but that's not saying as much as a Pokémon head-to-toe in fur. So adorned around his neck is a Plain Ribbon wrapped around him like a scarf. It may seem a little fancy for someone like him, but it was all he had at the time, so that's what he's using. The ribbon is tied to him in a simple knot to stop it from going anywhere, though there is a little excess dangling on his left side, which is constantly getting caught by the wind and is flapping horizontally on his side like a cape. In a similar fashion, his two tails are also being affected, getting pushed to his left side as well as they get caught by the gusting winds. The bouquet that he had been carrying around since he acquired them have all but mostly diminished to just a few singular flowers at this junction. The Daffodils had all wilted away, and were no longer present. Only a couple of the Alstroemaria have survived the onslaught of time, though by their condition, they were not going to last. The Anthuriums had all but diminished to the point of almost looking like something completely different, but he had kept a circle of them around, because the Gebera Daisy had so far eluded the fate of its brethren and still showed signs of life. Unfortunately the Bouquet had lost its grandeur, but he has still tried to maintain it and keep its shape as best as he could. To say he succeeded would be incorrect, but marks for trying at least. Right now they were further in the leaf bag that he's sporting in front of himself as opposed to on his back, to ensure he wasn't crushing them, and kept deep within to make sure they weren't blown away by the gusts.

Tanis sighed as he took small strides over towards the Flower Shop. He had been somewhat hoping that Meadow would've left the store herself, hence why he came by in the evening, but not having seen her for the past couple of minutes, he had to confess to himself that he couldn't really linger any more than he had already done so. Reluctantly, he pressed on. He knew himself about as much as anyone else knew about him, and he had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he would wind up in a confrontation with Ivysaur the moment he stepped into that shop. Yes, he was pardoned, and yes, the guy was grateful for his part in helping Meadow, but the animosity he felt that he got from him was... Well, Tanis felt that it was still very much there. And this was a Pokémon that Meadow knew herself. Just how badly would that really look on his Favor if she walked in and saw the pair of them fighting for some reason that Tanis likely instigated? There would be some words thrown at him alright, and he suspected they'd be coming from Ivysaur mostly. He'd have to face him eventually though, and if it was going to be right here and right now, then Tanis may as well get it over with so he could move on and try to ignore it. He wasn't going to run from this and his responsibility. If it's a fight, then he'll oblige. If it's a talk, then he'll wish he bought a pillow. With his confirmed situation set in his mind, he approached the door, giving it one final glance to his fate before pushing the door open. Was Meadow even in the store at the moment? Tanis honestly wasn't sure, but it's the only place he knows she goes to, so this was a good a place as any to start.