she is wordless.

embarrassment still picks at her, uneasy in her chest. she does not look at Remiel or answer him as they walk along the path. she further does not do this as she enters the spring's waters. she takes off her rob, the black one-piece shown briefly, before she walks in.

Siobhan does not know how seeing the Admin in such a state would help things. if anything, they could worsen. so she purposefully glances away when it was his turn to enter, just wishing this could go as fast as possible.

Ovmnhqo5

920/1000

he doesn't speak either. Siobhan is inexperienced with this sort of awkwardness. she doesn't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. heat rises from the water to her face. she lifts a hand to rub at her cheek briefly before it drops back to the depths.

she doesn't want to look at him.

and she wishes she could just turn everything off like usual.

but it won't go away so easily. she is used to making things awkward for others. she is not used to feeling it herself. she also is not used to caring. her emotions running wild was inconveniencing to her. the sad fact was she was frustrated.

and had no way of knowing how to handle such an emotion, let along direct a conversation at Remiel. to explain, perhaps. to say 'let's go back to normal' and 'forget i said anything'. but no. she is still wordless.

bP0O7W7f

895/1000

why was he doing this to her?

Siobhan looks sharply at the man as he prattles about hot spring etiquette over... other things. her eyes squint a bit. was Remiel crueler than she assumed? of course, he was in Rocket. he had to be cruel. she was cruel too. but it still... begged the question. instead of confronting the issues they had, he was pussyfooting around it. but she -

she was avoiding it. she can't talk, could she?

but the fact he wasn't even acknowledging what she had said to him that day... it seemed a cruel blow to an already delicate situation. I should go Siobhan thinks why did I even come? did I think he'd say something that I want to hear? maybe I am the fool, not him. hoping for things that would never, ever happen. yes, she was the fool.

this is exactly why she didn't want to care about humans.

"you don't have to say anything" Siobhan cuts him off "or try to fix things" she huffs quietly, taking in the humid air with a ragged breath next "this is already uncomfortable enough without small talk" and pathetic "and it is something I have to work through. after this, forgive me, but I require some space. at least for a bit."

no more working together. no more talks. just... she needed to be alone for a bit. perhaps she'd talk with Jayden. he was her closest ally in Hoenn. but what could she say to him that didn't make her uncomfortable and depressed?

hqseucO9
886/1000

she said she needed space, but she knew herself better than that.

she would cut ties with the other Galarian. it was for the best. she needn't be reminded of him everywhere she went. it was difficult enough working in the same faction as him. and what if - what if he had someone?

she couldn't stand to see his arm wrapped around someone else when she had just confessed awkwardly to liking him. Remiel's silence was enough of a hint. he didn't want to be with her in any way. and he wasn't fighting it.

it was cruel of him to ask her here.

seeing him half-naked from the waist up didn't help things. why did he think this was a good idea? men were fools. Siobhan avoids looking at him still, her gaze uncomfortably focused on the bamboo clicking up and down.

i5RJe_op
828/1000

they say silence is golden but she never felt so alone. his silence hurts. it stings, a deep throbbing pain in her chest. Siobhan lightly gasps, placing a hand over her breast. it is such a light exclamation she would not be surprised if Remiel doesn't acknowledge it.

why am I here she asks herself it was easier to be alone, upon a time as much as she hates Remiel in this moment, she doesn't want him to leave either I am selfish Siobhan would think next.

or maybe she would just take him leaving as a sign he still didn't care.

IiN0vP|b
733/1000

Siobhan notices he moves, ever so slightly. she sees it out of the corner of her eye. against better judgment, she twists her head just as he begins to speak. then, as if thinking better of it, refuses to.

she bites the inside of her cheek. don't she thinks, attempting to break the stalemate but finding it difficult bother. she wants to say many things, to be cruel or just be a bitch. show a fierce side for once.

she's kidding herself.

if Remiel is finding it difficult to speak to, he must have difficult things to say. she finds she doesn't care what he wants to say. not any more. rejection stings. hearing it would be even crueler. "I'll go."

it is with as much control as she could muster to not break her tune. to make it wobble or even crack. she is firm, indifferent. but there is a different meaning behind such words. she'll go, yes, but also -

resign as his assistant.

resign at the Galarian Embassy.

partner with someone else in Rocket.

look for other work. do her degree justice. study Hoennian lore and publish a novel. there was so much more to life than Remiel Calcifet, after all.

lOhPKhPG
689/1000

Siobhan begins sharply, fading to resignation as she looks at Remiel at last. her eyes show nothing certain, but there is certainly defiance. "there is nothing to learn" she says to him "it should not have happened. these feelings - should not be."

because she was technically employed by him. it was unprofessional and undeserving. Siobhan sucks in a short breath. "and it is not right to remain here, with you, in such a situation when I am trying to rid myself of them."

she pauses, frowning. "really, why did you think it was such a decent idea to see you practically naked after what I said to you?" the young woman felt it was cruel. men are... daft.

"I apologize" she goes on softly "I apologize for this... cornering you. last we talked. making it uncomfortable..." she scoffs, looking away as he rises. why. why did it have to be you?

she rises too, water dripping down her clothed body. "I'm... not in the habit of having feelings for others. especially other humans" Siobhan says to Remiel "so forgive me for not wanting to feel rejected."

she begins to slosh past him.

Ob3K8f2j
680/1000