late nights have always been familiar, even before hoenn, and as bad of a habit as it is, there is a sense of comfort in familiarity. or at least that's what he tells himself.

it's a crutch, really. a distraction. just anything to get his mind off the inevitable loneliness that awaits him. if not the office, then somewhere else.

and it's somewhere else he intends to go to, at least until an odd sight stops him as he exits his office.

"lia."

not cadet.

"go home."

Amelia Livy

☉

’Lia.’

Even if it has only been a couple of weeks since she first became a ranger, his voice has become familiar; one she can easily recognize without even needing to look at him. She does look at him, however – golden eyes peering up from the computer screen to meet his gaze.

”I will in a bit, I just have a couple more files to get done. Are you heading home now?”

A soft smile and the ceaseless sound of the keyboard; delicate fingers still typing as if by sheer muscle memory. There’s a familiarity to all of this, perhaps because it reminds her of all those years when hours would be spent at the university’s library even long after the sun had set, working at her laptop with a dozen books around her.

This time, the typing stops so she can adjust her ponytail, fingers then reaching to pinch the bridge of her nose – right where glasses had been resting for hours. They’re not something she wears unless reading for long or using a computer, and honestly, she’s thankful for it, no matter how cute they might be.

”Actually, do you have a minute? I wanted to ask you something about all this.”

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

"i was about to head out for some dinner first, but yeah."

dinner and a couple of drinks, really, but that part doesn't need to be said.

he's approaching even before she calls him over, keen on closing whatever distance is between them. he drags a chair over from the adjacent desk, then sits down next to her.

"sure. ask away."

Amelia Livy

☉

At the mention of dinner, she pauses, because it comes with the reminder that she should probably do the same. In her case, it likely means ordering something or making a quick and easy meal, since Lia has never been all that great at cooking. It will all come accompanied with a glass of wine, and she will probably eat while watching some show on RotomTV (yes, she still has RotomTV, no matter how strained her relationship with ANA STONE may be) .

It all sounds nice enough in her opinion, but for some reason, she still finds herself not wanting to leave.

Especially not when he sits next to her; the smile lingering at her lips before turning to look at the computer screen.

”Okay, so… I was wondering if there was a reason the old reports are organized the way they are in the system? They’re in by the type of situation they’re about, but there isn’t exactly a chronological order, so it can make things a bit harder to find when looking for one. I entered these the same way, but chronologically and with the names of the rangers filing them as keywords, since I figured that’d probably make things a bit easier in the long run…”

In truth, she knows the answer is they probably are probably the way the are because old reports are added to the system long after they were filled, and things like keeping chronology can be tedious to most people. But still, even with all of Lia’s belief in most rangers’ incompetence, never did she imagine the issue would go as far as presenting itself in something as simple and fundamental as archiving…

”What do you think?”

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

"do you want the honest answer?"

it's an answer that a captain really shouldn't be sharing with his team, let alone with a new cadet.

still, he doesn't wait for a response.

"our database has always been a mess and no one's bothered to even try to restructure it. you're the first one who's brought it up since i moved to hoenn, and that was last year."

his arms fold over his chest as he leans back in his chair.

"so, if you wanna restructure the entire thing, go for it. can't promise the others will use it but we'll definitely use it in lilycove."

Amelia Livy

☉

She didn’t expect a completely honest answer, but that’s exactly what he gives her. So, with an elbow on the small desk that had been assigned to her, she rests her head on her hand, turning to watch him while he talks about the issues with the rangers’ database.

Inefficient.

Disorganized.

Incompetent.

Is there any aspect in which the rangers don’t have issues?

Still, she’s one now too, and isn’t trying to help with those issues part of the reason she became one to begin with?

”Sure, I’ll reorganize the database so we can use it more efficiently, but it will probably take me a few days.”

Lia gives him a gentle smile, yet a sigh follows soon behind.

”Im surprised no one mentioned it before, though. It’s a pretty obvious issue, and I bet looking for old files has been a pain... Did you really only move here last year?”

As much as she wants to talk about the database, the comment results distracting.

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

"take all the time you need. just try not to stay in the office too late."

not that he particular minds this time or would he mind in the future, but it isn't healthy, and maintaining a balance is essential. definitely hypocritical coming from him, but the point stands.

"yep. i came over from sinnoh."

the database is easily pushed aside for now.

"have you ever visited?"

Amelia Livy

☉

As much as Lance’s concern may be valid and justified, it’s also hypocritical, and of course Lia isn’t just going to let it slide and pretend as if it isn’t.

Meeting his gaze, it is faintly that she smirks at him.

”Should you really be telling me that when you’re also here this late? That’s not very healthy, Lance.”

It’s not very healthy, and it concerns her that he’s doing this, yet she’s also doing it.

Maybe Lia is also a hypocrite...

Her smirk fades at the mention of Sinnoh, but her interest remains, and she’s honest about her answer:

”Oh… Really? I’ve been a few times, yeah. My mum is living there now... Where in Sinnoh are you from?”

It's that easy that she forgets all about the database, Lance's life resulting to be a much more interesting topic to her. How could it not be?

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

"hey, i got stuck doing...captain things."

not the best excuse, but he often finds it difficult to think clearly when in her presence. he's always distracted, and how could he not be this time? ponytail, cute glasses...

his gaze shifts away to avoid staring.

"twinleaf. i did the whole 'travel the region and explore' thing when i was a kid but i eventually settled down in sunyshore."

settled down in more ways than one.

Amelia Livy

☉

”Captain things.”

His words are echoed as if to mark how silly they sound, and a quiet chuckle follows them. Is it mean of her to mock him? Is it out of line? Maybe, but that’s just the way things are between them, isn’t it?

Just like how, while most cadets would never dare to do such a thing, she gently pokes his cheek with a single finger.

”Okay, captain. Just make sure you take care of yourself.”

It’s hypocritical, yes, but she means her words, and they come out of worry too – even if Lia can’t quite explain all of her reasons, she cares for him. And, it’s that same care that leads her to listen intently to the way he talks about his past, never once looking away from him:

”Aw, that’s cute. Did you challenge gyms and stuff? I kind of always wanted to do that as a kid… What did you do in Sunyshore?”

Should she really be asking him all of these questions?

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

captain things.

naturally, her reaction is expected, but the poking of his cheek manages to catch him a little off guard. he raises a hand to hers, chuckling as he gently swats her away.

"i will, i will."

he meets her gaze as well, never looking away.

"got all eight badges but the league approached me before i could challenge the elite four. kinda got busy after that."

busy with his life in sunyshore, which has him tensing for reasons only obvious to lance.

"my wife always wanted to live somewhere close to the beach, so we moved there to raise our daughter."

he pauses for a bit but soon clears his throat.

"they, uh..." another pause. "...they died in a car accident."

Amelia Livy

☉

Out of all things Lance could have told her, this is one of the last things she would have ever expected. She should have, because it just makes sense: why wouldn’t a guy like him have settled down at his age? Why wouldn’t he have found love? Why wouldn’t he have a family?

Maybe it’s just that all that seems so foreign and distant to Lia…

Things she doubts she’ll ever have.

But, if those things don’t matter to her, why does it hurt to know that he had them and lost them in such a horrible way?

Whatever remnants of a smile may have been on her expression completely fade away.

What can she even say?

”I’m sorry, Lance.”

As if ‘sorry’ could do anything.

Lia knows what loss is like, and she knows exactly how useless words like those are.

”...How long ago?”

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

the smile of his face has long faded as well, but for both their sakes, it soon returns, albeit bare and almost out of place.

"it's okay."

he's not the only person who's lost people. what made him any different?

"just a little over a year ago. it's why i moved here in the first place."

to avoid, to hide, and to run.

sighing, he continues.

"i'm sorry about what happened to your family, too."

Amelia Livy

☉