it's a simple job. [break][break]

take care of the sheep, make sure that no wolf dares to consume them. that's easy enough. what throws her off, however, is how damn.. fluffy those sheep are. it's hard to maintain your focus when they look like balls of clouds that roll around on the field, rather than walk (undoubtedly due to the volume o their fleece, and there's something endearing about watching them tumble around in the ranch). though with the sun beating down as it did, she's a little worried about getting a farmer's tan.[break][break]

it's quick to find that she's not the only one here, however, and it's a bit of a relief to see that she wasn't going to be watching these pokemon alone. and so, she approaches with the garchompp in tow, along with a blissey that waddles not too far behind her. with that, she chirps up.[break][break]

deep breaths, daphne. it will be okay. you're just trying to learn how to be a bit more sociable with people.. [break][break]

"good afternoon" she starts, and she struggles to maintain eye contact "i assume you are here to help guard the wooloo, as well?"

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

There had been a period of silence as he found himself to be the only person within the area, save for the occasional passerby of whatever sort. Once every so often, he’d found himself gazing towards a number of people out horse riding through the area, whether they were locals or tourists. His attention only lingered upon them for a short while before honing itself upon the little dragon afar, once more.[break][break]

He perked up at the sound of a new voice, however. Initially, his head tilted up, and in tandem to the psychic type by his side, he’d brought himself to glance over towards the source of it. Drawing attention towards the larger of the three at first, he found himself gazing towards a second dragon (of whom had been a sudden distraction, he’d noticed, as his own seemed to perk up at the sight of him), and then towards the pink creature by him. He eyed them before glancing towards their trainer, and it was then that he’d pushed himself from the fence post just enough to stand properly.[break][break]

”That would be right, yes.” He crossed his arms, gazing out towards the fields once more for a moment. ”Thankfully enough, it doesn’t seem too hectic. ...May not be as stressful as I’d taken it for, beforehand.”

DAPHNE STONE [break]
mission: wooloo who cry wolf

☉

it shouldn't be a difficult task, she thinks. [break][break]

though the occasional silence was interrupted by the sound of galloping horse riding in the distance, she pays it no mind. the larger, violet dragon holds an intimidating air about it, sending n instinctive, golden glare at the trainer and his smaller pokemon. he does little more than pensively glare until his attention turns to the small dragon pokemon. [break][break]

on the other hand, the large, pink fluff ball was smiling and waving her stubby arms to the quartet, letting out a chime as she waddled to the smaller pokemon, and tilts her body forwards in order to get a better look at it. it looks like those two were enjoying themselves, so she doesn't need to keep too much of an eye on them. [break][break]

"hopefully there shouldn't be any problems. the wooloo seem to be enjoying themselves.." she trails off, eyeing the strangely.. fluffy pokemon "have you ever seen them before?" she asks, idly. may as well try to make some conversation.

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

He nodded in response, eying the other two Pokemon for all of a few moments before directing his gaze over the vast expanses of the farmland before them, once more (as well as the cuffs of his sleeves, though only briefly so, for he would’ve rather ignored the farmer’s tan gradually forming beneath the sunlight). ”That would look to be the case…” came the musing, initial murmur. He tapped his fingers softly against his arms, humming lightly. ”Whether that changes or not remains to be seen, however. ...Enjoy it while it lasts, in any case.”[break][break]

His gaze shifted towards her. He held a hand out before long, brows raising faintly.[break][break]

”...My apologies, though. It’s good to meet you,” he went on, offering a small, yet still genuine smile, all the same. ”My name is Asahiko. Yours?”

DAPHNE STONE [break]
mission: wooloo who cry wolf

☉

he was polite enough. good, that was good. [break][break]

daphne never did well with men, so seeing that he was at least.. somewhat approachable brought relief to her nerves. the blonde woman smiles a slight bit in return, taking his hand to give a firm shake (purely out of habit, by this point) with a nod of her head. "daphne. it's a pleasure, asahiko."[break][break]

greetings have become customary and instinctive to her, and when she pulls her hand back she's slightly embarrassed (and relieved all the same) once she realizes that he hadn't noticed how nervous she was, internally. she intends to keep it internal. [break][break]

gazing out to the herd of wooloo, she hums and leans her arms against the fence. "i assume you aren't from hoenn?" she can take a guess, based off the name.

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

Although faintly, the smile upon his lips broadened more; the tug of his lips prompting a soft raise of the cheeks as he nodded and tightened his grasp upon her hand. ”Mmn. The pleasure is all mine~,” he said, returning the shake with a touch of lingering him towards the end of his words. Peering over towards the dragon of his afterwards, he released her hand following the gesture, and instead slipped it back into the cross of the arms that he’d located it within prior to her arrival.[break][break]

”No, though… I can’t say I am.” His attention briefly shifted towards the Kadabra nearby as he continuously resided upon the fence, seemingly and contently snacking upon a pumpkin spice flavored poffin that was purchased for him at some point before arrival. Reaching out, the trainer gently gave the creature’s head a pat before peering towards the woman, once more. ”My homeland is Johto- Ecruteak City, specifically.”

DAPHNE STONE [break]
mission: wooloo who cry wolf

☉

"ecruteak?"[break][break]

she hums, arms resting against the fence as she shifts her weight upon the picket. "mmn.. i haven't been there in a while." she has memories, and they aren't bad. that's enough reason for her to wear a faint smile to her lips, though it's hard to tell on an ever-changing face. [break][break]

"i suppose seeing all these pokemon in hoenn is a change, and not what you were expecting?"

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

He nodded, arms returning into their crossed hold as he eyed the constantly rolling creatures as they repeatedly sped to and fro across the fields before them. ”I’d visited Hoenn a number of times before, but this is one of the first times I’ve seen these Pokemon, altogether,” he murmured, eventually turning his head faintly and placing his gaze upon hers. ”I’ve only heard stories about Galar. Never quite seen much from the place myself.”[break][break]

His attention drifted towards the rather round, bovine creatures once more.[break][break]

”...I will say they’re rather endearing in an…odd way, though.”

DAPHNE STONE [break]
mission: wooloo who cry wolf

☉

of course they were. [break][break]

there was something endearing about how they rolled around on the field, though maybe she's biased, with a blissey and hoping for a gengar one day. ".. i would recommend going one day, mmn." she's keeping an absentminded eye on the rolling wooloo, though she fears that if she watches for too long, she'll start to fall asleep. [break][break]

"well.. hoenn has undergone a couple of changes." she leans her body against the fence "what brings you out here this time? if you don't mind me asking?"

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

At first, he merely gave a nod and a hum in affirmative response, all while his gaze remained upon the rolling creatures afar. He remained that way for a fair amount of time, simultaneously apologetic of the rather staling and stale conversation (it was never exactly a strong suit of his, anyways) and unknowing of how, precisely, to keep it going. Thus, he remained vigilant. Watching.[break][break]

Until she offered him another inquiry.[break][break]

He was caught off guard, to say the least, and such a matter would be shown upon his face as his eyes (albeit faintly) widened as if processing the words spoken to him. His brows rose in tandem, though both only remained in such a way for a short while before relaxing, and then even narrowing in some degree of pensiveness as he fully considered the question.[break][break]

”...You could say I was looking for someone,” he murmured at first, turning his head just enough to eye her vaguely. ”I did find her, but…things worked in a different way. Truthfully, I’m not entirely certain as to why I haven’t gone back to Johto, yet.”

DAPHNE STONE [break]
mission: wooloo who cry wolf

☉

he hesitates. [break][break]

daphne's daft outside of the office, but she isn't oblivious as to miss the discomfort. perhaps she was prying too much, and she poked her stick into a scab that was yet to heal. she can only narrow emerald green eyes as she glazes out to the distance, pensively deciding on her next words. [break][break]

".. i'm sorry to hear it didn't work out." she shouldn't intrude any further. her attempt at small talk seemed to make the man uncomfortable, anyways. she's about to let the conversation peer out, until she sees.. a figure moving from the other side of the ranch. and she squints, trying to get a better look, before gently nudging at the rough scales of her garchomp. [break][break]

"i hate to cut this conversation short, but i think we have company."

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

Silence, yet again. It was in moments such as these that he truly regretted not being the type versed with taking topics and the like in stride (not anymore, at least), though rather than insisting something for the sake of attempting to salvage the conversation, he merely let it be as he fell quiet, once more. Better to let it right out, after all, lest the topic spiral into even more awkward territory with poor choice of words.[break][break]

The sudden intrusion was a blessing in disguise, really.[break][break]

Although he had acknowledged her words and passed them off with a nod of understanding, his gaze had remained forward in continuous examination of the scene before them throughout his silence. Upon noting the movement just moments before it had been voiced, he narrowed his eyes while shifting away from the fence.[break][break]

”Loud and clear,” he murmured in response, nodding while reaching over to nudge the golden, vulpine creature by him. ”See what’s happening. Act if needed. We’ll be with you shortly.”[break][break]

The psychic type nodded before beginning to hover off. Bicolored voids watched after him before directing themselves towards the woman standing nearby.[break][break]

”Shall we, then?”

DAPHNE STONE [break]
mission: wooloo who cry wolf

☉

the early bird get the worm, such that the result of their early response is the poor poucher getting absolutely throttled by a garchomp and lucario. thankfully, it seems like the poucher was the only threat, and with the man captured, daphne smiles, slightly, at the achievement. she bids her partner farewell for the rest of the evening. [break][break]

thank goodness the wooloo weren't hurt.

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉