“you’ve done it now, old man.”

nagi huffs in mock-outrage. mustering all his adolescent pettiness, he swings his raised foot into a weak kick aimed at danny’s kneecap. on his head, sherlock has their face in their hands.

his thirst for revenge sated, nagi turns back to the exhibit. the seismitoad and politoed haven’t budged, frogging away in the same positions they’d been since he first saw them, so after a few moments of watching them bask, unmoving, in the sun, he ends up looking at danny’s faint reflection in the glass instead.

the question that has been simmering in his head rises to the tip of his tongue — he hesitates, before asking: “... did it feel weird? getting older, i mean.”

DANNY HALL

☉

"old man?—ow!"[break][break]

poor, innocent, defenseless danny ends up getting kicked. he is stronger than he looks, however, so his kneecap simply takes it without much of an issue.[break][break]

"you bitch."[break][break]

he leans down to rub at his knee only to be caught out by nagi's question. maybe he should've seen it coming.[break][break]

"a little, yeah. but i guess it's only because i aged physically and not, you know."[break][break]

danny taps at the side of his head. dee nods in agreement.[break][break]

"and legally i'm still twenty-two. at least for a few more weeks."

[attr="class","ooc"]nagi miwa[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]

nagi hms softly in response. he thinks about what it might feel like to pack years of physical ageing into a short few minutes; the incongruity of your body going forward, into a shape, a shell, different from the one you know, even as your mind stays in place.

he also wonders what would happen if you stuck, say, a single foot into a time distortion. and then recognises that thought for the dumbass idea that it is.

he still has questions — but he decides to let his dogged curiosity rest, for now.

“right. still a big baby," he says instead, nodding along with dee. pot, meet kettle.

he brightens up at the mention of danny's birthday, with an 'oh!' of realisation.

“won't have to worry about the delibirds dropping your package into the sea this year.” he's already picked out a present — video game collector's merchandise, and a bag of assorted kalosian snacks — to give to danny. in-person, maybe, as long as hoenn doesn't spontaneously implode within the next few days. fingers crossed! "any plans?"

DANNY HALL

☉

the biggest baby. but danny doesn't correct nagi this time. there will be more than enough opportunities to in the future for sure.[break][break]

"no more convenient excuses for you to not get me a gift."[break][break]

he rolls his eyes only to chuckle a moment after.[break][break]

"no plans yet."[break][break]

it's difficult to make plans with all that's been going on in hoenn. who knows what'll happen tomorrow? next week?[break][break]

"that's on you to come up with. no pressure, but it is the big twenty-three."

[attr="class","ooc"]nagi miwa[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]

nagi matches danny's eye-roll with a truncated one of his own.

"as opposed to the little twenty-three?"

pulling his phone out of his pocket, he types out a quick memo on his calendar app for danny's birthday, with atrocious spelling. virhtdsay 4danny. perfect.

"... i'll think of something," he says, as he saves the reminder (all day, remind me 1 day before). his voice is softer, sincere. "brainstorm with sherlock."

and then it rises again, playful. "do you have to rsvp to your own birthday celebration?"

DANNY HALL

☉

the mention of the little litwick his danny looking up at it, smiling.[break][break]

"i trust sherlock. he'll do a good job."[break][break]

dee nods in agreement.[break][break]

"no but i will anyways. yes, plus one."[break][break]

who could danny possibly be bringing? no one, really, but it never hurts to be prepared.[break][break]

"nagi... let me know if you ever need anything, yeah? i was really lonely when i moved back here so i can't imagine what you might be feeling."

[attr="class","ooc"]nagi miwa[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]

a steady warmth builds in nagi's chest at danny's words, flooding up through his neck to his head. a giddy sort of happiness — one that he has never felt, and has no idea what to do with, except to cup it close, and keep it from spilling away.

cold meals eaten alone; his father, a living ghost, a wall and a world away. how could i be lonelier here?

"yeah." a single, quiet syllable, solemn as an oath. “... you have to tell me too — if you ever need anything.”

i’m here now.

nagi shoves his hands into his pocket, scuffs his feet on the floor, and spins away to be suddenly interested in the plaques by the display. “c’mon,” he says — he doesn’t have to force the cheer back into his voice; it rises naturally. “tell me all about your favourite frog. you have fifteen seconds; we still have the rest of the aquarium to see.”

DANNY HALL

☉