well, that isn't something she expected him to ask. [break][break]

she's just casually laying in the sand - well, not in the sand. more on a beach towel that was so kindly laid out on the surface, and she just made it her make-shift bed. she doesn't need to see the fire to feel its warmth, and doesn't need to see the endless expanse of the night sky to know there's a gentle breeze of twilight blowing against her thigh. she doesn't need to know (doesn't need to be reminded). [break][break]

when he asks, she can't help but to smile and crack open an eye; not that she'd be able to see anything through it. it's all pitch darkness without her hatterene out, and she didn't want to disturb the walking vibe tower's beauty sleep. upbringing isn't something she likes to talk about, for once reason or another, so instead she gives a mock scoff in tandem with a chuckle. "i don't think it matters all too much~.." an artificial (glass) eye squints, though still at nothingness. she assumes it's at him, since it's towards the fire. if only its light could reach her. [break][break]

".. if you wanna know so badly, i'm from alola. born and raised there, with some certain crowd of people~." the air escapes her lungs, leaves her lips, as she raises her arms to rest behind her head. maybe the quiet night was starting to get to her, too.

Inigo del Rosario

☉

He blinked, widening his eyes slightly and raising his brows while still eying her.[break][break]

”...You’re from Alola?” had been his first choice of words; an inquiry, however instinctive it may have been. He thought on it for a little while longer before giving a soft hum, leaning back onto his hands as the selfsame brows that rose just moments before began to furrow in gentle thought. ”Huh… Y’know what, I guess that makes sense with how you name your Pokemon…”[break][break]

He pursed his lips, tilting his head to rest against his shoulder, leisurely, while directing another glance towards her.[break][break]

”So…what part of Alola, then?”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

she can't see it, but god knows she can hear it. [break][break]

a shame she couldn't see the look on his face, though. she bets that it would have been a spectacle. instead, to offset that loss, she snickers "god" the smirk broadens on her lips "you sounded so offended for a second, there~" even when she knows ht's probably just surprised. that's fine, she would be too. [break][break]

there's amusement in her tone as she turns her head back up to the sky, using her mind her paint the picture, and reconstruct what she remembers of the stars as her friend, here, is trying to reason and piece her answer together. then he follows up, and her gaze narrows. maybe it's because she hasn't seen her face in a little while, but her brows furrow that time around, and the distaste stats to bleed through. [break][break]

ah.. should she say it anyways? [break][break]

"mm.. down in ula'ula. real quiet part of alola~."

Inigo del Rosario

☉

A sound of annoyed disdain resonated within the back of his throat for a moment, and though a smirk of amusement persisted upon his lips in betrayal of it, he went on to swipe a moderate amount of sand at her as he cast his eyes above, once more.[break][break]

”It ain’t offense, ya dumb bitch. It’s surprise.” He clicked his tongue within an ongoing sense of exasperation, leaning further back in order to allow his head to rest idly upon the log he rested against. ”Like…it’s a good surprise, if anything. My family and I are from Sinnoh, yeah, but a lot of my relatives are from Alola— specifically Akala.”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

no sand got into her eyes, although she still sputters in mock irritation and disdain with a clear grin to her lips. a quick change in demeanour, at least. "arceus, i wouldn't know~. the eyes you gave me is having her beauty sleep~" followed by a snicker. [break][break]

she gently dusts off the remaining sand on her body, or at least where she felt it hit her. still, she's not the type of person to not enjoy the breeze when it hits her - at least, not enough to let a little sand rain on her parade. "oooh, sinnoh you say?~" she chimes, blowing a whistle following his response "akala is a pretty nice place, too, from what i remember of it." bright lights, bustling with people. "really lively, last time i saw it~"

Inigo del Rosario

☉

”...I know what you mean, but fuck, dude— your phrasing needs work…”[break][break]

Either that, he was the one at fault for needing to wrap his brain around the first statements she’d made more than once— but he personally believed in what he’d said aloud. An idle hum followed the remark altogether, however, with hues of viridian lingering upon the vast expanse of stars and moonlight located above them as he listened to her go on.[break][break]

He nodded, nevertheless, despite how she’d never have been able to tell as such. ”But yeah. Direct family and I are from Sinnoh; everyone else is from a couple other regions— one of them being Alola.” His eyes narrowed as his mouth opened widely, and he gave a pause as a longer, unprompted yawn left his lips. ”Visited all the islands a lotta times in the past. Always liked Akala a lot more than the rest, though, honestly.”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

"no, you're just the dumb bitch for not being able to understand." she lowers her hand to lightly tap the hatterene's pokeball. in the same way you can't tell sarcasm through text, it's hard to tell the difference between offence and surprise without looking at a person's expression. [break][break]

but that's enough cracking down on him. she hums instead, with an idle smile on her lips before letting a hum of amusement out. "i don't blame you~" her eyes open, though still all she can see it the pitch darkness "i still remember all the flames and lights of fire dancing. and i used to visit heahea city all the time~." they're fond memories, looking back on them. back before po town. [break][break]

"so" then she raises a brow, turning her eyes in the direction of the bonfire "off the top of your head, what's your favourite part of akala?"

Inigo del Rosario

☉

He gave a groan of exasperation while leaning further back, lazily stretching his arms upon the log behind him while also allowing his head to hang back.[break][break]

A hum (a pensive groan, more accurately) left his lips as he narrowed his eyes against the stars once more. His lips pursed in reflection of the thought and effort he put into the question, regardless of the fact that he’d known his answer straightaway.[break][break]

”Exact same place you just mentioned,” he mused, absentmindedly tapping his hands against the wood behind him. ”Specifically the city beach, though. …Always loved goin’ to the festivals and stuff whenever they were held— even took part in the fire dancing, too, whenever we stayed for longer~.”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

"oho, the city beach?~" [break][break]

there's nothing but good memories of those, and as a hum escapes her lips, she wears a smile. "... yeah, i remember that clearly." the skies were clear, and the sands were different. a beautiful gold no matter the time of day, sometimes a little muddied by passing rains, but would always be washed away by the waves and return to their beautiful sheen. "there'd be those wooden stages set up, and i used to watch those fire dancers back when i was younger." she pauses, then bends her arm to act as a pillow when she turns to her side. [break][break]

"would have those pancakes, too. had some pancakes, played on the beach, ran around being a shit in clothing stores~.." she snickers as the memories pass by. her eyes open slightly, reflecting the flame of the fire before her. ".. i don't think the water or the sky anywhere else could compare. i mean, the water at that beach was always crystal clear, and the skies were so blue and white." her smile softens as she speaks, this time around. there's no need to close her eyes to bring her back to that time. [break][break]

".. i'd love to visit again, some day, but it probably wouldn't be the same."

Inigo del Rosario

☉

”Gee, I wonder why ya’d say that.”[break][break]

Sarcastic and insensitive as ever, yet in contrast to the tone he’d laid to bare, there had been a touch of thoughtfulness within his gaze as he allowed it to linger upon the vast expanses of stars and starlight far above them. A bout of rare silence overcame him both throughout her recollection and after it, with the silence, itself, being broken by just the faintest of hums after some minor amount of time.[break][break]

He turned his head towards her once more, eying the smile upon her lips.[break][break]

”...If ya had a chance to make it the same again, would ya take it, then?”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

he can be so oblivious, it's cute. [break][break]

granted, their friendship wasn't built on consideration and sensitivity to the finer details. all of it is a pre-tense for them, before they get to their shenanigans or some other form of crime. she wouldn't have it any other way. [break][break]

she doesn't notice him eyeing the smile on her face, but maybe she feels his gaze on her; it's always easier to notice something when it enters your personal bubble. so she hums, narrowing her eyes to the sand. a bout of silence hangs over as she pensively hums ".. mmn." [break][break]

because though she'll convince herself to scorn it, it was her home. [break][break]

"no, i wouldn't." because those memories are bittersweet, now. redundant, and only serve to bring her heart back to a time where she was naive, and innocent. ariadne knows it will never be the same.[break][break]

"i'd rather have a different experience. make new memories, with new people, in the same place with different views." a woman smiles more brightly, eyes up to the stars like she can picture them twinkling. artificial eyes turn to gaze at the fire, and their light reflects off the plastic. [break][break]

"ain't it more exciting that way?"

Inigo del Rosario

☉

With a furrow of the brows, he narrowed his eyes at her as a gentle purse of the lips met his expression.[break][break]

”I mean, yeah, obviously,” he hummed to begin, ”but that ain’t, like—... That ain’t exactly what I meant…?”[break][break]

Though she hadn’t been able to see it, he’d instinctively lifted a hand to tap against the edge of an emerald eye, though paused immediately afterward upon noting his mistake. The purse upon his lips disappeared as they curled inward in realization and pensiveness (and also as if stifling a sudden grin and snicker in irony) before he clicked his tongue.[break][break]

Needless to say, he lowered his hand back into his lap.[break]
Idly.[break][break]

”...When I said, ‘same,’ I honestly meant, like…more with the whole eye stuff. Y’know. Bein’ able to see?”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

"oh." now look at who's feeling oblivious. [break][break]

it hits a bit too close to home, the magic words that he tacked onto the tail end. it's out of character for her to tun her head back up to the twilight, out of character for her to press her lips into a thin line as an arm raises up, resting and pressing against her eyelids as a stream of air is inhaled, and slowly sighed. [break][break]

and yet her lips return to a small smile, or a smirk (a little forced this time, but she doesn't know how convincing it looks). though her lips part, it takes a while for her to say "no" in the softest voice. it's a flimsy lie. [break][break]

silence befalls her again, then her expression lightens. it's a short repeated "no, i wouldn't." her other arm rests against her stomach, pressing against the sinking feeling. [break][break]

she's glad that her arm is covering half of her face.

Inigo del Rosario

☉