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While much of their time was spent at her stepfather’s lighthouse home, Lydia was well-acquainted with luxury. Her mother’s home was a stately mansion from a bygone age. Within its walls, playing knight seemed almost fitting. Many childhood evenings were spent waving fake (and then real) swords from the balcony and rampart. The top room looked like something out of a fantasy novel. The gardens, meanwhile, But an underground biome? That seemed a strange flex for her to comprehend.[break][break]

She tried to imagine this ranch of his. The closest she could approximate was some sort of underground gerbil tunnel network. “Hm.” Her lips pursed for a moment before the soldier admitted defeat. “I am not sure my imaginings are doing your facility justice.” The blonde opened her mouth to expand—to perhaps make a suggestion—before closing it with a noncommittal sound. “I am glad you put such care into providing a home for Lord Arceus’s children, however.” Her own team was small due to her dislike of imprisoning sentient things. And the fact that her home in this foreign place was a small house with barely enough yard to play handball.[break][break]


The soft smile bloomed again. “I am glad you are in one piece. It could have been far worse.” A stumble from that Tauros and she would be attending a defector’s funeral. A thing that would no doubt aggravate her family. “I am sure it was quite the sight to behold.” At the talk of strangers, Lydia chuckled.[break][break]


“I would think it might be easier with children.” For the most part, they had no boundaries—especially if they had lax, silly parents. She licked her ice cream with gusto, dabbing away melt from the side of her lips. “They do not bite, you know?” Still, she was no better. Affection from people she knew made her freeze like a Deerling in traffic.[break][break]

[attr="class","bottom"]Thomas Benoit







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The blonde turned to stare at her cousin for a moment. A smile appeared before it was submerged beneath red cheeks. "I suppose I should." Being embarrassed, too much so to ask for help, did not mean she should treat Thomas like a pariah. "I would love to see this mythical ranch of yours." Her cheeks flushed. "I'll need you to send me your contact information, however."[break][break]





The robber that had landed her in the hospital hadn't been nice enough to leave her contact list behind. And, of course, the phone had proven untraceable.[break][break]





"It was likely attracted by all of the sugar." Not only was this place full of cotton candy and sugar-coated dough but it was practically a fount of soda and sugary beverages. "Still, we are fortunate you are not allergic." The blonde laughed as memories of her elder brother, who was allergic rushing into the house with swollen lips.[break][break]


If anyone knew how nasty children could be, Lydia should have been among them. Her own siblings made a sport of slipping mudblood and bastard into every sentence. "I suppose children have their....cruelties." Perhaps they were more piranha than shark.[break][break]





Her lips perked upward at the story. "It is certainly more creative than my methods." Each of her Pokemon was named after a figure in classical mythos. "Perhaps yours will help me find a name for them." Her eyes flicked to the Iron Valiant.

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The reason behind her absence seemed to suffice. It seemed Thomas did not care what had kept her rooted on the other side of the bridge—only that she’d now crossed it. The blonde pulled out her own phone. It was obviously on the cheaper side. Its Horsea case, however, sets it apart from the typical pay-as-you-go device. “I believe it best you text it to me.” With all the papers in her vest pockets, any notes would end up in the rubbish by the end of the night. [break][break]

She rattled her own number off twice—just to ensure he had it. When his text came across, she would add him to the contact list. Instead of trying to summarize their relationship with a ringtone and a cutesy nickname, she just put his name. Checking it’d saved appropriately, she listened to him about the Combee. Her lips pulled down into a little frown.[break][break]


“That is concerning.” While few people interrupted a hive for fun, avoidance would do no good if the bug types turned into poison-laden homing missiles. Killer bee was just another unneeded straw on the region’s back. How many more until it snapped under the weight? “I hope the scientists figure it out. If it’s contagious…” Normally stalwart and not prone to flights of fancy, the veteran shuddered. There were things far worse than Combee in this region.[break][break]


At the talk of cruelty, her mind went back to her brother. The things he said and the punches he threw when Mother was looking elsewhere. Then, came all the whispers and mocking nicknames. The things whispered in the volume of wind in a forest. Loud enough for her to see but not loud enough for her to confront. “You are not wrong, but I do not think that particular child was waiting to pounce.” At the talk of Rocket, a sigh passed her lips. “I do not think that is a thing particular to Rocket. All power corrupts, cousin.”[break][break]


A sigh passed her lips. “It seems we’re both stuck then. It’s hard to capture it’s essence.” She shook her head. “Maybe we can figure it out over—” Her phone began to buzz. A reminder that it was time to return to the drudgery of Karens and drunkards. “--text.”