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just a few years ago, if you asked mika nakayama if they ever anticipated getting a tattoo in their life, much less a large detailed one on their back, the answer would be a flat-out no. [break][break]

but life had a way of surpising you and changing the course you thought was set in stone. mika saw and experienced plenty of things over hte years, her coward's heart burning bright with the desire for freedom — with an understanding that liberation can be as painful as it is sweet. her talonflame's reckless behavior always seemed troublesome, but now it was also seen as admirable, and the inspiration behind this venture to begin with. burning and flying in the same movement, the freedom that came with pain, a firebird reviving itself among the ashes of yesterday. [break][break]

mika was so unsure, but the entire process with aloe had gone by swimmingly so far. despite it being her first tattoo, she handled the pain well, and agreed to stay for a longer session so everything would be knocked out at once. she didn't expect such immaculate service, between aloe's artistic visionary to the refreshments during break times! but as the sky darkened outside, mika knew they were burning the midnight fuel. part of her was grateful but also embarrassed, as though she was somehow making this more difficult for aloe to begin with. [break][break]

"a break sounds good, actually." she carefully held the towel closer to herself, eyes following aloe's figure as he brought out a mirror for her to observe the results so far. "o-oh my goodness. it's so beautiful, so lovely, it's so much more than i ever imagined...!" she could hardly believe that it was her body wearing that tattoo! it seemed absolutely perfect already, but darker shading on the flames could make this beyond perfect, if such a thing existed. [break][break]

"i think darker shading would work amazingly. other than that it's perfect." she smiled gently, endeared by the tattoo artist and their chingling. what a surprisingly harmonic duo! "thank you, aloe."

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Mika Nakayama[break][break]

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she smiled warmly, happy that everything was going along so well. and as they moved back downstairs, the ranger spared a quiet hello to aloe's chingling, the bell pokemon's brightness and energy quite refreshing, all things considered! and just as mika was going to say something clumsy in an attempt to fill the silence, aloe pressed a button against the wall, and revealed the stunning night sky past the windows, a cool breeze coming in from the outside. [break][break]

"oh, wow." was all mika said in response, taken in by the sight. it took her a moment to realize that aloe had prepared a backless chair for her to sit on, and she hurried over to it after a while, thankful for the chance to rest. "with a view like that, i'm surprised you're not stuck here 24/7." her attempt at small talk, just a wayward comment followed up by a tiny chuckle. they were being honest, though. it was the beauty of nature that made it so easy for them to be a ranger, to spend hours lost in that night sky. [break][break]

instead, they were resting together, cigarette smoke filtering out through the window, the smell sardonic but not unwelcome. mika themself didn't smoke, but they did have the occasional drink here and there. so while aloe unwinded on the couch, mika helped themself to some of the wine from the refreshment fridge. she didn't mind that it was the canned kind, and took a few sips comfortably before responding to the tattoo artist's inquiry. [break][break]

it took everything in her not to spit-take right then and there. "well," she began with a laugh, "being a ranger is kind of like being a travel doctor. always on call, always ready for the next big thing. lots of nature, which if you like that kind of thing, can be nice." needless to say that she was an active person who loved nature, so it was the ideal job for someone like her. but as for any rangers who had caught her eye... "if you can believe it, i've actually been on a few dates with fellow rangers before. nothing's really worked out, though." [break][break]

it was more like, mika didn't find the spark with anyone the way she had done with her ex. normally, talk about her previous relationship was difficult to get out of her, but something about this atmosphere tonight made her feel comfortable — like she could tell aloe just about anything, right now, and it would be sacred if only for a moment. as long as she didn't give away too much. "my ex, she and i...oh, where do i even begin?" she shook her head, a bit embarrassed by how honest she'd been, trailing off due to uncertainty. she was never good at starting conversation or keeping it when it mattered, so maybe aloe could help her out a bit...? [break][break]

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Mika Nakayama[break][break]

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somehow, mika felt like she could relate to aloe's words just then. it was far too easy for her to fall into solitude, choosing herself and nature over other people if given the chance. maybe that was why the ranger life suited her — it was a promise that she wouldn't be alone forever, even if she'd been the one to self-isolate first. it was a guarantee that someone, somewhere, out there, needed her, and not even the sagely mika could pretend to be above that kind of attention and care. [break][break]

she just laughed quietly, taking another swig of her drink while doing so. she wasn't looking to get stone-drunk (though maybe with someone like aloe, the experience would be interesting rather than dreadful), but the alcohol certainly settled some nervousness in her, and made it easier to talk about certain people in a casual capacity. [break][break]

...fuck love, anyway, right? there was more bitter than sweet in aloe's voice, and mika blinked slowly at him, as though trying to see the emotion from the words. as though trying to find the blood behind the scars in his words. instead, she found a strangely compassionate gaze, and her amber irises flitted away, too burned by the shared eye contact. "...it wasn't all bad," she admitted quietly, swirling the wine around in its glass. "but, oh, you're right. i don't think my past relationship can compete with that." there was some borrowed charm and lightheartedness in their words, a doppleganger's affectation from the charismatic tattoo artist before her, a reflection of the friendly goodwill that came between airing out grievances with another person. tit for tat, and all that. [break][break]

"sorry that happened to you, both of you. i don't think things ever got that bad between my ex and i. it was more like... we slowly started drifting apart." mika's voice was rueful, the fire in her eyes smoldering low with the smokes of regret. "it couldn't be helped, though. after our first several months together, she had to go back to her home region. kalos." mika remembered it like it was yesterday (and truth be told, it was difficult for her to accept that it wasn't as recent as her heart made her think it was). "and i was born and raised here. then...well, everything happened. made it hard to stay in contact." it was at this point that mika realized she was too many glasses in, but there was no going back now. [break][break]

trying to lighten the mood, they shrugged their shoulders, and looked out the window as they said, "and i'm the one who broke it off, too. i mean, what else could i have done? everyone who'd been in hoenn at the time didn't know how things would turn out, so..." the words sounded selfish as they left mika's mouth, her shame more bittersweet than the wine going through her. she sighed loudly. "oh, um, and i...i didn't mean to go on for that long..." [break][break]

Mika Nakayama[break][break]

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aloe had listened so intently, mika's cheeks felt warm, shaded with embarrassment. it was only natural, though. she hadn't even voiced these thoughts of hers to her own self, let alone another person. now more than ever, though, she appreciated aloe's cooperation, and how he didn't seem to judge even when mika waxed all sorts of poetic about her ex-girlfriend. [break][break]

"yeah, you've got a point. that's how life is sometimes, right?" like ships passing in the night, or twin flames that go out at different times, love was ever-fickle, always changing. "the funny thing is, i've run into her a few times. looks like she's back in hoenn for some time." it sounded like an admission, in a way: i still think about her all the time. [break][break]

as for whether mika still loved Julie Solette ... "...i could say that i didn't love her anymore, but i think that would be a lie. maybe." her cheeks were fully flushed red, now, whether due to the wine or her heart's sincerity in a vulnerable moment. regardless, she'd stop drinking, stretch her limbs a bit, and get ready for the tattoo to resume. [break][break]

they said, "it's more like i can't imagine not loving her, even if we're not together. we were good friends, still are, i'd like to think. things are just... different, y'know?" mika looked a bit uncomfortable now, as if she was trying to banish her pure honesty from before. "u-um, i think that's enough wine for me tonight, haha." [break][break]

Mika Nakayama[break][break]

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he was too good of a listener. there'd hardly been time to process his wise words when mika had been hit with the realization that she went on for much longer than she should've, delaying the last phase of the tattoo process considerably so. "thank you, aloe. that's very kind of you to say. i hope the same for yourself of course." it seemed that mika still held onto a hopeful shard of the past, while aloe was in a much different place with his past love. that's what made love amazing though, right? it united everyone in its feelings, in the throes of passion, and connected hearts across the globe. [break][break]

if not for love, mika would never have stepped foot in this place to begin with. love had felt like a burden at times, but that burden was always self-imposed. no, for mika, love had set her free and this tattoo was a symbol of that. wherever she'd take wing and soar next, she hoped to do so knowing that endless skies await her. [break][break]

that maybe, not all hope was lost. perhaps their newfound courage was of the liquid kind, but mika didn't mind. these were all just precious moments in time she'd gather in her hands, and hold close to her own heart. [break][break]

the rest of the night with aloe eon, however, went like this: [break][break]

beautiful flames, flickering off the wings' edges, enveloped in the plumage itself — as bright as a fire stone against mika's skin. and when the last of the night gave way into late dusk, early dawn, mika's tattoo was finished, and she thanked aloe a thousand times over for his hard work, throwing in a bigger tip on top of the already paid sum for tonight's session. [break][break]

love having been both her liberator and her connector, crossing her path with another's, leading her home like a guiding light in the dark. [break][break]

her back like a painted mural, a beautiful depiction for all the world to see — the wings of the firebird.[break][break]