the grind never stops, as they say! even with the giddiness in julie's step as she flits through the crowd, eager to slot herself in mika's company, the vlogger would never miss an opportunity to capture interesting footage. excitement buzzes in the air, smiles and laughter every which way no matter where julie looks. it's infectious, and, coupled with the joy in the kalosian's heart, julie felt on top of the world. [break][break]

you see, it's certainly one thing to invite someone out during the day. it's another thing to be spending the evening together, where emotions can run wilder thanks to the blanket of the night. wasn't this practically a date? maybe she could get away with clinging to mika more than usual?[break][break]

as her rotom phone soars overhead, julie hides her grin with her sleeves, head shaking. oh mika! mika, mika, mika. and julie thought she had them wrapped around her finger. the heart's so much more fickle than she'd like to believe. it'd be a wonderful night, that much julie was sure of. [break][break]

after the sea of people part, she catches sight of the ranger, julie waving a hand and calling out to her. "mimi!" she hurries along, rotom phone soon joining her in greeting the taller. "thanks for waiting!" she bats her eyelashes which are slightly longer and fuller than usual. "i hope i didn't keep you!" her gaze turns from mika to their surroundings, eyes sparkling in anticipation. "so? what's on the itinerary? i can't wait to look around!" [break][break]

+ Mika Nakayama [break]
+ haha nothing ever happens never... haha... teehe... hehe... just two gals on a not date...

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ah, there she is. mika inhales, and in that breath, wonders if she's not doing everything completely wrong. half the time, she shrugs away moments like these, reluctant to place herself or julie at each other's sides, even though they both know the placements are natural. familiar. yet the other half of the time, mika agrees to a show of closeness, and even incites it to begin with. isn't that what civilized people do, though? the two of them don't hate each other despite everything, so there should be nothing wrong with being near each other, instead. [break][break]

right? but julie looks happy to see them, so maybe this is the right thing to do, after all. "hi, jules." it would've been so easy to just elongate the word, and call her julie like the rest of the world would, but as soon as they enter each other's space, it's as though the world around them fades — becoming dull flecks of light in the background of their lives. mimi and jules, jules and mimi. the way it is, the way it had always been.[break][break]

"oh, you're fine, i wasn't waiting long. oh, um, there's a lot of things to do and see around here, so i figured we'd just start at one side of the market and make our way through." mika starts walking towards the stalls, and nods at one in particular. "wouldn't you know it, our first stop is a dessert stall. donuts and crepes, cute and sweet stuff, y'know..."[break][break]

because otherwise mika wouldn't really pay attention to that kind of thing, but there's no denying that the cream shaped in the style of eevee or pikachu is extremely endearing, as well as spun sugar in the form of a golden alcremie — a tiny topper on a decadent treat. there are many other stalls and vendors down the way, too, each one selling something different than the last. it's all exciting to think about, but the excitement ramps up a notch when someone familiar is at mika's side, their silhouettes wavering under swaying lights. [break][break]

now, if only the empty spaces between stalls weren't so dark and foreboding. it's like staring straight into the void, unsettling in the way that even mika would walk a bit faster to get to the next venue...

[break][break]

+ Julie Solette [break]
+ distorted dreams: red or blue? [break]
+ hehehe yeah their total not date like totally it's not a date and yeah just ignore those dark alleys and stuff like wow... [break][break]

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at mika's suggestions, julie can't help the giggle that escapes her. she laughs into her fingers, smile bright. it was always endearing, no matter how many times julie bore witness to it. almost six foot tall, with a resting expression enough to be considered imposing, one wouldn't think mika were weak to things considered small and cute (though, perhaps when a stranger saw the softness in her gaze when dealing with julie, it wouldn't come as a surprise at all). and yet, here mika was, already suggesting dessert stalls she witnessed serve only the cutest of designs. [break][break]

"that's just like you, mimi," julie sings, the tease in its melody. she doesn't notice the eerie darkness creeping up on them, so drunk on the high of enjoying the night market with the one person that meant everything to her. nothing could spoil the night... or could there be?[break][break]

red... or blue...? [break][break]

a chill runs down julie's spine, her eyes wide as she blinks up at mika in question. goosebumps raise on her arms, her brows furrowing as a nervous smile plays on her visage. lips part to ask did you say something, mimi? but again, the voice echoes in her ears, drawing her in, the darkness seemingly wrapping around her. instinctively, she yelps (a squeak of a heeyah...! piercing the air around them), searching for warmth and finding it by clinging to mika's arm. her face grows paler by the second, half hidden in mika's bicep. [break][break]

"wh... what was that...?!"[break][break]

the laughter caresses their cheeks with the chilling wind, julie flinching in response. she tucks herself closer against mika's side, a soft whimper leaving her throat. [break][break]

red... or... blue...? [break][break]

+ Mika Nakayama [break]
+ HERE WE GO! NOTHING SCARY ON THIS TOTALLY NORMAL NOT-DATE!

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julie laughs and mika is content to get lost in the sound of her bright cadence, the two of them falling into a familiar rhythm as they walk through the night market. it would be so easy to forget the distance between them, to erase the nebulous years in their past and re-align this night with the many nights spent in their youth, laughing and talking and strolling beneath the stars. just like before, just like it had always been. [break][break]

she's about to retaliate, saying something like well, if anyone knows me well, it'd be you, jules. except she doesn't get to say anything, as a voice so airy and light that it couldn't be attached to a living being echoes throughout, drawn out words almost like a song, empty and hollow as the shadows surrounding them. [break][break]

red... or blue...? mika meets julie's gaze, and any fear the ranger has is immediately dissipated upon seeing the fear in the other's eyes. every instinct in mika tells her to protect julie, to preserve her shine and to dispel any worries — to save something between them when mika themself had ruined everything else. [break][break]

but this? this moment, this night? this was theirs. they weren't going to make the same mistake again. as julie cowers into mika's arm, mika draws her in closer, teeth clenched and eyes hardened as she ponders the possibilities. shadows, voices, the air chilling like ice... none of it speaks to something concrete. it's the makings of a good ghost story, a tale of phantoms and ice in a world filled with warmth. and mika holds onto julie, but also carefully steps forward, so the ranger's body blocks her off — so that mika can finally stretch her heart to match her height, head tilted up so that she looks down at whatever threat presents itself, amber eyes blazing like suns that threaten to burn anything that gets too close to their orbit. anything at all. [break][break]

"stay behind me, julie. and don't worry. whatever it is, i won't let it harm you." with their free arm, mika reaches for her belt, and takes the nearest poke ball she can, activating it in a flash. a large tri-headed dragon appears, san the hydreigon roaring with renewed energy, body shaking with anticipation for some kind of conflict. typically, mika wouldn't let the dragon out unless there was a threat or a wild pokemon nearby, but in this moment, having him out feels more than appropriate. (and what a way to introduce some of her newer pokemon to julie, at that!) [break][break]

red... or... blue...? the voice repeats its earlier inquiry, and mika hesitates to answer it. when she does, however, their response is short but clipped — determined and resolute. "blue," she says aloud, eyes narrowing. "san, on your guard!" [break][break]

9A7g71wL

[break][break]

+ Julie Solette [break]
+ distorted dreams: red or blue? [break]
+ HAHA YEAH NOTHING WEIRD OR STRANGE HERE... NOTHING AT ALL... [break][break]

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mika easily can cover the entirety of julie's body with their height, and though she becomes blanketed in their shadow, julie finds comfort and safety in it. it's nothing like the cold darkness that stretches its grasp out to them from between the stands, attempting to take them by the ankles and drown them in it (though, julie muses, there's a sense of romance in it: intertwined together, searching for warmth in a sea of a freezing abyss? it sounds like something out of a novel, and while it seemed attractive, perhaps fiction should remain as such). against the expanse of mika's warm back, julie's fingers cling to her clothes, basking in the heat and the relief of her presence. [break][break]

a soft gasp of surprise involuntarily escapes her lips at the sight of the hydreigon (san, julie notes), julie only slightly confused at the fact mika owned such a destructive pokemon. still, anything seemed better than nothing, and when the ring appears out of no where, julie flinches and cowers further into mika's back. what reveals itself is a tentacruel, the pokemon looking at its surroundings and wildly flailing in response to being magically displaced. [break][break]

"look out!" the kalosian squeaks, pushing mika to the side and only narrowly managing to avoid a poison coated tentacle. behind it, julie can see the ring closing, laughter echoing as it blinks out of existence. her hair flies with how quickly she whips her head to look back at mika, brows furrowed in concern. what was that? she wants to ask, because if there's anyone she trusted on knowledge about nearly anything, it'd be them. mika experienced the world in a vastly different way than julie ever did (and ever could), and their worldly knowledge was something she relied on often. be it in their every day or in dangerous situations, julie would always think back on the ranger and her advice. [break][break]

it seemed far-fetched though. [break][break]

how likely was it that mika knew of floating circles and pokemon appearing out of no where?[break][break]

before she manages to get the words out though, the tentacruel weighs its options. the hydreigon, a ranger of menacing height... or the girl almost too petrified to move? the water type makes its choice. tentacles spread, it lunges towards julie with the intention of wrapping her, as if julie was the reason it was far away from home. its loud cry alerts her to its intention, and unable to do much else, julie only raises her arms and braces for the impact. [break][break]

+ Mika Nakayama [break]
+ finally... not 4am eli writing...

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