BOTH FACTIONS EXPLORE THE ULTRA WILDS to seize these alien domains for themselves. They must amass resources, grow their territory, and strangle the the others' influence in order to assist the war on Hoenn's mainland. As the alien earth is tilled, excavated, and repurposed, trainers find themselves encountering all kinds of artifacts... and foes.
SYNOPSIS: the hoenn league has successfully diverted the 99943 meteno meteroid into an alternate universe. consequently, the region has experienced a violent planeshifting, a bombardment of terastal crystals, and now sports various rifts to realms in the ultra wilds. as megalopolan activity begins to rise, trainers who embark in expeditions to these realms uncover secrets behind the condition of the multiverse. meanwhile, team rocket and the league amass resources to aid in their conflict against each other. the crime syndicate is poised to take more of the region territorially, while the league ponders a direct offense. legendary pokemon roam the region as potential benefactors or ruinous omens, leaving many to ponder how the hoenn region will ultimately be responsible for the end of all worlds.
there's more depth to his words than he lets on, sveva can tell, but in this moment she doesn't want to pursue his mysteries. she doesn't want to talk about whatever life he had before the here and now. she doesn't want to talk about anything before here and now. so she just laughs with him. shivers when his fingers settle on her upper leg.
"like, good to know."
her words accompany his touch, and she lets it inform them. they come out light and warm like his fingers on her cheek. as they glide down her jaw she lifts her head and opens her neck to him. heat creeps up into her cheeks when she does it. whether it's the booze, embarrassment, or excitement she can't say, but the way her stomach ties itself in happy knots lets her be sure that she's enjoying this.
"you really are a bad boy, coming onto me after giving me all this booze."
despite her playful admonishing she makes no moves to stop him. quite the opposite, she leans into him harder and pushes herself up to nestle into the crook of his neck. her hand that was gripping nikolai's finally lets go, moving to rest on his thigh closest to her. she traces random shapes above his knee, giggling gently as she does.
the littlest of skips in his heart and the knot in his stomach tells him he's enjoying this more than he should. he's not sure why; he attributes it to the alcohol, but maybe there's more to it than that. her laugh, her smile, they're infectious; she's infectious, and yet he welcomes her with open arms because he'd choose happiness even if it comes at a cost.
"you practically took it from me."
words interlaced with his breath escape in the form of hushed, warm whispers as they roll the exposed skin of her neck. the moment she leans into him harder is when his lips find her neck, kissing, tainting as he slowly moves to her collarbone.
his hand finds the side of her face, gently cupping as his fingers weave through her hair, brushing loose strands to the side. her giggle makes him break into a smile, interrupting as he pulls back for a moment. only a moment.
his lips find sveva's neck and for a moment she's silent. warmth floods her body from where they connect and a gasp interrupts her laughter. the hand that once traced idle patterns on his leg wraps around his knee and grabs it as if for support. her eyelids flutter, and as he kisses his way to her collarbone the warmth turns to tingling. the hiccuping laughter from earlier returns.
"technicality."
the word is breathless and teasing, but no match for his touch. it loses its edge as nikolai's fingertips run gently along her cheekbone, picking up stray hairs as they brush along her skin. when he moves in her bubbling giggles turn momentarily tentative.
her heart races in her chest as he draws close and for a moment she considers pulling back. then he smiles. it's warm, and excited, and so inviting that the urge to run dies in her chest.
his lips find hers and she finds him. when they kiss she doesn't play the maid and turn to jelly, but rather pushes back. she closes her eyes and leans even heavier into him. moves her hand from his leg to his far side and all but pushes him towards the floor. she's sick of sitting, and the cold gym floor seems now more inviting than ever.
bubbling laughter turns into something else the moment their eyes meet. his movements are predictable because he's giving her a chance to back out. but when she doesn't, that's when he fully commits to losing himself in the moment, allowing himself, even if just for one night, to be happy.
that's something that's been lacking in his life: just sweet, pure, innocent bliss.
her lips find his. she takes him to the ground as his back meets the cold surface, but in that moment he doesn't feel the cold; all he feels is her. his hands are free to wander though one settles on her thigh as support, slowly moving underneath the hem of her skirt.
his other finds the side of her face, cupping gently as his thumb caresses. she's on top of him for as long as he allows it, and one he's had his fun, he shifts underneath her and uses the momentum to guide her to the floor.
he never stops exploring: he tugs at her shirt then slides a hand underneath it, feeling the warmth of her skin as he moves upwards. they break once, maybe twice, to catch their breath. but he doesn't want to stop. he can't, not when she makes him feel this good.
she finds herself pleasantly surprised when nikolai lets her lead him to the floor, even more so when she feels his hands brush along the edge of her skirt and stroke the side of her face. the moments that follow are blurry and breathless. the booze, the way their kisses take the air right out of her lungs, and the pure giddiness of the moment robs her of her usual attentiveness.
she's not sure when he flips their positions but she doesn't care. she just revels in the relaxing chill of the floor that reaches her skin through the fabric of her blouse -- the heat that builds in her stomach when nikolai tugs at the bottom of her top. his hand presses flat against her stomach before tracing a path further up her body and her breath catches in her throat again. she squirms under his touches, both the sensual and sensitive.
as he gets more insistent she lets herself rise to meet his energy. she gets to work removing his shirt, and at the same time finally kicks off the shoes she's been wearing since she walked in. where they're going is clear at this point, and she finds herself rushing towards their natural conclusion without even a hint of reluctance.
memory hides deep within a cloud filled with guilt and a sense of longing. it's still dark out when he wakes, shivering and covered in dry sweat. he reaches for the covers but stops when he realizes it's not what he needs. it's not why he's cold. he calms his breathing.
breathe. one. two. three. four. breathe.
the woman sleeping next to him goes unnoticed for the longest time, but when he does look over he's stunned for a moment. he can't remember much of the night let alone how they found their way back to his place.
but he's not complaining.
when the shivering stops and his heart steadies, he lies back down and gently wraps an arm around her, nuzzling close before drifting back into slumber.
