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Ever since her embarrassing display with @iris, Thea had made it a personal goal of hers to manage a hike once or twice a week. She had grown lazy since arriving in Hoenn, more preoccupied with settling in to worry about personal fitness. But it was time to get back into shape and tackle the task she used to enjoy.[break][break]

It's just a shame Hoenn's climate is so much hotter than in Galar. Either that or she was breaking a sweat much faster - how disappointing.[break][break]

Ash settles in her pale hair and she attempts to brush it away as she continues on her way. Her skin is slick with sweat and she's glowing, but there's a rosiness to her cheeks that suggests she's exhausted.[break][break]

She uses one hand to brace herself as she catches her breath, fishing for her water bottle with the other.

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The heat-induced drumming in her ears prevents her from hearing someone approaching from behind. So when Lance finally approaches and says something, she startles slightly, spilling water down the front of her shirt.[break][break]

"Oh! You surprised me."[break][break]

She's thankful for her pre-existing red cheeks that mask the flush she feels when realizing the man is without a shirt. Fortunately, she opts to maintain eye contact.[break][break]

"If you want to, but I'm not incredibly fast so you might be disappointed."[break][break]

Thea chuckles awkwardly as she pats dry the water spill on her shirt.

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Thea's gaze followed Lance's to the stain on her shirt and she finds herself chuckling nervously - something unlike her. In his presence she seems to melt like puddy, all intent to remain poised and perfect evaporated.[break][break]

But he offers her a towel and she takes it even if she doesn't really need it. The sun is more likely to dry her shirt faster than a towel could blot it out. The sentiment is nice, however, and she awkwardly uses the tool given to her to pat herself dry.[break][break]

"A useful trait, I'm sure."[break][break]

She clears her throat, arm extended as the towel dangles between them. [break][break]

"Thank you. For the towel."

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An hour? Oh god.[break][break]

Thea exhales through her mouth, stretching her back, hands pressing against the small of her back as she anticipates the climb. [break][break]

"Yeah, of course."[break][break]

She hadn't actually made it all the way to the crater before, retiring early due to the heat or her screaming hamstrings. [break][break]

But he's already moving on and she's not about to embarrass herself further, so she readjusts her own pack to follow in step behind him.

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The majority of their climb is spent in silence - at least on Thea's end. Her focus remains on the task at hand, and speaking requires breath and, while not thin all the way up the mountain, she'd prefer to not grow more light-headed than she already is.[break][break]

She's also otherwise distracted, making sure to place her feet firmly with every step and to not stare at the way Lance's back muscles tense and relax with every step he takes. [break][break]

He makes a comment which prompts her to stop and catch her breath. The woman leans against the craggy edge, fishing for her water bottle.[break][break]

"That's... a shame.." she pauses to sip between words. "Do the rangers keep you that busy?"

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With the back of her thumb, Thea wipes away sweat from her cheek. She's taking a moment to catch her breath and stretch out her back. The hike is putting a strain on every muscle in her body and she could really use a sit-down, but admitting weakness in front of someone who almost certainly would laugh at her? Preposterous.[break][break]

And so she opts to focus on sipping her drink and not breathing too heavily, not drawing too much attention to the fact she was absolutely not keeping up the same way he was able to just keep going. Not that he probably didn't already know - but she preferred to remain oblivious to that knowledge.[break][break]

"There's always sightseeing if you're willing to look."[break][break]

She voices her opinion flatly, an instinctive reaction as she slips back into her typical Thea response chain. As if to prove her point, she gestures to the view they have from their current position.[break][break]

"You're missing out on this right this very moment, so eager to reach the top. You'll miss what's right in front of you."[break][break]

Because she's busy looking at the region from her vantage point, she misses Lance's display of hair tousling and muscle-bound flair. [break][break]

Of course, her attention quickly returns, eyebrows raising in surprise at his forward comment. It reminds her of their coffee date. Had that been a date? She hadn't been on a date in years. [break][break]

"Y-yes, it's nice we ran into each other."[break][break]

She clears her throat, masking the sound of the pebble dropping from her end of the conversation. Though she doesn't miss the heavy footsteps that practically made the ground beneath her feet tremble. She's quick to try and catch her balance, keenly aware of how precarious their position is - depending on how close to the edge of the trail they were.

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Thea pulls herself away from the view to see Lance drinking from his water bottle - she's missed his eyes lingering on her. Even still, she seems aware of something, especially given his slightly ominous response. It leaves a distinctly warm feeling in her chest that she can't shake, and she doesn't respond. She merely watches him in return as he appreciates the view.[break][break]

However, her moment of quiet appreciation and silence is soon dismissed in favor of surprise and fear. She watches as a Gigalith peels itself off of the craggy rock wall. It cracks and breaks, pebbles tumbling off the side of the path. The Pokemon's every movement is a rumble and she feels the pit in her stomach fall away with dread.[break][break]

She manages to compose herself both as a result of Lance's calm reaction and because he is positioned in front of her. But the Pokemon begins to approach and she feels her mouth go dry.[break][break]

"Lance?"

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