[attr="class","lance"]

[attr="class","lance b"]

[attr="class","lance i"]"oh no doubt. there can only be one queen, after all."

her arrogance is read as confidence and he appreciates it. things are a lot easier when people are honest and blunt about how they feel, and though there are subtleties that lie beneath her words, what she presents at surface value is more than enough for him.

he first serves her, placing the plate of salad and scrambled egg, cooked exactly how she likes it. "enjoy," he says, before turning back for his own plate and coffee. he soon joins her, finally able to settle into his seat.

"you don't sound so sure, kat." he waits for her to start eating before doing the same, though he still favors the coffee. "that doesn't sound like you."

Katherine Fairburne

[attr="class","lance"]

[attr="class","lance b"]

[attr="class","lance i"]four things! he chuckles, agreeing with her statement, because he also only knows like four things about her. he tilts his head, nodding, before sipping his half-empty cup of coffee.

"what would you like to know?"

surprises can be good; that much he agrees with. he takes a bite of his eggs and ponders on it, soon deciding that it's okay to share more.

"i'm from twinleaf in sinnoh. i traveled the region, beating all eight gyms, before being pulled into the rangers." he speaks nonchalantly, briefly reminiscing. "i still am a ranger. it's why i travel so much."

Katherine Fairburne

[attr="class","lance"]

[attr="class","lance b"]

[attr="class","lance i"]like he does, she begins to share, and the line that once separated them as strangers starts to blur the more they speak.

"also extreme considering what happened to slateport a little over a year ago." but he shrugs, not offering more because he doesn't know enough to comment. "moving is always difficult."

"sinnoh is lovely, but the rangers needed help here." he takes a bite of the eggs. "but i guess i just needed to leave." he leaves it at that, cutting himself off from sharing more than he needs to.

her gratitude is met with a warm smile and a nod. he appreciates the gesture, even if he doesn't say it. "anytime."

a thought lingers on his mind from what she said earlier. he decides to ask, prodding to learn more.

"what's stopping you from leaving hoenn?"

Katherine Fairburne

[attr="class","lance"]

[attr="class","lance b"]

[attr="class","lance i"]"settling down in hoenn..." he mutters, chuckling because the thought had never really occured to him. he thought he had settled down in sinnoh, but the world had other plans for him, but to think that he might very well end up settling down in this region of all places is strange, and a little bit amusing.

"snowpoint does have the best chocolate in the world." he confirms her words with a smile, remembering the warmth the drink provided. "it sounds like you need a vacation. if not sinnoh, then i hear alola's nice. i haven't been either."

he pauses, leaning back into his seat. a smirk creeps onto his features and he cannot help the next few words that come out.

"who knows? the next time we randomly bump into each other again might be in a different region."

Katherine Fairburne

[attr="class","lance"]

[attr="class","lance b"]

[attr="class","lance i"]"sinnoh, then?"

despite his words, the way he shrugs his shoulders gives him away. there's very little that would bring him back to sinnoh, and a vacation is definitely not one of them. still, his mood remains joyful, as reflected on his expression.

"how about we start small and work our way up? dinner next week, maybe."

Katherine Fairburne

[attr="class","lance"]

[attr="class","lance b"]

[attr="class","lance i"]the rotom in the phone is cute, he decides, as he picks it up to punch his number in. "hi," he says to the phone rotom. it saves, or he assumes it does, and he slides it back to her.

dinner next week. they'd have to hash out the details later but he's genuinely looking forward to it. the air of mystery that surrounds both of them still linger, but he feels no need to see past it. he enjoys her presence, and that's enough for now.

Katherine Fairburne