[attr="class","lance"]

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

[attr="class","lance i"]in retrospect, lance should have seen how the dark clouds and inevitable rain foreshadow what's about to come. he doesn't expect it — why should he? he left that part of his life the moment he decided to leave sinnoh. it's out of his control that they decided to follow him here.

"mimi," he greets with the same simplicity as she does. his lips tug into a soft smile as he approaches. "you sure about that? i got here first."

for reasons, he remains guarded, walls risen to protect himself from the shadows of his past. they lower slightly at the sight of the jangmo-o, and he cannot help but extend a friendly hand over to dote on the baby dragon.

"what are you doing here, mimi?"

Mimi Cheng

[attr="class","mimi"]curious, the jangmo-o leaves the comfort of his trainer's pats to meet the stranger. mimi lets him. tuanzi wouldn't know lance, having been born after the last time they'd seen each other. a couple of years back, she realizes. as inconspicuous as the wingulls high above, time does fly.

"is that so?" she hums thoughtfully, "i must have missed your welcome letter, then." regardless of who had arrived here first, or whether here was this spot in particular or hoenn, a different question hangs in the air: why had he left so suddenly? but, at least for now, it is not a topic she wishes to pursue.

at the man's own question, mimi can't help but lower her gaze. she'd always been a little too proud for both of their sakes. she wiggles to the side, nevermind that the rock offers plenty of room for both trainers and pokémon the size of her garchomp, and calls him over. "why don't you sit with me? i came to hoenn on vacation, but i did miss my rival, you know."

[attr="class","seelie"]
LANCE VOLLANS

[attr="class","lance"]

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

[attr="class","lance i"]something about the jangmo-o is familiar, he decides, as he gives it all the pats it desires. he can't quite place a finger on it but the thought does leave him reminiscing, soon realizing how long it has been since he last saw her. a few years, at the least.

"you sure you didn't follow me here instead? it's okay to admit so, mimi. i'd understand."

the smile lance offers morphs into something akin to a smirk, playful and innocent in nature. he rises back to his feet, following her words to the rock. there's something about the way he settles next to her that gives away how drained he feels. whether it be from the job or something else entirely, that remains uncertain.

"it's been a while."

Mimi Cheng

[attr="class","mimi"]she laughs, wondering if she'd have followed him, had she known him to be here. no, she's certain. she would have come to visit him way sooner. unfortunate she didn't. just from getting a closer look at him, she can tell something troubles her old friend, even if she doesn't know exactly what.

"that time we rented a mantine and didn't notice the school of remoraid passing by until after it swam away and left us stuck on a small islet?" she asks, appealing to decades-old memories of two young, impressionable kids. "this is just like back then." she levels her gaze to him, a gesture reserved only for serious moments or for the sole sake of teasing him. the grin always gives her away. "your hair was greying even at that age."

satisfied, mimi scoops up the jangmo-o, by now sleepy from jumping around so much that day, back into her arms. "how has hoenn been treating you?"

[attr="class","seelie"]
LANCE VOLLANS

[attr="class","lance"]

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

[attr="class","lance i"]has it really been that long? what little of a smile present on his features grows more fond at the memory. simpler times long passed, but not forgotten. it warms him that she still remembers it so vividly.

lance scoffs, playing his role rather well. "still your fault for not noticing it. it was right in front of you." too proud to admit otherwise, he blames her like he always does. he leans away slightly, tilting his grey head of hair away from her. "probably stressed from having to deal with you."

a soft chuckle escapes him. his gaze shifts back out at the water, at how the waves roll into each other. even from where they are, some pokemon are visible underneath the water.

"it's interesting," to say the least. "more dangerous than sinnoh. i've fought shit like fires, pirates, even pokemon ever since i got here." those memories are not as fond, but they don't linger on his mind for too long before he's speaking again:

"which makes me wonder why you're here. you never answered earlier, mimi."

Mimi Cheng

[attr="class","mimi"]"you and i remember that day very differently." she doesn't press the topic, though. his laughter is reward enough for receiving the blame, just this once.

mimi listens intently to lance's retelling of his hardships in hoenn. before she has the chance to react, he changes topics and there's little she can do besides mocking offense. "what, you didn't believe me?" her face turns away from the wild pokémon looking at them from below. truthfully, she doesn't know if she'd believe herself, had she been at any other point in her life. "i am taking a vacation. realized i've been travelling to so many places without really seeing them. i wanted a change of pace." wanted, not needed. never needed.

"i'm glad i picked hoenn, though. i finally got to see you again, but..." her semblance sobers up, taking on a more serious tone. "are you okay? you've gone through a lot. pirates, you said?"

[attr="class","seelie"]
LANCE VOLLANS

[attr="class","lance"]

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

[attr="class","lance i"]it's certainly not unusual for her to be taking a vacation. she tends to do that quite often, usually disappearing for a while. but he has his qualms about hoenn, and he very well might be projecting them onto her. "i would've picked alola," he mutters, shrugging.

lance hears a shift in her tone, his posture tensing slightly at the topic. "i'm fine. the danger is good. it helps keep me distracted which is something i need." it hits him then that perhaps mimi is unaware of the tribulations sinnoh had caused him. the lack of a ring should be telling enough, but perhaps she had missed it. he considers telling her the truth for a moment.

"how long are you here for?"

Mimi Cheng

[attr="class","mimi"]surprise isn't the right word. mimi has known him for so long that any qualms about his personality had long been accepted as they were. this uneasy feeling of being off-handedly told she should've gone off somewhere else, right after a confession like hers? she supposes it can only be labeled as dejection.

he says he's fine and he can deal with the dangers. that's what she was hoping to hear, except not really. he's capable, sure, but why would it be something he needs?

"i'm not sure yet. told my agent six months, tentatively," and she averts her eyes because that's a lie she doesn't want him to see. "in the meantime, i can make some time to help with the fires, pirates, and pokemon." this, on the other hand, is completely true. there is no length she wouldn't go to for her friends.

speaking of helping friends, that of course extends to their emotional welfare. "did you and ava get into a fight?"

the pair of pokemon that show up, one unveiled by the receding water and the other flying right past them, are forgotten under the severity of what she believes to be a marital fight.

[attr="class","seelie"]
LANCE VOLLANS

[attr="class","lance"]

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

[attr="class","lance i"]lance doesn't catch onto her lie, distracted by the crashing of waves near them. "six months is a long time for a vacation." he speaks his mind without the need to filter his words. the thought of her fighting off fires, pirates, and pokemon amuse him. he chuckles softly, then says: "my hero."

not expecting the weight of her next question, it catches him completely off guard. he suddenly feels stranded, isolated on that small rock as he's forced to relive buried memories. silence overcomes them for too long before he finally speaks, voice barely audible.

"they both died last year." their names remain unspoken, perhaps too painful for lance to even mutter. he clears his throat, eyes shifting away to nothing in particular. "she swerved to avoid a deerling and lost control of the car."

Mimi Cheng

[attr="class","mimi"]three things pass through mimi's mind in quick succession. first, this is no simple marital fight. second, lance uses a plural pronoun. third, how could nobody have told her such an important matter before? at any time during her last trip home, days ago?

the silence from before has nothing on the one that follows. mimi is caught between mourning her late friend and the sweet little girl she had birthed, and trying to comprehend the feelings of loss lance himself went and likely is still going through. perhaps sensing the atmosphere, tuanzi burrows his head behind her.

at last, mimi asks, "how long ago?"

[attr="class","seelie"]
LANCE VOLLANS

[attr="class","lance"]

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

[attr="class","lance i"]"last october."

a warm breeze rolls past them, carrying his gaze along with it to idle rock formations to their left. there, a krabby skitters along, trying to stay afloat against the lapping waves. it does what it can to survive, but as a tall wave finally swallows it whole, it reminds him that sometimes, things are out of his control.

"sorry for not telling you. i thought you knew."

Mimi Cheng