”Sweet and spicy? Hmm…”

Should she be surprised that he’s actually kind of right? Does that make her predictable, or is it that he can tell after the time they have spent together? For her own sake, she chooses to think it’s the latter…

”I really like dessert, but I don’t eat sweets often otherwise, and I do love spicy food.”

It’s gently and quietly that she chuckles at this.

”What about you?”

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

It’s calmly and patiently that she waits for him while he locks the door to the office, a smile remaining at her lips – faint yet ever present.

But, of course she should have expected him to throw the question back at her, and if only for a second, she gives him a slight pout before beginning to walk down the hallway.

”Hmm…”

Where’s the fun in just telling him?

Lia turns to look at him, giving a smirk.

”Take a guess? What do you think I’d like?”

A seemingly innocent yet potentially dangerous question.

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

Perhaps it’s a good thing that she’s too preoccupied with grabbing her things so they can leave, because while she does notice the wink and the grin, it’s easy to turn away and hide just how flushed her cheeks are at this.

It’s silly, really, but it also makes her smile, and after getting her phone and her jacket, she takes a deep breath as if to steady herself, then walking over to the door.

”So, what are we eating?”

A smile, soft and playful as ever.

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

’It’s cute.’

Lia has never had a lot of issues with confidence, especially when it comes to her own appearance, but there’s something about the way he says things like those that makes her heart raise, and those pink hues on her cheeks only deepen.

”What... How is it cute? I don’t usually wear them unless I know I’ll be on working on a computer for long or so…”

But he already knows this, doesn’t he?

After all, even if not alone together, they have seen each other almost every single day since she became a ranger.

It’s a bit strange to think about it, isn't it? Even if it makes her happy...

”Fine, though. I’ll wear them.”

She sighs in defeat, but a chuckle comes after it, and the moment he gets up, she turns towards the screen in order to save her work and shut down the computer.

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

Does she want him to stop distracting her?

Of course not. Never.

Why would she ever?



It may not be the most professional thing to do, and there may only be little that is “captain-like” about the attention Lance gives her. It may come with some unfair advantages toward her, and some people may dislike it. But, despite all that, it’s not as if she can help how happy it makes her when he looks at her just like this – as if she’s the only person to whom he’d ask that question that in reality is so very meaningless and simple.

”Oh.”

She may have been teasing him a second ago, but now pink hues spread across her cheeks with terrible ease.

”Lance.”

Once more, a pout, but this one is soon followed by a chuckle and a soft smile.

”Okay, but you’re paying.”

Doesn't that make it kind of like a date?

Honestly, she'd rather not ask.

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

”Ledian sleeps wrapped in leaves or grass in temperate and tropical forests during the day. At night, it flutters around scattering a glowing powder that is thought to bring good luck.”


Despite having become a ranger, Lia has never been one to have an encyclopedic knowledge of most pokémon and their behaviour. Years upon years have been spent among tomes and scrolls, but it is only rarely that any of them talk of any zoology at all. So, in truth, the information that comes with a quick search on her phone about Ledyba and Ledian is new and unexpected, and she finds herself so entranced in her reading that she almost misses the strange sounds that come from above...

Thankfully, her Decidueye doesn’t, and it’s this pokémon’s hooting that lead her to put her phone away and look up.

It’s then when she sees some guy on a Metagross with his cute Meowstic, and it sure makes for quite a sight.

Guy who, apparently, happens to be the fellow ranger she’s been waiting for for the past… What, five minutes? Ten? It’s been so little time that she hasn’t even been keeping count, so why is he apologizing to her?

”I just got here too, don’t worry about it.” Her smile is soft and kind, and when he shows her his badge, gold-coloured eyes set on it for a second or two before returning her attention to him.

”Then you must be Razz Kingsman, right? You can just call me Amelia or Lia, most people go with the latter.” She shrugs, chuckling lightly.

”Should we head in?”

Raziel Beckett | MISSION

☉

At his words, Lia pouts; perhaps to get her point across, perhaps if only for his sake. Probably the latter.

”Lance. You’re sweet.”

She repeats herself, as if nothing he could ever say could convince her otherwise. And, while maybe there are things that could, right here, right now, it feels like that’s just an undeniable truth.

He has been kind to her, he has been honest, he has shared things about his life, and he has tried to comfort her when she has done the same. All of those things matter to her.

”Hmm… Probably. I lost momentum now that you distracted me from working on the files.”

Even if faintly, Lia smirks at him.

Blame it all on Lance, of course, because it’s not as if she'd pick talking to him over working any day.

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

It’s selfish of her.

Why should he have to comfort her?

Despite the way Lance may act, her pain and her grief aren’t any more real or somehow worse than his. He has probably suffered through a lot more than her, he has probably lost much more than what she has, so why is he the one reassuring her?

When she finally looks at him, there is a faint and soft smile, even if it’s not a happy one.

”Lance… I don’t know if it will ever be enough.”

Her words are honest, but she sighs, and she still holds his hand.

”Thank you, though. You’re really sweet.”

He is. To her, at least.

Why is he always so nice to her?

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

Can he really imagine it?

Probably, considering everything he has been through. He can probably understand that it would suck to have every single person around him know about it without him even having a choice on the matter. But, selfishly so, it’s hard for Lia to believe that anyone actually understands her.

At least the way he reaches for her hand is welcomed, and she allows it to happen, even gently squeezing despite still not meeting his gaze when the question is answered:

”Yeah… A part of it... It’s all too late, though.”

Too late to be useful to anyone who mattered to her.

But, at least she can help other people, right?

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

’It's easier to move on here.’

Is moving on okay, though? Is it the right thing to do?

In his case, Lia would agree without hesitation, because for as little as she may know about Lance, she does know he deserves to be happy…

But, what about herself?

Is it okay for her to move on?

At his questions, she sighs, leaning against the back of her chair.

”Not really tired... It just kind of sucks to have everyone know about something that’s intimate and personal for most people, you know?”

Like the whole world knows about her pain and vulnerabilities.

”If you want an honest answer, I…”

She looks away from him, because it’s easier to talk about it without looking at him.

How does she really feel about it?

”...I feel like I failed them.”

Useless.

That’s how Lia feels, and she's not wrong to feel this.

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

Why does he smile like that? Is it for her sake, or for his own? Is it to pretend like everything is okay when it so clearly is not?

For a second, her thoughts return to the conversation she had with ANA STONE when they saw each other again…

”That makes sense… I imagine being at a place that didn’t constantly remind you of them probably helped…”

There’s nothing enjoyable about being at a place that’s filled with memories of someone you miss but can never see again, Lia also knows this well.

’I'm sorry about what happened to your family, too.’

Of course.

”Ah… Yeah, I guess it makes sense that you know about that…”

Doesn’t everyone?

They may know what happened, but how could they ever understand how she feels about it?

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

Out of all things Lance could have told her, this is one of the last things she would have ever expected. She should have, because it just makes sense: why wouldn’t a guy like him have settled down at his age? Why wouldn’t he have found love? Why wouldn’t he have a family?

Maybe it’s just that all that seems so foreign and distant to Lia…

Things she doubts she’ll ever have.

But, if those things don’t matter to her, why does it hurt to know that he had them and lost them in such a horrible way?

Whatever remnants of a smile may have been on her expression completely fade away.

What can she even say?

”I’m sorry, Lance.”

As if ‘sorry’ could do anything.

Lia knows what loss is like, and she knows exactly how useless words like those are.

”...How long ago?”

LANCE VOLLANS

☉