Five minutes until he would take matters into his own hands, he decided. After noting the time upon his watch and shifting his attention back to those before him, he’d only remained idle for a little while longer prior to inhaling deeply and broadening a smile upon his lips; eying a particular few and raising his voice in other to call out to them. There had been no reason for the air to remain awkward in anticipation as they all waited, so he’d decided to take matters into his own hands. May as well get to know some of those who’d been assigned to the training regimen, after all.[break][break]

At some point, he’d even made his way from the smaller, faintly-lifted stage that had been set up some time beforehand in order to get a better look at those that responded more positively, eagerly, and with some liveliness to his calls. All the while, his stride had been nothing short of brisk, and as he gave those willing to converse an open ear, he’d even found himself laughing at some of the comments made by those of the younger generations. Once every so often, he’d gesture towards his Pokemon (ever peaceful and patient upon the stage, sitting and swaying his tail where he’d initially grounded himself as he watched the crowds with curious and lively eyes) before glancing around at the Pokemon that any and all may have brought with them. Another few comments, and he would move on to the next group, and then the next; noting each of their mannerisms and speaking patterns in order to gradually form the best manner of approach and explanation within his head.[break][break]

Around the time that he’d found himself leaving the third group, he lifted his gaze to peer back over the horizon and the distance, once more, and upon noting the approach of a familiar, lone individual, he slowed to a pause before quickly beginning to make his way towards her. He lifted a hand in greeting, and upon hearing her words, shook his head and gave her a continued smile.[break][break]

”Nah, no worries!” he responded, tilting his head up to eye the sun within the sky, once more. The sight of numerous birds fluttering by registered within his senses all the while, and by the time a smaller group of Unfezant seemed eager to cross his gaze, he tilted his head back down to meet hers, gesturing back towards the crowds and the stage closely by. ”Happens, anyways. Just glad you made it here, altogether~.”

DAPHNE STONE [break]
mission: how to train your dragon

☉

”No, really, it’s no--”[break]

He never got to finish that response.[break][break]

A sympathetic and empathetic display had been the initial thing to be offered to her as he’d begun to speak, but alas, it had been cut terribly short as the creature shifting and whining within his arms had decided to try his hand at escaping, once more; that time bursting with with such energy and passion within his attempts that his trainer had little choice than to be caught amiss by the sudden, obscure means of movement occurring within his arms. One moment, he had been confident within his thoughts of having the situation under control, only to have such thoughts so brutally wrested from his control as he watched the runt scurry along the path in front of them. A quick, ”DRAKON--” had been all that was able to leave his lips before he bore witness to the absolute destruction of yet another, innocent Pokemon as the small, rocky creature sprinted with such gusto before biting down with another Crunch upon the...Palossand.[break][break]

Seeing a literal sand castle get bitten into was an odd sight, to say the least.[break]
There they were, though.[break][break]

In the midst of the aforementioned destruction, the trainer merely kept staring at what had just occurred; briefly gathering his thoughts and mustering a sigh as he straightened his stance and inhaled deeply. As a reflection of his exasperation, as well as his brief loss of words, he held the breath before slowly sighing outwards, shaking his head and rubbing his face gently. ”Just-... Ah, damn it.” he murmured, pursing his lips following the words and seemingly giving up as he opened his eyes and turned towards the woman, once more.[break][break]

”Uh...yeah, though. We have~,” he went on, scratching his neck. He gave his Pokemon a cursory (wary) glance as he seemed intent with frolicking some ways away. ”...Small world~. I was actually wondering if I should’ve brought it up~...”[break][break]

(tl;dr note: skipping both)

DAPHNE STONE

☉

The amount of sheer anticipation and excitement borne for him to witness had been equal parts exhausting and amusing, all the same. From the moment the two of them had taken their seats, the cub within his lap had his eyes glued to none other than the stage and its combatants, time and time again; Although he,himself, had remained significantly more composed in comparison to the little creature within his hold, the azure eyed man had felt an absentminded sense of viral exhilaration igniting and burning within his soul as one of several spectators that day, and before long, he found himself tugging his lips into a smile watching the display, and soon giving a proper grin in the midst of the blunt force displays occurring before him. Once every so often, a whistle left his lips, only to be followed by the moniker of whichever contestant he’d found himself enamored by exclaimed into the eye around him.[break][break]

Some may have expected him to have outright stood up amidst his cheers.[break]
He was close to it.[break][break]

And yet, save for the momentary bout of weakness (with a first thrown up, or a hand cupped over his mouth to tunnel his exclamations), he remained seated, and he remained moderately like an adult- for being anything otherwise would have only served to enable the bear within his lap ever more. Still, there had been an occasional bounce of the knee to give way to his infatuation with the blaze of battle, as well as the hunch of his posture as he leaned forward within his seat with further investment; something that the cub with him had only sought to instinctively replicate with each movement. Before long, however, the noting of another voice rung true to him; a familiar tone that made him perk up slightly, and words that had ultimately driven him to look up at the calling of his own name. Blinking, he shifted his posture in favor of sitting up faintly straighter, and found himself glancing over his shoulder (and upwards, upon remembering the difference in leveling) to the sight of a certain blonde.[break][break]

A warm smile settled upon his lips (a light contrast to the one infused with the curiosity of war from moments prior) as he leaned back against his chair, properly. The dual toned creature with him kept his eyes forward, for the meantime. ”Oh, Daph, hey!” he said back, his tone laced with both welcome and a chuckle, alike. His gaze drifted briefly towards the little blue that accompanied her before raising to meet hers, once more. ”Yeah, that’s an understatement~... What’re you doing in the city~?”

DAPHNE STONE [break]
mission: down for the count

☉

A touch of regret sparked within him.[break][break]

By sole virtue of the company beheld before him being one of enjoyable nature, the apologetic front that he had shown her had been genuine within all of its honest purity, and he had intended to do nothing more than speak a few more words prior to properly taking his leave. At the very least, he would have expected some form of ongoing smile and amusement from her, just as he would from any other within her condition. He would have expected some means of haphazard farewell, alongside a swift means of attention aversion towards the nearest victim to be within his absence, but there, he found himself continuously eying her. It had been then that he became all too reluctantly reminded of one of the main things that made him the man that he was, and at the mercy of a softened heart (it was within those moments that he envied the stubbornness and sturdiness of a ground-type), he tapped his fingers against the translucent mug before him for several moments more before pulling his hand back.[break][break]

With orbs of azure still lingering upon those of viridian, the eastern extremity would have moved itself against his form, once more, and made its way into one of his pockets; only shifting around for but a spell or two prior to returning to the visible eye again. Lodged between his fingers had been his wallet, and - soon after fiddling around for a second time - a smaller journal that he kept with him. After plucking a couple of bills out, he opened his notes to a blank page; bringing forth the pen clipped to the cover and clicking it prior to scribbling a swift note down.[break][break]

He tore it out (alongside a second one that he kept as well out of her sight as he could), folding it and sighing quietly as he offered it towards her. He nodded towards it and her, quirking his lip softly within an encouraging, amused smile. ”...That look is a real showstopper, you know what~...?” he mused on at first, chuckling all the while. Taking but a brief moment to hook the pen upon one of his breast pockets, he joined the journal alongside it before folding the currency bills (though not without inserting the second note within them) and sliding them further along the counter for his tender to see the next time he passed by, going on to turn his attention towards the blonde next to him afterwards. ”Mmn… I really have to go soon, but what if I did say I could stick around? ...Just for a bit longer~?”

DAPHNE STONE

☉

Although those present hadn’t quite known, he’d struck a deal before arriving.[break][break]

To the passing cadet, there had been nothing more than the air authority exuded from him and the dragon by his flank as he stood there, alongside his trainer, with an otherwise uncharacteristic sense of composure and calmness. While waiting for those to gather and gander, the latter had even sought to shift carefully upon his feet prior to settling himself down with claws outstretched before him, and tail swaying gently behind him as he tilted his head up towards the person with him. Before long, azure eyes met those of onyx, and after sparing a quick smile and pat of the head, the man continuously looked over the smaller crowds gathered before him for several moments more. He gave them all an idling eye before broadening his smile, standing tall with his hands held comfortable against the small of his back within an instinctive stance.[break][break]

The recruits standing and crowding some ways away seemed, at the very least, manageable at first glance. Not too many of them looked to be too out of their league, nor too uppity as to reject some forms of advice and the like. That was a good sign. The lot of them seemed content with taking in what little, calmer sights there had been to behold within the city as they waited, while the remainder seemed entangled and entranced within conversations that they had found themselves pulled into, regardless of whether or not the other people in question had been companions or quickly befriended acquaintances. Nevertheless, he found solace within the occupation, and before long, had parted his hands shortly for the sole purpose of lifting his wrist.[break][break]

He spared it a swift glance, humming lowly to himself in thought. His tongue clicked gently as he drew it back down, though that time had slipped it within the cover of a pocket as he gave the ever-growing group another look, and then tilted his up, briefly, as he squinted towards the sky. His lip quirked gently, and for a moment, he tilted his head back down and tugged one of his sleeves slightly upward.[break][break]

Gonna get a farmer’s tan, at this rate... Should’ve brought that sunscreen…[break][break]

He sighed, bringing his attention back towards the others.[break][break]

They said I’d have a partner here… he went on to himself, subtly shifting his attention to peer over the heads and towards the background. Might have to start this without them if they don’t get here soon…

DAPHNE STONE[break]
mission: how to train your dragon

☉

If he had to be entirely honest, his original plan had been to do nothing more than sightsee and maybe do a little bit of shopping for the little one he had waiting back home, but lo and behold, there he was. Sometime into his venture around the region, he’d sought to spend his free time following a mission taking it easy, and it hadn’t been too long before the sight of a rather odd ringside attraction caught both his and his walking companion’s eyes- though between the two of them, it had been the latter that seemed all too excited and inspired by the event. It had gotten to the point where he strayed far enough from the man’s side to catch a closer look at what was going on to drive him to follow after.[break][break]

Something, something, now he found himself at a loss while waiting for the fighter cub’s turn to fight.[break][break]

Supposedly, the event was just a popup event, and contestants were free to sign up as they pleased- and so, after taking a seat by the ringside with the aforementioned cub within his lap (all while the little one, himself, seemed to be bouncing and vibrating in anticipation and excitement while watching the others’ performances before him), he sighed while resting a hand upon Ares’ head. He rubbed his fingers against his ears while tilting his head in observation of the event as it progressed, occasionally raising his brows and giving an instinctive, yet curiously invested grimace every so often upon seeing what the combatants had to offer.[break][break]

He glanced down at the cub beneath his hand.[break][break]

[“...Honestly not sure whether I should be sorry for you or who gets matched against you~...” he laughed gently, broadening the smile upon his lips at the sight of the Pancham burying its face and head further against his palm. ”Guess we should say our prayers either way, though~...”

DAPHNE STONE[break]
mission: down for the count

☉

Damage control on aisle seven.[break]
For the love of all things good, there’s a desperate need of damage control.[break][break]

There was more or a less a limited time to react accordingly (the realization and panic of such swift to surface upon his face as he noted the arrival of even more pokemon), so he’d driven himself to act hastily in the form of lunging towards his little companion; catching him just in the nick of time as he’d began to make his way over towards the newcomers with such vigor that it practically warranted the thrashing that would have surely come to follow. For the first several moments, the tiny dragon flailed rather aggressively within his hands, but after a sudden, yet swift series of gentle flicks upon the nose, he seemed to calm down a faint amount (even if it was followed by a small, whining whimper in response). He inhaled deeply and sighed, turning his attention towards the neighboring woman as he continuously gave his attempts at restraining the creature within his arms from partaking within a frenzied feast upon innocent passerbys.[break][break]

”No, no, it’s-... It’s honestly fine~...” he spoke with a touch of amused exasperation, narrowing his eyes as he gave the (still flailing) runt within his grasp a soft, side eyed glare. It continued to thrash about for a short while, though seemed to freeze up upon making eye contact before suddenly chiming with an innocent noise, swaying its tail gently. Calix scrunched his face slightly- though not without a gently affectionate smile, despite the fiasco he’d just evaded. ”It’s hard dealing with a handful, I get it~,” he continued on, loosely raising his gaze to trail after the Pokemon afar with a slight wariness, as if worried that the brief display from his own may have garnered some attention. ”That’s just how it is~. ...All you can really do is hold ‘em back as best as you can…”[break][break]

tl;dr note: skipping both

DAPHNE STONE

☉

If he had to be honest, there was a little, unspoken something about the way that she repeated his name upon introduction. Within any other sort of scenario, the smile borne upon his lips would have burned brighter with a clarity akin to crystal; the hum of a chuckle that escaped his lips entailing a similar sort of sound as it resounded within the air around them, all the while. On some level, it still did- albeit with a more subtle, almost stifled touch as the corners of his lips tugged upwards within a more restrained manner. Still grazing the tips of his fingers along the glass before him, he gently and repeatedly tapped his nails upon it, procuring a subtle click that persisted for several moments more before ultimately lifting the glass for what would be a final time.[break][break]

Following that, he tilted his head back much like how he had done sometime prior (though not without maintaining her gaze from the corner of his eye). With a gentle caress, he pressed his lips against the edge before allowing the liquor to flow down and against his tongue; carefully taking it in and washing it down as the gentle sting registered within his senses. He remained leaned back just long enough to strain the last of its major contents before setting the containment back upon the varnished surfaces bordering him, all while catching the varied movements that she made. His gaze shifted towards her hand as she fiddled with her hair, and then towards the stain of her own glass once more before eventually meeting her eyes, once more, while barely and finally seeming to take notice of the rosy skin that she offered up for display[break][break]

He hummed within a quiet idleness. ”...Yeah, I guess I get that every so often~,” had been his first choice of response, followed by none more than another laugh of softened amusement. His fingers tapped again, lightly, as he tilted his head and allowed himself the leisure of taking her in that much more. ”...I gotta say, though- I do~.” An apologetic touch embraced the smile that he wore as he shrugged slightly, pressing his lips faintly against one another. ”Places to be~. ...Honestly just planned to stop by here for a drink or two…”

DAPHNE STONE

☉

Now, the next decision he made would be somewhat of a gamble, to say the least. The question of the day by that point was simple:[break][break]

Did he want her to know?[break][break]

Of course, there was a smaller chance that she wouldn’t even remember any answer he’d give her, alongside the possibility of her not even remembering his face, altogether, in the event they even somehow crossed paths again. Such were the cons of the drink, after all. To call it some form of minor amnesia probably would’ve been something of a stretch (far be it for he, the furthest from a medical professional, to make some sort of official and dependable statement about it), but whatever it could be considered had been the exact thing that he was hoping would happen by the time that she was back in a proper state of mind.[break][break]

He spared a glance towards the glass by her fingers, and another once towards the lingering traces of crimson embedded upon the round of it. Purposeful, he could only assume. Another, gentle hum sounded from between his lips as he tapped his fingers against that of his own for several moments more; a soft, repeated clink of contact resounding within his ears a gaze of azure met that of viridian brilliance for a longer while. Before long, however, he shifted has hand a bit further (all while sparing a glance towards his arm, and pondering upon the lingering of her touch from mere moments prior) in order to hook his fingers firmly, around the handle again. ”...Calix~,” he started off simply offering her an extended smile. His eyes hadn’t left hers, even as he pulled the remainder of his drink over and pressed the rim to his lips. ”’Daphne,’ though… Pretty name, not gonna lie~.”

DAPHNE STONE

☉

Damage control. By the love of Arceus, damage control. From the moment the little runt seemed to practically stick himself to the gravestone, Calix had given a low, wheezing groan of exasperation under his breath before beginning to reach for the Pokemon’s respective Pokeball. He’d actually managed to roll it into the palm of his hand and expanded it in preparation to recall his little, beloved son back, all before he found himself staring in confusion at the sudden entrance of...another little dragon. He furrowed his brows and blinked, and his face scrunch lightly in confusion as he began glancing around with a soft, ”Where the fuck-...?” leaving his lips.[break][break]

And then everything else moved quickly afterwards.[break][break]

He spotted the other little one’s trainer. He recognized her. He blinked again, he waved with a brief smile, and then he gave a glance back down at the sound of Drakon absolutely screaming at none other than the poor woman’s Pokemon. His confusion and defensive look shifted to one of panic between seeing the latter rear back, only for the former to begin prepping a quick Dragon Tail in preemptive retaliation. Thankfully, though, that was cut short.[break][break]

At the expense of the other two Pokemon, who he...honestly hadn’t wanted to bother questioning where they’d come from. Instead, at the sight of the newcomers (namely the Spoink, bless its soul), the sheen of the Tyrunt’s tail quickly diminished as he perked up, immediately ran over; something that the man, himself, began to respond promptly with, ”DRAKON, FOR THE LOVE OF ARCEUS, DO NOT--”[break][break]

Too late. The runt sprinted over, opened his jaws, and gave the Spoink a big old Crunch from absolutely left field.[break]
Oh, and another one, too, right after.[break]
Just to kick it while it was down. Bye bye, Spoink.[break][break]


(tl;dr note: we skippin, bois)

DAPHNE STONE

☉