”Yeah… Yeah, I know that feel, too…” he sighed in softly defeated exasperation.[break][break]

As much as he loved the little runt, he would’ve been a fool to even say that he was never a handful. Anyone would know the falsity of such an audacious claim with just so much of a glance, but even then, the little beast of a drake held a special place in his heart.[break][break]

Even if his house was occasionally littered with bite marks.[break]
…Even if he witnessed the little monster about to defile yet another grave.[break][break]

Needless to say, the first time was already bad enough, but he felt an immediate sense of panic upon noting another source of movement within the outliers of his peripheral. A swift glance had been all that was needed for him to realize that the source of such hadn’t been Pokemon (although he did see the next group beginning to cross through, as well), but rather, a couple more people who seemed to drop by with the intent to pay their own respects.[break][break]

His lips pulled back into an immediate, slightly panicked expression as he reached for a familiar Pokeball.[break][break]

”Okay, yeah, speaking of that—!” he called out hastily, pointing the capsule towards the dinosaur as he ran en route to another gravestone. Before he could break closer vicinity, the man pressed the button, promptly warping the creature back into his confinements posthaste. He clasped both hands over the device as it began to rustle in his grasp. ”Geez—... It’s one thing to embarrass me alone, buddy, but I can’t have ya doin’ that in front of other people…”[break][break]

He sighed, glancing towards the woman with an apologetic smile.[break][break]

”I think I should actually take this guy back. Or, like…somewhere where he won’t disrespect hundreds of dead people.”[break][break]

(tl;dr: skipping)

DAPHNE STONE

☉

He stared at her.[break][break]

”...Yeah… No…” he hummed, furrowing his brows in some form of faux frustration— a gesture rivaled only by an otherwise amused grin at the sound of her words. While he knew (hoped) she hadn’t been all too serious about the threat, the man leaned over in what seemed to be an initial gesture to pull her closer.[break][break]

Which he did.[break]
He just…tried to lock her in place, instead.[break][break]

The arm already around her shoulders simply pulled her closer, but with a careful mind and eye towards the plates before them, he shifted back slightly before pulling her after him, hooking his other arm around her almost as if latching on. Biting his tongue softly with a broadened grin, he moved one of his hands down to poke softly at one of her sides.[break][break]

”Caaan’t let that happen, sorry~. You made the suggestion, too, so I’m pretty much obligated to keep ya here, now~.”

DAPHNE STONE [break]

☉

He hadn’t quite believed a word she said until the last statement.[break][break]

It was something that caused another bout of silence to befall him— and with it, the proper faltering of the brighter expression that he’d worn thus far. While not crestfallen or anything of the sort in the slightest, a sense of seriousness overcame his otherwise bright demeanor, and he eyed her with a touch of thoughtfulness for several moments.[break][break]

And then a few moments later, just as it always seemed to do, a shadow of the former smile he so commonly donned tugged upon his lips.[break][break]

”...That’s what you’re worried about, huh?” he hummed softly, raising his brows in idle curiosity. Though she pushed against his hand, he merely moved his other one closer, cupping hers between both of his within a gingerly manner. ”You’re just…worried about me getting hurt on the job?”

DAPHNE STONE [break]

☉

…He began to think about whether or not he overshared a bit too much.[break][break]

The silence that lingered following the later bits of conversation enveloped the room before long; its grip gentle, initially, prior to gradually tightening upon the two of them as time ticked onward. For the sake of ensuring their meal-to-be wouldn’t be riddled flakes of char, he sought to keep his gaze upon the pan before him, but as he just began to lift one of the seared meats from the pan, hues of azure lifted faintly to peer absentmindedly upon the rear racks of the stovetop.[break][break]

They shifted over his shoulder almost immediately afterwards as the vague touch hadn’t been lost upon him. With a faintly confused and curious eye—and as a touch of concern briefly and gradually settled within his eyes at the shift in demeanor he beheld—he paused for just a moment more before quickly turning back towards the flames.[break][break]

He properly placed the first steak onto a nearby cutting board before doing the same with the remaining, and once he’d receded the flame and reached over to place the pan beneath running water, he turned back around to face his guest again.[break][break]

”...Is everything okay?” he mused softly, curling his fingers loosely—gently—around the tips of hers before lifting them. He ran a thumb against the inner curves of hers with a soft furrow of a brow. ”Topic too heavy?”

DAPHNE STONE [break]

☉

”Oh, woah, that's a big accusation~.”[break][break]

Mock offense and defensiveness, alike; two different things that greatly contrasted (or even emphasized) the grin that broadened upon his lips all the while. With her fingers touching against him, he merely leaned against her a bit more; a notion that had ultimately been short lived as she shifted enough to direct her eyes up.[break][break]

He met her gaze with a hum.[break][break]

”I mean…yeah, I have no reason not to trust your opinion?” he mused, raising a brow with an ongoing smile of amusement. ”I’m curious, though… What if I did say I was calling you a liar~?”

DAPHNE STONE [break]

☉

”Oh, man, I know the feel…”[break][break]

Though the words were spoken with exasperation, an amused bout of laughter hadn’t been without them. His eyes strayed towards the next few Pokemon to begin roaming the area before eventually settling back upon the two dragons that scrambled off, lingering upon the more familiar of the two as a hum escaped his lips.[break][break]

”Just be glad the little guy doesn’t have a super big mouth~.” He lifted a hand, pointing directly at his own little tyke before immediately gesturing towards the first gravestone that had fallen victim to the beast’s maw. ”That little guy? He could open his damn mouth, and you’d think you were looking into a long, lost void. It’s honestly both funny and terrifying, sometimes~.”[break][break]

(tl;dr: skipping)

DAPHNE STONE

☉

”Ehhh… I dunno~. Not sure if I’m buying it, really~...”[break][break]

Words laced with faint laughter, he watched as she helped herself to another share of her food. Before long, however, he found himself lifting an arm out of instinct in order to give her the proper room to nestle closer, and once she settled against him, the lingering laughter trailed into a soft hum as he lowered his arm against her shoulders.[break][break]

Just as she rested her head against his shoulder, he gave himself the leniency to lean his own into her hair with a gentle, ongoing smile.[break][break]

”...Honestly, though? Models are a different breed, in my opinion.” He laughed again, his eyes narrowing towards the fire with a raise of the cheeks all the while. ”People can say what they want, but it takes skill to be confident and not look stupid while striking the poses they do…”

DAPHNE STONE [break]

☉

He couldn’t help but smile in amusement as the ghost seemed to quiver and make whatever sound of happiness (it was a sound he still hadn’t known how to describe, truthfully speaking) before looming down and beginning to hover circles around the holes by them.[break][break]

…Absolutely gaping holes, by the look of it.[break]
Concerning.[break][break]

”...Some burrows, by the look of it,” the man hummed, trailing his gaze after his Pokemon prior to focusing mainly upon the aforementioned burrows in question. After leaning a faint bit to the side to examine the area for any other holes nearby, he gave a soft sigh while lowering himself onto a knee for closer examination. ”Not quite sure what kind they are, but just off the top of my head, I’d assume maybe Ekans burrows?” He furrowed his brows, glancing between the few scattered around. [break][break] ”It’d have to be way bigger to be an Arbok— and if that were the case, we’d have way bigger problems, by that point…”[break][break]

He sighed, glancing over his shoulder.[break][break]

”...Kinda surprised none of the employees have found these yet, though…”

AYAME FUJIWARA [break]
mission: pesky pescetarian

☉

He hummed, absentmindedly pursing his lips and shrugging softly.[break][break]

”Technically no, but technically yeah, also. Just comes with the job, though.” His eyes shifted towards the side for a brief moment, locating a set of tongs he’d set aside some time earlier before reaching for them. He clicked the end of them against his chest to undo the lock before using them to turn the steaks over. ”Even from a civvy standpoint, you know how it is. Bad stuff happens. The good guys gotta look into it. Same old, same old, really.”[break][break]

He took a moment to trade the tongs for a spoon, quickly stealing a couple scoops of butter from a prepared part of the mise en place he’d brought out (though not before tossing in a couple of crushed garlic gloves, as well) and beginning to baste the steaks.[break][break]

”I’m not gonna lie, though… With all that’s been happening recently, I’m getting a bit more worried.” He pursed his lips, his eyes narrowing towards the stovetop all the while. ”It’s not even just normal crime anymore— and not even the less normal crime I’m used to dealing with, either. All the stuff that’s been happening is just…so outlandish. Foreign. New. It’s kinda scary, honestly.”

DAPHNE STONE [break]

☉

…It was such an odd change of pace to see someone so taken aback by compliments.[break][break]

Not quite unfamiliar, and certainly not unwelcome— but the truth of the matter had been that it was something that he was…honestly out of practice with as far as being on the receiving end of such a reaction. A smile—one as genuine as the very words he’d uttered—remained upon his lips as he watched the words sink into her mind but there was a faint sense of nostalgia that rung true within his own mind before long.[break][break]

The past was the past, though, of course.[break][break]

Before he could run away with his own thoughts, he’d brought himself back to reality; the smile upon his lips faltering the faintest bit before rescinding altogether— though from surprise, rather than his own emotions. His gaze drifted in the same direction hers had gone, and he found himself perking up at not only the sight and sound of the two Pokemon barreling out of the ring, but also the name that the woman called out.[break][break]

”Aaaalrighty, I think we should call this one a draw, boys—” he started off with a hasty laugh, immediately getting up and reaching for his own panda cub. He clicked his tongue as the aforementioned cub seemed to instinctively insist on swinging in the air. ”I get boys will be boys, but man...”

DAPHNE STONE [break]
mission: down for the count

☉

”Still appreciated all the same,” he started off with a chuckle, eying her for a brief moment prior to shifting his attention towards the surrounding cadets once more. A soft hum emanated from his lips as he crossed his arms lightly and absentmindedly, gazing upon those present through hues of sapphire. ”Again, still kinda on the dot, even if it was manageable in the end~.”[break][break]

His eyes drifted towards her once more as she reached for the Bagon by her, and with an amuse glint within his gaze, his lip tugged faintly more to a side in an instinctive smile. For a moment, he lifted one hand slightly, softly pinching it towards the drake as if playfully attempting to garner its attention, though a sense of thoughtfulness briefly overcame him upon lingering his attention upon him before he ultimately glanced towards the trainer neighboring him again..[break][break]

”...You wanna give it a round~? The ragtag Pokeathalon we’re doin’, now, that is~.” A brow of his rose as he prompted the question. ”Might be a ‘lil fun~.”

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

☉

Ah, just in the nick of time.[break][break]

For a moment, he gave the child a broad grin upon his return, but before much could be said, he found himself glancing over to the sight of his mission partner approaching with an array of bottles. He perked up immediately, nodding and jogging over before reaching over. ”Thaaank ya, thank ya! Here, though, let me help with that—” he said with a chuckle, ensuring his grasp was firm before pulling the box towards him. He eyed the bottles in examination for a small bit. ”That was honestly pretty quick. I’m impressed…”[break][break]

Different flavors, all of thankfully easy-to-determine colors and the like. He nodded and gave a quick whistle over the crowds and into the distance. ”Alright! For those who didn’t hear earlier on, we’re going to do an impromptu Pokeathalon with your ‘lil dragons, here! A bonding experience and a good dose of daily exercise— it’s a double whammy!” he shouted for all to hear. ”We got some juices for you and your Pokemon to have! Take ‘em, do some stretches, and get ready to line up! I’ll assign everyone numbers according to the number of lanes, then we’ll fire off in rounds!”[break][break]

He glanced over towards the blonde by him, giving her arm a quick nudge while chuckling. ”Hope this batch wasn’t too stressful for you two, by the way~. I know I kinda dropped that on you kinda quickly.”

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

☉