…Had she always been so hesitant to look at him?[break][break]

No. Within days long past, it would’ve been him that had been not quite hesitant to gaze upon her, but rather, begrudging; indignant towards even so much as the idea of doing so. It was a concept only fathomable within the days of their initial meeting, when he had been so revolted by her and her dishonesty to herself. A smile was a tool so easily used to masked what was beneath.[break][break]

It was a concept no truer than with her.[break]
It was a concept seen through from the beginning.[break][break]

Thus, the smile he saw then and there unnerved him, and the aversion of gaze only seemed to emphasize his discomfort. His brows remained furrowed in pensive confusion as he attempted to process the vast array of hypotheticals that could justify the vagueness he’d been offered.[break][break]

…And then she offered him a measly explanation.[break]
Vague. Still, still vague.[break][break]

”And so you thought leaving without so much as a word would’ve been any better?” he murmured, skeptical.

AYAME FUJIWARA

☉

”It doesn’t matter.”[break][break]

Truly, it didn’t. As far as he was concerned, his claim had been nothing more than the clear, unbridled truth, and despite the manner in which he’d gazed upon her within the mere moments prior, the man kept his eyes before him as he pushed further into the campgrounds. The subtle franticness that she had to offer hadn’t been lost upon him, though; nor had the mutual understanding of what he’d seen.[break][break]

It simply didn’t matter.pbreak][break]

”Reiki and Tamashi should be back soon enough,” he went on, clearly intent on focusing upon the given situation at hand. He breathed a soft sigh, his gaze trailing towards the horizon in attempt to gauge the remaining sunlight prior to shifting his attention down, once more. ”I’d give it only half an hour tops— hopefully less.”[break][break]

He paused for a moment, only for the sake of locating the earlier materials he’d swiftly mustered together for a fire before beginning to smooth out the beginning of a pit, pointing towards a small pile to the side all the while.[break][break]

”Grab those rocks for me.”

AYAME FUJIWARA [break]
mission: deserted island

☉

All things considered, the venture to and back hadn’t taken very long.[break][break]

After all, as he’d earlier claimed, the others would be able to handle a smaller bout of hunting if it was only in the form of fishing. He was confident that they would be able to, and so once he’d seen and aided them in minor preparations (forging makeshift tools were in order, given the nature of their stay), he’d left them to their own devices and set off towards camp once more.[break][break]

Amidst the fringes of the foliage, however, he found himself slowing to a pause.[break][break]

Nostalgia, crashing clear into his mind and vision with force akin to waves, though leaving the calmness of a washing tide within the midst of it all. There had been a solemn look that had unknowingly overtaken his gaze as the familiar form and motions of another entered his view. Although within a different setting, it had been graceful. Although within different garb, it had been radiant,[break][break]

…Although shattered before him, it had been beautiful.[break][break]

And yet as he stood there, momentarily mesmerized, he had been well aware of the circumstances; well aware that such things were in the past. His idleness had been as brief as his descent back into reality had been swift, and after shifting his eyes away for just a moment, he found himself making eye contact with the aforementioned butterfly that had been tasked with keeping guard.[break][break]

For once, his gaze flickered away as quickly as it was made, and with a deep sigh, he shook his head softly and began to finally enter their campgrounds properly.

AYAME FUJIWARA [break]
mission: deserted island

☉

”...What do you mean, ‘work’...?”[break][break]

He hadn’t intended to sound as confused as he did. To hear the response as given had only served to further raise questions within his mind. Furrowing his brows in thought, he eyed the ground beneath them while gathering his thoughts, eventually beginning once more with a short lived, ”That doesn’t—... If it was just that, then—...”[break][break]

His brows only furrowed more in further confusion before he looked back up.[break][break]

”...’Work,’ would at least make a farewell warranted, no?” he spoke on, slowly, in an attempt to limit himself and maintain a hold upon his thoughts, lest they tear the reins from his grasp. He tapped his fingers against his arm, quirking his lip. ”If that was all it was, then surely it’d be justified…”[break][break]

...Wouldn’t it?”

AYAME FUJIWARA

☉

His tongue clicked instinctively upon seeing the dampened portions of fabric, side eying the azure feathered fledgling as she waddled her way back to his side. Within a seemingly thousand-yard-esque stare, he watched in silence as she merely plopped herself down upon one of his feet and wrapped her flippers around his leg.[break][break]

She looked up at him.[break]
He stared back.[break][break]

And, after a small amount of time, he breathed a sigh before glancing towards the brunette some ways away. ”...Training,” had been his initial, simple response as he called a quick, ”Kagu! Tasukeru!” towards the dual typed canine nearby. With a nod accompanying the request, the ginger furred beast gave a rather gruff bark prior to making a leisurely pad towards the woman. He gave her another bark upon arrival, and while sitting down, opened his maw to reveal a faint glow within the back of his throat as he breathed out gently.[break][break]

”...If you’d like, he can help you dry your clothes a bit quicker,” he hummed, crossing his arms. ”His breath is heated. …Should help get rid of the moisture.”[break][break]

He eyed her for a little while longer, quirking his lip faintly as a subtle bit of familiarity tugged the back of his mind. His eyes instinctively shifted towards the Arcanine as he sat waiting to offer his aid, though after some minor degree of thought, the man peered towards the person by him once more.[break][break]

”...Also, my apologies if I’m incorrect, but would you happen to be an officer?” he mused, raising a brow faintly. ”I feel as though I may have seen you aiding in some things the League has helped with in the past…”

FIORA HYE-JIN YUN [break]

☉

…To see her within such a display instilled a foreign feeling within him.[break]
He hadn’t quite liked it.[break][break]

Although the question had been posed towards her a second time, and although he had still been waiting upon a proper answer from her, his gaze remained upon hers (or rather, as much as it could with how she seemed so intent with avoiding his) all throughout the silence, and all throughout the uncertainty. Though he had always been keen to note those around him with a sense akin to an eagle’s eye, he found himself oblivious to the glances of those that seemed to note the encounter as it happened. Generally speaking, he would’ve normally been on edge. Discomforted. Eyes and attention had been things that he hadn’t ever been much of a fan of when it came to personal preference, yet as he examined the creases within her expression, and as he examined the seeming eschewal within her offerings, his own brows furrowed faintly.[break][break]

...She’s here. This is her, he’d thought to himself whilst waiting for response, a brief glint of dismay settling within his eyes as she stammered over herself. I know it’s her.[break][break]

She strayed her gaze further from his.[break]
His teeth clenched instinctively and gently, eyes narrowing towards the ground all the while.[break][break]

...She’s standing here before me, so why does she feel so far away?”[break][break]

The next words of attempted composure (a lie that he’d seen and sensed miles and miles away) reached his ears, though despite that, he found his jaw clenching as his teeth grit against one another in absentminded thought. Some ways behind him, his two companions watched on with what could have only been discomfort and skepticism, sparing the two insects a quick, subtly questioning look as their trainer narrowed his eyes all the more. Silent. Pensive.[break][break]

His hands had long returned to his own form, instead crossing amidst his chest as dual hued voids traced further along the grounds beneath them.[break][break]

There had been a lot he wanted to say; a lot he wanted to do; a lot he wanted to ask.[break][break]

…And yet, with a day long awaited finally becoming a reality, a low, ”...Koko de nani wo shite iru?” of confusion had been the first words to escape his lips.[break][break]

Foreign tongued. Instinctive.[break]
Hurt.

AYAME FUJIWARA

☉

’I…had no idea she could do that.’[break][break]

As she came to join him, the man had initially swam over to meet her halfway; partially as a means to simply convene, and partially as a means to evacuate to a safer distance in the event that she did, indeed, manage to think of some sort of method. Lo and behold, she did— and in lieu of such, he (as well as the bird that had joined them prior) watched with a touch of curiosity as the little insect skittered and drifted to and fro.[break][break]

He watched in subtle, idle surprise as he watched the imagery unfold before him, and as the first of the Luvdisc found themselves carried off, he instinctively swam a small ways to the side in order to make room for them.[break][break]

”...It does seem like an efficient way…” he hummed, furrowing his brows beneath his mask as he further examined the Pokemon for a while longer, Before long, however, he gave a soft hum in thought, promptly pulling the Pokeballs that he’d taken the earlier Luvdisc into as a number of the smaller organisms passed by.[break][break]

He watched as those same organisms quickly began to carry the heart shaped creatures off before they could even begin sinking back down.[break][break]

”...it does seem like it’ll work, too,” he added, glancing back towards his companion. ”I…suppose it would be safe to go back and report our findings, then?”

AYAME FUJIWARA [break]
mission: luvdisc dive

☉

He sighed softly, side eying her for a moment as he instinctively furrowed a brow and shut the respective eye as her voice resounded throughout the room suddenly.[break][break]

”As I’ve said, if it isn’t to the heart’s content, it isn’t done properly…”, he murmured, turning his attention.[break][break]

Promptly, he proved to be a mix of both; his voice stable, yet somewhat unsure as both he and the song began. Whether it had been due to being called out beforehand, or whether it was simply due to being out of practice was an inquiry with a somewhat iffy answer, but nevertheless, his tone and voice continuously and gradually became clearer and more confident as the song went on.[break][break]

Knowing the looks that she often gave him (coy, and teasing, and begrudgingly familiar and endearing, all the same), he sought to simply keep his gaze upon the screen before them as he sung, if not shut his eyes, altogether, in order to more comfortably feel the melody— though as she, herself, chose the seemingly proper moment to join in, his attention absentmindedly drifted towards her as the sound of her voice met his ears.[break][break]

It lingered upon her for a while—even into the quick break the song had fallen into—before he gave a soft sigh.[break][break]

He simply chose to lean against her before turning back to the screen and continuing to sing along with a vague, soft smile upon his lips as the music picked up once more.

AYAME FUJIWARA [break]
mission: kouple karaoke

☉

…She seemed far more touchy than he remembered her being in the past.[break]
He had no issue with it.[break][break]

It did, however, prompt a quietly curious eye from him every so often; one that hadn’t quite lingered long enough to instigate inquiry, though one that recurred rather frequently in light of her gestures as she spoke. As per usual, he gave low, idling hums as she uttered along, the tone in itself providing little more than instinctive confirmation of attentiveness to the conversation. He listened. He remained aware.[break][break]

He appreciated the closeness that she had to offer. He smiled, softly, upon feeling her hold herself so snugly against his form; an ongoing gesture that he, himself, could only respond in turn to in the form of a gentle rub of the thumb against her hand, as well as a gingerly press of the face against her hair as she voiced her thoughts.[break][break]

Such had been the case after they’d been seated, and rather than looking towards the windows surrounding them, his gaze met none other than hers as he reached his other hand over, cupping hers warmly and softly between both of his own.[break][break]

”...Mmn. An excuse is never needed…” he mused lowly in response, lifting a hand to cup her cheek as he pressed his lips against her forehead within a tender touch. The tips of his fingers remained against her within a caress following the gesture, all while bicolored hues of emerald and amber met hers of amethyst, his tone quieting and softening more as he added, ”My attention is yours. …An excuse is never needed when I’m not only at your call, but always wanting of it.”[break][break]

Humming with a stillness that contrasted the business outside, he closed his eyes while shifting faintly; his arm instead hooking over her shoulders to pull her closer as his hand strayed from her cheek, only to slip the tips of its fingers beneath hers within another, gingerly curl and hold. He rested the side of his face against her hair, almost burying it against her.[break][break]

”...Though the moon has yet to appear, I know it will be beautiful— just as it always has been, and as it always will be.”

AYAME FUJIWARA [break]
mission: rondez-view circulation

☉

”I’m not quite sure, and I’m even more sure that Reiki wouldn’t be willing to come back out to confirm.”[break][break]

After all, the look on his face had been rather…prominent, in spite of how quick it surfaced within his already short appearance. Narrowing his eyes, the man glanced down towards the aforementioned Pokemon’s capsule from the corner of his eye with a touch of concern in light of the discomfort he likely felt.[break][break]

He was already stressed on the norm, as it was.[break]
It was only natural when one had the ability to feel another’s energy.[break][break]

Sighing, he eyed the two Pangoro before turning his head towards the woman by him. ”Nevertheless, I…believe we’re closer than we were upon first entry,” he started once more, ”so perhaps we should just…investigate further?” His brows furrowed slightly as he peered towards the two creatures once more. ”The goal is to persuade both to fancy one another, anyways… If one was convinced by a song, I suppose it’s safe to say we’re already halfway done with an easier battle than we thought…”

AYAME FUJIWARA [break]
mission: pwoduce pangowos pwease!

☉