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Suddenly their little trio turned into a party as Orion Lykos joined the group. Hailee's eyes widened as she focused on him, flashes of their last battle together flooding her memory. Hailee bit her lip and wrapped her arms around herself. That mission served as one of her bigger regrets. She just simply wasn't ready and in return she felt like she was responsible for slowing the team down. Orion had lost one of his pokémon during that fight. She couldn't imagine losing one of her own. [break][break]

Not to mention she ended up in a mini coma after the events. The whole thing just left her feeling icky. It was something she was still trying to get over. But none of that was Orion's fault. She heard that he'd gotten demoted due to a series of unfortunate events. She felt bad for the guy honestly. [break][break]

"Sorry I'm late." he chimed in and Hailee shook her head. "I didn't even know you we're coming." She added before he went ahead to introduce himself to everyone else. "Name's Orion. I'm — uh, was with the Fortree Rangers, but I transferred last week." She nodded. "Well, welcome to the cool kids club." she offered with a soft smile. [break][break]

"Can your fire-type use smokescreen?" Orion asked Noah before Arashi added in. "Smoke? What, are y'all afraid of a little fight?" Hailee shook her head. "Not exactly but--" Hailee began but they weren't listening. "Let's stir up the hornet's nest, dudes." Arashi's Ursaring roared as it charged at the hive and swiped at it before furious Combee's exited to see who disturbed them. [break][break]

"Well shit." Hailee said as she pointed towards them. "Misha help 'em out." Hailee ordered her Mienfoo who charged forward with a FORCE PALM aimed at the pissed off Combee. This wasn't exactly what Hailee had imagined when 'smoking out the bees' but it certainly worked. Still, she had to respect Arashi's boldness and swiftness to act.
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Contrary to popular opinion, Hailee wasn't late because she was trying to pick out her outfit. She actually had something in mind as soon as she got the message for this. No, after the Slateport rangers drew lots for this Hailee immediately started panicking. Not because she was unlucky or anything, she usually was in these sort of situations. But because it was a potluck. [break][break]

If anyone knew anything about Hailee it was that Hailee could not cook. Like at all. She often made the joke that she could burn water. Yeah. You read that right. Burn water. And now she was expected to bring something to this professional gathering? Normally she would've relied on Noah's cooking abilities but she had errands to run for school and Noah would be leaving first. [break][break]

Plus he was already making something she didn't want to be a burden and ask him to do something for her too. So, she did the next best thing. Since she didn't want to be responsible for poisoning the ranger's at this lovely get together she went to the store and bought something instead. [break][break]

And if she was gonna bring something it had to be aesthetically pleasing as well. Before stepping into the room Hailee adjusted her crop top and cardigan once more before shifting the bangs in her hand and walking in. Entering into the room she could see several were already gathered but it still didn't seem like she was too late, that was good. [break][break]

Another thing she noticed was that it smelled amazing in here. From pasta brought by Laurence Anderson to pizza brought by Elinor Anderson, even the cheesy casserole from Oliver Shrakes, the aroma in the room left her mouth watering. It was paradise for a foodie like Hailee. She'd get to chowing down later. Instead she headed towards the table and began to set up her display of Rainbow Alcremie Cupcakes. [break][break]

Once they were set up in a way that made them look pretty beside the rest of the food available she tossed the bags away and turned to look for the people in the room that she knew. Making her way over towards where Noah, Tam, and Orion where she waved as she approached. "I didn't miss much right." she said with a smile as she looked around. [break][break]

Hanging by Noah's side she glanced over at the assortment of food again before turning her attention back to her fellow Slateport (power)rangers. "So what are you guys gonna try first? There's a lot of good looking stuff." She said as she twirled a piece of her blonde and pink hair around her finger.
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Hailee could feel Noah's face heat up underneath her touch which made her smile. She'd always appreciate reassurance that he was into her. Plus it was cute to see him all worked up. The soft purr of the engine, the occasional shuffle of the two of them in their seats, and their breaths as they continued to kiss each other were the only sounds around them. [break][break]

It reminded her of all the chick flick movies where they had scenes just like this. It was pretty amusing to think about if you really took a second. But she was more focused on Noah and the taste of his lips if she was being honest. When the burning in her chest signified her lack of oxygen she finally released Noah. Reluctantly of course. [break][break]

Once they were parted Noah didn't say anything but rather just silently unbuckled his seatbelt and killed the engine to the car. Hailee titled her head to the side slightly as she studied his face. "Noah?" she asked softly as she watched him get out of the car before following to do the same. She hadn't made him uncomfortable had she?[break][break]

Her...feelings and desires were....intense sure but. Curious and concerned eyes followed him as Noah turned back to look at her. He was waiting for her. Hailee's eyes drifted to the door of his place as she began to understand. As Hailee approached Noah swiftly opened to door to his home before wrapping his arms around her and quickly pulling her inside. [break][break]

"Oh," she breathed as the door was shut behind her and she was pressed against him. "Noah--mmh" she began before Noah promptly silenced her with his lips. Hailee's eyes widened in surprise. Once again Noah surprising her, but she liked surprises. After the initial shock Hailee reached up to hook her arms around Noah's neck as she pressed herself closer to him. [break][break]

She parted his lips with her own as she deepened this kiss. Yes, this is what she wanted, what she was craving for so long. Hailee gently bit on his lip before moving to kiss along his jaw and neck. Her breath tickled his neck as she felt a smirk form on her lips. Gently turning his head to her she whispered. "What do you want to do?" she asked simply even though she was sure she had an idea.
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She didn't have to ask Noah twice before he practically scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his car. Hailee felt good. This was good. She'd forgotten what it felt like to really be happy like this. She'd been so stressed out lately, that was the entire reason she forced herself to participate so much in the Splashfest. On the outside it looked like she was holding it together but on the inside she was a mess. [break][break]

But Noah was always there by her side. He was the reason she could get through all of this. She just honestly felt like an idiot. How could she have not seen how he looks at her? Of course he cared for her, she felt silly for even doubting that. And then there was the whole thing with her. How could she have not realized her feelings for Noah until now? [break][break]

Hindsight really was 20/20 because now that she was aware Hailee realized she's loved Noah for a while. Now Hailee was aware of the signs and her own desires. It sent her senses into overdrive. The entire ride over to his place Noah held onto her hand while he drove with the other. It was such a sweet gesture and she wondered if he felt half as giddy inside as she did. [break][break]

She had to play it off as cool though. She's been in a relationship before, this wasn't new. But this degree of feeling she felt with Noah was. She felt like a grade school girl who's crush had finally acknowledge her. She wanted to squeal in her seat and pinch her arm to confirm if this was real or not. But she didn't show an ounce of that outwardly. [break][break]

Well, perhaps a slight flush to her cheeks. [break][break]

Once Noah put the car in park Hailee wasted no time unfastening her seatbelt and leaning over towards Noah. She'd been holding herself back the entire drive but they had reached their destination now. Even still, the things she wanted to do versus what she was doing was quite tame. She presented herself as someone iron willed as she didn't want to frighten Noah with her sudden advances. [break][break]

Instead she just gently placed her hand on the side of his head and turned his face towards hers so she could properly kiss him. She didn't even wait for him to turn the car off. She just knew she wanted his lips back on hers once more. And she was a woman of action, so she did just that.
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Hailee hadn't even realized how comfortable she'd gotten. Ever since winning the swimsuit competition Hailee felt a lot of pressure release off her shoulders. She knew this whole splashfest thing was meant to be relaxing but it was tedious in more ways than one. The collection of crowns was no easy task and Hailee found herself bowing before the wait of her daily tasks. [break][break]

Hells, she was exhausted. Leaning against Noah's chair with the sun's rays warming her skin she felt so relaxed that her eyelids magically fluttered shut and then her breathing slowed and next thing you knew.....she was out like a light. Hailee honestly had it down to a science at this point. She could fall asleep anywhere and that really meant anywhere, just ask Noah. It was a damn talent at this point.[break][break]

Hailee wasn't sure how much time had passed but she'd been having the best dream ever. She was at this all you can eat place and she was chowing down. If she ate the most for this competition she could get free food for the rest of the year and her picture placed on the Wall of Fame. She was so determined to win too. She was just about to secure dub before she was gently tapped awake. [break][break]

Hailee's crimson orbs blinked sleepily as Hailee tried to gather her surroundings once more. Turning to her side she peered into familiar pools of green before rubbing at her eyes once more. "Noah?" she asked softly. Hailee's voice when she woke up was always soft and a little whiney. "Wakey wakey hun. Food is done."[break][break]

It took a second to register but when she did she sat up straighter and held her hands out to accept the plate of grilled qwilfish fillets he made for her. "Thank you." she said with a smile as she glanced over at Tam's plate. He didn't have any veggies either. 'A man of culture' Hailee thought to herself with a nod before digging in. "How long was I out?" Hailee said after quickly swallowing a bite before fanning her mouth. It was hot and she burnt her tongue. [break][break]

While she searched around for her water bottle she decided to try her luck once more with fishing before calling it quits.

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"Eh, it's like being on top of most pokémon: lame." Tam's comment is what catches Hailee's attention. Was it lame to ride on pokemon? She kind of liked the idea. Perhaps not riding on all of them but some of them were pretty cool. The idea of flying was fun to her. But maybe that's just her. [break][break]

"You're good at more than cooking." Tam goes on to encourage Noah and Hailee nods emphatically. "Yeah, he's right! When I'm feeling down you know just what to say to put a smile on my face. That's a skill you know!" She says as she offers him a smile. "And you're a really good ranger too!"[break][break]

"There's plenty of things I'm not that great at." Tam continued. "There's plenty of things we all aren't great at. But just like there are plenty of those there are plenty of things we can each do pretty well. Besides we don't need to be the best at everything. That's overrated." Hailee said as she offered a smile and launched her line out to sea again.

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Noah was good at plenty of other things beside cooking but she felt like those were things she could tell him later to cheer him up. Hailee kind of felt bad that she didn't notice the full extent to how Noah had been feeling due to the events at the Splashfest. She'd been caught up with the swimsuit competition. So much so that she'd been taking a break from her daily activities. [break][break]

But now it just sort of made her feel neglectful. Like she wasn't giving Noah enough attention and that made her feel....kinda sick. It reminded her of how distant her mom grew before she pulled away from both her dad and her. Ultimately choosing to start another life and another family with another guy. [break][break]

Hailee didn't want to become like her. She didn't want to be like any of them. After all they had no clue to this day the kind of damage and suffering they'd put her through. Having lived through it, still living through it, how could Hailee do that to someone else. For the first time in a long time Hailee grew silent and instead just looked out at sea. She casted her line again as these sorts of thoughts began to swirl around in her head.

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ENqH7C9O

i wanna feel your body, it's on fire.

Hailee loved watching him get all flustered. But unlike usual when he would get embarrassed by her teasing he didn't withdraw. What she hadn't expected was this newfound boldness that Noah was displaying. "Then you wouldn't mind me taking you right now?" that's what he had said to her right before their lips connected once more. Hailee smirked into the kiss. She liked this, this was interesting. She could work with this.

Noah continued to surprise her as he put his hands on her waist and pulled her down with him as he fell backward onto the sand. A small giggle escaped her lips as she continued to kiss Noah. Hailee's heartbeat was thumping in her ear and she felt that burning desire deep down to keep pushing to see how far they could go but it was the sounds of the fireworks that halted her advance.

It reminded her of where they were, which was on the beach, and what she had at stake. She was a contest participant and she didn't want her behavior to be reflected on the results of the competition. Not when she was trying so hard in the first place. Giving Noah one last peck she pulled away from him a bit, though still laying on top of him.

Her blonde hair fell over her right shoulder as a curtain as she smiled down at Noah. "When'd you get so bold?" she laughed as she playfully pushed his nose with her index finger. Leaning down she began to plant soft kisses against his jaw towards his ear. "You can certainly have your wish....just not here." she whispered in his ear.

Noah's home was the closest from here so it seemed like the most optimal place to visit rather than going all the way back to her apartment. "Sooo...what do you say we continue this back at your place?" Hailee asks as she gently kisses his ear once more before pulling herself up to get off of him.

Noah Camus ● outfit ● MISSION: HOT SUMMER NIGHTS (VV)

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Hailee appreciated the back up Tam gave her. "Yeah! leave this baby alone." she echoed as she clutched the little baby closer to protect them from harm. And possibly being lunch. "Surfin’ not going well for you?” Tam asked and Hailee winced, knowing that it's a sore spot for Noah. She looked over at him sympathetically to see how he would answer. [break][break]

"I... Don't think any of what I did would be considered surfing." he said as he stared out at the ocean. Hailee hadn't had much success with surfing after her initial ride so she could definitely understand how Noah felt but...wait....was he crying? "Oh Noah..." Hailee said softly as she got up from her seat to give him a hug. [break][break]

"It's okay, surfing's lame anyway." she said in attempt to cheer him up. "There's plenty of other stuff you're good at!" she continued before gently wiping at his face. Even Raijin snuggled closer to Noah in an attempt to cheer him up. Instead of returning to her seat she sat on the floor of the docks beside Noah and cast her line out again. "I wasn't too lucky at surfing either so it's okay."

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"Aww oh my gosh! So cute!" Hailee squealed in delight as she reeled in a cutie Mantine but extra small. "Look! He's fun-sized" Hailee beamed as she showed off her new little friend. This Mantine was such a little baby and it loved all the attention and adoration it was getting from Hailee. Wait a second. A chill ran down its spine all of a sudden. Why was that? Glancing to the side the baby Mantine saw a jealous Raijin glaring in its direction. [break][break]

The little baby only got more nervous and cuddled more against Hailee which served to make her beam with delight more and earn it a more murderous glare from the Emolga. Hailee wasn't sure if she was keeping her new friend yet but she certainly wouldn't turn down it's company for now. [break][break]

"What’s the issue with the Snorlax? Maybe I should let it handle all that food you brought, since you’re such a fan of it.” Tam spoke up which caused Hailee to whip around to face him. "NO MY FOOD!" she shouted before blushing and clearing her throat. "I mean....you wouldn't want to give it a tummy ache right? Better not to feed it our stuff." Hailee nodded quite pleased with swift recovery as she cast out another fishing line for the day.

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Hailee glared at Raijin while he pointedly ignored her. After all, he was with his favorite person right now. If he acknowledged his trainer's stare he would be acknowledging trouble. Why deal with that when he could pretend it didn't exist? Hailee meanwhile puffed out her cheeks. Was she jealous of her Emolga? Maybe? And what about it? With a huff she shook her head and returned to her fishing duties while Noah spoiled Jin Jin. "Little Rat." she muttered.[break][break]

"Oh for real!? So there was no Snorlax, no test huh? Interesting... Interesting. I'll note this down for sure." Hailee flashed him a quizzical glance before readying her fishing line once more. She'd just caught the cutest thing, a small Lumineon, but she wanted to see what else she could get her hands on. "So uh... Yeah! Just give me a shout if you guys get hungry, my parents packed us... A lot of food." Hailee's ears perked up at the mention of food. [break][break]

Suddenly it was obvious that Raijin's behavior was modeled after his trainer's, after all, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. "Music to my ears." Hailee replied happily. She'd been known in high school for having a black hole for a stomach. She could always eat and still be hungry. Noah knew this well by know and apparently so did his parents, but Hailee wasn't ashamed of that. More food for her after all.

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Hailee was back here once again. The last time she unfortunately got interrupted from finishing this thing with @malik and it seemed that these people were in need once more. Unfortunately for her she was still without a trusty fire pokémon to help her out. Luckily for her she had the perfect person who was always willing to help her out. [break][break]

Hailee walked through lush fields on her way to the meet up point. Her pink studded phone charm bounced against her hand as she held her phone to her ear. "Hey, babe, about that job that I asked for help with." Hailee said as she reached in her bag for a lollipop. "Make sure you bring a fire buddy with you please. I don't have one...unfortunately." She said as she popped the lollipop in her mouth. "Thanks, love you bunches. See you soon." Hailee said, though a bit muffled since she had candy in her mouth.[break][break]

She hung up her phone and decided to wait nearby for her boyfriend to meet up with her. Once Noah reached her she smiled and pointed forward. Their meet up point wasn't that far off. "Sup, guys." A blonde guy spoke up as he greeted them. Hailee was starting to wonder if all the rangers in Slateport were blonde. It would be pretty cool if that was true. "Heya." Hailee waved as she looked around. "I'm Hailee and this is Noah." she said quickly getting introductions out of the way.[break][break]

"I've heard this Vespiquen is a real bitch, ya'll ready?" their new partner asked. Hailee shrugged. "As I'll ever be," She said and summoned Misha, her Mienfoo, from his pokeball. "Noah here will be smoking them out though." She said as she flashed him a wink. The new guy, who still hadn't given them his name, brought out his Ursaring who seemed eager to be rewarded with Honey. Misha was also ready to go. More looking forward to a potential competition of strength against the Ursaring than anything else. "Ready when you are." Hailee said as she glanced back at Noah before following the other ranger to the hive.

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