It's hard to think with the doctor's hands running over him. Aster gulps before answering his question. "If you'd let me, Dr. Maher, I'd be more than happy to."

The direction to lie on his back brings another flirtation to the tip of his tongue, something a bit more impure, but with the rationale of a man not bleeding out, he's suddenly nervous of crossing some line between them, of disrespecting the man and his profession.

Instead, he bites his lip and complies.

Aster took off without further prompting "Nice rangling," he shouted over to ollie morales . He genuinely meant it even though a squirming Lanturn on the back of a majestic Wyrdeer was an entertaining sight he didn't think he'd ever forget.

Back at the fire, the pokemon left behind had made a significant effort in slowing the destruction. Aster turned to ollie morales and the captive Lanturn.

"Hey lil buddy, 'm sorry if you we spooked ya. We mean no harm. As you can see," Aster gestured to the wall of red and orange and crumbling green, "It's a bit of an emergency." He put up a placating finger then fumbled around his pack, nearly dropping it, and pulled out a semi-squashed poke puff.

"A peace offering?"

Aster scratched his head and looked to the sky avoiding Greyson's gaze.
" I've yet to teleport so I really can't say... Guess I was always a bit nervous to try it but..."
He shared a look with Basil and steeled himself.
"Well, I'm willing to give it a go! You know, fuck around and find out-" Basil sent his back hoof into his shin and Aster hissed in pain, "-sorry, fudge around and find out."

• player/ooc name: popcorn
• character tags: aster rousseau
• dropped characters' tags (if applicable): @maeve
• ic posts for characters: ASTER
• are characters in directories?: Y
• any notes/comments: oop

Goosebumps spread across Aster’s body as the cold instrument meets his skin. He felt he might be breaching some invisible line between them if he uttered aloud that the cold, in fact, felt quite nice.

And then finally, finally, caden maher is properly looking at him again.

He meets his smirk with a genuine smile of his own. “ ‘Course I am, doc. You saved me, and are devilishly handsome, naturally I’ve had you on mind my mind. I ain’t even had the chance to thank ya adequately yet.”

Aster shook off the last attempt's failure with a laugh. "Alright so I'm no pro, but the only way to get it is to keep trying." He could feel the mantine's gaze on him turn disbelieving. "Again! STARMIE 720"

Aster approached the dunk tank with the thought that it looked like fun to be dunked in a pit of water. He wasted no time, kissed the ball in his hand and let it fly. No thoughts, head empty, just pure physical reflex.

Aster stood his hands on his hips and an easy smile as he watched watched others diving ahead of him. "Nice form!" he shouted after someone leaping gracefully into the depths before taking a couple running steps forward and cannonball-ing his way into the ocean. He soaked in the pleasant pressure of the water around him for a moment; part of him wish he could share the experience with his and ollie morales ' shared custody Lanturn as he'd still yet to catch any water pokemon of his own.

Shaking himself back into focus, Aster dove for the first thing he could see.

He stuck a finger in his mouth and then lifted it too the wind. "Yep, that's a good off-shore breeze." Aster didn't know a thing about surfing but felt half the fun was pretending like he did.

He turned to addressed the mantine he'd be riding with. "Alright darlin', let's get going. I'd say the best way to go about this is to throw ourselves right in 'er, no holding back." The pokemon looked hesitant, but was slightly infected with Aster's enthusiasm as he pushed forward with a whoop. "Let's go for that STARMIE 720!"

Aster couldn't help but stick out his lip exaggeratively at the obvious professional atmosphere between them. He shook it off quickly though when his hand landed by his neck. Aster let out a shuttering breath before he could answer properly. His voice came out softer than he had intended and his eyes drifted away shyly from the other man's face. "I'm doing alright doc, just a bit bumped and sore. Thankfully the headaches have gone away."

Clearing his throat, he steeled himself once more to the man head on. "How have you been since that night, Dr. Maher?"

It was good clean work indeed. Perhaps the smoothest an operation had gone for him since he'd become a ranger. He returned Elisabeth's smile appreciating how easily she'd covered any of his weak points. He took her directed question and pretended to think for a moment. Having looked over the punks they apprehended, they all seemed no older than fifteen or sixteen, and Aster had a soft spot for troubled youths.

With a exaggeratory hand on his chin he said, "Well now, repeat offenders on the charges of graffiti are looking at fines of up to ten thousand or one to three years in prison. So we can't just let this slide right? I mean, especially since they were about to harm those precious plants you worked so very hard to care for. Should we rough them up a bit before we bring them in?" He had a soft spot for them, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try to scare them straight. He shot a glance towards the offenders as a couple grew wide eyed.

"Ah, shit, never mind. These maggots are just yellow-bellied young-uns. It be a waste of time an energy." Aster turned his full attention towards the punks. "Alright fellas, I'm not in the mood to fill out a bunch of paperwork. I think I'll just confiscate your supplies. Call your parents and I'll hold you here til they arrive. That alright with you?" He directed his last question to Elisabeth.

"Hmm..." he tries to think of the best way he can explain crystals to someone who's only experience with them is through often misinformed influencers. "Well, it can be witchy, I su'pose, but I think a good way to look at 'em when you're not into the spirtual stuff is that they're kind of like a good luck charm. Or, er, a reminder to manifest the things you want. For example, happiness," he gestures to the Amazonite.

At Greyson's next question, Aster's eyes light up. "I'd love ta check it out! Last time I was at farm it was to chase down some stray rolling Wooloo; didn't get much of a chance to see the sights, so to speak."

The heat had barely died from his cheeks, but Aster felt he'd steadied enough to respond to Andres without tripping over his own tongue. "Guapo?" The word fell from his mouth in a heavy southern accent. He said it a couple more times trying to get a feel for it. "What's that mean? Sounds nice."

He cleared his throat. "Anyway, to answer your question, as much as I enjoy a good meal with even better company, mosta the time I'm hiking or relaxing at home with my pokemon. I su'pose I spoil them as much as your kids spoil Chuchi."