[attr="class","emilia"]

[attr="class","emilia b"]

[attr="class","emilia i"]she doesn't take the sentiment in a bad way, per se, but it does make her feel a little awkward. she shrinks slightly, insecurity creeping in through the cracks in her shaky foundation.

"um, obligations, i guess?"

it sounds terrible when she says it, she realizes. her cheeks heat with embarrassment and she rushes to overexplain.

"my family needs me to help with the hotel so that takes priority."

honestly, though? she'd feel bad putting herself before them and the business. it seems so selfish whenever she thinks of travelling to some faraway place and leaving them behind, but the urge never quite dies out.

DANE FAIRCHILD

[attr="class","emilia"]

[attr="class","emilia b"]

[attr="class","emilia i"]good, unless he finds he dislikes her... which is entirely possible.

"yes."

after a moment, her smile turns slightly sheepish.

"is it obvious?"

does she seem like a hometown girl, stuck and unwilling to leave the comfort of her home? she'd like to be well-travelled, personally, but she fears it may never come to pass.

"it's nice to be home, but sometimes... travelling sounds lovely, too."

DANE FAIRCHILD

[attr="class","emilia"]

[attr="class","emilia b"]

[attr="class","emilia i"]he lets her lead and after mild hesitation, she does just that. her steps are soft but certain as his fall in tandem with hers. she keeps a close proximity to him for the streets of lilycove are busier than usual and she'd hate to lose him. she is, after all, sort of his tour guide?

the question makes her pause, stumbling slightly in her surprise. he's just curiously making idle conversation, isn't he?

"oh, um, not for a while, actually."

she had prepared for this, completing her duties and crossing them off her list ahead of time. it had been a relatively slow morning, at least.

"i do occasionally, but not this week. the part-timers are covering night shift until next week."

the corners of her mouth twitch upward into a shy smile.

"as long as i check on the pokemon later, i'll be alright."

DANE FAIRCHILD

[attr="class","emilia"]

[attr="class","emilia b"]

[attr="class","emilia i"]she mirrors his smile with one of her own and once he departs, idle work overtakes the remainder of her morning. she goes through motions on autopilot, eyes drifting toward the elevator or the front door or even the windows overlooking the poolside views.

and when he returns, she's mostly done for the day. whatever's left can wait until she returns, at least - nothing too pressing, thankfully.

"yes."

she brightens slightly, stepping out from behind the desk to join him. once she's close, she stops and angles her body a little toward the door as if ready to lead him.

"it's not too far - just a few blocks or so away."

DANE FAIRCHILD

[attr="class","emilia"]

[attr="class","emilia b"]

[attr="class","emilia i"]"oh! i've heard lovely things about mahogany, but i've never gotten the chance to go."

unsurprisingly, really. this hotel, lilycove... they're all she's ever known. she dreams, sometimes, of leaving responsibility behind and just escaping out into the world. it seems so much simpler in her head.

"yes - well, kind of."

a light, tinkering laugh escapes. she has other favorites, but mac n cheese is up there.

she blinks, then. a moment later, a smile rises - shy, genuine.

"yeah, i'd be happy to. after you're settled in, come back down to the lobby and i can bring you."

DANE FAIRCHILD

[attr="class","emilia"]

[attr="class","emilia b"]

[attr="class","emilia i"]a small smile rises at his passive confirmation. she takes it as a sign of doing good, of not throwing a wrench into his plans, of being made for this.

"okay."

a few clicks and he's assigned to the room. she doesn't quite grab his key yet, however, for the small talk distracts her. she sparks with mild life, interest bubbling up into something less cookie cutter professional.

"oh, really? where are you coming from?"

she's jealous, in a small trivial sort of way. she thinks of him as travelled, well seasoned in vast places and she's been cooped up here in hoenn her whole life.

and yet, he asks her for recommendations as if he cares of her opinion and her supposed expertise in the local scene. it's flattering in the most bare minimal of places. somehow, she comes further to life as she sheds lambskin to animatedly give a suggestion.

"there's a couple places around lilycove, but my personal favorite is the chowder pot. their lobster mac n cheese is godsent, i swear."

DANE FAIRCHILD

[attr="class","emilia"]

[attr="class","emilia b"]

[attr="class","emilia i"]at the reaction, she deflates a little - definitely too much...

"sorry, no, um, i'm not much of a morning person."

her cheeks color pink. the front desk is supposed to be cheerful no matter the time of day, but she's awkward in the role. it's as if she's a small child playing dress up in clothes way too big.

"okay, one moment..."

soft taps of a keyboard echo around them and she skims through the list of vacancies on her screen before her eyes lift back up toward his.

"how does a single with a beach view sound?"

DANE FAIRCHILD

[attr="class","emilia"]

[attr="class","emilia b"]

[attr="class","emilia i"]"well, i... hadn't really thought that far, actually."

she didn't necessarily expect him to help, perhaps. he is still a stranger who owes her nothing, isn't he?

"it looks like it has too much electricity in it, and i don't know how to fix that..."

not without rubber gloves and zapped hair, at least. she had experienced this a handful of times at the hotel, but they had supplies, then, and a doctor on standby.

"is there a pokemon center nearby?"

maybe they can lure it there?

caden maher
it's a catastropika!

[attr="class","emilia"]

[attr="class","emilia b"]

[attr="class","emilia i"]she blinks, her head snapping up at the sound of the hotel's entrance chiming. so far, it's been a slow morning...

and the guest approaches her desk first, as you do when first arriving in the lobby. she places a bright, friendly smile into place, and chooses to ignore the slight shyness that follows.

"hi, welcome to the palmer hotel!"

does that sound too upbeat? too much for how early it is?

"i do - do you have a preference on the number of beds or a view?"

DANE FAIRCHILD

[attr="class","emilia"]

[attr="class","emilia b"]

[attr="class","emilia i"]"oh!"

surprise squeaks out of her, startled by the body of another and the way his hands settle onto her shoulders.

"i'm so so sorry - are you okay?"

wait, he asked that of her, hadn't he?

she flushes an immediate pink, embarrassment hot against her cheeks.

in front of them, the pikachu lets out a pained sort of squeak and sparks continue to spread around them. she tenses, backing up a little further into his hold.

"um, i hate to ask this seeing as i just ran into you and all but... do you think you could help me with this pikachu?"

caden maher
it's a catastropika!

[attr="class","emilia"]

[attr="class","emilia b"]

[attr="class","emilia i"]for a split second, here in the baking supplies aisle of the grocery store, she wonders if she looks as lost as she feels.

is this a normal experience? or is it just her?

after a moment of idly chewing on the inside of her cheek, she reaches for red velvet cake mix and cream cheese frosting. that'll be good, right? people won't turn their noses up at it... at least, she hopes not.

by the time she begins to regret her selection, she's already taking her bags and receipt from the cashier and heading for the exit.

"no turning back now," she mumbles softly to herself.

and as she turns a corner, she nearly runs a sparking pikachu over in the process. a yelp escapes before she scrambles backward into the solid body of another person on the street. while the pikachu was avoided, the unsuspecting form of caden maher was not... the buzz of electricity coming from the pikachu is a little louder now.

caden maher
it's a catastropika!