"h-hanabi--" she'd help with prying off hands, had she not felt the vicinity of his. it's her own bubble, so she'll naturally get a feel when it's suddenly intruded upon. even if she knows it's just to try and retrieve the small dragon pokemon. though he won't react, nor notice it, he's gotten closer - she can feel it. so she refuses to move much in the darkness, in fear of touching him (in fear of him immediately pulling away from her touch, like she's something to be disgusted at). [break][break]

"hanabi, please, hanabi can't come out right now.." her expression softens, listening to the soft growls of the axew who clings on, trying desperately to find comfort in her father in this darkness. ayame doesn't want to push her off (the trainer is already busy doing that), so instead her body begins to move away. slight movements and shifting away, trying to put distance between herself and the pair. [break][break]

one hand plants itself into the ground and the other, closest to the dragon, begins to try and pinch to tug the cloth from the axew's stubby hands. of course there's care - until the surface she sits on abruptly stutters and shakes. rattling can be heard through the walls and she quickly attempts to catch herself against the wall. [break][break]

when the shuddering settles, her eyes crack open to find the light flickering a few times. then she glances up and--[break][break]

oh.

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

sitting in silence is familiar, nowadays, when she reminds herself that it's alright for her to be without him. sitting here with her back against the wall is a little less bearable - because he was there? sitting not too far away from her, and yet so far away and distant. she knows now that there's nothing left to say, and after enough attempts to try and speak to him, only to be met with sternness and stoicism (not unlike how he was before, but now she can feel the disdain, and she's starting to believe that it's hatred). [break][break]

but ayame, isn't this what you wanted? for him to forget about you, and to leave you be, and for you to wallow and rot in your need for vengeance, and your anger alone. it's hypocritical for you to start pursuing and chasing him again. it's unreasonable, out of line and you have no right. [break][break]

the woman closes her eyes, head tilted and turned away (so she isn't tempted to open them, to try and get a read on his face). her arms rest against her stomach with her knees tucked closer to her chest. she intents to keep them closed and ride out the silence until the lights come back on, and until the elevator doors open again. [break][break]

that is, until she hears the soft footsteps and wobbling of a dragon pokemon, making her way over to the trainer. a pokeball on her belt quivers, as though knowing, but not daring to leave the confines as to not cause damage to the already small space. so she opens her eyes then, adjusted tot he darkness, and turning her head towards the little stubby arm reaching out into the dark. "hanabi..?" she speaks in a soft voice, only to let out a soft gasp at the baby dragon begins to paw at her, as though searching for her father's pokeball.

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

ayame's good at smiling. it's probably the only thing she's proud of (simultaneously proud and disgusted of). so while he's embarrassed by his own trip up, she maintains the calm demeanour, and follows him up with a soft, amused chuckle. "no, no, it's quite alright. i understand~" and it was endearing, to some degree. the clumsiness, that is. it gives someone character, and someone like this is more fun to speak to than a brick wall (though sometimes those brick walls might just be fun to poke at, to see when they'll break). [break][break]

the vivillon lets out a soft chirp in greeting, perching upon his trainer's head, and would almost blend in with the butterfly pin carefully adorning her hair had he not been such a large pokemon. "ah.. and about the trainer.." she mulls it over, popping the cap back onto the bottle "it's no worries. it only means that they can't complain that the choreography is a bit too advanced~" she giggles softly, holding the water up to the butterfly "wouldn't you agree, leo?~ or am i being a bit too harsh?"

Leonidas Stone

☉

[break]

it's for the best. [break][break]

he's so desperate to avoid her gaze, it's almost endearing. it's almost amusing. it's almost painful. since he's found her, he's tried to glance away from her eyes. doesn't it hurt, ayame? does it ail you to know that he tries to avoid you, tries to refrain from speaking to you, because you've hurt him so? for leaving without a word, all for the sake of your revenge? the revenge was bitter, and it was sweet, but watching him as he is now, only a few feet away, she can say for certain that it wasn't worth it in the end. [break][break]

not if it meant leaving him the way she has. [break][break]

but what is there to do, when she's pit between the consequences of her own actions and a hard place? it's to be expected; this is her karma. though she's regret what she's said - desperately, and dearly - saying that shell take it back now will result in him brushing her words off, trying to move on. trying to move on from her. trying to leave her (which she expects, and wouldn't fault him for, but it still stings her heart nonetheless). [break][break]

perhaps he hates her, and it's for the best, as she leans her back against the elevator wall to close her eyes in thought. she'll let the silence between him, and the bitter words that cling and hang over her fill the space. though she knows, holding her arms, as her smile fades, that at another time, she would have leaned against his shoulder, whispering sweet words whilst playing with his fingers. they used to do that all the time. [break][break]

but this was for the best. the bitterness, the hatred, the anger and the tension was all for the best. [break][break]

... [break][break]

was it really for the best?

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

one, two, one, two. [break][break]

dancing comes naturally, it flows smoothly, and it's so easy for her to get lost in the music that plays in the room or in the confines of her head. it's a form of meditation, it's a form of art, it's a form of self discovery and a form of tranquility - at least, that's what ayame would say when you ask her. it's a form of mindfulness that has helped her through the years, with or without anyone by her side. it's a way she copes, and the steps she takes from the past are no different to the ones she takes to glide across the laminated floors. [break][break]

she doesn't complain when she's asked to choreograph a dance for a coordinator, although she's a little disappointed that they don't do it themselves. she has half the mind to make the dance a little more complex for them, just so they can't keep up, and so she can encourage them to dance and improvise for themselves (even if she knows that's not what she's being hired to do). [break][break]

she stops in her steps and a vivillon floats by with a water bottle in his arms. the woman smiles and takes a swing of it, wiping some sweat from her brow until she hears the voice of a man chirp up not too far from where she just pranced. the woman eyes him, slightly, then wears a smile as she holds a finger up in a 'wait a moment' gesture, gulping another, larger portion of water down. then she speaks "ah, since childhood~." her had tilts, slightly. "my name is homura, you are..?"

Leonidas Stone

☉

[break]

he seems more cold. [break][break]

a lot more distant, from what she can remember. he was distant, and always so independant - but was he always this cold and flat-toned to her? he was.. starting to feel like a stranger, and somewhere in her heart, shecould feel it break. but.. nevertheles, she maintains her smile as motions to the volcarona. "natsu, light the fire for us." she smiles to the fire bug, and all he has to do it send out a small ember at the pit to set it aflame. [break][break]

in the meantime, her hands pull back to her belt, and she unhooks the pokeball to send out a towering haxorus. the dragon pokemon lets out a soft huff (specifically seeing a family man in front of him, but he'll withhold his distaste for the sake of his trainer). "hanabi, help hakuryuu-san with the trees, alright?" she asks with a chime, but the distance is starting to sting her throat. [break][break]

the dragon pokemon huffs, yet still follows through to the trees, and uses his large, axe-like blades on his head to chop a clean cut through, though holding up the tree lest it fell over and.. caused too much damage. ayame listens to the sounds of leaves rustling, and she can't help but to hum. [break][break]

"do you think you'll have time to make two structures?" she asks, narrowing her eyes "the sun will be going down soon, i think~"

Asahiko Hakuryuu [break]
mission: deserted island

☉

[break]

and like that, he's gone. [break]
.. just like the smile she's forced onto herself. [break][break]

she can feel it, the quivering of her pokemon refuses to cease a her nails dig into the palm of her hand. and doesn't she regret it so, clinging to a man who's probably far finished with her antics? perhaps, and she finds herelf pitiful enough to cry, and pitiful enough to weep. ah, but this isn't like you, ayame. it isn't. [break][break]

a shaky breath and a heavy heart never put food on the plate; it's easy to say you'll move on and lift yourself back up, and so easy to say that it's simple (it isn't). it slams her in the face after smashing her toe, and she finds herself back at square one, where she's wallowing in the regret of her own words. [break][break]

and it leaves her thinking that maybe this was for the best. she's the one who broke it off in the first place. [break]
she's the one who hurt him. [break]
... she did this to herself. [break][break]

but that doesn't mean it won't hurt any less, and her heart won't ache all the more. at first, she thought it would hurt to look at him - and now it stings at the sight of his back. [break][break]

ah, she's hopeless. [break]
and back to square one.

end

☉

hopeless.[break][break]

she'd think that it was just wrong place, or wrong time, had he not tried to avoid her so many times, now. ah, but the bitterness was new, and it hurt, didn't it? pricked her heart and made her flinch, slightly, at images that'd long since passed as well. flinch enough for her grip to loosen, and for her to widen her eyes in the surprise, and for her fingers to recoil. [break][break]

ayame has to hold one hand slightly over her chest - over her heart - in a swift recovery. indeed, this wasn't the best place to confront him. not in a sacred, quiet, beautiful place like this. [break][break]

".. i'm sorry." she can only say, as the tears warm her eyes and the flush of the tiniest red rests upon her face. still, she's putting a smile to her lips as she adjusts herself. just smile and make yourself presentable, and immediately into "we never met here, mmn?" she smiles, still, up at a man who she knows is desperate to leave. [break][break]

her fingers are still around his wrist however, when he spoke. she just wanted him to stay, at least, until the end there. at the tail of her words, she lets go, pulling her hand back.

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

they've both seen better days. [break][break]

his response is met with another smile on her lips, though not one of a facade, for once. it was of defeat. "... mmn.." she can only hum in response, just a few moments afterwards. no one was joking, despite the sing-song tone she plays to lighten the mood in this situation, she was being serious. she was being honest. [break][break]

a little too late. [break][break]

"i'm serious." her tone lowers as she leans back against the wall, head turned slightly to rest the side of it just beneath the railing. her gaze is turned to him, though she can't see much in this darkness. [break][break]

she doesn't expect an answer.

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

"oh, so that's what that wisp was~" and here she thought it was their perpetrator. thankfully he said so, otherwise she.. probably would have sic'ed her pokemon on the poor thing. she smiles, waving to the little purple pokemon that floats in the air. "well, aren't you a cute one?" ayame coos, reaching up slightly, with the intention to poke her finger against what she thinks is the wisp's cheek (though her finger will just go through, there was an attempt). [break][break]

"in that case~" she starts, tilting her head "what has little fantasma found?~"

Calix Nikolau [break]
mission

☉

ah, but it did matter. [break][break]

.. it mattered to her. [break][break]

but would she say it? no, she won't - not today, at least. so instead, she calms herself - calms her heart - and the butterfly pokemon once again returns to fluttering over to smaller twigs, bunching them up to bring them over to the fire pit that they will be using. the volcarona flutters closer to the trainer, as well, and ayame moves to start picking up and cradling rocks in her arms. [break][break]

she brings them over shortly, composed, with the usual, small smile to her lips as she crouches a pace or two away, rocks between them as she starts to carefully place them along the outline of the pit. ".. ah, yes, i forgot to ask" she hums, idly (and carefully) organizing the rocks "could you start with setting up a small shelter while i cook?" she tilts her head to the volcarona and beautifly hovering over them "i can have hanabi help with wood cutting, lest we be exposed to the cold winds~"

Asahiko Hakuryuu [break]
mission: deserted island

☉

[break]

of course he's curious. she only barely said anything when she left, and now she was barely telling him of sustenance. should she tell him? what she was up to? what blood she's spilled on her hands? would he love her any less? would he stop her from doing something that she would regret, stop her from leaving him again? the thought softens the smile to her lips, and in the reflection of her eyes, you can see the small shade of regret. [break][break]

now she's turning her gaze away, from him. she doesn't dare look him in the eye - not right now, at least. ".. i'm sorry for leaving without saying anything." her smile returns, but she can't look at him directly when she speaks "it was just.." there's a hitch in her breath, and the words clog up in her throat for a moment "- a dangerous job. and i didn't want you to be worried."

or to stop me, because he would have.

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉