how he's grown.[break][break]

and how she's been stuck in the past. ayame is baffled, eyeing up at him. they've run into each other so many times, but now she doesn't bother to question it. arceus is certainly cruel, playing with her feelings so as she tries desperately to claw herself away (but there's only so much she can do, and it's only a matter of time for her composure to crack the next time she sees his face). this time, she tries to distract herself by diverting her attention to the cheek pouch of the axew that enjoyed her treats. it brought some solace, but with how close she was to her trainer? she knows she'll fall right back in. [break][break]

the words are about to leave her lips, but she sees that he's already leaving. this is ideal. this would normally be ideal for her, and she wouldn't have to worry about seeing him again. they could carry on like this. she wouldn't have to ache over seeing the expression on his face. she wouldn't have to wince at the pit it pricks into her stomach. she wouldn't.[break][break]

.. if only she hadn't found something that hurt more. [break][break]

"wait, asa--" she starts, then instinctively reaching her arm out to grab at his wrist "don't--" leave, she wants to say, but the second word seems to be caught in her throat.

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

a short, curt answer. [break]
typical. [break][break]

she's doesn't know why she expects anything less, by this point. after all, she's safe to assume that they were no longer what they were before. she can guess that he's trying to move on, and that she's only holding him back by crossing paths so often. for that, she's sorry, asahiko. "sorry" would never be able to describe how she felt, no matter how many tiems she'll think it. she's sorry that she left? she's sorry that she keeps coming back? she's sorry that she'll always seem to walk along the same path? she's sorry. [break][break]

she can't even smile hearing his words. she's too tired to smile, and it's too dark for him to be able to tell, isn't it? but she feels defeated, so she can only silently chuckle at her own misfortune. it's a tired and fatigued chuckle, used to bury the ache from the heart that throbs in her chest. "you don't like seeing me anymore?~" ayame asks, but she knows the answer - she's sure of it. she's sure that he loathes running into her, being reminded of a woman who ran off, and tells him nothing. [break][break]

'i still like seeing you' she wants to say. hold your tongue, ayame. even if you want to say it, hold your tongue (because you know you don't deserve to say that anymore).[break][break]

she's suffocating on her own heartache. who'd have thought she'd be feeling that, surrounded by the lingering scent of pumpkin spice in an elevator?

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

she's grateful that this was an indoor lake. [break][break]

she can only imagine the farmer's tan she's be suffering from if she stood outdoors, considering that these days it was still quite warm as it shifted into the autumn. save the magikarp that occasionally found its way to shore, things were.. relatively quiet. its hard to believe that any invasive bugger made its way in here, but the world works in mysterious ways. [break][break]

and so ayame hums in response, beginning to walk towards the mud at the shore of the lake "nothing at all~" she casually chimes. well, no news means good news, but "it could be me speaking too soon, though~". she walks up to the edge of the lake, the lowers herself to sit on the back of her shoes, with knees bend as she crouches to get a better look at the water's surface. [break][break]

"ah, my name is homura, by the way~." a fake name she wears, because those have become quite common with her "and you are?~"

Calix Nikolau [break]
mission

☉

business as usual he was just another business partner, and it will be like it was before. they'll interact just as they did before, without her playful banter (because hearing the tired and gradually accepting voice has scared her, and she doesn't want to hear it anymore). she watches as the vivillon leaves with the trainer, leading the way to find a fresh water source. the colourful scales are left in his wake, leaving a trail with each flap of his wings. [break][break]

on the other hand, ayame sits at the camp and pulls out another pokeball, this time, sending out the volcarona that exudes a warm heat to the touch. "natsu, lets get a fire started." lest they freeze in the middle of the night. she doesn't take long to set up the firewood, and the fire bug spits out a small ember from his mouth, effortlessly setting the pit aflame. ayame smiles to herself slightly, sitting herself by the fires as she holds her hands towards the pyre. [break][break]

all the was left was to wait for asahiko to return with hana, and hopefully she can prepare a feast of fish for them~.

Asahiko Hakuryuu [break]
mission: deserted island

☉

[break]

if she doesn't look at him, she isn't at risk of being found out, is she? [break][break]

because looking at him will seal your fate, ayame. locking eyes with him will remind you of what you'd done, where you've run, who you left. there was a time where you were relieved seeing him, where you'd have sooner run into his arms and hugged on caressed by his gentle, warm tough. it wasn't that long ago, but you've missed it so, it's felt like an eternity. in that eternity, you've been trying so desperately to convince yourself that you didn't need it. convince yourself that you wouldn't need it. you'd survive an eternity without it, so what difference does it make now? [break][break]

but he's looking, and you know he is, with a gaze that bores into your skin. she's never been able to run away from him, no matter how she may try (because fate always had a way of bringing two people back together, and last yer she'd have called it a blessing). [break][break]

he takes a step forwards, she takes a step back. she wants to keep the distance. she's scared that if he gets closer to her, she'll crack, and she doesn't know how to explain to him if he finds out. she prays that he doesn't find out. thus, as much as the question pained her, she only smiles, slightly, under the shadow of her bangs as she shook her head. another step back, and she's holding her hand closer to her chest. deep breaths. tell him no. tell him you haven't met, and carry on. tell him--[break][break]

".. perhaps we have~."

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

he's on time, of course. [break][break]

but ayame's had her own habit of arriving earlier, and she doesn't have to wait long. good. she smiles as the man approaches, her hand raising up as she wears the smile that never seems to reach her eyes. "yes, hello~" she chimes with her brighter grin, then she closes her fingers to point at the pond with her thumb. "they want us to be rid of the predator who is messing with the population of magikarp here," she starts, the butterfly at her side fluttering just over her shoulder "hopefully it shouldn't cause too much trouble." [break][break]

best case scenario, it's some unown trying to make a home of the water. she'd be confused as to why it would wander out here, it seems like there's been an abundance wandering around as of late, and she's been finding them in the oddest of places.

Calix Nikolau [break]
mission

☉

ah, of all the people.[break][break]

arceus certainly had a way of toying with her emotions. arceus certainly had a way with playing with her feelings, and making her feel like absolute shit. there's a soft sigh that escapes her lips shortly after hearing his voice, and thin fingertips wrap around her arms as she tries to warm rosy skin from the cooling, wet cloth. ".. what are the odds?" she asks, only to herself. though, doubtlessly, he's asking the same thing in his mind. [break][break]

it's almost laughable, that she can't run away from this situation, no matter how desperately she might want to. thankfully he's on the other side of the small chamber, so he can't see the expression on her face (but she has to wonder what he's thinking of). [break][break]

"what brings you to lilycove, ka--" she stops herself. stop calling him that. "asahiko?~"

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

prayers for the dead. [break][break]

she hadn't been in hoenn for long, but she was around long enough to know about the war. it's only natural that she would come up here to pay respects to the deceased, and for her to reflect on how much has changed (and how much hoenn has grown, unlike her, who was still struggling to shake off the past). she sighs, with her hands held together in silence. [break][break]

it doesn't take her long, thankfully. and so she gets up and is prepared to leave, but as she turns she finds herself face first against a mans arm, and a soft groan can be heard after bumping into him. "ah, excuse me.." she starts, raising her gaze to find.. [break][break]

him, again. [break][break]

she has to force another small smile, but now she's tired, and she doesn't feel like deceiving in front of the dead. so instead, it's weak, and fatigued. "we seem to be running into each other quite often~.."

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

she's tired. [break][break]

and a vacation at lilycove was supposed to solve the problem, or hell, even some horse riding on a farm would help. though she did debate on going to lavaridge, the hot spring and aesthetic too closely resembled her previous home. the last thing she needs is for the nostalgia to boil up and devour her whole, so here she is. unfortunately, not much shopping could have been done before a storm suddenly hit, and forced her to run back to the motel. the lobby is empty, she assumes, from the tourists taking shelter elsewhere. maybe she should just go back to her room. [break][break]

with wet clothes she treks to the elevator, but not without cringing at the sudden crackle of lightning and thundering of the clouds. "pretty bad storm out there.." she grumbles quietly, narrowing her eyes as she enters the elevator. she keeps to herself, not paying mind to who else was standing in there with her. the only other person standing in there with her. [break][break]

the elevator heads upwards as the music plays, and everything is fine until she's shaken by the abrupt stop of it, and for the lights to suddenly go out. her fumbles a bit as she grabs onto the wall in the darkness. it was.. dark. she couldn't see well as her eyes were adjusting, and so her instinct was to call out to the other person in there, of whom she was daft enough to not pay any mind to. [break][break]

"... i supposed the storm was a bit too much for the power, was it?~"

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

here he is, a thorn in her side. always an obstacle in her path, the stick that makes her trip face first into the mud. [break][break]

doesn't he know how much trouble he causes her? how she loathes how her heart aches in his presence. it's because of him her heart hurts, and it's because of him she's hesitating in the middle of a job. it's because of him. it's because it's him it's always because of him. [break][break]

there's distress reflected in hr gaze as she eyes him, quietly. her hand trembles and shakes against the carapace, and the scolipede lets out a soft grunt. her chest raises as she lets in a soft heave, and the back of her shoes taps against the bottom side of the megapede. "it shouldn't" her eyes narrow. it's become so difficult looking him in the eye. [break][break]

"but you've always made it so difficult.." her voice lowers, trailing off as she pats the scolipede. without another word, the centipede dashes off with the trainer hanging onto its body, with thanks to the built up speed provided by its ability.

[break][break]
tl;dr--[break]
speed boost activated! (x4 speed)[break]
ayame & scolipede fled, they did not capture porygon

Asahiko Hakuryuu [break]
mission: data leak

☉

[break]

it's a good day for fishing. [break][break]

she's never once thought, walking into the indoor pond that served to care for.. magikarp? shedoesn't quite understand why these fish were being protected, especially when they weren't in any sort of danger of going extinct. still, it was a job that paid good money, and lord knows that she could never have enough of it. [break][break]

she's confident that she can catch the pokemon on her own, but she's told to wait for a partner to come aid her. she'd feel insulted, had she not known any better. instead, she sighs softly, leaning against the wall with her vivillon perches upon her arm. it was quite warm in the indoor pond, like someone had lit a will-o-wisp and had it hover around for a while.

Calix Nikolau [break]
mission

☉

she expects him to attack her again, like earlier.[break][break]

she expects him to dash at her again, seeing her lull in activity. she expects his lucario to dash in with extreme speed a second time, to stop her in her tracks as she mounts herself upon the scolipede. she expects him to attack her, knowing their past, knowing that he'd sooner put his emotions aside to tackle this problem objectively likes he always does. he's going to. he has to.[break][break]

there's silence in response as she watches the lucario return to the pokeball, and maybe she's a bit too surprised for the words. here he presents her a choice, and it should be so obvious for the woman she's become. it should be so obvious for the sake of rocket, seeing that he stands between her and the god damn porygon. it was just a single life (and it's not like you haven't taken those before, ayame), so isn't it obvious? [break][break]

dulled, amethyst eyes stare at the man, pensively. she shouldn't hesitate, but the longer he lingers in her view, the more she feels her heart ache in her chest. ah.. what has she done? [break][break]

her gaze lowers, unable to look him in the eye. if she stares any longer, the stone crust around her heart will erode and break. the scolipede feels the trainer's hand tremble against his carapace, but remains still and silent. "and yet you recalled your pokemon, knowing full well you're now defenceless~.." she's in disbelief, masking the clashing her heart and pit in her stomach. [break][break]

she sighs, pulling out the pokeball of her frosmoth before it ruturns to the capsule.[break][break]

"... you can't tell me to attack you~."

[break][break]
tl;dr--[break]
speed boost activated! (x3 speed)[break]
scolipede is on standby[break]
frosmoth returned[break][break]

Asahiko Hakuryuu [break]
mission: data leak

☉

[break]