[attr="class","lance"]he blinks, still numb enough to pretend.

just for a little longer.

"did you sleep well?"

[attr="class","noodles"]nina larson // [x]

[attr="class","lance"]it'll be a while until he realizes; too late to do anything but deal with the mess, perhaps.

for now, he awakes, having slept through the night for once.

he turns only to feel a presence beside him. surprise quickly fades at the recollection of last night, of the mess they made.

when he looks at her, it's not annie he sees.

"good morning."

[attr="class","noodles"]nina larson // [x]

[attr="class","lance"]he's reeled in without much resistance.

bending to kiss the inside of her thigh, he travels up; hands sliding along in tandem before stopping at her hips. though unlike earlier, all he leaves her with is an exhale, a smile, before he shifts back up.

he finds her gaze, then indulges.

[attr="class","noodles"]nina larson // [x]

[attr="class","lance"]he shivers against her touch; drawn in by the allure of her gaze. he exhales, relenting control as he caresses the back of her head.

"anything you want."

[attr="class","noodles"]nina larson // [x]

[attr="class","lance"]he is not usually patient; he rushes into things headfirst only to deal with the consequences later, if at all. so for them to take their time now is both excruciating as it is exhilarating.

again, he falls almost too easily.

his hand runs through her hair, gentle at first, but it soon grows rougher, more starved.

how long will either of their patience hold?

[attr="class","noodles"]nina larson // [x]

[attr="class","lance"]"they can be. but they can also help us remember."

and forget.

"you must have a picture that means something to you."

but beyond that, he doesn't pry any further.

spiritomb leads them off the trail and through a small clearing before coming up to an oddly shaped stone that rests just by the side of the mountain. surrounding it are various ghost-pokemon, all floating and...mingling? it's hard to say.

"that a good enough shot, jack?"

[attr="class","noodles"]Sol Edelman

[attr="class","lance"]"we could definitely use some peace here."

a region torn by war and natural disasters? yeah, peace would be nice.

"twinleaf in sinnoh. i only just moved to hoenn last year."

it's safe to say the move hasn't been kind thus far.

their drinks are soon served up; he reaches for his, offering a toast.

"cheers."

[attr="class","noodles"]@tallulah

[attr="class","lance"]war.

"ah."

it happened to him, too, as evident by the marks that litter his body, so he understands all too well. his gaze retreats then to the pokeball that drops, choosing that over the memories that threaten to invade.

her question is met with an unusual pause; unusual only because the answer would've been instantaneous before.

but now?

"i'll go in with you."

there's a little more hesitance.

"might need to hitch a ride, though."

[attr="class","noodles"]freya morningstar

[attr="class","lance"]the scene is rather funny, actually. the makeshift game of whack-a-mole is met with a chuckle as lance watches. it's also quickly solved by the ranger trainee.

"it's always warranted in cases of self-defense, which i think you might soon need."

the marowak doesn't even have to step forward — it simply flings its BONEMERANG towards derek's machamp.

"oops. like now."

[attr="class","noodles"]DEREK HOFFMAN

[attr="class","lance"]"we do."

his hand finds hers, accepting the invitation as he slowly, carefully rises to his feet. the pain is masked behind a soft grunt, an exhale, and the grin that stays; it only grows as he nears her face once again.

[attr="class","noodles"]nina larson // [x]

[attr="class","lance"]he doesn't slow, perhaps afraid to fall into the lull of the moment. but he reminds himself that it's okay, that all he needs to do is to take a breath and remember where he is.

but remembering's always the problem.

he parts eventually, breathless as he leans his head against her thigh. he tilts up, looking into her eyes as his lips curl into a grin.

"it's still not messy."

[attr="class","noodles"]nina larson // [x]

[attr="class","lance"]it's scary how easy it is to forget the past at times. like now, when he's on his knees, the only reminder of the past is the pang of pain that courses through his leg. it soon dulls, however, under the different sensations that overcome him.

his tongue flicks; hands roaming behind her as he takes his time to savor the moment.

[attr="class","noodles"]nina larson // [x]

[attr="class","lance"]he leans into her kisses, softly exhaling as they drag down his jawline. he allows his hands to be guided and they linger at her hips, squeezing and feeling before complying.

elastic is tugged and he follows it down, lowering to his knees to trail kisses against her thigh, traveling inwards.

[attr="class","noodles"]nina larson // [x]