almost lover [r]

[hook ¿]

Apollo wasn't the sort of fire pokemon whose mere existence meant heat. Neo remembered battling Cameron in the dead of winter. It had almost been a pleasant battle just for the sake of the warmth from the scourge camerupt.

But now it was raining, an early spring downpour, and she was cold.

Prepared as always, she had a tent (a different one from the last time she'd gone camping in Ceres Forest). It'd taken a great deal of cursing before she managed to set it up, but it was at least dry inside, with a compact space heater that was only strong enough to take off the worst of the chill.

It was too damp outside for fire, which meant it was too damp for a warm dinner. Not too content about it, Neo rummaged through her backpack for her berry pouch. It wasn't a filet mignon, but it was palatable enough.

Blue

[Blue]

Raza was nothing if not prepared. He had his water proofed cloak pulled close, the hood over his head. He was trudging along at a steady pace, shoulders somewhat slouched in the chilly air, but he was alert. After all, he was essentially circling this place looking for Scourge.
Behind him, his Totodile seemed to be enjoying the wet weather immensely. Normally rather stoic, maybe even somber, the water type was practically frolicking. Weaving to and fro behind him, he relished every drop of rain that spattered on his reptilian skin.

The Ranger paid his partner little mind. His assistant for the forest was not trailing behind him, which is where it would normally be. Rather, given the temperamental weather, the Cubone was currently clutching the front of Raza. The young man had the ground type in his arms, keeping the cloak around them both to spare the pokemon the discomfort of hours of walking in the rain.
It was a surprisingly gentle gesture, given Raza’s apparent lack of empathy these days.

He slowed to a stop upon spotting the tent. Obviously, the scourge threat couldn’t be so bad if people were actually camping. Seemed he’d need to move on to another area if he wanted the opportunity to kill a few. He stared at it a minute, determining if there was some form of natural movement inside, before continuing on. His Totodile had also noticed the tent, and approached cautiously with his new human companion. Nothing smelled out of sorts at least - no blood or infection.
Raza was content to pass the tent by, but the Cubone had noticed the shelter and began to squirm against him with small cries of protest. Seemed the pokemon was ready to be out of the cold, damp air.
On a very soft huff, Raza altered his trajectory and came to another stop, this time in front of the flap at the entrance. He squatted down to be on the same level as the person inside, his Cubone sticking it’s head eagerly out of the cloak.
“Excuse me. The Cubone wants to take a break in here, if you are not opposed.”

hook ¿

[hook ¿]

The blaziken answered the door, if the tent's entrance flap could be considered a door. He took one glance at the cubone and stepped aside. Apollo didn't need to check for Neo's permission in cases like these. Young pokemon should be kept out of the rain lest they catch a cold.

Graciously, Apollo stepped back and gestured for their guests to enter the tent. It was a tent of a size comfortable for him and Neo, but it became a tight fit when you added another person and their pokemon.

Neo glanced up, and the color drained from her face. She was seeing the proverbial ghost.

She shouldn't have suspected the virus first, nor should she have feared that she'd faded into the Land of Nightmares--but that was the easiest explanation. She looked around, listened for the now familiar voice of the virus, but there was nothing.

He could still be a hallucination.

"You're supposed to be dead."

Neo stood up and approached Raza, stepping over the berry pouch now at her feet. Without asking, she reached to touch his face, fingers brushing over the scar under his eye.

Blue

[Blue]

It was definitely not proper manners to just leap into someone else’s tent, but as soon as that Blaziken opened the flap, the Cubone was out of Raza’s arms and into the dry interior. Momentarily surprised, Raza just blinked slowly, even as his Totodile peeked around his legs to peer into the cozy space.

What happened next was right up there with ‘running into dead sister’.
‘Running into dead ex girlfriend’ - that had a lot more baggage attached. He froze, still squatting in front of the open tent flap, when their eyes met. His face didn’t actually show any sort of change, even as Neo’s drained of blood.
The soft touch actually made him lurch backward, breaking the slight contact almost violently. Frozen again, leaning back, Raza blinked slowly one more time.
“You’re the second person to say that to me.” Also the second person to abruptly touch him. Though it seemed he was less willing to let her…Neo…hm, why was that? Honestly, thinking back on their past didn’t dredge up much of anything in him - but then again, not much did these days. Maybe he was more bothered than he thought? Or maybe it was a subconscious reaction?

Finally, he relaxed back into his original stance, but made no move to enter the tent with Neo.
“I didn’t expect to run into you. How have you been?”


hook ¿

[hook ¿]

The blaziken looked from the stranger to Neo. Something was in the air. It probably wasn't love, but as long as it wasn't homicidal urges, Apollo didn't much care.

Not minding the humans, Apollo dug out a towel, press it between its wings to warm it, and handed it to the cubone. They didn't have a second spare towel, so if the totodile needed one, they'd just have to share--but whoever heard of a water pokemon that couldn't handle the rain?

Neo turned way from Raza, the color slowly returning to her face. She retreated to her bedroll in the corner of the tent, but she beckoned Raza to come in, to get out of the rain.

"It's good to see you." A part of her was pleased to see him alive, but by the color of his pokemon, it was anyone's guess whether Raza would survive again against the scourge or wipe out like plenty of others. Reality and low expectations stayed any joy she could've felt.

"Met Karimi already then?" No one else would know him. The rest were all dead, or only as likely to be alive as Raza was. "She thought she'd let you down by merit of staying alive. A strange sentiment."

She offered Raza her bag of berries, playing the good host in her abode, nevermind that it was only a tent in the woods. (It was a nice tent, at least. She'd made sure to upgrade.)

"Joined Eos when it first began. Researcher. Did research. Got infected with the virus, made a cure. Where there is a will, there's a way." Slept with another man, and now carried his child. Was that even Raza's business anymore? ...It probably was.

"Not doing much of anything anymore. Easy field research. I'm--hm. Four months pregnant."

Blue

[Blue]

The Cubone was beyond happy by the offered warm towel. He cried out with glee, and then proceeded to turn himself into a Cubone burrito monster. Nestled down in the towel, his eyes almost immediately got droopy.
And for the record, the Totodile was more than content with the rain, though he hovered close to his partner just in case.

The beckoning to enter caused another pause. Raza hadn’t really thought to enter himself, he was simply here for the sake of his assist pokemon. But he supposed it couldn’t hurt to get out of the rain…as a matter of fact, it ought to do the opposite. This weather was not pleasant on his newly healed wounds. In one surprisingly graceful movement he shed his cloak and entered the tent, managing not to get wet or dump whatever water was on the cloak into the tent itself. He carefully hung the waterpoof garment outside the entrance, and then shuffled in awkwardly to sit across from Neo. The Cubone immediately cuddled against his hip and passed out. Totodile laid down at the entrance to the tent, enjoying the rain too much to leave it.

Neo’s perceptive question made him blink, and then he gave the barest hint of a grin.
“Indeed I have. She hugged me hard enough to make my wounds ache.”
He had to blink at the next statement, his face back to its impassive mask.
“Survivors regret? I suppose I can understand.”
He’d never paused to feel guilty about surviving where his siblings had perished. He’d been too busy clinging to life, clinging to hatred, and biding his time until he could kill the scourge. In the end, he’d found out about the rest from Alia - they had in fact gotten out of the city, if only to die later, so his efforts back then hadn’t been completely in vain.
It no longer mattered these days.

The offered bag got another blink, before Raza plucked a few berries from it. He then proceeded to toss them idly to his Totodile, who lazily opened his large maw periodically to catch them. This was perhaps the only time any of his old self showed through - he treated his pokemon gently out of habit, as if it were muscle memory.
“…A cure? Congratulations then. That’s a feat. Though I was unaware the virus affected humans…if you end up with a spare cure, please consider allowing me to purchase it from you. Becoming infected myself is unacceptable.”
His tone was flat, but a hard edge came into it near the end. To become infected himself? The very thought made his blood boil. He’d kill himself before he became a puppet to that.

And now the bomb drop. Raza stared at Neo blankly, whom had spoken so matter of fact. Pregnant? All the broken pieces shifted, but couldn’t make any sense of it.
And so he laughed.
It was an abrupt sound, like a clap, sharp and filled with no feeling. It ended just as suddenly.
“No. Sorry. Congratulations. Or maybe…condolences?”
The thought seemed to make him laugh again, just a once. Then it was back to being straight faced.
“I’m not sure which is more appropriate, given your past nature. I apologize.”


hook ¿

[hook ¿]

She kept her distance from him now, or as much distance as the tent would allow without it being either awkward or hilarious. If they''d met up earlier, back when Eos was new and Raza's wounds were fresh, she'd sit closer.

"Moreso now than before. When we first began, it was easier to believe that we could save the region. A year later, that seems like a childhood dream, implausible if not impossible." Speak for yourself, Neo's mind reminded her. "That's how I feel anyway. I fight because there's little option. Karimi's a blind optimist, as usual."

Raza seemed different--more different than she'd expect him to be. The scourge changed everyone, but there was something about him--at the core, or in the aura--that wasn't as she remembered. Neo remembered him being warmer. Then again, they both were warmer back then.

"Infection's a minor problem for humans, if you have the cure on hand. Simple shot, only one application required, works in hours if not minutes. There are voices though. They whisper. Have you met agents? I assume they're humans that found the voices more tempting--and most persuasive."

She missed the sound of his laughter. She'd forgotten what it was like.

Neo smiled, a meager little thing and twisted. "Inevitable, really--and unfortunate timing, so I suppose condolences would be correct. I find I don't mind though, besides the discomfort."

Blue

[Blue]

Raza had a momentary grimace at the idea of one who would side with the scourge. His hatred ran so deeply, he knew he would try and kill an agent with just as much vehemence as he would the infected themselves. He wouldn’t bat an eye at murdering another human.
In his mind, they were no longer human at all. Just as Scourge were no longer pokemon.
“I have not.”
He finally responded, voice terse. He tossed another berry to his Totodile as if to ease out of that train of thought.

He stared blankly at Neo’s midsection, as if he would be able to gauge her discomfort. Or maybe he was looking for a bump. It was impossible to tell. Just as it was impossible to tell how he really felt about it.
Once upon a time, they had dated.
It hadn’t gone well.
Neo and Alia had been close friends. He had no idea if it was still true. But back then, many things had happened that might have driven a wedge between the two, if Raza had ever thought to speak up. But he hadn’t…he couldn’t quite remember now, but he was fairly sure it was to ensure the two stayed friends.
Forcing himself to think back on it, to try and remember, only dredged up the dullest of aches. It had hurt then. He’d actually really liked Neo, in that awkward teenage boy way. The friend of his big sister, actually wanting to date him.
Hm well, thinking about it that way, perhaps it was only natural she wandered about freely to others. He wasn’t sure what had really caused them to get together in the first place…honestly it was another blank spot, gone from his memory due to his ordeal.
“Condolences, then. Good luck on motherhood. I don’t think you’re very suited to it, but you are a fast learner.”
He was somewhat subdued, and his face had already shifted somewhat out of its blank expression. He wasn't sure, through the shattered remains of his psyche, what to think of it all. So, perhaps it was better not to think at all.

hook ¿

[hook ¿]

This was strange to her, in a different way that talking to Karimi could feel unnatural. She had been a brighter, happier person back in Decima--back before the scourge. Around Raza, Neo felt like she should channel the girl that was. Then again, she knew how he'd been too, and this wasn't the boy that was either.

The scourge took its toll on everyone, it seemed.

"Won't be long now. They don't swarm like the pokemon do, but they'll find you. I'm fairly sure they make efforts to test us, to gauge each Eos combatant for the threat they pose to them."

Motherhood? He was mistaken. Possibly mistaken. The child would go back to the father, or perhaps to adoption, or that was her plan--unless there was reason to believe the child wasn't normal (for a given value of normal). There were quite a few reasons to believe that the child wouldn't be normal though, that it'd be something touched by the scourge when she carried the disease, or by the Land of Nightmares for the time she spent there. Neo couldn't know for sure, not yet.

She didn't comment on that though. "Fingers crossed. The doctors don't think I can carry to term anyway. Too unhealthy." Neo smiled, a little wry thing. "We'll see about that."

Blue