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[Boy, is he still not used to this. It's hard to think he ever will be, but that's mostly because he's never expected to.]

[Nanu clears his throat, successfully finding himself not avoiding the touch; though whether or not the way he lowers his head is intentionally leaning into the affection or if it's just part of his stiff, awkward stance, is up for debate. Unaware to him, the feeling of warmth and comfort that stems from Anabel's gesture isn't just confined to him.]

[...He shrugs again, despite the jig being completely up.]

Just random prizes. They weren't too happy with me beating them at their own game. [After a moment, though, he scratches the back of his neck and ends up relenting. Sort of.] ...Might've made them hand over one of those in particular.

[ The territory is foreign to her, as well, but she doesn't mind navigating the backstreets and rocky dirt roads with him at her side.

Perhaps he'd wanted to pull away instinctively, but she has no sense of it nor would it have bothered her had he. If anything, it might feel like a success if he had -- that would mean he'd know exactly her intention behind the gesture.

There's something pleasant about it, as quick as it is to pass. She doesn't let it carry on in public nor does she push too hard. It's a small "thank you" riddled with a feeling that's so precious and rare for her. ]

I'm not surprised you treated it as a challenge. [ Delighted, perhaps, not just with the plush but his actions. Anabel repeats herself, brighter still. ] You thought of me.

[ Not that she's shocked or anything, but it feels good. It's a nice, pleasant thing. ]

Thank you, Nanu.

[Really, it should be telling how quickly he misses it once she pulls away. But, yes, they're in public of course, and PDA will never be Nanu's jam. Still, the warm feeling lingers, much like the first one he'd felt the day he gave her the milkshake. Like a comforting blanket that only she can provide, but only within their bubble of personal space.]

[Her smile is enough to expand the feeling all on its own, honestly.]

[Normally this is the part where he makes light of his actions, or the gratitude he's receiving. Play it off as no big deal—which it isn't! To him. Instead, this time, Nanu takes one look at Anabel's earnest and joyous expression and hears her heartfelt thanks, and decides to reply sincerely in kind.]

...You're welcome. [And it feels good to him, too.] Glad you like it.

[Holding eye contact as he says so, he lets his arm drop from his neck and gives a short nod. The awkwardness and embarrassment will be there for a long time, but Nanu realizes that seeing her this happy is very worth it.]

[...Of course, he goes right back to his old ways a minute later.] Hope Mismagius isn't too offended.

[ It's a strange feeling she can only miss once it's gone; the absence of it. It's wonderful, really, and she doesn't know why she hadn't indulged before now. The answer is simple and she knows it: because it had to be him. ]

It's cute. [ But there's a bounce to her words, it's not just a dismissive statement so he knows she likes it. She doesn't quite notice the awkwardness or the embarrassment because she's focused on her own feelings. That's how this sort of thing goes, though, right? She'll have to get him something soon now that apparently she's been given permission to do so. ] Oh, I'm sure she'll let you know -- she does like you rather a lot, though, so perhaps she'll be forgiving.

[ She swoops up his arm so they can carry on toward home. She's almost literally glowing still, though. ]

[The glow doesn't go unnoticed, but it paints her in a beautiful light. When she takes his arm, he hesitates moving forward because he's caught himself staring at her, a literal bright spot in the dusk. He knows he's being obvious, though, so he doesn't even try to hide that he'd been staring. Slowly, he turns away, in the direction of the nearest path out of the carnival and homeward bound.]

Hmh. I'll believe it when I see it. You know she's still got a streak against me.

[But Nanu's smiling and his tone is light, so it's not a serious complaint. It's what makes him respect her Mismagius, to be honest, aside from just having the honor of being Anabel's pokémon. He loves a good Mean Look contest.]

[As they walk, he slips his other hand back into his pocket as per usual; his other arm, however, he gently guides with hers so they're holding hands instead of Anabel just holding his arm. He brings no attention to it. He figures while they're on such a good streak, he might as well try to... well, work on this whole thing between them. And the warmth, hey, that's a nice bonus.]

[ When it comes to herself, she tries to ignore whatever might be happening. She's aware of it and she knows he is, too, but sometimes it's just all the easier to simply not see it. With him, it's easier to wear her heart on her sleeve as-is; all that really matters is he knows. ]

Oh, no! That's just how you know she likes you. You should see the things she does to Looker... [ It's just in her nature to be a troublemaker, although she takes a very different attitude toward Anabel even when it comes to teasing. The perks of being the trainer. ] She'd love to phase through walls, especially of the break room. She was the office's first defense against third and fourth helpings of doughnuts.

[ She doesn't need to paint the picture of Looker going for another and her poking her head up through the box and scaring him, she thinks.

It takes her a moment to settle into his hand, a Sweet Scent flittering about the air the very moment his hand hits hers. Fingertips scratching against his palm before she pushes them between his fingers. It's a very simple gesture, but it speaks volumes for Nanu. He's not a PDA sort of guy and not one to talk about relationships, even if they're just friendships. Him doing this in plain sight means a lot to her. ]

[That elicits an unusually hearty laugh from him; the type that makes his head tilt back and his shoulders shake. He can imagine it perfectly, of course. And he's glad that her pokémon picked up the role of antagonizing Looker in Nanu's absence.]

Heh...! Priceless. [The laughter tapers off, but the smile lingers. Especially once he sees they're nearing the edge of the carnival's perimeter.] She's got the right instincts. Oughta rent her out to the restaurants he terrorizes.

[The best part is, strolling along with their hands entwined... it feels natural. As does the dim glow accompanying them home, the warmth across their shoulders like a blanket, and the soft purrs of Persian as she rubs up against their legs.]

Oh, Weavile picks on him, too, and poor Looker... he tries so hard to get Raikou's approval, but he simply wants nothing to do with him.

[ Raikou didn't dislike Looker, though. She could tell he was just playing hard to get and occasionally might do a little preening when he became aware that Looker was going to try to pamper him in exchange for a bit of affection. ]

I'm not sure she could move as quickly as he does between each location. Sometimes I think he can use Teleport.

[ Anabel shifts in how she walks from time-to-time or dips her head so Persian knows her company is as valued as ever. It's hard to take her eyes off him, though. Like this, all that weight that seems to be carried by him when she's not around seems lifted. The burden not just shared, but lighter and with a finish line in sight. No longer endless. ]

Hm. I'll have to wear my gloves a little less often.

That's because he doesn't speak Raikou's language. [Though Looker becoming distressed that the giant feline isn't responding to his affection is another entertaining image.] Either that, or Raikou's using him for bribery.

[Also something he can imagine... Persian used to act the same way, except their breakthrough was centered around her primarily vain personality. But he wouldn't be surprised that Raikou plays hard to get. He makes a note to himself to give the legendary some attention when they make it home, and bring up these little incidents.]

Hey, he's got to be Stockpiling up for something. [buffet fuel for pokémon moves?] Maybe he trained under your Alakazam.

[Stockpile, Teleport, Transform... Looker's one technique short of a very bad moveset.]

[Nanu glances Anabel's way, though not nearly as often as she. It's enough to hear the lilt in her voice and feel her hand against his. He doesn't think of himself as particularly sappy, but right now he might as well have the Sap Sipper ability with the way she's feeding his own mood. Pushing back his negativity is exhausting, but it's well worth it tonight.]

Hmh? Thought you already were.

[He'd noticed. It was hard not to, with how she rarely took them off before.]

I hadn't known you were fluent in it enough to know that.

[ She suspects it's a bit of column A and B there because Raikou enjoys attention regardless and certainly appreciates any gifts, attention, and affection even if he turns his nose up at it. She always assumed he liked Nanu due to the respect he offered that wasn't combined with noise -- and there was permission. Nanu didn't act over-eager and let everything go at Raikou's pace. ]

Alakazam's certainly more fond of him than Raikou; he gave Looker one of his spoons, you know. [ A rare gesture of affection and trust from the Psychic type. Anabel thought it was sweet. ] Unfortunately, I think Looker is more of a Normal type like Snorlax...

[ She doesn't think the comparison is lost, even without the extra effort put into describing why. Jokes aside, she trusted the man with her life and he was perfectly capable... but it's hard to let the teasing go when you catch the guy shoving three malasada in his mouth all at once in an attempt to hide that he bought several instead of just one for each of them.

When she considers it, she really was fortunate to meet the men that she did when she woke up. Fate, maybe? ]

You noticed. [ She twists to look at him more directly, cheeks red both from the cold and realization. It shouldn't surprise her, though, knowing how he is. ] I meant...

[ Anabel shows more than speaks now, squeezing his hand ever-so slightly. It's a strange kind of warmth she'd never come to expect from the gesture, perhaps one that comes exclusively because it's him. The reality of it all... It's difficult to put into words how she feels about a moment like this. Silence might be better. ]

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