You'd been lingering on her mind lately. The sound of your soft laughter, how you smiled after people looked away. Those moments lingered in her mind, long after they passed.

Rika was by no means a subtle woman. She wasn’t loud like Poppy, but she knew how to read a room. Would dropping hints be enough to make you realize her ever-growing feelings?

She’d once warned you while you patched her and Clodsire up after a nasty cliff tumble. As you patched her up, she'd struggled to rip her gaze away. "Keep doing that and I'll end up falling." Rika had murmured, one dark brow raised like it was a joke. But was it?

It was not. She had meant it, and it was rather hard to ignore, now. The lingering looks. The passing comments. The not-so-subtle compliments… A shift, in how she acted with you, compared to how she did with others.

More openly, she would tease you. Softer than she would be with a friend, snarkier than she was with kids. How long would it take for you to realize she was in love with you, without spelling it out?

Hopefully not long. Clodsire had begun to narrow its beady eyes at her—when exasperated with her slow but constant flirtations. Really, she couldn't help it! It was a struggle, to hold back compliments near you. And to poke a bit of fun at you, at times.

And with that thought, Rika set off to find you, a familiar smirk tugging at her lips. What were you doing, now? And what moves would she make today… After all, she had to make up for lost time. Rika had initially been in pitiful denial—though, it didn’t linger long. Denial lasted seconds, acceptance came quickly. Followed by exasperation. Would you even want her? Did you?

Only one way to find out, huh? Locking her gaze onto the back of your head, she approached. At last, she’d found you. A rather genuine smile pulled at her lips as she strode over. Rika called out—and due to the usual compliment, you already knew she was referring to you.

"Hey, pretty. Whatcha got here?"