MARCH UPDATE

POSTED ON Jun 23, 2019 5:54:36 GMT

"alfric—"

he doesn't cut her off in time—he can't. spilling the contents of her heart is a fragile matter and fernando knows better then to interrupt. only when she pulls an abrupt stop does he stand up. such a confession brings him to his feet, shuffling out from behind his desk, ready to catch her should she decide to flee.

"cait."

cait alfric

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played by

y o y o

cai

she/her

twenty-three

may 15

fortree

bisexual

herbalist

civilian

sénon game

engaged

596 height

slithers of wistful window gazes glint in borrowed light

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TAG WITH @cait

POSTED ON Jun 23, 2019 8:29:31 GMT

she was visibly alarmed as he took leave of his seat, the man rounding the table and approaching - her name upon his lips.

"i'm sorry."

she shook her head, attempting a smile that both trembled and failed to reach her eyes.

"i'm being silly. and immature. and - "

'i need to get out of here.'

cait feared she'd say something that went beyond stupid. the girl reluctantly raised her gaze, all too aware that she'd betray how she felt by doing so. the gleam in her eye that refused to be smothered could only be appropriately described as 'devoted'. fernando - just like his adopted sister - held a special place in her heart. but she had tamped down on her feelings in favor of maintaining a certain level of professionalism.

a silph was a rare and nigh unobtainable individual - so there was little point in pining. but she could, at the very least, follow closely behind their lot; observing them from a distance as they took their natural place at the very top of the societal hierarchy.

cait sucked in a shaky breath, dipping her head again as her eyes fell shut.

"i'd do anything for you, sir."

'for you - for stormy. you both keep me grounded - you give me purpose.'

such an odd obsession - but one she wasn't particularly ashamed of.

"anything," she insisted. "i - i just wanted you to know that."

ALWAYS READY TO ROLL A NEW ONE

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played by

spiral

silph

SIR

twenty-nine

august 12th

saffron

oppressive

silph co. ceo

council member

SALACIOUS

1997 height

POWER IS TAKEN, NEVER GIVEN—SO TAKE WHAT YOU ARE OWED

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TAG WITH @silph

POSTED ON Jun 23, 2019 9:10:44 GMT

"cait."

he repeats her name, placing a hand on her shoulder. he can feel her unease by the way she moves, the slightest of trembles underneath his palm. her apology is unheard, shadowed by the pressing concern biting away at his expression. narrowed eyes study her, trying to read into the plights that she faces but won't admit.

something tells him that there's more beneath the surface—he's just not sure what.

"i appreciate it cait. the same goes for you. if there's anything you need, league or otherwise, let me know."

he doesn't shy away from her, staring back at her with a steadfast devotion. it's the same one he uses on persephone amavi when he has to lie to her. deceit runs deep, it's the greatest inheritance he has.

"you mean a lot to me cait. if you need something, anything, you just have to let me know."

his smile is forced but only because he can't wipe away the practiced worry from his face.

"i'm proud of you and everything you've accomplished. you're one of the most well received gym leaders we have."

cait alfric

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played by

y o y o

cai

she/her

twenty-three

may 15

fortree

bisexual

herbalist

civilian

sénon game

engaged

596 height

slithers of wistful window gazes glint in borrowed light

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2,558 posts

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part of

TAG WITH @cait

POSTED ON Jun 23, 2019 18:56:45 GMT

he was proud of her.

those words alone filled her with a savory combination of warmth and newfound confidence. it made those busy nights filled with a seemingly endless trail of paperwork worth it. he was satisfied - pleased, even - with how she had presented herself to the world and that inspired her to press onward.

'i enjoy my job either way,' she thought. 'it's hard. but i can't imagine myself doing anything else.'

"thank you, sir."

there was a slight tremble in her voice, the young alfric thankful that she could lay herself bare before her mentor and have him respond in such a wonderful way.

'i wish i had the courage to embrace him.'

but she felt that'd be crossing a line - so she contented herself with the presence of his hand upon her. his touch was warm and heavy and she relished it in its entirety.

"i do have... one request," she said.

cait paused for a moment, appearing to consider her next few words.

"my pokemon. if anything happens to me can you make sure they're properly taken care of? i know there's a lot of them running around - so i'm worried that they'll be tossed into the nearest shelter."

her family were already promised protection if something unfortunate was to occur - but that protection didn't extend to her pokemon.

ALWAYS READY TO ROLL A NEW ONE

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played by

spiral

silph

SIR

twenty-nine

august 12th

saffron

oppressive

silph co. ceo

council member

SALACIOUS

1997 height

POWER IS TAKEN, NEVER GIVEN—SO TAKE WHAT YOU ARE OWED

awards

8,740 posts

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part of

TAG WITH @silph

POSTED ON Jun 23, 2019 20:18:58 GMT

"nothing will happen to you, alfric. if you're in trouble, i'll be there for you. just don't bite off more than you can chew."

it's not entirely an empty promise. the last time cait had been stuck in slateport, fernando had expedited her retrieval by personally taking a spot on the front lines. the future will be no different—even more so now that she holds a bond with celebii. letting her fall victim to anyone else's hand is too lengthy of a liability. but, in the event she does perish, there's no need to to keep promises.

the concerns of the dead mean nothing to the living—a nihilistic presumption that fernando applies, even to himself.

"but i'll keep an eye over them. considering how many i have, what's a couple more. rest easy, alfric, you're pokemon will be safe with me."

which is true, but only in one person's perspective. at least until he can mold cait to match his own.

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played by

y o y o

cai

she/her

twenty-three

may 15

fortree

bisexual

herbalist

civilian

sénon game

engaged

596 height

slithers of wistful window gazes glint in borrowed light

awards

2,558 posts

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part of

TAG WITH @cait

POSTED ON Jun 25, 2019 12:34:39 GMT

mateo martinez likes this

cait felt secure in the knowledge that fernando would ensure she had a future. he sounded certain of it; likely aware that she was a willing participant to whatever plans he had laid out thus far. she was loyal - perhaps even to a fault.

"i'm in your debt, sir."

she was strangely content. her concerns over being deemed a 'failure' as well as a 'mistake' had been thoroughly squashed, the young woman unwilling to acquire these pathetic labels no matter what threats loomed in the horizon.

'but i'm so far away from being - '

- from being what he needed. she had only been a trainer for less than a year, her experience in combat pathetically lackluster despite her having successfully transitioned into being a leader.

"..."

she was no @delphi - no ALEXANDER STONE - no mateo martinez . she didn't possess their natural talent; their ability to so easily conquer any obstacle that was set before them. cait was far more adept at strategy - at running a city - at being politically-minded as well as driven. she'd have to somehow utilize these innate skills elsewhere to become more than she was. the young woman refused to stagnate, aware that she'd flounder and fail if she did so.

'i can't depend on someone else to save me,' she thought.

it'd take time but it wasn't an impossible undertaking. she'd require his aid as well as a fair bit of training, but she'd eventually mold herself into a woman deserving of celebi's gift.

'i won't - ,' she thought, raising her steely and dimly glowing gaze to meet fernando's. ' - fail you.'

it was a promise to both herself and to him.

[ end thread ]