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POSTED ON Jul 10, 2023 20:58:34 GMT

this is humiliating. throughout the rest of patrol, she's completely out of it. her superior officer comments on it thrice and she's very nearly written up. which isn't even fair, because nothing crazy ever happens near oldale. except the silent icelands, but that's different.

all she does today is pick up trash.

still, she's sweaty and sticky on her way back home. it's even too hot for kirin so she can't bring her out for a quick jog back. it's a double-edged sword because she spends most of the walk thinking about what she's going to say to kolya.

at the latter half of it, still struggling with shame, she tells herself she's an adult. she's twenty-two and if she wants to be on a dating app, she can be on a dating app!

like father like daughter, her resolve refuses to waver. she stands her ground, sets her jaw, and tromps up the stairs to the house. her shoulders slack (just a teensy bit) as a new tangle of nervous little wormies roll around in her stomach.

"papa, i'm home," she calls as she sets her pack down and shrugs out of her outer layer, leaving her in her sweaty muscle tee she uses for an undershirt.
Nikolaj Volosenkov

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Kolya, Chernobog

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May 10

Jubilife City, Sinnoh

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POSTED ON Jul 11, 2023 15:01:29 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","nikolaj1"]

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Camila was at the clinic and Saskia was fulfilling Ranger duties, leaving Nikolaj alone to tend to the house. A younger neighbor stopped by to drop off fresh vegetables Ducklett eggs. And, as expected of rural folk, they got to talking.[break][break]

"You do a lot of solo hobbies, don't you, Kolya? Fishing and stuff. You ever think of finding some buddies for that? My son uses this phone app to find new people to spend time with, called AmiGo. Try it sometime."[break][break]

So, after putting away the gifts and sending off his neighbor with a bundle of chopped firewood, Nikolaj settled into his armchair with phone in hand.[break][break]

Sign-up was easy enough. He failed to capture a non-blurry picture of himself when prompted, though, and couldn't think of what to put in his profile except: I love the outdoors & my family.[break][break]

The app then taught him how to 'swipe' on people — right for those he thought might be a good match, left for those who weren't. He practiced a few times, but then the unexpected happened.[break][break]

Saskia's profile popped up.[break][break]

A storm of confusion and alarm overcame Nikolaj. What was his daughter doing on this app? There were a lot of pictures of her, too. Such a public display violated the strict sense of privacy he had for his family. So he did the first thing he thought to do: leave a comment demanding that she delete her profile.[break][break]

Hours later, Nikolaj stood in the kitchen, cutting vegetables for soup, when Saskia stomped through the door and announced her presence. He looked up from the cutting board, his expression set into a stern frown.[break][break]

"Did you delete it yet?" he asked by way of greeting.

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[attr="class","tag"]saskia volosenkova

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sasky

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twenty-two

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oldale

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POSTED ON Jul 11, 2023 15:43:22 GMT

it being hot as all hell will never stop her family from making soup, but sasky's lips curl just thinking about drinking hot liquids right now. after a cold shower, it'll certainly be more appetizing, but right now she's in a foul mood and is already so, so nervous, but maybe papa forgot and -

"did you delete yours?" she fires back with a huff and then remembers herself.

she skirts around him, tapping his back to let him know she's there while he's wielding a knife, and splashes some cool water on her face. then she plucks a towel from where it hangs off their oven and runs that under the water too so she can rest it on the back of her neck.

"your profile sucks, by the way. you have so many nicer pictures of you! but i bet you ten bucks you forgot to turn it on to 'seeking friends only' and mama's gonna be maaaaaad." she leans back against the counter while she talks, smiling thinly up at him.

a wayward attempt to take the spotlight off of herself and lighten the mood.
Nikolaj Volosenkov

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Kolya, Chernobog

he / him

May 10

Jubilife City, Sinnoh

heterosexual

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POSTED ON Jul 11, 2023 17:39:23 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","nikolaj1"]

[attr="class","text"]

Deflecting the topic back onto Nikolaj was the wrong tactic, but he was used to this behavior from his daughter. He set down the knife as she passed and grabbed a dish towel to wipe his hands.[break][break]

"This conversation isn't about me—" he began to say, only for Saskia to cut him off with her quick comments.[break][break]

Nikolaj fell silent as confusion furrowed his brow.[break][break]

"'Seeking friends only'? What's that?" he asked. The app might have mentioned something about a 'friends only' setting, but he hadn't understood its meaning at the time.[break][break]

Wasn't the app already for seeking friends, anyway?

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sasky

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twenty-two

april 06

oldale

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POSTED ON Jul 12, 2023 23:42:32 GMT

uh oh. he's putting the knife down. being done with the vegetables certainly has nothing to do with it or anything. still, it was a heck of a lot easier to be a little sarcastic with him when his eyes were elsewhere.

she boosts herself up on the counter and gently bops her heels against the lower cupboards. her brows raise. wait, what? if he thinks it's only...then...

"well, why do you think i need to take it down?"
Nikolaj Volosenkov

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Kolya, Chernobog

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POSTED ON Jul 13, 2023 13:58:30 GMT

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[attr="class","nikolaj1"]

[attr="class","text"]

"Because you put too much information on your account. Too many photos of you," Nikolaj said, as if it were obvious. He put his hands on his hips, assuming a stance of authority. "There are a lot of predators on the Internet, dochka. Old men preying on young women like you by pretending to be young and friendly. Maybe even girls your age."[break][break]

This was not the first time he'd warned his daughter about the dangers of the Internet. All throughout her childhood, Nikolaj had monitored her usage, setting up child-safe blocks on their various accounts over the years.[break][break]

Of course, Saskia was a grown woman who could make her own decisions. But he was still her father; he hated the thought of her falling into a trap set by someone else and getting hurt — or worse — as a result.[break][break]

But besides that, Nikolaj was simply a private man. It was why he'd raised his family in the countryside, away from big cities where everyone lived on top of each other. He hadn't even built his house in Oldale proper, opting for the nearby woods instead.

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sasky

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twenty-two

april 06

oldale

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small time

5'9 height

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POSTED ON Jul 13, 2023 16:34:16 GMT

oooooooh. so that's what this is about. duh! at least it's an easy fix! all she has to do is assuage an old papa bear's worries, which won't be too hard. she knows she can be a bit scatterbrained, but she's smart as a whip and has a good head on her shoulders.

she is a volosenkova, after all.

"papa," she says, swinging feet stilling for the moment. "i promise i'm being safe. heck, at this rate it's probably more likely i get kidnapped by an ultra beast than i do some creepy guy on the internet! plus i'm only ever going to meet someone out in public. and 'sides, if anyone tries anything, i'll just sick maugrim on 'em."
Nikolaj Volosenkov

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Kolya, Chernobog

he / him

May 10

Jubilife City, Sinnoh

heterosexual

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66 height

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TAG WITH @nikolaj

POSTED ON Jul 14, 2023 17:25:35 GMT

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[attr="class","nikolaj1"]

[attr="class","text"]

Saskia's reassurances had the intended effect on Nikolaj. Though he still frowned, he admitted with great reluctance that his daughter had thought through everything. And she was right about another thing: the supernatural phenomenon plaguing Hoenn was way more dangerous than some random creep on the Internet.[break][break]

She'd survived several years by herself in Sinnoh, too — arguably just as dangerous as Hoenn, though in different ways.[break][break]

Nikolaj sighed and turned back to his cooking. A heavy hand swept the chopped vegetables into a pot of boiling water. "Okay, dochka," he said. "As long as Maugrim is there whenever you meet someone."[break][break]

That Lycanroc could rip out a man's throat without a single thought toward his life.

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sasky

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twenty-two

april 06

oldale

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5'9 height

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POSTED ON Jul 15, 2023 17:49:46 GMT

Camila Volosenkova likes this

as long as maugrim is there. well, there's no reason to scare away a potential date with her terrifying dog. maybe when she gets a better handle on him. until then, she'll bring him to her dates in his ball. but papa doesn't need to know that.

"mhmm," she affirms with a nod. she scoots out of his way so he can get to the stovetop. now that she's cooled down a bit, soup doesn't sound so bad.

"so can we talk about your terrrrrrible profile now?" she fishes her phone out and digs through her family photo folder. there are lots of dumb pictures she's taken of him (that he certainly doesn't know about...a lot of which are from when he's fallen asleep on the couch), but she finds her favorite and turns it towards him.

she managed to catch it when he was looking at Camila Volosenkova when her back was turned, when he thought no one else was looking.

"use this pic. you actually look kinda friendly here."
Nikolaj Volosenkov

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Kolya, Chernobog

he / him

May 10

Jubilife City, Sinnoh

heterosexual

ranger captain

66 height

You will die with a kiss on your lips and a lie in your heart.

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POSTED ON Jul 15, 2023 18:56:11 GMT

Camila Volosenkova likes this

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[attr="class","nikolaj1"]

[attr="class","text"]

"My profile isn't terrible," Nikolaj insisted as he stirred the pot and lowered the heat so the soup could simmer. "It's just fine."[break][break]

When Saskia mentioned a photograph, however, he turned and narrowed his single eye at her phone. The picture wasn't one he remembered her taking, as he'd never seen it before. Admittedly, he looked quite handsome, a soft smile on his face as he gazed at someone or something out of frame.[break][break]

Only Camila Volosenkova teased that kind of smile out of him. What had they been doing? Why had Saskia been so sneaky?[break][break]

"When'd you take that?" he asked, his blue gaze raised to scrutinize his daughter.

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sasky

she/her

twenty-two

april 06

oldale

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5'9 height

if i could be as bold to say that, you make me a joy parade

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POSTED ON Jul 15, 2023 22:38:12 GMT

"yes, it is," she quips back without missing a beat. she smiles that lopsided smile of hers as he scrutinizes her and then she just shrugs, eyes sparkling. "it's all about being in the right place at the right time."

she'd had to be so sneaky because whenever they try to get a family picture together and he actually has to try to smile, he looks like he's trying not to fart.

"say more about what you like to do! you have to put conversation starters. you and mama need more friends. but you especially, you old grump."
Nikolaj Volosenkov

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Kolya, Chernobog

he / him

May 10

Jubilife City, Sinnoh

heterosexual

ranger captain

66 height

You will die with a kiss on your lips and a lie in your heart.

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TAG WITH @nikolaj

POSTED ON Jul 16, 2023 21:12:18 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","nikolaj1"]

[attr="class","text"]

Nikolaj was rooting through the spice cabinet, pulling out the usual parsley, dill, salt, and pepper. One-by-one, he poured portions of them into the simmering soup pot, measuring them by eye alone.[break][break]

"I did say what I like. The outdoors."[break][break]

He eyed his daughter when she mentioned needing more friends. It was true Nikolaj barely spent time around other people, his interactions limited to the people in Oldale with whom he had business. The neighbor's visit earlier that day had been rare, an exception.[break][break]

Nikolaj's problem was that he distrusted himself around other people. One wrong word, and he risked letting slip the truth about his past: that he'd been a formidable member of Team Rocket back in Sinnoh.[break][break]

That he'd committed heinous crimes. That he'd killed people.[break][break]

"What would you write on my profile, then, smartypants?" he asked Saskia.

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sasky

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twenty-two

april 06

oldale

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5'9 height

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POSTED ON Jul 22, 2023 18:16:22 GMT

of course, it starts to smell absolutely amazing in the kitchen. it always does. and it always makes saskia snacky. so she finally hops off of the counter and darts around him while he works. her yanking open the fridge door makes some of the condiments inside rattle, but she ignores it, digging for something sweet.

she comes back with a peach and scampers around the kitchen island, nose back down to her phone.

"show off some of your carvings! and you're a ranger too, so put that. umm, hmm. and also how 'bout 'lonely grizzled old man seeking best friends. my super awesome daughter says i'm cool.' i think that'd get you lots of swipes."
Nikolaj Volosenkov

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Kolya, Chernobog

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May 10

Jubilife City, Sinnoh

heterosexual

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POSTED ON Jul 23, 2023 3:46:09 GMT

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[attr="class","nikolaj1"]

[attr="class","text"]

Nikolaj was so used to Saskia scampering around him in the kitchen that he didn't even react at the rattling of condiment bottles. He tasted the concoction and added a pinch more dill.[break][break]

His daughter's recommendations about his wood carvings and Ranger work made sense. Nikolaj found himself nodding along the more she spoke — until her last suggestion. He looked up from the soup, frowning.[break][break]

"I'm not lonely," he corrected, somewhat defensively. "And I don't need a lot of swipes. Just a few would be fine. Remember, dochka, quality over quantity."[break][break]

He handed her a clean teaspoon.[break][break]

"Here, taste the soup. Tell me if it needs anything." It was a test, of course, to make sure her palate was as good as her Internet skills.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","tag"]saskia volosenkova

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sasky

she/her

twenty-two

april 06

oldale

affectionate

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small time

5'9 height

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