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NIKOLAI

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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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NIKOLAI PETROV

les amis [ closed | past ]

POSTED ON Nov 20, 2018 15:24:29 GMT

gilbert valeria likes this

friendship is a luxury that has never been gifted to nikolai: a man who was forced to be alone because the alternative puts the people close to him in danger. but circumstances change and this one in particular granted him that luxury of calling someone a friend.

finally, after years, he has that luxury again.

but as he has come to learn, the world isn't kind; it's cruel and unforgiving as it looks to rip away the very luxury that's just been gifted to him. he won't let it.

tears pour down from the heavens, setting the scene as people dressed in black gather around a particular spot. their heads hang low and their voices are soft and filled with remorse, sympathy, perhaps for someone who's just lost everything.

it's a feeling he knows all too well.

no umbrella covers him as he stands underneath the downpour, watching the ceremony pass by but his focus is never cast aside: the man, his friend, is always on his mind.

the funeral starts to conclude as people say their goodbyes. he does the same out of respect, and once everyone's gone and scattered, he approaches the man with care in his step.

"it was a nice service." his words look to get lost in the rain, drowned out by the somber setting. "i'm sorry, gilbert. i truly am." it's a different side of him that he rarely shows anyone, but for gilbert, he will because he needs it.

"no one should ever have to go through this, especially not you." he bites his tongue, refraining from overstepping his boundaries. "you don't deserve this. she doesn't deserve this."

he sighs.

"just know you're not alone."

gilbert valeria

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lâcher [ closed | future ]

POSTED ON Nov 19, 2018 16:56:47 GMT

the room immediately darkens.

"what?"

there's no cuteness in his voice: the absence of anything that makes a person human is present and prominent because the figure on the hospital bed isn't a man: he's a shell of a man haunted by ghosts of his past.

this won't be another ghost. she won't be another ghost.

her question isn't even registered; the ringing in his ears won't allow for it. "who is he, thalia?" there's desperation in his voice that's uncommon from the sootopolis gym leader: once someone so stoic, so formidable, now broken down into this thing.

he's long pulled away from her touch; he doesn't realize it until he moves to stand. the wires connected to him follow but he doesn't care; he won't feel powerless in the bed for any longer. he needs to know. he needs to regain control of the situation:

of his life.

"what fuck are you doing, thalia?"

thalia black

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GRUDGE [ POST-SLATEPORT | C ]

POSTED ON Nov 19, 2018 16:45:16 GMT

her hands are in her pockets; his hands are in his pockets. the two have an unbreakable bond that he cannot escape from. he cannot deny it and believe him when he says he's tried. over and over again he's tried but still it clings on, unwilling to let him free.

he knows she has her hand around her pokeballs; he's no different with his. it'll boil down to who's faster and who's able to read the other better.

his brows furrow in response to the playfulness in her tone. their roles are swapped: how poetic; unfortunately, nikolai isn't much of an admirer of the arts.

the hurt in her words rival the night of the incident as they bring up unresolved issues; feelings that have been pushed deep down now ready to burst back out. he has to bite his tongue and hold himself back.

"you should have killed me."

she'll live to regret it.

"any last words?" he restrains himself; he feels his body tense in response. "it's more than you gave them."

@ezra

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DOCTRINATION

POSTED ON Nov 19, 2018 16:38:44 GMT

nikolai does observe his fists and sees the white of his kunckles. and he's shaking; why is he shaking? nikolai cannot tell in the moment: whether he's shaking out of fear, guilt, or something else entirely, nikolai wouldn't know.

which seems to be a common theme recently.

the man's words are a revelation; it feels as though he's spilling secrets but they do little to soothe him. guilt still hangs heavy but at least now he knows the cause of it: rocket. it's always rocket.

they went for slateport so it only makes sense they'd come for sootopolis, especially if he's there. he should've known better. he should've prepared better. he cannot make the same mistake twice.

the first caused him everything.

"why? you have everything you need to destroy me but you're not using it. why?" he asks twice because it's important. he leans forward in his bed and steels himself to meet the man's gaze.

"what do you want?"

FERNANDO SILPH

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GRUDGE [ POST-SLATEPORT | C ]

POSTED ON Nov 19, 2018 7:43:18 GMT

persephone amavi likes this

he hasn't told anyone; not even persephone amavi.

his days are spent serving the agendas of the league: he goes where he's needed, he does what he's told, but do not make the mistake of assuming he's their pawn because he's far from it. he won't allow himself to be another mere pawn in the grand scheme of things. he's not the king but he doesn't have to be. he's not afraid to sacrifice himself to win the war.

orders do not dictate his actions. not anymore.

he's here on his own accord.

she allows him to find her and he knows it. assuming otherwise would be foolish. ghosts of his past resurfaces; within him, too, but this time it's different: he doesn't fight them.

he embraces them.

she waits for him at the power plant, or what remains of it. he sees the blood stains on the ground, on the STONE EDGES that were summoned a few days ago. their bodies are gone; not buried but burned into ash, most likely. he expects that much from rocket.

he stops when he's close enough.

his resolve is strong and his voice rivals it. his glare pierces. his words are venom.

"did you kill them?"

@ezra

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DOCTRINATION

POSTED ON Nov 18, 2018 7:50:02 GMT

persephone amavi likes this

test after test gives him inconclusive results, which is the sole reason why he keeps getting asked back. they have appointments scheduled for the rest of the month because they're worried about his well-being, or at least that's what they tell him, but he knows the truth: they're worried he's deflecting.

he sees it in their eyes and how they judge him under the guise of helping him, of caring for him like the prestigious league medical staff they are.

a day after leaving the hospital with persephone amavi and he's back because he's forced to. he sits and waits and lets the doctors run their various tests on him because it's all they can do to prove his loyalty. his lack of memory is cause for concern, so he doesn't blame them, but it doesn't hurt any less.

'you have a visitor.'

he doesn't want one. he's not expecting one. and yet, the door opens: it's the man he almost killed. the man he wanted to kill.

"not particularly." he's not the first to break the ice. an overwhelming flow of guilt overcomes him, causing him to divert his gaze elsewhere, downwards, as he's unable to look the man in the eyes anymore.

he hears the door shut behind him. "i tried to kill you." he says as it to reaffirm it. the various cuts and bruises on the man's body tells him that much; that he's been through worse than nikolai. "i almost did."

he breathes.

"why are you here?"

FERNANDO SILPH

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DESTINY BOND [ CLOSED | PAST | KANTO ]

POSTED ON Nov 18, 2018 7:36:08 GMT

his phone rings.

his blood runs cold.

"anna? what's wron—" all it takes is a single sob to sober him up. he's off his seat and out the door even before he finishes his sentence. "stay on the phone. i'm on my way."

her words are inaudible; they escape as soft, fleeting breaths that disappear far too quickly. "just stay with me. don't leave me yet. please don't leave me." he moves with a sense of urgency never seen before, meandering through the thick of the crowd, up and down the long alleyways that cut through different roads, all in a desperate attempt to reach her in time.

but it's not enough.

"i'm almost there. don't worry, i got y—"

the line cuts.

"anna?"

all he hears is nothing. he almost gives up at that point but he wills himself to keep moving; tells himself that it's not over yet, that she's still alive. that his family is still alive. his mind never rests, not even once as his fingers find and calls another one of his contacts.

it rings for far too long. "the house, cormac. the fucking house. now!" he hangs up before a response can be given because both of them know how dire the situation is. he makes it in under a minute.

his breath catches in his throat at the sight of orange; fire burns away at his heart, at his home, scorching it in its entirety until there's nothing left. he doesn't hesitate to run through the fires, embracing its searing hot heat that lick away at his bare skin.

he finds her unconscious body in the middle of the living room. "fuck, fuck—" he doesn't have time to think, no time to call out his pokemon to help. he rushes to her side, knees skidding against the harsh ground as his arms wrap around her. her body burns but he embraces her, pulling her close before rushing out of the building.

she's burned but not nearly enough to be disfigured, and that's the worst part: he sees the pain on her face, the helplessness in her eyes. she's no longer breathing, far from it, but he lays her down on the ground and attempts cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

"no, no, no, no, no—don't leave me. not yet. not now." his hands never stop pumping, breaking her ribs but it's to no avail and he knows it. "please! fuck. i can't lose you. please, anna." he doesn't look away, he doesn't stop trying, not even when he feels hands on his shoulders.

they try to pry him away.

"i'm here now; i'm here. i promised i'll be here."

'she's dead, nikolai.'

he can't hear him. he has to be dragged off of her, held back by the arms of a man of equal strength, but in that moment he feels much, much weaker.

'i'm sorry.'

tears cascade down the side of his face; they have been for a while now. guilt turns into rage because blame is easy to be cast aside. "fuck you, cormac! you were supposed to keep them safe. why are they dead? why did you let this happen?" he thought he could trust the league commissioner; thought that with his help, they could turn the tide.

but the truth is, he let this happen on his own volition. they're dead because of him.

still, it doesn't stop him from throwing a punch. and another. and another. cormac takes it because he can; because it's all he can do to help nikolai. after the fourth punch, cormac catches it and throws one in return. the impact sends nikolai to the ground.

with hands sprawled along the warm dirt, he finds his sister once again and clings on to her for dear life. "i'm sorry." he sobs. and cries. and screams.

"i'm sorry."

@ezra

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flesh, blood

POSTED ON Nov 17, 2018 14:07:00 GMT

VIOLENCE

the screams tell him to stop but he can't, or at least that's what he tells himself because it's easier to accept than the truth: he doesn't want to stop.

pallet's on fire and soon it'll become nothing but a forgotten speck on the map. there are those who resist; that's natural, that's human nature, but it's foolishness that makes them fight a losing battle. it's foolishness that will get them killed.

orders are orders but this feels different. he knows it's different but he doesn't want to say it because that makes it real. if it remains in his head then he can deny it for as long as he wants.

'please, stop!'

he doesn't.

"targets."

nidoking and nidoqueen lead the charge; that much hasn't changed. STONE EDGES make the difference as it pierces through resisting pokemon. beautifly: sliced in half. gardevoir: crushed against the ground. their trainers lay their weapons down, surrendering all control over to him but yet he still approaches with a hint of darkness in his eyes.

'you win! please, let them live! they're all we have left.'

they beg and plead as they lay their pokeballs that contain the rest of their team on the ground. they rid themselves of their weapons in exchange for mercy.

he doesn't give it to them.

STONE EDGES crush the pokeballs and their contents.

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esp spiral [ wild | closed ]

POSTED ON Nov 17, 2018 13:46:23 GMT

the events of slateport have left people shaken, some more so than others. persephone is no exception: she's among the many that have been affected and similar to many, she's decided to contain her feelings, to bottle it up and let it fester and grow until it inevitably escapes.

it's clear she can't confront her feelings, but what if it's because of him? what if it's because of his past? she knew of it, she knew, and yet she's isolating herself from him which subsequently makes him feel he's the wrong in the wrong.

like he's a monster.

maybe she's not wrong.

the remnants of what used to be a power plant come into sight. there's not much use for it left which is why rocket have only left two people to look after it, for reasons unknown because there's nothing left to protect.

whatever.

by the time they finally notice him approaching, it's far too late to even react. STONE EDGES pierce through their legs, rendering them immobile as he approaches. they send out their pokemons but they're quickly kept preoccupied by nidoking and nidoqueen. they take the battle off to the side, leaving the two vulnerable and on the ground, and like a mandibuzz circling its prey, he'll soon pounce.

"it's your fault."

he speaks down to them. he won't take the blame for this no matter what persephone might think. he's aware of the irony but to him, it's not, because he's not the bad guy. the two rocket look up to him with fear in their eyes.

"why did you have to come here? why did you have to fuck things up?" he steps on one of their legs, digging it deeper into the STONE EDGE. the screams don't affect him. not anymore.

"why did you have to follow me?"

he spits venom much like his pokemon. he hears a snap but he doesn't stop. he doesn't want to stop. his resolve never breaks, not even once.

"beg."

persephone amavi

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03. SLATEPORT INVASION CONCLUSION

POSTED ON Nov 17, 2018 12:44:00 GMT

shiv likes this

NIKOLAI PETROV
SILAS BLACKWELL
DANIEL WALKER

i love all of you ESPECIALLY spiral

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DESTINY BOND [ CLOSED | PAST | KANTO ]

POSTED ON Nov 15, 2018 14:55:55 GMT

there's a crack in her usual facade that goes unnoticed by him: she's in a good mood, which is odd because her clear lack of emotions is what sets her apart. it's why silas has put so much faith in her; it's why he's promoting her; and it's ultimately why she's still alive.

she orders two more drinks for him as a parting gift and asks him if he has any final words for her; if only he knew the true implication behind her words. he'd kill her her on the spot.

but, unfortunately, he does not have that luxury.

"pleasure's all mine." he lifts his glass up in toast before downing its content. even as she turns to leave he still doesn't see the situation as he should have. the alcohol has made it impossible to even detect the clearly laid out hint: the bait for him to latch on to.

on a different day he'd have known the moment he stepped into the bar. on a different day he'd have noticed her odd disposition. on a different day, he'd have been able to save them. but today, the bell tolls for his reckoning. he will pay for his sins in a way he never could have prepared himself for.

on this day, he loses everything.

with a resolved sigh, he leans against the counter and continues drinking. soon, he feels nothing.

@ezra

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DESTINY BOND [ CLOSED | PAST | KANTO ]

POSTED ON Nov 15, 2018 2:43:41 GMT

the problem isn't overpowering the rocket boss, which is a task he's confident he could do if given the chance, but it's the aftermath that stops him; that stops everyone. fear has willed it so the man has loyal followers that would soon die for him than to even dare question him. it's their undying loyalty that makes the man so powerful. so fearful. nikolai isn't afraid but maybe he should be.

maybe he should have known better.

"give him an extra foot and maybe i'll finally be able to see eye to eye with him." he continues goading because it's the most he can do. "maybe a step. some heels, maybe?"

his voice doesn't cower, not even for a second. it's drowned out in a sea of noises, lost in the vastness of the bar they're stranded in.

it's subtle, but he tenses up at the mention of a promotion. his eyes narrow for a split second before he blinks, turning away to reach for his refilled drink. he doesn't drink it yet.

"don't keep your hopes up."

underboss leaves a bitter taste in his mouth that's somehow worse than the liquor. it stings and burns even as he tries to wash it away. the bottom of the glass hits the counter as he takes a deep breath. "congratulations, darling."

venom in his voice, he speaks. "one step closer to your dreams." another shot and he's asking for more. his hand shakes but he hides it well. he can't stop until he feels nothing.

for now, he feels scared.

@ezra

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02. NOVEMBER ACTIVITY CHECK

POSTED ON Nov 14, 2018 17:05:02 GMT

i know who my characters are

:spy:

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NIKOLAI

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DESTINY BOND [ CLOSED | PAST | KANTO ]

POSTED ON Nov 14, 2018 16:44:58 GMT

the situation slowly tilts but he's too blind to see it: it's apparent in her voice, with how she presents herself; it's as if she knows too much; knows that something's going to happen, that perhaps she's going to be the one who forces the situation in her favor.

or maybe she already has.

"you're ditching me already?" there's almost a hint of disbelief in his voice but he should've known better than to trust a rocket. it's playful banter in his head for now as he shrugs his shoulders, shakes his head, and takes another sip of his drink while she speaks.

she mentions silas and he scoffs. "not hard to see eye to eye with that midget." he says because he knows exactly how she feels about him. he's goading her, and it's clear with the smirk on his face. "i do, and i think you hold him too highly."

not many dare speak ill of the rocket boss but he has no qualms about it. in fact, he almost invites it. he slides an empty glass towards the bartender again.

"he's powerful but he has weaknesses, as we all do." he tilts his head only to look at her. it's not common for her to shed herself of her identity. he appreciates it while he can; his eyes wander. "people fear him but without fear he's nothing. take away his followers and he's nothing."

he pauses for a moment.

"in fact, you could make a better boss than him."

@ezra

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DESTINY BOND [ CLOSED | PAST | KANTO ]

POSTED ON Nov 14, 2018 12:41:37 GMT

tension is always present in their air between them. always. it lingers and festers like garbage in the shade, left to do nothing but rot until someone decides otherwise; unfortunately, neither of them have yet to decide.

perhaps it's the cockiness, the arrogance that comes from being a rocket beast, but he never once stopped to think that maybe, just maybe, the tension in the air is because of him.

it's a mistake that will cost him everything.

for as long as he wills it, there's nothing else in the bar but them and their drinks. the burn in the back of his throat from the liquor is a feeling he's willing to endure if it drowns out all others. tonight, he drinks to forget.

tonight, he wants to feel nothing.

her voice interrupts him, making him painfully aware of their surroundings; their situation. "surprised it took you that long." his tone's flat. "but thanks."

the meaning behind her words frighten him because that's the last thing he wanted: to become like them. like her. the fact that she paid him a compliment means it's far too late.

he downs whatever's left.

"why the compliment?" he asks as he gestures towards the bartender to refill. "it's unlike you. makes you sound almost human."

almost.

@ezra