Cillian Quinn

"embrace your miasma. quickly."

natalie says quickly— basically off-the-cuff.

next to her, an aide appears, holding a silver tray out. atop, an obsidian coated M9 sits on it. lazily, she grabs it and points the gun at the underboss.

what better way to test ones reaction speed than to do the unexpected?

she pulls the trigger.

Killian Decker

"i'm aware. consider it a open invitation. once you have them- bring it to me. i'll see what i can do."

natalie blinks, exhaustion from the full work day weighing on heavy lids.

"my resolve and my work are one in the same. remember that, killian."

she retracts her fangs; stows her venom. but her gaze is still pointed and analyzing.

"and what of miss briarwood? should i expect to assist her as well?"

killian's relationship with Alexandra Briarwood was no secret. and if it was? it certainly wasn't a good one.

Killian Decker

she leans back into her chair, throwing one leg over the other knee. she recognized the edge in his voice; the cold, almost daring gaze to push the subject.

so she doesn't.

"bring me the samples and i will see what i can do. i will work with dr. flint myself, if need be."

her eyes narrow, voice turning quickly gaining an edge to it.

"i will assume you're being coy, killian, and not actually taunting me."

she licks her lips.

"i do not enjoy my work being questioned."

Lulu Flint

she rests her chin on one hand, while a painted nail pushes the tray of marinara sauce in lulu's direction. she eyes the woman with renewed amusement.

lulu was charming — in her own way — but seemed hesitant to open up even the slightest. it was as if she was intentionally stifling her humanity; pushing it down to a deep, dark crevice.

natalie wasn't arrogant enough to think that she could have the other woman open up for her.

still, that would be quite the show.

"very well then."

she says with a shrug. unlike lulu, natalie wasn't someone the league was actively looking for. thus, the chemist had no need for subterfuge.

"what's the end game?"

she matches lulu's stare, raising an eyebrow.

"why the avatars?"

Killian Decker

the name meant nothing to her. natalie held no lasting friendships, or contacts, with the researchers that studied the stars. still, the idea of a mythical pokemon whose origins originated in space was highly interesting.

"is there confirmation it is still on the planet?"

her mind lingers on the woman who primarily ran the labs- Lulu Flint - and her creative designs.

"have you asked dr. flint for help?"

despite having zero skin in the game, natalie was invested. to get a sample of that pokemon...

she nearly shivers at the thought.

@unholy

"anything interesting?"

her voice pushes out from the shadows, a moment before she does. she's dressed comfortably. simply. natalie regards the younger woman and her trio of pokemon.

she didn't understand the need to befriend the animals. they were tools. still, she admired the girls style.

she sits in a nearby chair, supporting her chin with her weaker hand.

"surely someone is doing something interesting somewhere."

her words were bored, though almost whimsical.

a gaze that was normally so pointed, lost in thought.

Cillian Quinn

unhelpful.

"i see. after a moment you may uncoil yourself."

she gives him room to stand, should he wish. a number of the aides are moving about in a frenzy. whether preparing testing equipment, or sampling what has already been taken.

she ignores thme.

"once you're set, we'll move to the MRI."

Killian Decker

natalie's eyes narrow.

"and what pokemon do you have in mind?"

this immediately removed lugia from her mind. as interesting as it would've been to see killian and Cillian Quinn clash, it sadly wouldn't be the case.

"and if you're coming to me, am i to assume.. others wouldn't want you to attain this 'bond'?"

syfus writhed beneath her.

priam conrad | peggie vela | Miles Sharp

"and i think i speak for everyone when i say we're truly proud you've come to the conclusion so quickly,"

her own voice was a dangerous combination of venom and sarcasm as she responds to peggie vela . the urge to bury her six feet under with the tree suddenly grew rapidly.

she does, reach out to touch the tree as he suggests. natalie blinks, the feeling pulsing through from her contact.

"now i am interested."

an emerald gaze turns to miles.

"where did you get this? how fast does it grow? could we expect to lure the legendary?"

Killian Decker

"if you're looking for someone for him to warm up too, i'm afraid you've chosen wrong."

she leans over the table, inspecting the nervous pokemon better.

"there are tests i'd like to run..."

her eyes catch killian's and she sits again. now it was time for negotiations.

"you wish to be an avatar. that much is obvious. but to which mythical pokemon?"

Cillian Quinn

"i imagine it would," she responds dryly.

she removes the needle, an aide applying a small gauze to the site to control bleeding. she hands the syringe off to another for processing.

"tell me how lugia feels."

she monitors the wound, assessing gavin's potential healing factor. was it accelerated?

@dakota

she blinks.

"what work have you, or your brother completed? i'm terrible with names. i much prefer the subjects."

natalie takes his hand with a polite smile. it should've been a polite smile. it was hard to keep the venom back sometimes.

"i am. i'm focused on the genetics of pokemon for the moment. specifically legendary pokemon."

and their avatars. it just so happened, a few were in attendance today.