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arceus smite her where she stood. [break][break]

she didn't think that, she of all people, would be asked to attend the ball. even if it was bordering long formal and straight casual, she settled with wearing a royal blue sweater that had a loose, turtle neck collar that hung around her neck and over her shoulders. nothing fancy while paired with a pair of white leggings. her golden hair had been let down and tied into a loose braid to drape over her right shoulder. [break][break]

there were few people she recognized here, solely because hoenn was fairly new territory. for the beginning of the evening and even the afternoon before, she was doing her damned best to maintain her composure and suppress the sheer embarrassment. it'll be alright, she told herself. this was a friendly event, so she shouldn't mind it. don't think too much on it, she continues to tell herself. [break][break]

kind of hard to do, when he has her hand and held her by the waist. [break][break]

though ball dancing and formal steps weren't foreign to her, she still found her cheeks burning up, as the pinkish hue overtook her face. deep, sapphire blue eyes met with a singular one. yes, he was doing a much better job than she was trying to maintain his composure. daphne, on the other hand, found herself turning her head away from him, hoping to hide her rosy cheeks behind the braid. it was a poor attempt, however, while she tries to focus on her steps. [break][break]

"n-not that many.." she admits, softly. she continues to follow his lead while they sway on the floor. "i'm surprised anyone asked me, to begin with. i'm flattered~.."

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she arms secure around the notebook in her arms, as did her fingers around her pen. indeed.. it probably did look odd for her to be examining it. but, seeing that devon corp was now under her word, she wanted to at least learn a bit more about the land around, and the history from within the caves. it should be alright to tell him, she thinks. after all, he's the gym leader. she's someone she can trust. [break][break]

she takes a deep breath, and softly sighs. but, before she could explain herself, she found him waving the guards off from the entrance to grant her access. this surprised her, just a bit. letting her in, before hearing her reason? mmn.. was he just too trusting? especially since word of alexander's elder sister wasn't exactly common knowledge. part of her thinks to herself; was he not cautious or suspicious of her? if he were, she would understand completely. if not-- [break][break]

then, she was grateful. [break][break]

paying less attention to the offer to tag along, and more on the compliment brought a tint of rose to the young woman's cheeks. she wasn't good with praise nor compliments - she never has been. getting any of the sort made her flustered, even if by the slightest bit. her free had reaches up, taking a side lock of her golden hair between her fingers and rubbing them together. "... thank you." she says, though softer. before she can say for the compliment or for the company, she clears her throat and narrows her eyes while walking into the cave. hopefully, to try and settle her flush down before he can see her face. [break][break]

it was unbecoming of someone like her, anyways. [break][break]

"i'm here to investigate rocks in the cave. i think there are some things that devon could have, potentially missed--" ... oh, who was she kidding? she was fully aware that devon had, most likely, already done a thorough sweep of the cave when it was first discovered. they would be the ones who would be on this, first, after all. lowering her hand, she takes hold of the pen again. "... erk.. in truth, it's embarrassing for me to admit--" she starts, beginning to fumble with the pen as her cheeks flush a rosy pink again. "i actually don't know much about this region. and i.. feel ashamed, even though i'm the ceo of devon.."

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she mulls it over. [break][break]

indeed. if alex weren't too concerned over emma, then it'd mean emma wasn't in any immediate danger. still, she couldn't help but to feel the churning anxiety that came with her sister's sudden disappearance. especially when she was once so out there, in the crowds and made it clear to everyone in the world; she was a stone. a complete contrast to daphne, who would have preferred to stay in the shadows and away from her family's spotlight. [break][break]

taking in a deep breath, and sighing out softly, she tries to give kyle a small - though forced - smile in a poor attempt to show feigned relief. "i appreciate it." she says. he's trying, and she can recognize that much. it would be tactless to press him more on the matter, especially when she was the one who called him all of a sudden and came on so strongly. [break][break]

she takes a sip of her coffee and mulls over his question with a soft hum. she'd thought about it; what to do, and what to do next. she hangs her head, shameful enough to admit "... i'm not sure.", while putting her coffee down. "to be honest.. i'm a little bit lost. i was hoping for some lead on my brother and sister." she raises her head "... but I can't exactly wallow, so i will be prioritizing the company." [break][break]

the disdain wasn't well kept. though she tried to maintain face and composure, the concern was plastered on her tone if not in her eyes.

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he was really trying. [break][break]

it put her at ease, even if only a bit. even so, she couldn't believe that she made the offer! how do you act in these situations? she was still at a loss. even if she tells herself to act natural, she still finds it difficult. taking a deep breath, she nods her head. "i.. i suppose it does.." she adds, taking the napkin in front of her and mimicking his actions. she gently pats the cloth in her lap. though in the middle of trying to compose herself, the mental image of a limo trying to fit through the cave was enough to make the young woman stifle an abrupt bout of laughter.[break][break]

she immediately lowers her head to try and hold the laughter in, solely at how stupid the image was, really. "a-apologies.." she laughs out, bringing a finger to her lips to try and hush herself. "th-the image of a limo going through the cave.." or attempting. it made her think of the time her gible tried to slither through a small funnel thinking it was a training dummy. "i-it just reminds me of when my garchomp was a gible." and both the nostalgia and picture made her laugh. she felt the garchomp shaking in his pokeball, like he was whining in there. [break][break]

she's still trying to calm herself, but the image keeps popping up in her head. god, she probably looked so stupid--

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'frank' was putting it a certain way. a polite way, and more civilized than what she'd like to describe him as. "indeed.." she trails, slightly. the distress and slight unease in her voice was prominent, but she tries to hide it for the sake of formalities, along with mannerisms. in hindsight, it makes sense for him to be that way seeing as he handles the mantle for silph. on the other hand, it acted as a very confrontational reminder of who she was and what she was or wasn't capable of. [break][break]

humiliating was one way of saying it. disgraceful, another. [break][break]

but she digress. thankful to the vaporeon who nudges at her leg, she crouches to begin patting the top of the marine pokemon's head. she offers a small smile. "no, i'm flattered. she's absolutely precious~" she softly coos over the vaporeon. [break][break]

as the trouble began to settle down, she glances to the wailmer who began to bounce itself across the ground and over to the trainer. why he didn't float was beyond her; a childish sense of energy? hopefully, it wouldn't persist even after evolution. that.. would be a problem. most definitely. [break][break]

she stands back up, moreso to give olivia an acknowledging nod in gratitude. "thank you, and i wish you all the best, too." her blissey waddles over after attending to the sickly, and began to try and give the vaporeon the same affection the trainer gave earlier. "if there's anything you need, as well, i'll gladly assist in any way i can." after all, connections were important; even more so now, seeing that she was new to the position. [break][break]

"it was a pleasure meeting you. i hope we can work together, again~" and with those words, she gives the woman a wave before walking off with the two pokemon at her side.

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suffice to say, his discomfort was called for. [break][break]

his surprise, even more so. it really should have been expected that his family would know; that's what anyone would assume. not to her, however. as much as she loved her family to the moon and back, she could never get a proper reading on her brother and, unfortunately, she never took the time to properly speak to him as a sibling since he'd taken up the mantle of hoenn champion. this, add onto her youngest sister's disappearance, left her baffled and at a temporary loss. where does she even start? [break][break]

clearing her throat, and nearly narrows her eyes at his words. "it's.. complicated." and anyone would be able to tell off the tone of her voice that he hit a mark. it was embarrassing to admit, and even more shameful to accept. a mistake on her part, that she didn't like to face. nevertheless, she tries to salvage her own pride for the moment. "we used to be, before he took up the family business." she says, taking another sip of her slightly sweetened coffee. "I was away from hoenn and only returned now and then to help with research. i was surprised to hear him suddenly step down."[break][break]

surprised? an understatement. frazzled, shocked, concerned and at loss? more likely. [break][break]

"i don't even know where to start with this.." she sighs and mumbles, more to herself than the man sitting before her. she turns her attention from the cup, however, and back at the league member. "and my sister, emma stone? do you have any knowledge on her whereabouts..? i heard that she was taken captive by rocket and i haven't heard from her after the disbandment."

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ah, yes. [break][break]

she heard that there was a new gym leader in the area, and she was grateful that he came up himself. well.. she also had a bit of things to talk about with other league members, more in regards to her little brother. after all, he was the previous champion who suddenly departed for his own adventures - and with little notice, at that. [break][break]

she scoffs, slightly, before raising a hand to wave. "a pleasure." she holds her hand out, tilting her head a bit. balder, then.. that was going to be something to remember. hadn't she maintained her composure, she can imagine laughing a bit at the name and the irony of it. granted, she's probably the last person to laugh over ironic names. [break][break]

she takes a deep breath ".. daphne. daphne stone." and half expects him to recognize the surname before the first. nevertheless, she motions her other hand towards the cave itself. "i intended to investigate and take a few notes" for devon corp. it'd be unsightly for her to rummage with the historic mark itself. "... if that's alright."

what's public, what's not

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she recalls the seadra she sent out earlier. on the other hand, her wailmer continued to spout the water from the top of his spout hole and t the fire. call it extra measures taken, hoping to extinguish the fire further. daphne takes her eyes off the whale in favour of the blizzey, moving to tend to the wounded trainers and pokemon who were being brought out from the flames or just recently escaping. a quick affirmation of the pokemon and their jobs, and she turns her attention back to the woman standing before her; olivia. [break][break]

indeed, she has heard quite a bit about her from alexander - from the few times she had spoken to him, that is. embarrassing as it was for her to say, she couldn't confidently claim that she knew her brother and his relationships with other people all too well. she was simply content with staying out of the picture for however long; thus, she was thoroughly convinced that she wouldn't have to inherit the burden of the family's prestige. unfortunately, this hope both fails and betrays her. [break][break]

although the subtle glow in the water woman's eyes seem to put the stone at ease, no matter how slight. the blonde woman tilts her head, slightly, at the clarification. indeed, she knew that there had been buzz surrounding her brother and... numerous other people. enough for the elder sister to grow worried and question her younger brother's motives and what exactly he intended to put out there for the public. she was accustomed to her little sister getting into the trouble; she expected a little bit more from alexander. [break][break]

but that was besides the point. [break][break]

she gives olivia a patient smile (staged and composed, to an extent. part of her found comfort in being able to speak to someone so calmly). she shakes her head gently. "no, it's nothing to apologize for." she moves her hand back. "you're a friend. there's no need to be so formal~" she brings her fingers to gently press against her lower lip when she lets out a soft chuckle. deep, sapphire eyes almost pensively stare at the woman as she, nevertheless, speaks her introduction. [break][break]

the topic of her brother (unavoidable, it seems) came up. the calm demeanour she masqueraded with was put to a standstill, even if for a few moments. she takes a deep breath, now to mull over a choice of words. ".. yes. devon has been in a bit of a frazzle since i've taken my brother's position." she glances down to the shell pokemon, who seemed quite.. curious? curious was one way of putting it. she had half the mind to crouch down and shake a tentacle, but chose against it. at least, in this situation. "along with the visit from silph regarding the league..." which was less than pleasant.