swan song [ social | o ]

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park

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light

professor zen
he/him
30
june 20th
hoenn region
demisexual
researcher
sergeant
85 height
85 height
seek out the truth.
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zenji jabami
swan song [ social | o ]
POSTED ON Jan 15, 2021 22:31:40 GMT
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[attr="class","light"]
it came unexpectedly, the outbreak referred to as the swan song disease.


it happened so suddenly. there was a mass collapse in the night; pokemon were missing. it was within one of the major city that housed one of league's many headquarters. it was an unexpected assault that left many confused. thankfully, it was only happening in this region. it's only been one day since the surprise outbreak of what some believe to be a sudden disease. for now only a few were infected and currently hospitalized. but each district's respective hospital slowly began to fill up by the hour.




at first it was happening at home. now there were those being affected driving, walking home, and some at local shops.at first it wasn't exactly easy to piece the information together, but it slowly came once the unnoticeable evidence became noticeable. sadly, it didn't become noticeable until headquarters' heard it.



many became to fall unconscious upon the first level. slowly the sound made its way to each level. quickly, it was shut off by disconnecting the power. unfortunately, many were exposed too long to the auditory assault.

those who were unafflicted and able to continue their work were brought to the meeting. it would come to be held by . after reaching out to , he was put in charge of the operation. granting the ability to gather a team to deal with the issue occurring at hand. those who were currently in, on the way, or stationed in lilycove were asked to meet the head scientist in the meeting room as soon as possible.

note: open to 2 ( maybe 3 ) and those who work for league. i.e. gym leader, council, elite four, ranger, police officer, interpol, detective, or anyone at zenji's facility. just a random social for plot. \o/


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Epic BugCatcher

Dr. Doug
He/Him
20 (40)
March 3
Viridian City, Kanto
It just works
Lt. Colonel, Medical Corps
AQUA Initiative
Dreaming
of our future
5' 11" (181 cm) / 180 lbs (82 kg) height
5' 11" (181 cm) / 180 lbs (82 kg) height
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John Sullivan
swan song [ social | o ]
POSTED ON Jan 16, 2021 1:39:31 GMT
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Rocket Invasion, Megalopolan War, now a pandemic. Was there ever a time in Hoenn where everything wasn't going to shit?

The youth fixed the collar of his uniform as he made his way through the long halls of the unfamiliar HQ, cold sweat running down his neck.

This was serious business, which made him wonder all the more why they had sent him. Was he truly the highest ranking member of the military in the nearest vicinity?

Well of course not, but he certainly was expendable.

Coming to a stop in front of one of the many glass paneled conference rooms that dotted this particular HQ, this one differentiated from the rest by the fact that all of its blinders were closed for maximum confidentiality, the youth made another full check up of his formal uniform to check everything was in order, before taking one deep breath.

Then he stepped forth, the door opening and then swiftly closing as he went in.

Standing straight, the youth saluted the man in the room.

"Second Lieutenant John D. Sullivan, reporting for duty!"


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murk

Not-Chryssa
She/Her
27
May 1
Eterna City, Sinnoh
Panromantic
radio host
agent
as flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport
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chryssa glasgow
swan song [ social | o ]
POSTED ON Jan 23, 2021 4:47:20 GMT
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Click. Click. Click. 

A confident, three-part rhythm echoed down the empty hallway. Click. Staccato. Click. Pointed. The sound of someone confident yet clumsy, the triple strike of two high heels and one blue-eyed cane.

Click. The doorknob twisted, and the meeting room opened.

Chryssa Glasgow, a willowy teenage girl in a ruffled dress, sailed through the doorway. "You must be Dr. Zamboni," she said, sounding more self-assured than she had any right to be. "I was asked to report here. I've been assigned to your team. I'm the-- John? Really?

The girl broke off, surprise flitting across her face for a moment before her eyes narrowed wickedly. "Well, well, well." She hadn't been expecting to run into her bug-catching not-boyfriend in the middle of a citywide emergency-- and definitely not in Lilycove. "Aren't you a little far from your hive?" she asked innocently. He must have been a first responder, considering how fast she'd been called up by the Rangers to respond to this crisis. She'd teleported straight to HQ.

If they were asking her for help, the situation must be serious. 

And to lie within her skill range, very, very specific.

"They told me you needed a specialist," Chryssa said, turning back to Zenji. She gave a bright, falsely sunny smile. "Chryssa Glasgow, Coordinator-- I'm known in the Contest track for using sound-based Pokemon." An unconventional tactic for a traditionally visual medium, but she was stubbornly committed to the art. Her goal was to stand out from the competition, not to win ribbons. And it had obviously worked-- the League had taken notice, even if the judges never did.

"So! I understand there's an earworm going around?"



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light

professor zen
he/him
30
june 20th
hoenn region
demisexual
researcher
sergeant
85 height
85 height
seek out the truth.
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193 posts
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zenji jabami
swan song [ social | o ]
POSTED ON Jan 23, 2021 18:48:01 GMT
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[attr="class","light"]if zenji desired a coordinator he'd call for the aid of the top coordinator for this region. not a child who could barely pronounce. a solemn gaze had been thrown the young woman's way. then back onto . the league was truly short of good hands. though zenji wouldn't count them out just yet, even if he lacked little information on them. this was, after all, a quick gathering.

"let's cease the idle chitchat and gather around."

once and were done with their conversation, the briefing would begin. "as some of you are aware, there's a plague roaming this city. thankfully, the plague is manmade and human controlled." upon the smart board there was a case file showcasing the perpetrator they're after.



"johann kreisler, criminally dubbed the "pied piper"." a classical violinist that descended into madness. "an individual who was wrought with madness." somehow he escaped league's custody, but with rocket he's reemerged onto the surface. "his crime has no limit, be it from pokemon or human. he's a wanted criminal for the death of both man and pokemon. according to some accounts, being the survivors," zenji continued, pausing briefly in order to shift the screen over to evidence that were uncovered from his crime scene by the league long ago. without need to go into detail, one could see that some of it had been horrific and gruesome.

"he wanted to get down on paper a melody that was being “dictated by the angels”. he believed the only way to do that was by the cries of his victims, but he had become agitated and regarded the voices as demonic “loudreds and toxtricitys” that sang 'hideous music'." so he chose to silence them personally with his bare hands.

which leads them to the purpose of their meeting today, "apparently the pied piper has finally created the melody he so desired. and he has little need to lift a finger."

note: \o/


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murk

Not-Chryssa
She/Her
27
May 1
Eterna City, Sinnoh
Panromantic
radio host
agent
as flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport
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chryssa glasgow
swan song [ social | o ]
POSTED ON Jan 24, 2021 11:00:23 GMT
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"I think naming him gives him more power, don't you?" Chryssa interrupted sweetly, leaning forward. 'The Pied Piper' was a sinister nickname, but that was exactly the reason they shouldn't use it. It changed a real (albeit dangerous) person from a fugitive into a phantom, a storybook boogeyman. Chryssa liked to be very careful about that type of reported speech. Human perception started with appropriate language-- that's what made a monologue so powerful.

When a man became a god, he became unkillable. 

Chryssa gave a warm smile. "Let's just call him Mr. Kreisler. The mixed violin and piper imagery are a little jarring anyway."

She moved on in a beat, crossing her legs under the conference table. "Do we have any specific data on this sound clip yet? Duration? A frequency range?" Her voice was smooth, polished. Despite her leisurely tone, her eyes were narrowed appraisingly. "If there's a recording that can be analyzed, it may mean we can create a countersong to cancel out the harmful effects."

She felt like she was probably running over the top of Doug, but the situation was too compelling for her to sit back and be patronized by men who thought they knew better than her. A melody dictated by angels. A crazed musician who thought he'd spoken to the heavens, and that they'd bid him write a song of senseless suffering.

Perhaps it was closer to the truth than he thought.


 &
post order toast order






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Epic BugCatcher

Dr. Doug
He/Him
20 (40)
March 3
Viridian City, Kanto
It just works
Lt. Colonel, Medical Corps
AQUA Initiative
Dreaming
of our future
5' 11" (181 cm) / 180 lbs (82 kg) height
5' 11" (181 cm) / 180 lbs (82 kg) height
You're being healed. Please do not resist.
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John Sullivan
swan song [ social | o ]
POSTED ON Jan 24, 2021 18:43:57 GMT
John Sullivan Avatar

Doug stared blankly the door's way, dumbfounded at the sight.

The stars had aligned and destiny had seen it fit to allow his professional and not-quite-yet-love life to intersect.

Or, more likely, crash horribly.

"Ya should know the Hive's reach is without limits, little Empress." He said before good sense and reason could reign him in, a smile splitting his lip.

He froze shortly after, feeling a bead of sweat roll down his neck as Dr. Jabami cut into their little round, putting a stop to playtime.

Right. Professionalism.

And Glasgow.

... How did he do this?

'Focus on the job.' The empress certainly seemed to be. So long as she didn't try to pull him into the game, and he refrained as well, this could go smoothly.

The data was laid before them, and the young soldier simply took it in as Jabami spoke.

It all sounded more like a gruesome tale than intel. A famous, insane murderer, enough so to get his own cute little nickname, sure to give his victims chuckles as they chocked on their own blood. He had created a song capable of killing by itself.

He didn't have much to say on the matter- sound was not an area of expertise for him. Glasgow, on the other hand...

Look at her go. So she wasn't all bluff and bluster.

Turning his attention from the girl, to the data, and finally to the Doctor, the youth produced a net ball from under his jacket before gently placing it atop the conference table, speaking.

"Might it be some altered form of Perish Song, perhaps?" Said Doug.

Music that could harm... humans could certainly not accomplish anything too overt at that, normally.

Pokemon, however... they had plenty of means. If he had wanted to create a song intended for murder... The Perish Song would have been his first study.

The Net Ball contained his one pokemon with such an ability.


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light

professor zen
he/him
30
june 20th
hoenn region
demisexual
researcher
sergeant
85 height
85 height
seek out the truth.
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193 posts
zenji jabami DOLLARS
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zenji jabami
swan song [ social | o ]
POSTED ON Jan 25, 2021 22:02:23 GMT
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[attr="class","light"]and this is why he disliked both children and outside assistance. "the naming isn't made for notoriety. it is a case identifier, which is what we use to differentiate one case entity from another." whether this name made it out to the media or not held little concern for zenji. especially when the name holds a strong meaning to this individual particularly due to the disappearance of pokemon.

both she and doug were on the right track, he'll give them that. "you're both right on the mark," zenji responded, continuing, "our data intercept technology unit department has dissected the song piece by piece. hidden within it was some form of subliminal message--along with a dash of perish song--and covered all by the sound of a violin playing over the recording. like a swan song, it was made to ensure the victim would never wake up again by instilling a subconscious desire to never want to." thankfully, they needn't worry about those afflicted with the swan song. "we have a team currently working on reversing the those afflicted."

for dealing with that part wasn't their job. "our job here is to rescue the pokemon that were captured," zenji said. he would change the slide once more, this time showcasing two locations. "lilycove's radio tower station and lilycove's hall of symphony," it was believed these two distinct locations were where the potential perpetrator possibly resided. "we believe the pokemon are being held captive in one of these locations, whereas the perpetrator may be residing in the other. both locations pose a great threat, but you two..." and , "...have been chosen to lead two separate operations."

the goal was to pincher our enemy.

note: i hope this is okay, hehe. i bullshitted a lot, but suspension of disbelief. i hope you're all finding the thread entertaining so far. ToT


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murk

Not-Chryssa
She/Her
27
May 1
Eterna City, Sinnoh
Panromantic
radio host
agent
as flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport
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chryssa glasgow
swan song [ social | o ]
POSTED ON Jan 29, 2021 2:52:20 GMT
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Chryssa raised an eyebrow hearing that 'The Pied Piper' was just a case identifier-- still a misleading one, regardless-- but didn't say anything else about it as they moved on.

"So it's subliminal," she said, nodding slowly. Her eyes drifted. It certainly put a twist on things-- as familiar as she was with sound and Pokemon sound-based attacks, the art of the human mind was a little more delicate. That means I won't be able to help anyone already afflicted, then. Playing a deep, psychologically encoded message backwards didn't magically reverse its effects.

Chryssa side-eyed Doug strongly when he mentioned the possibility of a Perish Song, though she disguised it by arranging her hair over her shoulder. "I can testify that Perish Song's frequency is specifically aligned to Pokemon physiology. They say even the limited range of the human voice has been known to shatter glass."

She reached forward with a hand to spin the Pokeball Doug had put on the table, watching it wobble like a top. "--Perish Song, on the other hand, strikes a unique tone that, in Pokemon, ends up rupturing blood vessels in the brain. It's like the vocal equivalent of being struck in the back of the head." 

Glancing at Zenji, she confirmed the information he'd given them with a tight smile. "It's probably Mr. Kreisler's way of being sure to affect both people and Pokemon with his song. Clever, really." Lacking human intelligence, a subliminal message might not work as effectively on a Pokemon-- so the additional 'dash' of the attack was necessary. 

Chryssa's time in the spotlight as the resident audial specialist ran dry, however, as Zenji became more candid about the task at hand.

Lead a mission?


Again, she traded a look with Doug. He was at least familiar with her physical limitations. Surely he'd be as skeptical as she was. Admittedly, perhaps the Rangers hadn't included that information in whatever emergency briefing they'd rushed to the head scientist. It wasn't really something she advertised. My, my, this puts me in an awkward position.

A silence followed.

She glanced at her cane, leaning against one of the conference room chairs. It spared her no glance back, remaining inert. She briefly ran through the scenario in her mind, searching for an accommodating solution-- could she ride one of her Pokemon? Not through a building. 

...And especially not through two buildings with powerful speakers and acoustics when dealing with a known, sound-based phenomenon. 

"What protections can you assure us, doctor?" she asked smoothly instead. Her eyes gleamed. "Sound-cancelling headphones? I'm not eager to confront a wanted criminal in his stronghold when we haven't solidified a way to neutralize the song's effects." She sat back in her seat, careful to sound neutral. "I'd prefer to control my team remotely. From this chair, if possible." 

With the prevalence of Psychic-type Pokémon, the possibility shouldn't be too difficult for Dr. Jabami to accommodate. 


 &
...in which chryssa does not talk about her disability






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Epic BugCatcher

Dr. Doug
He/Him
20 (40)
March 3
Viridian City, Kanto
It just works
Lt. Colonel, Medical Corps
AQUA Initiative
Dreaming
of our future
5' 11" (181 cm) / 180 lbs (82 kg) height
5' 11" (181 cm) / 180 lbs (82 kg) height
You're being healed. Please do not resist.
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John Sullivan
swan song [ social | o ]
POSTED ON Jan 30, 2021 0:21:54 GMT
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"If I may." Said Doug, interjecting as soon as the empress had finished speaking.

He had indeed met her gaze as soon as the words 'lead' were spoken, his own expression carefully neutral.

Chryssa had many strengths- physical strength was not one of them.

Her area of expertise was obvious as she spoke of the phenomena that was the Perish Song. A small demonstration, but one that served to strengthen her and his later suggestions.

Her closest comparison was a warrant officer- a soldier with a specialized role beyond combat, requiring higher education and training and considered thoroughly vital to the army's continued operations.

Put another way, someone you wouldn't take to the battlefield outside of very extenuating circumstances.

Not that Doug would've been happy to bring her to what could well turn into a bloody ordeal even if she could both bench-press and outrun him .

"Would be mighty rash for all of us to go in guns blazin' though, given how little information we got on the target and his 2 possible bases. I woulda suggest Ms. Glasgow 'ere serve as our mission command and operator, given her expertise, and for my platoon to handle the raids on both sites."

His superior officers apparently considered raids as his specialty now, ever since the desert. Not a desired turn of events, but unfortunately his new streak of success had been hinging off that traumatic operation since the beginning of new year.

"We're all already on stand by. We're 35 men stron', meself included, and're ready to go on your command."



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light

professor zen
he/him
30
june 20th
hoenn region
demisexual
researcher
sergeant
85 height
85 height
seek out the truth.
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zenji jabami
swan song [ social | o ]
POSTED ON Feb 8, 2021 19:14:16 GMT
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[attr="class","light"]zenji was only appointed for a short-time. in that time he's had enough to read through old league files. there was one that stood out to him, , the president of silph co. a strong woman who was bounded by wheelchair during the SLATEPORT INVASION. a historical event that will never be forgotten.

sadly, she was no . she was still a child and sending her in--hell having her be here--was too much of a liability. either way, the plan would have to be shifted a little.

now, surprisingly, zenji was unaware of her disability. a lack of attention-to-detail on his part, but it was nothing he would apologize for. "your physical limitation won't be a hindrance, but i will apologize for not taking notice; you can stay behind." it would seem he'd have to take care of this part himself.

"those men of yours will be subtracted and given to me, a large group will bring too much attention if we plan on breaking inside. the smaller the better." by thinning 's men, this was zenji's own way of showing how much he trusted the boy's ability. this was a time to prove that his trust in the young man was right.

", while you're working on that project. you will alert me immediately the moment you're done." having her stay behind to help those currently working on reversing the sound was okay for the time being. while she was working no that zenji would be leading 's group.

note: boop.


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murk

Not-Chryssa
She/Her
27
May 1
Eterna City, Sinnoh
Panromantic
radio host
agent
as flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport
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chryssa glasgow
swan song [ social | o ]
POSTED ON Feb 12, 2021 2:44:38 GMT
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Doug’s suggestion was reasonable, and Chryssa seized at the chance for control. “Marvelous. That’s settled then,” she said easily, giving off the impression she’d won some kind of victory. “I don’t think it’s quite your place to say what will and won’t be a hindrance, doctor. I’m the final judge of that.” She flashed a smile behind her as she stood, fingers wrapped around the hilt of her cane. “Tut-tut, but time is slipping away from us! I’ll be meeting up with the tech team now. You’ll hear from me soon, don’t worry.”  

It was not Chryssa’s obligation to push herself to measure up to the abilities of other people. It was her responsibility to know her own limits, more surely than anyone else might claim to, and to take measures accordingly. Chryssa didn’t have to be like or equal to other people to be of worth. It was something Doug seemed to understand implicitly, and something many people— including Mr. Jabami— simply did not. 

Before she left, she poked her head back in the meeting room door, long hair falling over her shoulder. John, could I have a moment before you head off? I have something I’d like to give you.”

...After delivering her “gift” to the teenage officer in private, Chryssa made her way down the hall, following the directions she’d been given. The power had been cut to the Headquarters building as part of the emergency measures, so the fluorescent lights overhead were unlit, casting the walls and ceiling in shadow. 

Click. Click. Click. Even in the relative darkness, it was easy to find her way to the tech lab, feeling ahead of her with the tip of her Honedge.

Team had been an overstatement. By the time she arrived, there were only two other people arguing frantically in front of a switchboard—it seemed the other original team members had succumbed to the initial exposure to Kreisler’s song, or had otherwise been affected indirectly while analyzing it. 

It was little wonder that she and Doug were so essential to this mission. With only generator power, no outside connections, and pathetically little manpower, the League was running on fumes. 

She sent out her Pokemon, an Exploud and a Jynx, who each took a place at one of the monitors. She waved off one of the exhausted-looking lab aides who tried to object. “Spare me the questions until later,” she said easily, fitting a headset over her head, “A team is heading out shortly to confront the threat. If you’ll get them everything they need, I’ll handle the communications channel.”

Relief was palpable. The aides hadn’t said it, but it was clear they were afraid. Direct communication with people on the front lines of this particular threat was as potentially deadly as being there in person. 

She was confident in Doug’s ability to survive, but if Chryssa didn’t do her job right, his team—and Zenji’s—might not be so lucky. 


 &
Assume chryssa can be reached via headset at any time during the mission if you need intel, though since the main power grid is off that’ll be pretty limited. 

Edit: Doug and Chryssa are gonna do their catching-up chat in a different thread to avoid holding up the action! and for cramomatic social






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Epic BugCatcher

Dr. Doug
He/Him
20 (40)
March 3
Viridian City, Kanto
It just works
Lt. Colonel, Medical Corps
AQUA Initiative
Dreaming
of our future
5' 11" (181 cm) / 180 lbs (82 kg) height
5' 11" (181 cm) / 180 lbs (82 kg) height
You're being healed. Please do not resist.
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2,866 posts
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John Sullivan
swan song [ social | o ]
POSTED ON Feb 12, 2021 19:55:28 GMT
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"Sir." Acknowledged the youth, saluting. He appreciated the vote of confidence, but...

He wasn't quite keen on civilians leading soldiers in the field. He couldn't disobey, though; he could only hope The doctor listened to the Senior Sergeants' advice. Doug certainly did more often than not.

That aside...

Blinking at Chryssa as she poked her head back in, a light flush colored the boy's cheeks as he turned back to Dr. Jabami, saluting once again.

"With yer permission, Sir." He said, before spinning on his heel and making for the door, closing it behind him.

Standing in front of it, he slowly turned to face Chryssa, leaning against the wooden frame and grinning sheepishly, craning his head back to wink her way.

"Does the uniform really make the man or somethin'?" He asked cheekily, still slightly flushed and not entirely sure of what she wanted.

He had a couple of (entirely wrong) theories, though...

That aside.

His experiences couldn't hold a candle to Chryssa's, but he knew a thing or two about being looked down on for one reason or another. Mainly, as a child in a profession that seemed to place inordinate amounts of value on date of birth.


"... Don't let the doc get under yer skin. He and everyone else are just under a lotta stress." He said, scratching at the back of his head before grinning at her. "We're used to being looked down anyway, right? Let's blow their expectations outta the water, and make 'em remember our names."


He would be back and at Dr. Jabami's service several moments later, his soldiers standing in two files behind him, ready to be commanded into the field.