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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park

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mad

saoirse quinn
she/her
twenty-eight
october 27th
circhester, galar
bisexual
physicist / inventor
executive
the shadows breathe
whispering me away
5’8” height
5’8” height
every night i burn, dream the black crow dream
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Lulu Flint DOLLARS
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Lulu Flint
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POSTED ON May 17, 2021 5:52:43 GMT
Lulu Flint Avatar

This was fun. She had a reason to be here.

It was after hours. had left a door unlocked for her. How nice of him. She didn’t need it.

Her shoes carried her down the halls for the first time, amber eyes peering into darkened windows which surely held secrets she could rifle through for days—literally. She was here to see him, however, and she refrained from the desire to seep underneath the doors of locked offices.

Eventually, she found the gym. She expected to see him somewhere, probably by himself, overachieving.


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spiral

silph
SIR
twenty-nine
august 12th
saffron
oppressive
silph co. ceo
council member
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why like this?
POSTED ON May 17, 2021 6:27:32 GMT
FERNANDO SILPH Avatar

WHY LIKE THIS?


WHEN YOU CAN BE THAT?



“AGAIN.” The snap of Fernando’s command demands more attention than any whip ever could. MISTY TERRAIN rests on the gymnasium’s floor, carpeting the rubber with a cotton candy veil.

Battle routine set.

She can hear him well before she enters the area. The sound of several attacks detail his workout before she ever has the grace to set eyes on him.

Execute!

A SEED FLARE blinds the entire room in a flash of green while a MAGMA STORM is spewed from his Heatran’s maw. The Pokemon doesn’t need to aim. Drenching the field in a viscous, molten layer will hamper movement and burn through anyone who makes one misstep. Likewise, a fleet of Poipole, led by a Naganadel, bombard him with a volley of sludge and toxins.

There is no way to breakthrough. This formation is near perfect. He’s ran through it a million times before. But he doesn’t have to overcome his own Pokemon. He just needs to emulate it so he can defend against it proper.

Legendary Pokemon be damned. There is always a way.

So he starts his obstacle run once more. Despite the blind, Fernando turns around to run, trying to create as much distance as possible in the face of the unknown. He deliberately throws a Pokeball between his feet with enough force to cause it to bounce. When it strikes the floor, it cracks open, revealing the Glalie inside.

His Glalie does what is always does: PROTECT. Regardless of the situation, without heed or a call to action, the Glalie projects a PROTECTIVE barrier the moment it is summoned. Sometimes, this does nothing but elicit awkward stares. But, more often than not, it’s the deliberation between life and death.

That moment the PROTECT buys is enough for the light to dissipate and for his Tapu Fini to retaliate with SURF. A tidal wave surges outward to wash away the attacks heading their way. It’s not enough, by no means a match for several opponents, but it staves off the immediate attacks that coincide with Fernando’s position.

It’s a lot to register at once but Fernando knows the expected inputs and outputs. Running this exercise several times, back-to-back, familiarizes himself with both the realistic results and his desired effect.

He’s not even close.

He blames the compression sleeves he wears on both arms and knees. Several bandages still wrap around his waist, white muddled into a sick yellow due to his exertions and sweat. Blaming his performance on the injuries of his excursion feels like a cop out, so he refrains. It just pushes him to wear himself out further.

AGA—

He catches her by the entrance, eye peeling into a blank stare before shaking his head in resignation. “Good hustle. We’ll call it a night.

A small array of more ‘Legendary Pokemon’ than Rocket has Avatars follow Fernando’s attention to stare at the lone woman. Only Tapu Fini shows any sense of familiarity. The island deity fashions a brief wave, actually smiling, as it stares her down with something less than just an empty void of emotions.

Fernando has only seen this once before. That time, the reason has been obvious. housed its sibling, Tapu Lele. But Lulu?

Why she manages to evoke some sense of expression from the Tapu puzzles him. Like practice, he lets those questions simmer on the side.

Even when breaking early, exhaustion hits like a truck. All at once.




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played by

mad

saoirse quinn
she/her
twenty-eight
october 27th
circhester, galar
bisexual
physicist / inventor
executive
the shadows breathe
whispering me away
5’8” height
5’8” height
every night i burn, dream the black crow dream
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4,278 posts
Lulu Flint DOLLARS
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Lulu Flint
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POSTED ON May 17, 2021 7:28:41 GMT
Lulu Flint Avatar
“Battle routine set.”

Her eyes were peeled. He was definitely here.

The way he trained was like , wrestling his own. Lulu didn’t do this. She worked out with equipment. She was in shape, at least as far as anyone else could tell. Her powers lied mostly in disappearing and putting people to sleep. What else did she need to do, really?

So many legendaries. She didn’t intrude past the border of the room, nerves immediately rising with water. For a moment, she felt an unexpected streak of panic, which faded like a ghost.

Tapu Fini.

She saw it in her dreams sometimes, especially since the excursion, on the rare occasions which she managed to sleep. She felt eerily more familiar with it than any other except Darkrai. Lulu had never been particularly drawn to legendary pokemon—or pokemon in general, really, before Hoenn.

What was this feeling?

Clearly, it recognized her. Why was it being friendly?

Eyes, for a moment, ran along the horizon of the room, as though missing something. Knowing something was perhaps going over her head, and searching for it briefly before giving a tentative, half-hearted wave back.

She found taking her eyes off of Tapu Fini to be oddly difficult. The skin on her back crawled. It continued when she looked to him. He and the MISTY TERRAIN were too far away to stop the questions. Rarely were they in such a large room, alone, within eyeshot. Had they ever been, actually? It had no effect on her, from the doorway, save for the craving of it.

She willed a solid voice from her chest across the distance, despite her heartrate. “Quite a team.”



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spiral

silph
SIR
twenty-nine
august 12th
saffron
oppressive
silph co. ceo
council member
POWER IS TAKEN, NEVER GIVEN—SO TAKE WHAT YOU ARE OWED
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FERNANDO SILPH
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POSTED ON May 17, 2021 17:06:39 GMT
FERNANDO SILPH Avatar

WHY LIKE THIS?


WHEN YOU CAN BE THAT?



HEAVY INHALES COME IN TIDES, HIS CHEST RISING EACH TIME THEY WASH ASHORE. He can hear the acceleration of his heart rate palpitate now that his body becomes idle. He should have cooled down. But Lulu doesn’t give him that chance. Her interruption, welcomed through his own invitation, demands his attention.

Cooldown,” he issues aloud, hypocritical to fault with his strict ‘do as I say and not as I do’ mentality. He doesn’t have to obey by his rules because he knows better. He’s meant to rule, not abide.

His Pokemon don’t really do much else despite the order. A moment of rest is enough for most of them. Only his Shaymin, the most personable out of them, continues to fly around a bit before landing to prune its fur with a mouthful of licks.

You get used to them seeking you out after the third or fourth.

Fernando cuts the distance with a brief jog. He can feel the acid in his muscles pooling in the bounce of every step. To greater surprise, Tapu Fini accompanies him. Reformatting Lulu Flint may have been a Avatar-Legendary collaboration but even Fernando can’t seem to grasp the turn in the Pokemon’s reaction.

Only Tapu Fini knows. The way it washes her in a blanket of their essence shows to what lengths it means to maintain her form. This Lulu, a reprogrammed Lulu, encompasses the bastion of balance that Tapu Fini seeks to instill. What she sheds from her past gives way to a mixture of what she could be and more.

Darkrai be damned.

It only looks impressive from the sidelines. In real combat, this is nothing.” He pokes her with a smug smile, knowing she won’t take the bait. “Fancy a go at it?



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played by

mad

saoirse quinn
she/her
twenty-eight
october 27th
circhester, galar
bisexual
physicist / inventor
executive
the shadows breathe
whispering me away
5’8” height
5’8” height
every night i burn, dream the black crow dream
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4,278 posts
Lulu Flint DOLLARS
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Lulu Flint
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POSTED ON May 17, 2021 17:48:39 GMT
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There was an uneasy feeling as they approached. Did Tapu Fini know about she’d done? Surely not. It hadn’t been present.

Or was it ever-present? Darkrai felt that way, at least.

This was very uncomfortable. Her god lingered, hidden in shadows, watching as usual. It would sit back this time, or at least for now.

Tapu Fini’s approach soothed her. The scent of them quelled  nerves with some inexplicable force. Once again, she found herself in their MISTY TERRAIN. Every time she arrived to such a place in her mind, she could never figure out which direction she’d come from. It all looked the same.

Him.

His touch was welcomed, even one so small and brief. “A go at what exactly? Against them?”



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spiral

silph
SIR
twenty-nine
august 12th
saffron
oppressive
silph co. ceo
council member
POWER IS TAKEN, NEVER GIVEN—SO TAKE WHAT YOU ARE OWED
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POSTED ON May 17, 2021 17:57:54 GMT
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WHY LIKE THIS?


WHEN YOU CAN BE THAT?



“INDEED.” Fernando clicks his tongue as he gives his team a once over. They’re all capable as individuals but together they’re near unstoppable. That’s what he needs to prepare against in light of recent events.

It’s good practice for when you’re thrust into a battlefield you didn’t expect.” He tugs on the compression sleeve that strangles his elbow. Readjusting it reveals the tight red skin swallowed in its vice.

Happened to me recently, actually. Trying to avoid a repeat.


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played by

mad

saoirse quinn
she/her
twenty-eight
october 27th
circhester, galar
bisexual
physicist / inventor
executive
the shadows breathe
whispering me away
5’8” height
5’8” height
every night i burn, dream the black crow dream
awards
4,278 posts
Lulu Flint DOLLARS
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TAG WITH @lulu
Lulu Flint
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POSTED ON May 18, 2021 19:03:41 GMT
Lulu Flint Avatar
This didn’t seem like a good idea. As competitive as she was, this was League HQ. The last thing she needed was camera footage of anything, except her being the weaponless companion of Fernando Silph, come to gather him at the end of his routine.

Still, it was tempting.

“Oh? Glad you’re alright. What happened?”



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spiral

silph
SIR
twenty-nine
august 12th
saffron
oppressive
silph co. ceo
council member
POWER IS TAKEN, NEVER GIVEN—SO TAKE WHAT YOU ARE OWED
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FERNANDO SILPH
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POSTED ON May 19, 2021 18:14:30 GMT
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WHY LIKE THIS?


WHEN YOU CAN BE THAT?



“I LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE FOR FAR TOO LONG.”

Fernando makes light of the situation because he still believes himself to be in control. Team Rocket, to some degree, remains his experiment. As long as he controls the petri dish, no matter how much they grow, he can cut off the excess whenever he pleases. Doing so is always tedious but that’s the nature of the beast.

For science. For progression. For the future.

Team Rocket caught me in one of their terrorist attacks. Bombed an area, casual octo-homicide, nothing new I suppose considering their origin.

He grits his teeth at the comment. Not because it bothers him. A fever, no matter how high, is still brought on by the body it inhabits. It’s the helplessness he feels from being blindsided, from being treated as any other mortal being.

He’s soft. Incredibly so. Not like when Rocket first came and tensions were high. Which is what brings him to the Gym in the first place.

You should be careful,” he says while fetching his Pokeballs. “I thought things would be different this time. That it wouldn’t be a repeat, that they had just borrowed a name to organized their grievances.

He still suspects Lulu, almost all but assured, which is why he adds a dot of sympathy. He spins his hook well, leaving the bait deep in her waters.

I was wrong.


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played by

mad

saoirse quinn
she/her
twenty-eight
october 27th
circhester, galar
bisexual
physicist / inventor
executive
the shadows breathe
whispering me away
5’8” height
5’8” height
every night i burn, dream the black crow dream
awards
4,278 posts
Lulu Flint DOLLARS
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Lulu Flint
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POSTED ON May 19, 2021 20:28:13 GMT
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An octo-homicide. That made sense. She’d not noticed the bodies from the explosion amidst her own panic. These ones weren’t all her fault. She hadn’t detonated the bomb, she’d just helped build it and set it up.

Nope. Couldn’t think about that right now.



They were never sleeping.

Eyes flashed for the briefest moment to Tapu Fini again. How much did a god know? Did they all know the same amount, and the same things? Did Darkrai and Tapu Fini have some kind of connection?

Could Tapu Fini read her mind?

Did it like Fernando, or was it just using him?

Attention returned to the one man who comforted her in a way, despite making a meal of him and tapping into his deepest fears. At being careful: “Always.” If only it were true. Like his fever, hers permeated just as helplessly—his terrain. His influence. He hadn’t sought her out, however. It’d been a drink, which had turned into many. In the end, she’d invited him over. She’d kissed him. She’d walked into the trap which, at the time, perhaps even he hadn’t known he’d set.

She still did not see the bars around her. Didn’t feel the heat on her own forehead from a swollen, infected mind.

“Happens to the best of us, eh?”



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spiral

silph
SIR
twenty-nine
august 12th
saffron
oppressive
silph co. ceo
council member
POWER IS TAKEN, NEVER GIVEN—SO TAKE WHAT YOU ARE OWED
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FERNANDO SILPH
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POSTED ON May 19, 2021 20:48:43 GMT
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WHY LIKE THIS?


WHEN YOU CAN BE THAT?



"I SUPPOSE." An airy exhale exhumes whatever regret still lingers. He turns to her, quiet smile, eye brow quirked.

But good to see you’re okay.

One by one, each of his Pokemon are turned. Soon, the Gym is as empty as the halls of League Headquarters. The only ones he allows remain are Tapu Fini and his Shaymin.

So,” he drags out the suspense with a whistle to the shaggy grass type to approach. “What’s the special occasion?


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played by

mad

saoirse quinn
she/her
twenty-eight
october 27th
circhester, galar
bisexual
physicist / inventor
executive
the shadows breathe
whispering me away
5’8” height
5’8” height
every night i burn, dream the black crow dream
awards
4,278 posts
Lulu Flint DOLLARS
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Lulu Flint
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POSTED ON May 19, 2021 21:18:14 GMT
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Legends around them disappeared into his hands. What was left were the one most threatening, and the one most presumably benevolent, at a glance, respectively.

She didn’t answer. Was she glad she was okay?

Amber eyes beheld the Shaymin with his silver lining’s clarity. She shrugged, while gaze not leaving it. For some reason, she was momentarily captivated. She didn't have an answer. Eventually, within a radio silence mind, she folded. “There's not one. Just wanted to see you, is all.”



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spiral

silph
SIR
twenty-nine
august 12th
saffron
oppressive
silph co. ceo
council member
POWER IS TAKEN, NEVER GIVEN—SO TAKE WHAT YOU ARE OWED
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POSTED ON May 19, 2021 21:54:41 GMT
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WHY LIKE THIS?


WHEN YOU CAN BE THAT?



FERNANDO’S INLFLUENCE EXTENDS BEYOND TAPU FINI. The Shaymin, innocent aside from its occasional feline mischievousness, exudes its own aroma. A SWEET SCENT seeps into the MISTY TERRAIN, a culmination of Hoenn’s seaside and the elusive Gracidea flower.

Constant exposure to the perfume has numbed Fernando to how fragrant it smells. It’s still pleasant but lacks the heaviness that comes from such close proximity.

The Pokemon comes into Fernando’s arms, perched on his forearm, vigorously rubbing its snout against the small crevice between his elbow and side.

Oh? What’s wrong,” he jests, evident by the smile that fills in the gap between them.

Repeated strokes against the Pokemon’s back gets it to settle down. It turns, peeking out at Lulu. Likewise, Tapu Fini sit between them, the last point in their triangle formation. It continues to stare at Lulu, making her the center of attention.


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played by

mad

saoirse quinn
she/her
twenty-eight
october 27th
circhester, galar
bisexual
physicist / inventor
executive
the shadows breathe
whispering me away
5’8” height
5’8” height
every night i burn, dream the black crow dream
awards
4,278 posts
Lulu Flint DOLLARS
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Lulu Flint
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POSTED ON May 19, 2021 22:23:00 GMT
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Lulu stared curiously. Typically, such a display made her uncomfortable. This reminded her of her Snorunt. A constant feeding off of its mind had developed a connection between the two. She often held it close.

“Nothing.” She blinked. How did this kind of thing go? Just popping up to hang out with someone? She wasn’t sure. She only knew that she’d wanted to see him. Something drew her, unlike others. Perhaps things could just be simple.

No. There were things wrong.

But there was also something good. One good thing, which she did want to share with him at some point, if only because she finally could, and that felt nice.

Who she worked for.


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spiral

silph
SIR
twenty-nine
august 12th
saffron
oppressive
silph co. ceo
council member
POWER IS TAKEN, NEVER GIVEN—SO TAKE WHAT YOU ARE OWED
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FERNANDO SILPH
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POSTED ON May 19, 2021 22:40:26 GMT
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WHY LIKE THIS?


WHEN YOU CAN BE THAT?



FERNANDO REMAINS A BYSTANDER AS LULU CULLS THE CONVERSATION. The nights at Kaleidoscope are long gone. Idle chatter and shooting the shit are hobbies they left behind—one by choice, the other against her will. If it wasn’t for her forcing his hand, he may even regret it.

But remorse is not a feeling Silph exhibits. To do so means that he didn’t make the best decision at the time. Which could be true but he’ll never admit it. Doesn’t even entertain it. That line of thinking has fell men much greater than him. And there’s still much to do.

I’ll wrap up here then. Take a shower and spruce up a bit,” he says giving the Gym one last look over. There’s not much he can do on his own except put in a request for maintenance to tidy up his mess.

How about drinks? It’s been a while,” he offers, turning his gaze to the showers. “Unless you want to join me now?


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played by

mad

saoirse quinn
she/her
twenty-eight
october 27th
circhester, galar
bisexual
physicist / inventor
executive
the shadows breathe
whispering me away
5’8” height
5’8” height
every night i burn, dream the black crow dream
awards
4,278 posts
Lulu Flint DOLLARS
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TAG WITH @lulu
Lulu Flint
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POSTED ON May 19, 2021 23:09:54 GMT
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Drinks. Simple. What an idea.

At first, a ‘no’ lingered on her tongue at the shower. She’d showered beforehand.

Lulu was generally a very clean person, at least in terms of skin—or at least, in the way that she understood it. Washing things away was an ever-welcomed feeling. Showers comforted her. Water. She liked water. Perhaps this was why the submarine had never scared her.

They had never showered together. The previous offer had been turned down.

She gave a light, waggish smile, feigning flirtatiousness over something much more than skin-deep. Whatever it was, it hung in tired eyes. “Sure. Why not?”