Captain Dross was a creature of sunshine and blue skies. Even when she steps into the night with all the subtlety of a Tauros in a china shop, the scent of ocean salt lingers in blond curls and sun-kissed skin. She wasn't in the business of skulking around after dark, except, apparently, when there is treasure to be plundered.

Then all bets are off.

Warmth travels from the sun-soaked rock under her, fighting against the advent of nighttime. Leaning forward with her arm propped on a scarred knee and a lukewarm can of beer in her hand, Skyler peers at the lone person walking through the beach down below. Eyes gleaming silver under the moonlight.

Away from the lights of civilization, the other shadow accompanying the woman doesn't materialize into any shape familiar to the captain. So Captain Dross decides to do what she does best: plough recklessly forward with no attempt at a plan.

"Didn't think I'd find anyone around here." 

Peeking out from the nearby waves, a serpentine shape watches the proceedings.



Katherine Fairburne

It only takes a subtle shift of ghostly moonlight to reveal the strange shape accompanying the woman. But it isn't until it removes its round head and starts playing around with it that Captain Skyler Dross recognizes the Blacephalon - not that she's ever seen one before, but she's heard of it.

Instinct bleeds her knuckles pale, fingers inching towards her other pokeballs. The colorful menace is kept at the periphery of her vision as she focuses on the woman instead. Shadow bleeds into the corners of her features, making them hard to distinguish, but it's the cultured voice and the steel beneath it that jogs her memories.

The hollow chamber of a church, reflected stained glass on cold pews and the background sound of screamed accusations. Although the captain hadn't stayed for long, she's quick to recognize the newly elected Elite Four. And her ghostly powers.

Adrenaline rushes through her veins, electric and intoxicating. It's compounded by the spherical object that finds its way to her hands, caught in middair more due to instinct than any sort of rational thought. She ignores the shiver that crawls coldly up her spine, teeth flashing out in a feral semblance of a smile. "I take it you're fond of dangerous games." So is the captain, gleaming silver eyes giving away her eagerness.

The Blacephalon head soars through the air with the aid of a carefully aimed HYDRO PUMP from an approaching Milotic, increasing its speed tenfold as it hurtles towards Katherine.

CPKgwGbu

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Katherine Fairburne
total: 63
notes: sabotaging Kat (next roll +10)
aaaa no i love this system so far. i look forward to testing it out >D

Moonlight glints off of the can of beer left behind on the sun-soaked rock as Captain Dross unfolds from her previous position. Doing so reveals what appears to be a six-pack - empty, by the looks of it. Regardless, there's no hesitation to her step, no wobbliness to the bold, proud, foolish set of her shoulders.

Facing off against one of her major weaknesses with all the bravado of someone who'd spit god in the face and laugh at it.

"Show me, then." Her lips stretch into a parody of her usual daring smile, blooming into a carnivorous, raw thing. Inviting chaos with a slight tilt of her chin towards the woman below, on the sand. "Don't leave me hanging."

Captain Skyler Dross has always had an unhealthy relationship with danger.

Except that words casually spilled into the night cut into still-healing wounds. A smile wobbles slightly, bright silver darkening with memory as the ball nearly flies past the captain. Nearly.

Bitch. Skyler smiles at the thought.

"I find that one death is pretty much the same as another." Shrug. "Not that I've had personal experience, but-" That was a lie. She'd never died, but she'd found out that megalopolans weren't all that different from humans in certain aspects. "- nothing surprising about it."

When Skyler throws the ball back, she does so casually.  It's almost enough to disguise the visceral shiver that crawls up her arms and down her spine. 

Keeping close to land, Milotic uses LIFE DEW to surround the nearby beach with iridescent drops, reflecting fragments of moonlight into the pale sand.

X84IRzLA

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Katherine Fairburne
total: 210
notes: no sabotage? HMMM

"Death is meaningless. Senseless. A waste." The words are almost spit out as the ship captain speaks them. She relents her position on the slightly elevated rock to make her way down to the sand, betraying none of the hesitation of someone who'd just consumed at least a couple of beers. Possibly more.

Moonlight only serves to highlight the shadowed planes of Katherine's wolfish expression as Skyler approaches, still keeping a healthy distance between the two of them. The way the other woman seems to drink up her reactions with vicious joy, despite Skyler's own more oblivious nature, isn't missed. Not when Skyler's focus is centered entirely on Katherine.

Her only response is a sharp smirk, utterly unashamed. Like she wants to bare her throat and dare Katherine to take a knife to it.

It's only when drowsiness starts to pull at her, eyelids growing heavy, that another sort of reaction is pulled from the ship captain. Recent memories resurfacing with all the subtlety of a punch to the gut - and equally as grounding. 

She'd have Lulu Flint to thank for that. Darkrai's influence still coating the surface of her dreams with a nightmare-like shroud. Unbidden, a snarl rips its way out of Captain Dross's throat, and she instinctually takes a couple of steps in the Elite Four's direction before halting her advance.

"Death is easy. However it comes to pass." Behind her, Milotic COILS around the captain, sanguine eyes piercing into the shadows. "It's life that's a bitch. That's what makes it worthwhile." The Blacephalon head feels icy cold under her fingers as she grips onto it. Silver eyes pierce into Kat's, throwing it back with bared teeth.

"You have to seize it, take control of it. Squeeze it for all it's worth and accept no excuses."

Nothing less would satisfy her.

goHFyz5o

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Katherine Fairburne
total: 288
notes: helping herself (-10 to the roll)