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TAG WITH @gavin

POSTED ON Sept 29, 2021 4:17:59 GMT

Waves lap gently at the hull of the Kingfisher as the small fishing vessel drifts along Hoenn's Route 124. Salty sea air snatches at clothes and stings the nostrils of those who breathe too deep, and Gavin sits on an unused cage with a disassembled fishing rod in his lap.

The breeze toys playfully with the instruction manual, and the underboss scowls as it flops to the floor.

As he stands to retrieve it, amber eyes cut across the deck and fall across another who seems far more comfortable handling their own fishing pole. Gavin recognizes him, though they're not well acquainted.

"Care to give me a hand with this?" His voice lifts over the breeze. "You look like you've done this before."

'something fishy' mission
Martín del Mar

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Azul

Mars | Tuesday

He/Him

August 4th

Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

POG Bank CEO

Underboss

1008 height

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TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Oct 2, 2021 8:21:31 GMT

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[attr="class","rigid"]

[attr="class","rigidw"]

He takes a deep breath, and when he does, it’s briny sea air that fills his lungs. There’s a sense of comfort to it; a familiarity that perhaps comes as a result of a lifetime spent near the ocean. A lifetime of days at the beach, of endless hours walking on piers, of diving into deep waters, and of trips aboard boats both much alike and quite different from this one.
[break][break]
It may be thanks to all of this that a smile tugs at his lips while carefully assembling the fishing rod; all of the motions being known and well-practiced, yet still performed with the meticulous attention to detail that Mars often seems to have such a penchant for.
[break][break]
Attach the reel to the rod, lift the bail arm, check the spool, make sure all the eyelets align, thread the line up through them one by one…
[break][break]
’Care to give me a hand with this?’
[break][break]
It’s honey-coloured eyes that meet those of the underboss, only to then fall on the windswept manual and the disassembled fishing rod. ”Not much of a fishing man, I take?”
[break][break]
Who could blame him? Most people aren’t.
[break][break]
Closing the bail arm, Mars looks at his own fishing rod one last time before setting it down. ”Manuals usually make things more complicated than what they need to be... You’ll want to start by hooking the reel near the handle, you should be able to clearly see where it goes.” He steps closer, and it’s too casually that he points to the reel – just in case. ”That one.”
[break][break]
At this, even if faintly so, he smirks.

[attr="class","rigidtag"]Cillian Quinn

[attr="class","rigidpokes"]

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SHIV

GONGAGER

he/him

October 13

GONGAGA

gongaga-romantic

gongager

gongago

me?

gongaga

808 height

WHERE ARE UNOVA REMAKES

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TAG WITH @shiv

shiv

POSTED ON Oct 2, 2021 8:36:30 GMT

[newclass=.rndBG]--rndColor:#6f5e7b[/newclass]

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[attr="class","rndBG"]

[attr="class","rndHead"]

[attr="class","lnr lnr-bubble"]

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🎃TRICK-or-TREAT!

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A PUMPKABOO FLOATS BY with a treat clasped underneath its tiny fangs. both of you receive the following:[break][break]

[break][break]
(note: pumpkaboo can be ic or entirely ooc)[break]
Cillian Quinn Martín del Mar

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thorn

Gavin Merlino

he/him

october 28th

circhester, galar

demisexual

the harbinger

underboss

6'3" height

creatures of habit, carrion flowers, growing from repeated crimes.

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TAG WITH @gavin

POSTED ON Oct 6, 2021 17:35:37 GMT

"What gave it away?"

Though the tone of his jest is dry, a relaxed posture suggests humour rather than sarcasm.

He scoffs a laugh when Martín del Mar points to the reel.

"I 'm not completely hopeless."

His father had taken him 'fishing', once; it's not a fond memory. He brushes it aside, taking the reel in hand and carefully putting it into place. An amber gaze flicks toward the discarded manual as the wind snatches it over the side of the vessel.

"Hope there wasn't anything important in there." His lip twitches. "Del Mar, isn't it? Merlino."

He offers a hand.

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Azul

Mars | Tuesday

He/Him

August 4th

Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

POG Bank CEO

Underboss

1008 height

Veni. Videre. Vincam.

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TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Oct 17, 2021 3:48:05 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","rigid"]

[attr="class","rigidw"]

”I wouldn’t feel too bad in your place, it’s not exactly a cool hobby.”
[break][break]
And yet it’s still one Mars himself enjoys shamelessly nevertheless, for he has never been one to care much for other people’s opinions when it comes to things like those…
[break][break]
Or to care at all, honestly.
[break][break]
A chuckle is stolen away by a light gust of wind that suddenly brushes over the small fishing vessel, also taking with it the instruction manual that is doomed to a cruel fate the moment it falls upon the waves. So much for that. On the bright side, at least paper is biodegradable, right? Silver linings and all that.
[break][break]
”Nah, you should be fine, setting it up is pretty straightforward from this point on. Just make sure nothing’s too tight or too loose or you might end up breaking the rod.” There’s a shrug that comes accompanied by that same smirk from before, a firm handshake being easily given when it’s time for introductions.
[break][break]
”That’d be me, pleased to meet you.”
[break][break]
His words are as calm and confident as his demeanor, never having been one to feel nervous in this sort of situation. Then again, what even is this situation? Despite the boat and the equipment, it certainly is no fishing trip.

[attr="class","rigidtag"]Cillian Quinn

[attr="class","rigidpokes"]

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thorn

Gavin Merlino

he/him

october 28th

circhester, galar

demisexual

the harbinger

underboss

6'3" height

creatures of habit, carrion flowers, growing from repeated crimes.

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TAG WITH @gavin

POSTED ON Nov 8, 2021 13:05:47 GMT

Gavin laughs, sharp and sudden.

"I'm a scientist. Never concerned myself with being 'cool'."

Though his work for Rocket took him further and further from the pursuits of his past, his passions, he still identified as a scientist at heart.

"They're that fragile?" he asks of the fishing rod, frowning down at it as he carefully adjusts the components under Martín del Mar instruction. "Well, it doesn't have to be perfect, at least. Just good enough to serve as a ruse."

Because they're not here to fish, after all.

Down in the cargo hold of the unassuming ship is their true purpose for sailing into the middle of Hoenn's unforgiving ocean: a body, skull caved in through some blunt force trauma. A secret they needed to bury deep.

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played by

Azul

Mars | Tuesday

He/Him

August 4th

Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

POG Bank CEO

Underboss

1008 height

Veni. Videre. Vincam.

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TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Nov 13, 2021 0:10:29 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","rigid"]

[attr="class","rigidw"]

Who would have thought Gavin is the sort of person Mars and all of his friends would have made fun of back in highschool? The thought is kind of amusing, but of course he has enough sense not to say it outloud. After all, there are things even Mars is kind of a nerd about, and things he likes that many would consider to be lame as fuck – fishing, for example.
[break][break]
”Ha. Science can be cool. Never really been my thing, but I appreciate the things it can get done.”
[break][break]
Numbers are his things. Business relations. Investing. Making deals.
[break][break]
It all would probably sound incredibly dull to anyone who has little interest in the worlds of business and banking, but they’re things Mars has always enjoyed and had a penchant for, especially the former. Yes, he always loved a good game of Monopoly.
[break][break]
”Rods are fibreglass. They’re strong and lightweight, but they can break if you apply force and tension in the right way. Psychics and what not – like I said, not my thing.” A grin flashes if only for a second, Mars then turning his attention to his own fishing rod. All of this to dispose of a dead body. It’s a good call, since who ever pays any attention to two men going fishing?
[break][break]
Soon, the depths of the ocean will keep yet another secret among the countless ones drowning in its dark waters.
[break][break]
”Want to actually try your luck at fishing? Make the ruse believable, no?”
[break][break]
Might as well make the most of it.

[attr="class","rigidtag"]Cillian Quinn

[attr="class","rigidpokes"]

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thorn

Gavin Merlino

he/him

october 28th

circhester, galar

demisexual

the harbinger

underboss

6'3" height

creatures of habit, carrion flowers, growing from repeated crimes.

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TAG WITH @gavin

POSTED ON Nov 13, 2021 19:58:43 GMT

"Ha. Tell that to my former classmates."

Gavin had certainly experienced some harassment in school, though he'd put a stop to it with methods that might have telegraphed his future involvement with a criminal organization. Break one kid's arm and suddenly no one wants to go near you.

"Never was much for physics," he shrugs. "I'll take it slow."

Martín del Mar suggests actually fishing, and while Gavin hadn't planned on it there's not much else to do to pass the time. He shrugs.

"May's well. Got any tips?"

He sets about attaching bait to the hook, a fat Wurmple retrieved from a bucket.

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Azul

Mars | Tuesday

He/Him

August 4th

Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

POG Bank CEO

Underboss

1008 height

Veni. Videre. Vincam.

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TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Nov 16, 2021 8:32:17 GMT

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[attr="class","rigid"]

[attr="class","rigidw"]

”Nah, I bet they already learned their lesson.”
[break][break]
Because it’s what he himself would have done at that age: teach them a lesson. How many times had he gotten suspended with only his family’s wealth and influence saving him from immediate expulsion? One too many, and even now when his anger no longer rules his life the way it once did, he sure as hell would never allow anyone to disrespect him.
[break][break]
”Tell me about it, it all goes right over my head.” He chuckles, but that’s not really the case, is it? It’s just that he doesn’t see much point in bothering with putting the effort to understand those things unless it’s something that interests him. Just like how trying to understand what the hell the Unown Report may be about has really been testing his knowledge of all such things.
[break][break]
It’s annoying to even think about it, but thankfully, he has the thought of fishing to distract him.
[break][break]
His own lure is smaller: a Cutiefly. The perfect meal to attract some nice fishes.
[break][break]
”Just the spot where you want your lure to go and hold the rod high when you cast it. Like so.”
[break][break]
After watching the sea for a short moment, Mars picks a spot, and checking the lure and line one last time, he raises the fishing rod, casting the line far from the boat in one simple and well-rehearsed motion. The lure sinks.
[break][break]
Bye bye, Cutiefly.

[attr="class","rigidtag"]Cillian Quinn

[attr="class","rigidpokes"]

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thorn

Gavin Merlino

he/him

october 28th

circhester, galar

demisexual

the harbinger

underboss

6'3" height

creatures of habit, carrion flowers, growing from repeated crimes.

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TAG WITH @gavin

POSTED ON Nov 17, 2021 22:55:18 GMT

There's a grim edge to his smile, now.

"Something like that."

Amber eyes scan the ocean, uncertain of what marks the good spots from the bad. He watches Martín del Mar's technique before copying it to the best of his amateur ability, at the very least managing to cast the line out into the water without catching either of them with the hook.

"You've been with Rocket a few years, yeah?"

Gavin tilts his head toward the other, gaze turned curious.

"What made you join up?" Rocket are a suspicious bunch who often don't like to share, so Gavin volunteers, "I signed up in Kanto because I wanted to work with their scientists; thought I'd be able to stay out of the fighting."

He laughs, but there's an undercurrent of bitterness to be caught by the perceptive ear.

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played by

Azul

Mars | Tuesday

He/Him

August 4th

Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

POG Bank CEO

Underboss

1008 height

Veni. Videre. Vincam.

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TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Nov 18, 2021 9:51:31 GMT

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[attr="class","rigid"]

[attr="class","rigidw"]

What comes next is almost inevitable, because don’t questions like those always come when speaking to Rocket’s higher ups? At least it sure seemed that way when THEO BECKETT had pretty much interrogated him in a sauna while calling it a “friendly conversation” or whatever it was that he had called it back then. Not like Mars had minded much.
[break][break]
With a faint smile, Mars watches the water, waiting. ”Yeah, should be a couple of years now.”
[break][break]
Two years since he moved to Hoenn.
[break][break]
Two years since that supposed family of his took her from him.
[break][break]
There’s a certain annoyance that comes with those thoughts, but the sight of the ocean and the way that one enchanting word lingers in his mind are enough to push those feelings back where they belong beneath the surface – hidden within dark depths akin to those of these waters.
[break][break]
”Kanto, huh? Sounds like a smart choice, considering who won, though I’m guessing you didn’t get to stay out of the fighting for long.” It’s just the way it is with things like those, although back then to Mars the war in Kanto had been no more than something seen in the news and mentioned in business meetings he attended by his grandfather’s side. Leave it to his family to be into war profiteering.
[break][break]
”Mine is kind of a long story.” When asked about things like these before, Mars has been quick to mention how Rocket has resources he needs, but while that may be true, it’s not the whole truth, is it? He turns to look at Gavin then, warm honey-coloured eyes meeting those of a very similar shade. ”I guess you could say being in Rocket is better than the alternative.”
[break][break]
A smile, bittersweet.
[break][break]
He definitely doesn't mean the League.

[attr="class","rigidtag"]Cillian Quinn

[attr="class","rigidpokes"]

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played by

thorn

Gavin Merlino

he/him

october 28th

circhester, galar

demisexual

the harbinger

underboss

6'3" height

creatures of habit, carrion flowers, growing from repeated crimes.

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TAG WITH @gavin

POSTED ON Nov 24, 2021 9:22:31 GMT

Lulu Flint and Martín del Mar like this

'Sounds like a smart choice.'

How different might their lives have been had he chosen to stay in Galar, rather than boarding that flight to Kanto? Lulu Flint might've never had to—

He snips the thought like an errant thread.

No going back. He no longer wants to.

"No," he confirms. "Not long at all."

A thin scar marks the index finger of his left hand, stark white against skin still pale despite the best efforts of Hoenn's sun. He traces it with his eyes as they talk, barely paying attention to the feel of the fishing rod within his grasp.

"Mm. I guess you could say the same for me." He shifts his gaze to Martín del Mar to find the other looking at him in turn. There's a scar on Gavin's brow, as well, and on the palm of the left hand he uses to brush hair from his eyes. "It's the same for a lot of us."

Family forged not by the blood in their veins, but the blood they'd spilled together.

"I want to keep it that way, you know." His gaze returns to the horizon. "Better."

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Azul

Mars | Tuesday

He/Him

August 4th

Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

POG Bank CEO

Underboss

1008 height

Veni. Videre. Vincam.

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4,525 posts

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part of

TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Nov 26, 2021 13:24:02 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","rigid"]

[attr="class","rigidw"]

Better.
[break][break]
Better than running.
[break][break]
Better than being controlled by his so-called family.
[break][break]
Family. For most of his life, the word has been one that has left a bitter taste in Mars’ mouth, and if he were privy to Gavin’s thoughts, he would probably laugh. Rocket is no family to him. Not yet. Not in the proper sense, at least, and hopefully never in the sense the Marzáns are supposed to be.
[break][break]
And yet, if only for a moment, as he looks at the Underboss, he allows himself to believe it: believe that Rocket can make things better. In a way, hasn’t it already? Hasn’t Rocket granted him freedom? Isn’t it the reason he met people he now wants to protect and holds dear?
[break][break]
”...I’m glad to hear that, actually.” The smile remains as he turns to look at the water, watching the way waves shift with the current. ”Better is what Hoenn needs.”
[break][break]
What they all need.
[break][break]
His gaze drifts down to his own hand, it too marked by thin and faded scars – puncture wounds once made by small yet relentless fangs. They may want things to be better, but how many more scars will be earned for the sake of such a future?
[break][break]
Something thugs on the lines, distracting him and stealing the thought away in the process.
[break][break]
”Huh… Guess we’re in luck.”

[attr="class","rigidtag"]Cillian Quinn

[attr="class","rigidpokes"]

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played by

thorn

Gavin Merlino

he/him

october 28th

circhester, galar

demisexual

the harbinger

underboss

6'3" height

creatures of habit, carrion flowers, growing from repeated crimes.

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7,865 posts

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part of

TAG WITH @gavin

POSTED ON Nov 27, 2021 0:59:40 GMT

Better is what Hoenn needs.

"I agree."

The League weren't doing the region any favours. And maybe Rocket had come to conquer, to raze as they'd done for Kanto, but things were different now. Gavin's not sure what Walsh wants out of Rocket, but... he's better than Blackwell.

That's good enough, for now.

Martín del Mar's line jerks in the water and Gavin's attention snaps to it.

"Any idea what it is?"

Maybe a fisherman would have a feel for what was on the end of his line.

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played by

Azul

Mars | Tuesday

He/Him

August 4th

Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

POG Bank CEO

Underboss

1008 height

Veni. Videre. Vincam.

awards

4,525 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @mars