MARCH UPDATE

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TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Oct 27, 2021 15:14:59 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","rigid"]

[attr="class","rigidw"]

The busy streets of Jubilife City are not much different from the busy streets of any large city out there; multitudes of people and pokémon walk down the pavement, cars fill the streets, and everywhere there are lights and noises and things that could easily overwhelm the senses… if they were real.
[break][break]
The colours are muted, no shadows are cast, but while perhaps these things could alert those observant enough as to what’s really going on here, to Mars it’s all real enough. Since, in truth, when he steps out of a black sedan and onto the pavement, what matters to him is not the city itself, but the building before him.
[break][break]
It’s all familiar.
[break][break]
There’s a joyful smile illuminating his expression, and a beautiful bouquet of white lilies in his hands. His phone rings, and he reaches for it...
[break][break]
All of this while out there, in the real world, a full moon shines over Mauville Hills, its light shining into the bedroom through an open window. The bright fuchsia mists of a Musharna shimmer under it, swirling around the slumbering pair and corrupting their dreams.

[attr="class","rigidtag"]CIAN MAHER | MISSION

[attr="class","rigidpokes"]

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TAG WITH @cian

POSTED ON Oct 28, 2021 11:17:14 GMT

memories become blurry, perhaps clouded by a fog of some kind as he steps out of the car and onto the pavement.

why are they here? how did they get here? where are they exactly?

these are the questions that should occur to him but simply don't.

instead, he smiles, eager as always when with mars.

"are we here?"
Martín del Mar
☉

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Azul

Mars | Tuesday

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Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

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TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Oct 28, 2021 12:04:45 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","rigid"]

[attr="class","rigidw"]

The fact that Cian is here should be the first clue that something is wrong, because this out of places is not one where he belongs. This is a place Mars knew long before meeting Cian. A place he once called home.
[break][break]
Confusion washes over him, and yet the smile he gives him is honest and true, because despite this being a dream, despite this being a memory that replays itself in his mind as if a broken record, the feelings he has for Cian are still real even in this made up world.
[break][break]
Unfortunately, so are the feelings that came before…
[break][break]
”Yeah, just a sec…”
[break][break]
His phone rings then, and if he had been holding Cian’s hand as he usually does, he lets go of it in order to answer the call. This too is done with a smile, the strange logic of dreams and subconsciousness causing him to not even register how strange it is to stand next to Cian when he speaks the words that follow:
[break][break]
”Hey, love.”
[break][break]
And then, just like that, the smile fades, and colour too fades away from his face.
[break][break]
Pupils dilate, fear overtakes, and the phone drops to the ground – screen shattering to pieces the second it hits the pavement. He runs and the bouquet is discarded as well; rushing into the building, towards an elevator that’s mysteriously not working on this particular day.
[break][break]
And so begins the nightmare.

[attr="class","rigidtag"]CIAN MAHER | MISSION

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TAG WITH @cian

POSTED ON Oct 28, 2021 14:46:18 GMT

when his hand is released, he moves it into the pocket of his hoodie instead, sighing as he peers up at the tall building before them. it's unfamiliar, strange, and cold in a way he can't quite describe.

hey, love.

he turns then, realizing it's not him mars is talking to, and certain emotions come rising to the surface.

"who are you tal—"

the phone's dropped, and off mars goes.

"what the fuck."

but the panic is recognized, and so cian takes off after him as well, running towards the elevator.
Martín del Mar
☉

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played by

Azul

Mars | Tuesday

He/Him

August 4th

Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

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TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Oct 28, 2021 15:30:59 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","rigid"]

[attr="class","rigidw"]

It’s a cycle, and the moment it begins, the moment it’s triggered, all thoughts of Cian and of why the hell he’s at Jubilife vanish from existence.
[break][break]
There’s only thoughts of her; of how terrified she had sounded, of how she had begged him to come home, of how she had been crying. ”They’re here, Mars.” she had said, and he had known right away what she meant.
[break][break]
He needs to find her.
[break][break]
He needs to save her.
[break][break]
The elevator doesn’t work no matter how many times he frantically presses buttons, not even a light appearing to indicate it’s moving at all. "FUCK!" He curses in frustration, but there’s no time to keep on trying, and his gaze soon shifts towards the door leading to the staircase – that same staircase that’s supposed to only be meant for emergencies.
[break][break]
What is this if not an emergency?
[break][break]
With no regard for how daunting the task ahead of him, he runs towards the door, rushing up steps and almost tripping over his own feet when reaching the top of the first flight and having to take a sharp turn. It doesn’t matter. He keeps on going, not even thinking about just how many flights lie ahead.
[break][break]
He needs to get to the top.
[break][break]
He needs to get to her.

[attr="class","rigidtag"]CIAN MAHER | MISSION

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TAG WITH @cian

POSTED ON Oct 29, 2021 7:17:47 GMT

"mars."

has he ever seen mars this frantic? this scared? he can't seem to remember, but likely not, and it's why he starts to feel dread seeping through, soon to overpower.

he follows mars up the stairs, keeping up the best he can.

"mars!"
Martín del Mar
☉

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Azul

Mars | Tuesday

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TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Oct 29, 2021 7:57:37 GMT

[nospaces]

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[attr="class","rigidw"]

To Mars, it’s like he’s twenty-four again; like he’s living all these moments for the first time, like nothing has changed.
[break][break]
The news of Cosima's pregnancy had been one of the best things that had ever happened to him, and yet they had also come with a heavy sense of uneasiness that had settled between. A fear; one that had led to their decision to leave for their child’s sake, and to plans being made. A concern; his own, one that persisted no matter how many times she told him things would be alright and that they would be safe. They were so close...
[break][break]
They had almost made it out.
[break][break]
”Fuck, Cian, we don’t have time for this!” Why doesn’t Cian understand it? Why does he sound as if he wants him to stop? Why doesn’t he get that Cosima is in danger? It doesn’t make sense to Mars, and all he knows is that he needs to climb to the top of the stairs, that he needs to reach the apartment...
[break][break]
That he needs to be faster…
[break][break]
That he needs to be stronger…
[break][break]
That he needs to be better.
[break][break]
If he were all these things, then maybe he could save her.
[break][break]
He’s not counting how many floors they have passed, but inevitable so, he finds himself needing to stop for air, so he holds onto the staircase’s railing when reaching the next landing. His chest burns, and every breath comes with pain – laboured and shallow as he tries to fight the fatigue and keep on going forward.
[break][break]
”They… she…”
[break][break]
What is he even trying to say? What can words do to help her?

[attr="class","rigidtag"]CIAN MAHER | MISSION

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TAG WITH @cian

POSTED ON Oct 29, 2021 13:58:20 GMT

it takes everything in him not to just stop right there and then.

his gaze does falter, however, and words catch in the back of his throat. he chooses to focus on the many steps below him instead, climbing them with tiring effort. but eventually, they stop, and cian isn't nearly as out of breath as mars is.

perhaps because he's not being driven by fear or desperation.

"who's she, mars? cian junior's back home. she's fine."
Martín del Mar
☉

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Azul

Mars | Tuesday

He/Him

August 4th

Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

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TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Oct 29, 2021 16:17:16 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","rigid"]

[attr="class","rigidw"]

Cian Junior?
[break][break]
Whatever Cian may mean by his words, it doesn’t register for Mars, for in this state all he can think about is about how Cian doesn’t understand. Why doesn’t he understand? Why can’t he see just in how much danger they’re in? See how much is on the line? It makes him angry. It makes him want to scream.
[break][break]
”What? Nothing about this is fine, Cian! Why can’t you ever understand?!”
[break][break]
His voice is angrier than what it probably should be; meaner, and crueler. Perhaps it’s not what Cian deserves, but in this life or death situation, there is no time to hesitate. There is no time for questions. There is no time for all this bullshit.
[break][break]
That’s how Mars sees it, at least.
[break][break]
His heartbeat is racing, his breathing is laboured, and he finds himself needing to hold onto the railing. Is it just fatigue, or is it something else? Is it the fear? Is it the panic induced by this situation?
[break][break]
An overwhelming darkness begins to spread from the bottom of the stairs, one that their every sense tells them they should not step into, and then, from up above, there’s the loud sound of a gunshot.
[break][break]
Time stops.
[break][break]
”Fuck! COSIMA!”
[break][break]
He runs.
[break][break]
He runs and runs and runs and runs.
[break][break]
And, when he finally reaches the last floor, he pushes the door open, only to see the penthouse’s own door ajar.
[break][break]
Is it too late? Can he save her?
[break][break]
In this dream, Mars still doesn’t know the answer.

[attr="class","rigidtag"]CIAN MAHER | MISSION

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TAG WITH @cian

POSTED ON Oct 30, 2021 10:26:50 GMT

she.

if not cian junior, then who?

think, cian.

think.

bang!

where mars runs, cian stops. he reaches a hand out to grab mars, to try and stop him only to find himself reaching for nothing but air. mars runs past him, and onto the last floor of the building.

"fuck."

cian follows after, pushing through the door.
Martín del Mar
☉

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played by

Azul

Mars | Tuesday

He/Him

August 4th

Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

POG Bank CEO

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TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Oct 30, 2021 12:19:09 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","rigid"]

[attr="class","rigidw"]

This has once been his home.
[break][break]
The first real home he had had since he was a child. The one he had chosen with her; the one they had carefully decorated together and that within it held countless signs of the happy life they had had.
[break][break]
This had once been his home, and now, as he steps inside, it’s as if a warzone.
[break][break]
Broken glass. Broken furniture. Blood on the walls.
[break][break]
Countless smiling pictures of their best moments together seem dissonant with the scene or lay fallen, and the baby blue remnants of what had been a beautiful baby show are now damaged or even stained in scarlet.
[break][break]
It’s overwhelming.
[break][break]
It’s terrifying.
[break][break]
And, after only walking a few steps past the door, Mars finds himself frozen – unable to move forward.
[break][break]
This had once been his home, and now it’s a house of horrors.

[attr="class","rigidtag"]CIAN MAHER | MISSION

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noodles

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TAG WITH @cian

POSTED ON Nov 1, 2021 10:16:59 GMT

ah.

now he remembers.

now he realizes.

"..."

he stumbles, catching his weight as he leans against the door as he peers into a home that would've once looked lovely. now, it's anything but.

this is a dream, isn't it?

then why does it feel so real?

"mars..."

in the real world, a FULL MOON shines bright.
Martín del Mar
☉

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played by

Azul

Mars | Tuesday

He/Him

August 4th

Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

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TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Nov 1, 2021 13:16:42 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","rigid"]

[attr="class","rigidw"]

To Mars, this is much more than just a dream.
[break][break]
It’s a memory, it’s a fragment of his past, and perhaps that is exactly why it’s so real.
[break][break]
These are all things he once lived through, and they all remain as if engraved in his mind; remembering even the slightest of details, down to the smallest shard of glass. A faithful recreation of the way things were back then. So faithful, in fact, that even with Cian here, even when there’s things that don’t make sense, it’s impossible for him to realize that it’s not real – that these things are not actually happening, and that it’s not the first time.
[break][break]
Even if deep within him, he already knows what he’ll see as he steps farther and farther into his former home.
[break][break]
Even if he readies himself.
[break][break]
Even if there’s really no shock…
[break][break]
It’s still a horrifying sight of the same.
[break][break]
All the signs of a battle, all the fallen pokémon, all the blood, and then... her. Fallen as well. As if a broken doll; on the ground, unmoving, her once rosy skin now drained of all colour, and a hand resting on her stomach as if she were protecting what once existed within until her very last moment.
[break][break]
”...N-no… no…”
[break][break]
He falls to his knees, ignoring the feeling of the broken glass beneath, and even if Mars doesn’t realize it, tears come inevitably.

[attr="class","rigidtag"]CIAN MAHER | MISSION

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TAG WITH @cian

POSTED ON Nov 1, 2021 14:51:52 GMT

naturally, cian reaches for the pokeballs that usually line his belt only to find none. he tenses, looking around out of instinct to make sure nothing OBSCURE lurks in the shadows for them.

only when he's certain they're safe does he approach mars, moving to kneel beside him.

no words are said then.

he simply hugs him.
Martín del Mar
☉

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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