that panic. lulu knew it. she had learned to stand back and let them come to, and to not let their inevitable reactions get to her. she needed these people. her test subjects.

elisabeth was a slightly different case from the usual, though, in that the scientist actually valued the stable condition of her mind—or at least, she wished to maintain whatever stability the admin possessed.

she regarded her carefully from across the room, assessing the look in her eye. what had she seen?

”yes.” it was over.

her heels clicked as she walked to break much of the distance again and view a nearby computer. the results of their test ran across it.

”you’re welcome to remove the electrodes.” after a moment, then, she asked, ”how do you feel?”

Elisabeth Fiorelli

☉

”ah. well, that’s perfectly normal.” the post-death feeling. ”although, i suppose hell is a little more creative than most. i find that nightmares typically seem to take place in our world, or some iteration of it.” she paused, her head tilting as something shifted around behind her cool gaze. ”the mind is an interesting thing.”

had lulu gotten what she needed? she nodded, ”i did.”

the tiny tremble of elisa’s hand was noted, but she had gotten used to seeing people rattled. the fact that so many of rocket’s top brass were willing to expose such vulnerability to her was both strange and fascinating.

”what about you? did you find what you were looking for?” she had alluded to coming as a masochist, but surely she hadn’t offered her peace of mind for the sake of pain alone.

or perhaps she was punishing herself for something.

Elisabeth Fiorelli

☉

elisabeth had seen what she’d expected to. that was, perhaps, not so normal.

”interesting,” the scientist responded. it was vague, trailing off with another tilt of her head. her gaze lingered for a moment longer before she was moving again, sipping from the cup in her hand and moving to print the report. despite being a pioneer at the forefront of the digital age, lulu herself had everything on paper, stowed away in physical form.

”well,” elisabeth, ”i have what i need. unless you have any questions, we’re all finished.”

Elisabeth Fiorelli

☉

lulu didn’t look up again at first, expecting that the admin would find her legs on her own and wander off to do whatever. only when addressed a second time did she look over, and was surprised to find the sudden alertness in elisabeth’s eyes.

with a blink, the scientist briefly pondered, before divulging more of her theory that she hadn’t yet to other subjects.

”i wouldn’t say it is so much the dream imprinted on you, as whatever it was that prompted the dream.” a pause, before she explained, ”i believe they take us places, like portals through space and time. what you see in a dream is determined by outside forces, be they in this world or the next. i would say to stop a recurring nightmare at its source, you must cut the ties that are pulling you in. a much easier task when you know where those ties are, i’d say.” was someone in another world pulling on elisa?

her amber stare lingered, before she was gone across the room again. cleanly manicured fingers soon plucked several sheets of crisp paper from the mouth of a printer. as she scanned through them, she continued, ”i recommend therapeutic doses of musharna’s dream mist. if you fail to locate what ties you to your nightmare, then perhaps cresselia could cut them for you. my hope is that rocket will be able to procure it with time, once we are able to reach the dream world.”

Elisabeth Fiorelli

☉

”maybe they're dead here, in this world; but i can assure you, all evil slain is still very much alive elsewhere, just as there are places in which it was never born in the first place.”

at elisabeth’s sentiment about cresselia, the look in lulu’s eye was almost inquisitive, before she recited, ”all pokémon exist for the glory of rocket, do they not? and personally, i see no harm in asking it for a favor or two once it is within our reach.”

without much further ado, the head scientist then gathered her papers neatly and seemed to be preparing to leave. the labs were only busier and busier these days, after all.

”i’ll keep you updated on my studies, then, if it interests you, and if we are able to locate a way into the interdream zone, you’ll be notified. i have no doubt traversal will be dangerous enough to warrant a full party.” being an admin, elisabeth would likely receive a report on the matter, once progress was made. ”now, if you’ll excuse me, i need to make my next appointment. your time is appreciated.”

she turned to leave, but before she did, she slowed at where she had set her coffee. she reached, but instead, her hand suddenly swiped it off the table. it shattered across the floor with a sharp clatter.

”somewhere in the multiverse, that didn’t break. do not take dead for granted, miss fiorelli.”

”have a good afternoon.”

with that, she was off, heels clicking briskly down the hallway again.

Elisabeth Fiorelli

☉