MARCH UPDATE

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Sept 13, 2022 2:43:15 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]A region thing, huh? Isaac would have to ask someone more versed in the knowledge of the lands past Hoenn. By now, Alolan and Galarian morphs were fairly common around Hoenn, but they were far from the only parts of the world. What other Pokemon might have dwelled in the world further beyond? "I'll see if I can find any eggheads that might shed some light on it. Thanks for the tip," Isaac said. "Caesar's excitement's infectious. If I can help him feel like more of a part of the team, then I'm happy."[break][break]

Ah. A dad that helped out. There was another thing Isaac wished he had. Okay, so that was a lie. His dad helped out plenty. With El. Isaac, on the other hand, was shit out of luck. It sounded like Matt was a little, too. But at least he had people to catch his back even if they were busy. It must've been nice.[break][break]

If he had that, would he be where he was right now?[break][break]

Would he be who he was right now?[break][break]

It sounded like Isaac's idea was at least going to help. And now Matt was back to his old self. Isaac could only find himself grinning up a storm as he looked to the other man. Words of ancient power crackled at the tip of his tongue. Dare he unleash their curse? Could he even hope to resist the urge, after being given such a perfect setup?[break][break]

"He who smelt it dealt it, buddy." Alas, Isaac was helpless in the face of such comedy gold.

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Matt Vice

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

[newclass=.skullhover]width:420px;-webkit-filter: grayscale(100%);filter: grayscale(100%);-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;-webkit-transition-delay:0.1s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullhover:hover]-webkit-filter: grayscale(0%);filter: grayscale(0%)-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullimg]width:380px;height:200px;background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/HOVZp0J.png); background-repeat:no-repeat;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulltitle]font-family:verdana;font-weight:700;font-size:50px;position:relative;text-align:center;color:#D9B800;margin-top:-36px;margin-bottom:0px;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulloverlap]letter-spacing:1px;font-family:oswald;font-weight:200;font-size:12px;position:relative;text-align:center;margin-top:-0;margin-bottom:-5px;color:#e8e8e8;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody]div-align:center;text-align:justify;width:380px;font-size:12px;font-family:roboto;color:#d6d6d6;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody b]color:#d9b800;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullinfo]width:380px;font-family:oswald;font-size:12px;font-weight:200;color:#767676;text-align:right[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullcredits]width:380px;font-family:roboto;font-size:12px;text-align:center;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Oswald]
[googlefont=Roboto]

close tab

played by

galaxy

Werewolf

He/Him

November 10

Fortree

Gay

Gym Challenger

Rocket Elite

107 height

Homie better put your pride aside I’m a Benz and you’re more like a Volvo

awards

315 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @galaxy

POSTED ON Sept 13, 2022 2:56:10 GMT

The slow head turn Matt gave Isaac could have struck fear into people who did not know him. Or people who did know him, really. That dark glint in those red eyes, as a devious smirk spread over his face. Revealing a pair of what look like sharp canines- what even exactly was this man?

"Oh yeah?" He said, soon looming over Isaac, using his height for the advantage. "And who denied it supplied it, and need a good rinse." Matt, Matt NO-

He grabbed Isaac, with enough pressure to not be rough- very practiced because of his siblings, and he literally tossed Isaac right into the water below. Leaning over the bridge with a smug ass face, waving his nose teasingly. "Make sure you wash off good, down there."
Isaac Merlo

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Sept 13, 2022 4:38:52 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac had taken the slam dunk, but Matt had turned it into art. As Isaac went sailing into the river, his indignation was tempered by a strange feeling swelling in his chest. Could it be, dare he say it, pride? He didn't have much time to process his thoughts, however. He was far too busy hitting the water.[break][break]

He couldn't help but laugh as he bobbed back up to the surface. "Shit, the water's great! Thanks for giving it a test for me first," he teased. He lazily floated down the river, giving himself a mock scrub as he did so. Anyone who could appreciate a good verbal spar, especially such a goofy and juvenile one, couldn't be entirely terrible in Isaac's books.[break][break]

Knuckles couldn't hold it anymore. The stoic-seeming Riolu just burst into laughter as the aura on the route took a turn for the clownish. Gwtting to see her human (oh no, did she think that our loud?) get dunked on was just the icing on the warm, nonthreatening, and goofy cake here.[break][break]

She got a little running start, then leaped onto Isaac's chest. Ignoring his wheeze of protest, she pointed towards the horizon like some kind of future queen of the pirates. "Great. I'm a boat now," Isaac deadpanned, before clearing his throat. "Ahoy! Come along, Caesar, ye scallywag! We can't set sail for adventure without all pur mateys!" It turned out the Crime Voice already left him half primed for a pirate voice. Win-win![break][break]

While Caesar sure as heck wasn't going to get anywhere near the water, he did chase Isaac as he floated down the river. He barked towards hia new friends, as if encouraging them to come along.

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Matt Vice

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

close tab

played by

galaxy

Werewolf

He/Him

November 10

Fortree

Gay

Gym Challenger

Rocket Elite

107 height

Homie better put your pride aside I’m a Benz and you’re more like a Volvo

awards

315 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @galaxy

POSTED ON Sept 13, 2022 22:31:57 GMT

Matt was laughing, it was nice to feel like he could cut up. Really show off how much of a goofball Matt could be, when he wasn't trying to brood or be a badass ranger. Seeing him float down the river was amusing- wait he had a Riolu? Did he and him really have to mirror so many pokemon? Now it was just getting weird!

Kazzy's eyes locked onto Isaac, looking very upset he was in the water! Whining and starting to pace, watching him- and it was too late. "No!" Matt tried to dive for him and missed- and Kazzy went off the edge to land right onto Isaac's chest, probably knocking the poor other Riolu into the water or at least further back. Kazzy whined and pawed at his face- such concern!

"Kazzy! Bad! You can't just- you know what, you can do that to him. Him is fine."

Isaac Merlo

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Sept 14, 2022 3:46:36 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]Even as his face endured the death of a hundred paws, Isaac was on the ball. He raised his arms like guardrails, making sure that the little Rockruff didn't end up tumbling into the water. Knuckles, who was just knocked off by Kazzy's excited leap, perched onto one of these makeshift guardrails with perfect balance and poise.[break][break]

Or, at least, mostly perfect. The poor girl lasted for maybe a minute and a half before loosing her footing and tumbling into the river. Now it was Isaac's turn to laugh a little as she popped up next to him, shaking the water out to the best of her ability. Ugh. That was so undignified . . . but also strangely soothing. She let herself drift along the waves, her aura mellowing out and diffusing along the currents.[break][break]

Poor Matt tried to lecture the Rockruff, but Isaac just shot him an easy smile. "Hey, it's all good, little buddy. My jacket's keeping me all dry, see?" He held up the arm that Knuckles had previously perched on, showing Kazzy how the water rolled off of it without even leaving a stain. It wasn't perfectly waterproof, of course. But discussing the intricacies of water-resistance vs water-proofing with a puppy seemed like a misplaced effort.[break][break]

"But thanks for checking up on me. Matt raised you well."[break][break]

It was a statement that may have resonated even harder after the duo's recent talks. After all, now he knew that Kazzy wasn't the only youth who Matt had left a big impact on.

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Matt Vice

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

close tab

played by

galaxy

Werewolf

He/Him

November 10

Fortree

Gay

Gym Challenger

Rocket Elite

107 height

Homie better put your pride aside I’m a Benz and you’re more like a Volvo

awards

315 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @galaxy

POSTED ON Sept 14, 2022 23:15:08 GMT

Kazzy whined, but saw he was floating. Well okay, that was good! Looking around, he soon realized... he was surrounded by water. Now barking frantically for Matt to come get him! How dare he let him get stuck out here! Totally wasn't his fault, not at all!

"Oh no you don't, you ain't gonna yap at me to get you when you did this yourself. Either swim back or see if he'll bring you to shore." Matt was not going in after him or putting him in his ball, was his own fault!

Looking to Nana, he climbed on top of the arcanine to follow the lazy river ride. "...What got you into what you do?"

Isaac Merlo

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Sept 15, 2022 2:53:14 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac snickered a little at that lecture. Oh yeah, Matt was definitely a big brother alright. "Nah. You're trapped forever now," Isaac deadpanned. "We're all just a buncha castaways now. Hope ya like coconuts."[break][break]

He could hold the deadpan for maybe half a second before busting out into a fit of snickers. "I'm just messing. Don't worry, I'll get you right to shore, okay?" he said, shaking his hand dry before giving Kazzy a little reassuring scritch behind the ears. With a few lazy motions of his legs, he turned his body back around, the occasional push of his feet helping him drift towards the shore.[break][break]

Caesar barked excitedly as his new best bud returned back to him. He scampered up and down along the shoreline, pawing excitedly at the sand all the while. Yet he wasn't the only one waiting. So, too, was Matt, and he came with some questions.[break][break]

This wasn't Isaac's only friendship (Enemyship? Rivalry?) with someone out of the loop. If you asked Isaac who his friends were, Josh Devlin and Julia Davis were two of the first names to come to mind. And they were dyed-in-the-wool Rangers! But those were friends with Isaac Merlo. They weren't friends with Blackjack. This was a topic Isaac would've never been caught dead talking to them about, but Blackjack could say whatever the hell he wanted.[break][break]

Maybe that was why, instead of blowing this off with a "none of your business," Isaac instead actually started mulling the question over. "Alright," he said. "Do you want the big, important, high-minded reason? The practical reason? Or the thing that actually got me where I am today? Cause, lemme tell you, that question's got layers. And no, this isn't some Joker bullshit where it's all a bunch of trick questions. Real deal answers only."

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Matt Vice

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

close tab

played by

galaxy

Werewolf

He/Him

November 10

Fortree

Gay

Gym Challenger

Rocket Elite

107 height

Homie better put your pride aside I’m a Benz and you’re more like a Volvo

awards

315 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @galaxy

POSTED ON Sept 15, 2022 2:59:50 GMT

Kazzy whined, looking so upset over this. No, he didn't want to be a river dog! That wasn't his calling! what the hell was a coconut?! Ears pinned back, looking so sad, until Isaac said they were going back and he got pets. Yipping happily and licking his face. Yay!

As they got closer, Kazzy gave Isaac a final kiss then jumped off to go barreling after the growlithe. Going to playfully pounce on top of him and roll around, play time.

Matt adjusted as he sat on top of Nana, more so leaning on top of her to get comfortable. Mulling over just what Isaac said to him. after becoming a ranger himself, everything felt like it had so much more weight too it. Chewing the inside of his cheek, before sighing some.

"I don't understand how you can act like this and work for them."

Isaac Merlo

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Sept 15, 2022 13:45:22 GMT

Zev Harcourt likes this

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]And there was the other foot dropping. It was the question that Matt had clearly been wrestling with for a while. Shit, it was the question Isaac had been wrestling with since joining. How did Isaac act so noble when part of the biggest threat to Hoenn's national security in ages? How could he be so squeamish about the worst of the worst when the gears of this machine were lubricated in blood?[break][break]

"There are a lot of reasons why people come here," Isaac said. "Some people just want the security to get from one day to the next. They've slipped through the cracks of the system, and Rocket's the biggest bunch holding out the safety net. Others saw those videos, all that stuff about peace in Kanto and how Rocket's a changed orvanization. They see all the chaos in Hoenn, the wars, the invasions, the meteor, and they think some peace sure sounds nice. There are the ones who want to be king of the heap, and don't care what they have to do to get there. The ones who want to lash out at a world that's hurt them. And the ones that just want to see it all burn."[break][break]

Desperate, opportunistic, and comfortable. True believers and hard-nosed cynics. Men, monsters, and tragedies. The Team Rocket that Isaac saw before him was full of all types, all united under a black and red banner. Sometimes, Isaac wondered how long that would last without a common enemy to fight. At other times, it seemed like some big, fucked-up family.[break][break]

"There are a lot of good people there. Good people who deserve better than the lot they've been given," he continued. "And there are some monsters, too. Reminders of what I never want to become. I'm not gonna pretend I'm some big damn hero. I'm not here to protect the world from devastation or anything like that. But, shit. If I can shine a little light to guide the good and ward off the worst, shouldn't I?"[break][break]

"A job's done when it's done, anyway. If you're gonna be needlessly cruel or destructive about it, you're just making more of a headache for the rest of us in the end." Even now, Zev Harcourt's words echoed in Isaac's head: imuplses. It wasn't Isaac's fault that his genial nature and lack of cruel edge also lined up with the traits of a consumate professional, but it sure was convenient.[break][break]

He feared the possibility of that changing more than anything.

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Matt Vice

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

close tab

played by

galaxy

Werewolf

He/Him

November 10

Fortree

Gay

Gym Challenger

Rocket Elite

107 height

Homie better put your pride aside I’m a Benz and you’re more like a Volvo

awards

315 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @galaxy

POSTED ON Sept 15, 2022 21:52:46 GMT

Matt thought about those words. It was something weird to him. Usually, he saw things in black and white... but this was getting him thinking. Maybe this is why people tolerated things they didn't like? Or would turn a blind eye? It hurt his head, honestly.

Sighing, he rubbed his eyes. This whole weird friendship/enemies- whatever it was. It hurt Matt. It was nice to actually have someone his age, that wasn't a childhood friend or boyfriend, to relate too. He wasn't sure if he was older, but still, Isaac kind of felt like an annoying older brother. Bah!

He hated this.

"I don't understand it really, but I'll mull it over." Aka, I need to think. "...You wanna exchange numbers?"

Isaac Merlo

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Sept 16, 2022 0:18:47 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]"Y'know, it's funny. I didn't get it at first either," Isaac admitted. "For the longest time, I never really thought about this kinda stuff. People did whatever they wanted for whatever reason they wanted. Rocket was a bunch of faceless thugs. Politics was for people who knew what they were doing.[break][break]

"Then the people who 'knew what they were doing' decided dropping a meteor on another dimension was the only way out of our problems. Suddenly, things didn't make so much sense anymore."[break][break]

He sighed, thinking about all of the people he had met in Rocket. There were so many people there who deserved to have the world by the balls. Instead, they were stuck between a rock and a hard place, living a life where either their lives or their souls would be forfeit. Was it Rocket's fault? Perhaps. Was it the League's fault for even putting them in that position? Also perhaps.[break][break]

That wasn't the biggest surprise, though. An even bigger one was Matt asking for his number. Isaac cocked an eyebrow in surprise, a gesture barely visible between his mask. "Huh. I mean, shit. If you want to," Isaac said. He climbed back onto dry land, shaking some of the water off of him. He went over to his bag, which he had taken off once he started snooping, and fished a piece of paper and a pen out from it.[break][break]

Once that was done, he jotted down the number for his burner phone, passing it over to Matt. "There ya go," he said. "Don't sweat it if the line ever goes down. That just means something went horribly wrong and I'm on a new number. But, hey. What're the odds of that?"

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Matt Vice

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

[newclass=.skullhover]width:420px;-webkit-filter: grayscale(100%);filter: grayscale(100%);-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;-webkit-transition-delay:0.1s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullhover:hover]-webkit-filter: grayscale(0%);filter: grayscale(0%)-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullimg]width:380px;height:200px;background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/HOVZp0J.png); background-repeat:no-repeat;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulltitle]font-family:verdana;font-weight:700;font-size:50px;position:relative;text-align:center;color:#D9B800;margin-top:-36px;margin-bottom:0px;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulloverlap]letter-spacing:1px;font-family:oswald;font-weight:200;font-size:12px;position:relative;text-align:center;margin-top:-0;margin-bottom:-5px;color:#e8e8e8;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody]div-align:center;text-align:justify;width:380px;line-height:15px;letter-spacing:.5px;font-size:12px;font-family:roboto;color:#d6d6d6;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullinfo]width:380px;font-family:oswald;font-size:12px;font-weight:200;color:#767676;text-align:right[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullcredits]width:380px;font-family:roboto;font-size:12px;text-align:center;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Oswald]
[googlefont=Roboto]

close tab

played by

galaxy

Werewolf

He/Him

November 10

Fortree

Gay

Gym Challenger

Rocket Elite

107 height

Homie better put your pride aside I’m a Benz and you’re more like a Volvo

awards

315 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @galaxy

POSTED ON Sept 16, 2022 0:32:04 GMT

Right... the space rock...

Everything felt weird now. Something didn't taste right in his mouth. The ranger took the paper, going to put it into his pocket. Brows arching up at that statement. "Who knows, considering space is tryin' to kill us." A shrug, before a small sigh. "But... yeah, thanks, for answering."

It did mean a lot he did, because it started the gears in his head to turn. How that whole announcement felt... wrong. All wrong. But. Bah! He needed Nico to talk too. "I probably should go. Nico gonna worry."

He may have loved using Nico as an excuse to scurry away a little to much.

Isaac Merlo

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo