MARCH UPDATE

POSTED ON Sept 16, 2022 5:02:17 GMT

Orion Lykos likes this

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[attr="class","nikitaposttext"]

Nikita crossed her legs and sat back in her chair, the menu of Le Bon Café open in her hands. Her table was right by the front window of the Kalosian bistro so that she could keep an eye on pedestrians walking past. Beyond the 'street', Mauville City stretched as far as she could see. Sunlight beamed down through the glass roof upon the many citizens, Pokémon, and storefronts within view.[break][break]

A waiter stopped by her table with a glass of water. She thanked him absently, her gaze still lowered to the menu. The restaurant offered soups, salads, sandwiches, quiches, and even paninis for lunch — all appealing to her rumbling stomach.[break][break]

She placed the menu back onto the table for now, still undecided, and lifted her gaze to the window once more. Specifically, she was looking for the familiar dark hair and nervous glance of her friend Orion Lykos, who had agreed to meet her for lunch. He'd asked if he could bring a friend, and she'd seen no reason to deny him.[break][break]

Before long, Orion did approach, emerging into her field of vision. Walking alongside him was another man, much taller than Orion in height but about the same in terms of frame. As they drew closer to the bistro, however, Nikita felt her soul freeze over.[break][break]

She recognized Orion's friend, she realized. She had met him before. Not once, either, but twice.

[break]

[attr="class","nikitapostooc"]

[break]

NOTES

Mission: Vacation Time

BY GUNSMILE

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played by

nellethiel

Caleb Sharpe

He/Him

October 13

Lavender Town, Kanto

Bisexual

League Ranger

Elite

6'4" / 193 cm height

Leave the past where it is: behind you.

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TAG WITH @caleb

POSTED ON Sept 17, 2022 4:03:52 GMT

Tam Fawley likes this

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[attr="class","calebtest2"]

[attr="class","calebtest2text"]

Caleb hated being a third wheel, but Orion Lykos had insisted that his fellow Ranger would like his friend - had nearly dragged Caleb to this lunch because of it. He'd shown such enthusiasm, in fact, that Caleb had started to suspect that this might be some kind of set-up. Orion was not necessary known for meddling in the personal affairs of others, but he had a bigger heart than he gave himself credit for. He and Caleb had grown close over the past few months working together under Tam Fawley, openness and honesty and a bit of crude humor flowing easily between them, and the subject of Caleb's thus-far unlucky dating life had surfaced once or twice in conversation. Caleb couldn't be sure, but this smelled like a bit of impromptu matchmaking.[break][break]
When the two men - height different somewhat comical - arrived at Le Bon Café, Caleb immediately tried to pick out who Orion's friend might be. He locked eyes with a silvery haired woman looking right at the pair of Rangers. She had an extremely familiar prosthetic arm.[break][break]
"Orion," Caleb hissed, tone panicked. "Is this friend of yours a woman named @nikita by any chance?"[break][break]

[attr="class","calebtest2ooc"]

@nikita + Orion Lykos

[break]

NOTES

+ Mission: Vacation Time[break]
+ Caleb's Outfit

BY GUNSMILE

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thorn

orion

he/him

thirty

august 9th

lilycove

homosexual

ranger

elite

'cause baby i can burn you if you get too close to me

437 height

i'll wreck this if i have to; tell me, what good would that do?

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TAG WITH @orion

POSTED ON Sept 17, 2022 4:17:02 GMT

Caleb Harcourt likes this

□

Enthusiastic, for someone like Orion, simply translated to a willingness to engage socially with someone at all. He ordinarily avoids even friendly outings unless at the encouragement of others. But @nikita had suggested lunch at the Kalosian bistro they'd talked of at his ranch and seeing as he'd been on shift with Caleb Harcourt at the time, he'd thought it might be a good idea to introduce his friends.

No matter how suspicious it might look, Orion's not one to play matchmaker: he can't even keep his own life straight, let alone think about meddling in the lives of those close to him.

He's a little nervous, but that's to be expected when they're in a public setting. Green eyes flit over quaint café tables until they settle on the familiar figure of @nikita, and Orion smiles. That smile falters at Caleb's question.

He sounds... alarmed?

"Yeah, why?" Catching Nikita's eye, he offers a brief wave before glancing at Caleb. "Wait. Do you know each other?"

He starts approaching the table, because it would be awkward not to. Sorry, Caleb and Nikita.

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POSTED ON Sept 17, 2022 19:04:18 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","nikitapost"]

[attr="class","nikitaposttext"]

The two men approached, leaving Nikita mere seconds to recover from her alarm. Smoothing any untoward expression from her face, she smiled at Orion first. "I'm so glad you could make it, Orion," she told him, her tone full of cordial warmth. "You're not late, I promise; I'm early."[break][break]

Then she turned her gaze upon Caleb, and her smile grew distant, though it remained polite. "What a surprise to see you again, Mr. Sharpe. Thank you for your assistance with the wild Ghost Pokémon the other day. Mrs. Galveston is much more relaxed now that we no longer have a haunting."[break][break]

She picked up the menu while waiting for the men to sit, busying herself with reading the contents for the third time. A waiter neared their table, intending to take drink orders for the new arrivals.

[break]

[attr="class","nikitapostooc"]

[break]

NOTES

Mission: Vacation Time

BY GUNSMILE

[googlefont=Montserrat]
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played by

nellethiel

Caleb Sharpe

He/Him

October 13

Lavender Town, Kanto

Bisexual

League Ranger

Elite

6'4" / 193 cm height

Leave the past where it is: behind you.

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TAG WITH @caleb

POSTED ON Sept 26, 2022 16:31:39 GMT

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[attr="class","calebtest2"]

[attr="class","calebtest2text"]

Well, this was going to be awkward.[break][break]
Or maybe...it didn’t have to be. With everything going on across the region, a misunderstanding with a judgmental rich girl was not something Caleb really needed to stress over right now. All he needed to do was keep his friend Orion Lykos company, and not make a total ass of himself.[break][break]
Don’t make any crude jokes, he reminded himself, thinking of his last meeting with @nikita. Try and be…charming. Whatever the hell that meant.[break][break]
“It’s good to see you again, Miss Wells,” Caleb said politely, relaxing his shoulders and doing his absolute best to school his expression into something vaguely resembling a respectable neutrality, and pulled out the chair directly across from the white-haired woman. Let Orion be the one to sit in-between them, that seemed best.[break][break]
When the waiter approached, Caleb considered one of the many day-time cocktails featured on the menu, but settled for a black coffee. The choice would likely surprise Orion a little, but Caleb found, to his own mild surprise, that he didn’t want any alcohol. She already hates me, best not to give her any more reasons to double down on that opinion.[break][break]
Why did it matter, anyway? Nikita was leagues beyond the sort of woman he might be interested in, despite her attractive appearance. She was a wealthy, stuck-up businesswoman who had made her high standards quite apparent. She reeked of high maintenance. And yet, he had a strange intuitive feeling that she was likely wearing a suit of well-cultivated emotional armor, given the fact that she clearly had some trauma in her past. Rarely did people lose one limb, let alone two.[break][break]
Well, she wouldn’t be the only one at this table with a troubled past.[break][break]
“So how do you two know each other?” Caleb asked of his two companions. He had a feeling it was probably prosthetics-related, given their shared condition and how much Orion’s arm had reminded Caleb of Nikita’s when they’d first met, but it would be rude to assume that out loud. Best to let them explain in their own words.

[attr="class","calebtest2ooc"]

@nikita + Orion Lykos

[break]

NOTES

+ Mission: Vacation Time[break]
+ Caleb's Outfit

BY GUNSMILE

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thorn

orion

he/him

thirty

august 9th

lilycove

homosexual

ranger

elite

'cause baby i can burn you if you get too close to me

437 height

i'll wreck this if i have to; tell me, what good would that do?

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TAG WITH @orion

POSTED ON Sept 28, 2022 3:15:47 GMT

□

Social anxiety screams in his thoughts as Orion registers the distance of the exchange between @nikita and Caleb Harcourt. Oh, Arceus. What had happened between them? What pile of shit had he just stepped in?

There's no choice now but to sit between them and pray that the lunch ends before he has a stress-induced heart attack.

He is surprised, and also relieved, when Caleb doesn't opt for any of the alcoholic drinks on the menu. Though it might soothe nerves, he also neglects the drinks menu in favour of a Gogoat cheese and Tamato baguette.

"Oh, um." Orion wriggles the fingers of his prosthetic hand. "I met Nikita through her company, when I was getting my prosthetic. She made me feel much better about the whole process."

The smile he offers Nikita is genuine, if edged with anxiety.

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POSTED ON Sept 28, 2022 21:13:09 GMT

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[attr="class","nikitapost"]

[attr="class","nikitaposttext"]

Nikita herself ordered a flat white for her drink, as well as a glass of water with lemon. She perused the menu one final time for her lunch and rounded out her order with a salad with grilled Ducklett breast in Kantonese sauce.[break][break]

She returned Orion's smile, trying to convey a silent reassurance to him. Then, turning to Caleb, she added to her friend's explanation, "Later, we ran into each other while I was horseback riding near his ranch in Verdanturf."[break][break]

The waiter returned with their drinks, including a glass of water for Orion.[break][break]

"Since you're both Rangers, do you report to the same headquarters?" Nikita asked the men after taking a sip of her coffee. "Is that how you know each other?"

[break]

[attr="class","nikitapostooc"]

[break]

NOTES

Mission: Vacation Time

BY GUNSMILE

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played by

nellethiel

Caleb Sharpe

He/Him

October 13

Lavender Town, Kanto

Bisexual

League Ranger

Elite

6'4" / 193 cm height

Leave the past where it is: behind you.

awards

801 posts

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TAG WITH @caleb

POSTED ON Sept 29, 2022 2:36:26 GMT

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[attr="class","calebtest2text"]

Caleb settled on the broiled Barraskewda special, with a side of Kalosian Onion Soup. Might as well treat himself.[break][break]
"That makes sense," He nodded as Orion explained his connection to Nikita. It was as Caleb suspected, but he did not linger on the subject - he had no intentions of forcing his friend to relive his trauma over lunch. He flashed Orion a genuinely kind smile - the other man's social anxiety seemed to be getting to him - and then turned to Nikita as she asked about the Rangers.[break][break]
"Yeah, we both work out of Slateport under Captain Tam Fawley," Caleb explained. "We met on a mission, not that long ago actually." Despite knowing him for less than a year, Orion felt like an old friend. "Orion was one of my first close friends amongst the Rangers. The man's got a lot of patience, I guess," Caleb chuckled, poking fun at himself. He took a sip of his coffee and glanced at Orion, hoping the other man was starting to feel a bit more comfortable. Look, everything's going just fine.

[attr="class","calebtest2ooc"]

@nikita + Orion Lykos

[break]

NOTES

+ Mission: Vacation Time[break]
+ Caleb's Outfit

BY GUNSMILE

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thorn

orion

he/him

thirty

august 9th

lilycove

homosexual

ranger

elite

'cause baby i can burn you if you get too close to me

437 height

i'll wreck this if i have to; tell me, what good would that do?

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TAG WITH @orion

POSTED ON Oct 2, 2022 9:10:00 GMT

□

Orion isn't comfortable at all, but the simple act of existing in a public space is enough to encourage such anxieties. He is, at least, relieved that his two friends haven't gone for each other's throats.

He nods at @nikita's question, though defers to Caleb Harcourt for the answer. He grows quiet in groups, often feeling that his own voice is of least importance, and so he offers only a chuckle at first, when Caleb remarks on his patience. It's not until he's sure there's a window for him to speak that he clears his throat and takes a sip of water to soothe it.

"Our whole Squad does. They're good like that."

They've been so patient with him, too, as he adjusts to life with his newfound anger and without his arm.

"What happened with the ghosts?"

He can't help but ask, his curiosity about the type overwhelming his dread for a potentially awkward answer.

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POSTED ON Oct 3, 2022 12:29:44 GMT

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[attr="class","nikitapost"]

[attr="class","nikitaposttext"]

Nikita nodded along as Caleb explained the nature of his relationship with Orion. It seemed unusual for two seemingly different men to be close friends, but she had to admit: she did not know either of them very well. Whatever kinship she felt with Orion was surface-level at best, though she did find herself wishing she knew him better. Caleb, on the other hand, really was little more than a complete stranger, known only to Nikita for his career choice, obnoxious attempts at flirting, and unnatural ability to pluck a Wingull out of the air.[break][break]

"Patience seems to be a desirable trait for all Rangers to possess," she mused aloud. "After all, I imagine you deal with wild Pokémon all the time. Situations with them could escalate dangerously if they are not treated with care. Or am I wrong?"[break][break]

She took another sip of her flat white, turning her attention to Orion when he asked about the ghosts.[break][break]

"We had a haunting at Mauville Hills," she explained. "It was relatively harmless — lights flickering, items being thrown around. My neighbor had the worst of it, but Caleb here assisted in removing it from the building."[break][break]

Nikita fell silent, allowing room for the Ranger in question to provide more details if he wished.

[break]

[attr="class","nikitapostooc"]

[break]

NOTES

Mission: Vacation Time

BY GUNSMILE

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played by

nellethiel

Caleb Sharpe

He/Him

October 13

Lavender Town, Kanto

Bisexual

League Ranger

Elite

6'4" / 193 cm height

Leave the past where it is: behind you.

awards

801 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @caleb

POSTED ON Oct 6, 2022 0:12:04 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","calebtest2"]

[attr="class","calebtest2text"]

"It was a rogue Banette," Caleb explained to Orion. "Nasty little thing, but ultimately harmless - just a troublemaker, really." He shrugged. "The only real danger to Nikita was my botched attempt at flirting." He winked at her, but behind the self-deprecating humor, there was a genuine measure of apology.[break][break]
The food at Le Bon Café turned out to be quite good. As Caleb enjoyed his meal, digging in as soon as it was delivered to him, he contemplated Nikita's comments about the desirable traits for a Ranger. Patience, certainly. Courage, he supposed. But also...well, he couldn't help but think that some of the best Rangers he knew were people with a bit of a chip on their shoulders. People who wanted to do something rather than sit around and feel sorry for themselves, for example. Orion could have fallen into a deep depression when he'd lost his arm - and he likely had for a time, Caleb figured - but here he was, doing his best to care for Hoenn's people and Pokémon, despite the suspension and despite the trauma he'd faced. The other man might be shy and anxious, but he had a resilient spirit, and, Caleb was beginning to suspect, a compassionate heart - one that was more obvious around the right people, anyway.[break][break]
"We Rangers are a quirky, yet heartfelt bunch," Caleb murmured. "Especially those of us in the Slateport squad. Tam Fawley has a talent for...encouraging people to be their best selves, I suppose you could say. We make each other better. None of us are perfect, but he trusts us, and we trust him. We're honest with one another."[break][break]
Though maybe not entirely honest, Caleb thinks, feeling a small pang of guilt. It's not like any of them knew about his past. Not yet.

[attr="class","calebtest2ooc"]

@nikita + Orion Lykos

[break]

NOTES

+ Mission: Vacation Time[break]
+ Caleb's Outfit

BY GUNSMILE

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played by

thorn

orion

he/him

thirty

august 9th

lilycove

homosexual

ranger

elite

'cause baby i can burn you if you get too close to me

437 height

i'll wreck this if i have to; tell me, what good would that do?

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TAG WITH @orion

POSTED ON Oct 6, 2022 6:54:42 GMT

Raziel Beckett and Caleb Harcourt like this

□

Orion mulls over @nikita's input as their food arrives, taking a bite into his sandwich and closing his eyes. It was delicious. Swallowing it down with a sip of iced lemon water, he clears his throat.

"Patience is different between humans and Pokémon, I think." Both friends might be able to pick on his discomfort as he speaks, as well as his attempts to disregard it for the sake of a nice social outing. "I'm very patient with Pokémon."

Not so much with people, goes unspoken.

He thinks of Raziel Beckett. Maybe we should talk.

He brightens as the subject switches to the Banette, softening around the thought of a mischievous ghost, but Caleb's off-hand addition catches him off guard.

Oh. That explained so much.

"Honesty doesn't mean you should always say what you're thinking," he teases Caleb Harcourt, to lighten the mood. "You're shameless."

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POSTED ON Oct 7, 2022 10:13:14 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","nikitapost"]

[attr="class","nikitaposttext"]

Caleb's comment about flirting prompted Nikita to roll her eyes at the reminder. Orion's teasing of the other man, however, brought a smile to her face.[break][break]

"That was not even the first time," she said mildly to Orion, not because she wanted to deride Caleb in front of his friend, but because it was nice to have someone on her side for once. "The first time we met, he followed me through a market, trying to ask me out to lunch."[break][break]

Strangely, that encounter seemed so long ago now. A mountain of work had occupied her since then, then the news of strange attacks across Galar consumed her free thoughts. Back in August, her parents had assured her things were fine in Wyndon still, but she hadn't heard anything from them since.[break][break]

The arrival of lunch drew Nikita from her musings. She fell into silence as she ate her salad, marveling — not for the first time that day — how different her two companions were, yet how familiar they seemed to each other. It was easy to imagine that, if she weren't present, they would be quite relaxed.

[break]

[attr="class","nikitapostooc"]

[break]

NOTES

Mission: Vacation Time

BY GUNSMILE

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played by

nellethiel

Caleb Sharpe

He/Him

October 13

Lavender Town, Kanto

Bisexual

League Ranger

Elite

6'4" / 193 cm height

Leave the past where it is: behind you.

awards

801 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @caleb

POSTED ON Oct 7, 2022 17:05:31 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","calebtest2"]

[attr="class","calebtest2text"]

"We were in the Lilycove Fish Market," Caleb emphasized to Orion as Nikita mentioned their first encounter. "The best Clamperl chowder in the region! I was going to treat her to a bowl, after a pesky Wingull tried to steal her sandwich." He pouted in a comically dramatic fashion, though in truth, he had nearly forgotten about that whole affair. Nikita's rejection at the time hadn't bothered him overly much - after all, he had been a stranger to her. But it seemed the normally stoic woman was starting to warm up to him at last - or at least to the fact that he was good friends with Orion - so he leaned into the mockery and grinned while finishing his meal.[break][break]
"But, well, here we are - having lunch together after all," He found himself saying after ordering a refill of his coffee. "Look, Orion knows better than most that I'm not exactly the most refined socialite out there. I won't pretend like we'd make for ideal friends, Miss Wells, but," he paused, considering how he wanted to handle this next part. He set his coffee mug down and held out his hand to her. This time, the gesture was made in earnest, and not part of his self-deprecating attempts at entertainment. "I'd like to start over. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, and I appreciate you looking out for Orion. I'm grateful for his friendship, so any friend of his is a friend of mine."

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@nikita + Orion Lykos

[break]

NOTES

+ Mission: Vacation Time[break]
+ Caleb's Outfit

BY GUNSMILE

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played by

thorn

orion

he/him

thirty

august 9th

lilycove

homosexual

ranger

elite

'cause baby i can burn you if you get too close to me

437 height

i'll wreck this if i have to; tell me, what good would that do?

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TAG WITH @orion

POSTED ON Oct 8, 2022 8:44:34 GMT

□

@nikita Caleb Harcourt

He had stalked her, too? "Caleb." Though scolding, Nikita's own amusement toward the situation softens his judgement. It seemed she'd felt more amused than threatened by his friend's attempt, but still.

His friend elaborates, not in a way that helps change Orion's opinion, but he does save himself with an offer to start over.

His cheeks flush when the topic shifts to him, and he busies himself with his glass of lemon water as an excuse not to interrupt.