MARCH UPDATE

POSTED ON Sept 23, 2022 13:27:12 GMT

Giselle Sigebrand likes this

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[attr="class","ggposttag"]Giselle Sigebrand

The wide fields outside Verdanturf were fertile, the flat land perfect for a variety of uses. Though primarily converted into ranchland and farm acreage, the local government also rented out lots for campgrounds, festivals, and other recreation. On one day in particular, with overcast skies casting everything in muted colors, Gunner arrived at one such field for a specific purpose: boot camp.[break][break]

With Valor established and the League gearing up for war against hostile forces — whether that meant Sea Hoenn, Team Rocket, or both — the League decided that all military and adjacent personnel go participate in the boot camp. Not only would it help assess everyone's general ability, but it was a very real reminder that they might be on the brink of war.[break][break]

The schedule was fairly straightforward: Morning exercises, a short break, the obstacle course, lunch, a swim test, and finally a ruck march. The first part of the morning went by quickly, and Gunner soon found himself checking a sheet that partnered attendees up for the obstacle course. The 'partners' would race each other, of course.[break][break]

Next to Gunner's name was one he hadn't read before: Giselle Sigebrand.[break][break]

At the boot camp, everyone had been given a white T-shirt to wear with their surnames on it, very much like how the military uses tags with surnames on their uniforms. Turning away from the sheet, Gunner looked for a woman with the last name Sigebrand printed on her shirt, eventually finding her standing off to the side. He walked over to introduce himself.[break][break]

"Hey. Sigebrand? I'm Graves. It seems we're racing each other for the obstacle course."

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NOTES[break]
- Mission: Boot Camp

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played by

lucina

Zelle

She / Her

~22

August 17

Hammerlocke, Galar

Unknown

Interpol

Officer

42 height

I am not a creature that was born. I am a fire that was set.

awards

34 posts

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TAG WITH @zelle

POSTED ON Sept 23, 2022 23:12:34 GMT

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Giselle Sigebrand surveyed the wide, open fields of Verdanturf, her face contorting into a contemplative frown as her eyes landed on the obstacle course laid out for the boot camp attendees. "Tch, what a joke," she said under her breath. After years of being a street urchin constantly on the run among the maze of city alleyways, what were a few rope ladders and mud crawls under barbed wire?
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She only balked at the swim test--she wasn't the greatest swimmer, though she knew how to tread water for a minute.
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As predicted, she failed the test, her freestyle stroke swiftly turning into a bastardized dog-paddle before she got halfway across the swimming pool. The instructor called her to the edge of the pool, stopping her before she could finish the exam. She marked something on her clipboard with a tsk and a head shake, making Zelle clench her teeth in suppressed indignation. "Cadet, work on your swimming during free time. Make use of your resources. Ask one of the instructors to teach you, look it up on the computer, I don't care. All of you should be able to swim the length of a pool and back."
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"Yes, ma'am," she gritted out before turning on her heel and stiffly walking away.
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Fury still embedded in the set of her shoulders, Zelle took a moment to breathe and hydrate at the designated water table. Gulping down the water, she eyed the board that denoted partners for the obstacle course. Whoever her partner turned out to be, she was going to kick their ass in a race, especially now that she was fired up.
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She tossed her cup in the trash as a man walked up to her and greeted her.
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"Hey. Sigebrand? I'm Graves. It seems we're racing each other for the obstacle course."
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She sized him up with a swift flick of her gaze. Gunner Graves was tall, handsome, blond. Older. Zelle felt herself get more pissed at how attractive and confident he was in the way he carried himself. Probably got everything he wanted out of life and more.
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"Hi, Graves. Nice to meet you, and I suppose we are," she said, a slight but audibly sardonic lilt to her voice. There wasn't any need to be friendly here. They were rivals. She didn't need him to advance. She just needed to beat him.
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She allowed her body language to signal that she was about to head over to the course, and didn't bother to check if he followed or not. "Do you take bets?" she said, crude as the suggestion was, a leftover habit from her petty criminal days in Hammerlocke.
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"Because I bet I'll kick your ass at this course." She smiled, and it wasn't quite a friendly one.

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NOTES

+ Mission: Boot Camp

BY GUNSMILE

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played by

gunsmile

"Lancer"

he / him

September 5

Fallarbor Town, Hoenn

pansexual

paralegal / special agent

agent

6'1" / 185 cm height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

1,456 posts

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TAG WITH @gunner

POSTED ON Sept 24, 2022 0:00:50 GMT

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[attr="class","ggposttag"]Giselle Sigebrand

Gunner felt his eyebrow twitch. He wished immediately they weren't only wearing white T-shirts but some kind of insignia to indicate association and rank. The woman's attitude was totally unbecoming of someone in the military, unless she was some cadet who hadn't gotten the shit kicked out of her in basic training. And he didn't recognize her as a spy, either. Local police? That must be it.[break][break]

He matched her stride as they walked to the course, taking their place in line behind two other pairs who would go before them. "Fortunately for you, I'm not much of a betting man," he replied evenly, forcing himself to remain calm in the face of her evident agitation.[break][break]

One of the event's organizers blew a whistle, and the first pair burst into action, racing toward the first of twelve hurdles on the course. From Gunner's position, he could see it was a low jump — fairly simple, almost laughingly childish.[break][break]

"I have six years of military training under my belt. I believe I'll be giving you a run for your money, Sigebrand."

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NOTES[break]
- Mission: Boot Camp

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MADE BY GUNSMILE

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played by

lucina

Zelle

She / Her

~22

August 17

Hammerlocke, Galar

Unknown

Interpol

Officer

42 height

I am not a creature that was born. I am a fire that was set.

awards

34 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @zelle

POSTED ON Sept 24, 2022 0:46:51 GMT

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Giselle Sigebrand laughed aloud at Gunner Graves's remark, feeling pure anticipation override her pent-up rage. "Okay, Graves, let's see how six years of your 'training' stacks up to me." She smirked, fixing her concentration on the hurdles before them.
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They took their positions at the starting line, Zelle waiting with bated breath for the starting whistle.
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Brrrrrrttt!
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At the whistle, Zelle took off like a shot, her long, slender legs and sneakered feet whipping across the packed dirt of the obstacle track. She easily leapt over the first, second, third hurdle. Seconds passed and she cleared all twelve. She didn't even risk a glance to the side to check on Gunner's progress. Even a moment's hesitation could cause her to eat her words, and she couldn't have that.
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She dove into sludgy mud, soaking her white t-shirt as she army-crawled under nets of barbed wire. Suddenly, she felt her sleeve catch on the iron thorns, stuck for however many breathless seconds, but she simply jerked her arm away, hearing the fabric rip.
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A small price to pay. She only hoped it didn't hold her back too long. She needed to win.
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She cleared the monkey bars, high-stepped a trail of rubber tires, and more obstacles, on and on. She finally came upon the next daunting challenge: a raised web of twisted rope she had to cross or else plunge into a pool of mud below.
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Taking a deep breath, she lunged at the climbing rope ascending to the elevated web. As she climbed hand over hand, she felt the rope tear through one of her calluses, hard-won from sword fighting.
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She gritted her teeth against the reflex to cry out in pain, instead waiting until she reached the top to wipe the blood off on her shorts. Then, it was time to tackle the rope web. The strategy here, she knew, was to roll across to the other side.
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mnSY96Fa

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NOTES

+ Mission: Boot Camp

BY GUNSMILE

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played by

gunsmile

"Lancer"

he / him

September 5

Fallarbor Town, Hoenn

pansexual

paralegal / special agent

agent

6'1" / 185 cm height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

1,456 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @gunner

POSTED ON Sept 24, 2022 1:39:54 GMT

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[attr="class","ggposttag"]Giselle Sigebrand

Brrrrrrttt![break][break]

Gunner surged forward in a burst of pure adrenaline. He cleared the low hurdles without breaking his stride and promptly dove into the mud to army crawl beneath the wire. The barbs tugged at his clothing and hair, but he hugged the ground like a snake until he emerged from the trench covered nearly head to toe in mud.[break][break]

Undeterred, he let his momentum carry him through the rest of the course, not stopping for a moment to locate Giselle. A single distraction and he would lose.[break][break]

Gunner reached the rope web and lunged for the climbing rope. Hand over hand he ascended, his muscles burning from the ceaseless effort, the roughness of the cord biting into his palms. He finally reached the top and hauled himself over it, letting gravity take his body across most of the web. Before he could even roll to a stop at its lowest point, he clambered to hands and knees and continued the rest of the way like a spider to the other side.[break][break]

After a quick traverse across the balance beam, Gunner found himself at the final obstacle: the wall. Eight feet tall and fifteen feet wide, it was constructed entirely from smooth wooden planks. Mud splattered across the bottom foot of it, preventing easy purchase by all kinds of shoes.[break][break]

Gunner ran straight for the wall.[break][break]

Ran and leaped.[break][break]

RAMtD7Qt

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[break]

NOTES[break]
- Mission: Boot Camp

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typhlosion

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MADE BY GUNSMILE

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played by

lucina

Zelle

She / Her

~22

August 17

Hammerlocke, Galar

Unknown

Interpol

Officer

42 height

I am not a creature that was born. I am a fire that was set.

awards

34 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @zelle

POSTED ON Sept 24, 2022 2:42:25 GMT

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As Giselle Sigebrand dove to roll across the web of rope, she found herself hurtling like a barrel down the uneven slope. Suddenly, she felt her body switch on a dime from motion to motionless.
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She gave an undignified scream as her ankle caught in a loop of rope, the residual momentum swinging her through a large diamond-shaped space in the web. The loop held fast, dangling her upside down by the ankle over the muddy pool below.
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"WHAT THE HELL," she demanded of the world.
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She had it. She had it! What happened to her! Her run was perfect!
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Zelle heard distant cheers of encouragement from the direction of the finish line. She bitterly presumed it was for her partner, Gunner Graves.
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She yelled wordlessly in frustration, scrunching her eyes shut. Then, she tightened her abs into a crunch and tried to unhook herself from the rope for a few minutes.
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Growing flustered and frustrated with trying to untangle her ankle without plunging herself into the muddy mire, she let go and hung upside down for a while longer, chewing on her eaten words.

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[break]

NOTES

+ Mission: Boot Camp

BY GUNSMILE

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played by

gunsmile

"Lancer"

he / him

September 5

Fallarbor Town, Hoenn

pansexual

paralegal / special agent

agent

6'1" / 185 cm height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

1,456 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @gunner

POSTED ON Sept 24, 2022 2:53:57 GMT

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[attr="class","ggposttag"]Giselle Sigebrand

Gunner's leap was true. He grabbed the edge of the top plank with his fingers and managed to hang on. Cheers erupted from the crowd as he pulled himself, muscles straining, over the wall. He had just enough energy remaining to land on the other side without hurting himself, then jog off the course. As soon as the event organizer nodded at him, Gunner collapsed onto the grass, panting hard.[break][break]

After a moment, he lifted his head to look for Giselle. She was nowhere in sight. Had she not finished the race?[break][break]

Gathering what remained of his strength, Gunner stood and walked around to the side of the course, passing the obstacles in a backwards route. Finally, he reached the rope web and found none other than his 'partner' hanging upside down with her ankle caught on the rope.[break][break]

"Need some help?" he offered, raising an eyebrow.[break][break]

Despite his words, his tone lacked any kind of eagerness to aid her or any concern for her well-being. He did not wait for her to reply, either. Standing next to her, he started to undo the tangle.[break][break]

"Watch your head," was his only warning as the tangle came undone.

[break][break]
[break]

NOTES[break]
- Mission: Boot Camp

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typhlosion

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MADE BY GUNSMILE

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played by

lucina

Zelle

She / Her

~22

August 17

Hammerlocke, Galar

Unknown

Interpol

Officer

42 height

I am not a creature that was born. I am a fire that was set.

awards

34 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @zelle

POSTED ON Sept 24, 2022 13:05:17 GMT

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"Don't--"
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Zelle screamed as she plunged headfirst into the mud, drenching her hair, face, and clothes.
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"Fuck you," she spat out when she emerged, trying to wipe mud off her lips, unsuccessfully as her hands were caked in the disgusting mix as well. "I didn't ask for your help."
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She stood up and did her best to slide the sludge off her arms, then eyed Gunner Graves with rampant distaste and trudged towards the showers, slinging more globs of mud onto the grass every few feet.
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She seethed, daring anyone who made eye contact to talk to her, deadly daggers flying from her glare.
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[break][break]
The next day, she was aching all over, especially her ego. If she didn't have to see that smug jerk Graves' face for the rest of her life, it would still be too soon. On top of that, she was sorely dreading the swim class again.
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She got to the pool early, jumping in the water and hoping she could miraculously improve in the next forty-five minutes before the repeat swim test.
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"Miss Sigebrand." Her least favorite boot camp instructor greeted her in the middle of a dog-paddling "lap." "Have you made any progress with your swimming?"
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"Yes," she said. She attempted a couple of freestyle strokes that appeared more like a Magikarp splashing aimlessly.
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"I see," the instructor replied drily. "Your exam is moved to tomorrow. Luckily for you, there's a partner system built into the program. Make use of him."
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Him? Zelle's eyes widened in pissed-off disbelief as the instructor barked, "GRAVES. COME HERE."

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[attr="class","gunstest1ooc"]

[break]

NOTES

+ Mission: Boot Camp

BY GUNSMILE

close tab

played by

gunsmile

"Lancer"

he / him

September 5

Fallarbor Town, Hoenn

pansexual

paralegal / special agent

agent

6'1" / 185 cm height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

1,456 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @gunner

POSTED ON Sept 24, 2022 17:01:12 GMT

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[attr="class","ggpost"]

[attr="class","ggposttag"]Giselle Sigebrand

Really? Not a single expression of gratitude for being a good sport and helping her after he'd already won? Giselle was lucky that she hadn't injured herself getting caught on the rope web like that. The last thing Hoenn needed was an able body taken out of commission in the weeks leading up to outright war. Thankfully, that was the last Gunner had to see of Giselle Sigebrand for the rest of the day, and he soon put her out of his mind.[break][break]

Unfortunately, she returned in full force when the swimming instructor called him over. Gunner approached with a quizzical expression. He had been exempt from the class because, as a special agent, he had to pass swimming examinations every year.[break][break]

"Ma'am?"[break][break]

The woman gestured toward the pool. "Graves, help out Cadet Sigebrand here. She's unfamiliar with swimming and needs a lesson."[break][break]

Gunner stared, first at the instructor, then at Giselle glaring daggers at him from where she treaded water. "Yes, ma'am," he replied stiffly, after pausing just long enough to make his displeasure evident.[break][break]

The instructor narrowed her eyes at him, but when he walked past her to do as she'd ask, she moved on to critique the next cadet.[break][break]

When Gunner reached the side of the pool, he crouched down to shorten the distance between Giselle and him. Whatever she expected from him, he kept his expression neutral. His win against her the other day meant little to him, and at that moment, he was a senior coaching a junior. He had to be professional.[break][break]

"So. You can't say thanks, and you can't swim either. Anything else I should know before we begin?"[break][break]

That didn't mean he couldn't take a small dig at her, though.

[break][break]
[break]

NOTES[break]
- Mission: Boot Camp

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typhlosion

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MADE BY GUNSMILE

close tab

played by

lucina

Zelle

She / Her

~22

August 17

Hammerlocke, Galar

Unknown

Interpol

Officer

42 height

I am not a creature that was born. I am a fire that was set.

awards

34 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @zelle

POSTED ON Sept 26, 2022 11:12:22 GMT

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Giselle Sigebrand's mind devolved into a mess of static and expletives as Gunner Graves approached. She didn't even register the exchange between him and the instructor, but when her brain flipped into fast-forward mode to process what was happening, it was already too late.
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"So. You can't say thanks, and you can't swim either. Anything else I should know before we begin?"
[break][break]
Zelle bristled. "Thanks for what? I could have broken my neck when you 'helped' me down." She hadn't been expecting anyone to provide a trampoline or anything, but maybe a gentler hand down would have been nice.
[break][break]
But she should have known better than to expect nice. From anyone. That was an expectation that could get her killed when she was younger, and for the future, in the field.
[break][break]
She stubbornly dog-paddled a few feet, scooping at the water with two cupped raptor hands to move forward. She ended up spluttering on a mouthful of water as her paddling technique failed to keep her above the surface.
[break][break]
Scrabbling at the grey-stone edge of the pool, she glared mutinously at Gunner's shoes. "Just... Tell me how to get across this fucking pool."

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