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Murderers are not monsters, they're men. And that's the most frightening thing about them.

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TAG WITH @zev

POSTED ON Dec 3, 2022 22:03:04 GMT

Ashley Shepard likes this

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[attr="class","zevh"]

[attr="class","zevhtitle"]

[attr="class","zevhbody"]

Word traveled fast in the days and weeks following Zev's promotion. Several members of Team Rocket contacted him, some asking for help to improve their battling skills, others begging for a chance to prove their worth on various jobs. Other underbosses and admin beside the ones he personally knew reached out to him for his assistance.[break][break]

Zev didn't mind. He knew what he was signing up for when he accepted the promotion. It would all pay off when he tore the League down to its very foundations and set those ablaze.[break][break]

That day, a certain Ashley Shepard had requested a few minutes of his time. The younger man's profile in the members database — to which Zev had greater access now — indicated that Ashley had been a former Kanto Rocket, just like Zev, but had left the syndicate, only to return earlier that year.[break][break]

Interesting. Team Rocket usually killed its defectors. What had stayed their hand with Ashley, and what had drawn the younger man back to his previous life?[break][break]

Zev supposed he'd find out soon. He waited for Ashley at a Rocket-owned bar in Sootopolis City — a decent enough place to meet, as far as he was concerned. He didn't draw attention to his own territory in Slateport, and he didn't have to feel confined with other predators by the metal walls of the submarine.[break][break]

The hitman had chosen a booth near the back of the bar and nursed a whisky with ice while he kept his eyes on the door, watching for a man who matched Ashley's photograph in the database.

Ashley Shepard[break][break]

NOTES

- Social Thread

[attr="class","zevhpkmn"]

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Kiwi

Ash

He/Him/Them

December 2

Aspertia City, Unova

Pansexual

Picking up the pieces

5'11'' height

But I, I will, go on howling and hollow

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TAG WITH @ashley

POSTED ON Dec 4, 2022 1:05:10 GMT

[attr="class","sawyer"]

tag
Zev Harcourt 
notes
Shades

It happened again.

Ashley watched a man die.

He had pulled the trigger.

There's something about it that made it a hard pill to swallow. They were innocent. They were just hoarding their stuff in case of apocalypse. Ashley didn't care. No, it was in self-defense, he could argue. That wasn't true though. At best, that's a strawman fallacy. They went their to raid it of their belongings. He just decided to end him.

There was someone in Rocket. A beast who was promoted recently. Ashley had heard rumors before. His face was matted in sweat. He needed to talk to him. Maybe they could give help? Sure, Gavin was helpful at the candy store, but Ashley didn't do it. The row of bodies following him would just never stop.

He walks to the back. He sits down. His right arm is in a cast, his left ear has a small bandage. Ashley finds the man who would see him walk in, and approaches the booth. "Zev Harcourt. Your reputation precedes you." He says. No Pokemon with him. Just... he himself.

[attr="class","wizzcred"]❤ wizz

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gunsmile

The Devourer

he / him

January 8

Lavender Town, Kanto

heterosexual

general of war

god general

6'3" / 190 cm height

Murderers are not monsters, they're men. And that's the most frightening thing about them.

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TAG WITH @zev

POSTED ON Dec 4, 2022 14:44:07 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","zevh"]

[attr="class","zevhtitle"]

[attr="class","zevhbody"]

Ashley was young. He couldn't have been much more than a boy when Team Rocket took over Kanto. Zev recognized the somberness in Ashley's expression, one shared by many who had lived through the war. Though it was subtle, he could detect it in the lines of Ashley's face, each slope and shadow a witness to untold horrors.[break][break]

"Ashley Sawyer," Zev replied by way of greeting. He signaled for a waiter. "Have a drink."[break][break]

He took a sip of whisky, then sat back to scrutinize the man in the booth across from him.[break][break]

"What did you want to talk about?"[break][break]

Straight to the point. Zev was not the kind of man to make idle conversation first.

Ashley Shepard[break][break]

NOTES

- Social Thread

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[attr="class","zevhcredit"]

MADE BY GUNSMILE

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played by

Kiwi

Ash

He/Him/Them

December 2

Aspertia City, Unova

Pansexual

Picking up the pieces

5'11'' height

But I, I will, go on howling and hollow

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TAG WITH @ashley

POSTED ON Dec 5, 2022 4:12:40 GMT

[attr="class","sawyer"]

tag
Zev Harcourt   
notes
Shades

The tone shifts. Zev gets right to the point, as Ash seats himself across from him. He's been here before. The waiter gets two words. "Strawberry daquiri." A light drink. He prefers taste over substance, and he doesn't want to be drunk. Not right now.

Honestly, he could throw up any damn minute. He wants to avoid that.

"I need help." He says it flat out, doing Zev the courtesy of getting right into it, since he insisted that. "Your reputation is... bloody, from what I've heard. You're a man who can get things done. But I'm not here to ask you to kill."

Then comes the idiom he took to heart most his life thanks to one of his many foster dads beating it into his head. Feeding versus teaching a man to fish. Only this time-

"I've... killed. No matter what, I always feel sick after the deed. This last mission I was on, I had to. Next thing I know, I couldn't hold my dinner anymore." He grabs at his face, sweat coming down his face, as he remembers the look on their face. He already feels sick again, his stomach turning over and rolling harder than a Miltank's Rollout.

He takes a moment to breathe.

"I want to learn how. To climb Rocket to an Admin position. Even if it's a road straight to hell."

[attr="class","wizzcred"]❤ wizz

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gunsmile

The Devourer

he / him

January 8

Lavender Town, Kanto

heterosexual

general of war

god general

6'3" / 190 cm height

Murderers are not monsters, they're men. And that's the most frightening thing about them.

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TAG WITH @zev

POSTED ON Dec 5, 2022 14:35:20 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","zevh"]

[attr="class","zevhtitle"]

[attr="class","zevhbody"]

Ashley looked ready to throw up right then and there, likely thanks to whatever vivid memories his mind was conjuring in that moment. Zev merely took another sip of his whisky and listened until the younger man finished talking.[break][break]

Ashley's was a unique admission. Most people turned away from violence; the trials that Team Rocket's grunts had to endure weeded out the strong from the weak in that regard. Only those who could embrace violence — or, at the very least, grow desensitized to it — had the capacity to rise in the syndicate's ranks.[break][break]

The fact that Ashley confessed both his body's rejection of violence and his desire to overcome it made him a very interesting person indeed. He was, Zev realized, a perfect opportunity.[break][break]

"I can certainly help," the assassin replied. "It won't be an easy transition, though. You'll have to kill again — not just another person, but the person you are now, too."[break][break]

As poetic as that sounded, that was not Zev's intention. He was a practical man speaking facts. The Ashley of today, seated in that booth, would have to die.[break][break]

The waiter arrived at that moment with the daiquiri.

Ashley Shepard[break][break]

NOTES

- Social Thread

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played by

Kiwi

Ash

He/Him/Them

December 2

Aspertia City, Unova

Pansexual

Picking up the pieces

5'11'' height

But I, I will, go on howling and hollow

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TAG WITH @ashley

POSTED ON Dec 6, 2022 9:16:24 GMT

THEO BECKETT likes this

[attr="class","sawyer"]

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Zev Harcourt 
notes
Shades

Ash's silvers are on Zev. He's waiting for an answer, knowing damn well that Zev CAN help, whether he will or not is yet to be decided. It's frustrating, knowing he needs this help.

As the waiter comes with the strawberry daquiri, he takes a moment to sip it. The taste is nice, and he hopes that Zev doesn't look down on him for now wanting the strong stuff. If only because, right now, he wants something to wipe that taste of death from his mouth. It works well enough. Not perfect.

Zev gave an interesting dilemma. To become a killer, to rise the ranks, he must die. He laughs. "You sure about that?" He turns his silvers up, placing his glass down.

"Pardon me, Zev. I can't kill who I am." But he doesn't let that sentence just stick in the air. "Not fully. Let's just say a friend of mine showed me there's always a third option." He refers to Isaac Merlo , who literally chose between him ending himself, and cutting the bridge from Isaac, and deciding to kick his ass and pull him out of that darkness.

But.

He does confess. "I do have a dark impulse in me though. This feeling of hatred and self-loathing over myself. Others too. It doesn't go away. Born from seven foster families that never worked, a mother that gave me away, and a mentor who helped refine it (THEO BECKETT ). It's smaller now, less pronounced, but I feel resentment. I need to exhaust it before I hurt someone I love." That's when he reaches into his jacket, and places a file on the booth table.

Inside, a small dossier. A sleazy-looking business man. One Adam Byron. Blonde, slicked-back hair. Silver eyes. Smirk on his face. "My birth father. I want to kill him myself. For putting me in this world. I need to get in the mindset."

Serious silver eyes analyze every movement of Zev's face.

[attr="class","wizzcred"]❤ wizz

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played by

gunsmile

The Devourer

he / him

January 8

Lavender Town, Kanto

heterosexual

general of war

god general

6'3" / 190 cm height

Murderers are not monsters, they're men. And that's the most frightening thing about them.

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3,068 posts

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part of

TAG WITH @zev

POSTED ON Dec 6, 2022 15:13:17 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","zevh"]

[attr="class","zevhtitle"]

[attr="class","zevhbody"]

No movement in Zev's face betrayed his inner thoughts or feelings. In fact, Zev felt nothing; his callousness ran deep. He cared neither for people's sob stories nor for their reasons for inflicting violence. Ashley's reason was personal, and many would consider his motivation noble.[break][break]

That did not matter or make him better, not in Zev's eyes.[break][break]

"Vomiting at the sight of a dead body is part of the human fight-or-flight response," the assassin said as he leafed through the dossier. "Stress overstimulates the vagus nerve and causes fainting, nausea, sweating, dizziness. If you want to kill your father without suffering all of that, you have to overcome that natural reaction."[break][break]

With a flick of his wrist, Zev closed the dossier. He reached for his whisky glass and took another sip.[break][break]

"That's what I mean by killing who you are. It is the instinct of prey, the survival instinct. Overcoming it means becoming something other people may see as inhuman." He raised an eyebrow, a challenge. "Are you ready for that?"[break][break]

The warning did not mean Zev felt compassion toward Ashley or was saving him from future trauma. Quite the opposite. Zev wasn't going to put in all this work if Ashley wasn't up to the task. A person may think they want something but change their mind when they understand what is truly required of them. A busy man like Zev had no time to waste on unrealistic expectations.

Ashley Shepard[break][break]

NOTES

- Social Thread

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played by

Kiwi

Ash

He/Him/Them

December 2

Aspertia City, Unova

Pansexual

Picking up the pieces

5'11'' height

But I, I will, go on howling and hollow

awards

1,109 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @ashley

POSTED ON Dec 7, 2022 4:02:40 GMT

[attr="class","sawyer"]

tag
Zev Harcourt
notes
Shades

Zev is no bullshit, that much was clear. No change in appearance, not even a little sobbing. Stone cold. The guy would make an impressive poker player, and as he explains the human natural response to a dead body, Ashley can feel himself learning more than he probably wanted to know.

No, that isn't right. He wants to know. He needs to know.

This is exactly what he needs to get through. And Zev isn't wrong, he needs to overcome that aspect of himself. In truth, that's the part of him that needs to, if nothing else, become more muted. If he can survive through that, he can aim high.

"Yeah." He doesn't go into detail. He doesn't hold it back. "I need to be okay near it. You're the best man for the job, so-"

He scowls a moment at the thought.

"-so long as it isn't directly hurting someone that I love... I'll do it." He wastes no time with his words. Silver eyes fill with resolve. If he wants to have a chance at Admin, he needs to get over this wall.

[attr="class","wizzcred"]❤ wizz

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played by

gunsmile

The Devourer

he / him

January 8

Lavender Town, Kanto

heterosexual

general of war

god general

6'3" / 190 cm height

Murderers are not monsters, they're men. And that's the most frightening thing about them.

awards

3,068 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @zev

POSTED ON Dec 7, 2022 16:38:25 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","zevh"]

[attr="class","zevhtitle"]

[attr="class","zevhbody"]

Emotions flickered across Ashley's face, and for a second, Zev thought the younger man would reconsider. But then Ashley's expression hardened and he doubled down on his intent.[break][break]

Zev downed the rest of his whisky. "Then I'll find us a job to start with. Something messy." There were always people to kill and bodies to bury. "You can contact me via the usual means or visit my bar in Slateport if you need to reach me for whatever reason."[break][break]

He took out his Rotom phone — the black one he used for work — and opened the New Contact form.[break][break]

"Give me your contact info and I'll reach out once I have a job lined up."

Ashley Shepard[break][break]

NOTES

- Social Thread

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played by

Kiwi

Ash

He/Him/Them

December 2

Aspertia City, Unova

Pansexual

Picking up the pieces

5'11'' height

But I, I will, go on howling and hollow

awards

1,109 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @ashley

POSTED ON Dec 7, 2022 22:20:30 GMT

[attr="class","sawyer"]

tag
Zev Harcourt 
notes
Shades

For just a moment... Ashley nearly did throw the chance away. There's a lot riding on this. If he can't swallow his shame, he can't be in Rocket. Theo taught him how to survive, how to not sink. Now he needs to swim.

"Got it." It's a mission that makes his stomach twist and turn. He keeps flashing back to all of those he killed before. He needs to overcome this. To be a stronger person. Therefore, as he holds his Rotom phone out, Ashley nods, beginning to input his information.

"It might be a rocky start, but I appreciate the assistance, Zev." He holds out his hand towards his mentor, silver eyes looking at him every second.

"Oh. By the way. Congrats on becoming a beast."

[attr="class","wizzcred"]❤ wizz

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played by

gunsmile

The Devourer

he / him

January 8

Lavender Town, Kanto

heterosexual

general of war

god general

6'3" / 190 cm height

Murderers are not monsters, they're men. And that's the most frightening thing about them.

awards

3,068 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @zev