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!

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TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Jan 13, 2023 22:23:09 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"]Another text! Wait, that's odd. Weren't they done with the whole texting part of this little endeavor? However, Julia's normal ringtone would sound slightly off. It was almost as if something was trying to mimic the sound instead.[break][break]

The message was from Isaac, but there was no text. There was no attachment. There was only a single, deep blue eye. Julia would be forgiven for thinking it just some weird picture.[break][break]

But pictures didn't blink, did they?[break][break]

The eye started rolling around, scanning the area, before fading right off of Julia's phone. It was as if there was another strange text recall, but that couldn't be right. This text was on her screen for at least a few minutes despite going away. In addition, the message was still there. It was just . . . blank.[break][break]

Before there was any time to sort the weirdness out, the area next to Julia exploded into a puff of psychic sparks. One minute, there was nothing. The next minute, there was an Isaac. Echo sat atop his shoulder, the little Ralts waving cheerfully towards Julia all the while. A Rotom followed in their wake, Ex Machina popping from Isaac's phone and shooting her a wink.[break][break]

"Sorry to keep ya waiting," Isaac said, shooting Julia a cheeky grin. The eyepatch on his face was the exact same as the one he had texted earlier. Dear Arceus, he wasn't joking earlier, was he? "I'm . . . not gonna lie. Lavaridge's the last place I wanna be right now. But, hell. You're hard to say no to."[break][break]

"It's good to see ya again, Jules."

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Julia Davis

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

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[googlefont=Roboto]

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played by

Alicia Jewel

she/her

July 5

Fortree City

pansexual

Ranger

Elite Ranger

135 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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612 posts

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part of

TAG WITH @julia

POSTED ON Jan 14, 2023 20:30:44 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","julia"]

[attr="class","juliaw"]

Was that her phone just now? It sounded a bit weird... It wasn't broken, was it? She pulled it out to check, but it seemed to be working fine. Oh! And she had a text from Isaac! Was he lost? She opened the message, and...

[break][break]What the heck was that? It looked like a picture of an eye—wait, no, pictures didn't move. A video, then? But why would Isaac send this? And why did it just disappear like that?

[break][break]"What the—whoa!" Suddenly, the area next to her exploded into a puff of psychic sparks, and then there was an Isaac! His Ralts sat on his shoulder, waving cheerfully at Julia, and a Rotom popped out from his phone and shot Julia a wink. The sight of those blue eyes made it all click. "Oh, that's why my phone was acting so weird! Jeez, you sure know how to make an entrance, huh?" she asked with a smile.

[break][break]It was only then that she fully took stock of Isaac's face and the eyepatch over his eye. It was the exact same as the one in the picture he'd sent. Julia hadn't doubted the veracity of the picture, but seeing the patch in person gave it an unexpected weight. Isaac's next words gave her something else to ask about, though:

[break][break]"Why not? Did something happen here?" Like a Rocket thing?

[attr="class","juliatag"]Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","juliapokes"]
MOMO ♂︎ blaze / flamethrower, will-o-wisp, rock tomb, yawn, play nice, leer

SNUFFLES ♀ oblivious / ice shard, icy wind, icicle crash, mud-slap, bulldoze, mist

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[newclass=.juliapokes img] margin-top: -10px; padding-bottom: 5px; [/newclass]

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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 Jan 14, 2023 20:42:26 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"]"Can't warp your way if I don't know where you are, can I?" Isaac said, a cheeky smirk on his face. "Luckily, Ex is made for this kinda thing. All I gotta do is send them surfing across the airwaves and, boom. Got my location."[break][break]

The Rotom huffed, its lightning bolt hands held where its hips would be. "Though, uh. Maybe sending the poor guy hurtling across the damn region was a little bit much. Sorry, Ex." He smiled sheepishly at the little bolt of lightning, who gave him an affectionate hair ruffle that sent his hair standing up on end.[break][break]

He blinked at Julia's question. She really jumped right to asking about what happened in Lavaridge, huh? He sighed, shooting her a wear smile. "Something? Try, like, eighteen years of my life happening here." He tried to sound in good spirits about this, but the bitterness in his voice left little to the imagination. Scars this deep just weren't easy to hide, no matter how hard he tried.[break][break]

"Good riddance, if you ask me. There's nothing left for me back here here."[break][break]

Right. This was, at least theoretically camping. Isaac swung his own supplies off of his backpack, begrudgingly admitting that the heat of Mt. Chimney made this a far more relaxing trip than roughing it out in the snow would have been. For once, there was actually grass in Hoenn again! However, as he tried to pick his equipment off the ground to get to work, he found himself fumbling with it more often than not. He swore under his breath; the hell was he gonna get this depth perception thing under control?

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Julia Davis

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

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played by

Alicia Jewel

she/her

July 5

Fortree City

pansexual

Ranger

Elite Ranger

135 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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612 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @julia

POSTED ON Jan 16, 2023 18:32:14 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","julia"]

[attr="class","juliaw"]

"Man, that sounds way faster than taking a sky taxi! I've gotta get a Pokémon that can do that." She giggled at Ex's staticy hair ruffle on Isaac, then flashed the Rotom an encouraging smile. "You did great, Ex. So did you, little guy," she added to Echo.

[break][break]Okay, that hadn't been the kind of answer she'd been expecting when she'd asked about Lavaridge. The "Oh" was out of her mouth before she could stop it. "Well, it's okay! I picked a spot pretty far out of the way, so it's not like you've gotta look at it or anything. We can just focus on camping!" And talking about some potentially difficult topics, but they didn't need to go there just yet. They had to set up camp first!

[break][break]Rustling in the underbrush announced Momo's return, the Simisear holding an armful of wood for the fire. "Oh, Isaac, you remember Momo, right?" Julia asked. Momo tilted his head, then chittered a greeting when he remembered Isaac from the group camping trip several months back. He didn't seem to recognize him from their other meeting, though that may have been because it had been in the midst of a high-speed chase...

[break][break]Done clearing a space for the fire, Snuffles shuffled over to the new arrivals and sniffed around them. "Oh, and Snuffles! They're both a lot bigger than when you last saw them, huh?" Snuffles snorted in acknowledgement.

[break][break]Julia watched on curiously as Isaac fumbled with his equipment, not quite connecting the dots between Isaac's eyepatch and his newfound lack of depth perception. "Need some help?" she asked.

[attr="class","juliatag"]Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","juliapokes"]
MOMO ♂︎ blaze / flamethrower, will-o-wisp, rock tomb, yawn, play nice, leer

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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 Jan 16, 2023 20:06:50 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"]"Ralts and their evolutions tend to be real in touch with others and their emotions. They always try their best, even if it means they sometimes try a little too hard." He shot Julia a wry smile. "Seems like a pretty fitting Pokemon for you, don't ya think?"[break][break]

It sounded like Isaac had lucked out some. The trip wouldn't be as close to Lavaridge as he had feared. He tried to hide the relief on his face, but it was as hard to retract as Julia's own little "oh." "Hey, c'mon, it's fine. It's just some dumb town, right?" What was it gonna do? Ruin his life?[break][break]

Julia was quick to reintroduce a few of her Pokemon from the camping trip way back when. Isaac smiled softly as they approached, listening as Julia proudly announced their new looks. "Dang, look at how much they've grown!" Isaac said. "You're really becoming a heck of a trainer, huh?"[break][break]

With how friendly and approachable he'd been, Julia may have thought it was safe to approach about help. However, when she asked about giving him a hand with his supplies, he froze up like a startled Deerling. "I'm fine," he said, a touch too quickly, a touch too autonomously, a touch too defensively. A brief chill blew through the war, Mt. Chimney air.[break][break]

"It's fine. I got this, see?" He let his tone melt a little as he finally scooped the tent bag off of the ground, fishing out some of the poles from inside. He was perfectly capable, dangit. He wasn't about to let himself get beaten by a freaking tent after how far he'd come![break][break]

Clearly, the scar on his face wasn't the only one visible . . .

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Julia Davis

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

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played by

Alicia Jewel

she/her

July 5

Fortree City

pansexual

Ranger

Elite Ranger

135 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

612 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @julia

POSTED ON Jan 18, 2023 19:39:35 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","julia"]

[attr="class","juliaw"]

Julia grinned cheekily back. "Hey, speak for yourself! You're the one who's got one on his shoulder." Teasing aside, Ralts really did sound like a good Pokémon for Julia. "How'd you two meet?"

[break][break]Luckily, Isaac rolled with Julia's optimism about avoiding the town itself. "Yeah! And it's aaaaalll the way over there." She gestured vaguely in Lavaridge's direction.

[break][break]Momo chittered at Isaac's praise, while Snuffles let out a more subdued oink. The pride welling within Julia made her beam. "Thanks. I couldn't have done it without these guys, though." She ruffled the warm tuft on Momo's head.

[break][break]When Isaac froze in place, so did the jovial atmosphere, like a gale of winter chill had pierced their warm little sanctuary. "I'm fine," Isaac said almost automatically. Julia's eyes rounded for the briefest moment. He sounded defensive. It was...

[break][break]"Daaaaad, I've got this! I'm fine, I don't need any help!"

[break][break]familiar.

[break][break]Any hurt Julia might have felt at being rebuked like that was immediately washed away by that wave of recollection. Isaac's tone melted a bit, and warmth began to return to the campsite. Julia decided to help it along by offering a smile. Smiles weren't unusual for her, but this one came with a gleam of understanding.

[break][break]"Okay. I've gotta finish setting up my tent, too, so lemme know if you need anything. Oh, right, Momo, you can set the wood over there where Snuffles dug out a pit."

[break][break]Momo chittered in understanding and followed where Julia had pointed. Then, like nothing in the world was wrong, Julia crawled into her tent to get her sleeping arrangements were, well, arranged.

[attr="class","juliatag"]Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","juliapokes"]
MOMO ♂︎ blaze / flamethrower, will-o-wisp, rock tomb, yawn, play nice, leer

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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 Jan 19, 2023 2:42:53 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"]"He was a gift from a friend." A friend who was one of Rocket's more dogmatic members. He was surprisingly gentle and caring to other Rockets, but would snuff out a non-Rocket life without a shred of hesitation. With the whisperings of treason around Rocket's ranks, Isaac almost feared what warpath jayden cross would be on.[break][brak]

Arceus. Did everything Rocket gave him have some bloodied string attached?[break][break]

He was shaken from his thought by Julia's lack of a reaction. He'd expected Julia to get insistent about the matter, or to react like a kicked puppy at his snap. Instead, she shot him an understanding smile and backed off a little. Isaac felt relief for a moment, underlined by shame at his reaction in the first place.[break][break]

"It's not your fault," Isaac said, only piping up once Julia had retreated into her tent. It was a lot easier to talk when she didn't have to see his averted eyes and faint blush. "It's just . . . it's all so new to me, y'know? You saw the kinda stuff I used to be capable of. And now I can barely snatch something off the ground without giving it a good measure first."[break][break]

Something about Julia made it frustratingly easy to open up. There was an earnestness to her, a heart worn on her sleeve that dragged everyone else's out of hiding. And rather than use that earnestness to be obnoxious or selfish, she was just . . . good. Kind, sweet, and genuinely good. In a region full of fucked up, damaged people, she had an integrity that made it hard not to believe in her. If it wasn't for her already knowing his secret identity, she could've been really dangerous.[break][break]

"And . . . thanks for checking, for what it's worth. Even if I was kind of a butt about it."

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Julia Davis

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

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played by

Alicia Jewel

she/her

July 5

Fortree City

pansexual

Ranger

Elite Ranger

135 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

612 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @julia

POSTED ON Jan 20, 2023 18:26:09 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","julia"]

[attr="class","juliaw"]

A gift from a friend, huh? "That was nice of them!" It didn't help Julia with figuring out where to find one herself, but oh, well! It wouldn't be too hard to find a spot where they were more common, right?

[break][break]Isaac didn't speak up again until Julia was in her tent. She paused, thinking of poking her head back out so she could listen better, but she realized that Isaac had probably waited for this moment for a reason. Instead, she kept working as he spoke.

[break][break]"Hey, that's what friends are for!" she said. "And, I mean... I get it."

[break][break]For once, she took a bit of time to think about what she was going to say next. Sure, Julia was the kind of girl to wear her heart on her sleeve, but even she covered it up from time to time. She didn't like thinking back to those hard times when she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to truly live her life again. She didn't want to go back to that dark, depressing place. It was better to just keep moving forward and living life one day at a time. But now, she needed to reach back there and dig through the muck of those memories to help her friend.

[break][break]"You can probably guess I was an active kid," she finally said, crawling out of the tent and sitting to face Isaac. "I was always out running around somewhere, exploring and playing games and just letting all my energy run loose. And then one day, I lost my leg." It was better to rip off that metaphorical Band-Aid than to dance around it, even if it made the pain reflect in her eyes. "It sucked. I thought I'd never be able to walk again, let alone run and climb and explore and all that stuff. 'Course, I was totally wrong, obviously, but past me didn't know that. I had to do a lot of recovering and physical therapy, and it felt like it was taking forever just to start walking again. Heh, my doctor would get mad at me when I pushed myself too hard 'cause I was so impatient."

[break][break]She was getting a bit off track. "Anyway, look at me now! I'm a full-fledged Ranger who gets to go out and have all kinds of adventures!"

[attr="class","juliatag"]Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","juliapokes"]
MOMO ♂︎ blaze / flamethrower, will-o-wisp, rock tomb, yawn, play nice, leer

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 Jan 21, 2023 16:57:59 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"]That was right. Julia had a prosthetic, and frankly she wasn't very shy about it. Isaac had been a little too distracted by her saving his life to notice during her underwater rescue. He also dared to brave the memories he'd locked away for his own safety, remembering that they'd discussed her prosthetic a little during the gym tour that went so horribly wrong. No, Julia's leg was just as common knowledge as the eyepatch now snug around Isaac's face.[break][break]

Maybe he was an idiot for not turning to her in the first place.[break][break]

Her advice was nothing he hadn't heard before, but coming from her it just hit different. She wasn't a doctor, barely looking up at him from her clipboard as she scrawled illegible advice all over it. She wasn't a friend or loved one who, while meaning well, didn't have to deal with the daily burdens and constant reminders weighing on Isaac. She was a fellow survivor. She was someone who Had, and then Lost, and then needed to find her way to a level of Having that she was comfortable with. And that level was far greater than she ever imagined.[break][break]

Look at her now, indeed. If her injury ever got in the way of her Ranger activities, her determination pushed her above and beyond to compensate. The smile on her face was more radiant than ever, and this time it was backed by a level of meaning that only the two of them would understand.[break][break]

"Heh. If there's anyone out there that can beat the odds like that, how am I not surprised its you?" Isaac mused. "Guess that's proof I gotta quit griping and start moving forward, huh? It might be a long, tiring road ahead of me, but it's one I'm gonna have to walk down one way or another."[break][break]

"Gonna guess, no secrets, no tricks, no easy roads. It all comes down to patience in the end, doesn't it?" He tried not to let his disappointment show, but it was hard. Not having a set in stone timeframe was hard. His lack of capabilities was hard. Everything about this journey was going to be hard.[break][break]

Yet at least now there would be someone waiting for him at the finish line.

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Julia Davis

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

close tab

played by

Alicia Jewel

she/her

July 5

Fortree City

pansexual

Ranger

Elite Ranger

135 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

612 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @julia

POSTED ON Jan 22, 2023 18:07:23 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","julia"]

[attr="class","juliaw"]

"Oh, you can still totally gripe," Julia said. "You should have heard me when I was doing PT. 'We're going so slooooow! Why do I gotta do these stretches? I wanna ruuuuun!'" She pitched up her voice even higher than it normally was, making sure it sounded extra-whiny for added effect. She normally didn't like showing that side of herself, even if it was from the past, but if it helped cheer her friend up, it was worth it.

[break][break]At the time, she hadn't understood just how important the recovery process was. It hadn't helped that so many of the doctors had been so clinical about everything, like Julia hadn't just lost part of herself and had her entire life seemingly ruined. Sure, some of them had been more sympathetic, but Julia had still asked herself, What do they know? They still have both their legs. They get to get up and walk and run and do everything I can't do anymore. Sheesh, looking back on it, she really had been whiny, hadn't she?

[break][break]But that was the past. It had taken a lot to get to where she was now, but she was proud of the person she'd become. She would never, ever let herself fall back into those pits of despair again. And she wouldn't let anyone else, either.

[break][break]Her voice grew a touch more solemn as she continued: "I dunno what it's gonna be like for you. I won't say there's no secrets or tricks, 'cause there are definitely a lot of things you have to do different when you've got a disability. But mine's totally different from yours. I know how to take care of my leg and navigate with a prosthetic and everything, but I dunno how to 'give something a good measure' or anything like that." She smiled up at Isaac. "But I do think you'll figure things out. You're tough like that."

[break][break]Of course, she knew there was more to it. Julia had been able to replace her lost limb with something new, even if it wasn't quite the same and had taken a lot of getting used to. Was the same possible with Isaac's eye? That wasn't a question she wanted to ask out loud, lest she bring down the mood.

[attr="class","juliatag"]Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","juliapokes"]
MOMO ♂︎ blaze / flamethrower, will-o-wisp, rock tomb, yawn, play nice, leer

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 Jan 22, 2023 19:31:35 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 couldn't help but laugh a little at Julia's whining. "Right?" he said, finding it hard not to smile. "If I have run through focusing exercises one more time, I'm gonna scream. Yes. I get it. I don't have two eyes to focus on a single point. Thanks for reminding me!"[break][break]

Arceus, it felt good griping with someone who Got it. "I'm just glad the tension headaches are starting to die down. Turns out, losing an eye hurts! A lot! Who could've guessed?" Honestly, it hurt less than Isaac expected it to, but that might have been because by the time Mt. Pyre was done he was running on adrenaline, fumes, and a pathological need not to be useless. If Sootopolis hospital hadn't loaded him to the gills with anesthesia and painkillers by the time he arrived, he might've woken up screaming in agony.[break][break]

He didn't know how long the process would be. He didn't know if there would ever be an end goal in sight. Julia at least had some milestones ahead of her. Step 1: lose leg. Step 2: get new leg. Step 3: adapt to new leg. Step 4: resume being amazing.[break][break]

For one, there was a new leg. Isaac had no idea what was on the horizon with his eye, or lack thereof. Isaac would have to figure out depth perception with one eye, which he was starting to notice but was far harder to discern than full-on 3D vision. He was going to have to learn what he'd get used to, what would always be more difficult, and what he might never be able to do again.[break][break]

Julia didn't know, either. But she believed in him. Maybe that was enough.[break][break]

"Am I tough? Or do I just have no idea when to quit?" Isaac couldn't help but smile a little. He knew he was too stubborn for his own good. Hell, if Julia knew how he lost his eye, she'd be . .. . well, she'd literally worry herself sick, but she'd probably agree that he was way too stubborn for his own good once the panic was out of her system.[break][break]

"Guess that's one thing we've got in common, huh?"

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Julia Davis

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

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Alicia Jewel

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July 5

Fortree City

pansexual

Ranger

Elite Ranger

135 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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POSTED ON Jan 25, 2023 17:10:21 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","julia"]

[attr="class","juliaw"]

Julia laughed right along with him. Awesome, her combination of silliness and motivation was working! "Seriously! You can only walk between the same rails so many times before you start going cuckoo!"

[break][break]Of course, as Julia knew well, it wasn't a painless process. Her smile became more strained. "Yeah, turns out losing part of your body is really painful!" She'd been lucky that the initial shock had numbed some of the pain, but once that had worn off... hoo boy. Thank goodness for IV painkillers and anesthetics. "At least it's getting better. Makes recovery a lot easier when you're not dealing with pain on top of all that."

[break][break]So Isaac's eye was totally gone, not just damaged. That answered that unspoken question, but there wasn't much Julia could actually do with that knowledge, so she just filed it away for later. Or maybe never! Who knew?

[break][break]Sitting on the ground was starting to make her restless now that the atmosphere had lightened up, so she sprang to her feet with practiced ease. By now, Momo and Snuffles had finished with the firepit and wandered back over to the duo.

[break][break]"What's the difference?" Julia asked earnestly. "Either way, you don't give up just 'cause things are hard."

[attr="class","juliatag"]Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","juliapokes"]
MOMO ♂︎ blaze / flamethrower, will-o-wisp, rock tomb, yawn, play nice, leer

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Wanderer

The Liberator

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April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

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Short King height

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

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POSTED ON Jan 25, 2023 18:26:22 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"]"You'd think after the hundredth time, they'd at least let you hang onto a different set of rails or something. Spice things up for once." Isaac shook his head at the thought. Nothing numbed the mind harder than endless repetition, and it sure had a way of making even hopeful situations feel futile. "Arceus, we are so not wired for that kinda thing, huh?"[break][break]

Then something he said pulled at the corners of Julia's normally effortless smile. Shit. Okay. The p-word was going back in the bin for a bit. "You've got that right. Less focusing on all that crud, more focusing on . . . well, focusing."[break][break]

It was the worst of both worlds, honestly. An eye damaged so bad a removal was better than letting it stick around. At least Isaac got to wear a badass eyepatch made of cursed seaweed for a bit, which probably torpedoed any sense of potential recovery. Oh well. Turns out, knives beat eyeballs 99 times out of 100.[break][break]

That 100th time was what Isaac strove for. He refused to let life beat him, no matter how improbable it became. He wasn't sure if it was genuine toughness or stupidity. Julia didn't see a difference in either case. Either way, he refused to give up, and that had more value than he let himself believe. His cheeks dusted red at the compliment.[break][break]

"Guess I should give myself more credit there, huh?" he mused, still half-focused on trying to put his tent back together. "Something about the heinous amount of shit I've been through is starting to make me realize I haven't been doing that enough."

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Julia Davis

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

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played by

Alicia Jewel

she/her

July 5

Fortree City

pansexual

Ranger

Elite Ranger

135 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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612 posts

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TAG WITH @julia

POSTED ON Jan 27, 2023 22:17:18 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","julia"]

[attr="class","juliaw"]

Julia giggled. "At least they let me do other exercises, too." Actually doing the same rail walk a hundred times might have actually driven her insane. "But I was an expert at those rails by the time I was done."

[break][break]Seeing Isaac focus, at least partially, on setting up his tent again had Julia feeling a bit restless. She crouched down and gave Momo a quick scratch behind the ear before digging through her supplies to finish setting up the campsite. Plastic clinked against metal as she pulled out a camping chair and a lantern.

[break][break]The words "heinous amount of shit I've been through" were concerning, but Julia chose to focus on the rest of what Isaac had said: "You should! Not many people can lose a whole eye and then go out camping with a friend..." She thought for a moment. "When did that happen, anyway?" It was an innocent question meant to fill out her compliment, but maybe she'd accidentally knocked on the gates of a traumatic memory.

[attr="class","juliatag"]Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","juliapokes"]
MOMO ♂︎ blaze / flamethrower, will-o-wisp, rock tomb, yawn, play nice, leer

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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