MARCH UPDATE

POSTED ON May 15, 2023 18:03:13 GMT

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[attr="class","gunner2"]

[attr="class","text"]

Gunner stared up at the large, bronze statue of a Primarina situated outside the store that shared its namesake. Many months had passed since he'd last set foot inside the boutique, and not once had he thought he'd return. In fact, when news that the owner had gone missing had reached him, he'd assumed the shop would close.[break][break]

But no. mila alexopoulos ran the business now, and work had brought him to her doorstep once again.[break][break]

Heaving a sigh, Gunner entered through the front door, the tinkling of its bell announcing his arrival. Looking around, he found himself surprised to see that much hadn't changed. Sure, fashion came and went with every season, but he felt a little like he had stepped back into a memory long shuttered.[break][break]

"Hello?" he called out as he approached the register. "Mila? It's me."

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","tag"]mila alexopoulos

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NOTES

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POSTED ON May 15, 2023 20:10:05 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","mila2top"]

[attr="class","mila2"] Fucking Gunner Graves. How dare he leave her waiting for brunch? How dare he!

[break][break] It had been days, and Mila just couldn't get over it. The woman huffed, working in a flurry as she set up the various mannequins in the store as she prepared for them to open for the day. It had been only a few weeks since PRIMARINA opened again, but there were already a flurry of customers — both old and new — who wanted to make bookings for appointments. With new spring galas, masquerades, and the-like in the coming months with summer just around the corner, there was a lot of work to be done.

[break][break] And yet, Mila couldn't get her mind off Gunnder Fucking Graves.

[break][break] Vincenzo, her Alolan Ninetales, gives a whine of concern and she waves him off.

[break][break] "I'm fine, Vinny. Don't worry. I don't even care anymore. Who cares. I ate a really good brunch that day! The eggs benedict was super delicious. And I got so many likes on that post —"

[break][break] The door jingles with entry.

[break][break] Mila, who was halfway between two incredibly fluffy dresses, pokes her head out.

[break][break] "Is that Nico? Tell him I'll be right — "

[break][break] She blanks when she sees - not her loyal, faithful assistant - but —

[break][break] "Gunner Graves." Pulling her out of the way between the mannequins, she steps around them so that she can look at him properly. Mila huffs, hands on her hips. " "What the fuck are you doing here?"

[break][break] Mimicking him, incidentally, from that night at the bar.

[attr="class","ooc"] Gunner Graves

☉

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POSTED ON May 15, 2023 20:50:11 GMT

Chu-e Choi, mila alexopoulos, and 1 more like this

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[attr="class","gunner2"]

[attr="class","text"]

"mila alexopoulos," Gunner greeted her in kind. "I'm here for work. The HBIC wants us to check up on how you and others in your program are doing."[break][break]

The reformation program for defectors from Team Rocket, he meant. Gunner was not a big fan of defectors, but between @rosie, Chu-e Choi, and Serena Malcolm, they were a constant presence in his career. Mila was no different, put under his charge by his superiors to ensure not only her safety, but her continued loyalty to the League.[break][break]

It was how they'd met, and how they'd found themselves tangled up in each other's lives. Inexorably, it seemed.[break][break]

But that wasn't the only reason for Gunner's presence in her boutique that day. He wanted to apologize for ditching her at brunch the other day. He'd show up at the restaurant and even seen her through the window.[break][break]

What he'd glimpsed, seeing her there, had been a past he missed — one in which Mila had been a tempestuous, chaotic, persistent force.[break][break]

But Summer Atreides's phone call saved him that day from making a huge mistake. Not long after that, they learned about her pregnancy. Gunner still hadn't had time to unpack all of his feelings surrounding that revelation, but he resolved to be good to Summer. To be loyal.[break][break]

Still, that didn't mean he should have been an asshole to Mila. All the things he said at the bar, and the way he acted… Sober, he was embarrassed for even wanting to touch her. A good boyfriend shouldn't have those thoughts.[break][break]

Gunner stuffed his hands in his pockets, suddenly overcome with both guilt and stubbornness. He hated saying sorry. "Also, I wanted to apologize for brunch. I got a phone call and had to go take care of some things."

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[attr="class","tag"]mila alexopoulos

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POSTED ON May 15, 2023 21:05:44 GMT

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[attr="class","mila2"] "The HBIC?" she repeated, unable to hide the slight bitterness that laced it's way through her tone. It was impossible say whether the bitterness was from the memory of how they'd met, of the organization itself, or how she could never be rid of it — rid of him — no matter how far she ran. "Of course it is."

[break][break] She huffs, turning away from him and walking deeper into the boutique proper. The store was tastefully elegant, designed with a blend of modern and chic elements as expected of high-fashion couture. The walls were adorned with large paintings and mirrors, strategically placed to reflect the carefully curated displays of clothing and accessories, and the overall area was minimalistic in theme, with clean lines and a mostly white color scheme.

[break][break] In the center, there was a cozy seating area adorned with white sofa cushions, providing clients a comfortable spot to relax and browse through magazines or discuss style choices. The cushions were plush and inviting, painted various shades of red and magenta. A pop of color, in the minimalistic landscape.

[break][break] Confidently, her heels clicked against the boutique's polished floor. Mila walked over to the displayed dresses of their newest summer lineup, just recently delivered. For a moment, her gaze focused on the meticulously arranged array of colorful dresses and sharp, tailored suits.

[break][break] It was obvious. She was ignoring him. She didn't want to talk to him. She was mad. Even if she was pretending she wasn't.

[break][break] "You don't need to lie, Mr. Graves. It's fine. Nothing to apologize for, really. You don't owe me anything."

[break][break] He didn't. Maybe it would do good for Mila to remember that.

[break][break] "Anyway," she said, bundling some fabric in her hand after peeling it off the mannequin, and trotting back towards him. "I have no idea what the others in my program are doing," she said, haughtily, "You know as well as I do that I don't give a crap about - " You. Rocket. Them. "All of that." She gestured emptily in the air, as she walked up to him, waving her manicured hand in front of his face.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Gunner Graves

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POSTED ON May 16, 2023 2:10:31 GMT

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[attr="class","gunner2"]

[attr="class","text"]

Of course Mila assumed Gunner was lying about the phone call. He could feel the exasperation already building in him, but he bit back a sigh and said, "I'm not lying, Mila."[break][break]

But no matter how much he insisted, she always believed whatever suited her perspective of the world. That was always how their relationship worked. Some days, they were on the same page and enjoyed their time together. Other days, they were sworn enemies trying to tear out each other's throats.[break][break]

He had stepped deeper into the shop so he could keep up the conversation with her. When she stepped up to wave her hand in his face, he grabbed her wrist — gently. It was a sharp contrast to the painful way he'd grabbed her at the bar.[break][break]

"'Mr. Graves'? Really? We're not strangers, Mila."[break][break]

A troubled expression crossed Gunner's face: a mix of hurt, regret, and longing. Years had passed since they'd last seen each other, and their recent reunion had stirred up complicated feelings within him.[break][break]

"We don't have to be like this. I just want to talk."

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POSTED ON May 16, 2023 2:21:14 GMT

Gunner Graves likes this

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[attr="class","mila2top"]

[attr="class","mila2"] 'I'm not lying, Mila.'

[break][break] He wasn't. She knew he wasn't, but it was so much easier to pretend that he was. That he was just some asshole who had stood her up for brunch, one that she wouldn't ever have to think about again, because he was such a Grade A-jerk —

[break][break] 'We're not strangers.'

[break][break] Gently, he grasps her wrist. There is something about that small movement that catches her offguard, makes her breath hitch. It's nothing like that night at the club, where emotions were high and the music was loud and the heat of her anger fueled her into wanting to make him crumble. Just one simple gesture and he'd found her off-switch — her expression fell away, mimicking his, before she slowly yet softly pulled her wrist away from him.

[break][break] "Okay," she sighed. "Fine. But you're not going to just stand there. I'm going to put you to work."

[break][break] She walks away from him once more, her heels clicking against the floor, before returning with a small box. In that box was a series of dandelion flowers and string. "I need to make at least twenty of these necklaces before next week, for a showing. You can help me with that before my next client comes."

[break][break] The designer leads him to one of those plush, white couches and seats herself atop it. Wearing a mini-skirt, she crosses one leg over the other and with expert hands gets right to work.

[break][break] "What do you wanna talk about?"

[attr="class","ooc"] Gunner Graves

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POSTED ON May 16, 2023 11:28:57 GMT

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[attr="class","gunner2"]

[attr="class","text"]

As soon as Gunner saw the expression on Mila's face change, he knew she was still the same person from his past. The same beautiful woman who'd made him laugh, who'd filled his chest with aching want, who'd confided in him her deepest fears. His heart ached when she pulled her wrist away.[break][break]

He found himself saying, "Sure, I can help," before realizing he had no idea how to make a necklace.[break][break]

Still, Gunner sat down next to Mila, his pale blue eyes flickering down to catch sight of her bare thigh before he turned his full attention to the daisies and string.[break][break]

"So where did you go?" he asked, his voice calm and soft. He didn't want it to sound like an interrogation or a list of accusations. Not this time. Not with her. "And how did you end up running the PRIMARINA all of a sudden? What happened to the previous owner?"[break][break]

After watching Mila make a necklace, he picked up some pieces to start making one on his own.

[attr="class","ooc"]

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POSTED ON May 17, 2023 18:57:40 GMT

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[attr="class","mila2top"]

[attr="class","mila2"] She busies herself with her work, because it is always the easiest thing to focus on, especially when the alternative is focusing on him. And whatever it is that he wanted from her.

[break][break] As he fields questions to her, her brow furrows. Conflict arises from within, resentment that clashes with the instinctual need to give in to what he wanted.

[break][break] "First," she said, putting down the halfmade daisy chain. "Are you asking me for work or —"

[break][break] Her breath hitches at the implication, and she takes a breath. Steadying herself, just like her therapist taught her to.

[break][break] "I just. I just need to know who I'm answering to, Gunner."

[attr="class","ooc"] Gunner Graves

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POSTED ON May 17, 2023 19:13:15 GMT

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[attr="class","gunner2"]

[attr="class","text"]

Gunner fell silent, embarrassed by the scolding. Because for once, he was ready to admit she was right: his own emotions had forced away the questions the HBIC had prepared for him.[break][break]

Taking advantage of her willingness to talk had been a deception. And after he'd just sworn he hadn't been lying, too.[break][break]

"Sorry," he said, the softness of his tone revealing genuine remorse. He busied his hands with the daisy chain, not looking at her. "I got carried away."[break][break]

He finished the chain as he silently willed himself to focus on work and not on the tatters of their relationship, whatever it had been. His necklace, in the end, was a poor mimicry of hers.[break][break]

"Have you been in contact with Team Rocket recently?" Gunner asked, though he already knew the answer. Or he hoped he did.

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POSTED ON May 17, 2023 23:07:35 GMT

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[attr="class","mila2top"]

[attr="class","mila2"] 'Sorry.'

[break][break] Guilt pricked at her heart at Gunner's genuine response. She knew that he didn't like to apologize, least of all her to her. But she was still a little bit mad at him for ghosting her that day.

[break][break] She looks at him for a moment longer before picking up her own necklace. One was stored in away in a box before she started working on the next. Or at least she was before he said something absolutely vile.

[break][break] "What?" she said, dropping the necklace in her lap. She turned to him, gaze crackling with upset. "How could you even say that, Gunner? You - "

[break][break] 'It's not him,' she reminded herself steadily. It was the HBIC. It was what she'd asked of him, wasn't it?"

[break][break] She took a breath.

[break][break] "No," she said, lips twisted into a scowl. "You know I wouldn't."

[break][break] 'They killed Lukas. How could I?'

[break][break] She'd told him that once. Maybe he'd forgotten.

[attr="class","ooc"] Gunner Graves

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POSTED ON May 18, 2023 0:26:37 GMT

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[attr="class","gunner2"]

[attr="class","text"]

As soon as he heard the acidity in the first word out of Mila's mouth, Gunner turned toward her, fixing her with an exasperated look as he reached out his hand. His fingers curled around her wrist again, a silent gesture begging her to calm down.[break][break]

And she did. Whether it was because of his touch or some other force reining her in, she stopped herself and took a breath.[break][break]

His thumb lightly brushed against the back of her hand before he withdrew.[break][break]

"I know, but I had to ask," Gunner said, wanting Mila to believe him, forcing himself not to care. He started on the next daisy chain and asked his next question.[break][break]

"Do you remember anything about where Team Rocket might keep prisoners of war, or other persons of interest?"

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POSTED ON May 18, 2023 4:15:10 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","mila2top"]

[attr="class","mila2"] The touch of his hand on her wrist was both infuriating and comforting all at once. She didn't need him to calm her down. She was fine. Just fine.

[break][break] But at the same time, she couldn't ignore the instinctual feeling of his hand on hers, the way that he simply knew what buttons to press to calm her —

[break][break] It was infuriating. Just absolutely awful.

[break][break] The feeling of him pulling away even moreso.

[break][break] The fact that she believed him when he spoke and said that the question wasn't coming from him. That he knew, knew her. The tiny spark of hope in her chest that refused to die, no matter how many times she'd tried to douse it.

[break][break] "Mm," she hummed, eager to bury her own feelings in the importance of his questions. Just work. They could do this, right? "I'm not sure, honestly."

[break][break] After all, it had been years since she'd been a part of Rocket. Things were so different now.

[break][break] "Slateport, probably. But things have changed since then — you live there. Shouldn't you know that?"

[break][break] Her lips quirked into a smile, fake, as she looked at him.

[attr="class","ooc"] Gunner Graves

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POSTED ON May 18, 2023 18:37:21 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","gunner2"]

[attr="class","text"]

"You don't think we already checked out everything in Slateport?" Gunner said, unable to stop the snark from coming out. Why he did this, he still didn't understand. Something about Mila brought it out of him.[break][break]

"The Bureau wants to know about other places in the region."[break][break]

But she was right: things had changed, and she hadn't been a member of Team Rocket in years. Pursuing this line of questions that the HBIC had prepared for him was a useless endeavor.[break][break]

Gunner shifted in his seat, focused intently on the necklace in his hands. His knee knocked against hers and stayed there. A surge of guilt lanced through him, matched only in strength by the sudden yearning for Mila's familiar touch.[break][break]

The logical part of him was begging him to leave before he did anything hurtful — though to whom, he didn't know. With great effort, he wrenched himself away, threw his finished daisy chain into her box, and stood.[break][break]

"But if you don't know, you don't know. I knew this would be a waste of time."[break][break]

Let them be enemies, or worse, strangers. Anything so Mila couldn't tempt him back into her arms.

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POSTED ON May 18, 2023 19:08:57 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","mila2top"]

[attr="class","mila2"] "Then you're asking the wrong person!" she snapped.

[break][break] Mila was hardly able to hold herself back. Maybe it was because of the audacity of Gunner of all people to burst into her safe place, and then try to tear all her walls down. Maybe it was because of the topic itself. Maybe because it was Gunner himself.

[break][break] Shouldn't he have known better? Didn't he even care —

[break][break] 'Maybe you should go,' the words nearly fell from her lips, only to be pulled back when Gunner did it for her. He wrenched himself away, leaping to his feet. Her skin burned from where their knees had touched.

[break][break] Bile grew in her throat as she looked vengefully at him, only to halt once she realized that he was actually leaving.

[break][break] "Wait," she said, panic rapidly replacing the resentment. He was leaving?

[break][break] Against her better judgement, her hand reached out for him. It wrapped around his wrist, just before he could stalk away from her.

[break][break] "Don't go."

[break][break] Standing up, she took a deep breath, and then looked at him.

[break][break] "You came all this way." Her breath hitched. "Don't just... go."

[break][break] She wanted to come up with a better excuse as to why he should stay, but she didn't even know herself why she needed him to. She just knew that he couldn't leave — not like this. Not again.

[break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Gunner Graves

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