Eh? Couldn't You Find Someone More Qualified? [M]

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park

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Magnetic

Admin Fox
He/Him
28
May 9th
Rustboro City
Bisexual
Archaeologist
Rocket Admin
The future will tempt you, the present will indulge you, but the past will shackle you.
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howard slayte
Eh? Couldn't You Find Someone More Qualified? [M]
POSTED ON May 20, 2023 2:17:15 GMT
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"Eh? Couldn't you find someone more qualified?"

Those words echoed in Howard's ears as he trudged through the tunnel with his backpack in tow. It was a stupid thing to ask. Team Rocket didn't 'find someone more qualified' just because you asked them to. Team Rocket operated squarely off the loyalty of its members. If you were asked to do something, you did it, no questions asked. Immediately after asking his superior that question, Howard quickly bowed his head, nodded, and scurried out of the room.

It didn't help that he also needed money. There was a valuable piece of ancient coinage he had seen at a pawn shop for an absolute steal, and he needed money to purchase it before someone knowledgeable snapped it up.

Plus, he could pay for food this month. That was important too, Howard guessed.

The problem was that Howard's job was to go and clear out a specific location for Team Rocket. Unfortunately for him, Howard was no battler. He was a scholar and researcher, capable of discerning dialects of languages that nobody even spoke anymore. He was not capable of confidently battling, however. Luckily, he had help from a fellow Team Rocket grunt: .

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Howard's boots crunched against gravel and stone as he walked through Rusturf Tunnel. "We should be close. Secret Bases are typically, well, secret, yeah. There's only so many places to stash one, though." Howard took a deep breath. "Yeah, we're getting close. How are you holding up, Masky?"

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played by

Lumity/Jayfeather

Sage, Morgan, Enigma
they/them/theirs
17
March 23rd
Unknown
bi-curious
Aspiring ninja
associate
5’7” height
5’7” height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
awards
119 posts
sage morgan DOLLARS
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sage morgan
Eh? Couldn't You Find Someone More Qualified? [M]
POSTED ON May 20, 2023 4:23:53 GMT
sage morgan Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","blbqimg"]

[attr="class","header"]YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR, KID


[attr="class","setting"]


To be honest they didn’t much care what they did. Well okay maybe that wasn’t true. They wouldn’t do anything that would bring harm to their twin. But other than that they didn’t care what he had to do in the name of rocket. After all the things they did was putting them one step closer to getting what they wanted.
[break][break]
So right now if any of their superiors told them to jump. They would ask how high. Or however the saying went. So when they had been told to procure a new base for Team Rocket they hadn’t so much as batted an eye. They’d just said ’Yes, sir’ and had headed off to do as was asked of them.
[break][break]
Their partner for the mission , they weren’t to sure what to think of him. Wasn’t too sure of his battle prowess. However they didn’t really care who they worked with. Even if it meant them doing all the heavy lifting. They were sure their greninja and crobat wouldn’t care either.
[break][break]
At current Ares was out of his pokeball ready to protect them from anything. The ninja Pokémon was keeping an eye out for anything that attacked them. That way they wouldn’t have to have their guard up. Though Sage always kept his guard up especially around other Rocket members he didn’t know to well.
[break][break]
The older males voice grabbed his attention making him turn his head towards the older male. Due to the mask that covered the top half of his face his expression would be hidden. ”Pretty sure that’s why it’s called a secret base,” he pointed out his tone giving nothing away.
[break][break]
”I’m fine,” he said with a small shrug while ignoring the given nickname. ”And yourself?” he inquired more to be polite since the older male had asked about his own wellbeing than because he cared.[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + ooc notes



[attr="class","pokeclass"]




[attr="class","milkcredit"]milky




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played by

Magnetic

Admin Fox
He/Him
28
May 9th
Rustboro City
Bisexual
Archaeologist
Rocket Admin
The future will tempt you, the present will indulge you, but the past will shackle you.
awards
1,810 posts
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howard slayte
Eh? Couldn't You Find Someone More Qualified? [M]
POSTED ON May 20, 2023 8:16:33 GMT
howard slayte Avatar
"True, but most secret bases have giveaways that make them clear to the people who know where to look. Plus, there are only so many places to hide a base in a tunnel like this. Tunneling is hard, see." Howard explained, before taking another deep breath. He loved the ambience and smells of the feeling of stone under his feet. Good, reliable stone.

He felt the walls. Granite and basalt. Rusturf Tunnel bore through a slew of rocks categories that made tunneling relatively easy. Otherwise the tunnel would've collapsed from a cave-in long ago. He tapped the wall. It crumbled slightly. This part of the tunnel had been exposed to elements like water and wind, resulting in erosion. The walls close to a secret base wouldn't be this eroded.

Unless the base was ten-thousand years old.

"We need to go deeper in. I am going to check our position." Howard warned Sage. Shortly after, a flash of light appeared as Howard's Nosepass, Ayer, pointed towards a wall. Nosepass's ability to always point north made it a valuable asset. In a cave, it was almost impossible to determine which direction one was going, as there was no sky to look up at. Just Zubat nests.

"That's north, then. Thank you, Ayer." The Nosepass disappeared into another flash of light. "We need to go north by northeast. Shouldn't take us that long."

That explained why Howard had been paired up with someone as loyal as Sage. Howard's battling talents were mediocre, but he knew his way around a pile of rocks. Sage seemed like a good kid. Quiet, but that was perfectly fine. Howard was enough of a chatterbox to make up for them both, and he had hated it when he was a kid and adults would ask him stupid questions. Hopefully, he wasn't so old that he was disconnected from modern youths like Sage.

"I'm living a day at a time." Howard finally responded to Sage's question. "I'm actually glad to be visiting this cave. Haven't done an excavation here in a looooong time. Brings back old memories. Oh! Wait a moment..." Howard leaned down and picked up a rock. "Do you know what this rock means?" Howard asked Sage excitedly, his eyes gleaming.

It looked like an ordinary rock.

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played by

Lumity/Jayfeather

Sage, Morgan, Enigma
they/them/theirs
17
March 23rd
Unknown
bi-curious
Aspiring ninja
associate
5’7” height
5’7” height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
awards
119 posts
sage morgan DOLLARS
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TAG WITH @sage
sage morgan
Eh? Couldn't You Find Someone More Qualified? [M]
POSTED ON May 20, 2023 17:07:33 GMT
sage morgan Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","blbqimg"]

[attr="class","header"]YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR, KID


[attr="class","setting"]


They supposed he had a point. ”Like landmarks,” they said simply with a nod to show they got what the older male was talking about. ”True, though that will make it harder for anyone outside of rocket from accidentally stumbling across it. I think for a base like this as long as someone has a good sense of direction they’ll be fine.” And if someone had a poor sense of direction than they supposed they were screwed unless they were with someone with a good sense of direction.
[break][break]
Being underground didn’t faze them. But they weren’t overly interested in tunneling so they were content with just reaching the base and doing what they had to do. They knew their partner was interested in this kind of stuff though. They didn’t really see the appeal but saw no point in saying as much.
[break][break]
The older male mentioned checking on their position and they simply inclined their head. Considering the older male hadn’t had any Pokémon out he had already braced himself for a flash of light that would tell him a Pokémon appeared. A Nosepass appeared and pointed them north. If they remembered correctly they would have to go north by northeast.
[break][break]
Howard’s words confirmed their thoughts and they nodded. ”Let’s get going then.” They liked to get things done as soon as possible. Having never been the type to procrastinate. Though they didn’t mind getting a feel for their surroundings either. After all one couldn’t be to careful.
[break][break]
Well they supposed that was one way to go about life. For that they envied the older male a bit. They didn’t feel like they had that kind of luxury to just live in the moment. The older male started talking about excavating before becoming excited over some rock asking if they knew what it means.
[break][break]
”No.”[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + ooc notes



[attr="class","pokeclass"]




[attr="class","milkcredit"]milky




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played by

Magnetic

Admin Fox
He/Him
28
May 9th
Rustboro City
Bisexual
Archaeologist
Rocket Admin
The future will tempt you, the present will indulge you, but the past will shackle you.
awards
1,810 posts
part of
TAG WITH @magnetic
howard slayte
Eh? Couldn't You Find Someone More Qualified? [M]
POSTED ON May 21, 2023 20:57:55 GMT
howard slayte Avatar
"This, my mask-wearing companion, is a rock."

Silence.

Howard blinked for a moment, before slapping his face and chuckling. Idiot. He thought to himself. Sometimes, he was so caught up in his field that he forgot that not everybody was a fan of rocks. It was a pretty fringe subject, especially in Team Rocket, where goons were trained to fight, smuggle, lie, and steal. There just wasn't much of a curriculum for geology. Not that it was Sage's fault, though.

"Well, Masky. This is no ordinary rock. Howard paused for dramatic silence. "When rocks erode and little bits and pieces crumble off, you can tell that something has been there for a looooooong time, see. Howard tossed the rock up in the air, before catching it deftly in his other hand. The rough edges dug into his palm. "Yet this is a pretty big chunk. Almost as if someone mined it up. Maybe it was transported out via a cart or wheelbarrow, and just fell out here. Why would someone dig a hole so far in?

His eyebrows raised into the stratosphere as he waggled them expectantly towards Sage. Secret base! Secret base! They seemed to say. Without hesitating, the archaeologist turned around and poked his head around a curve in the tunnel. At the end of it was a clearly mined tunnel, supported with wood and steel support beams. Slightly into the tunnel was a silhouette of a door.

"Score! This is that good sense of direction you were talking about." Howard pumped his fist and smiled towards Sage. "There we go! You're tough, so this should be a walk in the park. When we're done, we get paid! Maybe I'll be able to afford food for this month..." Howard gazed off into the distance with a dreamy expression.

After a moment, Howard blinked and returned to reality.

"Erm... After you?





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played by

Lumity/Jayfeather

Sage, Morgan, Enigma
they/them/theirs
17
March 23rd
Unknown
bi-curious
Aspiring ninja
associate
5’7” height
5’7” height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
awards
119 posts
sage morgan DOLLARS
part of
TAG WITH @sage
sage morgan
Eh? Couldn't You Find Someone More Qualified? [M]
POSTED ON May 22, 2023 1:15:56 GMT
sage morgan Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","blbqimg"]

[attr="class","header"]YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR, KID


[attr="class","setting"]


Silence greeted the older males words.
[break][break]
Well obviously it was a rock. But they weren’t sure why he was so excited about some ordinary rock.
[break][break]
As if the male could read their thoughts. Or as if the silence spoke volumes. Probably the second one, yeah definitely the latter. The older male seemed to come to some sort of realization and explained himself.
[break][break]
So someone had already messed with this part of the cave then. And had put something here. Was what the older male was saying. And if he was bringing it up it had to be the reason that had brought them here. The secret base.
[break][break]
”To built a secret base. Probably figured no one would be able to figure out where it was,” they said figuring that was the reason they had put it in such a hard to find location. Probably didn’t think someone who had studied geology would be seeking out their secret base.
[break][break]
However from what they had been told the base was supposedly abandoned. Seemed a bit strange to go through so much work to abandon it. Unless that wasn’t what happened and something had happened to the person. If so whatever it was the place had been abandoned awhile according to what they’d been told.
[break][break]
Which reminded them that they needed to be careful. So they made sure they had Poseidon in their line of sight as they continued on around the corner only to find out it was a refurbished tunnel with a metal door at the end. Well if that wasn’t a secret base then they didn’t know what was.
[break][break]
”Most definitely. Even so best to still be on your guard. Can’t be to sure what could’ve made the secret base it’s home in its time of abandonment,” they pointed out before moving past the the order male when they had been told to go ahead. It didn’t bother them to go first.
[break][break]
They halted at the door their hand going to their pokeball containing Nightwing as they used their shoulder to push open the door. The door swung open on hinges that made a sound that were akin to the sound of nails on a chalkboard and he resisted the urge to cringe.
[break][break]
Having pushed down the cringe they let Nightwing out of his pokeball. ”Scout the base a bit. Cry out if there’s anything really dangerous inside if not just return to us so we know we can both enter safely,” they told the crobat. And with that the bat Pokémon flew into the base.
[break][break]
Of course if there really was anything dangerous inside they would insist on going inside by themselves to deal with it. Since they were unaware of the older males battling capabilities.[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + ooc notes



[attr="class","pokeclass"]




[attr="class","milkcredit"]milky




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played by

Magnetic

Admin Fox
He/Him
28
May 9th
Rustboro City
Bisexual
Archaeologist
Rocket Admin
The future will tempt you, the present will indulge you, but the past will shackle you.
awards
1,810 posts
part of
TAG WITH @magnetic
howard slayte
Eh? Couldn't You Find Someone More Qualified? [M]
POSTED ON May 22, 2023 8:37:20 GMT
howard slayte Avatar
Despite Howard's claims, Sage was clearly a smart kid. Maybe not well studied in certain specialized fields, but he could form conclusions based on information and common sense, which was oftentimes more important than book smarts. Howard was beginning to see how someone so young could excel in an organization like this.

Even if Howard himself thought it was a waste of potential. Nonetheless, the man sighed to himself. That was to be expected. Team Rocket swallowed talent indiscriminately and used it however it could, even if that meant failing to cultivate the skills of the people within the organization. All this group did was train cruelty. Howard shuddered, remembering his initiation into the group. That had been a few years ago, now. The man's thoughts wandered from the darkness of the past into the flickering potential of the present.

Well, wandered wasn't exactly correct. They were forcefully dragged out by the atrocious sounds of a door being pried open by Sage. It was a verbal assault on the ears, and it made Howard's eyes wince for a moment, before he recognized the sound. He heard a lot of awful sounds during his career. Sandstorms, rockslides, and more. Nothing ever compared to the shatter of a valuable piece of history, however. In a sense, this was relatively tame.

It still sounded awful, though.

He made a vague motion towards his Poké Balls on his waist, before plucking one and opening it. Out popped Howard's Baltoy, floating slightly with its Levitate. "Assist his Crobat. Stay out of trouble, and try not to make much noise. You know what that means, Crumble? No spinning circles. No. Spinning. Circles." Howard insisted, and the Baltoy made a sad cry, before entering the base after Nightwing. Howard smiled faintly. "Get in there, you rascal."

The Pokémon that made up Howard's team were chosen to aid in his line of work. Excavation required careful extraction of rare materials like fossils and artifacts. That occasionally required the psychic touch of Baltoy, or the exploration utility of a Nosepass. He had other Pokémon naturally, but Shirley hated tight spaces like this.

Howard was perfectly fine with letting Sage do most of the work, but he felt like he had some obligation to aid Sage as the older person of the duo. He leaned against the wall as their Pokémon scouted out the Secret Base. "Have you ever cleared out one of these before? I wonder why they care so much about a base here. Feels like a pretty impractical location." Howard wondered aloud.



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played by

Lumity/Jayfeather

Sage, Morgan, Enigma
they/them/theirs
17
March 23rd
Unknown
bi-curious
Aspiring ninja
associate
5’7” height
5’7” height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
awards
119 posts
sage morgan DOLLARS
part of
TAG WITH @sage
sage morgan
Eh? Couldn't You Find Someone More Qualified? [M]
POSTED ON May 22, 2023 18:36:41 GMT
sage morgan Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","blbqimg"]

[attr="class","header"]YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR, KID


[attr="class","setting"]


They never could figure out how someone like Howard had ended up in Rocket. He was observant enough to know he didn’t seem entirely sold on some of what Team Rocket did. Though it mostly seemed to be directed towards what some of the more violent members did.
[break][break]
That wasn’t everyone though. One couldn’t demean an entire organization just because of a few people. Sure they’d steal but not everyone was out for bloodshed. And besides it wasn’t like League was filled with a bunch of saints. His parents were testament of that. Not to mention the League had their own violent members, the hypocrites.
[break][break]
They reached their destination with little trouble and they were able to get the door open. Before deciding to speak. ”The first thing to do will be to oil those hinges. Because that noise will get old fast.” Well faster. The noise was already old to them. But it wasn’t quite to the point of driving them crazy yet.
[break][break]
After releasing Nightwing from his pokeball and giving it directions they watched as the older male released a Baltoy to help. They listened to the interactions between them unsure what he should think. It wasn’t long before Crumble was sent in to help Nightwing scout. Hopefully it wouldn’t take too long.
[break][break]
While they waited they leaned back against the tunnel wall. Their attention was focused on the door as they awaited their Pokémon to fly back out or alert them to something dangerous. The older males question had them turning their attention to Howard.
[break][break]
”Beats me,” they said with a shrug before continuing. ”I don’t ask why something is done, I don’t have a death wish. I’m sure they have their reasons.”
[break][break]
They could’ve said something else on the subject but Nightwing alighting at their feet made them aware of the bat Pokémon’s return. ”Seems like nothing to dangerous is in there,” they said as they made their way through the door.[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + ooc notes



[attr="class","pokeclass"]




[attr="class","milkcredit"]milky




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played by

Magnetic

Admin Fox
He/Him
28
May 9th
Rustboro City
Bisexual
Archaeologist
Rocket Admin
The future will tempt you, the present will indulge you, but the past will shackle you.
awards
1,810 posts
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howard slayte
Eh? Couldn't You Find Someone More Qualified? [M]
POSTED ON May 23, 2023 7:46:29 GMT
howard slayte Avatar
The sound hadn't gotten old fast, nor had it gotten old immediately upon hearing it. That sound had gotten old before Sage or Howard had even been conceived. It had been buried, fossilized, unearthed, extracted, and put up in the Natural History Museum for centuries when Sage and Howard heard the sound. It wasn't old. It was positively decrepit.

It was so old that Howard would consider selling to Team Rocket so that he could eat cup ramen for another week.

"Agreed. I'll let them know." Howard made a mental note for later to request something to keep these doors from alerting everyone from Rustboro to Verdanturf. His mood darkened slightly in response to Sage's ominous statement regarding Team Rocket.

"Don't kill the mood, Masky. Howard sighed as he produced a lighter and a Violet Koffing cigarette from his coat case. He really needed to stop smoking these. With a click, the lighter produced a light, before being tucked away back in Howard's coat pocket. He blew some smoke into the air. "I really don't want to think about how Team Rocket will kill us for some stupid reason.

There were a lot of things he probably needed to stop buying with his budget: Fossil Today, Rustboro Gazette, Archaeology Annual, cigarettes, artifacts, bus tickets. Maybe if he cut the cigarettes, he could afford some rare coinage he had been eyeing for his collection.

Crumble continued to search inside the Secret Base, as it didn't return alongside Nightwing. Was it in trouble? No, Sage's Crobat would've returned with more theatrics if there was something truly dangerous inside. It probably found a circle to spin on. Howard chuckled to himself. Stupid rascal. He thought as he followed Sage through the door.

The only Pokémon that had been hiding in the Secret Base were a few Zubats, which Crumble had left in a pile. A few silent Psychic-type attacks had left them fainted. Howard gingerly held one between his forefingers, before flinging it out the front door. Afterwards, he turned to the rest of the Secret Base. It looked like someone had attempted to dig a tunnel here. There was a desk, workbench, and a few barrels of gravel alongside a partially dug tunnel. Against one corner were a pair of bunk beds.

They didn't look appealing at all.

"That was easy. Howard said in mild surprise. Team Rocket had overprepared for this one. "Thanks, Masky. Knew you were a good kid from the Crobat. There's a lot of trust there. Unlike me and this floating sucker. Howard mockingly tapped Crumble, which began floating towards him. As Howard's eyebrows raised mockingly towards it, it seemed to do the same to him, despite lacking eyebrows.

Howard blew out another puff of smoke.



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played by

Lumity/Jayfeather

Sage, Morgan, Enigma
they/them/theirs
17
March 23rd
Unknown
bi-curious
Aspiring ninja
associate
5’7” height
5’7” height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
awards
119 posts
sage morgan DOLLARS
part of
TAG WITH @sage
sage morgan
Eh? Couldn't You Find Someone More Qualified? [M]
POSTED ON May 23, 2023 15:45:13 GMT
sage morgan Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","blbqimg"]

[attr="class","header"]YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR, KID


[attr="class","setting"]


Yeah best he cover the report stuff. As the older of the two Howard would probably be expected to do it anyway. ”Good, though I don’t think I’ll be spending much time here myself. I prefer the regular base,” they told the older male. Besides while they didn’t mind Pokémon battles they weren’t to keen on walking into one every time they left.
[break][break]
Of course that’s not to say it would happen. But considering where they were it was a definite possibility. They supposed if they were into geology it would be a different matter, but to them a rock was just a rock.
[break][break]
Okay so the older male tells them not to talk talk about getting killed only to pull out a cigarette. ”Says the guy with the cancer stick,” they pointed out dryly, clearly meaning the cigarette. Seriously those things could damage someone’s lungs leading to lung cancer, and eventually the death of the person.
[break][break]
It didn’t concern them when Nightwing returned alone. They’d given the Crobat clear instructions. Because of this he strolled into the hideout immediately spotting the knocked out zubat on the floor. He moved over to expect them but saw no bite marks to show Nightwing had been out for blood. They were just knocked out.
[break][break]
Telling Poseidon who had since rejoined them to throw the rest of the zubat out of the secret base they stood back up and took in the rest of the base. ”Workers must’ve built this base. It looks like the kind of place one would live in if they wanted to be close to their work. Probably abandoned it when they stopped working the tunnels,” they said as the took in the bunk beds against one wall and the other stuff around the base.
[break][break]
Hmmm….yes. Maybe a little too easy. Was it possible that something else could’ve made it’s home here and it was just out? Or were they just being paranoid because of how smoothly everything had gone.
[break][break]
Unsure rather they were just being paranoid they decided to keep their guard up just in case. ”Don’t get too relaxed. It’s possible that something worse was here and is just out right now,” they pointed out gesturing for Poseidon to stand guard once he had returned.
[break][break]
”I’ve had Nightwing and Poseidon since I was pretty young. When I got injured a few months ago they were able to track me down. I wasn’t expecting to see either of them again,” they explained unsure if he knew they had been recovering from injuries when they had joined a few months ago.[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + ooc notes



[attr="class","pokeclass"]




[attr="class","milkcredit"]milky




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[newclass=.blbqimg .header]text-align:left;[/newclass]
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played by

Magnetic

Admin Fox
He/Him
28
May 9th
Rustboro City
Bisexual
Archaeologist
Rocket Admin
The future will tempt you, the present will indulge you, but the past will shackle you.
awards
1,810 posts
part of
TAG WITH @magnetic
howard slayte
Eh? Couldn't You Find Someone More Qualified? [M]
POSTED ON May 23, 2023 21:44:12 GMT
howard slayte Avatar
"Hell yeah, I'll smoke to that." Howard waved the cigarette between his fingers as if it were a magic wand. Yeah, Sage was likely correct. Violet Koffings were notorious for their slew of rampant health problems. Coughing, vomiting, purple diarrhea, and a slew of other symptoms that made them less of 'cancer sticks' and more of just 'cancer'. Nonetheless, working at Team Rocket was stressful, and if he had to choose between working with them and killing his lungs, he'd get the coffin ready. "Hopefully they hurry up and do what the warnings say."

Man, this place was killing his mood. He dropped the cigarette and crushed it under his shoe. The ventilation in these tunnels was mediocre at best, and he'd feel bad about getting Masky with second-hand smoke. Hopefully his mask would filter out what he had puffed.

"Or their funding got cut. Maybe they were tunneling north towards Meteor Falls. It'd make for an excellent subway. Shame they never finished it." Howard pointed out as his Baltoy began to spin on the rim of his hat. He looked up at it, and then continued. "If there is, it'd have to be able to open the door. We'd have heard it open on the way here. Lighten up, Masky!"

Admittedly, there was a chance that Sage was right, and that something was out there roaming the tunnels, already returning back to this Secret Base upon hearing the awful noise that the door had made. Howard got chills down his spine as he thought about it. They would've had to notice it on the way here, if something really was out there.

...right?

Or Sage was just paranoid.

Howard went with that.

"Sorry that you got hurt." Howard replied, feeling a twinge of pity. Kids should be stuffing other kids into lockers or playing soccer or something, instead of whatever happened to Sage. "Be fortunate that they came back for you. Life sucks, so having something to lean on is for the best. Like this wall, for instance." Howard said as he leaned further back into the granite wall.

You're new. I haven't seen you around before. Does that line up with your injury?" Howard raised up his hands. "You don't need to tell me, by the way. Feel free to say something like 'shut up, HOWARD. You'll NEVER understand me'! Before giving me the cold shoulder. I won't judge."

It would make the trek back awkward, but Howard elected to not mention that.









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played by

Lumity/Jayfeather

Sage, Morgan, Enigma
they/them/theirs
17
March 23rd
Unknown
bi-curious
Aspiring ninja
associate
5’7” height
5’7” height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
awards
119 posts
sage morgan DOLLARS
part of
TAG WITH @sage
sage morgan
Eh? Couldn't You Find Someone More Qualified? [M]
POSTED ON May 24, 2023 3:33:23 GMT
sage morgan Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","blbqimg"]

[attr="class","header"]YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR, KID


[attr="class","setting"]


As the older male waved the cigarette around as one would a wand they wondered what the appeal of smoking was. They didn’t get it. Why would one endeavor in something that could potentially ruin their health. Well they supposed they didn’t really care that much. If Howard wanted to do something that would ruin his health than that was on him.
[break][break]
Hearing the other males comment they resisted the urge to sigh. ”Why did you even join team rocket? You don’t seem to care for Team Rocket,” they said, keeping their face turned towards the older male. To them his reaction seemed more fitting to a kid being made to do their homework or chores.
[break][break]
The older male put the cigarette out which they were thankful for. Seriously they weren’t trying to get smoke lung. Yes they supposed that could’ve happened. It was either the finished what they had started, ran out of funds, or the third option being that something had happened to the workers.
[break][break]
They really hoped it was one of the first two. ”I hope you’re right,” was all they said. They figured they didn’t have to explain the third option. ”And I suppose it would, though I’m not sure if I’d be a fan of the subway. Of course I’ve never been on one to know for sure if I would be a fan or not.”
[break][break]
The incredulous look they gave him upon hearing what he said would be impossible to notice with their mask. ”Or they had already gone out before we came. Or the noise could’ve drawn anything towards our location,” they pointed out their tone practically monotone as the stated facts. Jeez hopefully he wasn’t going to completely let his guard down.
[break][break]
When the older male apologized he tilted his head to the side. ”Why? It’s not like you’re the one that hurt me?” they pointed out. ”Yes well I’m sure they had some way of knowing that something had happened to me. Probably some intuition, but yeah I suppose I am lucky in that regard.”
[break][break]
They regarded the other male wondering what they should say. ”Yeah, if I had to hazard a guess I would say I was in the final stages of recovery.” While they would admit to having been injured they wouldn’t go into detail about the injured state they’d been in when they joined.[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + ooc notes



[attr="class","pokeclass"]




[attr="class","milkcredit"]milky




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[newclass=.blbqimg .pokesprite]color:#32a852; background:rgba(0,0,0,0.1);border:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.2); margin-right:10px; margin-top:5px; padding:5px; filter:grayscale(90%); transition:0.5s all;[/newclass]
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[newclass=.blbqimg .header]text-align:left;[/newclass]
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played by

Magnetic

Admin Fox
He/Him
28
May 9th
Rustboro City
Bisexual
Archaeologist
Rocket Admin
The future will tempt you, the present will indulge you, but the past will shackle you.
awards
1,810 posts
part of
TAG WITH @magnetic
howard slayte
Eh? Couldn't You Find Someone More Qualified? [M]
POSTED ON May 24, 2023 5:04:14 GMT
howard slayte Avatar
"Money, and because I sold out my beliefs. Therefore, I'm scum." Howard said simply. That was all it really came down to, wasn't it? Money. Funds. The very right to live. Money was just as important in Hoenn as air or food. Oftentimes, it paid for both. Howard supposed he could live in the wilderness with a small farm, but he knew nothing of the craft. Despite everything, he still had passion, and he would be damned if the world swallowed his love of archaeology for a reason as arbitrary as money. "I have a talent that is very hard to cultivate in this business. Team Rocket wanted that talent, and they pay me well to do it."

'Well'. heh. Maybe Sage was too young to fully understand the cruelty of financial struggles. Yet when someone got desperate enough, they sold their entire reason for being just for the ability to support themselves.

"Nobody cares about Team Rocket except Team Rocket, Masky." Howard said simply, as if getting lost in thought. "And I don't mean you or me. I mean the entity itself. We are simply exploitable tools. Some of us are in it for the money. Some are in it for the ideals. Some just really hate the League for some wrong or another."

The shoe that Howard crushed the cigarette with moved, revealing a last flicker of light that quickly snuffed itself out.

"Sorry. I just get guilty whenever I hear about bad things, even if I don't do them. Don't take it personally." He let Sage have his secrets about his past. People in Team Rocket were hurt, broken people. Some were just sociopaths, but many had just been wronged by the world in some way or another. In that sense, Howard was fortunate. Or perhaps he was simply unfortunate. These were people with no other road to turn to. Howard had just taken the easy way out, avoiding working as an overqualified clerk in exchange for following his passion.

"Lucky." Howard echoed.





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played by

Lumity/Jayfeather

Sage, Morgan, Enigma
they/them/theirs
17
March 23rd
Unknown
bi-curious
Aspiring ninja
associate
5’7” height
5’7” height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
awards
119 posts
sage morgan DOLLARS
part of
TAG WITH @sage
sage morgan
Eh? Couldn't You Find Someone More Qualified? [M]
POSTED ON May 24, 2023 20:26:46 GMT
sage morgan Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","blbqimg"]

[attr="class","header"]YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR, KID


[attr="class","setting"]


So he had money problems? That was the main point of him joining? Because what they were getting from he had said he had sold out his belief’s because he needed money. When they hadn’t had any money they had immediately resorted to stealing to get by, it made them wonder why they hadn’t considered stealing.
[break][break]
Sure stealing was wrong. But if it was survival it was understandable. Probably would’ve been better than him joining a criminal organization. But then again they didn’t have any room to talk as they had joined said organization themselves. But their reasons were much more complicated and darker than that.
[break][break]
”If you were low on fonds why didn’t you just steal? Or was it not about survival? You had enough to cover food so it wouldn’t have been about survival. Was that what it was?” they inquired, talking more than they normally would. They just wasn’t sure they understood money being a leading factor.
[break][break]
They listened as he spoke of team rocket and only team rocket liking team rocket and about being tools and shrugged. ”It’s just the way of the world. People using people. Some do so without realizing it while others are completely aware of the fact they’re using people. Humans are notoriously selfish creatures, some are just better at not allowing it to show.”
[break][break]
Yeah team rocket weren’t filled with the best of people but not everyone in rocket was evil while not everyone in the league were good. ”There’s good and evil in everyone. The league aren’t a bunch of saints, they have their own share of bad people. Though they would probably like to claim otherwise,” they said with a shake of their head.
[break][break]
Hearing what he said they opened their mouth but couldn’t think of anything that probably would’ve come off as anything but an insult. So they shook their head and closed their mouth. They didn’t really understand being guilty over something you didn’t do.
[break][break]
Since Poseidon was standing guard they decided to check out the furniture that was already in the secret base. ”We should make sure this furniture is actually still useable,” the teen told the older male.[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + ooc notes



[attr="class","pokeclass"]




[attr="class","milkcredit"]milky




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[newclass=.blbqimg .header]text-align:left;[/newclass]
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played by

Magnetic

Admin Fox
He/Him
28
May 9th
Rustboro City
Bisexual
Archaeologist
Rocket Admin
The future will tempt you, the present will indulge you, but the past will shackle you.
awards
1,810 posts
part of
TAG WITH @magnetic
howard slayte
Eh? Couldn't You Find Someone More Qualified? [M]
POSTED ON May 25, 2023 7:09:48 GMT
howard slayte Avatar
"Because then I wouldn't be able to do what I love. If I'm caught stealing something, then I lose everything I've ever worked for. I lose my degree. I lose my placement in my field. I lose the lie that I'm still, at some level, a decent person. " Howard leaned down to inspect a tool rack. "And stealing is wrong." He added as an afterthought. "I assume you steal? I don't judge."

Some people, like Sage, stole from others to sustain themselves. Howard stole from himself to sustain his own existence. It was a hollow way to live, but he remembered a phrase he hated with every iota of his soul: it is what it is.

Fuck that phrase.

"You're awfully amoral for a teenager. Young 'un, whatever the hell you want to be called, Masky." Howard raised an eyebrow as he began eyeing a bench placed in the corner of the Secret Base. Sage's claim was something you heard from the villain of some novel, or a forty year-old washout who stole Howard's cigarettes behind a corner store. It also sounded like something he'd hear one of his old classmates say after going four days without sleep. Only people who had truly suffered could have and understand an outlook like Sage's.

"You're right, but we still desire companionship. It's why people flock to the League or to Team Rocket. Otherwise, we'd all walk alone. One day, you look around, and realize you have friends. You hang out with them, and they pick up the tab for your local restaurant's unlimited breadsticks deal. You look at them, and realize that sometimes flaws don't matter." Howard approached the bench and sat on it. It held on for a noble ten seconds, before cracking and leaving Howard cursing on the floor.

Crumble rotated atop his body, as if boasting that it was the one to defeat Howard, and not the greatest enemy of all: time.

"I've checked enough!" Howard's voice proclaimed as he pulled a few splinters from his clothes. He was definitely cursing everyone and everything in existence, though he was speaking so fast that Sage would be unable to hear it. In fact, it seemed like he was speaking an entirely different language entirely.

"I'm gonna kill every bench in existence. They will all die. I have decided." Howard swore as he brushed himself off on the floor.