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Finally, the Commissioner makes it to the woods. She's a little late, sad to say. Convincing her security to give her a more distanced perimeter took some time; however, being with an Elite Four member is protection enough anyway.[break][break]

She's in running shoes. More casual wear. The woods demand it of her.[break][break]

"Melody! You look stunning." The Commissioner walks toward her, hands wide to grace her with a hug and a greeting's kiss on the cheek. "How has life been treating you?"

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"ah, just hoenn things." the commissioner jokes as melody pulls away.[break][break]

when melody begins to warm up, dahlia wonders if she should as well. the window of time before it would become too awkward to join in begins to close and so, she is quick to stretch too.[break][break]

"the rondez-view of luv game? frankly, i have no idea how it all works." the commissioner grimaces. "did they have a route based off your 'life' too?"

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As they stretch, the Commissioner cringes. The memory is an injection in itself: a thin silver needle rusted by a reluctant rembrance. When it breaches the memetic membrane, the resistance makes it all the more painful.[break][break]

"We aren't out of the woods yet." Dahlia says. "But should it ever leak, all we need to answer with is the truth. That you've been cured."[break][break]

The Commissioner begins their walk. Above, the Taillow preen their feathers on the peeling bark of old branches.[break][break]

"Do you feel like yourself again, then?"

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"ah, your mother?" [break][break]

briefly, the commissioner lifts her heel to readjusts a shoe. she runs her finger across the heel collar to smooth any crease. [break][break]

"i'm no mom, so i wouldn't really know, but i think the greatest myth is that parents have control over their kids. who they are. who they become." [break][break]

a thought hums through her tongue.[break][break]

"if you're questioning your mother's influence, then that's evidence enough that you're different."

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dahlia laughs. though she had studied philosophy, she considers herself no real philosopher. yet the region she finds herself in is mired in ethical dilemmas. contradictions of the heart and mind.[break][break]

the wood they walk through seems devoid of such paradoxes. for now, for now.[break][break]

"mm, disoriented. out of place. scared... angry." dahlia says. "i could have wallowed in shame, but doing so would mean conferring more control unto the toxin that had been inside me."[break][break]

she shakes her head with a wispy sigh.[break][break]

"when you ran from me, i was scared we'd had lost you." the commissioner can still feel the needle heavy in her hand.

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"oh?"[break][break]

the commissioner's blue eyes spark wide. however, her surprise softens to sympathy. even idols must house numerous insecurities.[break][break]

"are you really blaming yourself for all those things?" dahlia asks. "how long have you been thinking this way?"[break][break]

dahlia wonders how many confessions have been uttered in this wood, how many hearts have been bared.

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"in no way is everything your fault!" the commissioner shakes her head, a blonde curl slipping out from behind her ear. "could you have predicted what would have happened in mt. chimney? could you have predicted kyurem and a ceo going rogue?"[break][break]

to the woods, she sways her arm as if to unveil the land for the first time.[break][break]

"we all understand now that we live in unprecedented times." dahlia says. "what little control we have can be wrestled away from us within an instant."[break][break]

she sets her hand on melody's shoulder. the grip is firm and comes with a comforting warmth. the tender gracidea scent of her hand lotion arrives softly from her wrist.[break][break]

"seeing the good in people is a strength, melody. but we live and learn. live and learn."