this place has many ways of reminding them of what's lost. that worse has yet to come. and fewer moments, like now, that bring fonder times to mind.
[break]
[break]

"i always do... don't i?" both were busy these days. one as a queen. the other forging arms and armor for those who desired such items. "a little trip out of town never hurt anyone. besides, staring at molten steel all day is bad for the eyes."
[break]
[break]

greater issues were at hand for her to worry about than his small voyage to the outskirts. and as queen, penelope dealt with every last one of them. it was a wonder she found time to spare towards moments like these...
[break]
[break]

"is something on your mind?" derek inquires while seating himself against the old oak. before she married, these little meets were spent confiding harsh truths and wishful thoughts of the past. but with that ring on her finger, and a partner she could talk to about anything... what could bring her to summon derek all this way?
[break]
[break]

[attr="class","ooc"] PENELOPE LIVY[break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-metagross"]

His response elicited a smile from the Queen; what normally would be considered a crowning achievement for common folk was a regularity set between them. Even before zapping across realms, Derek knew how to make Penelope smile, laugh, and forget all worries.
[break][break]
"Then you should visit more often," she teased, though her expression gave no hint of a joke. "It feels like we haven't seen each other in forever."
[break][break]
Not that she could blame him. Originally, it was she who hid away at her castle. Unable to bear the weight of her actions, avoidance felt easier than explaining the craze that warped her thoughts that chilly afternoon.
[break][break]
Still, she refused to admit as much.
[break][break]
"and I've missed you."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] DEREK HOFFMAN[break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

"...yeah." there wasn't a shred of protest in his voice. just a sigh. derek would always agree with such notions. but they each had their own matters to deal with. two different roles to play.
[break]
[break]

"all our time here really hasn't been kind to us, has it?"
[break][break]

a scarce gaze towards penelope revealed that much. pale luster replaced hair that had shone a bright vermillion during the queen's prime. but it wasn't as though any appeal towards the belle had vanished. that's what made meeting with her out here such an ordea. one derek would sooner postpone, rather than suffer himself. to be alone in these thoughts.
[break]
[break]

they could die at any moment. both, if not one or the other. and yet derek was supposed to hold back. expected to. he almost wished penny had never graced him with that kiss. but where would he be without it? without something to look back on. something that brought a smile to his face, even if it was always succeeded by the vastness of his grief.
[break]
[break]

derek was beginning to wonder whether he should be more selfish. "i've missed this as well, but... trying to put this world's dynite ore to use takes priority. you know that." royalty may be able to delegate others to accomplish certain tasks, but derek could not trust a mere apprentice with such esoteric assignments. and he didn't have the time nor patience to try teaching. "how are things at the castle?"
[break]
[break]

[attr="class","ooc"]PENELOPE LIVY[break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-metagross"]

His priorities were a given. Almost everyone from Hoenn had followed a similar rhythm to life; first by forging their role in society, then by fulfilling it's duties. For some, like Derek, that meant the exploration of what galar had to offer. For others, like Penelope, that meant swiping all notions of her previous self; to replace her heart with that of the people's will.
[break][break]


Still.
[break][break]


"Fine, fine. It's taken a bit, but I think we've finally managed to scrap things under control."
[break][break]


We - as in, herself and ollie morales .

[break][break]

"How's the dynite coming along?"

Truth be told, anything he would've discovered would've been reported. But she asked all the same.
[break][break]


A selfish deed done in the pursuit of hearing him ramble on again, like he'd done years long ago.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] DEREK HOFFMAN [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

"guess i see why you elected to meet me out here instead of whatever's waiting back at the castle." the notion about control, and saying fine twice the way she did. nothing about this was ideal, even if they were making progress. speaking of...
[break]
[break]

"resources are secured with more on the way. production is...steady, if i'm being generous." he could use some help, but it was hard to trust these folk with tech they'd only just begun to understand themselves.
[break]
[break]

"you know something?" gazing up towards penny, he doesn't see the girl he remembers. her voice, the tired eyes... derek can't get past the image of her on their night out. "i miss when we didn't have the same hair."
[break]
[break]

there was more he wanted to say. or something else entirely, yet it's suppressed. replaced by poorly executed jokes that dared to lighten the mood, because every day felt darker than the last. a soft murmur of a laugh is all he could manage.
[break]
[break]

[attr="class","ooc"]PENELOPE LIVY[break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-metagross"]

Implications coax her shoulders into shuddering. There was so much to be said about the silver threads now tying them together, but little held the freedom of escape.
[Break][break]
Turning away, a huff of laughter heaved out, softened by the crinkle of her eyes and the quirk of her lips.
[Break][break]
"You're just jealous I pull it off better than you do."



[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] DEREK HOFFMAN [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

derek echoes her laughter, finding some small solace in these little quips she always makes.
[break]
[break]

"could be."
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[break]

the reason was wrong, but there was still truth to her words.
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[break]

"suppose i should just be glad the dynite ore hasn't caused it to start falling out yet." caustic chemicals and imperfect isotopes were something their kind dabbled in for the sake of progress for a long time. often enough, they suffered for it. but with this venture, only their pokemon seemed to be at risk.
[break]
[break]

he struggled to decide if that was a good thing. and worried that it could just be a matter of time before his body has absorbed enough for him to be subject to the penalties. part of it was the guilt for trying to bring this power to bear.
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a hand presses to his temple as he recalls the harrowing experiences of testing this technology. how some had failed, leaving behind contorted remains that had squeezed the sanguine pulp right out.
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not all the subjects had come from the wild. the toxic spawns had destroyed much of the region and it's inhabitants. to find a pokemon like their own, he had to use...
[break]
[break]

"if this place robs me of anything else, i don't know what i'll do."

[attr="class","ooc"]PENELOPE LIVY[break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-metagross"]

Warm like chocolate, his laughter eased her shoulders and sent her chest thrumming. It felt as it did back then, when hope still dangled between their sparkling eyes and Galar felt more like a motel than a home.
[Break][break]
Ginger fingers slowly plucked a piece of his hair, tucking it behind his ear. Through this motion, her fingertips grazed his coarse skin, carving paths only once explored, but never forgotten.
[Break][break]
"Now that would be a shame."
[Break][break]
Another smile was shared.
[Break][break]
"You just wouldn't be able to pull off the bald look."
[Break][break]
It was then that Derek's face scrunched up, and as a result, worry flashed across the queen's elegant features. Her eyebrows arched upward, creating a bridge between two bright pairs of amber.
[Break][break]
They softened a beat after.
[Break][break]
"You'll fight for it back. That's the only thing to do."



[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] DEREK HOFFMAN[break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]