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as lam logan approaches, a hand is left out for the other to fistbump. relief at seeing an old friend lights softly behind his eyes.

[break][break] "awesome! great. just in time, this'll do really good for our troops."

[break][break] ollie begins to lead the way around the shoreline, where they were headed for the small group around the base of the cave.

[break][break] "how's everything on the front lines? seen anything?"

[break][break] he blinks, then reaches into his pocket, handing over a bag of antidotes and full heals.

[break][break] "oh, take these. some extras for your team."

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"yeah, probably after this. i wanna make sure everyone's good here, you know?"

[break][break] he glanced over at the beach. though he was sure that Michael Navidson had handled the big details, ollie had promised his friend that he'd make sure the rangers secured the areas where the local government couldn't. since rangers were used to the uneven terrain, it'd make it easier to fight along the beaches and secure resources on the seas.

[break][break] "but i'm 'stache and i will take to the skies eventually." after all, his dragonite couldn't really be in one place for too long. he'd get impatient.

[break][break] ollie glances down fondly upon lam logan's shinx, dropping a biscuit in front of the young creature to nibble on.

[break][break] "it is. but it's kind of nice, right?"

[break][break] he cranes his head back, waiting until his back pops.

[break][break] "way better than... the deep sea front."

[break][break] he shivers at the memory.

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"you're saying i don't already?"

[break][break] a hand goes to his breast, gasping comically.

[break][break] "you've wounded me, lam."

[break][break] a laugh breaks the silence as they walk a bit closer towards the entreatment camp. it's still a bit aways, though.

[break][break] "what, you not a fan of the dark, lam?" his eyes twinkle. "scared?"

[break][break] but for all his bravado, ollie knows that dewford's towns shores are preferable to whatever nightmare scenarios those caves could conjure. perhaps that's why he's been procrastinating going to the frontlines, knowing that he could've just run in there if he wanted to. but maybe those things were better left to Laurence Anderson or Razz Kingsman. they were avatars, after all.

[break][break] a random thought occurs to him:

[break][break] "hey. you ever thought about being avatar?"

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what was in it, indeed.

[break][break] it was the very thing that ollie wanted to skirt around. he didn't bring it up for that reason. as if speaking the words into existence would bring up those dark, awful memories too.

[break][break] it's why he changed topics.

[break][break] "it is! god, the first time i saw eva after — " he gestured with his arms, referring to the giant green diety that hovered over Eva Morales. "and then even, later. you wouldn't believe what happened in — " oh right, he'd signed a contract. a very exclusive one. "in our, you know, our big meetings."

[break][break] there, it was vague enough.

[break][break] he huffs a sigh.

[break][break] "i don't even know what i'd do if i saw one."

[break][break] like, out in the wild. jirachi didn't count. he thinks?

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"what makes you think i didn't?" his eyes are bright, amused, but the day that he'd found out about Eva Morales's avatarship nearly felt like the world was crashing around him again, the same way he'd felt when he'd seen her on that tv screen. whatever big and special future Eva Morales had coming, she was always - first and foremost - his little sister.

[break][break] an arch of his brow ensues as lam talks more. ollie was well-aware of the other's inclination towards the diety - after all, they'd visited it both together. he wondered if lam visited it more often?

[break][break] "sure, yeah, i agree," he said with a nod. the kind of nod that feels like a yup, yup should follow. "feels just kind of big, you know?"

[break][break] he glanced.

[break][break] "for little ol' you or me."

[break][break] there were so many things he could commiserate with lam logan, but this just happened to be one of them. the unlikely fate of their lives, how they were surrounded by people who simply seemed to expect so much of them.

[break][break] but they were just two guys.

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a pause.

[break][break] "want to leave it?"

[break][break] verdant green falls upon lam logan, eyes bright beneath the setting sun.

[break][break] he says it casually too, as if it is the easiest thing in the world. as if he is just asking lam if he likes burgers, or wants to go out for lunch. the same, casual and easy way that he had offered it to freya morningstar.

[break][break] if they could leave this complicated and terrible war behind them, once and for all.

[break][break] "kalos is pretty nice this time of the year."

[break][break] it seems almost too good.

[break][break] "but alola's nice too."

[break][break] no obstacles in their way. no war.

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