MARCH UPDATE

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Sept 25, 2023 4:27:44 GMT

Cillian Quinn, Tempest Quinn, and 1 more like this

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]There was nothing more distracting than that persistent feeling of being watched.[break][break]

It had been over a month now, and Isaac just couldn't shake that feeling. He felt it since the moment he set foot on this island. He felt it since the moment he'd settled in his hospital bed. Hell, he'd even felt it burned into his subconscious as his waking brain was far too busy trying to weather Cillian Quinn's assault. Even as he laid his head down to rest, that feeling of being watched always lingered.[break][break]

The worst part was that he had the sinking feeling he knew why.[break][break]

Maybe it was time to stop hiding from it. Maybe it was time to stop pretending it was just some trick of the light, and everything was going to be all nice and peaceful. Maybe it was time to realize what he'd already learned the moment Tempest Quinn approached him on that distant swampland, or when Kouji Matsubara crashed his gym challenge just as he promised he would.[break][break]

For now, Isaac left the shores and seas behind. He could always come back to them later. So long as the League and Rocket held power, there would always be another fight. When both sides refused to back down, what did each little battle mean in the grand scheme of things?[break][break]

Senseless bloodshed. Brothers killing brothers. Another step taken to the end of all things.[break][break]

Instead, Isaac rose to the skies atop a Crobat wreathed in glowing patterns. If the watchers wanted him found, he wouldn't just show himself. He'd give them a beacon. A Rocket grunt flew out to intercept him, but Isaac refused to let the insult pass. A Supersonic screech dazed them where they stood, allowing Sunny to smash them out of the air with a spiraling Cross Poison. He didn't pursue; bar basic self defense, that wasn't his fight.[break][break]

Instead, he soared upwards, ever upwards, as if hoping to touch the stars themselves. Isaac knew it was there that he would meet the one he'd truly sought.

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Naomi Sato

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

[newclass=.skullhover]width:420px;-webkit-filter: grayscale(100%);filter: grayscale(100%);-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;-webkit-transition-delay:0.1s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullhover:hover]-webkit-filter: grayscale(0%);filter: grayscale(0%)-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullimg]width:380px;height:200px;background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/HOVZp0J.png); background-repeat:no-repeat;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulltitle]font-family:verdana;font-weight:700;font-size:50px;position:relative;text-align:center;color:#D9B800;margin-top:-36px;margin-bottom:0px;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulloverlap]letter-spacing:1px;font-family:oswald;font-weight:200;font-size:12px;position:relative;text-align:center;margin-top:-0;margin-bottom:-5px;color:#e8e8e8;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody]div-align:center;text-align:justify;width:380px;line-height:15px;letter-spacing:.5px;font-size:12px;font-family:roboto;color:#d6d6d6;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullinfo]width:380px;font-family:oswald;font-size:12px;font-weight:200;color:#767676;text-align:right[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullcredits]width:380px;font-family:roboto;font-size:12px;text-align:center;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Oswald]
[googlefont=Roboto]

close tab

played by

nellethiel

Nomi; The Visionary

She/Her

November 9

Ecruteak, Johto

Bisexual

Prophetess

Head Scientist

5'2" / 157 cm height

Curiosity is one of the great secrets of happiness.

awards

1,636 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nomi

POSTED ON Sept 28, 2023 4:09:42 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","nomitest2"]

[attr="class","text"]

Isaac Merlo was being watched. For weeks now, they'd searched for him, a shroud of mystery surrounding his whereabouts. Something powerful had coiled itself around him like an impenetrable cloak; whenever her spies got close, they could feel it: as cold and crisp and clear as winter's first snow, and as steadfast as the dawn.[break][break]
They kept their distance, recording, remembering. But finally, they found their opening, and they led her right to him.[break][break]
And so it was that Nomi ascended on the back of Trillium, the same way she had traversed the surface of Meteno, soaring higher and higher until the air had thinned and the island below was a splotchy mess of greens and browns. Far above the sounds of battle, it was peaceful in the clouds, the sort of serenity that promised soft breathing and whispered words of affirmation and perhaps even mended friendships.[break][break]
Kallistatus, her herald, popped into existence next to Isaac. The shiny Unown-K bobbed up and down in front of him, intent on communicating a simple warning: she's coming.[break][break]
And when she emerged - maskless, pink hair wind-swept, cheeks flushed, eyes bright with focus - she took one look at Isaac and felt her heart break all over again. Memories of his shattered and bleeding body came rushing back to her - along with the guilt, as potent and piercing as ever.[break][break]
Heart quivering, chest aching, Nomi tried - and failed - to find the right words. She'd rehearsed this moment countless times and yet, when it came down to it, had absolutely no idea what to say.[break][break]
But he did look different enough to comment on it.[break][break]
"Isaac, is that really you?"[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","tag"]Isaac Merlo

[break]

NOTES

✦ Resurfaced Treasure: Sky[break]
✦ Outfit vibes (face uncovered + pink hair tied up)

50 MP for participating in an MP Thread[break][break]10 MP for an IC post

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Shiny Unown-K (Kallistatus) | Levitate | Hidden Power | DARK TERA SHARD

[attr="class","credit"]

MADE BY GUNSMILE

[googlefont=Poppins]
[newclass=.nomitest2]--accent:#f798d6;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nomitest2]font:12px Roboto;letter-spacing:.25px;line-height:15px;[/newclass]
[newclass=".nomitest2 b"]color:var(--accent);[/newclass]
[newclass=".nomitest2 i"]color:var(--accent);[/newclass]
[newclass=".nomitest2 u"]text-underline-offset:3px;text-decoration-color:var(--accent);[/newclass]
[newclass=".nomitest2 a"]color:var(--accent);font:12px Roboto;[/newclass]
[newclass=".nomitest2 h1"]font:bold 15px Poppins;color:var(--accent);letter-spacing:.1px[/newclass]
[newclass=".nomitest2 h2"]font:bold 14px Poppins;color:var(--accent);letter-spacing:.1px[/newclass]
[newclass=".nomitest2 .text b"]font:bold 12px Poppins;letter-spacing:.1px;line-height:15px;[/newclass]
[newclass=".nomitest2 .tag a"]font:bold 15px Poppins;letter-spacing:.1px;[/newclass]
[newclass=".nomitest2 .pkmn img"]margin:-10px -7px 0px -7px;[/newclass]
[newclass=".nomitest2 .credit"]font:10px Poppins!important;[/newclass]
[newclass=".nomitest2 .credit a"]font:10px Poppins!important;[/newclass]

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Sept 28, 2023 13:04:45 GMT

jayden cross and Aurelie Lefevre like this

[nospaces]

[attr="class","isaac2"]

[attr="class","topimage"]

[attr="class","textbox"]Was that a warning? Or was it exactly what Isaac wanted to see?[break][break]

Isaac smiled at the Unown's presence, as if he were reuniting with an old friend. He'd been there, after all, when Nomi had met her herald. It was the strength of their spirits, their passions, their hopes that had helped win the Unown over to her side. Truth be told, Isaac knew she could've done it without him in a heartbeat. He was there, though, and that meant a world of difference for both of them.[break][break]

Now he wasn't. It hurt, but he knew it needed to be done.[break][break]

She soared to the skies in soldier's garb and angel's wings. The contrast was as stark as it was unsurprising. This wasn't Aurelie Lefevre, who until today had barely seemed like a Rocket in Isaac's estimation. Nomi had been a fervent believer in the cause. She went from grad student to head scientist in record time under their regime. She'd adopted several members of Rocket as pieces of her own fractured family.[break][break]

If Maldacena's app was to be trusted, she was no stranger to the depths they'd sink.[break][break]

Isaac knew all of this, and yet he couldn't help but perk up a little as he saw Nomi coming. She was his dear friend. She was his confidant, in all matters bar this. She was someone for whom the term "love" wasn't quite right yet wasn't quite enough. Up here, alone with nothing but the stars, the divide between them almost didn't seem to matter.[break][break]

"Who else could it be?" It didn't matter how much pain there was behind it. That confident smile lit up the sky like the northern lights. "We both know there's no one like me."

[attr="class","oocbox"]
TAG — Naomi Sato [break]
NOTES — notes go here

[newclass=".isaac2"] --color:#c4c067; [/newclass]
[newclass=".isaac2"] margin: 0px auto; background-color: #111; min-height: 500px; width: 450px; margin: 0px auto; padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom:20px; } .isaac2 .textbox a, .isaac2 .textbox i { color:var(--color); } .isaac2 .textbox b { font:bold 13px/10px 'Poppins'; color:var(--color); } .topimage { background-image: url(https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1058305315642286080/1155427871351906335/image.png); height: 250px; width: 400px; background-size: cover; background-position:50% 20%; margin: 0px auto; } .isaac2 .textbox { line-height: 15px; letter-spacing: .5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: roboto; color: #d6d6d6; margin: 20px auto 0px; text-align: justify; padding-bottom: 20px; background:#1E1E1E; padding:30px 50px; background-image: url(https://image.ibb.co/cpf8Wc/flower_patt.png); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: bottom; } .isaac2 .oocbox { border-top: 3px solid #333; padding-top: 10px; width: 260px; margin: 20px auto 0px; text-align:left; [/newclass]

close tab

played by

nellethiel

Nomi; The Visionary

She/Her

November 9

Ecruteak, Johto

Bisexual

Prophetess

Head Scientist

5'2" / 157 cm height

Curiosity is one of the great secrets of happiness.

awards

1,636 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nomi

POSTED ON Oct 1, 2023 19:52:09 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","nomitest2"]

[attr="class","text"]

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes at the sound of his voice.[break][break]
There was no doubt: his hair might be a little darker and his overall appearance rugged in a way it hadn't been before - but it was him. He was a man on the run, with a newfound purpose, doing his best to weather a particularly nasty storm, but he was also the same Isaac Merlo she knew and loved.[break][break]
She let out a tense breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, and allowed the relief to wash over her: Isaac was alive.[break][break]
In the wake of that relief, however, came the anger. The distress. The pain.[break][break]
"You promised," She insisted softly, unable to hide the anguished tremor in her tone. "You promised you wouldn't leave me."

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","tag"]Isaac Merlo

[break]

NOTES

✦ Resurfaced Treasure: Sky[break]
✦ Outfit vibes (face uncovered + pink hair tied up)

10 MP for an IC post

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Shiny Unown-K (Kallistatus) | Levitate | Hidden Power | DARK TERA SHARD

[attr="class","credit"]

MADE BY GUNSMILE

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Oct 1, 2023 20:13:03 GMT

Aurelie Lefevre likes this

[nospaces]

[attr="class","isaac2"]

[attr="class","topimage"]

[attr="class","textbox"]Isaac had long prepared for the anguish of this moment. He'd already felt it many a time on this day alone. He felt it as Aurelie Lefevre's fist sank into his gut. He felt it as @tempest shouted him down with insult after insult. He thought he was ready. He had to be.[break][break]

None of that stopped the stab to his heart as Nomi made her plea.[break][break]

"I did. And I failed." There was no use beating around the bush. There was no use making up excuses or trying to make himself look or feel better here. If he wanted to reach Nomi's heart, he'd need to accept her pain for what it was. Only then could they ever hope to rebuild. "And I regret that more than anything."[break][break]

"But I don't regret what I had to do that night."[break][break]

Nomi wasn't just another rank and file grunt, so disconnected that his betrayal had been a surprise. She wasn't a husband to an Underboss, spoonfed bias under a veil of shadow. Nomi was, arguably, one of the most well-informed and well-educated members of the whole damn organization.[break][break]

She also had a thousand eyes to watch over her domain, and a thousand arms to make her will so.[break][break]

"You already knew that, didn't you?" The same feeling of being watched, the one that had come to a head as Kallistatus appeared before him. It had lingered since his burner phone lit up with that fateful message. Traitor. Isaac Merlo. Wanted Dead. There was no way she didn't know. "How much did you see?"

[attr="class","oocbox"]
TAG — Naomi Sato [break]
NOTES — notes go here

close tab

played by

nellethiel

Nomi; The Visionary

She/Her

November 9

Ecruteak, Johto

Bisexual

Prophetess

Head Scientist

5'2" / 157 cm height

Curiosity is one of the great secrets of happiness.

awards

1,636 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nomi

POSTED ON Oct 26, 2023 17:31:44 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","nomitest2"]

[attr="class","text"]

How much had she seen? She'd seen a broken and bleeding man, sprawled across death's doorstep, barely holding onto life. She'd seen Petalburg Woods, in all its singed glory, holding the almost-dead man in a forlorn embrace. She'd seen a God of her home region, beautiful and ethereal, standing protectively over its newfound champion, intent on preventing the last thread of Isaac Merlo's life from being cut.[break][break]
"Just the aftermath," she replied with genuine sadness. "But I know what you did." And who you did it for.[break][break]
A frigid breeze blew between them, chilling her to the bone. She shivered, but remained steadfast upon Trillium's back. Rage and grief fueled her, warmed her from the inside, but she kept her expression mostly calm. The last time she'd lost her temper, she'd nearly turned Parker's apartment into an impenetrable crystal fortress.[break][break]
"Do you understand why I'm angry, Isaac?" She sighed into the wind. They'd been friends for a long time, best friends, but his defection had shocked her all the same. She wondered if her reaction was equally surprising to him.[break][break]
The thing about love was that it often blinded.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","tag"]Isaac Merlo

[break]

NOTES

✦ Resurfaced Treasure: Sky[break]
✦ Outfit vibes (face uncovered + pink hair tied up)

10 MP for an IC post

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Shiny Unown-K (Kallistatus) | Levitate | Hidden Power | DARK TERA SHARD

[attr="class","credit"]

MADE BY GUNSMILE

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Oct 26, 2023 17:50:53 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","isaac2"]

[attr="class","topimage"]

[attr="class","textbox"]"The aftermath?" For a second, Isaac's face lit up. "Does that mean you saw them, too? Suicune? Celebi? And did you see how I healed the woods? Okay, I know I was running a lot by that point, so maybe you lost track of me. But, you were right, Nomes! Just like you always are! We're gonna change the-"[break][break]

The blissful joy rolling off his body, ripples of golden courage and green compassion, was almost as bright as the smile on his face. Both only dropped when they saw the anguish her mask could barely contain. Right. They may have both seized their destinies, but only after their paths diverged.[break][break]

"I do." Little by little, the aurora ebbed away. In its place, only the darkness of space remained. "I told you I'd always be there for you. And I meant it with all my heart. But how can I do that, when I can't be here for you? Of course you're mad. I failed you."[break][break]

"I'm not gonna blame you if you hate me for it."[break][break]

Even saying that was like a stab to the heart. His voice, despite his best attempts at keeping it even, wavered by the end. Nomi was special to him. She always was. She always would be. The idea of losing that, losing her, was as unthinkable as letting Caleb Harcourt rot in his all too literal bondage.[break][break]

"But I know you loved me, once. Hell, in a way, you still do." It was a different love, one he reciprocated eagerly and without a shred of doubt. "Just for that, please. Let me tell you what happened. And if you don't like what you hear . . . well, you've got the universexat your fingertips. I'm sure you've got options."

[attr="class","oocbox"]
TAG — Naomi Sato [break]
NOTES — notes go here

close tab

played by

nellethiel

Nomi; The Visionary

She/Her

November 9

Ecruteak, Johto

Bisexual

Prophetess

Head Scientist

5'2" / 157 cm height

Curiosity is one of the great secrets of happiness.

awards

1,636 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nomi

POSTED ON Nov 6, 2023 20:44:46 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","nomitest2"]

[attr="class","text"]

Celebi? Nomi blinked. No, she had not seen Celebi.[break][break]
Isaac continued on before she could ask about it, however, and Nomi froze as he said something that - had her heart not already been broken by his defection - would have shattered it.[break][break]
I know you loved me, once.[break][break]
"Loved you once?" She shouted, a sudden hot rage spilling out of her like molten lava. The audacity! The assumption. Did he really think of her that way?[break][break]
She ought to have seen the signs, anticipated the outcome - but just like the last time she'd been blindsided by information about Isaac, Nomi began to lose control of her emotions.[break][break]
In response, reality began to change. The Unown were her family. They would will into existence what her heart desired, for good or for ill.[break][break]
All around Isaac Merlo and his Crobat, cloud wisps began to transform into shimmering blue crystal, the color of Kallistatus. Just like in Parker's bedroom so many days ago, the crystals reacted to Nomi's unbridled anger, forming into deadly spikes with razor-sharp edges rather than innocuous gemstones. Their smooth surfaces - akin to Tera Crystals - were beautiful, but they carried with them an imminent threat of violence, should Isaac fail to choose his next actions - and words - wisely.[break][break]
"Of course I love you STILL," Nomi sobbed, tears welling. "I could never hate you, Isaac! That's why I'm angry. You were willing to die for one Rocket prisoner? After what we had JUST been through, with Holo?" More crystals appeared around Nomi, haloing her in an ethereal light. "You promised me you'd stay. You promised me you'd fight. How can you defend Hoenn if you're constantly on the run? How can you save this region if - "[break][break]
If we aren't together.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","tag"]Isaac Merlo

[break]

NOTES

✦ Resurfaced Treasure: Sky[break]
✦ Outfit vibes (face uncovered + pink hair tied up)

10 MP for an IC post

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Shiny Unown-K (Kallistatus) | Levitate | Hidden Power | DARK TERA SHARD

[attr="class","credit"]

MADE BY GUNSMILE

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Nov 6, 2023 21:07:40 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","isaac2"]

[attr="class","topimage"]

[attr="class","textbox"]The thing about Isaac was that he let his big, tender heart rule him. No matter how many times life tried to hold him at the edge of a blade, he refused to hide it from the world. As crystalline spikes surrounded him, every bit as incredible and dangerous as their conjurer, Isaac knew what he had to do.[break][break]

He leaped from Sunny's back.[break][break]

The northern winds blew right through the spikes, sounding like a thousand windchimes as the frigid breeze caressed them. Isaac was gone; not in the metaphorical sense of a man who just jumped out of low orbit, but entirely and truly gone. So, too, was Sunny, only the Illumina Crobat's glow left in its wake.[break][break]

When the winds unfurled moments later, Isaac was right by Nomi's side. In spite of her rage, in spite of her grief, in spite of her heartbreak, he held her closely and protectively for what may have been the final time. "That makes two of us," he promised her before parting. From the quiver in his voice and the plea in his eyes it was clear he'd meant it.[break][break]

"I've never been strong like you, Nomi." She was a walking force, someone who turned heads from her brilliance, her presence, her drive. She was a head scientist before she was even a graduate. She was, in every sense of the word, amazing. "I can't stand against the world like you can. But I'm a survivor. I'm always one step ahead of the game. That's when I'm at my strongest, Nomes. Not when I'm running away, but when I've got something I can run towards."[break][break]

She was life, the universe, and everything, the fulcrum around which the world hinged. He was the waters, the winds, and the ephemeral light above, both the harshness of the winter storm and the serenity left in its wake. He was what kept the world spinning around that hinge. Together, they were unstoppable, and yet they were fundamentally different.[break][break]

"I risked my life for the man who helped me change the world, 20 years ago in Galar." He knew she was there, even if she wasn't There. Even as the details grew fuzzier by the day, she had to remember, right? "He was being tortured. I couldn't let that happen. And I guess the universe agreed, because it couldn't let me die. Trust me. Cillian Quinn tried."[break][break]

"The fact that I tried, no matter the odds, no matter the pain . . . that's what made Suicune notice me, I think. If I didn't act then, I don't think I would've even made it this far. But I did. I'm here. And now I'm stronger than I've ever been before. Not because of what Walsh or the League or the Triad or some bogus destiny tell me to be, but because of who I am."[break][break]

"And for once? I think that's enough."

[attr="class","oocbox"]
TAG — Naomi Sato [break]
NOTES — notes go here

close tab

played by

nellethiel

Nomi; The Visionary

She/Her

November 9

Ecruteak, Johto

Bisexual

Prophetess

Head Scientist

5'2" / 157 cm height

Curiosity is one of the great secrets of happiness.

awards

1,636 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nomi

POSTED ON Nov 14, 2023 17:45:32 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","nomitest2"]

[attr="class","text"]

Maybe the fact that Isaac could disappear right into the wind ought to have shocked her, but Nomi had seen the birth of the universe: her brain was far more willing to accept the impossible than it had been prior to her Avatarship.[break][break]
All the same, she froze. Time seemed to stand still. Her heart hammered in her chest, so loud she was sure the world below could hear it, even from such a height. Isaac's arms were wrapped around her in a tight embrace, and the low candor of his all-too-familiar one-of-a-kind voice was whispering words of sorrow and sincerity and love and it just. Wasn't. Fair.[break][break]
I've never been strong like you, Nomi.[break][break]
The chiming of the crystals crescendoed, building and building until there was a great shattering. Sparkling dust rained down upon Nomi and Isaac and their Pokemon, covering them unceremoniously in supernatural glitter. Tears streamed down Nomi's cheeks as he held her.[break][break]
And I guess the universe agreed, because it couldn't let me die.[break][break]
"I can't do this without you," Nomi sobbed, and finally - because she was only human, after all - she allowed herself to hug him back, hands balling fistfuls of his jacket, body trembling violently. "I can't stop the Triad, I can't stop Arceus, I can't stop the next Meteno - I can't stop ANY of it alone. I don't care if you're Rocket or League or something else entirely - I need you on my side, Isaac. I need you to live."[break][break]
She pulled back to look at him, sniffling as she regarded all of the ways he had changed - from the physical differences to the subtleties in how he carried himself and it struck her that he looked lighter somehow. Unburdened.[break][break]
"What does Suicune call you?" She asked quietly, already knowing the answer.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","tag"]Isaac Merlo

[break]

NOTES

✦ Resurfaced Treasure: Sky[break]
✦ Outfit vibes (face uncovered + pink hair tied up)

10 MP for an IC post

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Shiny Unown-K (Kallistatus) | Levitate | Hidden Power | DARK TERA SHARD

[attr="class","credit"]

MADE BY GUNSMILE

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Nov 14, 2023 18:08:58 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","isaac2"]

[attr="class","topimage"]

[attr="class","textbox"]As Nomi clutched him tight and sobbed, Isaac found himself gently stroking her hair. For a moment, they weren't Rocket's head scientist and their most wanted traitor. They weren't a pair of the region's newest Avatars. They were just a grad student and a runaway, thrust into a world a thousand times too big for them and expected to somehow make it all work.[break][break]

"You're never going to be alone. You know that, right?" His voice was as soft as the rain of crystals that danced around their heads. "You've got the Unown, but that's not all. Wherever you go, people notice you. They love you." He laughed a little, his own smile radiant as they parted to get a better look at each other.[break][break]

"It's like you don't even realize how quickly you impressed me."[break][break]

Arceus, what Isaac wouldn't give to return to that first day. Everything felt simple. Clear. No Dark Triads, or world ending meteors, or crises of faith. Just a free-wheeling vigilante living in the comforting side of his shades of grey. He knew it'd be impossible to go back. It wouldn't change what he knew now. Yet how he wished all the same.[break][break]

"But even if you've got the Unown, and everyone, and the world's eyes on you, you're always gonna have me, too." For all Isaac distrusted Rocket, he trusted Nomi with his life. How else could he surrender to her arms so easily? "And you've seen how much of a stubborn little shit I can be, so you know I'll make good on it."[break][break]

The Triad deemed him a Purifier. Barf. The idea of twisting people to his own ideal of purity just sounded like tyranny in disguise. No, Rocket had major issues. The League did too. But the people within? They were just people, ones who deserved a chance to lead their lives their way. This was the ideal Isaac fought for, and the one that brought Suicune to his side.[break][break]

"The Liberator. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" It certainly fit the man who, even now, held Nomi so protectively out of the reach of her own fetters. "And how about you, Ms. Architect to Never Be?"

[attr="class","oocbox"]
TAG — Naomi Sato [break]
NOTES — notes go here

close tab

played by

nellethiel

Nomi; The Visionary

She/Her

November 9

Ecruteak, Johto

Bisexual

Prophetess

Head Scientist

5'2" / 157 cm height

Curiosity is one of the great secrets of happiness.

awards

1,636 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nomi

POSTED ON Nov 16, 2023 4:46:12 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","nomitest2"]

[attr="class","text"]

Oh, Parker will kill me, came the unbidden thought, as she allowed herself to be soothed by Isaac's familiar and oh so gentle touch. And of course, he was right: she would never be alone, so long as the Unown were with her. For a girl who had spent the majority of her life abandoned by family and too brokenhearted for friendship, the greatest gift the Unown had bestowed upon her by choosing her as their Avatar was the promise of constant companionship - and the knowledge that they, too, had been waiting. Waiting so very very long.[break][break]
Waiting for someone to love them.[break][break]
She ignored his compliments - not because he was wrong to give them, but because she didn't have time to dissect them, to take them apart piece by piece and hold space for them. There was simply too much at stake to really enjoy it, which was its own tragedy.[break][break]
"The Liberator," she repeated, the rightness of it rolling off the tip of her tongue. "It's fitting." He'd betrayed Rocket by freeing a prisoner from his cage. But other signs had been there, hadn't they? Isaac was as independent as they came, the heart that beat beneath his chest had always resisted chains.[break][break]
"The Unown call me The Visionary," she answered in turn. Kallistatus bobbed beside her as if in agreement. "They showed me a vision in the Unown Dimension, when we were escaping Holo. The birth of the universe, Isaac. The moment when Arceus created existence as we know it. They were there for that. The Unown are the oldest living creatures."[break][break]
She paused, trying to find the words to properly explain.[break][break]
"I saw the beginning, Isaac. I cannot unsee it. And now I am tasked with seeing to our end. An end that ought not come prematurely."[break][break]
It was a heavy burden. One she feared he could not liberate her from, no matter how hard he wished to try.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","tag"]Isaac Merlo

[break]

NOTES

✦ Resurfaced Treasure: Sky[break]
✦ Outfit vibes (face uncovered + pink hair tied up)

10 MP for an IC post

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Shiny Unown-K (Kallistatus) | Levitate | Hidden Power | DARK TERA SHARD

[attr="class","credit"]

MADE BY GUNSMILE

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Nov 16, 2023 14:26:24 GMT

Elisabeth Fiorelli likes this

[nospaces]

[attr="class","isaac2"]

[attr="class","topimage"]

[attr="class","textbox"]"Couldn't think of a better name for you." The Unown weren't the tools that Nomi used to construct a world to her liking. They were their own entities, sharing their knowledge with one who truly understood and cared. Even without them, she'd always be a visionary in Isaac's books. "Knew we'd both prove the Triad wrong."[break][break]

If Isaac was being honest, he didn't put more stock in most legendaries than he did in any other Pokemon. Sure, they were incredible, and so were the gifts they conferred. Did thar make them always right? Isaac wouldn't go that far. Elisabeth Fiorelli alone was proof that they had their own agendas, every bit as complicated and fallible as man's.[break][break]

The Unown were another story. They were the word of Arceus made flesh. They were there for the beginning, and they'd be the last things remaining at the end. Even if they were just another Pokemon, they were an impossibly ancient Pokemon whose perspectives and knowledge covered the lifespan of the universe. Their counsel was invaluable.[break][break]

Nomi was invaluable.[break][break]

"Then I'm not letting you see yours early, either." Even now, even as they stood on opposite sides of an ever-widening fissure, Isaac pledged to protect her. "You're the key to all of this. If we're gonna stand against the Triad, we need you. And if push comes to shove, I'm gonna make sure they know it."[break][break]

He sighed, frustration rolling out from his shoulders. "That we're even fighting over this . . . if we could just put this shit aside until reality's saved, we would've figured out this island's deal by now."[break][break]

Why did Walsh have to be a monster?

[attr="class","oocbox"]
TAG — Naomi Sato [break]
NOTES — notes go here

close tab

played by

nellethiel

Nomi; The Visionary

She/Her

November 9

Ecruteak, Johto

Bisexual

Prophetess

Head Scientist

5'2" / 157 cm height

Curiosity is one of the great secrets of happiness.

awards

1,636 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nomi

POSTED ON Nov 22, 2023 14:34:17 GMT

illeana reyes and lam logan like this

[nospaces]

[attr="class","nomitest2"]

[attr="class","text"]

Why did the League have to be so stubborn?[break][break]
Isaac was right: they didn't need to fight over an island. They didn't need to allow personal vendettas and past grudges and political differences guide their decision making, divert their attention from the real enemy. Their collective enemy. The island was yet another anomaly, and if they weren't careful, the DRK Triad would swoop in and attempt to use the energy beneath it for their own selfish, enigmatic purposes: Nomi did not know what those were, but she did know that they were certainly related to Hoenn's ultimate demise.[break][break]
"This war is a needless distraction," Nomi agreed. "A waste of time and resources. The real war is coming, Isaac," she cautioned, knowing how ominous those words must sound. "I have tried to get through to some of - " (she wouldn't say your people, she couldn't, not yet) " - the League agents sent to this island: gym leaders, Elite Four, scientists. Talented individuals too skilled to be throwing themselves at a pointless conflict. But..."[break][break]
She paused, thinking of Navy. Thinking of lam logan. Thinking of Greyson Connors. Thinking of illeana reyes, most of all. Had she really convinced them? And would it end up mattering? They had so little time.[break][break]
A breeze blew between them, and Nomi shivered, feeling suddenly small.[break][break]
You're the key to all of this.[break][break]
"I need to find Arceus," she whispered, as if in prayer. "That is the key to all of this."[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","tag"]Isaac Merlo

[break]

NOTES

✦ Resurfaced Treasure: Sky[break]
✦ Outfit vibes (face uncovered + pink hair tied up)

10 MP for an IC post

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Shiny Unown-K (Kallistatus) | Levitate | Hidden Power | DARK TERA SHARD

[attr="class","credit"]

MADE BY GUNSMILE

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo