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TAG WITH @penelope

POSTED ON Oct 17, 2023 4:58:00 GMT

spiral and shiv's baby likes this

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When natural disasters strike, so do the tremors that follow like echos of chaos itself. On the worst occasions, these tremors seek more damage than their parental counterparts.
[Break][break]
"Close the door behind you."
[Break][break]
Ragged and raspy, the councilwoman's voice could barely carry its own sound, much less the cadence she normally donned. She was downright forced vulnerable.
[Break][break]
"And lock it! I don't want anyone else coming in."
[Break][break]
Right after what happened down in the underground, she nearly tore herself from the group, leaving them only with promises of her return. @dahalia understood. And the others? Well, they could think what they want.
[Break][break]
Ribbons of red tore at her neck and chest, no different than the very scars that now rend her insides in two.
[Break][break]
Most would see it as natural - hair naturally bends to wind, after all - but Penelope saw it as weakness. Desperation masquerading as a simple divation from the classic braid that would normally sway to and fro behind her back.
[Break][break]
Carefully, as if she were her own prop, she took to the desk, turning her back toward Gunner Graves and placing both her hands against its mahogany frame.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Gunner Graves[break]

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TAG WITH @gunner

POSTED ON Oct 17, 2023 14:27:17 GMT

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Gunner had followed Penelope back to the HBIC headquarters building, her silent shadow. The agitation radiating from the councilwoman was palpable, so thick that one could almost reach out and touch it.[break][break]

He knew better than to let it brush against others. He waved off anyone who dared approach. His eyes communicated to curious onlookers what he dared not express in words: Keep out of the way. She's fine. Don't ask questions.[break][break]

In that way, he was her shield.[break][break]

Back in her office, Gunner closed the door and locked it without question. He turned to face her, only to be greeted by her narrow back as she leaned against her desk.[break][break]

He took three steps across the room toward her. When he spoke, his voice was low and quiet. "What happened, Penny?"[break][break]

Not Miss Livy. Not Penelope.[break][break]

Penny.

[break][break][break]

TAGS – PENELOPE LIVY[break]
NOTES – mission

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Captain

Penny, the coveted

She/her

September 25

Petalburg

heterosexual

HBIC Director

Council

5'6" height

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TAG WITH @penelope

POSTED ON Nov 23, 2023 9:57:33 GMT

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Endless combinations of words flooded her mind, creating and rearranging sentences, all to which did little on explaining what happened. It was as if the memory had become a black hole completely, voided of all value. But, at the same time, every second of its being was carved into her.
[Break][break]
"..."
[Break][break]
Silence filled the gap between councilwoman and subordinate. The truth would indicate weakness, but lies would only further creeping dejection.
[Break][break]
"I don't know," finally, words began to spill. Her eyes sought comfort in the swirls of mahogany wood and the small rainbow of colors that dotted her desktop. None of it helped. "I had no control over it."
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Gunner Graves [break]

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he / him

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Fallarbor Town, Hoenn

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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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TAG WITH @gunner

POSTED ON Nov 25, 2023 23:07:07 GMT

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Gunner frowned at Penelope's admission. She didn't know? What exactly did that mean? She had been in the meeting chamber with the other members of AQUA. And when the rescue squad had finally reached the tunnels beneath the building, she'd been awake, alert, and whole.[break][break]

"Did you hit your head while you were down there?" Gunner asked, unwilling to jump to any conclusions just yet. Occam's Razor suggested that the most straightforward explanation had to involve a head injury of some kind.[break][break]

"A concussion, maybe, or were you unconscious?"[break][break]

The agent did not want to think of the more complicated possibilities unless forced to.

[break][break][break]

TAGS – PENELOPE LIVY[break]
NOTES – mission

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Captain

Penny, the coveted

She/her

September 25

Petalburg

heterosexual

HBIC Director

Council

5'6" height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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TAG WITH @penelope

POSTED ON Nov 30, 2023 8:48:30 GMT

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"No," eyes squeezed shut, the councilwoman shook her head to the world that drawled out of her. No concussion could blame the infernos she'd spun, much less the destruction that befell the book and those around it. There was only her and the devil that swam by her side.
[break][break]

"i mean -- back there -- I lost control, and I don't know why."
[break][break]

Well, she did and she didn't.
[break][break]

Slowly, with the care of a woman fighting for every shuddery breath, every painful rattle of her collected thoughts, she turned to face the mirroring flame to which allowed her the briefest touch of relief.
[break][break]

Her expression was a messily sewn mask. Shades of fear, regret, pain painted the encroaching cracks ruining it's craftsmanship.
[break][break]

"When the ground first gave out and we entered the lower chambers, everything was fine. No one got hurt from the fall. But then we came across this unfamiliar Pokémon. It looked prehistoric, ancient,"
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Like something straight out a fairy tale.
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"It was aggressive, so we were forced to defend ourselves. But when I tried to--"
[break][break]

A short pause split through her words. Flashes of memories raked through her mind, all at once, some reminding her of Michael Navidson and the dangers she'd forced upon him, while others danced through the disappointment, the shame, that was casted upon her. Deserved, and yet, wildly misplaced.
[break][break]

"When I tried to provide aid, I lost control. It was POG Bank all over again, Gunner."

[break][break]

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POSTED ON Nov 30, 2023 18:06:37 GMT

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Gunner's mouth pressed into a thin, grim line, and the furrow of his brow deepened. Lost control?[break][break]

During their secret training—which, admittedly, were few and far between—Penelope had been growing accustomed to her powers, able to manipulate them with greater care with every session.[break][break]

Had it all been for nothing? Had Chi-Yu lulled them into a sense of security, only to rip it away in a legitimately dire situation?[break][break]

No, Gunner decided. He did not dare believe that. She simply needed more time and practice.[break][break]

"It's okay, Penny. You're not hurt. No one got hurt." Or so he hoped. A part of him knew that likely was not the case. "Did it appear, too? Your… benefactor?"[break][break]

Chi-Yu, he meant.

[break][break][break]

TAGS – PENELOPE LIVY[break]
NOTES – mission

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Captain

Penny, the coveted

She/her

September 25

Petalburg

heterosexual

HBIC Director

Council

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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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TAG WITH @penelope

POSTED ON Dec 3, 2023 23:08:33 GMT

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"Yes."
[break][break]
In some ways it was still there now, swimming through the shadows of her thoughts, her memories, her everything. There was no escaping the second beating heart from her system.
[break][break]
"I'd thought I'd gotten better at keeping it at bay, but..."
[break][break]
Spectral fingers trickled down her back, evoking a shudder. A twitchy reminder to its never ending reign over her entirety.
[break][break]
"it'll never leave, will it?"
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Gunner Graves[break]

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"Lancer"

he / him

September 5

Fallarbor Town, Hoenn

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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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TAG WITH @gunner

POSTED ON Dec 4, 2023 17:16:50 GMT

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At Penelope's quiet confession, Gunner moved.[break][break]

He crossed the distance between them to stand beside her at her desk, then placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. His intent was to provide a grounding touch, something that could bring her out of her thoughts and into the present.[break][break]

"I don't know the first thing about what it means to be an Avatar," he started, choosing his words carefully. His voice was low, conspiratorial. "But all Pokémon have a mind of their own. Whatever Chi-Yu wants, it will use you to get it."[break][break]

Gunner's grip on her shoulder tightened a fraction, just enough to emphasize his next words.[break][break]

"But what if you could work with it? Appeal to it? Instead of keeping it at bay, come to some kind of agreement so that it can bolster your strength with its own. Don't let it control you. Control it instead."[break][break]

Because the last thing the League needed among their ranks was an Avatar who couldn't command her own powers. Penelope had brokered a deal with the Ruinous Beast, but she wasn't benefiting.[break][break]

If she could, then at least the sacrifices she'd made would matter.

[break][break][break]

TAGS – PENELOPE LIVY[break]
NOTES – mission

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Captain

Penny, the coveted

She/her

September 25

Petalburg

heterosexual

HBIC Director

Council

5'6" height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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part of

TAG WITH @penelope

POSTED ON Dec 4, 2023 22:22:45 GMT

Greyson Connors likes this

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Penelope was a ship lost at sea. What was once familiar terrain, marked by countless voyages, was now blanketed in rolls of fog, twisting memories into faded nightmares. There were no lighthouses to spot a way through, nor pokemon who'd provide swift swim through it. There was nothing at all. Just fog.
[break][break]

The soft touch of gunner's hand - was it light beckoning her forth, promising a way ashore? Or was it another monster awaiting its turn to strike?
[break][break]

For all the time they'd spent together, there hadn't been a single reason to doubt the man's loyalty. He'd been there for the victorious, helped sweep away mistakes that would crumble the very foundations of everything she's worked for; if he was searching for vulnerabilities, there was already a sufficient amount to pawn away.
[break][break]

His grip tightened, and for a heartbeat of a second, the councilwoman was readied to spill everything. Her chin cocked up toward him, eyes slightly widened with a glossy glaze that spoke more of Penelope than councilwoman Livy ever could.
[break][break]

"it will use you to get it."
[break][break]

And then his words solidified the horrors blossoming inside.
[break][break]

Greyson Connors , MATIAS SILPH .
[break][break]

Once trusted, now discarded. Even ollie morales had once betrayed the fragility of their trust.
[break][break]

Would this be any different? Would he run away too?
[break][break]
She looked at Gunner - really looked at him - and for a split second, the storm ceased its cries. The fog was lifted just enough to peak through its veil.
[break][break]

"When we made our pact," she began, her words a slow saunter. Torched memories made discerning ash from ash nearly impossible. "I thought I understood it. Our goals might've differed, but there was this unmistakable connection. And I thought through that,"
[break][break]

It'd be easier.
[break][break]

That this wouldn't be the price others had mentioned.
[break][break]

That she wouldn't fall victim like others had.
[break][break]

"I thought it'd change things."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Gunner Graves [break]

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gunsmile

"Lancer"

he / him

September 5

Fallarbor Town, Hoenn

pansexual

paralegal / special agent

lieutenant

6'1" / 185 cm height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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TAG WITH @gunner

POSTED ON Dec 5, 2023 0:16:00 GMT

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Their conversation had entered territory with which Gunner was completely unfamiliar. Avatars, Legendary Pokémon, and the nature of the bonds between them were beyond his understanding.[break][break]

He could only listen to Penelope and try encouraging her strength. She had not climbed to her seat on the council, to the directorship of the HBIC, without it. And he would not let a Ruinous Beast siphon it out of her.[break][break]

"Maybe it's not too late to change things," Gunner said, "and maybe it isn't supposed to change the way you originally thought. Sometimes we think we know things will go, only to be blindsided by reality."[break][break]

He knew what that felt like all too well.[break][break]

"That's okay, though. You're indomitable, Penny. I fully believe that."[break][break]

Brutal honesty and grim determination gathered in his eyes and lined his face. No matter what else Gunner Graves pretended to be, he was loyal, through and through.[break][break]

"I wouldn't still be here if I didn't believe in you."

[break][break][break]

TAGS – PENELOPE LIVY[break]
NOTES – mission

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Captain

Penny, the coveted

She/her

September 25

Petalburg

heterosexual

HBIC Director

Council

5'6" height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

2,714 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @penelope

POSTED ON Dec 5, 2023 1:47:14 GMT

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A hand gingerly meets his upon her shoulder, returning the squeeze he'd given her.
[break][break]

If there are only a few certainties to their lifetime, this must reign as one of them: Gunner was nothing if not loyal.
[break][break]

"Thank you," She said through a genuine smile. Coveted by name, envious by nature, what rebuilds a fractured fortress faster than the very bricks of confidence that layered its foundations? [break][break]

"You're right. Maybe there is another way to appeal to it. Something that might realign our interests again."
[break][break]

The world hadn't healed. Turmoil still raged onward, beating to that same, never-ending snare drum that rings her awake at night.
[break][break]

But that didn't matter. Not at that moment. Because at least she wasn't alone in this.
[break][break]

"If I can just grow to understand what it wants, then I'm sure the rest will follow through."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Gunner Graves[break]

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played by

gunsmile

"Lancer"

he / him

September 5

Fallarbor Town, Hoenn

pansexual

paralegal / special agent

lieutenant

6'1" / 185 cm height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

1,302 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @gunner

POSTED ON Dec 5, 2023 1:53:50 GMT

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The returning squeeze Penelope gave Gunner's hand reassured him enough to match her smile with his own. Relief washed over him at the sight of her rallying.[break][break]

Still, he withdrew his hand. He did not wish his touch to linger.[break][break]

"Have you tried speaking with Chi-Yu directly instead of waiting for it to appear on its own?" he asked. "Instead of pushing it away, maybe inviting it to build more of a connection would have better results."[break][break]

But then he paused, his brow furrowing with a hint of skepticism.[break][break]

"Will it even come if you ask, though?"

[break][break][break]

TAGS – PENELOPE LIVY[break]
NOTES – mission

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played by

Captain

Penny, the coveted

She/her

September 25

Petalburg

heterosexual

HBIC Director

Council

5'6" height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

2,714 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @penelope

POSTED ON Dec 19, 2023 2:05:23 GMT

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"I don't know."
[break][break]

Ignorance was the rope tied around her neck, keeping her in place. It was a shameful answer to give - one that did more to unravel the deep-seeded fears that avatarship sowed. And yet, there was no escaping the bleeding truth. It was infectious as envy that bubbled beneath her skin. [break][break]

"After POG bank, I thought it would better to wait till after I regain some control."
[break][break]

But neglect only further exacerbated the damage, turning a trickle into a flood.
[break][break]

"I guess I was wrong."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Gunner Graves[break]

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played by

gunsmile

"Lancer"

he / him

September 5

Fallarbor Town, Hoenn

pansexual

paralegal / special agent

lieutenant

6'1" / 185 cm height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

1,302 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @gunner

POSTED ON Dec 19, 2023 14:29:21 GMT

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Gunner understood Penelope's desire for caution. What happened at POG Bank had been terrible and terrifying; thankfully, her strength of will had prevented them from being burned alive at the last minute. But he also understood her aversion to a repeat scenario. [break][break]

But they were running out of time. Their choice to wait until she had better control over her powers clearly wasn't working. [break][break]

"You've had a long day," Gunner said at length. "You should go home and rest, and then tomorrow, we can try talking to Chi-Yu. How does that sound?" [break][break]

She'd do the talking, of course, but he'd be by her side the whole time.

[break][break][break]

TAGS – PENELOPE LIVY[break]
NOTES – mission

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played by

Captain

Penny, the coveted

She/her

September 25

Petalburg

heterosexual

HBIC Director

Council

5'6" height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

2,714 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @penelope