"I am." His words come through after a brief pause to survey what he could through the fogged terrain.

His effort proved fruitless.

A hand clings to the cloth bound around his face, bringing it tighter as he hopes to delay any of the effects they might soon feel taking place. "What's your call?"

SMOG (OD)

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[attr="class","icon"]

he breathes a sigh of relief when he sees DEREK HOFFMAN, knowing that the other man is real and not just some fabricated version of the interdream mist.

[break][break] or so he hopes.

[break][break] "let's survey the area, just to make sure there aren't any rockets about. you're good for that, right?"

[break][break] ollie begins to lead the way down the path, just as tofu jumps from his shoulder to the other man's to greet him with a friendly pikaa!

[attr="class","bottom"]DEREK HOFFMAN[break]
SMOG (2/2)

"Sure." A gentle fist bump would meet the pokemon as he follows along, averting his gaze from the pikachu before it could provide much distraction.

Eager footsteps press on through the fog, waiting to see what they might find. And perhaps another chance, he thought, to compare himself to the head ranger.

His leader, and king...once upon a time. As the fumes make their way through his mask, an amalgamation of his greatest failures poke through.

The scene presents itself as the clash for the seal stone in the Ultra Deep Sea. The Brute Bonnet before them is an obvious challenger, though there are two more figures obscured by the mists. The practiced eye would notice a gun pressed against one of their heads. "What a pain..."

Could Ollie see this, or was it just him?

SMOG (OD)

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ollie remained — just as he had in the weeks or maybe months following the ancient tomb raid — ignorant to the thoughts plaguing his friend. he believe in him, just as he believed in any comrade on their side.

[break][break] but the mist could not ignore it. the mist, just like it always did, clued in on one's deepest insecurities at a moment's whim. today, it chose DEREK HOFFMAN.

[break][break] ollie squinted off into the distance as they padded forward into the fog.

[break][break] "is that..."

[break][break] his words trailed off, just as his emerald eyes began to widen. he recognized them. those two people. it couldn't be.

[break][break] "come on!"

[break][break] he sprinted forward into the dark, the golden armor of his ranger uniform disappearing into pink fog.

[break][break] when he turned on the other side, he would be standing closer - but still far enough away from the two shadowed figures. a gun in one hand, a look of desperation in the other.

[break][break] 'derek? what are you doing?'

[break][break] 'you don't deserve her,' a voice growled. 'you never did!'

[break][break] ollie morales. you're just a coward at heart.

[break]

[attr="class","bottom"]DEREK HOFFMAN[break]
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...Guess that's my answer.

While Ollie is steadfast on their mission, the lower-ranked ranger finds his footfalls slowing to a standstill as the scene plucks away at tender heartstrings.

The head ranger might not understand who they're speaking of, but Derek is sure of it. A sleight of hand summons his pokemon, it's light of ruin eradicating the paradox pokemon from existence. He hopes to destroy them before they could reveal anymore than they had.

But the other two of them still remained, breathing life into a well kept secret from their time in Galar.

there were others before you! the false derek continues mouthing off incessantly. 'maybe even myself!'

As they stare onward towards the illusion, Derek has to wonder...who did she kiss...who did she choose first?

'what makes you so special compared to the rest of us?!'

SMOG (OD)

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the interdream mist, no matter how often that ollie faces it, is always more powerful than him. it sinks into his deepest insecurities, and brings them to light.

[break][break] he doesn't realize it yet that those figures were not conjured by himself but rather derek.

[break][break] so he is relieved when the other's quick thinking eradicates the foggy shapes with a flick of his hand. the LIGHT OF RUIN is instantaneous in destroying the paradox pokemon.

[break][break] "i-" ollie stumbles back, looking in confusion towards the other. "we - we should go! it's just the mist. come on!"

[break][break] the head ranger reaches for his friend (they were friends, right?) and tries to tug him away.

[break]

[attr="class","bottom"]DEREK HOFFMAN[break]
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As a familiar hand tries to guide him away, Derek briefly tugs against the head ranger. The longer he allowed the mists to put on this display, the more likely that Ollie would come to question where he stood.

But his zeal might be a little suspicious...

"...If you say so, sir."

With the ranger eventually allowing Ollie to lead him from this demonstration, he tries to ignore the final words echoing in his own voice.

'did she ever even bother to tell you anything about it?!'

The subordinate's silence would be very telling, if noted.

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ollie should have stopped. he should've asked. sir? since when did derek call him sir?

[break][break] but in that moment, all he wanted to do was to be free of the mist. and as much as those two figures would haunt him for the remainder of those days, he would lead them away at whatever cost.

[break][break] as he tugs them away, his heart stutters against his ribcage as he hears that final outburst.

[break][break] 'later,' ollie told himself. 'i'll ask about it later.'

[break][break] and just like before, that deepest part of his insecurity echoed:

[break][break] coward.

[break]

[attr="class","bottom"]DEREK HOFFMAN[break]
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...Why isn't he saying anything?

As Derek acknowledges the hurried manner in which the head ranger drags him along, their silence invites a sense of worry.

And why didn't the damn mist just spawn some paradox monster like every other time?

Derek didn't feel like being around them had brought up any hard feelings. At least, not anything strong enough to actually bother him. To provoke this kind of reaction.

Part of him wanted to speak. To lighten the mood. Perhaps even question what Ollie made of it. But it seemed, as they continued their mission, things were going to stay quiet.

Too quiet.

He's my boss. Derek considers how far along Ollie has come.

He definitely could tell that I wasn't surprised back there.

But until the head ranger was ready to punch in that ticket, Derek loyally followed like nothing was wrong...

END OF THREAD

SMOG (OD)

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