Broken Down Negotiations [S]

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park

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Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

I've got a, I've got a

Pocket fulla sunshine

Short King height

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

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Isaac Merlo

Broken Down Negotiations [S]

POSTED ON Jan 2, 2024 3:24:36 GMT

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[attr="class","isaac2"]

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[attr="class","textbox"]"I'm no stranger to that place."[break][break]

That was an understatement. He'd been there to ravage the mountain, the scar hovering in the sky above a painful reminder of what he'd contributed to. He'd returned there near-religiously to mourn, both for the one he'd lost on that fateful night and for all the ones caught in his wake. Even when he wasn't there, he found his eye wandering to the mountain, as much a fixture to his life as it had been to Hoenn.[break][break]

At the mention of a stranger with comic relief, he couldn't help but sigh wistfully. "I've always preferred going it alone," he admitted. "Grief's always been a personal thing for me. Felt bad about dragging people into mine. But . . . hell, gotta admit you've probably got the better idea of it."[break][break]

It was easy, with words, to say he should be more open with his pain and hold it less against himself. Putting it into practice was far less simple. Isaac was far better at giving others the comfort he denied himself, no matter how many times life tried to help teach him that lesson. At least recognizing his issue was the first step to facing it.[break][break]

"But, hell. We spend too much of each year worrying about that, don't you think?" The pain in Isaac's voice drained away, the warmth of a smile taking its place. With sand and grass beneath their feet, and Mt. Pyre a distant figure on the horizon, they had finally arrived in Lilycove. "Maybe today of all days, we should focus on what brings us joy instead."[break][break]

Slowly, gently, the winds began to unfurl, guiding June to a gentle stop.

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TAG — june sleigh [break]
NOTES — notes go here

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rysa

June Bug

she/her

twenty-seven

April 21

Mauville City

Bisexual

Delivery-Person

civilian

5"4' height

Swallow the Heart and Kill the Senses

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june sleigh

Broken Down Negotiations [S]

POSTED ON Jan 5, 2024 2:21:24 GMT

“Oh.”

Well. This was awkward. June let the man vent his struggles while she floated and listened. She wanted to shove her fingers into her ears and drown out the noise, but that would’ve been rude. Terribly rude. She couldn’t do that to the guy that saved her ass. Besides, he didn’t monologue like she thought he would.

Instead, he tried to end it on a lighter note as they descended on their destination. Even worse. At least her feet managed to touch the ground without any wobble to her relaxed muscles. Knight jolted awake from the reverberation of the metal tub, eyes wide and head pivoting around. Once he realized what was going on, he relaxed but coo’d quietly to himself. It sounded dark.

“Hard to do that,” June dusted the wayward bits of leaf and snow off her body, “but I’ll see what I can do.”

Focusing on things like ‘joy’ and ‘grief’ were a luxury. Even if she wanted to (she very much did not), the holiday season waited for no sideways soldier. Time marched on, and she would lead the charge. Or something– better not say it aloud. Probably one of those things that sounds better in her head.

Instead, she reached into her backpack and prepared to cringe at whatever this guy had to say. “Well, saying you covered my ass is an understatement. So… give it to me. I’m ready. What’s your price?”

June bit her lip and scrunched her eyebrows down. Even the sickeningly salty air from the distant sea couldn’t distract her from the imminent pain. Arceus, maybe she was better off selling out for couples therapy instead of a quick ride.

Isaac Merlo

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played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

I've got a, I've got a

Pocket fulla sunshine

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

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TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

Isaac Merlo

Broken Down Negotiations [S]

POSTED ON Feb 8, 2024 17:58:22 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","isaac2"]

[attr="class","topimage"]

[attr="class","textbox"]"That's okay. These days, it's one of the hardest things we can do."[break][break]

Isaac remembered those Team Rocket days, the belief that he had finally found something exciting and important decaying right before his eyes. In but a year's time, he'd turned over that excitement and found the festering underbelly that hid beneath. He was never the worst of the worst, but how much harm had been done in the shadow of his "harmlessness?"[break][break]

He remembered the time before that, wandering Hoenn with no home, no resources, no contacts, no plan, and no hope. If Rocket had been a misguided effort, this had been no effort at all. It took Maldacena's sick game, ending in a death at the hands of his own downloaded doppelganger, to realize where his surrender would get him.[break][break]

He remembered a time earlier still, his acute lesson about the pecking order at home and his prison at its bottom rung. To be hated for the sins of a father he'd never even known was something he'd become far too accustomed to, far too quickly. From an early age, he knew he had to get away. It just took a decade to find what he was looking for.[break][break]

"Makes trying even more important, if you ask me."[break][break]

It was an act of rebellion.[break][break]

"Don't sweat the price. Not like there's any gas money to cover." He'd considered cracking a joke about all-natural wind and water power, but that was lame even by his standards. "So just get big bird over there some snacks once you're done. Then we can call it even."

[attr="class","oocbox"]
TAG — june sleigh [break]
NOTES — notes go here

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played by

rysa

June Bug

she/her

twenty-seven

April 21

Mauville City

Bisexual

Delivery-Person

civilian

5"4' height

Swallow the Heart and Kill the Senses

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545 posts

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june sleigh

Broken Down Negotiations [S]

POSTED ON Feb 11, 2024 20:11:55 GMT

That was it? Just give the bird a snack? Hell, June had half a dozen granola bars inside her saddlebags alone. Knight ate almost anything she put in front of his beak. It sounded like the cheesiest thing ever, but… well. Not like she was in any spot to argue.

If the man wanted her to give him an early lunch, then he’d get an early lunch.

Knight agreed as he nodded his tired head at what Isaac said. “Well then, I guess I’ll do just that. No complaints here.”

But now there was little reason to stick around. They weren’t at the exact final destination, as they were currently on a beach right next to Lilycove proper. Yet it wouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes to fly the payload to the warehouse and collect the cash. June took her hand out of her backpack and stood there awkwardly.

“Welp. Thanks again for helping me out. If you ever need something delivered, just hit me up,” She instead pulled out a business card out of her pocket and gave it to Isaac. It was for her delivery-service and looked far from the professional ones all the big businesses had. Like something a failing graphic design major would make right before they dropped out.

June broke away and dragged herself over to Knight. He didn’t argue this time, and let her properly mount the saddle. “Oh, and… whatever your name is?”

“Whatever you’ve got going on… it’ll probably work out. Always does, for people like you.”

Isaac Merlo

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

I've got a, I've got a

Pocket fulla sunshine

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

Isaac Merlo

Broken Down Negotiations [S]

POSTED ON Feb 12, 2024 14:58:17 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","isaac2"]

[attr="class","topimage"]

[attr="class","textbox"]Isaac smiled as he took the business card. The whole operation had the same homespun quality Locke's had, way back when. A part of Isaac missed the guy badly. Another part of him knew that it was for the best they disappeared. When Rocket cried for retribution, he knew his housemate would've been first in the line of fire.[break][break]

Maybe, now that he was finally as safe as could be, he could stop fearing such closeness with others.[break][break]

"You got it," he said, knowing the first Palentines since the Floristry burned down was but months away. Somehow, he had a feeling the festivities would continue either way. Hoenn was stubborn, and it was never one to let mass destruction get in the way of its desperate attempts to reach for a normal life.[break][break]

"Can't say I've got a card, but. You ever need anything, just head to the Petalburg Woods." Maybe one day, he'd put down roots. Then the people he finally let in could finally put a place to his face. Until then, he had his ways. It was better than nothing.[break][break]

Maybe better than nothing was the best he could do. He wanted to snark at June as she mentioned things would end up working out. Sometimes to Isaac, it felt like he was in a race to the bottom. He'd wasted massive chunks of his life, and most of his attempts at doing better blew up in his face.[break][break]

Yet for once, he stopped getting stuck up in his own head. Instead, he truly considered June's words. Despite everything, he was still here. He was still standing. He was capable of great things, ones he'd never even dreamed of. He'd found the community and purpose he'd always longed for. The road had been long and treacherous, and even now would prove quite the ordeal. That didn't change that he'd faced that ordeal time and time again, making it out by the skin of his teeth.[break][break]

"I guess it does, huh?" he admitted, smile soft and grateful. "Well, one way or another, here's hoping the same for you."[break][break]

With that, he turned to walk off, shooting a quick wave over his shoulder. "The name's Isaac, by the way," he said, winds swirling around his feet with every step. In one step, two steps, three, he was off, his body once more vanishing into a cool breeze. In his wake, only a few words lingered behind. "Catch you later!"

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TAG — june sleigh [break]
NOTES — notes go here