[break]
Nenet's reaction was not unprecedented. Nomi had brought several people - Rocket and League alike - to the Unown Dimension, and not all had taken it well. And she could not really blame them for it - after all, it was incredibly jarring to be yanked from a comfortable, familiar reality to a brand new, rather alien one without much real warning.[break][break]
What are you?[break][break]
It was a question rarely asked, and yet, it was the crux of Hoenn's anomalous nature. Avatars were a major reason the DRK Triad was intent on ushering in the apocalypse meant for their home universe, and they were also a major reason Hoenn was able to survive as long as it had. Avatars were protectors, but also destroyers. They were blessed with power, but it was a double-edged sword. To stand apart from the rest of humanity, to be poisoned by energies incompatible with the human body under any other circumstance...it was a difficult thing to live with, let alone explain. On top of all that, there was the unique burden the Unown had placed upon her.[break][break]
"I am something of a prophet," Nomi found herself saying, though it was far from a boast. If anything, it was an admission twinged with grief, and the heavy acceptance of a specific destiny. "The Unown chose me as their Avatar." She paused, meeting the other woman's gaze. "And - as you have likely already figured out - I am a member of Team Rocket. Just like Zev."[break][break]

TAGS – Neffatari Nzingha[break]
NOTES – Mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

NOTES

- Naomi Sato.[break]
- Mission: Make It Double.

MADE BY GUNSMILE

Nomi was not offended by Nenet's musings; after all, it wasn't exactly common knowledge that the Unown were capable of bonding an Avatar. Nomi had not fully understood it until it had literally happened to her. The Unown were complex creatures: the building blocks of existence. Perhaps not legendary in the traditional sense, but certainly mythically unique.[break][break]
"A single Unown is a useful spy, but not particularly powerful," Nomi explained to Nenet. She looked up at the swirling Unown above them with fondness. "But together? Together, they can rewrite reality itself."[break][break]
They were a family, each one a letter of an age-old alphabet, each one having been present at the moment of creation. How connected they really were to Arceus was a mystery, one Nomi was intent on figuring out.[break][break]
"They've asked me to 'see to the end,'" she answered truthfully, though the statement was inherently cryptic. "The Unown that have allied themselves with me are those that oppose the DRK Triad's agenda. Kallistatus - " she nodded at the shining blue Unown-K that remained dutifully by her side. " - once belonged to a woman named Nisa Holo. It betrayed her to join me."[break][break]
It occurred to Nomi that Nenet may not fully understand who the DRK Triad were, and the threat they posed to Hoenn. That, too, was her mission: to spread the word. To gather Hoenn's forces. To create unity between Rocket and League for the purpose of their collective survival.[break][break]
"How much do you know about the DRK Triad?"

TAGS – Neffatari Nzingha[break]
NOTES – Mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

NOTES

- Naomi Sato.[break]
- Mission: Make It Double.

MADE BY GUNSMILE

"They are trying to destroy our world."[break][break]
An ominous statement, blunt and direct, but Nomi knew Nenet was not the sort of woman to balk in the face of harsh truths.[break][break]
"The DRK Triad believes that our Hoenn is the origin point for a predestined cataclysmic event, one that will collapse every single reality in existence. They work for Arceus - supposedly - and are keen on ensuring our region's anomalies can be... contained prior to said apocalypse."[break][break]
Her tone was clinical, detached. There was no point getting worked up about the facts. The important thing was to ensure Nenet understood the gravity of the situation. She was a scientist like Nomi, and if there was one thing they all needed, it was brilliant minds capable of choosing logic over panic or denial.[break][break]
"They fear Avatars for some reason. DRK Triad member Nisa Holo attempted to kill me in the RKS Machine in order to prevent me from becoming the Unown Avatar. Curiously - she expected my title to be The Architect, but I am, in fact, The Visionary."[break][break]
A small smile returned to Nomi's lips, proud and determined.[break][break]
"They are not all-knowing. I believe we can defeat them, and protect our home from destruction. Whether or not there is really some larger-scale disaster looming on the horizon...I cannot say. The first step is to make sure we survive the DRK Triad's agenda...then, we'll face whatever comes next."

TAGS – Neffatari Nzingha[break]
NOTES – Mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

NOTES

- Naomi Sato.[break]
- Mission: Make It Double.

MADE BY GUNSMILE

It was at that moment, as Nenet pressed forward with question after question, that Nomi realized that she had divulged far too much information, all at once - remembering, with a sudden pang of guilt, that Nenet was neither a member of Team Rocket nor someone who's life she wished to complicate more than it already had been.[break][break]
She married Zev, Nomi reminded herself. Her life is already far more complicated than the average person's, Rocket aside.[break][break]
"I've worked with Zev for a few years now, actually," Nomi answered. "Before he became...what he is now." A creature of void and crystal. She had to assume that Nenet was aware of his transformation. His merging with Necrozma. "He was already a member of Hoenn Rocket when I joined."[break][break]
How distant that felt now, her first meeting in the back room of Howling at the Moon.[break][break]
"The RKS Machine is a Rocket creation, yes. It was built using a Seal Stone, recovered from deep within the Ultra Deep Sea. It was the thing we were...hunting, when you were attacked."[break][break]
Her expression turned sincerely apologetic; the echoes of Nenet's injuries were still visible, after all.[break][break]
"I helped create the machine. It's a vast network of simulated realities, highly realistic scenarios, that, we hope, will lead us to Arceus." She waved a hand. "But that's not how the Unown found me. I started befriending them long before that...it wasn't until Holo - a member of the DRK Triad - attacked me in the RKS Machine, that I was chosen as their Avatar."[break][break]
She smiled up at them, expression full of adoration and gratitude.[break][break]
"They saved my life."[break][break]
After a moment, her eyes met Nenet's once more.[break][break]
"You know...I think you'd find the RKS Machine quite fascinating. I also have a Deoxys core in my possession, that I could really use an astrobiologist's opinion of. Have you..." she hesitated, not wanting to appear overly eager. "Have you considered joining us? Joining Rocket, I mean."

TAGS – Neffatari Nzingha[break]
NOTES – Mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

NOTES

- Naomi Sato.[break]
- Mission: Make It Double.[break]

MADE BY GUNSMILE

She means it.[break][break]
Nomi had expected intrigue, perhaps a series of follow-up questions, but not outright acquiescence. After taking a moment to process the promise in Nenet's tone, however, Nomi realized something. Nenet actually cared for Zev, their marriage a sincere affair, founded on more than just a mutual attraction: perhaps they really did love one another, in a sense. It was the only explanation for why she was already so willing to join with Rocket, any barriers merely logistical.[break][break]
"I understand," Nomi replied, nodding. And she did, of course. She worked hard to protect her own academic career from her Rocket loyalties. The sudden memory of GIDEON GRAVES, broken and bleeding in the Ultra Deep Sea, caused a pang of guilt to surge through her. There had been too many close calls already. Best for all of it to remain as separate as possible.[break][break]
"I'll leave it to Zev, to properly bring you into the fold when it is time. Once it's official, send word to me. I will take you into the RKS Machine myself, as well as show you the Deoxys core. There's so much work to be done, Nenet..."[break][break]
She trailed off, feeling the weight of her mission heavy on her shoulders.[break][break]
A sudden prickling of her skin, an unsettling feeling of being watched, alerted her that it was time to leave the Unown Dimension.[break][break]
"We can't stay here much longer. But I can bring you back for further study, later on." She paused. "Thank you for trusting me."

TAGS – Neffatari Nzingha[break]
NOTES – Mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

NOTES

- Naomi Sato.[break]
- Mission: Make It Double.

MADE BY GUNSMILE

Nomi gently took Nenet's hand in hers, and the other woman's sudden exhaustion was not lost on her. I hope she can get some rest, Nomi thought.[break][break]
With one last glance at the swirling Unown, she closed her eyes, and concentrated. Within seconds, they were back in the alley outside the cafe. Cool air tickled Nomi's cheeks, and she took a deep breath, steadying herself. Kallistatus became invisible once more, watching her back from the shadows.[break][break]
"We'll be in touch," she assured Nenet.[break][break]

TAGS – Neffatari Nzingha[break]
NOTES – Mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]