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Here lies the endless recklessness of one silly teenager who doesn't quite know where to draw the line between what she sees on social media and what is reality. Not that she isn't quite adept at media literacy, for starters, knowing quite well how to distinguish reality from the likes of fiction, but ... when there are ghosts involved she does not quite know how to rein herself in and keep a more rational than excited approach to life. She just wants to know.[break]
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Thus, she heads off with her usual gang, deciding to let the Grookey tag along because she feels at unease leaving him alone, too, though it is the Misdreavus that accompanies her through the sandy winds of the deserts, all until ... "Here we are," Vespa hums, a sparkle visible in her eyes as she descends the steps. Her preparations have been rather lackluster - there is no sophistication to her, but she tried to make the most of what she reasonably owns, concluding a brute force of sheer curiosity and stubbornness that she ventures with.[break]
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She does notice the faint footsteps in the sands, marking the arrival of someone else prior, but she doesn't think much on it until she is engulfed in the shadows of the tomb, darkness cast over her as she enters those once-sacred, desecrated places where Ghost types seem to roam a little. For now, she does not bother with using her phone as flash light - and only when she jumps at the faint figure of another, does she remember that she isn't alone, but a "WOAH!" echoes throughout the graven halls regardless. Or maybe, it's-?

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there's no phone flashlight to illuminate rosemary's path, just the dim glow of her led lamp that her father had suggested for nighttime roadside emergencies. hardly something that would preserve the intended majesty of the temple, nor would it instill fear into the hearts of raiders who might decide decided to pillage such grounds. though now, rosemary admits with a bemused huff, she can imagine why ancient looters would be intimidated.[break][break]

a sense of unease finds a home beneath her skin once more, which only worsens when she hears the keen echoing off the walls of the cavern. her eyes dart around wildly, seeking the source of whatever ghoul or ghastly apparition that had sent that omen into the ether. her head spins for a moment, adjusted to the silence of her thoughts rather than the intrusion of another soul in her proximity. the sickness climbing her throat now confirms what she'd realized too late in her adventure:[break][break]

she'd forgotten to eat today.[break][break]

more pressing matters arise when she hears a scuffle of a foot against stone, followed by a shout into the darkness. a gale. whatever has come has not come silently, it seems. she narrows her eyes at the silhouette, hands scrambling for the holster at her belt. they pause halfway, quivering, rosemary silently kicking herself for such foolishness, letting her curiosity lead her into the depths where anybody could have overtaken her. where anybody could have gotten to her before she got to them.[break][break]

"who's there?" she calls out to the stranger, her voice lilting with a nervous, quavering cadence, fervent and laced with thinly veiled wariness. her hand grasps the cold metal of her lamp, as though she could wield it as deftly as she could a firearm. "i'm armed!" she adds, her voice cracking at the peak of the second syllable. she winces. she wishes that was as convincing to her as it sounded.

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Perhaps, Vespa truly isn't made to be in places where she hasn't been invited first - having a flashback to when she accidentally broke into kasper thaler's home and has been threatened with a knife, she feels a sense of déjà-vu in this moment, too, making her grin rather wryly on top of the sense of unease that overtakes her. Though she sees nobody quite yet, she raises both her arms in a state of giving herself away, not making the same mistake that she did last time where panic reigned supreme. Her phone is still alight, too, a finger constantly pressing on the screen to ensure it stays that way.[break]
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"Uh ... I'm not armed, so - maybe - we can solve this ... friendly? Hah ... At least I think we both startled each other, so that should do it, right? I - uh - I'm just a passerby ..." she tries to sound reasonable, stuttering and stammering over her own words as she yet is still in the process of finding the right ones to say. The Misdreavus is only partially helpful, snickering into her ear and blowing chilly air against her hair, but at least she isn't going further away from her, possibly scaring any armed person. "I'm - Vespa, you?" she introduces herself in a last-ditch effort, feeling how her arms already weaken from holding them up. Ack ... yeah, maybe she should work out ...

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the last time rosemary had been surprised by an intruder she'd been eleven, home alone, and very, very sure she was about to be kidnapped or murdered. the girl had been her cousin, elizabeth, who had mistaken her for the murderer she was so sure loomed in the house that afternoon and let out a bloodcurdling scream that had attracted her father's security, which then had to sort out the chaos that had ensued in rosemary's quiet afternoon home alone.[break][break]

as then, as she is now, her grip does not loosen on the gun. it wavers slightly as her heart throbs between beats, but she finds in the girl's voice what she needs to stay her hand.[break][break]

a light flicks on, and rosemary blinks rapidly at its sudden radiance, even as it remains pointed away from either's eyes. in its eerie glow she sees a girl not unlike herself, haloed by the wind-tousled strands of obsidian. wide, expressive, and very afraid green eyes find her own, and rosemary's chest eases just a bit. something in the girl's face tells her that she, too, had found herself where she had least expected, led by the ghosts of some whim or curiosity.[break][break]

"i'm—i'm rosemary," she answers finally, taking a shaky step forward, then another, until she's close enough to see the whites of the girl's eyes without the aid of anything but the weak lamp's glow and the other girl's phone screen. "i'm sorry i threatened to shoot you." she glances over her shoulder, as though expecting to find some great beastie or demon at her back, snarling for her to finish her thought. she doesn't find any.[break][break]

when she turns back to vespa, it's with a face that is apologetic in nature, if still somewhat wary. "um... what brings you to this... abandoned tomb?"

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The silence threatens to shatter something in the young student's courage, perhaps wondering whether or not she should beg for her life in front of someone who is most certainly more prepared to face this curious place than she is, but ... fortunately, the other - Rosemary - must have decided her not to be a threat before she needed to go to such lengths. "Oh-" escapes her first before Vespa's heartbeat calms down and she is able to muster up a smile, hands waving, "ah, it's fine - sorry for scaring you. And - thanks, y'know, for not shooting." As much as she tends to urge her best friend Cassandra Kubrick to stage a fake death, as far as her fascination for Ghost types and the Border go ... she does not actually intend to die so soon. There is so much more to be done in this world, and she wouldn't be able to do that - well - unalive.[break]
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"Mh? Me? Uh - I saw rumours about this online, so I thought to look for myself ... how about you? Wanna team up? If you are headed for the innermost room, I mean." The Misdreavus, in the meanwhile, comes forth from lurking more in Vespa's shadow, two widened eyes looking at the stranger with curiosity, though no malice. "Oh - also, that's my partner, Quinn Crisp. She's playing mighty, but is actually pretty harmless," Vespa introduces the ghost with a grin as she notices how she floats forth, giving her a light punch that goes through most of the Pokémon anyway - as if affected by the impact, however, the ghost still floats away, a snickering wail escaping from her.

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"oh—" her voice, not a whisper, yet not daring to reach louder than that, stretches between them before it fades. rosemary regards vespa with careful eyes, weighing options, risks, consequences, her father's voice drilling into her ear over what's best for the company, for her health, for the war. as her eyes drift from vespa's face to the ghost beside her and then back, rosemary feels that gnawing worry in her chest lessen and a half-forgotten warmth takes its place.[break][break]

she finds herself in an exhale. a grin. a light laugh, soft and short as it is, still foreign as it breaks past the barrier of her lips. her hand lowers the lamp, and then her fingers unclasp from the gun entirely. she can feel the cold, still present at her back.[break][break]

"yeah," she agrees, hoping that this does not show how desperately she wants this. "yeah, i'd like that. if you don’t mind the company of another idiot adventurer."

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To be honest, it's still very nerve-wracking to stand opposite a girl with a gun, even as she apologised and put the weapon away - she still senses some sense of wariness until it slowly trickles away and despite the Misdreavus being a little gremlin (albeit a cute one for once), she still feels herself exhaling in relief, a cheshire grin covering her features when the other agrees with teaming up. "Hey, two idiots ought to be good for something, right?" Vespa hums, approaching the other more closely at last, though trying to maintain a respectful distance. But here goes nothing ... and she feels the excitement pump back into her veins, replacing fear and suchlike. "Let's friccin' go!"[break]
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Thankfully, there is not too much that goes off in the next minutes - however, as the battery of her phone is drained away from being used as a lamp most of the time, as they reach places where the air is disturbingly thick and heavy with the stench of centuries, if not thousand of years ... As Vespa starts to feel dizzy, they reach a long hallway, lined with one coffin after another - sarcophagi with golden ornaments, distinct designs that immediately alert her. But the voices are tempting, too ... Lamps lighting up one after another, almost inviting, almost welcoming, as if they just waited for them to arrive.[break]
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"This is a strange room ..." she mutters under her breath as she approaches one of those coffins, a hand reaching out, to the whispers, as if she could just wrap her hand around promises of something-[break]
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-until she feels a cold chill run all across her face, a panicked Misdreavus coming into sight. "-did you just roundhouse-kick me?!" Vespa holds her cheek, though there is neither mark nor physical impact. Just a feeling of terror washing out the feeling of temptation entirely. Oh - oh, but she isn't alone - hastily, Vespa turns to see how Rosemary is doing, "-hey, are you alright? I don't think we should-"

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every detail that presents itself to rosemary sings a siren song of allure—the tantalizing sights, sounds, smells, textures that accompany discovery are too intoxicating to resist fully. her hands itch with anticipation as they creep through the tombs, hungry as her eyes are greedy. she drinks up every sensation, soaks in every arcane secret, her heart pounding in tandem with her footfalls as she trails after vespa, silent save for occasional hushed murmurings between the two.[break][break]

and all the while, as the two explore, rosemary cannot shake the sensation that they are being followed—worn footsteps that have tread this path countless times, the weight of spirits trailing after her. she clenches her fists unconsciously, nails digging crescent indentations into her palms that fade swiftly, only for her hand to brush against the worn leather hilt of her holstered gun.[break][break]

this strange sensation ebbs to reveal, after a moment, the silhouette of a cloaked figure seated atop one of many worn stone coffins, robed and enshadowed. as vespa reaches out to brush one ornamented surface reverently, rosemary senses something change in her peripheral, the atmosphere growing dense and heavy. dark energy crackles through the stale, sanctified air, raising hairs and eliciting a choked cry from rosemary.[break][break]

without thinking, she snatches her gun from its holster and levels it at the source of that horrible sensation.[break][break]

in her blind panic, rosemary shouts: "don't move or i'll—"[break][break]

but vespa's face says it all: there's nothing corporeal to shoot. rosemary lowers her weapon, blinking rapidly at vespa. "...what was that?"[break][break]

and it's as if on cue: a symphony of scraping stone on stone, each lid grinding open in perfect sync, revealing shadowy shapes that slowly unfold and stretch in a mockery of life. rosemary backs away until her back hits wall. as the shapes coalesce and take form, rosemary is pinned by an overwhelming sensation—[break][break]

—something terrible is coming, and there's nowhere left to go.

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Fear is quite a curious sensation - it tends to evoke a false sense of bravery in the young student sometimes, foolishly challenging fate to a duel she is bound to lose. It wasn't fear, however, that lured her to the edges of the tombs, now glaring open as the spirits wake one after another, but some other feeling that is hard to place. What would it even be that she desires? Victory, perhaps, but that is not something that those offering a defeating slumber could offer.[break]
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To Rosemary, however, Vespa manages to offer somewhat of a lopsided smile, "Cofagrigus ... and a couple of them." Alongside the other, she tries to find shelter close to the wall, even as the stone can barely conceal them in this open, stringent hallway. Yet, there is something else that catches her eye, what lies past the hallway lined with living resting places ... But it seems like there are but two options - to return the way they came, or to see what lies at the very end.[break]
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Pulling Rosemary gently if determined aside for a moment, she whispers, hoping the wild Pokémon won't take notice of them just yet as the Misdreavus keeps an eye on them, "so ... just so we're on the same page, but ... wanna move on? If we run really fast, we could make it past them-" Is it a stupid plan? Probably. Does she have anything else to offer? Absolutely not.

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rosemary may have lumped herself in the 'idiot adventurer' category, but she doesn't think she's that much of an idiot. who runs blindly past open caskets and grasping, incorporeal arms?[break][break]

people who don't survive horror movies, that's who.[break][break]

"are you insane?" rosemary hisses into the dark, her eyes blown wide and her breath ragged and puffy. sweat gathers at her temples as she gestures wildly down the hallway. "they're gonna... curse us! or something!"[break][break]

every part of her body, every wretched inch, begs her to return from whence she came. this is no home for her. it is her burial ground, and it seeks her blood. if there were any sign to leave while the going is good, this is one of them.[break][break]

but looking into vespa's eyes, bright and confident and daring, rosemary happens upon many fundamental truths. first, rosemary is a coward. a weak-willed, craven, terrified coward. she would sooner run at the first sign of trouble than bear through any necessary evil. it is why she bows to her father's every whim, it is why she does his bidding, it is why she weaponizes a war, it is why her hands are permanently stained red.[break][break]

second, rosemary is certain vespa would go ahead without her, even if rosemary did turn tail.[break][break]

third, rosemary could never forgive herself if she abandoned vespa to this, admittedly, very stupid fate.[break][break]

the decision is made. rosemary has officially drawn herself into a corner. her lungs ache for salvation.[break][break]

"oh gosh," she stammers, hardly believing that she is about to agree. "oh my goodness. okay. fine. let's go."[break][break]

and, before she can change her mind, rosemary clasps vespa's hand in her own clammy palm and spurs into motion, dragging them both down the hallway at a breakneck speed.

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Factually, Cofragigus are kind of known to trap humans into their coffins and turn them into mummies, probably by sucking out their captive's life force and all that, but Vespa keeps that little fact to herself in face of the apparent panic in the other's face. Which, she can honestly not deny, either, there is something excruciatingly scary about this whole ordeal, but ... There is that and that is it. As much as rationale and reason would make them turn around with nothing to show and nothing to hold onto, there is this foolish feeling of wanting to prove a point, maybe, or - more simply - to see things through. Until the very end. She - they cannot quite now, can they?[break]
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But all such thoughts are having their difficulties making it past the young student's life, leaving her only with a somewhat intense stare match with Rosemary in an attempt to convince her of some strange feeling - misplaced heroism, misguided bravery, perhaps - that she cannot even put into real words. But maybe that's all it takes, from one malfunctioning brain cell to another. A bright smile lights up Vespa's whole face upon the eventual caving-in, a huge stone of burden falling off her heart in knowing that she won't have to do this alone. As brave as she may be, there is relief in knowing that in the very least, she won't be the only stupid soul.[break]
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"Let's do this-!" she is barely able to vocalise as Rosemary already runs ahead, catching her off-guard, but she is quick to adjust the pace, quickly placing one foot in front of the other - running, running, running, right through the middle of ghostly hands trying to catch them. Fortunately, the Misdreavus is getting the cue in shooing away what she can, Shadow Balls and Shadow Sneaks happening here and there as Vespa also indulges in the occasional scare battle by just ... shouting really loudly. It buys her a second to run the heck forth, at least.[break]
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Lunges burning, however, she nearly collapses as they reach the far end - a small chamber of sorts embedded into the corridor, carved into it like a resting ground, adorned with a singular altar. Vespa heeds it no mind at first, only wondering why the Cofragigus, having started their pursuit, now suddenly stop, not daring to come closer. One by one, they even seem to lay back to rest, with some staring warily at the two ... "That's strange behaviour for sure-" she mutters, somewhere between breaths, as she turns to Rosemary.

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