MARCH UPDATE

POSTED ON Jun 22, 2020 2:33:49 GMT

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Normally she would have been surprised to hear from Laurence Anderson, surprised to see his name come up across the top of her notifications. But given the current situation and the fact that she was still on-call as a ranger for the League, she had brushed it aside as necessity and not something else.[break][break]

And, because it was necessity, Stormy had agreed to meet with him in Verdanturf. [break][break]

The woman slides off the side of Wadjet's back, giving the dragon an affectionate pat on the neck as she comes around to the front. She offers the Pokemon a moment of affection, hands rising to gather the Charizard's face in her hands and share in their mutual warmth for a moment longer.[break][break]

And then she takes a deep breath to step up to the plate and find out what Lars had in store for her.

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[attr="class","tag"]Laurence Anderson

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Ven

Lars

he / him / his

thirty-three

july 26

alto mare, johto

don’t know, don’t care

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TAG WITH @lars

POSTED ON Jun 22, 2020 2:43:28 GMT

On the other hand, he wasn’t expecting the number he’d so casually contacted to reply back.

After that little fiasco, he thought she’d changed numbers or something. Get away from everyone else while still being visible in the social circles, and all that.

It had taken the course of several, well, ‘dates’ with a certain bartender to realize that maybe he was getting upset for no reason at all with her. Well, maybe burning the bridge prematurely was bad. Either way, there was a reason for him asking if she had some time to spare today.

Instead of a human, a Lucario greeted the woman as the door swung open. The auric abilities of Alpha flared to life for a few moments, before nodding and stepping aside to let the young woman in. The Lucario then pointed to the sofa, or the couch, before heading off deeper into the little flat to retrieve the man of the hour.

Who, by the way, just happened to be finishing up a nice little shower since it was so hot as of late. Several taps on the bathroom door later, Lars finally emerged, towel still in his damp hair before seeing he was no longer alone.

He’d only just thrown on a pair of pale orange shorts and had a shirt slung over his shoulder since he had come out of the bathroom due to his Lucario knocking rather insistently on the door to let him know that his guest had already arrived.

“That was quick,” were the first words that came out of his mouth. “Thanks for coming by on short notice.”

I hope this isn’t gonna be hella awkward

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stormy, bronwen

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twenty-five

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TAG WITH @stormy

POSTED ON Jun 22, 2020 2:53:06 GMT

Laurence Anderson likes this

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Stormy is simultaneously surprised and unsurprised that the person she meets at the door is his Lucario and not himself. However, she offers the Pokemon a smile in greeting as he opens the door to let her in. It occurs to her as she makes her way inside and toward the couch in the living area that she has never actually set foot in his house.[break][break]

Curiosity gets the better of her as she idly glances about the room. Though, when the man himself approaches smelling like fresh shampoo, she quickly brings her attention back to him. She had not, however, chosen to take a seat.[break][break]

"It seemed urgent."[break][break]

She clears her throat as he approaches, and she takes note of the fact he's not fully clothed. There's a shirt draped over his shoulder and a towel wrapped around his head. She can't fight the blush that creeps into her cheeks, however, at how inappropriate this situation might seem.[break][break]

"But I can, ah.. come back later, if you'd prefer."

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Ven

Lars

he / him / his

thirty-three

july 26

alto mare, johto

don’t know, don’t care

ranger & courier

ex-head ranger

6’2 hair down, 6’4 hair up height

nessuno vince.

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TAG WITH @lars

POSTED ON Jun 22, 2020 3:01:59 GMT

“Oh, this?” he gestured as he ran the towel through his hair for a few moments to get it dried off. “I just got out of the shower, really. Alpha was just being an ass, as always,” he said while looking over at the Lucario, who squinted back at him like he’d lost his mind.

“Anyway… I wanted to. Well, talk. About a few things, to be honest,” he continued. Even though he was stammering, there was still something amusing as his gaze caught sight of Stormy’s face—there was a healthy blush on it, so to speak.

“Would you want something to eat? Drink?” he offered a few moments later. Anything to keep the potentially awkward silence away!

how much more embarrassing would this have been if he showed up like, completely :OGeyes:

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stormy, bronwen

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twenty-five

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TAG WITH @stormy

POSTED ON Jun 22, 2020 3:15:35 GMT

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Stormy's hands curl and interlock behind her back as she shifts her weight. For the most part, she averts her eyes to be polite. They linger for a moment on the Pokemon who's been dragged under fire, and she almost chuckles.[break][break]

There is, unfortunately, a stifling discomfort that lingers between them. Up until this point they had avoided contact with each other. Lars had lashed out and insulted her and she had taken it to heart. Even still she finds it hard not to feel stressed in his presence.[break][break]

"So... this wasn't about business, then?"[break][break]

She blinks, meeting his eyes for a moment. His stammering deepens her anxious blush and she looks away, clearing her throat.[break][break]

"Sure, I could use a drink."

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Lars

he / him / his

thirty-three

july 26

alto mare, johto

don’t know, don’t care

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POSTED ON Jun 22, 2020 3:23:20 GMT

“A bit of both, actually,” is what he chose to reply with first as he made his way to the kitchen and began searching through the fridge. Bless that surprise grocery run he did a few days ago, the place was well-stocked and he would go without having to order so many things for a good while.

Returning to the living room where Stormy awaits, he’s back with a tray and a pitcher of juice, accompanied by two empty glasses. He sets these down on the coffee table, before realizing that she’s still blushing.

Much tempted as he is to inquire about this state, he decides not to and instead continued to try his hair once he’d taken the couch seat across the sofa.

“I—your brother came by and asked me a lot of things recently. Is he… is he always like that?” he inquired after he was done drying his hair and had poured out both glasses before offering her one to take.

he went right to it

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stormy, bronwen

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TAG WITH @stormy

POSTED ON Jun 22, 2020 3:37:53 GMT

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Stormy nods, but is otherwise unsure what to make of the situation. The way she had interpreted his message had spelled urgency, and yet he seemed quite at home being relaxed and indifferent. She had to admit, it was relieving and not at all what she had been expecting.[break][break]

While he disappears to grab drinks, Stormy remains in the living area rolling on her heels and losing her train of thought. It's only when he reappears and sets down glasses and a pitcher of juice that she comes back to the task at hand.[break][break]

He takes a seat and resumes towel-drying his hair, and she lingers a moment before taking a seat on the opposite end of the room from him. Hands fold in her lap and she maintains posture while he brings up her brother.[break][break]

"Fernando - yes. Calling him my brother is unnecessary - he has been anything but."[break][break]

She worries at a hangnail or scab on her thumb for a moment, sucking in a quick breath when she pulls too far at it and it bleeds.[break][break]

"If you mean - does he always ask you questions like you're in an interrogation? Then yes, he's always like that."

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Lars

he / him / his

thirty-three

july 26

alto mare, johto

don’t know, don’t care

ranger & courier

ex-head ranger

6’2 hair down, 6’4 hair up height

nessuno vince.

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TAG WITH @lars

POSTED ON Jun 22, 2020 4:09:01 GMT

He let out a sigh of relief when she confirmed his suspicions—that Fernando talked much like a police officer regardless of the circumstances.

Looking up at Stormy, he takes note of her reaction and files it away just in case he messed up once more. “I ask this because… well, he approached me recently and asked me so many things about the Littleroot debacle.”

His face blanched for a few moments as he took a drink of the juice before continuing.

“He was asking about one of our own—Kaida. I don’t know why I got this feeling of… of dread when he asked me about the incident.”

not so awkward anymore is he

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stormy, bronwen

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twenty-five

july 25

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TAG WITH @stormy

POSTED ON Jun 22, 2020 4:21:50 GMT

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Only when he takes his glass does she dare take her own. The glass is cold in her hands, hands that are too warm to be comfortable. She is immediately soothed by the condensation on the glass and the sweet contents as she brings it to her lips.[break][break]

"Naturally, Lars. You're the head ranger, it only makes sense he would want to inform you of what happened."[break][break]

She takes note of his expression and how... scared or worried he seems to be. It surprises her - Fernando had never really intimidated her in that aspect. Infuriated her, but never intimidated.[break][break]

"Did she do something? Was she one of the several individuals who disregarded security? I was told there were quite a few familiar faces in this whole mess who bit off more than they could chew."

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Lars

he / him / his

thirty-three

july 26

alto mare, johto

don’t know, don’t care

ranger & courier

ex-head ranger

6’2 hair down, 6’4 hair up height

nessuno vince.

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TAG WITH @lars

POSTED ON Jun 22, 2020 19:30:15 GMT

“I’m pretty sure he wanted to know why I wasn’t around when the incident happened, but he didn’t seem to hint or even ask about it,” he began. There was this worried façade hanging over him, especially when it came to one of their own, a fellow Ranger, getting under fire.

“See… here’s the thing,” he continued after he took another sip of the juice from the glass he was cradling. “I met him not too long afterward and found out about who had died there, several people including Kaida… but then, guess who turned up to visit me in the flesh a few days later?”

He left the question hanging in the air, wondering if she would pick up on the hint that he was dropping without giving it away entirely. The concerned look in his eyes flickered for a few moments before he distracted himself with another sip of the juice from his glass.

oh dear

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castaway

stormy, bronwen

she / her

twenty-five

july 25

saffron city, kanto

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TAG WITH @stormy

POSTED ON Jun 22, 2020 20:11:29 GMT

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Stormy muses over what he says, resting the cold glass against her knee. The damp from the condensation dampens the fabric of her jeans. It leaves a messy ring on her knee.[break][break]

"I think he was more concerned with the lack of respect for on-site authority. No one expected this to happen, but no one expected everyone involved to blatantly disregard the security on duty at the time."[break][break]

Besides, it wasn't as if the rangers had been posted as 'on-duty' for the event. It was entirely reasonable for them to have had other things on their agenda for that evening. The following response time was as prepared as it could have been.[break][break]

But Stormy's eyes narrow as she watches Lars muster his words. The painful reminder of the deaths involved in the incident plucked at still-fresh wounds. It takes everything she has to not express grief.[break][break]

She had lost a friend in this mess, after all.[break][break]

"What are you talking about?"[break][break]

There's concern in his eyes when he looks up at her, but try as she might she can't fathom what he's trying to insinuate. In the flesh? What was that supposed to mean?

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Ven

Lars

he / him / his

thirty-three

july 26

alto mare, johto

don’t know, don’t care

ranger & courier

ex-head ranger

6’2 hair down, 6’4 hair up height

nessuno vince.

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POSTED ON Jun 22, 2020 20:21:34 GMT

“Kaida. It was—is Kaida. Everyone who was there during the rescue and retrieval clean-up after the place had collapsed reported her as deceased, but she turned up and visited me a few days ago. I’m—I don’t know how… I have no idea how it happened, I thought I was hallucinating.”

The heaviness of the words hung in the air for the briefest of moments, before he took another breath.

“I’m—I know you might think of me as going crazy, but it really was her. With the exact same Pokémon team that was last recorded on her person. It… honestly, it’s giving me a lot of concern now because she’s widely-known to be dead and yet here she is, alive and well.”

He doesn’t know how to get around it, other than the fact that the woman everyone thought was dead had turned up alive and well, right at his door step.

:OGeyes:

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stormy, bronwen

she / her

twenty-five

july 25

saffron city, kanto

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TAG WITH @stormy

POSTED ON Jun 22, 2020 20:29:05 GMT

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It feels as though her heartbeat has reached her ears and it is thunderous. Her grip on her glass slips as her fingertips numb in response to such a mindboggling announcement. The glass crashes to the floor and smashes. Juice slaps up against her pants and glass skates across the floor.[break][break]

She lunges to clean it up on instinct alone, brushing shards into a pile. In the process she cuts herself but she doesn't notice, she's still reeling over his announcement.[break][break]

"Does anyone else know? She needs to come forward, she needs to rectify her situation. We think she's dead, we buried an empty casket, did we not?"[break][break]

Or maybe we hadn't. Maybe something had happened and there was an error and the news hadn't been contacted regarding Kaida's body. This was bizarre, this couldn't be true, could it? People couldn't just come back from the dead.[break][break]

She breathes out in shock, hand shaking where she'd cut it, as she refocuses on the face of the man she had found in the aftermath - Atlan Beckett. He had been a limp body in the middle of a collapsed building. His blood had coated her hands from the open wound at the back of his head. He had been dead before she'd even found him.[break][break]

Could he?[break][break]

"We need to tell someone."

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Ven

Lars

he / him / his

thirty-three

july 26

alto mare, johto

don’t know, don’t care

ranger & courier

ex-head ranger

6’2 hair down, 6’4 hair up height

nessuno vince.

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TAG WITH @lars

POSTED ON Jun 22, 2020 20:46:22 GMT

The moment the glass slipped out of her hand and shattered on the floor, he set his own glass on the table before moving around to where she had seated herself.

“Be careful,” was all he said before running to the kitchen to get rags and the mop leaning on one side of the fridge so they could clean up the mess properly. While he busied himself with mopping up the spilled juice on the floor, he leaned on the handle for a few moments.

“See, here’s the thing—when I got her autopsy report, there was no immediate family that came forward to speak with me. That’s what I found baffling. Not until I checked her files again did I realize that she’s living on her own, with no actual family to speak of,” he added quietly as he sprang into action once more, mopping up the liquid while being careful to move around where Stormy was scrambling to pick up the shards of glass.

Not until he noticed that there was a cut on her hand did he start moving again, this time for the first-aid kit he kept in the kitchen area as well before returning with the box in hand.

“That’s the thing, Stormy. Fernando asked me if I knew anything about what and why she was there, and I answered him—how could he get a testimony from someone who was deceased at the time?” he replied before gesturing to the cut on her hand.

“Here, let me get that cleaned and wrapped.”

dun dun DA

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stormy, bronwen

she / her

twenty-five

july 25

saffron city, kanto

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