MARCH UPDATE

585 height

how bold I was, could be - will be - still am

awards

2,345 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @skyler

POSTED ON Aug 11, 2020 13:39:46 GMT

▲

Every time Skyler's pickaxe hits the rock it causes an echoing 'clang' to reverberate throughout the chamber. The uneven surface of the rock wall in front of her, smoothed by years of tides coming in and out, slowly crumbles under the young woman's advances.

There's a flashlight by her side and Starmie's levitating the debris away from the digging site. Further down the chamber, Golduck is keeping watch, red gem flashing in the dark.

When her pickaxe hits something metallic, Skyler blinks. She's quick to dig it up and blinks at the multicolored gem in her hands. She has to blow the dust away from it, but it doesn't take her long to recognize the object as what she's been asked to find.

A Mega Stone. This alone is worth a small fortune. Perfect.

The small object goes into a small vault she's brought with her and she carefully deposits it inside her backpack. She has to wipe the sweat gathering on her brow from all the physically taxing work she's done, and quickly gathers all her equipment.

"Saf, are we good?"

The Golduck seems to peer more intently at the darkened tunnel that leads into this chamber, and Skyler furrows her brow at her lack of answer. Skyler's muscles tense and she's suddenly by her Golduck's side, also peering into the dark. "Is something wrong?"

● tags: @dae
● notes: we require more minerals mission

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

[newclass=.cred]text-align:center;font-size:9px;color:rgb(132, 132, 132);font-family:verdana;margin-top:5px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.cred a]color:rgb(132, 132, 132);font-size:9px;font-family:verdana;[/newclass]

close tab

played by

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

0 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @Deleted

POSTED ON Aug 11, 2020 15:26:16 GMT

[attr="class","dae"]
[attr="class","dae b"]
[attr="class","dae i"]huh. apparently there is another boat floating right where he's meant to park. how curious. maybe someone else beat him to it? "i fucking hope not." that would be disastrous for the young rocket. he has expectations to live up to and people to prove wrong, unfortunately.

the dive down is simple and easy. some adjustments were made to his mask which allows him to use it for diving. with an oxygen tank strapped to his back, no sword this time, he sinks to the bottom of the seafloor and eventually surfaces at the cavern.

dae follows the clanging sound that echoes through the tunnel. he's oddly accustomed to moving in the dark despite having a flashlight in his hand. eventually, the tunnel breaks into a chamber, and he's met with an interesting sight.

"oh hello there! i didn't mean to intrude. have you by chance seen a stone about this big..." he brings his hands together to form a rock, flashlight still in hand. "i heard it's kinda shiny as well? it would be quite hard to miss."

skyler dross
mission!

[newclass=.dae] text-align: justify; font-size: 12px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.dae b] color: #716075; font-size: 13px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.dae i] text-decoration: underline dotted #716075; font-size: 13px; [/newclass]

close tab

played by

owli

dross, captain

she, her

august 17

Lilycove, Hoenn

bisexual

sailor / treasure hunter

nautica owner

585 height

how bold I was, could be - will be - still am

awards

2,345 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @skyler

POSTED ON Aug 11, 2020 16:21:18 GMT

▲

Skyler's dealt with other treasure hunters in the past, although those encounters have been thankfully few in her career as a diver and a treasure hunter. So when Saf's eyes begin to glow and she adopts a fighting stance, Skyler's heart drops. She thought this place fairly safe from others who might want its treasures, given that the information given to her said that this was a secret location, only known to a selected few.

Apparently not to secret after all.

She sees the flashlight first, and a lone figure approaching the mouth of the chamber. She can't see their features very well, even as they exit the tunnel and look at her. Something about him, because she can now see that it's a man, seems familiar to her, but she can't pinpoint what exactly.

His whole conversation puts her on edge though. His voice and manner of speaking is familiar too, and she does her best to search her memories for an answer. There is a spark of annoyance that bubbles up for no reason at all. Huh.

"There are always at least a couple of shiny rocks in these sort of places," she tells the guy instead, tilting her head to the side and feigning nonchalance. Fuck, she's awful at this. "You'll have to dig for them though."

There's a pause as she studies the stranger. He's wearing this strange breathing apparatus, probably from the underwater journey to reach this cave. "Do I know you?" She finally asks.

'What a strange mask, I swear I've seen it before-

Wait.'

● tags: @dae
● notes: we require more minerals mission

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

close tab

played by

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

0 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @Deleted

POSTED ON Aug 11, 2020 19:00:40 GMT

[attr="class","dae"]
[attr="class","dae b"]
[attr="class","dae i"]ah! it doesn't take him nearly as long as her to remember a face. his eyes widen slightly at the remembrance, though it could easily go unnoticed behind the soft fog of his mask. he lifts an index finger up to wipe at the glass only to realize that he needed to do it from the inside.

"huh? me? oh nah i don't think so! i don't leave my room much so i highly doubt it hehe," he responds, pretending to be confused. dae notices the way her pokemon seem to be on edge, guarded, and his eyes flick to her backpack.

stretching his arms up, he asks: "why'd you stop digging? did you find one?"

skyler dross
mission!

close tab

played by

owli

dross, captain

she, her

august 17

Lilycove, Hoenn

bisexual

sailor / treasure hunter

nautica owner

585 height

how bold I was, could be - will be - still am

awards

2,345 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @skyler

POSTED ON Aug 12, 2020 8:27:02 GMT

▲

There's a small beat of silence as Skyler processes the information her brain is sending her. A few awkward seconds pass in silence before her face shifts, recognition lighting up her eyes.

The maelstrom of emotions that go through Skyler at that exact moment are a wonder to behold and she opens and closes her mouth several times before her face darkens into a murderous expression. Her fists clench as the memories come to her, flashes of her precious boat being stolen right from under her nose. Being left out on the sea with a pitiful dingy and no dignity.

"You," she snarls, glaring daggers at the man that's just entered the cave. "Thief."

Perhaps sensing her mood, both the golduck and the starmie close ranks around their trainer. "What are you doing here?" Of all places. This seems like a huge cosmic joke and she's the butt of it. "And what I have or don't have are none of your business."

She unclenches her fists and crosses her arms. "Unless you want to give me my boat back."

● tags: @dae
● notes: we require more minerals mission

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

close tab

played by

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

0 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @Deleted

POSTED ON Aug 13, 2020 6:52:58 GMT

[attr="class","dae"]
[attr="class","dae b"]
[attr="class","dae i"]okay the murderous expression is a bit dramatic, but he supposes it's justified if he really thinks about it. he doesn't though and chooses to play the part of the fool. the oblivious. the carefree.

"i literally have done nothing wrong yet what the fuck. i just came down here looking for a shiny stone and i get accused for being a thief? that's just wrong, ma'am."

an amused grin is hidden behind his mask. his hands fall to his side, head tilting to gesture at her backpack.

"tell ya what. i'll trade the boat for the stone. i don't really need the boat anyways, you know?"

skyler dross
mission!

close tab

played by

owli

dross, captain

she, her

august 17

Lilycove, Hoenn

bisexual

sailor / treasure hunter

nautica owner

585 height

how bold I was, could be - will be - still am

awards

2,345 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @skyler

POSTED ON Aug 13, 2020 14:09:59 GMT

▲

Although she already feels her blood boiling at the man's carefree response, fully lying to her face shamelessly, she forces herself to calm down - at least on the surface. There is no mistaking the flashing anger in her eyes, but at this moment she steels her expression into something resembling neutrality.

She ignores his words, focusing only on his last question. The backpack is heavy on her shoulders and she feels its weight all the more when the thief's attention shifts to it. Skyler quirks an eyebrow at his interest. "Really? You'd trade a boat that isn't yours for a stone you aren't even sure exists?"

She lets out a laugh that sounds strangely harsh and sharp to her ears, and it echoes in the chamber they're in. Her pokemon tense even more, and there's a subtle glow around the starmie.

Skyler extends an arm. "Do you have the keys on you?"

● tags: @dae
● notes: we require more minerals mission

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

close tab

played by

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

0 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @Deleted

POSTED ON Aug 13, 2020 14:56:42 GMT

[attr="class","dae"]
[attr="class","dae b"]
[attr="class","dae i"]a boat that isn't his? it confuses him. the way she laughs confuses him even more. he has an eyebrow raised by the end of it, eyes staring blankly at her extended arm.

"i don't understand what's so funny... the boat is mine last i checked and i'm kinda sure the stone exists? otherwise your pokemon wouldn't be so... on edge, let's say."

dae sees the way her starmie glows, and while that should have been enough to concern him, he finds it oddly cute. so protective.

"but anyways yeah i might have the keys but that depends on whether you have the stone or not. you wanna show it to me first and then we can do the ol' swaperoo?"

skyler dross
mission!

close tab

played by

owli

dross, captain

she, her

august 17

Lilycove, Hoenn

bisexual

sailor / treasure hunter

nautica owner

585 height

how bold I was, could be - will be - still am

awards

2,345 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @skyler

POSTED ON Aug 13, 2020 16:25:33 GMT

▲

She has to stop herself from outright attacking the guy. He is, she decides then and there, the most annoying person she's ever met. On one hand, if he really doesn't recognize her that's just insulting. If he's still pretending he doesn't know who she is, that's -- equally insulting. Either way, she wants to punch the man and it is only by an extreme act of self-control that she doesn't.

"Well, that depends. I might have a stone. Unfortunately I don't hear the jingling of keys on you so if I -- hypothetically of course -- have a stone, I don't think I'm about to show it to you."

'Fool me twice,' Skyler thinks, 'shame on me'.

She wonders for a moment how much this guy really wants the stone. If he's come all the way to this supposedly secret location, he probably wants it pretty badly, no matter his careless attitude. She's also sure he's working for someone -- there's no way one could learn of this location without some serious resources, such as spies.

One thing Skyler's learned in her career as a treasure hunter is to always learn the terrain first, no matter how time-consuming it might be. Your life could and would depend on it.

There's no warning except for the slight quirk of her lips before Skyler suddenly turns her back on Dae and dashes further into the chamber, her pokemon quickly following behind. She quickly dives into a tunnel on the right-side wall of the chamber, disappearing from sight.

● tags: @dae
● notes: we require more minerals mission

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

close tab

played by

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

0 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @Deleted

POSTED ON Aug 13, 2020 16:34:46 GMT

[attr="class","dae"]
[attr="class","dae b"]
[attr="class","dae i"]skyler shows extraordinary amounts of self-control to not outright attack him. he knows he would've if their roles were reversed. no doubt about it.

dae is caught mid-yawn when she decides to turn and run. the brief moment allows her a head start and so begins their game of cat and mouse, their roles now reversed.

"where are ya going? come back!"

as unfamiliar with the terrain he is, he doesn't miss how she dives into a tunnel on the right. he's quick to do the same, continuing the chase down the dark path.

"i'll buy ya some food or something if you give me the stone!"

skyler dross
mission!

close tab

played by

owli

dross, captain

she, her

august 17

Lilycove, Hoenn

bisexual

sailor / treasure hunter

nautica owner

585 height

how bold I was, could be - will be - still am

awards

2,345 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @skyler

POSTED ON Aug 13, 2020 17:10:02 GMT

▲

Her footsteps sound loud to her ears, echoing through the cavernous tunnel -- but that's okay. She's making no attempts to hide herself as she dashes forward with her pokemon.

Skyler soon hears another set of footsteps coming from somewhere behind her and she speeds up, dodging stalagmites and pools of water that have accumulated over the last few hours, some of them quite deep. She weaves her way through these obstacles with relative ease, Starmie's glow illuminating the way forward.

The tunnel itself veers sharply into several directions and she only slows down in order to stop herself from slaming against the porous rock.

In no time she's facing yet another chamber, bigger than the first one, and there's a salt water lake right in the middle of it. Skyler doesn't hesitate before diving into the water, getting Starmie to help her to the other side, where the tunnel seems to continue. She recalls Golduck into her pokéball and turns around to watch the tunnel where she'd come from.

"Wait, Polaris."

She isn't sure if this will work, but it can't hurt to try. Starmie's still glowing and the water in the lake is churning, moved by some sort of invisible force. Skyler waits for a shape to appear in the tunnel she's just exited, and as soon as one does, she'll use Starmie's SURF to hurl the lake's water at her pursuer, hopefully buying her some much needed time.

● tags: @dae
● notes: we require more minerals mission

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

close tab

played by

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

0 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @Deleted

POSTED ON Aug 13, 2020 17:18:13 GMT

[attr="class","dae"]
[attr="class","dae b"]
[attr="class","dae i"]dae's lack of water-types is really coming back to bite him huh. slowbro doesn't really count because he's lazy as fuck, more so than his trainer as if that's somehow possible. but the moment he breaks out of the tunnel is when he wishes he had a water-type. maybe it could've saved him from the SURF.

"what the FUCK—"

with only a few seconds to react, dae brings the regulator to his mouth and braces for the impact of the wave. the water is powerful, overwhelming, and he's pushed against the side of the chamber. the tank on his back takes most of the impact, but he's pinned there until the water finally subsides.

when it does, he spits the regulator out, breathing heavily as his body aches from the pain. "that was really fucking rude." sighing, he peers across the chamber. it upsets him that he considered using the mega stone for a brief moment. no, he won't. he refuses to.

skyler dross
mission!

close tab

played by

owli

dross, captain

she, her

august 17

Lilycove, Hoenn

bisexual

sailor / treasure hunter

nautica owner

585 height

how bold I was, could be - will be - still am

awards

2,345 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @skyler

POSTED ON Aug 13, 2020 17:36:39 GMT

▲

There's a shit-eating grin on Skyler's face. She can't help it, no matter how hard she tries. A part of her is telling her to turn back around immediately and resume her flight. However, there's another part of her -- one that up until now she hadn't known existed -- that makes her stand her ground as the guy's caught off guard by the wave that rises from the lake.

As the water subsides, the sailor can see the guy plastered against the wall of the chamber, water dripping from his body. He doesn't seem overly hurt, which is good. When he looks at her, the shit-eating grin's still in place and her eyes flash with something akin to a challenge. "I'm guessing you won't be buying me some food anytime soon, eh?"

She can't help but flip him the bird, no matter how petty it might seem. Still, she's smart enough not to linger for much longer and she turns around, exiting through the tunnel.

Sheesh, this guy really brought out the worst in her, didn't he?

Knowing he'd probably come after her, she speeds up, making a mental map in her head. If she remembers correctly, this tunnel should lead to an underwater tunnel that intercepts the main entrance and -

Her boat.

● tags: @dae
● notes: we require more minerals mission

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

close tab

played by

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

0 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @Deleted

POSTED ON Aug 13, 2020 18:01:57 GMT

[attr="class","dae"]
[attr="class","dae b"]
[attr="class","dae i"]dae is not at all bothered by the bird she flips him, nor is he bothered by how the situation seems to be slipping out of his hands. what has him riled up is how he reacted.

is he that weak that he needs help from him of all people? the thought fucking sucks and he hates it. a mega stone sits comfortably in his pocket and for moments he considers throwing it into the lake out of pure spite. thankfully, her voice saves him from drowning.

"never too late for food!"

but it is. she disappears down the tunnel and even though he chases after her, swimming across the lake as fast as he can with a tank of oxygen weighing him down, he knows he will not catch her.

dae floats up to the surface eventually.

skyler dross
mission!

close tab

played by

owli

dross, captain

she, her

august 17

Lilycove, Hoenn

bisexual

sailor / treasure hunter

nautica owner

585 height

how bold I was, could be - will be - still am

awards

2,345 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @skyler