MARCH UPDATE

POSTED ON Aug 17, 2020 6:06:17 GMT

“i’m not built for this.” maddonis scowled from beneath designer shades, poolside at one of his family’s many vacation homes, COOLING OFF, or rather struggling to do so. it was much too hot for someone who’d spent most of their life in snowpoint city, and frankly, he was melting.

fortuna bobbed lazily in the water beside him, the ice pokemon faring better in the heat wave than her delicate master. maddonis’ long buttermilk legs brushed her blubber idly as he kicked them about. he was greasy with sunblock which he had feverishly applied in layers, and the sunlight was reflecting harshly off his aggressively white physique.

he sipped a bitter cocktail. “i swear, i’ll kill daga just for the misery of this climate.” while maddonis wouldn’t have necessarily claimed erin as a friend under other circumstances, being in hoenn had found him exploring family ties, and here he was, boozing with his little sister’s old pal. she had known daga, before his traitorous turn. it made her company valuable to him, if only for the opportunity to complain.

MISSION: HEAT WAVE

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POSTED ON Aug 19, 2020 3:16:06 GMT

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Mission: Heat Wave (SS)

[break][break]

"Which is precisely why we're getting you some Vitamin D, dear."

[break][break]

Truth be told, Erin hadn't expected to ever see a Glosse in a situation of clear discomfort. Then again, she didn't expect to find herself talking to one in Hoenn either. They were part of the life she'd left behind, of the life she returned to only once every few months for a dinner, a meeting, a party—and even then geography kept them apart.

[break][break]

When Maddonis speaks of his elder brother, Erin can see hints of bitterness that she's not certain can be attributed to his drink. "Can't trust somebody that forces you to sun tan," she jokes. The irony of the situation dances on her lips, before she takes a sip of her cocktail and swallows it with the drink.

[break][break]

Putting on her metaphorical serious cap, she adds a casual, "He'll pay for what he's done."

[break][break]

The real question is whether Maddonis would have a hand in the retribution he's due. She certainly hopes so. Then, he could leave the region, and by proxy her, to the new life she was still trying to figure out.

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POSTED ON Aug 19, 2020 4:35:18 GMT

he did, almost certainly, need more vitamin d. maddonis frequented caves and dark places, did jobs in the dark, and had always been sensitive to sunlight. for his vampirish tendencies, he had to have been deficient.

he wrinkled his nose at her mention of SUN TANNING. even if he had been physically capable of it, he couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to. maddonis’ smooth skin was one of the things he favored about himself. the thought of turning leathery made him genuinely uncomfortable.

at her response about daga, he agreed in a matter-of-fact tone, “he will.” and then, his mind took a turn towards the how of it. rocket had seen a significant shift in direction and power since he had last shared each other's company. “what do you think of walsh?” being that he was still fairly new to the fray, he was curious about how the changes were sitting with her.

fortuna bobbed out of the way as maddonis slipped into the water, setting his glass on the edge of the pool, the other hand holding his hair up til he went to secure it with a velvet scrunchie.

Erin Caulfield

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Castelia City, Unova

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POSTED ON Aug 22, 2020 3:13:32 GMT

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Mission: Heat Wave (SS)

[break][break]

Erin freezes at the mention of Rocket-related matters. Her own contributions to the cause were all kept in the dark, just as she wanted them to be. Right now, they're in a private property, away from prying eyes or ears, and that's the only reason she doesn't immediately deny involvement.

[break][break]

She shrugs. "Too early to tell." It's the most honest, yet nonchalant, answer she can offer. Erin had known a boss from Kanto once, and that didn't go too well. She isn't ready to trust someone new simply because of some pretty gifts and a charming speech.

[break][break]

"Maybe he'll actually last longer than the others." Who knows, Walsh could be the outlier that brings the whole average up. The focus then turns to Maddonis himself. "Were you in the meeting?"

[break][break]

Her eyes follow him to the pool. Watching him in the water like that, she can't help but think of just how similar pokémon and trainer look. Beautiful, in the most frivolous of ways. After a few seconds, she asks, "How's the water?" as if she needed to justify her staring.

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POSTED ON Aug 22, 2020 10:39:07 GMT

he noted the tension that passed through her at the mention of work. there was a mystery about her, now. in all honesty, the two were not extremely close, and never had been. they happened to be connected in multiple circles, and after running into someone so many times, one tends just sort of… stay. not to mention, familiar bonds were so important in the wake of tragedy. it was odd without stroyah, though, especially considering erin’s youth. these brief months had been the first he’d seen of her since her mid-teenage years. she wasn’t a kid anymore, and she seemed a bit dark.

“fair.” he agreed. “time will tell.” as he secured his hair above his head, he sank lower into the water. “i went.” his back then became a few degrees more parallel with the surface as he drifted further from the edge. finally looking up and catching her stare, he quirked a brow invisibly from under his bangs. “it was quite a show.” his words were pointed, teasing her.

“the water’s lovely.” he smirked up at her from it. “you're welcome to join me.” he continued to float further away, slowly, although it wasn’t an enormous pool or anything. he wasn’t going very far.

Erin Caulfield

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POSTED ON Aug 22, 2020 11:44:55 GMT

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Mission: Heat Wave (SS)

[break][break]

Erin is glad he doesn't have much more to say on the topic. She had watched the feed from the comfort of her apartment in Lilycove, rather than gone down to greet any familiar faces. Or new ones, even. Naturally, he wouldn't have seen her there.

[break][break]

His teasing does nothing to unfaze her. He's right in his silent observations; she's not the same teenage girl who'd blush at the charming manners of her friend's older brother.

[break][break]

"Don't mind my intrusion, then."

[break][break]

On top of her bikini, she's been wearing a crocheted tunic. It didn't cover much to begin with, what with the open neckline and patterned holes, but pulling it out becomes a show of its own for the sole sake of giving him something new to talk about.

[break][break]

A long sigh escapes her lips as she slides into the water. "It really is lovely." Even if the young woman wasn't minding the heat anywhere as much as he was, the change is evidently welcome. The pool isn't deep where she stands, so she walks until it is.

[break][break]

"Stroyah would be disappointed about this pool party," Erin laughs, remembering the ones she'd go to with her years ago.

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POSTED ON Aug 22, 2020 21:01:58 GMT

“not at all.” she was hardly intruding. his cornflower eyes regarded her briefly as she removed her top, staring with a similar amount of shamelessness. he watched her walk. people in general tended to look good in water. muscles flexed to push through the water, a body slowed into grace. for a moment, she was a woman, and not his sister’s friend.

at the mention of stroyah, he smiled, and it broke into light laughter — the first in a while he’d experienced. his sister was one of the few last true lights in his life, and she was so far away. “stroyah would make it was a party even if it was just herself.” he joked. his sister didn’t have a bad time, ever. she had always possessed a knack for drawing him out of any mood he was in.

he laughed again lightly, and then, sarcastically, “sorry i’m not as fun as my sister.” his hand moved to glide over the blubber of his dewgong thoughtfully then, who released a pleased gurgling sound into the water. “i suppose we could play a game?” their parties had always been full of games. granted, they’d normally been drinking games (maddonis and daga had always had to sneak the younger kids drinks in those times). he waited to gauge her reaction, allowing space for her to make a suggestion if she had one. of course, he had plenty of ideas of his own if a favorite didn't pop into her head. maddonis surprised himself with the warmth in his heart at that moment. it was so rare that the child in him was let out to play.

Erin Caulfield

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Devil wears Prada

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Twenty-two

May 13

Castelia City, Unova

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POSTED ON Aug 23, 2020 1:21:40 GMT

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Mission: Heat Wave (SS)

[break][break]
It's neither audible nor visible, but a sigh escapes Erin's lips. Anxious and impatient. Just the mention of his little sister changes the atmosphere, and for that she silently thanks her. Erin will have to give her a call later and think of a good gift.

[break][break]

Maddonis's laugh elicits a smile from her. "She would, and nobody could stop her." There's no way of denying it. It could be frustrating for the one having to follow and keep her from going overboard, and thankfully that responsibility didn't fall on her often. But if there's one singular thing common to all parties Stroyah was in, it's that they could not be called boring.

[break][break]

Again, a shrug, though this time it's given teasingly. "You'll have to make do."

[break][break]

She perks up at the question. "You mean beer pong?" He can't say party without fan-favorite beer pong coming to mind. Granted, the lack of party supplies makes things a little more complicated. No matter. When there's a will, there's a way. "I have a willing mantine to hold the glasses for us, as long as we replace the beer for some scotch."

[break][break]

Would that get the pokémon drunk in the process? They'd have to wait and see, she supposes, should Maddonis agree.

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POSTED ON Aug 23, 2020 20:06:18 GMT

maddonis beamed at her at the mention of beer pong. thoughts swirled. beer? no. was he a good throw? no, not really, he was more a cards and word games kind of guy. “you are twenty-one.” he laughed. maddonis was the type to be snide no matter who it was. he didn’t keep true friends outside of family connections, and even then, they needed to have pretty thick skin.

when she corrected to scotch, maddonis laughed. “are you trying to kill us? we’ll drown by the end of the evening.” never the less, he sashayed through the water and up the stairs, smooth hand gliding up the rail to lead him onto dry land. he grabbed a towel, dabbed his pristine hairless torso and wrapped it around his waist before going into the expensive looking house. he, with the help of his sableye and wartortle, returned with twelve thin tumblers and a bottle of aged scotch. as little as maddonis cared about the environment, he still wouldn’t touch plastic-ware with a ten foot pole. the water would catch anything falling.

he eyes erin with a smirk. gregor had been a scotch drinker, and the gold embellished bottle would most certainly have been his. “father would kill me for wasting this on shots.” he confided, the three setting the glasses near the edge of the pool. he waded back in, holding the bottle still in his hand and going to pour it along the row. when the task was complete, he did a grand, sweeping gesture to present them to erin, awaiting the rest of her plan with her mantine.

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Devil wears Prada

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Castelia City, Unova

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POSTED ON Aug 24, 2020 10:50:18 GMT

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Mission: Heat Wave (SS)

[break][break]

She might be more offended if she found anything wrong with her age. "That's right." She's young, she's smart, she's got a fulfilling (if a little stressful) job. Not many people could say as much about their lives. And she's only twenty-one.

[break][break]

There's a mischievous grin dancing on her lips. "Maybe. We'll see." Her alcohol tolerance had always been pretty good, but lately she'd reached new heights thanks to her increased consumption. Nothing she's particularly proud of, but maybe it'd be of use today.

[break][break]

"Lucky he's not here to see it," she grins. Not in this seashore house, and probably not in this region at all. His parents' disappearance has become a bit of a tabboo topic among their circles, but him mentioning his father first gives her the leeway she needs for her comment not to be awkward.

[break][break]

At the sight of tumblers, her eyebrows are raised, but she hurries to release the mantine nonetheless, as well as her porygon2.

[break][break]

The water pokémon is large enough to make the game a little more challenging than normal, which makes her trainer even more excited. This game would be as much a test for the mantine as it'd be for them. "I need you to stand as still as stunfisk, you hear?" she instructs, running a hand over the top of the pokémon's body. Then, it's her porygon2's turn to 3D-print a thin, light ball to finish preparations.

[break][break] Once they've got all tumblers settled in position, she throws the ball at him. "You can go first."

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POSTED ON Aug 24, 2020 21:33:19 GMT

maybe she was trying to kill them. maddonis continued to smirk. they’d be thoroughly sloshed soon. while he had a tendency to casually drink often, it was very rare to see him drunk. in fact, he’d probably not been drunk in well over a year. perhaps at the last holiday party. there’d be no more of those.

it was a taboo. “i suppose so.” he sent her an icy look, however brief. realizing he’d faltered, he quickly tamed his emotions. maddonis assumed his parents to be dead, and it had ripped him apart inside. the modest amount alcohol already within his bloodstream took hold of that weakness, urging him to drink more and drown it away.

he watched her position the glasses, and caught the ball when it was thrown to him, surprising himself a little. he wasn’t terrible at beer pong, but one could certainly tell after watching him that he hadn’t grown up in a life of sporting activities. daga had been much more inclined to things of that nature. unfortunately, the two had never been bonded enough to learn much from one another.

maddonis stood behind his tumblers, ball in hand, eying the glasses, a smirk slowly, gradually returning to his face. until he shot the ball, and it bounced off the rim of a glass and into the water. he met eyes with erin again, clearly over her comment, but with a new look of discontent at his miss. “i’m warming up.” he would probably not even be thawed by the end of the game, but he’d try anyways. maybe he’d get lucky.

Erin Caulfield

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Devil wears Prada

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POSTED ON Aug 28, 2020 13:24:09 GMT

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Mission: Heat Wave (SS)

[break][break]

She didn't remember Maddonis being so bad at pong. Selective memory, perhaps. It leaves an amused smile carefully etched on her face. "You sure you tried?" Not that it bothers her, really. It's just that having him wasted before she even has the chance to drink doesn't feel like the most fun of games. She's better, way better, but the decision to take an average person's win feels like a good compromise.

[break][break]

Erin thanks the pokémon returning the small little ball to her hands. She takes aim, and the ball's elliptical trajectory takes it to the rim of another glass, not unlike the one the man threw, except this one's in the very center of his side of the mantine. It bounces and finds its way inside one of his tumblers.

[break][break]

Her smile widens. "First shot. Drink up."

[break][break]

For a moment, she sounds like a young girl again, her words a sing-song melody of their own. A different Erin would cheer at her score. The new one lets the moment pass. Hopefully next time would be her turn. if he took her non-verbal tip.

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POSTED ON Sept 1, 2020 3:23:23 GMT

he smirked, somewhat perked up again by her competitive bashing, and then glowered sarcastically at her. then, erin took as shot, and did much better. he watched the ball swirl for too long, mocking him. he hated losing, which also made him competitive.

with a steadily growing grin, he lifted the tumbler to his mouth and knocked it back. ooh, scotch. it was so harsh. “like a shot of dirt. why scotch?” he laughed, a real laugh, and returned the ball. with a stroke of luck, it too bounced and landed in a far corner cup. maddonis stuck his hands in the air and struck a sultry victory pose at her. “drink.”

Erin Caulfield

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POSTED ON Sept 5, 2020 22:18:09 GMT

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Mission: Heat Wave (SS)

[break][break]

"Bourbon is for kids." The movement of Erin's shoulders is nonchalant at best, but her lips tell a different tale. She's having fun, too, and the fact is only thinly veiled by her trained body language.

[break][break]

She has no objections, and neither does her throat when she gulps the shot down. The scotch burns, but it's a burning feeling she's grown fond of. The grin on her face may be product of the alcohol, or directed at his goofy pose, or even a bittersweet afterthought.

[break][break]

Her turn again. "Remember when the Duncans' daughter was convinced to sneak out her house for a pool party, just because she thought she could win at beer pong?" She snorts. Her aim suffers from her distracted thoughts, but the ball ultimately falls inside another tumbler. "Let's hope you don't end up like her today."

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