MARCH UPDATE

lâcher [ closed | future ]

POSTED ON Nov 3, 2018 16:26:26 GMT

the logical answer is a simple one and it's one that makes the most sense. but he knows himself; he knows that he doesn't simply block things out. he never did. he drowns them in a myriad of distractions, not all of which are good for him.

"but i want to remember."

her words ring in his head: it's all over the news. it's hard not to have seen pictures or videos of the destruction and it's even harder to see the aftermath; there's nothing left of the gym but dust and rubble. sootopolis lost a landmark and more importantly, it lost its leader.

he'll make sure they won't ever again.

there's hesitation in her touch but he tries to ease them as he leans into it. "it's okay, yeah." he offers her a smile as he feels her hand on his. "i'm glad, too." he pauses for a moment. "i'm okay."

he's never been one to shy away from company, especially during times of distress. but this is different; it has to be. she's not a stranger he beds for the night and forgets. no. they've been through more that she deserves better.

he takes a deep breath.

"i'm scared, thalia. i've always been scared but not like this: this is different. i don't just…not remember. there's something wrong but i don't know what it is. i can't remember what it is."

he hasn't realized how he had taken her hand in his.

"i'm scared i never will."

thalia black

close tab

played by

NOODLES

NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

GYM LEADER

37 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

241 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nikolai

POSTED ON Nov 2, 2018 8:07:05 GMT

ACCEPTANCE

dusk approaches as they make their way back from the mountains. for tonight, they've made a small cabin situated on the outskirts of a forest their home. a fire burns inside, aided by the constant flames on the end of charizard's tail. only nikolai is sat by the fire, warming his hands as he watches the burning wood flicker. a look of defeat taints his features.

'you'll get better. today was good.'

he doubts it: not his words, but doubts himself. he shakes his head.

'tell me what you're feeling.'

a pause.

"like shit—"

'language.'

"sorry. it's just…when you were my age you already had all eight badges. i know i'm in at four; i know, but i'm nowhere near as strong as you were. i can't even reach the top of the fucking mountain."

no warnings need to be given this time. he's quick to correct himself. "language. sorry, pa."

he feels a cold tap on his arm. he turns to see an offered bottle of beer; he takes it but there's hesitation in his movements.

'it's fine. it'll help. come, have a drink with me.'

they sit by the couch and he waits to have his drink. it's unopened but he doesn't raise it to his lips yet.

'we all move at our own pace. there's no reason for you to rush like i did; i didn't have anything or anyone then, so battling was all i had. but you're different: you have so much support. you have us, your family.'

he smiles as he raises his bottle to toast. it's his first ever drink and it's with the person he respects the most. he can't ask for anything else.

'you'll always have us.'

close tab

played by

NOODLES

NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

GYM LEADER

37 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

241 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nikolai

deplorable [c]

POSTED ON Nov 2, 2018 8:05:15 GMT

persephone amavi likes this

FINE

---

"no."

he answers both her questions with one response. "but i don't have much of a choice." he downs whatever's left and looks at her. "i'm alone, so."

he slides off his seat and pulls out however amount of money to place on the counter. "enjoy your stay, darling. please don't get into trouble."

@min

close tab

played by

NOODLES

NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

GYM LEADER

37 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

241 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nikolai

enivré

POSTED ON Nov 2, 2018 7:08:10 GMT

memory hides deep within a cloud filled with guilt and a sense of longing. it's still dark out when he wakes, shivering and covered in dry sweat. he reaches for the covers but stops when he realizes it's not what he needs. it's not why he's cold. he calms his breathing.

breathe. one. two. three. four. breathe.

the woman sleeping next to him goes unnoticed for the longest time, but when he does look over he's stunned for a moment. he can't remember much of the night let alone how they found their way back to his place.

but he's not complaining.

when the shivering stops and his heart steadies, he lies back down and gently wraps an arm around her, nuzzling close before drifting back into slumber.

@sveva

close tab

played by

NOODLES

NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

GYM LEADER

37 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

241 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nikolai

POSTED ON Nov 1, 2018 3:24:00 GMT

persephone amavi likes this

nidoqueen edges ahead in her battle as she succeeds with her slam on the hippowdon. she has no room for complacency, not even when she feels the hippowdon buckle under her strength. she sees it turning, feels its weight shift so she anticipates an attack. before its CRUNCH can latch on to drag her underneath the earth, she releases her grip and sidesteps, allowing the hippowdon to DIG freely. she leaves it for now, deciding it best to not follow after it.

he wants to go deeper, to take control of the situation but he has to be mindful of her. her lucario's busy manhandling some chump and while lucario has the situation under control, he decides to give it a hand.

"target."

the ICE BEAM from the alolan ninetales provide a perfect cover for escavalier to engage. shielded by the brunt of the blast, escavalier charges over and attempts to ram his IRON HEAD into the body of the ninetales, pinning it to the ground. boosted by an earlier SWORDS DANCE, he looks to kill as he turns his attention to its trainer with the doublades. METAL SOUND doesn't slow him down as he attempts to slash across the man's chest with an X-SCISSOR.

people are flooding all around him but he has his priorities. he knows his targets. he sees one on the metang; a familiar head of orange. the other rocket on it is mere collateral.

"target."

a STONE EDGE bursts forth from the ground, spiking upwards as it looks to slam against the body of the metang to send the rockets off. nidoking's prior FOCUS ENERGY makes the attack that much deadlier. POISON STINGS follow the attack, aimed directly for the orange-haired rocket.

@raid

nidoqueen avoids the crunch and starts running towards the power plant.
escavalier IRON HEADS lucius hallows' alolan ninetales before trying to X-SCISSOR lucius himself.
nidoking STONE EDGES @ezra's metang, then POISON STINGS ezra herself.
escavalier is boosted by SWORDS DANCE and IRON DEFENSE.
nidoking is boosted by FOCUS ENERGY.
ilu persephone amavi stay safe.

close tab

played by

NOODLES

NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

GYM LEADER

37 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

241 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nikolai

POSTED ON Oct 31, 2018 5:27:45 GMT

persephone amavi likes this

GROWTH

"are you sure? you don't have to."

he kneels on the ground somewhere inside the depths of mount silver; there's a break in the ceiling that allows light to shine through, illuminating the darkened halls of the mountain. in front of him are his nidorino and nidorina.

he holds two moon stones in his hands.

"don't feel like you have to! just…when you're ready, yeah?" his legs buckle under the pressure so he lowers himself to the ground. six years together and still he has doubts about his abilities. to be fair, he is just a kid.

the poison-types don't go for the stones yet. their ears prick up as they move closer. they wiggle underneath his hands, urging him for pets. he obliges.

"i just…what if something goes wrong? i'm scared things will change. i don't want things to change. i like things the way they are now!" fourteen years on this earth and he's still not prepared for change. "i know it's selfish…i just don't want to be left behind."

the two slip away from him only to nudge the stones away with their horns. he doesn't remember crying but he wipes tears off the side of his face. he's not sure why it's taken him that long but he realizes: they're a team. a trio. they'll always be together.

"let's go home."

close tab

played by

NOODLES

NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

GYM LEADER

37 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

241 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nikolai

POSTED ON Oct 31, 2018 4:37:12 GMT

persephone amavi likes this

MISTAKE

he feels the weight of the chains; literal chains, and how different he thought they'd feel: they're lighter than he expects. but it's not the metal around his wrists and ankles that confine him.

the council sits in an arch across from him. the intense light that shines on his face is blinding. peering only does so much to help but he sees their rough outlines sitting above him.

there's no jury, not today, only executioners.

"nikolai petrov. rocket beast."

tensions are high but that's to be expected. what's not expected is how little they're talking. there's no discussion. only judgement.

'why are you here?'

he doesn't hesitate.

"to turn the tide."

close tab

played by

NOODLES

NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

GYM LEADER

37 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

241 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nikolai

POSTED ON Oct 30, 2018 16:13:21 GMT

persephone amavi likes this

SMALLEST

he feels their eyes: judging, glaring as he walks through the tight confines of the hallway. he feels suffocated like he's a remoraid out of water, left stranded on a deserted island with predators circling around.

once a predator now turned prey, he's left to be picked to the bones by a commissioner who's justified in their actions because after what he's done, he deserves as much.

still, it doesn't hurt any less when he's forced into an empty training room only to be confronted by four men.

"look, you have to trust me eventually." he tries to reason before resorting to violence, but a part of him knows it's inevitable. he doesn't even raise a hand to defend himself.

a strong hook sends him to the floor, breaking his nose. his hands are sprawled across the hardwood floors; blood dripping from his face. "i'm not your—" a kick to the gut makes his entire body tense up.

it doesn't take much to break a man who has nothing left to live for: punch after punch, kick after kick, blood pools but it's nothing compared to what he's reaped. when they finally stop he struggles to find his bearings. his back's against the wall but it doesn't feel like it.

he feels their eyes: judging, glaring.

"i'm not your enemy."

he feels small.

"not anymore."

close tab

played by

NOODLES

NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

GYM LEADER

37 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

241 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nikolai

POSTED ON Oct 30, 2018 7:46:49 GMT

persephone amavi likes this

WINTER

it's supposed to be cold especially in the dead of night; but tonight it isn't. it hasn't been for quite a while now.

"i'm sorry."

his voice falls like specks of snow from the skies, drifting ever so slowly until it hits an end: the tombstones in front of him are his ends. he's on his knees; head not needing to be draped by a hood because he knows he's alone in more ways than one.

there are no more tears left to give.

"i couldn't stop them—i thought i could. fuck. i thought i could, and that's the worst part." a knot grows in his throat. "i did everything i was asked, no, told to do and it wasn't enough. i gave them my body, my soul, and it still wasn't enough. i wasn't enough to save you."

the flowers do little to ease his guilt. "you're dead because of me. and i have to live with that." his hands are as pale as the snow. "i'm not sure if i can."

he rises to his feet.

"don't forgive me because i don't deserve it. i just need to know you're at peace. please. that's all i'm asking for."

he's pleading with nothing, to nothing. it's silent for far too long before he finally speaks again.

"goodbye."

close tab

played by

NOODLES

NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

GYM LEADER

37 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

241 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nikolai

POSTED ON Oct 29, 2018 9:10:02 GMT

persephone amavi likes this

awareness of the situation is a factor that helps shape the outcome. he sees the impending EARTHQUAKE before it even happens: hippowdon's little leg lift gives it away. each stomp rattles the ground, shaking it to its core but that doesn't stop nidoqueen from charging towards it. her SUPERPOWER is unrivaled even as the ground splinters below her weight. she's not able to stop the FISSURE, but she's able to punch the hippowdon square in its head.

hippowdon is strong but it's slow: its weakness is the deciding factor of the battle as nidoqueen swiftly moves around it. she uses her SUPERPOWER strength to grab it by its orifices as she attempts to lift it up only to slam it back down into the ground.

FISSURE cracks the earth into two as it snakes its way towards them. before he's able to react to it, he sees a rocket member charging out towards them, forcing his hand.

"stop him."

orders are similar but the intent is different. nidoking moves forward and rams his MEGAHORN right into the body of the arbok, impaling it before flinging it away towards its trainer. a STONE EDGE smacks against the rocket, removing him from the battle.

violence needs to be fought with violence but he won't resort to unnecessary killing no matter what his instincts might say. not when she's here.

awareness: a lone figure in the window of the power plant. the odds were in their favor but with her in the equation, he's not too sure anymore. ezra morgan. her undying loyalty to her boss means she won't compromise the mission for the chance at his head. it's eating her up inside and he knows it. he practically sees it in her piercing green eyes.

for now, she remains an undecided factor in the grand scheme of things.

swanna saves them from being consumed by the FISSURE. with them now near the entrance, he feels lucario vanishing forward with its EXTREME SPEED. one glance back tells him nidoking's hurt but safe as he tails closely behind.

persephone's merciless order rings like a sweet melody; it allows him to relive his past, to influence his actions as he moves forward. awareness makes him stop.

turning to shield persephone, he uses his body to block the oncoming gust of wind. "hold your breath." he covers her mouth just in time to feel the strong WHIRLWIND from kim cole-essam's volcorona fly past them; the silver specks of SLEEP POWDER soon fades into the air.

breaking away from persphone, he turns to call escavalier out. "prepare yourself," is all it takes for escavalier to boost himself with a SWORDS DANCE and IRON DEFENSE, preparing himself for a battle. nidoking does the same with FOCUS ENERGY.

nikolai remains vigilant.

@raid

nidoqueen takes damage from EARTHQUAKE but charges into hippowdon for a BODY SLAM, then uses SUPERPOWER to attempt to lift it up and slam it.
nidoking impales npc arbok with MEGAHORN.
nidoking takes damage from EARTHQUAKE but avoids FISSURE.
nikolai and persephone amavi are saved by swanna.
hi @ezra.
nidoking prepares with FOCUS ENERGY.
escavalier prepares with IRON DEFENSE and SWORDS DANCE.
nikolai and persephone are by the entrance.

close tab

played by

NOODLES

NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

GYM LEADER

37 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

241 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nikolai

POSTED ON Oct 26, 2018 7:31:39 GMT

persephone amavi likes this

she refuses to let him shield her but he expects as much because she's far too stubborn for her own good; all he can do is embrace it. her swanna's DEFOG powers across, clearing the vicinity of dirt and dust until there's nothing left but clarity: a hippowdon that blocks the entrance, but that's something he saw even through the thick of the sandstorm. it's familiarity that sets him apart.

gratitude isn't expressed through words but through a nod and a semblance of a smile. a part of him doesn't want her here with him but the other part is glad she is. she's his rock. she's what drives him forward.

"target."

the coldness in his voice is only matched by the chill in the air despite the battle that rages inside the power plant. the tails of the nidos drag along the ground, swaying ever so gently as they make their approach. they never break formation: nidoking lead the charge because he is their weapon, he is their lance; nidoqueen never strays too far behind, ready to become their shield should she need to.

all the fighting seems to be contained within the power plant; the outside is relatively empty, peaceful, the only thing that can disrupt that is them. hippowdon blocks the entrance but not for long; not when nidoking's EARTH POWER threatens to break the very ground hippowdon stands on. the ground around the ground-type cracks, lifting the hippowdon up into the air only to be flung away from the power plant and towards the nidos.

nidoqueen's TOXIC looks to further immobilize the hippowdon, isolating it from its trainer. with it out in the open, it becomes ripe for the picking.

as they near the entrance of the power plant, nikolai slows his pace just for a moment to make sure.

"be careful."

@raid

nidoking uses EARTH POWER to lift the ground around hippowdon and flings it away from the entrace, towards the nidos.
nidoqueen uses TOXIC on hippowdon.
approachs the entrance with persephone amavi .

close tab

played by

NOODLES

NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

GYM LEADER

37 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

241 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nikolai

rise . [ c ]

POSTED ON Oct 26, 2018 4:22:44 GMT

rocket. it makes his blood run as cold as the icy waters beneath them. her words ring a tone of truth but he doesn't confirm it; what good would it do? he sits in silence and listens because that's all he should do. he knows rocket is at their door. he knows what rocket are capable of.

he knows hoenn will fall.

"you don't want to be like me, dear, trust me." there's no chuckle to accompany his words anymore. the tone of the room dips for just a moment, just until he catches on to it. he won't scare her more than she already is.

"look, i'm sure you'll be fine, but if you're ever in trouble just come find me." he didn't have anyone to protect him from them in kanto, and now that he's in a position of power to help, he feels a sense of responsibility that urges him forward. "i'll keep you safe." he smiles.

cait alfric

close tab

played by

NOODLES

NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

GYM LEADER

37 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

241 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nikolai

POSTED ON Oct 25, 2018 11:39:10 GMT

persephone amavi, lucius hallows, and 1 more like this

it's not the cold that wakes him up tonight.

the loud mixture of alarms blare through the small room they're housed up in for the night. it wakes him instantly because it's a tone he recognizes; it's a tone he's more than familiar with. the alert on his phone only confirms his darkest suspicions: his ghosts have followed him to hoenn.

mere seconds feel as though they've been stretched into hours as he sits on the edge of the bed. his body's cold and it's not from the air conditioner in the room. his fingers are fidgeting; breath heavy yet quick and panicked. he almost loses himself in his own head but her voice pulls him back to reality. he breathes because he needs to.

"stay close to me at all times. if i tell you to run, you run. if i tell you to hide, you hide. do you understand?" he stops mid-sentence to reach for her arm. "i need you to promise me you'll listen." his eyes are pleading and his words convey the same. "please, persephone."

it's fight-or-flight and for her, he chooses to fight.

they leave by the balcony atop his aerodactyl and head towards the power plant.

orders and orders and he should feel lucky that they were assigned to the power plant, but it's hard to feel any shred of luck when being forced to go up against rocket. they can turn and leave right now but she has a hero complex and he's far too protective to let her fight this alone. they're in this mess together and they'll get out together. he'll make sure of it.

a SANDSTORM has long brewed by the time they arrive a mere five minutes after the alert went out. the intensity of the storm forces them to land further away to avoid being pelted by shards of sand among other things. the moment they dismount aerodactyl, the dinosaur is swiftly recalled back into the safe confines of his pokeball.

"stay close to me."

two flashes of white summons his trusted nido-pair: a relic of a time thought to be forgotten. "focus up." his tone changes; it's different. his pokemon recognize it instantly. they start their approach.

the SANDSTORM is far too familiar and it's a tactic he and his team are more than familiar with. it's what they were raised on. so the feeling of sand scratching and burning his skin doesn't deter him from his path. he positions himself carefully, making sure to keep persephone safe from the brunt of the storm.

up ahead, the source of the SANDSTORM awaits. he can easily fight in this condition but the rest of the league might not be as experienced. he turns to his partner.

"can you clear the storm?"

@raid

arrives with persephone amavi.
recalls aerodactyl, calls out nidoking and nidoqueen.
starts approaching with persephone amavi.
nidoking and nidoqueen are out.
SANDSTORM is in effect.

close tab

played by

NOODLES

NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

GYM LEADER

37 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

241 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nikolai

01. ROCKET INVASION

POSTED ON Oct 25, 2018 11:09:43 GMT

league;
NIKOLAI PETROV
1) nidoking, 2) nidoqueen, 3) drapion, 4) aerodactyl, 5) escavalier, 6) bisharp

close tab

played by

NOODLES

NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

GYM LEADER

37 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

241 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @nikolai