"the AQUA initiative has set criteria, thomas." dahlia raises her eyebrow, neatly plucked above discerning blues. "you already know this. nevertheless, i'll appreciate the dossiers."

she crosses her arms, leaning against a nearby counter. slowly, she tires.

"why suggest them all of a sudden?"

Thomas Benoit

dahlia's laugh skims the steam of their space. the heat is still soft like a peach's thin skin. if even breath could bruise its white wisp, then perhaps, the rigidity of fernando's protocols would skewer it.

"oh, you make it sound like it's a bad thing." dahlia says. "but of course, your absence was tangible. you were missed."

massaging her own wrists, her skin flush and smooth.

"frankly, i was worried when i heard that you had joined the expedition at mt. chimney. i'm glad you're okay."

yqHbJQqv (765/1000)
FERNANDO SILPH

dahlia recalls her mr. rime, the bolt of light cradling its battered body before whipping back. the ball thuds against her palm from the force of retrieval. as the temple groans, shaking dust and stone from its bones, dahlia pockets the warm pokeball as she stumbles.

"i don't think i can go any further," dahlia calls out to Adrian Malcolm. the more time passes, the more her arm aches. "how about you?"

she stares at the atlassian boulder. sitting a mere few inches away from them, it rests innocently as if unknowing of the damage it has caused to her pokemon and the beheeyem who worked alongside it.

dahlia holds her arm.

"stay safe either way." she says. tugging the protective scarf over her lips, the commissioner departs.

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon mr-rime"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon dragonite"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon vespiquen"][break]

TL;DR
- recalls mr. rime / talks to adrian / departs for safety!!

"old history regales us with fairytales and myths." dahlia hums loosely, voice a soft leaf against the din of their rainy cafe. "but that's all we have aside from contemporary happenings."

shaking her head, her blonde hairs droop to tickle her cheek.

"i wish i knew more." the commissioner shuffles her feet underneath the table. "in any case, mr. wledig, i hope you're prepared for the storm ahead. your job may put you in direct danger of rocket— unless, you're used to such a life?"

Gwyar Wledig

it is an ancient reenactment of the lottery. except there are no slips of paper pulled, no communal agreement unspoken. just the silent and overwhelming powerlessness one faces when contending with a force of nature— and the unearthing of hoenn's dangerous mysteries.

"protect yourselves! hold!" she manages to scream.

her mr. rime stops emitting its frosty mist. its large feet brace against the dry cave ground, crunching against pebble and dirt. again, it REFLECTS.

the screen it holds up glistens and solidifies further as the stones collide. standing before Adrian Malcolm and the stones, the mr. rime attempts the impossible.

NS5j7OyO (sabotage)[break]
sabotage skyler dross (COME TO THE AQUA INITIATVE WHALE QUEEN)[break][break]

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon mr-rime"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon dragonite"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon vespiquen"][break]

TL;DR
- mr. rime stops skating - reflects again to protect itself and adrian!!

"well, i'm okay! a little rough around the edges. a dark circle or two." dahlia breathes in the steam. within her chest, her lungs are a glowing furnace. even with practiced breath, they feed a wider, larger machine. "but after this, i'll be quite alright. thanks for your concern."

she takes her seat, sweeping under her bum to keep the towel flat as it lands on the wooden planks. instantly, the warmth of the wood embraces her skin.

"what made you come out of retirement anyway?" dahlia asks. "are the rumours true? that retirement is boring? it's just a euphemistic way of saying you're getting ready to die?" she laughs at herself. "'course, you're almost as young as me."

8EZBX5OU (860/1000)
FERNANDO SILPH

PATHOLOGY

RESEARCH THREAD WITH DR. MORALES

[player]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/591796723928662048/840814376981889054/SCIENCE.mp3[/player]

DAHLIA SQUINTS as she leans in close to the dust. She's careful not to come too close, for breath and sigh may cause the cardinal scattering to disperse.

Familiarity flashes across her face. Perching her chin into her fingers, she ponders before relinquishing an answer from softening lip.

"I'm no scientist, but my best guess would be the RED ORB." Dahlia says. "Bailey had remarked that she found the Spoink with the RED ORB on its head. Perhaps, it's... remnants of it?"

She pulls back, her nose catching some foul scent— imagined or not, the dead carcass and its exposed innards intensifies the imagination.

"Bailey also said the Spoink had used this primal orb in battle. It was missing its usual pearl and was using it as a replacement." More squarely, she turns to face the doctor. "What do you think? How do you think the Unown... and this dust got in there?"

instructions

CONSIDERING WHAT YOU KNOW OF PRIMAL ENERGY AND THE EVENTS OF THIS THREAD, Eva Morales must now guess how the RED ORB dust and the Unown got into the Spoink's stomach.

THE SPOINK HAD SWALLOWED PIECES OF THE RED ORB

THE SPOINK HAD BREATHED IN PIECES OF THE RED ORB

THE SPOINK'S STOMACH CULTURE CREATED FRAGMENTS OF THE RED ORB

SOME OTHER METHOD...

Eva Morales, once you have posted, post in RESEARCH THREADS.

• player/ooc name: shiv
• character tags: dahlia goode elijah gardner noah faber
• dropped characters' tags (if applicable): n/a
• ic posts for characters: dahlia (1 / 2 / 3 / 4) | elijah (1) | noah (1)
• any notes/comments: WHY IS THE SOIREE CLOSE TO 50 PAGES

a staff retreat— that's what dahlia calls it. after a harrowing gauntlet of political planning, pyroclastic flow and sootopolis' shift made concrete, stress dusts the body like white powders. yet, she wonders how much of the debris of fatigue comes from within. like efflorescence, like sweat.

she opens the door to the sauna and holds it for fernando.

on the room's threshold, she keeps herself bound by towels. pulled up in a croissant-shaped bun, her blonde hair peeks out from beneath a swirled crown of white fabric scented ever so slightly by the herbal waters of the nearby spring.

"some much needed r&r, don't you think?" dahlia says, waiting for him to enter. "come in quick. the steam's escaping."

LmhdsYLZ (948/1000)
FERNANDO SILPH

it is a constant tug-of-war. her own interest's. the league's interests. hoenn's interests. the world's interests. each tier renders the previous smaller, a microcosm of the other: a tiered telescope that refuses to collapse.

and yet, it is a constant threat. collapse, erasure— the very firmament on which dahlia stands upon is an illusory foundation.

she nods along, noting and aligning herself with gwyar's explanations. accountability, however, must be honoured— and that matter would be breached in due time. however, other thoughts preoccupy her, a line from the handsome blond lingers and hangs from her mind and tongue.

"i agree about the legendary pokemon," dahlia says, "but i'm afraid that to some extent, we'll lack some control." her blue eyes glide toward gwyar's. "after all, most legendaries pick their ambassador. not the other way around." she pauses.

"why do you think some side with rocket?"

Gwyar Wledig

when the kubfu hits the cave wall, dahlia's gasp is forced from her dry and painful. all sound is cut by fear's tapered fang, but her hand continues to move by itself. taking a pokeball from her waist after the dragonite's recall, she calls upon her mr. rime once again.

"of course!" dahlia blurts back to Adrian Malcolm. she begins to run, beckoning for her pokemon partner to follow. "cover him with a REFLECT! keep it on yourself and move along with him!"

the mr. rime begins to skate across the cave floor, tapping its cane ahead of itself to forge a thin icy path (FREEZE-DRY) for it to dance across. one hand rises as it moves parallel to adrian, the squared shimmer of a REFLECT centered on its spread palm meant to defend them both.

dahlia follows close behind, running with adrenaline boiling in her calves. her head still aches, throbbing as if a crown jewel was falling from its socket.

CtHwYj57 (sabotage)[break]
sabotage Adrian Malcolm (H W T Z R!)[break][break]

(+2 I THINK? KING LEFT?)

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon mr-rime"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon dragonite"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon vespiquen"][break]

TL;DR
- mr. rime skates alongside adrian malcolm and erects a REFLECT on its hand as a moving screen.
- dahlia runs behind adrian.

in time, she shakes the riolu's paw too. a light cradling of paw before the softest release.

"i've been mulling it over." dahlia sets her hands on her lap, fair skin like silken ghosts across the darker material of her pants. "however, i do have to raise the question: does interpol not trust our officers?"

upon her face there is no frown. no stern sign of offense. instead, she smiles innocently. a question asked out of some crafted curiosity.

Gwyar Wledig

"we'll keep it between you and me," dahlia says, extending a curious finger toward the meltan on thomas' shoulder. "i'll meet with you on occasion under the 'guise of a friendly visit. occasionally, i'll communicate via proxy."

she hums, retracting her finger regardless of the meltan's reaction. dahlia straightens her back. tucks her blonde curl behind her ear.

"in any case, i'm assuming you're agreeing with this arrangement?"

Thomas Benoit