It's nice to get a chance to get out and clear your head. The icy air rushes through your system and fills your lungs, then eats at you from the inside whenever you try to breathe it all back out again. It's by no means healthy to keep going outside in less than appropriately warm clothes but that wouldn't matter if you weren't meant to be out for long.
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At least, that had been the plan when she'd first set out on the walk. Right now, she's more or less stuck chasing after Ollie's energetic trails in the snow, pressing her fingers against the bridge of her nose as she watches him dart ahead then promptly make a beeline towards her before repeating the loop again.
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"Okay buddy, I'm picking up what you're putting down... just... calm down, will you?"

She never quite understands the hype that surrounds the wintry holidays - From the traditions of gifting others to the near uncomfortable levels of public affection shown by couples wandering through the streets, every bit of it seems held together by superficial means. And yet, she's still willing to keep an open mind, enough to appreciate the bitter chill of snow kissing her skin or the chorus of laughter floating over the tall snowbanks ahead.
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It's almost reminiscent of home, bittersweet in all its glory as she loosely tugs at the bottom of her woollen cardigan. Every so often, a fellow ranger of hers will ask if she's freezing. To which she merely smiles and waves them off - After all, she had practically been raised in the snow. If anything, the cold is probably the only thing keeping her sane with all the babysitting of lost children and secret kissing she has to witness.
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That and the unlimited flow of hot chocolate in the visitor's centre.
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That was probably the only real reason she'd agreed to taking this job.

When she gets her first glance of her alarm clock, it's approximately 11 in the morning. The sun tries its best to sneak through the folds of her curtains, but it can't quite reach her when she's safely tucked away in her little alcove. So she yawns and stretches but doesn't make an effort to leave her bed. After all, it's pretty much a sin to be up anywhere before high noon has passed.
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Swiping her phone off her desk, she immediately ignores all work messages and considers whether to block LANCE VOLLANS for a day. Perhaps she should... Arceus knows that man has a penchant for dropping in at the worst of times, even on her appointed vacation dates.

A message from Amelia Livy is treated with far more grace - A photo of her Absol curling up to her is sent, along with a few strings of text.
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[break]
The call, on the other hand, is picked up with the faint sounds of Ollie whining in the background.
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"Bitch."

Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the word in classical literature, discovered the undoubtable source.[break][break]

The standard chunk of Lorem Ipsum used since the 1500s is reproduced below for those interested. Sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 from "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" by Cicero are also reproduced in their exact original form, accompanied by English versions from the 1914 translation by H. Rackham.Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old.[break][break]

Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the word in classical literature, discovered the undoubtable source. Lorem Ipsum comes from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC. This book is a treatise on the theory of ethics, very popular during the Renaissance. The first line of Lorem Ipsum, "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..", comes from a line in section 1.10.32.[break][break]

The standard chunk of Lorem Ipsum used since the 1500s is reproduced below for those interested. Sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 from "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" by Cicero are also reproduced in their exact original form, accompanied by English versions from the 1914 translation by H. Rackham.[break][break]

Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the word in classical literature, discovered the undoubtable source. Lorem Ipsum comes from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC. This book is a treatise on the theory of ethics, very popular during the Renaissance. The first line of Lorem Ipsum, "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..", comes from a line in section 1.10.32.[break][break]

The standard chunk of Lorem Ipsum used since the 1500s is reproduced below for those interested. Sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 from "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" by Cicero are also reproduced in their exact original form, accompanied by English versions from the 1914 translation by H. Rackham.

The reply comes not too long after. Perhaps, a begrudging attempt at politeness for someone that manages her monthly pay.
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Alexei Ivanov excused me from the meetup. surely you're not that lonely at the party, are you?

Are you sure you should be moving in such a state, Лучик?" Concern lingers beneath that mischievous smile of hers, fingers carefully picking at the loose strings of her cardigan. "Don't you usually have like... little helpers that run around and do errands for you?"
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Typically, she would have refused to answer such odd calls but just this once, she's feeling nice. That is to say, she expects to be excused from the next ranger get-together - Whenever it may be.
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Up ahead, Ollie seems more than happy to be in the midst of Fortree's lucious vegatation, bounding around and sniffing at every possible thing he can reach. Watching in mild amusement, Zahra shrugs her shoulders and looks over to the somehow still injured Alexei.
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"What happened to your Toucannon army?"

There will be neither reply nor symbol to indicate that she's read.
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Screw Lilycove ranger obligations. Holiday parties are for nerds.

Imagine standing here as a full-grown adult and still having to be lectured on the importance of life and death. Anyone would have thought that she'd learnt this lesson by now, but life sure does hold an abundance of surprises.
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"You sound like my old man." She laughs, tilting her gaze towards him before Ollie comes darting back from his little hunt. From the way he chases his tail and hops from foot to foot, Zahra is more than happy to indulge him, following him into the blooming sea with her captain in tow.
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He stops before a hole, the dirt freshly overturned and neatly piled around the edges.
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"Here?"
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A bark is all his gives for confirmation, earning himself a faint sigh as she crouches down. Gently, the critter is laid into the grave, her fingers brushing over matted fur as they linger with a faded warmth. When she draws her hand back, the body is buried with utmost care. Flowers picked from her surroundings are woven into a small wreathe and laid down upon the mound, her hands gingerly clapped together as she closes her eyes.
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"May it rest in peace, and be blessed to roam beautiful fields like this in another life."

Easy there, sweet cheeks. Didn't mean to startle you." Laughing softly, Zahra offers her hand to the smaller girl, shifting her weight just slightly as Ollie barrels past her calves. "Thought I was some sort of wild pokemon, didja?"
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The Absol whines a little as he begins to shove his snout into Luka's hand, taking in her scent before looking to her with a tilt of his head. If Luka so much as shows any indication that she's comfortable with his presence, Ollie will begin trotting circles around her and occasionally nudge her in greeting.
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"Name's Zahra, Zahra Belsky. And that affectionate bugger's Ollie. Who might you be, киса?"

Vaniville, a small town in the south. Not too far from her hometown, if she has to consider the vastness of the region.
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"Snowbelle, a little off to the East. Always snowing." Raising her hand to mimic the cheers, she's a little distracted by the surge of nostalgia. "Hot springs were always marginally better during the winter. Beautiful scenery and being able to keep warm despite the cold."