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"Eh? I mean, it's probably a good idea to keep an eye on things..." The implications behind Milo's words are lost on her, though she does crinkle her nose at him, puzzled.[break][break]

But he doesn't elaborate and she doesn't know him well enough to pry. Intrinsic politeness keeps her curiousity at bay, though her partner might feel the weight of her gaze as it flickers back and forth between the him and the path. She does giggle at his assessment, however— an astute an observation as anything. They really do look like a misplaced pair of kids.[break][break]

"Ehe, you're probably right. But we should probably keep an eye out for trouble anyways. Even if we don't look all that important, we might look like easy targets..."[break][break]

And she, at least, probably is one. Luka purses her lips slightly and taps one of the spare pokeballs at her waist, reassured that at the very least, she'll have backup if things go south. "Are you, um...much of a battler? I'm not very good, but I have a lot of supporters to help you out!"[break][break]

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"You want to help?"[break][break]

Surprise and gratitude mingle on Luka's face in equal measure, though it's the latter that becomes more apparent when she smiles at him. "It could be dangerous," she says unnecessarily; Derek is certainly more than aware, and definitely better equipped to handle any potential danger than she is.[break][break]

"But I appreciate it, really. Um..." She peers again into the interdream zone, the pink and purple fog that looks so similar to her Musharna's dream mist, but lacks any of it's familiar warmth. "I'm not really sure how to track anything down though, so I guess we should just...jump in?"

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"Bonbon! Are you okay?"[break][break]

Luka's first concern isn't for the training exercise or some silly rock. The first thing she does as soon as her Lopunny lands, a little unsteady on her feet, is to give her rabbit a hug and a quick once-over. "You didn't hit your head, did you? Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!"[break][break]

Bonbon squeaks a little in reassurance and snuggles into her trainer's arms. The pair of them are still wrapped around each other when Isaac steps in, offering advice blanketed in gentle reassurance. His kindness is enough that Luka doesn't feel totally humiliated by her poor judgement, but it's only enough to soften the blow, not misdirect it.[break][break]

"Bonbon is really strong. If I had asked her to use like...a low kick, or even ice punch or something, I bet she could have smashed that thing up. It's just so hard to come up with the best plan on the spot sometimes."[break][break]

Her voice pitches in frustration, but as it rises one of her Sylveon's ribbons extends to wrap around her arm, almost like holding hands. Luka blinks, then smiles down at her Pokemon as a sense of calm washes over her, and she's able to breathe more easily.[break][break]

"Do you want to try again?" she asks Bonbon, who nods eagerly in agreement. Luka stands, with Sugar's ribbons still wrapped around her arms, and assesses the situation again. Her head feels clearer somehow, as though the weight of performance anxiety has been lifted, and takes Isaac's advice into account when looking at the rock.[break][break]

"Remember when we used to practice low kicks? I know we don't use that move anymore, but like Monsieur Isaac said, it's the same principle. Use that same kind of power to strike it low! You can do it!"[break][break]

Her Lopunny nods and takes a few bounding leaps back, giving herself plenty of room to build some momentum. This time she springs from the ground at an angle, powerful hind legs propelling her forwards instead of upwards. When she swivels to strike the boulder this time, it's a centered and direct hit. The loud splintering of rock echoes throughout the cave system as it crumbles, and when the dust clears Bonbon is standing atop a pile of rubble, looking mighty pleased with herself.

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It's a good thing that Isaac keeps his observations so close to his chest, because Luka doesn't like being read so easily. She's usually so good at keeping up her peppy attitude and an optimistic front. It's just bad luck that Isaac had stumbled upon her when she's already feeling so low. Her saccharine mask has slipped a notch, and even if she's able to mend the cracks in front of him he'll still know they're there.[break][break]

But she's grateful, at least, that he's willing to listen without judgement as she prattles on. And even more so that he doesn't try to overwhelm her with advice or with unhelpful platitudes. He's simple, straightforward, and to the point. If they want to get better, they need to train more; just in a more controlled environment this time.[break][break]

"I guess so..." Another sigh pushes against her lips but this time, she's able to swallow it. "Other people are able to do it so effortlessly though," she laments with a sigh. Isaac himself gets a side-eye for that: he's one of them.[break][break]

"But I guess— wait, are you guys up for it?" Her team's comfort matters far more than any desire to prove herself. After all, they're the ones who have been put through the wringer today. But Bonbon and Sugar leap right out of their seats with an enthusiastic chorus of chirrups, and Plum's mist billows out around her. Luka smiles at the trio and reaches down to ruffle Sugar's fur, her hesitant grin growing wider when the Sylveon presses her head against her open palm.[break][break]

"Okay, um...let's go one at a time, okay?" It's a little weird— Luka feels like she's being observed like a durant under a microscope. So she tries to think of this like a contest performance instead, and that helps ease her nerves a little bit.[break][break]

"You first, Bonbon. Ummm...okay, okay! Smash it with a high jump kick!" She begins with her Lopunny because it's the most straightforward of the three. Sheer power bunches in the rabbit's long hind legs as she crouches and leaps into the air. But unfortunately, Luka hadn't accounted for the low stone ceiling of the cave. Bonbon is barely able to jump over the boulder itself before she has to change directions mid-air, lest she crash right into unforgiving stone.[break][break]

She still comes down fast, but obviously lacking the power that her attack might have normally. When it strikes, the stone cracks and crumbles, but isn't fully destroyed.[break][break]

Well. That's embarrassing.

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You never did. The confirmation stings. Luka swallows the lump that forms in her throat when her suspicions are confirmed, though that's not enough to make her back down yet.[break][break]

"Don't say that," she says, staring up at him with an earnest ferocity that surprises even her. "Everyone deserves to be loved."[break][break]

Maybe he doesn't deserve hers after all he's done, but he has it anyways. Lingering affection is still built up inside her, and she doesn't know where else to put it. It's silly of her to feel hopeful now, after all this time, but she's always been a fool.[break][break]

"I won't know anything unless you talk to me. Please...I want to understand you, Remiel. You said you didn't love me—" It hurts to repeat almost as much as it does to remember, but Luka dredges it up anyways. It's suddenly the only thing that she cares about. "Was...was that a lie?"[break][break]

Her memories of the terminal are a jumbled mess. Whatever he'd confessed to her is lost amongst the discord: all that remains is a series of numbers and the feeling of him pulling her into his arms, though she can't remember why. Here and now, the spotlight shines and forces him to confront his wrongdoings once again, ripping out the sutures of old wounds and leaving them to bleed out on the dancefloor.

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- dress & mask

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"Oh gosh, sorry! I got so wrapped up in— I'm Luka." A breezy laugh accompanies the hand she extends to shake, should Milo have a hand free. By her side, her Musharna wafts a lazy tendril of dream mist their way as a form of greeting.[break][break]

"Power...I guess you could put it that way," she says with a slightly hesitant smile. "I just hope it's nothing too dangerous..."[break][break]

The thought of being a pack mule for weapons is an upsetting one. It's also rather nerve-wracking to be put in charge of something so important, but Luka tries not to let that show on her face. Her gait remains bouncy and upbeat as she and her partner begin their trek, and wonders idly if their unassuming appearances were why they were chosen to move this kind of cargo. They don't exactly look like the kind of people tasked with something of vital importance.[break][break]

"I'm kind of curious about it too," she admits after they've walked a few paces, "But it's more important to get these transported fast, don'tcha think?"[break][break]

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"Oof. Okay, is that all of them?"[break][break]

In a situation like this, quick transportation of goods between League bases is important. They need to be able to move things quickly while also keeping supply chains free of Rocket interference, so sending out smaller teams with less cargo makes strategic sense. Let Rocket chase after breadcrumbs without landing upon a big cache of supplies.[break][break]

But just because they're traveling light doesn't mean it's not important to protect their goods. Luka's pack is stuffed with basic medical supplies: bandages, sutures, pain medication and anything else that might be needed. However, what's held in the larger boxes interests her more, though she knows she shouldn't poke around in them.[break][break]

"So...do you know what these things do?" The things in the box are strange: scatterbangs and poison darts, mysterious chunks of deep red ore. There are two boxes between herself and her teammate, and Luka's Mushara takes control of one, her telekinesis holding it aloft as though it's weightless.[break][break]

"I guess it doesn't really matter though, does it. Are you ready to go?"

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"Eh? Who's there?"[break][break]

She'd thought she was alone! Caught by surprise Luka whirls around, pink curls drifting around her shoulders and nearly blending in with the mist behind her. Anything could take shape in the fog, and it's hard to tell the difference between real and imaginary. Being wary is simply prudent.[break][break]

But the familiar shape of DEREK HOFFMAN is outside the interdream zone, which means he's probably safe. Even so, when he's within arms length she steps forwards, reaches up, and pinches his cheek— just to make sure.[break][break]

"I could ask you the same thing," she says with a rueful smile, and an excellent side-step of his question. "I wanted to investigate the dream zone a little bit...there's something in it that I might be looking for."[break][break]

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Salt?[break][break]

Luka's face crumples. All the desserts she likes are sweet![break][break]

The first things that sea salt makes her think of is caramel and taffy. But hot caramel sounds like a disaster to make, and she hasn't the faintest idea how taffy works.[break][break]

Would it be a crime if she simply topped her dessert with flaky salt? It's not like she's going to win anyways, so she should just make what she likes![break][break]

And what she wants more than anything right now is a little taste of home.[break][break]

Even though her best attempts at baking desserts herself usually end in fire and tears, Luka at least knows (or has a pretty good idea) about what ingredients go into a galette. She measures out pastry ingredients to the best of her ability and lets Helios knead them. Unfortunately, he's a fire type, and his taloned hands melt what's supposed to be hard, chilled butter. But it should be fine, right?[break][break]

While Helios handles the rest of the dough, she starts cutting strawberries and melting chocolate. The strawberries are fine, but the chocolate sauce starts to burble and hiss and before she knows it, it's somehow burnt at the bottom, but getting hard on the top? Luka frowns but scrapes out whatever's still liquid and edible in the middle, and hopes that that's enough.[break][break]

She even throws in a little sea salt right into the chocolate! That should count for something, right?[break][break]

Strawberry sauce is a little harder. But plopping them down and just letting them turn to mush over the stove should be fine! Luka reaches for the sugar to give them a little sweetness, but her saltshaker is closer and without her realizing it, her dessert gets an extra kick of salt. But she doesn't realize it, too busy trying to keep the strawberries from burning too. How is it that everything she cooks wants to catch on fire?[break][break]

The dough comes together far easily than a regular pie: what Helios managed to mix together is rolled out and folded over a bed of strawberries, like an envelope with a hole in the middle. Luka goes for broke and drizzles her chocolate mess over top, then sprinkles more sea salt on top of that.[break][break]

Into the oven it goes, along with a little prayer for everything to turn out okay. And the galette that comes out...well, it doesn't look exactly like the traditional Lumiose fare, but it looks kind of edible! That's Luka's specialty though— food that seems decent right until you take a bite.[break][break]

Regardless, she's all smiles as she bounds up to the judges and presents her final dish. "I'd like to send you all off with a little taste from my favorite place in the world! Please enjoy a Lumiose Galette!"[break][break]

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She blinks at him. "Is there a difference?"[break][break]

Strategizing and assessment goes hand in hand, doesn't it? She can't imagine someone capable of one without the other. "Mmn...I think I can tell a bad strategy from a good one," she says with a soft laugh. "I-I don't think anyone would consider running away like that a good, erm...tactical choice."[break][break]

It's almost funny. In the world of pubic relations, she's almost brilliant. Working for MATIAS SILPH is a thankless task, but there's a reason he's only on house arrest. A reason he hasn't been excommunicated from the league and ostracized from society. When it comes to PR, she excels at analyzing a situation and choosing the best way to spin a story, mitigate the damage, salvage careers.[break][break]

Strategy. And yet, she can't even seem to string together the words for a simple attack.[break][break]

Luka sucks in a breath, considers Isaac's offer, and nods. She finds a rocky ledge that doesn't look too uncomfortable and sits herself down, though not before making sure Bonbon and Sugar have plenty of room to rest too. Plum is content to float lazily by her side. She gestures for Isaac to sit as well, using those few precious seconds to think of the best place to start.[break][break]

"Ummm...okay. So, like...well, erm. I-I wanted to try, like...y'know, doing a hard battle by myself? Anytime I've been faced with a real challenge, I'm always with other people, and they always know what to do. So I usually just follow along...a-and usually I'm just the person that heals everybody, anyways. Which is fine! I mostly like helping people out anyways! B-but I figured that maybe I should learn how to do things by myself? A-and actually be able to support others properly and stuff...[break][break]

She's rambling, and she hasn't said anything of value. Luka swallows and tries again. "Anyways, um. So, I thought there would be a lot of strong Pokemon here. And I brought these three because they've been with me the longest, f-for the most part. They always work well together, and..." She's doing it again. "Sorry! I'll get to the point. Ummm...so, like, everything was going pretty well at first. There were a few little Pokemon in the way, but it wasn't that big of a deal. We didn't really have to fight them or anything. But we weren't being very careful, and we just kind of stumbled onto that Aggron's territory..."[break][break]

"We were all taken by surprise, I think. But they were faster. They hit Bonbon first, and then I just kind of..." she swallows. "I don't really remember. I was worried about Bonbon, b-but everyone else was in trouble too, and I couldn't decide if I should try to get Sugar to attack too, or use her and Plum for support instead, and I think I just...froze."[break][break] A sigh doesn't suit her, but she's doing it again. "There were too many choices, a-and I kept thinking about what my friends might do in this situation but it wasn't really helping. I was telling my team all kinds of things and confusing them, s-so nothing was going right. And before I knew it they were in rough shape and the only thing I could think of was just trying to get out of there. It was a mess."

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If Isaac recognized her from contest appearances or her brief stint modeling, she wouldn't be surprised. But it's probably for the best that he doesn't mention she's most recognizable from an otome game. At least his route was one of the saccharine ones, and not a bit more questionable in nature.[break][break]

Because honestly, she doesn't need the added weight of more embarrassment on top of everything else. At least he's being kind about all this, not belittling her terrible choices and clear lack of common sense. It's appreciated far more than Luka can think to express without being weird about it, so she hopes that her grateful smile will suffice.[break][break]

Of course, it isn't surprising that he's curious about her reason for coming here. And though it's tempting to make up an excuse that doesn't make her sound as foolhardy, Luka comes up empty. Besides, this guy had really saved her skin— the least she can do is tell him the truth.[break][break]

"No, erm...ehe, yeah. I mean, I-I'm sure this place is really lovely if you like this kind of thing! But I was, um..." Her face turns a few abashed shades darker. "We were trying to train," she admits, confirming Isaac's assumptions. "But I think we bit off more than we could chew."[break][break]

A pause, and she sighs softly. "Ah, wait...I don't think I said that right. My team is great! They're really strong, and super capable on their own. I'm just, erm...not very good at strategy, or battling, or..." Or anything, really. She trails off with a shrug. "I thought that pushing myself a little might help, but I guess not."

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