her brows furrow in confusion. people can't really masquerade around pretending to be others, right? not that she has anything to fear. she surrounds herself with friends; she'd be able to pick them apart from hateful rocket counterparts.

one of the responses sticks out to her. she doesn't believe it, but is this what these people think? when choosing to align themselves with this lifestyle?

❤️ For change. For justice.

DECLAN WALSH OTOME
also for scarlet's (Elisabeth Fiorelli) enjoyment

☉

more excuses bubble to her tongue at the suggestion. like but then i'd have to leave the shop too and it would be a whole thing and roman doesn't like you very much and is that really what we want to do?

she zones out thinking of these things, chewing thoughtfully on another pepper. 

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

"well, now that the bubble is gone, we could technically go wherever we want," she says, bemused. she grabs a forkful of some stuffed peppers and melts a little at the taste. they eat in silence for a bit, enjoying the night, until he asks her a question. 

"kalos, maybe? my friend elisa tells me it's lovely." she pokes some food around on her plate and shrugs with a bit of a wistful smile.

"but that can't happen for a while. maybe when roman's out of the house." she'd feel terrible leaving him now when they just seem to be patching things up with their family.

LANCE VOLLANS
(mention Roman Maher)

☉

an abomination? but wait, isn't that what they created with their dreams? she squints down at the screen and examines her options. surely it's not a real pokemon so catching it wouldn't work. that'd be like throwing a pokeball at her toaster.

if it is real, she doesn't want to kill it.

well, that only leaves...

❤️ Send it into another dimension or universe.

NISA OTOME

☉

the update comes through and she pales as the implications hit her. she knows, she knows it's just a game, but would so many others really choose that option? she looks away from the screen as the murder happens and only zones back in when the scene changes in her periphery. 

did bo impress people like him?

there's as our taste in her mouth. she certainly doesn't feel hungry and the pictures of food make her feel sick. she selects one at random.

❤️ PIQUANT PIAKCHU CURRY

DECLAN WALSH OTOME

☉

she appreciates his attention to detail when he orders the dishes he does. with a smile just for her, she tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and determines to make up her shortcomings in the spring. something to make this night stand out. 

the red swirls in her glass. she raises it to clink with his and then takes a sip. it's...interesting. someone with a more refined palate would probably be able to appreciate it better, for sure. 

aside from her ciders, willow's wine of choice is usually...moscato.

so the somewhat bitter, smoky flavor of this wine forces her to take casual sips. she takes a bite of the first dish and melts just a little bit, gesturing for lance to do the same. 

"mm, if they're all like this, i'll never complain," she says with a laugh.

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

can this really happen? can people really just teleport to other realities? to this so-called inter-dream zone? no, no. that's ridiculous.

she'll accept a lot of things about hoenn, but this isn't one of them. this has to be part of the game.

❤️ Something ancient.

NISA OTOME

☉

and so she takes his hand, leaving her embarrassment in the spring behind her. it's not entirely what she hoped for with their first dip, but there's always time for more. they'll be here for a while. 

the menu book in their room is perused while she grabs a fluffy towel and wraps it around herself. "they recommend a red made from a vineyard near here," she says and flips the menu over to him. 

"the mushroom platter looks tasty. or the risotto. i'm okay with anything though."

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

with most of the entrances and exits blocked off, the heat from greyson's attacks fills the space quickly. sweat trickles down the back of her neck; her throat rasps, eyes stinging as the room gets smoky. before she can warn him, he realizes it himself, and besides she gets choked off when lus is swallowed by half a dozen furious combee. 

"lus!" she shouts. camellia answers her cry by swooping in and restraining as many as she can with a psychic hold. it's not much, but lus manages to burst through the smothering cloud and square off again. 

in all the chaos, her focus is lost. she has no idea what to say to her pokemon. even the moves they can use are lost to her. 

but the bees are struggling to right themselves. with more of them pouring in, it might be their only hope...

"greyson, the smoke! they can't function with it." she draws the kerchief around her neck up and over her nose, eyes still watering. 

Greyson Connors

☉

her hands are clammy. it feels wrong to be reading this, to be looking at this. and something settles in her gut - heavy and unmoving. instead of finding answers to her questions about that man (jayden cross), maybe she'll find others she's not quite ready for. 

a look inside the life boruta maher lived. 

can she face that? can she look at that and look him in the eye afterwards? she'll have to. 

❤️ Walsh should spare him.

DECLAN WALSH ROUTE

☉