His voice doesn't give it away, but Brynnhildr senses something palpable in his words. Loss, she gathers. It seems the most logical of reasons, but there's little she can say right now. She just doesn't know how to; so instead she gives Gwyar's arm a sympathetic squeeze and nods.
[break][break]
"Yes, let's go. I think we... we've seen enough for one day."
[break][break]
The Unovan peers up and meets his eyes, but the briefest of smiles she tries to conjure is half-hearted at best, and fades just as quickly.
[break][break]
"Anywhere's better than here."



[break][break]

+ Gwyar Wledig

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Hopefully tonight's events haven't disturbed her terribly?

[break][break]
'Terribly' didn't even come close to what they did to her. But she does not have the strength to retort the chief's words, instead remaining on Gwyar's side as she gives a faint nod. The grip on his arms tightens momentarily. Their conversation continues, the Unovan listening silently, but not quite paying attention to the actual context of it; only snippets settle in her consciousness.

[break][break]
Deputy Wedlig, for example.

[break][break]
When the chief bids them their leave, Brynn mutters a silent apology yet again.

[break][break]
"I'm sorry. You probably have better things to do than escort me," she dares look up at Gwyar, hints of regret written all over her face. "I'm sure your boss thinks the same." And honestly? She couldn't blame the man. Even if she knew that she'd never end up getting home in one piece if she had to go back on her own; not in her current state.



[break][break]

+ Gwyar Wledig

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Brynnhildr chokes on a chuckle, wiping away the blur of tears that have formed. "Well, it was quite the alarming turn of events," Still is, she adds quietly, trying her best to gather her bearings. But she feels the tears keep biting away at her attempts, fueled by jumbled emotions and her inability to deal with the foreign feeling they represent.

[break][break]
"I got lucky when they stopped chasing me..." The Unovan replies, accepting the hand offered. The warmth of his palms radiates through her cold skin, and only then does she realise how numb she truly is. But she pretends to be fine, habitually not wanting to burden Gwyar further.

[break][break]
Her mind digs further into the habits drilled into her subconsciousness. Voices of a time she wants to forget.

[break][break]
"Fool."

[break][break]
And it drags them to the surface.

[break][break]
"What have you ever amounted to except being a burden?"

[break][break]
It makes her doubt the relief she feels even more; surely she's just being a nuisance. The smile doesn't fool her.

[break][break]
He'd already went out of his way to come and get her. She should just be grateful he did and not pester him.

[break][break]
By the time she's on her feet her mind has reached its verdict and relapsed. The woman's shoulders slump, like she's trying to make herself smaller, the notable tremble in her hand somewhat kept at bay as her fingers squeeze his hand. Somewhere in the back of her mind memories replay; her anxiety finding its roots within them.

[break][break]
She's afraid of the man's reaction.

[break][break]
Brynn's only realising how hard she's squeezing Gwyar's hand when her own cramps, violet eyes shoot up in panic. "Sorry, I just-- sorry."

[break][break]
In her panic she rambles, with every word her presence seems to slink away further. "I was stupid. I should've known better, but I still--" her eyes flicker back and forth anxiously, as if she's expecting something bad. "It was a stupid mistake-- you have to believe me"

[break][break]
In the distance, thunder rumbles menacingly.

[break][break]

+ Gwyar Wledig

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

The bark startled her out of her mindless daze, her head perking up just in time to see a Stoutland running up to her, a barrage of licks soon to follow. There was a sputtering retort, followed by a choked-up chuckle at the pup's happy display. Her eyes were still blurry from the lingering tears of frustration that had gathered, but the relief she felt in knowing she was no longer alone trumped all.

[break][break]
Yet what truly grounded her was the voice calling out her name, and the subsequent face belonging to it.

[break][break]
Despite the situation and her slightly disheveled look, Brynnhildr flashed Gwyar a trembling smile as he approached. She couldn't quite remember when she'd last been this happy to see someone. It showed in the way her hands stilled against the Stoutland's fur, how her face lit up before her eyes blurred over once more.

[break][break]
"H-hi," she managed before the lump in her throat threatened to silence her. "you came?"

[break][break]
It had meant to be a statement -a grateful one- but the words came out questioning, bordering disbelief. She wanted to ask why Gwyar was here, how he'd found her, but unlike her emotions, her mind wasn't that far over the place to forget. She'd called.

[break][break]
In her hour of need she'd called him. Instinctively.

[break][break]
And he had answered.

[break][break]

+ Gwyar Wledig

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

How long had she been waiting to do this exactly?

[break][break]
She had no idea.

[break][break]
It was something that'd been lingering in her subconsciousness for ages, but the fear of actually doing so, or rather, of the consequences her actions could have? It had been a very efficient tool to keep her at bay. She couldn't reach out to anyone if she cared to keep her life, as such had been their intention. But after the message she'd received during the winter masquerade, Brynnhildr had realised that no matter what she did, they'd eventually find fault enough to make her life a living hell.

[break][break]
As if her exile hadn't been enough.

[break][break]
Her cousin's velvet words had been laced with poison when he'd called her. No-one had bothered acknowledging her existence until that particular night, but his threat hadn't missed his mark; she'd screwed up, and had done so royally.

[break][break]
Now she was sitting in front of her computer, in the dead of night, mindlessly staring at the screen and the blank, virtual paper, hesitation lingering in her fingers. Of the handful of people she could've asked for help, GIDEON GRAVES had never been on her list. A mere name in the papers. But he had been the most-likely to know of her situation; of the who that had caused it.

[break][break]
And it was time she made sure of that inkling thought. As her fingers slid across her keyboard, a single sentence formed; anonymous and unsigned.

[break][break]
"What do you know about the Voluntas Society?"

+ Stretch of the Imagination - GIDEON GRAVES

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Brynn was about to retort, but that meant having to explain herself as well. And that was something she couldn't; not when she was still juggling with the how and why that made her thoughts wander. Instead she swallowed her words and nodded slowly. ""Yes, sorry. It's just a bit intimidating, that's all. But I'll focus now." Or attempt to, at least. Violet had taken time out of her schedule to humor her, so she better make it count in case the pale-haired woman was planning on bailing.



[break][break]



Letting out a resolute sigh, Brynnhildr marched off into the white wasteland, away from the frozen victims, in search for more. And 'more' came in the hard, steel package of a small Shieldon burried in the snow. It's head protruding from the snow and being the biggest tripping hazard she'd ever experienced. Her resoluteness faltered as she stumbled on, the Shieldon grumbling as it shook its snowy coat off its back to regard the stupid human that'd stepped on it.



[break][break]



Its glare was apparent, prompting Brynn to apologise almost immediately. Something she was certain Violet would comment on, most-likely not in a good way. Calling her Drilbur, Delta, to the frontlines to combat the Shieldon, rather than learning its moveset instead ordered it to attack. It was a sloppy kerfuffle even 1O year olds did better, but it granted the opening she needed to chuck a pokéball at the Shieldon, entirely unaware of the Vanillish creeping up behind her.



[break][break]

Catching Shieldon~

[break][break]

+ ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

She could've sworn she'd seen gowns similar to these Gardevoirs back in Castelia's high-end boutiques; serene and beautiful, graceful with every stride no matter who wore them. Watching the swarm go about their day made her wonder whether the designer too had been watching them like she had, inspired to recreate their elegance.

But to Brynn, the Gardevoir reminded her of something else. A peculiar pair that it seemed to form... and she'd heard the rumors too. So the Unovan too would attempt to catch one. And maybe she'd be lucky enough to call one her own.


U8shF|Xv

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