[attr="class","littleollie"] "“You don’t get to choose, sometimes."

[break][break] Ah.

[break][break] For once, it seemed that both Morales could see eye-to-eye.

[break][break] How many times had he wondered over it himself? How many times had he stressed over the fact that he kept going back to PENELOPE LIVY time and time again, no matter how cruelly she treated him, no matter how bad they were for each other? Ollie knew that Penny probably didn't treat him the best — Ollie knew that whatever they were was probably better left in the past, tossed to place discarded dreams went to die.

[break][break] He should've gotten over her. He could've, maybe, if things between them didn't always constantly end up being unfinished.

[break][break] 'No,' a tiny voice instead his head reminded him. 'You never could. It's Penny.'

[break][break] It was Penny. And for Eva Morales, it was Matias.

[break][break] He swallowed.

[break][break] "It's not over for us," he said instead. "Or I don't think it is. God, I don't know. It's so complicated, Eva. It's messy and complicated — but I can't, we can't — "

[break][break] The Head Ranger billows out a sigh.

[break][break] "She drives me crazy," he finished at last, continuing the walk out of the busier parts of the market. A few people glanced at them as they walked by, but mostly because it was the two Morales out on an errand, not due the conversation that they were unwittingly having with one another. "But I can't help it. I can't leave her alone."

[break][break] He rubbed the back of his neck.

[break][break] "Even... even as her friend. Or whatever it is."

[break][break] "It's just... it's Penny, you know?"

[break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Eva Morales [break]
post-rt

☉

[attr="class","littleollie"] "You're right, I didn't."

[break][break] Ollie winced. The harsh tone of GIDEON GRAVES's voice was unmistakable, rough like sandpaper. And not in the hot way either — okay, maybe a little in the hot way. But mostly in the way that made Ollie's gut twist with misery, knowing that this was going to be a lot harder than expected.

[break][break] "I-I don't know! I was... I was drunk, okay?" The Head Ranger was a lot less eloquent in a response, frustrated, as he ran a hand through his hair. Ollie was was normally charming, good with his words. But it was obvious from the way that he behaved now that the mask had fallen — at least a little bit — and he was betraying his own emotions to reveal a little bit of that frustration in front of Gideon.

[break][break] He was embarrassed, more than anything, for how he'd acted.

[break][break] "That's no excuse, though."

[break][break] Ollie sighed again, turning his head back to his friend. Green eyes gleamed bright with apology as he strode across the room, closer to Gideon now.

[break][break] A hand reached out, gently, to touch his wrist.

[break][break] "C'mon, Gids. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Let me make it up to you?"

[break]

[attr="class","ooc"] GIDEON GRAVES [break]
canon connections

☉

[attr="class","littleollie"] at her words, his jaw locks.

[break][break] he knows exactly what she's saying, and he knows exactly how he let MATIAS SILPH get under his skin. it has nothing to do with PENELOPE LIVY or Eva Morales - okay, maybe a little to do with them - but it's more than that. he trusted matias. he thought matias was going to do good by eva, by them both.

[break][break] "how'd you even choose him, sis?" he sighs. "he seems like an ass almost all the time."

[break][break] he didn't understand how there could be so many good people in the league - illeana reyes, kyle lopez, PENELOPE LIVY - and they let someone like MATIAS SILPH slip through the cracks.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Eva Morales [break]
post-rt

☉

[attr="class","littleollie"] The fishing hook didn't bite. Ollie should've known better. GIDEON GRAVES was too smart to be goaded into childish teasing like that. Still, he'd wanted to try.

[break][break] A small, tiny part of him wondered why. Would he have cared if the answer had been yes?

[break][break] Shaking the thoughts away, Ollie followed the professor into the museum. The last time he'd been somewhere similar was when he was with Yuina Higashi, but this seemed like a very different instance than that. His throat bobbed nervously, glancing around at the various employees that seemed to not even cast them a second glance. They were all very studious, very busy.

[break][break] The Head Ranger blinked with surprise and a little bit awe as the employees parted like the red sea for Gideon towards the elevator. Suddenly, Ollie felt sort of small in comparison. He was usually used to being the confident one in their relationship. The more self-assured one. After all, that was generally how Ollie had carried himself all the time — but the recent events at the League Party had been a dip in his confidence, which had slowly eroded over time with each message he sent to GIDEON GRAVES that had been left ignored.

[break][break] Ollie wasn't really used to being ignored, especially not from Gideon of all people.

[break][break] The elevator was dreadfully silent. Green eyes flickered towards his friend, casting a glance at his stoic expression. The sharp line of his jaw, the handsome cut of his face...

[break][break] Suddenly the doors opened, and Ollie blinked, walking through them.

[break][break] The office that greeted him was impressive too. It occurred to him that he'd never met Gideon here. Not in this space, not in his office. Usually it was at the entrance or the garden. Outside. Places he felt most comfortable. Now, he felt like a cat cornered in a cage.

[break][break] "I..."

[break][break] He swallowed, licking his lips.

[break][break] "I wanted to apologize," he said, blurting it out. Best to be out with it first. Honesty and integrity was his bread and butter, after all. "For that night. At the League Party."

[break][break] A hand reached behind his neck, sheepish, as his cheeks burned.

[break][break] "I was really stupid. And you didn't deserve that, not at all Gids."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] GIDEON GRAVES [break]
canon connections

☉

[attr="class","littleollie"] he huffed, but had no choice but to follow along. after all, she was right in a sense — a crowd had drawn.

[break][break] walking down the rest of the path, he tried to appear nonchalant as he put his hands behind his head and leaned back.

[break][break] "does being the peacekeeper mean you've gotten wise? you sound like one of those old guys in those fairytale books you used you used to like so much as a kid."

[break][break] his lips twitched.

[break][break] "don't worry, i don't hate him enough to do nothin'. penny already told me not to say anything."

[break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Eva Morales [break]
post-rt

☉

[attr="class","littleollie"] oh yeah. calyrex. that was that guy's name.

[break][break] ollie didn't do so well with names, for humans or legendary pokemon, but he'd recognized that pokemon from his time in the forgotten memory. it almost seemed like ages ago that they'd met.

[break][break] if they'd even met in the first place.

[break][break] "yeah," he said with a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "just told a stupid one from when i was a kid, though."

[break][break] he glanced at his friend.

[break][break] "i went up right after Remiel Calcifet. imagine that? can't really measure up to a prince, though."

[break]

[attr="class","ooc"] kyle lopez [break]
PROTECT THE DYNA TREE

☉