"granbull."[break][break]

now she's drenched, from head to toe - and no thanks to this man here, who's revelling in her misfortune. these are the consequences of her own actions, but she likes to think that he deserved this. it was karma, for all the previous times he just watched and enjoyed her struggle. what a sadistic man. [break][break]

this time, she sighs and parts the hair from over her eyes, now properly pushing her bangs back to slick over her head with one hand, and using the other to take his and pull herself up - properly, this time. "yes, then i need to get myself changed out of this.." she huffs, softly. "salt water is good for the skin, not so much a dress.." [break][break]

when she's lifted back up, she releases his hand and pinches at a semi-wet part of the fabric. salt water drops into the water, and she tries to bunch it up, slightly, and twist to squeeze the water out. then she moves to her hair, bunching it up, and squeezing a bit to get excess water out.

Leonidas Stone

☉

he's so amused by her suffering. [break]
why was he her friend again? [break][break]

"a pleasant surprise" he says, and the truth is glaring her in the eye. denial can only get her so far, after all. she's getting a little tired of denying it, although it's for her own reasons. so she turns her attention back to the sprouts that are perking up a little bit more, due to drinking some of the rain that seeps into the soil. [break][break]

though something he says bothers her, prompting a soft pout of "just because i don't show it, it doesn't mean it isn't there.." beneath veil of pattering rain. then she narrows her eyes to glance at a man tugging the roots from the dirt. [break][break]

"now wipe that grin off."

Leonidas Stone

☉

he's straight forwards, and she'd be ill-prepared if she hasn't met enough people like this. people who were more blunt, and to the point, and more open with what they expected from her. she'll remind herself that not everyone is as wishy-washy as her father, not everyone is as crafty or manipulative as he is. but when she looks at him, and at how open, and how kind he can be, and is, she'll narrow her eyes and sigh. [break][break]

trust is earned, but she doesn't know how it's earned. [break][break]

she doesn't know how to trust at all. [break][break]

and she wants to try, she'll have you know. it's when she doesn't know where to start, and it all jumbles up in her mind, and she's trying to grasp at the pieces. "well.." she'll start, with her legs against her chest, and her body leaned forwards, resting the side of her cheek against the top of her knees. she's not exactly looking at anything in particular; maybe she's keeping he gaze fixated on the glow behind him. how does she sugar coat it? [break][break]

maybe it's better not to. [break][break]

"da--.. father was a killer." her tone falls, thinking back on it. but she'll speak about it all the same. "he was crafty, and manipulative. he'd lure people in, or he'd hire thugs to kidnap people off the streets." then her voice hushes, softly, and the grip around her legs is getting a bit tighter. [break][break]

"most of the.. "breakthroughs" he's made were.. something he found out while experimenting with bodies, both dead and alive. he'd work backwards until he found an ethical way of researching it." and sure, maybe it's done so much good. maybe it's helped so many people. it's killed many people, too. "... father was never interested in medicine, or research, or saving people" now there's a slight bite in her tone. [break][break]

"he was only ever interested in his own research, and sick experiments."

Leonidas Stone

☉

her, cheated? [break][break]

"no," she says immediately, her gaze fixated on the piano she tries to play, as he song continues with its higher volume "mom was the only one who got the short end of the stick." she ays it immediately, thinking that it's true; she never wanted to marry a monster, nor give birth to one. that's how it is.[break][break]

what gets her is that they might have been a functional family if she never found out. they'd still be a functional family today, she thinks. she's the reason they split ways. she's the reason for mother's mind breaking. he'll pity her? then she'll pity her mother, who had to care for a child whose mind couldn't handle a simple scrape or wound without trying to harm herself in the name of research, or science. [break][break]

but "he was a different kind of messed in the head." the calculating type, the manipulative type. the scary type. "not someone who was impulsive, or sudden, or sporadic and careless." he was cool-headed, and composed, and always seemed to have an unreadable, warm, fatherly gaze. [break][break]

".. if i were to hate mother for something, it would be--" she pauses as the song comes to a close, her brows furrowing in thought. [break][break]

"-- for not taking me with her."

Dante Telos [break]
song

☉

"it was the result of being raised by a serial killer." she knows he knows, and maybe this is already unspoken knowledge; she knows he's worked for her father in the past, for hits, but maybe he doesn't know what he does with the body parts. he didn't have to know; he was only doing his job. wendy knew, though. [break][break]

"there was a divide while i was growing up." she huffs, and lets out another sigh. that's starting to become a habit of hers. "i grew up to enjoy violence, even take after my father." she hasn't forgotten when the man has shown her; how could she? [break][break]

".. i didn't want it." her gaze is fixated on the ground, now, and she can't find the energy to raise her head. gravity seems to be weighing heavy on her. "but it's been so etched into me, and it haunts me, still. reasoning to myself that it wasn't my fault while i knew i inherited that perverse desire for knowledge" like he did "was disgusting. that's why i'm not happy." [break][break]

another jab into the ground, picking up paper this time while she's avoiding a gaze. [break][break]

"i'm not happy that i've accepted it." but rejecting it will never help her move on.

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

neglect in obsession?[break][break]

that's a first she's heard the term; you'd think that two things so opposite could work so well hand-in-hand (and when she thinks of those violet eyes glaring at her, with a toothy grin that transitions into a sly smirk, with the same eyes sharpening, cupping her cheeks and smearing the same scarlet on her face, things start to make more sense). "you're right." indeed, he never loved her. [break][break]

"he never loved me." it's said aloud that time, her fingers pressing against the white keys of the piano. it's to a rhythm as her gaze hardens, and something about her words are starting to click and echo as clearly as the notes resounding. "he only loved his research, loved his science" her other hand reaches up to add in a melody, and she gently biting her lower lip "he loved his live test subjects." [break][break]

then there hits a gradual crescendo, intense as her grits her teeth "never loved me, and never loved mom" never loved anyone but himself. [break][break]

her blood starts to boil, and the notes hit louder "and mom just loved the idea of a family."

Dante Telos [break]
song

☉

he's so hard-pressed for answers. she wonders why that is. [break][break]

now her eyes fall to the ground, and her arm has paused from he jabbing. the cans still crumble under the plate somewhere along the spike, as her mind blankly processes his question. he asked again, and she doesn't like that he repeated it (when she's being vague, she just doesn't want to get into it. clearly, he's still stubborn). [break][break]

the only benefit he has is that he knew her before her disappearing act. [break][break]

"it's because i had to crack" the words leave her lips, albeit slightly hesitantly. there's a very slight furrow of her brows as her chest raises, and a sigh follows shortly afterwards. "wendy is still.. one and the same, with i." it's not like before, when there was such a large disparity.[break][break]

she doesn't like to talk about it, but she will, so it's easier to explain. [break][break]

".. you remember how disturbed i would be at the sight of an open injury, or blood, or.. any innards flesh?" she doesn't know how else to describe it. [break][break]

it wasn't anything violent, or off the rails, or unhinged; it was the uncharacteristic silence, and calmness, that sends a shiver up her spine still thinking about it.

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

this absolute dolt. [break][break]

it was supposed to be a harmless pull into the water, although she finds herself in the splash zone again - only with this idiot kneeling behind her. this time, she's raising her arms up in an attempt to cover her face, crossing them together over her face to make an X as she tries, harder, to lean back and away from the water. [break][break]

she can't even get up in this state, and she's too busy trying to keep the water out of her face. she's backing off until she's stopped, let it be by him grabbing her shoulders to keep her there, or her head hits the back of his chest. either way, she's trapped. oh, she's so trapped. [break][break]

"what the hell--" she sputters, softly, with an added chuckle nearing the end. if you look closely enough, you can see the crack of a smile as she turns her head to peek up at a man who is, definitely, wearing a grin behind her. "get that look off your face"

Leonidas Stone

☉

it's another one of these. [break][break]

she was half-hoping that she wouldn't run into another so soon, but maybe that's asking for a bit too much. the last time she was in this field of destruction and chaos, she found herself a somber looking typhlosion - the exact opposite to what it usually was. and she'd know; she's taken care of enough of them. [break][break]

this time, she comes across a small.. white zorua. a white.. zorua? it's so small, and so.. fluffy. at first, she was on guard, thinking that it was going to attack her. imagine her surprise when she finds the little thing staring up, curiously, at the young woman. it lets out a soft cry and.. it smiles? [break][break]

she's maintaining a stoic expression, but not even marisol can contain herself in front of something so.. cute. yes, she wanted it, so she leaned down to pull out a berry for the little thing to snack on, while pulling out a pokeball to tap upon the white puff on its head. [break][break]

.. god dammit, even its eating was adorable.

x1 forme change on zorua

☉

"no." [break][break]

no way, there was no way she was going to drop and twerk. it was.. way too embarrassing, and frankly, she doesn't think she has the body for that sort of thing..? granted, she wouldn't know. she's never done it before. marisol is this close to lifting herself back up and standing straight, and forgoing this entire thing - but she knows that if she backs out, her friend here will only try to find another way to drag her into doing.. something. [break][break]

dancing is truly being stuck between a rock and a hard place. [break][break]

"there's.. really no other way?" she asks, furrowing her brows as locks of ashen grey fall over her shoulders, and part along her back. one look at the woman tells her that there isn't another way, or she'd find a way to get marisol to do this, anyways. so with a sigh, she attempts to arch her back a bit. [break][break]

then tries to do as instructed, before a hue of red reaches her cheeks, and tinges the slights of her ears "th-this is ridiculous.."

Astra Faustino

☉

ah, she really felt like gagging. [break][break]

no thanks to the 'friend' (friend is in air quotes; she doesn't quite know if she can call her that, yet). the ashen woman raises her hand to gently rub the bridge of her nose, and she furrows her brows in disgust from the aftermath. the disgust is offset by hearing the name, then she finds herself narrowing her eyes more. this time, at him. [break][break]

.. fiora? fiora of all people, oh, the poor thing. for once, there's judgement; and it leaves a bitter taste in her mouth when she knows that he'll only smile, and shrug, or try to brush away her curiosity with vague answers. he's always like that. it's because he's like that, though, that she's skeptical. "mhm.. then fiora's the poor woman." [break][break]

the hum is void of amusement. [break][break]

but no matter what she says, he'll just continue to do as he pleases. so she only helplessly sighs "don't go too hard on her," she says instead, taking a glance at the passing pokemon "she's a good person, even if she's a bit tense sometimes." [break][break]

her eyes narrow "or when she tries to be more stern than she actually is."

Dal-yong Nam [break]
skipping

☉