Nomi was tired, but not because of the anomalies, or the science, or her mission. She was tired because Elisabeth Fiorelli's resentment was heavy, a burden Nomi absolutely, stubbornly refused to set down. Recent findings had proven that Elisabeth's nature was not solely oriented towards hateful grudges, Tapu Fini had blessed her in equal measure, meaning that whatever had drawn the island guardian to Elisabeth was also present within her.[break][break]
And as far as Nomi was concerned, that scrap of hope meant something. It mattered.[break][break]
She ignored Elisabeth's disdainful complaints, continuing to extract samples from each new Tera crystal they encountered within the cavern. It was only when her companion's voice changed octave, from weary boredom to sudden interest, that Nomi looked up, tracking the other woman with her crimson eyes.[break][break]
"Let me send Kal to investigate before we - "[break][break]
But the Underboss was already moving, already attacking. Nomi scrambled to her feet, hurrying forward to see what was ahead, a sudden dread clawing at her chest.[break][break]
Dark vines and violent thorns erupted beneath the feet of two figures. Two extremely familiar figures. Men that Nomi would not have, under any circumstances, wanted to harm.[break][break]
"Oh no," she murmured, blood running cold, the complications she was now facing tearing a hole in her heart.[break][break]
Frantically, Nomi began to formulate a plan. One that would need to seem as if she were aiding Elisabeth Fiorelli, when in fact, she would be doing her absolute best to protect Navy and Isaac Merlo.[break][break]

TAGS – Navy | Isaac Merlo | Elisabeth Fiorelli[break]
NOTES – AREA ZERO EXCURSION D

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Nomi considered. His question lacked the probing scrutiny she might have expected; perhaps it was a truthful inquiry, from one leader to another, both of them busier than usual due to the volatile nature of their region.[break][break]
"Too much to learn, not enough time."[break][break]
She sighed, a measure of exhaustion showing through her honest admission, gaze wandering to the chasm - what lay below was one such anomaly they all needed to better understand: and fast, lest the DRK Triad take advantage of its secrets before Hoenn's protectors could.[break][break]
"Tera energy has long been a focus of mine. I have gathered tons of data in the past several months, but there are still connections to be made, conclusions to draw. The crystals are capable of temporarily changing a Pokemon's typing, as we all know, and they are now known to summon the paradox abominations - and those just keep getting more and more dangerous."[break][break]
Her eyes met his once more.[break][break]
"I can teleport us down there, if you'd like."[break][break]

TAGS – THEO BECKETT[break]
NOTES – GC EXCURSION C: MONSTER HUNTER

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Nomi flashed Eva Morales a warm smile, full of sincere gratitude. The professor had composed herself with all the grace of a seasoned diplomat; whatever grudge she held against KING WAYLAND had melted away in the face of her steadfast support of Nomi's mission. The authority of Rayquaza resonated throughout the meadow, and Nomi leaned into it, let it bolster her as she weathered one of Hoenn's most resolute - no, stubborn - leaders.[break][break]
"Whatever some of my superiors think they can do to me and my loved ones pales in comparison to what the DRK Triad will do, if they succeed. And besides, the only person who has actually tried to hurt me thus far has been your own peer, the esteemed Councilwoman Livy."[break][break]
She let that sink in. She let that drill holes in Freya's self-righteous contumacy.[break][break]
"But Eva's right. When it counted, League and Rocket were able to rise to the occasion - to fight a common enemy. They can do so again, of this I am certain. So our job is to make sure enough authority figures on both sides understand the threat."[break][break]
Freya had called her an idealist, but that wasn't quite it. Some measure of optimism was necessary when staring down a seemingly insurmountable quandary, but Nomi was a scientist first and foremost, which meant she did not waste her energy on hypotheticals that had no capacity to be properly tested.[break][break]
Kallistatus stirred, then, and Nomi's attention was momentarily drawn to it. She gazed at the Unown-K, impressions flashing through her mind:[break][break]
- a spatial tear -[break][break]
- dark shapes, moving quickly -[break][break]
- the waterfall - they will come from behind the waterfall - [break][break]
- Holo sent them.[break][break]
"As for the how, we need to draw them out. They fear and hate Avatars, so those of us blessed by the Gods have the greatest chance of doing so - as well as the greatest chance of defeating them, especially in numbers. Don't believe me?"[break][break]
Her smile turned grim.[break][break]
"You will in about twenty seconds."[break][break]

TAGS – KING WAYLAND | freya morningstar | Eva Morales[break]
NOTES – GREAT CHASM EXCURSION B: RESEARCH STATION

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"Oh, you don't have to worry," she smiled encouragingly, not missing a beat. "I saw everything."[break][break]
Mint might be deflecting somewhat - or perhaps he was legitimately confused - but to Nomi, it was as clear as the crystals they were currently excavating.[break][break]
"So you can tell me the truth. If he's your lover now, your secret will be safe with me - and the Unown. I won't tell anyone, not even Walsh."[break][break]
Matters of the heart were complicated, though, she knew better than to deny that. Her own relationship with Parker had been fraught with tension lately, in part because of Nomi's insistence on continuing to fraternize with Isaac Merlo and in part because Parker had been feeling somewhat displaced by Rocket - and by Nomi's mission to save Hoenn. They were working through it.[break][break]
"The thing is, Mint, the DRK Triad is trying to destroy Hoenn. And I'm quite interested in making sure that doesn't happen. So," she clapped her hands together excitedly. "I see this as a fortuitous development! If you can continue to seduce Father Winter to our side, then perhaps he will be willing to work against his former organization and help us prevent the apocalypse."[break][break]
She had vague memories of encountering the enigmatic man recently, as well - but much of it had felt like a dream. What Mint had experienced was far more...real.[break][break]

TAGS – mint frost[break]
NOTES – AREA ZERO EXCURSION B: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

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Many were saying that it was the largest tera cave in Hoenn, but Nomi had a different theory. The tera caverns that had sprung up around the region weren't isolated events, one-off anomalies born out of individual, unrelated disasters. This newly formed, massive gaping maw ripped open by the devastation of Kyurem wasn't just another glittering, ethereal chamber of possibility set apart from the rest.[break][break]
It was a portal into another realm: the vast, interconnected network of tera crystals that spanned the entirety of Hoenn. They were all related, and Nomi suspected it would be possible - with a great deal of effort and escavation - to traverse from one to the next underground.[break][break]
Most fascinating, however, was the fact that it seemed to be a living system. The crystals were spreading, like a beautiful infection chewing through Hoenn from the inside. If they didn't act quickly to understand the nature of this new disease, there would be far worse consequences than the awakening of the abominations within the deep.[break][break]
The paradoxes were only the beginning.[break][break]
"Take a scan of this area, please," Nomi requested of Kallistatus. The shiny Unown-K bobbed up and down, then turned to regard the thick nest of crystals before them. On Nomi's left and right, an Unown-D and Unown-F floated dutifully, alphabetic sentinels waiting for their own commands.[break][break]
Except, something seemed to catch the Unown-F's attention. It turned, drifting away to the right, which caused Nomi to follow it with her gaze.[break][break]
"What is it?" She asked, curious. "Do you sense something?"[break][break]
Thoughts of the DRK Triad prickled in the back of Nomi's mind, and she tensed, readying herself for whatever was out there.

TAGS – Elise Calcifet[break]
NOTES – Mission | Hiking outfit vibes

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She relaxed into the comfortable weight of their entangled bodies, running her fingers idly through Parker's mussed hair, gently massaging her scalp. Hot breath tickled exposed skin, contended grey eyes chased slumber, and Nomi sighed softly as they both began to find that familiar solace that always accompanied post-coital bliss.[break][break]
Except Parker didn't fall asleep. She jolted awake, expression excited. Nomi let out a soft mewl of surprise, Parker's mouth claiming one last morsel before she removed herself from the bed - much to Nomi's chagrin.[break][break]
"What are you - !?"[break][break]
No time to protest. Parker was yanking her out of their nest, dragging her onto the floor, and Nomi understood with sudden empathy how Maisey must feel whenever she was ousted from her favorite bed spot for one reason or another.[break][break]
Parker certainly did not need her help to move the mattress - three times as strong as Nomi and determined as hell - but she helped anyway, grunting as she shoved a delicate shoulder into the thick fabric, pink hair spilling down her back in wavy knots.[break][break]
"Oh that's..." she blinked down at the wads of cash, chaotically stacked. "That's a lot of money, Parker."

TAGS – parker jones[break]
NOTES – Mission | Outfit vibes

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She'd come prepared this time, with more equipment and a better sense of where to dig. Gritting her teeth, Nomi set the drill in the middle of a particularly thick cluster of Tera crystals, then waited for Mint's Pokemon to help her stabilize it.[break][break]
Kallistatus, however, floated over to Mint, staring at the Beast with its unblinking eye. Nomi glanced up, noticing the way the shiny Unown-K had fixated on her companion. Oh, right.[break][break]
"Mint," she called out, tone pleasant, if a little inquisitive. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you."[break][break]
It was something of a sensitive topic, but it needed to be addressed. Nomi had spent the past several months obsessed with finding the DRK Triad - as well as risking her life to win critical members of the League government to her side, for the greater purpose of saving the world - and where she had failed, Mint, of all people, had succeeded.[break][break]
Perhaps a little too well.[break][break]
Regardless of the complications, it was the only real lead she had, and she had every intention of convincing her fellow Rocket - and friend - to tell her absolutely everything he knew.[break][break]
"Are you...dating Father Winter?"[break][break]

TAGS – mint frost[break]
NOTES – AREA ZERO EXCURSION B: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

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Though she did not share her companion's trepidation, it was something of a comfort to know that Lugia was watching their backs from above. Nomi glanced up, sensing her PRESSURE, a blanket of protection that weighed heavily upon the foreign landscape.[break][break]
Cillian's terse reply did not bother Nomi. She was accustomed to his brooding silence, the way he kept his emotions close to his chest. She let him observe in quiet contemplation as she continued forward into the cavern. It was eerily quiet - perhaps too quiet - the only sound the soft footfalls of the two Rockets as they did their best to traverse the newly uncovered crystal realm.[break][break]
"Cillian," Nomi began, after a time. Her tone was even, but her chest tightened with a sudden anticipation. The moment had come to discuss with him her focus as of late - and, if necessary, the work she had been doing to try and win the League to her side.[break][break]
"I'm worried about the DRK Triad. I fear we are running out of time to prevent them from destroying our world."[break][break]

TAGS – Cillian Quinn[break]
NOTES – AREA ZERO EXCURSION A: EXPLORE

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Because of them was good enough.[break][break]
Nomi faced freya morningstar with all the certainty of a prophet, crimson eyes memorizing every scar and angle, her stature small before the looming huntress but with enough resolve to topple mountains.[break][break]
"My mission is to save the world," she said simply, tone matter-of-fact. "The DRK Triad works in the shadows to destroy this universe at the behest of Arceus. The faction conflict between Team Rocket and the League is a distraction they are more than willing to stoke the fire of, for it serves their agenda."[break][break]
Kallistatus circled Calcifer, its singular eye betraying a vague emotion one might recognize as affinity. Then it drifted over to Eva, hovering by her shoulder, its glittering body projecting a watercolor glow of soft blues onto the professor's sunshine-blond hair.[break][break]
"I believe a united Hoenn has the best chance of surviving the impending apocalypse. I'm not so naive as to ask for forgiveness, or even reconciliation. What I want is a ceasefire. What I want is for logic to prevail over pride and hate."[break][break]
King himself had made reference to one of the League's own sinners. A grey sky, a bitter sting, and the red rage of ruination. Nomi knew better than most that there were extremists on both sides.[break][break]
And because there was so much tension, so much pent-up domestic wrath on all sides of their impromptu quartet, Nomi found it within herself to channel the woman that owned her heart, a small, wry smile touching the corners of her lips as she imagined Parker rolling her eyes at the Councilwoman's bold, biased, bitter assumptions.[break][break]
"And for the record, the blood money is for a house."[break][break]

TAGS – KING WAYLAND | freya morningstar | Eva Morales[break]
NOTES – GREAT CHASM EXCURSION B: RESEARCH STATION

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The Unown coalesced around the two Rockets, swirling in rhythmic patterns as reality deconstructed. Nomi watched as Amor's childhood nightmare melted away, everything going white as the teleportation took effect. In an instant, they were back on the Rocket submarine, everything as it had been when they'd left.[break][break]
It was as if nothing had occurred at all. Nomi wondered vaguely how much time had really passed. She had a feeling they had not been gone for very long at all, despite the weight of all they had seen.[break][break]
"I won't tell anyone," she assured Amor, tone firm. Then, quieter, with more compassion - "Thank you for trusting me."[break][break]
In time, perhaps that small measure of trust would grow into something solid. Something as impenetrable and steadfast as the armor he wore.

[attr="class","ooc"][break]

"They are trying to destroy our world."[break][break]
An ominous statement, blunt and direct, but Nomi knew Nenet was not the sort of woman to balk in the face of harsh truths.[break][break]
"The DRK Triad believes that our Hoenn is the origin point for a predestined cataclysmic event, one that will collapse every single reality in existence. They work for Arceus - supposedly - and are keen on ensuring our region's anomalies can be... contained prior to said apocalypse."[break][break]
Her tone was clinical, detached. There was no point getting worked up about the facts. The important thing was to ensure Nenet understood the gravity of the situation. She was a scientist like Nomi, and if there was one thing they all needed, it was brilliant minds capable of choosing logic over panic or denial.[break][break]
"They fear Avatars for some reason. DRK Triad member Nisa Holo attempted to kill me in the RKS Machine in order to prevent me from becoming the Unown Avatar. Curiously - she expected my title to be The Architect, but I am, in fact, The Visionary."[break][break]
A small smile returned to Nomi's lips, proud and determined.[break][break]
"They are not all-knowing. I believe we can defeat them, and protect our home from destruction. Whether or not there is really some larger-scale disaster looming on the horizon...I cannot say. The first step is to make sure we survive the DRK Triad's agenda...then, we'll face whatever comes next."

TAGS – Neffatari Nzingha[break]
NOTES – Mission

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Especially for those with ideas.[break][break]
Nomi blew on the tea: to stave off the sorrow that threatened her resolve as much as to cool the steaming liquid. She endured Eva's sympathy, staring down into the her cup, her own vague reflection a grounding anchor amidst the past's stormy seas.[break][break]
"It is a necessary ask," Nomi murmured finally, once Eva had finished speaking. Only then did she glance up to meet the professor's emerald gaze once more. "There are some in Rocket who will see my consorting with the League as betrayal, yes. There are others I believe can be convinced that a truce with the League is our best chance at survival." She paused. "After all, there won't be a Hoenn to rule if it gets destroyed. The Rocket agenda cannot succeed if the DRK Triad takes the region first."[break][break]
And after? If they all survived? Well, they'd have to cross that bridge when they came to it. They had to first make sure there would even be a bridge.[break][break]
For the only ones who can move mountains . . . are gods.[break][break]
"I hear you: this won't be easy. But that's the thing, Eva. We don't need everyone to compromise. We just need the majority. And, with any luck, that majority will include those that have earned the favor of gods. Avatars are volatile, but the DRK Triad fears them. There's a reason for that, I think."[break][break]
Especially given that the DRK Triad had not foreseen the details of her own Avatarship. She had surprised them, as had Isaac Merlo.[break][break]
Nomi took a sip of tea, and it only burned a little. It was otherwise quite good, spiced enough to tingle the tongue and wake up the spirit.[break][break]
"I am willing to risk my life for this," she admitted then, quietly. parker jones's greatest fear made manifest - but she would not shy away from it, not with Eva: one of the few who would actually get it. "If I'm destined to die, I'd rather have some say in it. I will not let the enemy take my home from me without putting up a fight."

TAGS – Eva Morales[break]
NOTES – Social[break][break]

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Oh, this was messy. And she wasn't Isaac Merlo. She didn't have his golden tongue, his nuanced social awareness, his stubborn pure-hearted belief in humanity's ability to get its shit together when it really really mattered.[break][break]
All she had was data: every day, Hoenn careened ever closer to its predestined demise, and too many of the people who might actually be able to do something about it weren't listening.[break][break]
But they could be made to listen.[break][break]
There was data to be gathered here, too.[break][break]
"I can protect him," Nomi said to Freya, tone firm, gambling on the fact that Eva would, eventually, forgive her for this small betrayal. She had seen the agonized, unmoored look in the professor's eyes as she'd snapped back at King, something tearing apart inside of her too, but Nomi wasn't capable of staunching that wound. All she could do was stick to her plan - to their plan.[break][break]
The apocalypse would not wait for broken hearts to mend.[break][break]
"Someone I love thinks he's a good man," she continued, refusing to be cowed by Freya's vitriol. "And he was kind to me once, when he had no reason to be." A pointed statement; every breath a lesson in temperance. "So do not dismiss me, Councilwoman. If given the choice, I am confident he will side with my mission over Rocket's - because my mission gives his family - all families - a fighting chance."[break][break]

TAGS – KING WAYLAND | freya morningstar | Eva Morales[break]
NOTES – GREAT CHASM EXCURSION B: RESEARCH STATION

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