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I missed you too.[break][break]
The solid warmth of Lulu's embrace, coupled with the gentle delivery of those words, only caused Nomi to sob harder. It was perhaps somewhat unbecoming, but the floodgates had been opened, and there was no stopping the cathartic release of emotion now: all of the grief, sorrow, and regret surrounding the lack of closure regarding Lulu's disappearance draining away, replaced by relief and joy. It was a necessary prelude to accepting that Lulu was alive and well, and that she had returned to Hoenn. That this was real.[break][break]
After several moments in which Nomi allowed herself to be held by her mentor - the closest person she'd ever had to a sister - she finally extracted herself from Lulu's arms and wiped her eyes. A blush colored her cheeks, but she was smiling as she regarded Lulu. No, Saoirse, she remembered. She wondered if that name ought to be used instead, given Cillian's recent decision. Surely Lulu had visited him first...?[break][break]
"I'm continuing our work, that's all," Nomi replied, humble. "You taught me well."[break][break]
She glanced at the Unown-N floating idly nearby. Lulu had been wary of them, once. Suspicious that all of the Unown were spies for the DRK Triad; that former Underboss Del Mar might have been one, too.[break][break]
"You don't have to worry about the Unown. I've befriended them," Nomi told Lulu. "At least, the ones in Rocket's possession, anyway. I have a few of my own, too. They trust me, and I trust them. I've learned a great deal about them lately."

MADE BY GUNSMILE

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The physical touch was grounding, Parker's voice a soothing normalcy. Nomi's breathing returned to normal, her heart stopped pounding, and her head ached a little less acutely. Now, she was simply tired, in a bone-weary sort of way. She yawned, swaying a little, leaning into the hand on her hip.[break][break]
"It's okay," she assured, in response to Parker's obvious self-conscious realization that she'd had zero time to prepare for her brand-new girlfriend to visit her living space. "I didn't give you much warning. No need to apologize." What she didn't say was: this is wonderful because it's yours and you're wonderful, but she had a feeling her expression would convey the sentiment, despite fumbling for the words.[break][break]
Parker walked away and Nomi was left floundering for a few seconds, not fully comprehending what Parker had suggested because of the sudden lack of stability, the loss of her tether. She blinked a few times, then padded forward, towards the section of the apartment that acted as a makeshift bedroom. She found the dresser, slid open the top drawer, stared down at Parker's clothing. Reaching out a hand, she ran her fingers over the fabric of a hastily-folded t-shirt, letting the tactile sensation further ground her. With each passing second, she felt more present, more settled.[break][break]
She pulled out the oversized t-shirt and quickly swapped it with her more formal blouse. It came down to her mid-thighs, so she pulled off her skirt, too. As she laid her discarded clothing on the bed, a sound startled her: there was a body on the bed. And it was snoring. Loudly.[break][break]
"Oh! Hello," Nomi greeted, as the Granbull sleepily cracked one eye open. She reached down to pet the violet canine, scratching behind her ears. The Granbull grunted - a happy sound? - then glared at Nomi when she pulled her hand away. Oh, okay. More pets, then. She could do that.[break][break]
Kallistatus appeared, floating down to observe Nomi's new friend. Nomi giggled, watching as the Granbull sniffed the shiny Unown-K with a mild interest.[break][break]
"What's your name?" She asked, as if the Granbull might actually answer.

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Nomi let out a delighted gasp at the sudden renewed contact, the thrill of the impromptu chase supplementing an already raging fire: the ecstatic revelation that she was desired, hungered for, coveted. It wasn't that Nomi didn't savor tenderness, or appreciate a little romance, but this was what she'd been craving: rough Parker, needy Parker, you're-all-mine Parker.[break][break]
Nomi arched her back, wrapped her arms around Parker's broad, muscular shoulders, and matched the other woman's fervor as she returned her kisses. Their bodies tangled together in passionate embrace, and the friction of movement combined with still-damp skin made for several intoxicating sensations. She lost herself to it, allowed her hands to wander, fingers finding all the places she seemed to remember (thanks to twenty years of intimacy) Parker liking best.[break][break]
Perhaps she ought to think it strange that she did not need to ask Parker what she wanted: for one, Parker wasn't shy about making it abundantly clear. But it was the memories of having done this hundreds of times before, of fumbling through it only to discover, over time, various preferences and preferred positions, that seemed so remarkable to Nomi. As if they had unlocked cheat codes for one another's pleasure. A small loss, she supposed, to skip the awkward learning phase...but in the end, weren't they always learning about one another? Wasn't that one of the joys of being in love?[break][break]
Is that what this is? Love? she wondered, awed, as she twisted around beneath Parker, finding the optimal angle for mutual benefit. It seemed so early to consider such a thing...but it was undeniable that she was falling - had been falling - and she had absolutely no desire to stop it.

MADE BY GUNSMILE

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Nomi had not, in fact, earned her PhD quite yet, but she was too distracted to correct Aurelie - so intent was she on figuring out the nature of Farhan's cryptic words.[break][break]
"One could argue the other two members of the Legendary Kanto trio are 'cousins', in a sense," Nomi mused. "Zapdos was once allied with Rocket through former head scientist oscar clayton, but now...it has returned to the New Mauville powerplant to roost and recharge. Articuno, as far as we know, is still allied with the League."[break][break]
She pursed her lips, considering.[break][break]
"Of course, he could be talking about...a different Moltres. As far as I know, there's only one..." That didn't feel quite right, though, as if Nomi had some sort of evidence that there were, in fact, two of the powerful phoenixes. Zapdos was orange in the dream I had at the Ancient Tomb, she remembered, recalling those strange not-quite-memories with a sudden clarity.[break][break]
An explosion sounded nearby, shaking Nomi from her reverie. All around them, the air began to shimmer - not unlike a heat wave - and the rocky ground shuddered, disintegrating right before their eyes.[break][break]
"Looks like we won't get to find out what happens next in their battle," Nomi remarked calmly. "The simulation is changing."

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They chose peace, and peace rewarded them: with information, albeit cryptic.[break][break]
"What does he mean, Moltres' cousin?" Nomi wondered aloud, knowing the simulation would continue regardless of their commentary. When she and Isaac had spoken to Father Winter within the RKS Machine, he had not reacted to their questions - merely continued on with his pre-programmed script.[break][break]
Or so it had seemed.[break][break]
"There's only one Moltres, as far as we know..." but even as she said it, it felt wrong somehow. As if she had some kind of evidence for the contrary, but exactly what it was...she could not quite remember.[break][break]
Zapdos was orange not yellow, in the dream I had at the Ancient Tomb...[break][break]
Around them, Farhan and his peers set up defenses. Nomi didn't see a point in aiding them; she had a feeling the simulation was about to change.[break][break]
"Zapdos had bonded with Oscar prior to Rocket losing him, perhaps that's what he means."

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Calloused thumbs wiped away her tears, so tender it was grounding. She began to breath slowly and deeply - in and out. In and out. In rhythm with Parker, their chests rising and falling, Nomi felt her heartrate slow and her head clear. In and out. In and out.[break][break]
The details of her surroundings began to crystallize, come into focus. Nomi's eyes - normal now, twin rubies that betrayed a struggling mind - glanced around the room, taking in the normalcy of it, the cozy messiness of a regularly inhabited studio apartment. A living room section with a tv, windows against faintly-cracked walls that looked out over Slateport (blinds shut to keep out city lights), a partition that - upon closer glance - was partially hiding a bed (she blushed, because she was still Nomi underneath all the cosmological untethering), and a small utilitarian kitchen area. There were other details ("Parker-things", she'd come to think of them later), but trying to identify all of them all at once threatened to disorient her all over again.[break][break]
Steady now, arms still wrapped around Parker's solid torso, Nomi asked softly, in a voice that sounded more like herself albeit exhausted, "Can I have some water?"[break][break]

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She careened forward as the door opened, the momentum of her swinging fist nearly bashing Parker in the face. Nomi stared up at the other woman with wild eyes, and time seemed to stand still until finally, blessedly, Parker got it. She pulled Nomi inside by the arm, none too gently, shutting the door so fast Kallistatus was trapped on the other side (the street was still empty, a flickering light next-door, a yawning Skitty in a nearby window) for several seconds before blipping inside via teleportation.[break][break]
"No," Nomi answered. Then paused. "Maybe?"[break][break]
Under any other circumstance, Nomi would have excitedly looked around the room, relishing her first time in Parker's apartment. But she only had eyes for Parker, launching herself forward. She clung to familiar muscles, buried her face in the other woman's chest, holding onto her so tightly it was as if she feared that Parker would suddenly disappear.[break][break]
"Parker - " she stammered, unnoticed tears streaming down her cheeks, awed and afraid and so very, very tired. "I saw it. They showed me. The beginning of everything. The creation of the universe. Of all universes."[break][break]
It made no sense, not even to her. She breathed in the familiar scents of Parker's soap layered on top of the remnants of yesterday's deodorant mixed with the sweat of sleep, and tried to calm her breathing.[break][break]

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It was the middle of the night, the "witching hour" so to speak, but she banged on the door anyway. Beside her, Kallistatus hovered watchfully, its shining blue body - shaped like the letter K - glimmering faintly in the dim lights attached to the exterior of the apartment complex. If Nomi lost focus for even a moment, she could see out into the street despite facing away from it - as if she were looking through Kallistatus's eye - which was incredibly disorienting.[break][break]
"Parker, I need you!" She cried out desperately, heart still racing, adrenaline pumping - like she was still in the machine.[break][break]
Isaac hadn't wanted to leave her, but she'd insisted she would be okay. He had nearly as much to grapple with as she had, and he'd seemed...intent on something, like he needed to be somewhere else too. In the end, she trusted him.[break][break]
Her head ached, mind buzzing with the revelations she had experienced, the world forever changed, and somehow, deep down, she knew that she had been changed, too.[break][break]

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"I haven't..." Nomi murmured, distracted by the gaping maw below. "...Found the source of it. I'm not sure if anyone has..."[break][break]
She hopped down over the ridge, swimming towards the trench. It was like an endless void, the sort of darkness that made a person feel hopeless. As she gazed into it, she thought she could make out something...something faintly pulsing...not an object, but a visible vibration, like a sound wave...[break][break]
Eyes. A thousand stark white eyes - disembodied, intense, creepily coordinated - opened simultaneously, staring up at Nomi: perceiving her. She yelped, falling back. She wasn't typically afraid of eyes, per se - the Unown were her friends, after all. But these eyes made her feel horrible, like they wanted to consume her. Hesitantly, she peered over the lip of the trench again, bracing herself for the eyes...but this time, she only saw...[break][break]
"Me?" She breathed. A corpse was floating up from the black pit, a dead and lifeless body with pink hair and a petite build. With a gasp, she covered her mouth in horror. Was it some kind of omen?[break][break]
Look away, something intuitive inside of her gently urged. Look away and it can't hurt you.[break][break]
With a great effort, she ripped her eyes from the gruesome version of herself, turning back towards Nenet, heart racing.[break][break]
"Nenet! Don't look into the trench!" Don't look deeper than you absolutely have to...[break][break]
Movement, above them. Vaguely Nomi recalled Nenet's question about Pokémon. Taking out a Pokeball, she released Valerian, the Sylveon immediately taking on a concerned expression when he saw where they happened to be.

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Nomi chewed a mouthful of popcorn and considered Gunner's question. She ought to have no issue with telling him Parker's name, but...she had a weird feeling about it, like doing so might come back to bite her later. He's a secret agent but if he has no hard evidence that we're Rockets, then he can't arrest us...right? Something nagged at the back of her mind, like she was forgetting something important, a connection she couldn't quite draw between Gunner and Parker.[break][break]
"Her name is Parker," Nomi said at last, masking her sudden disquiet with a friendly smile. "She's the best. Maybe I can introduce her to you sometime. I'd like her to meet Professor Graves eventually, too."[break][break]
Speaking of Parker...[break][break]
Nomi's phone buzzed. She took it out, glancing at it. "Ah, she's looking for me. I should go." She paused, staring up at Gunner somewhat awkwardly. "Maybe I'll see you around? Take care, Gunner."[break][break]
And with that, she hurried off.

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