How often did she entertain waltzing into a famous coffeeshop chain? Calliope was certain she could count the amount of times she had on a single hand, and there had been reasons for that. Reasons she'd forgotten because it'd always been someone else fetching her caffeinated drinks. But she had wanted to be alone; had even gone through the effort of sending her personal assistant home early and whittled their presence down to non-existent for the next few weeks by gifting them a paid vacation.

[break][break]

Anything to get them out of her sight. It wasn't like there was a lot going on now, with velda glaus having announced a break and going abroad. It had only bothered Cal slightly, seeing as her mentor applied the same reason as she had three years ago... except hers had been an excuse. From the depths of her heart she hoped it was not the same for Velda.


[break][break]
It had led to her being here too, in a way. With her modeling career currently on the downlow she'd decided to focus more on the Rocket part of life, and had been granted an opportunity. She was to meet one of their long-time supporters, reasons to be explained during said meeting. Hear her out; see what she has to offer. Clear instructions by far, and their rendez-vous was only a stone's throw away from this particular shop. Calliope had hoped to hop in for a drink and hop out just as fast, but had not taken into account the fact half the shop actually knew her face.

[break][break]
The delay had been a hell, but she'd managed to smile through all of it, even appealing to some's wishes for an autograph while slowly but steadily squeezing her way into the queue. Much to her dismay she now found herself behind a fellow silverhead who just seemed like she couldn't make her mind up about her order even if her life depended on it.

[break][break]
With an annoyed huff, Calliope crossed her arms and watched the smaller woman fumble with her own thoughts. "Or a third, while you're at it." she muttered underneath her breath, rolling her eyes at the barista quickly enough for the woman in front of her not to see. Whether she had heard Calliope's sarcastic remark wasn't something she was too concerned with; she'd made sure, despite exasperated, that her voice had been neutral.

[break][break]
It was a good thing her meeting was only bound to happen in another hour or so, or she'd be fashionably late.

[break][break]

+ Naia Kayode

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Although she'd been keeping to the sidelines, leaned against a wooden beam -one she'd deemed most sturdy among the barn's disrepair, Calliope had been watching the scene unfold with mirth. Once Rhydia gestures at her she gives the man a polite nod and a lukewarm smile, but remains quiet until he's left them to their own devices.
[break][break]
"Don't mention it, Ver. Your act's amusing to watch," she says plainly, shrugging her shoulders. "Honestly surprised the man's blind enough not to notice. Might be those honeyed words of yours." Not that she could blame the woman. Fake smiles to please and ease the public into a sense of security had become a part of her world as well; she would not question another for doing the same.
[break][break]
If anything, it could even be a compliment.
[break][break]
"So, we got everything we need from him, or what he can provide at least. What's next?" Blue eyes look at her in search of a plan, or an inkling of a next step to take. After all, her partner for this mission had alloted herself to taking charge, something the model didn't mind in the slightest.
[break][break]
It gave her time to observe rather than devise. Like the subtle hole in the barn's rooftop; no bigger than two feet on each side, but it would probably be deemed enough for a Beheeyem to fit through and harrass stabled cattle. So she casually points at the roof. "Want to lure it in here, or get it out in the open?"



[break][break]

+ Rhydia Ver

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

"That it very well might be," For once, the chuckle she releases is heartfelt.
[break][break]
Pale blue eyes regard the beast just as curiously as it regards her, and she follows its movements as it circles them. "It does have the bearings of a Misdreavus... one could even daresay the changes resemble a mega evolution of some kind," Albeit more feral, mayhaps. It's something about the Fluttermane's eyes that makes her discard the thought. "Though the specimen wouldn't be this large of size, I suppose."
[break][break]
She tilts her head at the Fluttermane, then shakes her head before turning back to Selena. "Where did you even get it from?"


[break][break]

+ Selena Desmarais

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Once the mist swallows her, there's no way back.

[break][break]
Not that she'd bother trying to turn back, even if it was the most sensible thing to do. She could periodically hear their voices through the foggy curtain surrounding her, but it weren't those voices that were luring her deeper into the unknown. No, the voice she was following was the one calling out to her specifically, whispering her name. One she'd begged to hear in those three years that had passed, knowing fully well she never again would.

[break][break]
Yet here she was, hearing Emma's voice for the first time in years. Her instincts had reared immediately, her heart dancing a tango of anxiety in her chest; Cal knew it wasn't real. But the fantasy of it all was something she couldn't ignore. The what if. A final time.

[break][break]
"Emma?" she calls out into the mist. Silence reigns.

[break][break]
"Emma... speak to me. Please."

[break][break]
The silence persists, but as she's about to press on, a ghostly touch settles on her shoulder. Cal turns on the back of her heels, spinning around towards whomever dared venture behind her and is struck when she looks straight into the faded eyes of her girlfriend. She stumbles back, a hand trying to grasp for the figure standing before her. Calliope catches only mist.

[break][break]
It's the mockery of the Border. The surge of happiness at seeing her dead lover's face is instantly snuffed out by the lack of corporeal density. Anger seeps its way into her thoughts, mingling with the lingering traces of happiness to form something odd. Cal looks at Emma's ghost with pained confusion as it smiles back at her.

[break][break]
She reaches for it, and it reaches back to her, yet their fingers never touch. Merely a gentle breeze lacing between her fingers.

[break][break]
Emma's spirit smiles back sympathetically and shakes her head. "I guess it's just not meant to be..." Emma whispers at her surviving lover, beckoning her.

[break][break]
Cal steps in closer, tears stinging her eyes as she regards her. For a moment she can imagine Emma's hands cupping her face, the breeze hinting at a touch that never is. "I'll find a way," Calliope whispers back, voice thick with emotion. "Whatever it takes." she leans into the invisible touch, and closes her eyes.

[break][break]
Deep within something stirs within her stomach. Behind closed eyes the events of Emma's death replay vividly, and with every repeat she can feel her loathing grow, twisting her face into anger. Her eyes into ice. "I'll kill the bastard who did this to you, Emma. I'll fucking kill them, and everyone involved."

[break][break]
She opens her eyes again, casting them up. "And then I'll bring you back." Calliope has to force the building rage off her face, but her expression melts into something soft and loving when they focus on Emma once more. She gently mimics grasping for the spirit's knuckles, planting a feather-light kiss upon them.

[break][break]
"But I need you to promise me something, dear," the silver-haired woman says, offering the sweetest of smiles. "Go. Lingering here isn't good for you, Emma... wait for me on the other side. Watch over me there, where I can always find you. Because I fear I may lose you again if you stay here." she sees Emma contemplate. Hesitate. And then she nods softly, reaching out once more and planting a kiss on Cal's forehead.

[break][break]
"Be careful, Cal. The Border is a dangerous place, and the secrets it keeps...," she looks around warily, but doesn't finish her sentence. Instead she touches Cal's chest briefly, smiling as orbs start floating around Emma's spirit, beckoning her forward. "I'll wait for you, right here."

[break][break]
It's only when Emma's spirit fades away that Calliope's smile falters, expression darkening as the softness fades together with her lover. A sensation that she's been trying to keep at bay, not wanting anyone to see, finally surfaces. The only drive she's had ever since Emma's death.

[break][break]
Hatred pools in her stomach.

[break][break]
Hate for the bastard that murdered the love of her life; for the reasons that caused this all.

[break][break]
Hate for the law; that claimed they'd done all they can, despite there being more they could have done.

[break][break]
Hate for the world; because it did not care for her loss.

[break][break]
And hate for herself; because she'd failed when Emma needed her most.

[break][break]
To make up for it, for her vengeance, she would drag down anyone involved. Including herself.

[break][break]

+ River Marx Selena Desmarais [break]
+ Personal prompt: encounter or see the spirit of her deceased girlfriend, emma, in the border. [break]
+ 05 help the spirit of a person or pokemon pass on. [break]
+ 08 experience immense grudgefulness, fear, envy, or hatred.

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

"That's a curious specimen." Calliope notes as she saunters up the stairs, regarding the Fluttermane curiously. How a pokémon was capable of looking so familiar yet so foreign was beyond her, but there it was nonetheless, being just that.

[break][break]
She wouldn't have spoken up if she hadn't recognised the familiar set of grey hair; a photographic memory when it came to people's faces to thank for that. Part of the team with whom she'd explored the Border, Selena Desmarais had been one of few people she'd started acquainting herself with. And, she seemed interesting enough to get to know, too.

[break][break]
"Good morning though. Hadn't thought I'd be bumping into anyone this early." she adds, inclining her head in greeting while shifting the small bouquet of flowers in her hand.

[break][break]

+ Selena Desmarais

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

"That's because it has been, Velda," Calliope somehow cannot help but smile as she regards the woman's giddiness, as contagious as ever. "It has been far too long." And that's my fault entirely. She thinks quietly. In the end she could've reached out, but she'd been too consumed by her anger.

[break][break]
Now she'd found her equilibrum again, she could try anew.

[break][break]
"I... 've been better." she admits, her shoulders visibly slumping as she takes a moment to find her words. "Unova was tough."

[break][break]
Heartbreaking.

[break][break]
"Some things happened..." her voice trails off momentarily, Cal's gaze looking at Velda almost sympathetically. The natural spark her eyes once held had dulled over time, barely half of what it once had been. "It's why I was gone for so long,"

[break][break]
"But I've managed to give it a place."

[break][break]
Barely.

[break][break]
"It's a long story, really. It's... it's why I called. To explain, and to apologise for leaving so abruptly when I did." The grip on her glass tightened. "I'm really sorry for leaving you like that, Velda."

+ velda glaus

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

"Because it was the only path left for me to take." Calliope replies matter-of-factly, as if it were the only logical explanation for her being there. "Rocket has means to an end I need, something the League or law couldn't possibly offer me... so I'm here to earn my right to it." And then she shrugs, hands tucked back into her pockets as she regards the 'clouds'. It looks strange, yet it's only when River mentions it that she takes note of it.

[break][break]
Not clouds. Mist. And they're surrounded by a seemingly endless sea of it.

[break][break]
"Then we better move, don't we? Wouldn't do us any good loitering about." She wants to keep on going; they have their orders, and she'd prefer their time be spent effectively rather than--

[break][break]
"Help me."

[break][break]
A voice breaks through the silence in the mist, and Calliope reacts to it like she's been stung by a wasp, her head snapping to their left. The voice calls out again, too muffled to understand, but it's enough to convince her that she isn't imagining things. To such a degree that she even turns towards the rest of the group. "Did you guys hear that?"

[break][break]
"Help me."

[break][break]
It's louder this time, a shiver running down Calliope's spine as the familiarity of the voice hits home way harder than it should've been allowed to. She doesn't ask again, nor waits for a reply on whether they heard or not; pivotting on the back of her heels and marching into the mist without uttering another word. Her hands clench into fists, trying to hide the tremble within them as her eyes try to search for the voice's owner... yet she finds the mist does not surrender its secrets so easily.

+ River Marx Selena Desmarais

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Pokémon

Items

She does not seem to be the only one wandering the route however. From the ashen fields another figure approaches the moment she's taken a break; a Medicham, curiously assessing the silver-haired woman. They stand there in silence as the sun slowly creeps beyond the smoldering caldera, Cal's breath slowing into a calm rhythm. It stays with her even when she bids it farewell, as if something has piqued its interest enough for it to keep following her.

[break][break]
Only when she's near the end of the trial does she stop again, seeing the Medicham still hasn't let on. It's that tenacity that amuses her, in the same way she appreciates it just as much. So she presents it with a pokéball, leaving the gesture unspoken.

[break][break]
It gave her a chance, and she now gives it a choice in return.

[break][break]

+ - Catching Medicham!

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Calliope stirred the cherry in her drink for a third time in less than a minute. She was nervous, and it was showing. Funny, how no nerve could ever flinch her when she dominated the catwalk, yet here, at the quaint little restaurant with nigh as many people around, she was sweating bullets. Maybe it was the reason why that fueled her nerves.

[break][break]
After all, she'd yet to tell velda glaus anything more than the reason she'd left. And that had been three years ago. She was far due an explanation and an apology; both as her benefactor and as her friend, Velda deserved to know what she'd been up to. The truth... to a degree. Although she was certain the woman would beg her to reconsider, Cal knew very well that involving her would only make things more dangerous for her in the long run.

[break][break]
With a sigh she sipped from her drink, hoping that by the time Velda arrived, her nerves would've calmed a little.

[break][break]

+ velda glaus

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

A morning jog. That was all this was. Simple enough among the falling ashes of a never-dormant volcano looming above the route, yet she found it interesting; interesting how her hair seemed to shine against the dulling grey. As long as she shook the ashes out of it every now and then. She didn't fit this decor of dullness and early-morning quiet.

[break][break]
Then again, did she ever?

[break][break]

+ - looking for mons (fighting/steel)

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

She looked across the crowds from her spot in the corner, tentatively watching how the masses went to and fro as they circled around the two fighters in the middle. She'd attempted a cage once, thinking about the safety of the fighters and their 'fans'. But she'd learnt quickly they cared little for that, and prefered to be as near to them as possible. Getting caught by a runaway punch when one of the fighters dodged only seemed to bolster the crowd's pleasure; so ringless she went. All she could call it was a glorified step-up stage.

[break][break]
This place hadn't even been hers at first. But now a middleman ran the show in her stead, and she is now nothing more than a curious bystander. One of many faces in the crowd frequenting the underground fight nights. The only difference is that she knows them all. Every face, every detail, who they are, where they're from. Fighters and visitors alike; so she can snuff out any that try to twist her arm before it's too late.

[break][break]
Imagine her surprise when she finds a face she doesn't recognize. Off to the side, where new fighters gather before their next bout. She frowns, already on her feet before anyone can notice; pushing her way through the crowd towards the woman. A long wig a few shades darker than her own hair, and contacts dulling her piercing blue eyes to a lifeless grey are all she uses to conceal her identity. Her trademark tattoos covered by a skintight bodysuit and a leather jacket.

[break][break]
She doesn't wait long to break the ice as she subtly appears beside the woman. "New here, I presume?" Calliope doesn't have to feign her curiosity, merely temper it.

[break][break]

+ thalia black

[attr="class","pokeclass"]