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coping. [break][break]

hah. what's that? [break][break]

the following conversation is amusing, she'll say that much. the desires of people will far outweigh the consequences ( until their minds are consumed by the roots of desperation, and it's what turns a sane man mad when he clings to what could have been ). she's seen it enough, and they're indulgence will cloud their minds until they bring the poisoned chalice to their lips. [break][break]

pathetic. [break][break]

pitiful and pathetic. [break][break]

oh, but saying that will make her a monster, wouldn't it? we wouldn't want to sour the mood with her occupation - and neither of them need to know the details. [break][break]

"i'm an accountant." the wine glass is lightly stained with equally red lipstick when she brings it up. there's only a slight burn coupled with the sweet grape. "with the occasional financial advising." preciously employed by POG Bank, and the name does well enough for her to land a solid and stable job now. [break][break]

she'll thank the previous ceo, Martín del Mar, for that. [break][break]

maria waves her hand dismissively, a smile to her lips when she cocks her head and the ginger locks fall against her cheek. "though nothing as interested or riveting as either of you, i'm sure."

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with summer comes beach parties. [break][break]

and she'll admit; she doesn't hate them. the only part she hates is how the sun beats down on her pale skin, and how annoyingly susceptible she is to getting burnt. oh, woe is her. [break][break]

this time, it's a barbecue with a fun alolan spin. to her left, there's an open fire for the cooks to show off their skills with flames. to her right, are men and women dancing and tossing around flames and stakes of wood. dangerous? very. entertaining all the same? especially so. so she, like so many, dresses lightly... under the shade of an umbrella. no amount of sunscreen can save her pasty ass. [break][break]

oh well, at least she has a good show, her book of "silent blade koga", and a medium ra--[break][break]

... rare steak?[break][break]

she's supposed to, but when she looks to the paper plate that should have her meal, she finds it's gone. it's disappeared, poofed, disintegrated. well, it couldn't have gone far.[break][break]

aha! what's that over there? a puff of orange, a nickit, chowing down on her meal! "you." she calls out, scrambling out from under the umbrella, for a steak now sadly lightly coated in sand. now her target is the nickit, who so rudely stole her food. she scoops it up, furrowing her brows and grunting. [break][break]

"hasn't anyone taught you not to steal?" god, who was the trainer? shouldn't they know better?

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word on the street says some ariados have made a home in fortree. [break][break]

usually, they wouldn't be causing a problem, but their toxic threads have started making the locals sick, and have been hurting the local grass pokemon. not to mention, it's been causing even more problems because they've been trying to expand their webbing. ah, what to do, what to do... other than to outsource some help? [break][break]

and that's where she comes in. usually a city lady, through and through, but she knows how to enjoy the occasional walk in the forest. so today, she hums as the sound of teal wafts through the wind. "this should be the place, no?" she asks, carefully traversing the trees just on the outskirts of the city. [break][break]

she only pauses when she realizes a thin layer of webbing has stuck to her gloves, and she clicks her tongue softly. thankfully, it's not poison. yet. [break][break]

that answers that.

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a blur of darkness shoots by. [break][break]

and she finds a weavile, jumping throughout the trees. this was.. certainly new, especially since they lived in colder climates, last she recalled? why would there be one in the forest? [break][break]

perhaps it got lost? but she doesn't know how it could get from the snowy mountains to.. here. surely, its trainer might be looking for it - there's no way it's wild and came all the way out here, right? surely, it will return to its trainer in due time. it's none of her business now. [break][break]

so with a shrug, she takes a deep breath to fully breathe in the air. it's fresh, still, filled with the scent of verdant greens, and maybe with a tinge of oranges. yes, this pure, untainted forest with so many vibrant sounds and beautiful colours.

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almost there...! [break][break]

... is what she'd like to think. she, in fact, was not almost there. she wasn't even a little bit there, but she'll think anything for the sake of her poor pride. a voice chirps up, and crystal blue eyes blink as her ears perk. ah, yes, the voice of a midnight blue. it'd be soothing, if she hadn't glanced over her shoulder to see a smile on a man's face, and feel the gazes of others on her back.[break][break]

"nope~" it's such a strained o when she stretches up again, glasses over her eyes not helping her sight even when she gazes up. when glaring daggers into the spine no longer works, she lowers her head in hopes to push her shoulder higher. the closest she can get is the graze of her fingertips against the bottom of the shelf - otherwise she's fruitless. [break][break]

curse these tall shelves. [break][break]

given a few moments, she finally huffs and gives another glare to the book. it's not the public gazes that rattle her, but her own frustration. said frustration, however slight, is turned to the man who leisurely stands at the bars of the loft. [break][break]

"but if you're offering, i'd appreciate it~"

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extravagant, expensive, elegant. [break][break]

appearances can be deceiving, especially for well dressed her as she struts down the streets of slateport. dirty money follows her every step, with a trail of silver that salivates for the sting of cash against her tongue. though in the daylight, her outfit is much less conspicuous, it will have to do. [break][break]

the splendor and pep in her step makes her bounce all the same. [break][break]

what has her so excited, today? what honied lie is she ready to tell today, and what greed will she play like a fiddle? well, sweetheart, she's surprisingly tame. just for now. today, she is not maria; she is psyche.[break][break]

she hears through a grapevine at work that there's a bookstore that carries wonderful novels in slateport, and what kind of noble would she be if she doesn't indulge in literature? yes, of the tasteful variety, and perhaps some new ones. [break][break]

the smell of books and pages hit her as soon as the jingle of the door's bell goes off. it's a relatively big place - but still quaint. charming, really. it reminds her a bit of unova, or what she remembers of the metropolis. well, the books aren't going to look for themselves, so off she goes, walking down the cases and casually running a finger over the spines and ridges of books. [break][break]

but there are so many, and it's so difficult to pick. there's a book high above, but curse her and her inability to grab it. even after doing a little hop. "almost there...!" she could ask the man who sits behind the counter, but also consider: [break][break]

her pride.

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it took a little while, but the beast has been downed. [break][break]

it doesn't immediately clear the smog, but it shouldn't be adding any more.. in the near future. she makes a cursory glance to the little robin pokemon, who chirps and still trills. thankfully, it looks like the little guy hasn't been poisoned. that's good; it's another day guilt free. [break][break]

she carefully lowers to lift the tired feline in her arms, cradling it as it lets out a soft, tuckered yawn. "there, there." she coos, nuzzling her cheek against the side of its head "you did a beautiful job, mon cheri~." [break][break]

praise aside, she recalls the espurr back into the safety of her pokeball. crystal blue eyes gaze out back the way they came, and she's already turning her heel with a nod. "agreed. thank you for your hard work, mon nuit~."[break][break]

maybe she'll pop open some champagne to wash out the bitter taste of the weezing's date.

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how nice. [break][break]

lush green as far as the eye could see, and she was here, in the center of it. the bustling city lights and the streets of mauville or slateport are nice, to an extent, but she's always wanted to return to nature. kalosian taste was too neat for her standards; nature was only ever used as a side piece, or as eye candy once properly trimmed and tamed. [break][break]

like a beast. [break][break]

ah, it leaves such a sour taste in her mouth. [break][break]

usually, she'd smile. when she's only in the company of crickets, it falls when she's finally alone. serene grace and peace just isn't her style, but the soft breeze and wafting pine are an exception.

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ever the charmer, and much like him. [break][break]

using such a sickeningly sweet tone will make her teeth rot, though she returns the play with the same degree of amusement. "it's an honour." she hums with a smile, bringing the glass up to her lips once again. "coming from you." there's no lie to her words, but in the same way melted silver drips from his tongue, the sarcastic sting of a faux gold coats hers. [break][break]

yet her gaze remains sharp and the same, still scanning the sea of patrons. they're dressed extravagantly, in a way that's.. oddly fitting of rocket ( the tales of a criminal syndicate have gone from disorganized chaos into professional, romanticized class ). men in suits and women in dresses - whereas she would much prefer to be in a suit herself. the fabric of the skirt on her legs is starting to become stiffling. [break][break]

she takes a glance to the side, watching as a woman dressed colourfully sits next to her. the addition of Yumi Hasegawa is welcome company, her initial distaste for attire aside. [break][break]

so she does what she does best. [break][break]

and smiles. [break][break]

she reaches her hand out to give a firm shake in response "pleasure~. maria." her voice chimes, crystal eyes squint with the smile beneath a crowd of butterflies. [break][break]

she only pauses from the conversation to order her pasta with the waiter. the same smile doesn't leave her lips when she turns back to the duo and their conversation. [break][break]

"naturally" glass lowers to the table with a soft click, for her to lean forward and fold one leg over the other "with lovely entertainment and company to boot~." and plenty of faces to commit to memory at the gambling table.[break][break]

"i'm impressed you were able to organize all of this, despite the current tensions."

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