[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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He didn’t want to think of it like that. They might not have a choice. For so long, he had convinced himself that someone could control the way things turned out. And in his mind, that meant always sticking to your values. To your morals. If he didn’t have that, then what did he have?
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The mention of perhaps having to resort to killing made him flinch slightly. It was barely noticeable unless one was really paying attention. And probably not unless one knew him well.
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“It’s not just hurting people or even the prospect of killing people that’s the problem. I promised myself I would never be like my father. I worry that if I allow myself to hurt someone, that will be the first step in becoming the kind of person my father was.”
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Worry was putting it lightly. He was afraid of the idea of becoming like his father. However, he would never openly admit to being scared of anything. It was in him to ever admit to something like that.[break] Josh Devlin

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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He knew he should run straight towards the lift. That’s what a sane person would do. They would try to save their own hide. But when had he ever thought of himself? It was why he hung back. He hung back to ensure everyone made it to safety, even if that meant going up against Okidogi himself.
[break][break]
What he hadn’t been expecting was for the humanoid canine Pokémon to suddenly catch fire. Shock kept him rooted to the spot instead of shying away from the flames like a normal person. Seeing an attack directed towards a woman he didn’t recognize, he snapped back to attention, directing the chain to deflect Okidogi’s.
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At his cry of outrage at being thwarted again, he couldn’t help but feel a little smug. However, seeing most everyone on the platform already, the slight smugness would be replaced with worry, and he would urge the few stragglers along before getting onto the platform himself.
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It was only after the immediate threat was over that he noticed that he was beginning to feel terrible. In fact, it was getting harder and harder to breathe. Wincing slightly, he wrestled his mask off, only finding it slightly easier to breathe.
[break][break]
As his vision wavered slightly, he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, ignoring the pain that came with breathing. This was the first time in awhile that he felt so terrible. With how hard it was to breathe, he wondered if one of his lungs had collapsed. That was a thought, but he wasn’t sure it would explain the burning sensation he had when it came to breathing.
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Keeping his head down in the hopes of keeping someone from noticing how much he was struggling, he noticed his hands. Even in the poor lighting, he could see his skin starting to turn purple. No magenta.
[break][break]
‘Wait magenta.’
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The thought ran through his mind over and over until it finally clicked as to why his skin would be turning magenta.
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Poison. And from the way, it made him feel pretty potent poison. It was just his luck to be badly poisoned.
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Curling his fist together, he ground his teeth together as bitterness flooded. Not towards anyone but himself.
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Why was he still so weak?
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As the lift stopped one last time, he snapped back into attention. Of course he had noticed them stop at the other floors along the way down, but as wrapped up in his thoughts as he was, he hadn’t given any indication that he had noticed.
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Despite his clouded thoughts, he took everything in with the same amount of alertness that he usually did. His gaze flickered briefly over the ultra-beast before settling on the masked Pokémon. The same Pokémon had targeted them whenever they had come into the feeding pit.
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The same Pokémon he had talked to Josh about. The same Pokémon he had claimed to be nothing more than a puppet to his friend. The same Pokémon he had felt bad for.
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Thoughts of what the masked Pokémon must have gone through made his heart clench. Sure, Ever might come off as an asshole to more than a few people. But if there was one thing that made Ever who he was, it was the soft spot he had for Pokémon.
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It's why he couldn’t just turn a blind eye to a Pokémon that needed help. However, before that, he quickly scanned to ensure his cellmate was doing okay before making his way towards the ogre pokemon.
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It was when he was there that he would run into Elise—not literally, of course. Seeing her and knowing he couldn’t let anything in good conscience happen to her, he felt adrenaline flood through him.
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“Quite the place to meet up again,” he said, his eyes filled with concern when he noticed the effects of poisoning in Elise Calcifet.
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His gaze would then take in the others nearby. None he knew. But if they were all here to help, he wouldn’t care.
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Speaking of how he was going to help,.
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Frowning, he forced himself to concentrate through the fog in his mind to get his chain to help remove the mask from the Ogerpon without hurting it.
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qI6Ajuya

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + TL;DR: Toxic Chain Ability: Chains acts like another extension of his body. Acting like another limb, a more durable one. Mostly used as a shield of sorts to deflect hits but can be used to hit opponents if he so wishes but due to his dislike of violence the most he’ll do is knock the other person’s feet out from under them.[break] Lags behind to ensure everyone in the Weakling Ward gets to the platform safely. [break] Starts to feel the affects of being badly poisoned funding it difficult to breath (You had better not die Ever) [break] Looks to make sure Elaine Highland is okay [break] Goes to help Ogerpon [break] Oh look at that runs into Elise Calcifet and is worried about her poisoning despite being in bad shape himself [break] Seriously Ever you could learn to take it easy [break] Attempts to get the mask off the Ogerpon without hurting it

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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Okay, so using fine wasn't the best idea. It was kind of an automated response, after all. But what else was he supposed to say?
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“I did tell them I was well enough one time, but that only ended up with them asking me what I meant by that. Like it wasn’t obvious,” he huffed. Seriously, talking about his feelings wasn’t something he cared for. In fact, he was still in the stage where talking about feelings was awkward.
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And at least he tried to answer. Or maybe it was just that he wasn’t stupid enough to try and tell them it was none of their business. Because yeah, that would go over so well.
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Yeah, pride was part of it, but there was more to it than that. Something he kept hidden even more than the fact his father abused him. Part of me felt he deserved it. His father was right about one thing: if it wasn’t for them, his mother would still be alive.
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“Even if I didn’t have pride, I wouldn’t be in any hurry to get out. My father isn’t to be taken lightly. As unfortunate as it may be, my father is cunning, manipulative, and charismatic. If I didn’t know firsthand what kind of guy he was, even I would have trouble believing him to be capable of doing the things he has done. We meet here because this is the only place I know of where he wouldn’t have eyes on me,” he explained, keeping his voice low to maintain the lowered volume he had been maintaining. After all, he didn’t want everyone in the cafe to overhear their conversation.
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It was not the very subtle taunt about his money handling; he had to resist the annoyed glare he wanted to send his way. “I don’t have a job. My father gives me money to get me out of the way, but it’s not much. Though perhaps using it to buy a few cups of coffee isn’t the best idea, I don’t have any other means of keeping myself from falling asleep.”
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Sure, preventing yourself from sleeping wasn’t entirely healthy. But considering the type of person his father was, he was reluctant to be so unguarded around him. Not that being awake around his father really helped him much.
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As he pushed some money toward him, he looked down at it. He so badly wanted to quip that becoming a prostitute probably wasn’t the best way to get out of his situation. However, his dislike of wasting time warred with that, and he bit the inside of his cheek to prevent those words from escaping.
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"Fine, let’s pretend in this scenario that my father is not very bright... If given the chance, I would take it. One would have to be a fool not to take a shot at freedom,” he commented with a small shrug.
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He didn’t admit that he had already tried to get out once before. Well, running away would be more likely. It could probably be implied that he had already tried to escape, though.[break] Nikita Sokolov

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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“I came to live with my grandparents when I was sixteen. It was pretty late in the year, though, during the late fall. As injured as I was, I had to heal enough for the doctors to feel comfortable enough to release me into their custody. And then after I was, I still had to recover, though considering I’ve never been good at the whole bed rest thing, I probably set my healing back a bit,” he admitted with a shrug.
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All in all, considering that the first year had been spent in recovery, he wasn’t sure if he could really count it. He only did it because, technically speaking, he had been in Hoenn for three years, even if that first year was spent with his grandmother threatening to staple him to the bed if he didn’t stop wandering off. Of course, it had only been an empty threat.
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At the mention of Lesser Megalopolis, he frowned. “I haven’t really been near any of those rifts. My grandparents would say I get myself into enough danger without purposefully seeking it out. However, I’m an explorer at heart, so it’s only a given that I would end up in dangerous situations.”
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When living with his father, he had kind of been confined. He was only able to stay around Hammerlocke unless his father went somewhere. He hated not going where he pleased. There was a reason he had wanted to be a trainer when he was younger, after all.
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The conversation would soon turn to riding ability. “I’ll consider it. I feel that I will need to let my arm heal before that can happen. If I really had to, I could probably guide Rook or any of my other Pokémon with only one hand, but probably not well enough to race with them,” he pointed out.
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“If we’re left here too long, I’m afraid they’ll have to rebreak my arm,” he confessed. There was no way to keep the bone in place, so the likelihood of the bone starting to heal incorrectly was high. If that happened, his arm would need to be broken again to fix it.
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At the idea of working together, he nodded. “I could coordinate with everyone as long as I’m not expected to hurt anyone. Knocking our captures back is one thing, but purposefully harming them is another. I refuse to lower myself to their level.”
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He wouldn’t be his father.[break] Josh Devlin

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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As she moved to sit beside him, he sat up from his own reclined position against the ground. The way she said his name made him think of his grandparents. Not that she was anywhere near as old as his grandparents. No, it was more like the way his grandparents said his name when they were worried about him; that’s what he found similar.
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She was right about one thing: they were nothing but cellmates here. Practically strangers. Which made being open with her hard. Not that he didn’t find being open in general to be hard.
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"Yeah, I’m not really the type to talk about my feelings,” he said, keeping his tone neutral despite the inner disgust he felt at talking about his feelings. If she wanted to talk about her own feelings, that was fine, but he had no desire to talk about his own feelings.
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"Look, I didn’t need to be captured and beat down to know life isn’t fair. As sad as it is, I would be more wary if someone showed me kindness than if someone were to walk over and punch me in the face,” he told her bluntly.
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It was what it was. His life growing up had been shitty. However, he wasn’t about to tell her just how bad it was. The past is the past for a reason.
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What he had said could also be interpreted in multiple different ways. Basically, all he had admitted to was having a turbulent childhood, which could be anything from him having grown up in an orphanage to what really happened.[break] Elaine Highland

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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None of what Josh said sounded familiar. It definitely didn’t happen in the years he had been here. It had been around three years since he had come here—almost four. I would’ve definitely remembered something like what Josh was telling him happened, no matter the kind of headspace he had been in when he arrived.
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“I moved here around three years ago, so I haven’t been here as long as some others,” he explained, his expression thoughtful. "Still, they’re the ones who invaded. What did they expect people to do? Just roll over and allow them to take over. It’s not like Hoenn attacked first; they were provoked and retaliated in kind,” he pointed out, keeping his tone neutral, not that that wasn’t the way he usually spoke.
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There wasn’t much they could do on their own. That had been proven when one of the prisoners had been killed when they had first woken up here. They were pretty powerless without their Pokémon.
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At the mention of being too fast for capture while on his Pokémon, he nodded. “I’m used enough to having to evade maneuvers that catching me while I ride a Pokémon isn’t an easy feat either,” he told the gym leader. Not unless he flew directly towards their captures anyway. Which he definitely wouldn’t do. This wasn’t like those Wingulls he had faced off against.
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At the inquiry, he nodded. "Yeah, though I doubt it has any control over what it does. The creature is as much a prisoner here as we are, maybe even more so since it seems they are nothing but a puppet here,” he said, frowning at the thought of being a puppet. Just the thought made him shudder.
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Puppet or not, just the thought that Josh had avoided serious injury was a relief. “I’m just glad you haven’t gotten hurt. As for the creature, it’s stronger than it looks, that’s for sure. Strong enough to send me flying, though that may be due to it catching me off guard,” he admitted, wincing inwardly.
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“If we could find a way to free it, I’m sure it would be useful to us. I don’t see any reason for them to have turned it into a puppet unless they were wary of it. Something tells me the creature could easily oppose the three wardens,” he told the gym leader.
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Of course, freeing the creature would be easier said than done.[break] Josh Devlin

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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One day bled into another.
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He dreamed, woke up, and did whatever task was set for the ward. Which basically stayed the same. The only changes would be rather that they were sent to the feeding pit to be punished for some slight he was sure no one did or if they got to visit the chamber of desires.
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If he had to choose between the two, he would choose the feeding pit. At least he didn’t feel like he was being fed false information. Nothing about the chamber of desires could be trusted. Someone could actually get something if they desired it enough.
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He didn’t believe that for an instance. No matter what strange feelings the chamber of desires might’ve brought up,.
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As another day arrived, he would be told to get to work again. However, something the Megalopolans said caught his attention.
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Last day?
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That could either be very bad or very good. Were they reaching the end of their usefulness? He hoped not. He knew exactly what that would mean. Making it through this was a must. What would his grandparents do if something happened to him?
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Mentally shaking himself to clear his mind, he got to work. As he worked, he allowed his mind to wonder. He had barely become wrapped up in his own thoughts when a voice broke through his thoughts, speaking of escape.
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Keeping his expression blank, he allowed his gaze to sweep the area around him, but nothing stood out. There wasn’t anyone close enough to have a conversation without drawing attention to themselves. Had that voice only been in his head?
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Before he could think too much about it, he noticed his chain felt different.
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Frowning, he looked down to see that it didn’t seem as restrictive as before. In fact, he would say he had more room to move around than before.
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What was going on?
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Sudden exclamations caused him to jerk his head up in surprise. His eyes widen briefly as he notices his wardmates rallying against the megalopolans and wardens. For a minute, he’s frozen to the spot, though movement from his peripheral vision causes him to dodge on instinct as one of the Megalopolans swipes at him.
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As the Megalopolan makes another attempt, his chain shoots up to deflect the hit, making the Megalopolan stumble back. Before the Megalopolan could recover, the chain would hook the Magalopolan’s feet out from under him, causing him to fall to the ground.
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Not waiting for him to get up, he would make his way towards the platform. On the way, he would keep an eye on the fighting around him, mostly so he could make sure those around him didn’t need help.
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Most seemed to be doing fairly well. Kyrenai Black seemed to be holding her own well enough, and no one he saw seemed to be struggling too poorly. However, if anyone needed help, he was prepared to throw himself forward to protect them.
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Speaking of protection, he would look specifically for certain people. People like Josh Devlin, zachary stellar, Elise Calcifet, and Elaine Highland were his top priorities due to having met them previously or getting to know them here, even if he wasn’t entirely sure Elise Calcifet was here due to having not seen her physically.
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Others, like Lucia Aldrete and other kids, were also his top priorities due to their age. So if anyone needed protection, he would look to them first. Because he knew what it was like to suffer as a child, and he wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
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Not even on his worse enemies.
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Even if it meant him getting more hurt in the long run,.
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9L6D4GYA

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + TL;DR: Dream, wake up, eat, work repeat [break] Toxic Chain Ability: Chains acts like another extension of his body. Acting like another limb, a more durable one. Mostly used as a shield of sorts to deflect hits but can be used to hit opponents if he so wishes but due to his dislike of violence the most he’ll do is knock the other person’s feet out from under them. [break] Keeps and on Kyrenai Black and the the others around [break] Worries specially for Elaine Highland, Josh Devlin, zachary stellar, Elise Calcifet though still hopes the latter isn’t really here (basically pulling a sewing is believing here since he hasn’t personally seen her yet) [break] Also worries about Lucia Aldrete and other kid caught up in this mess

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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“If it weren’t for ordinary citizens being caught up in this mess, I would almost think it was some kind of planned attack against those who have a standing in Hoenn. You know, take away important figures among Hoenn to weaken the government. I mean, take away enough important people from the government, and cracks will begin to form,” he told the older male. However, the fact that ordinary civilians had ended up here told him that wasn’t the case.
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There was also that one thing that had been mentioned. Something about a three-day war. Or some such nonsense. His cellmate had seemed just as clueless as he was on the subject, but he figured if anyone knew what the Megalopolans were talking about, it would be Josh.
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“There is something, though. Something about a three-day war? That was their basis for all of us being brought here, or so they claimed. Except...” he trailed off, frowning.
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He hadn’t taken part in a damn war. He was pretty sure he would remember if he had. Especially if it meant going against the Megalopolans, who he hadn’t ever seen until he had been brought here.
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As the conversation circled around legendaries, he shrugged. “I’m afraid I can’t help you there. Perhaps that one kid will know. Maybe ask him when we manage to find a way back home.”
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Talking about his injuries wasn’t what he would call fun. However, it had to be done before they ended up running into each other in the waking world. “If we could just get to our Pokémon, I should be fine. Celestia should be able to heal me enough for it not to cause too many problems if we can pull that off,” he pointed out.
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“I’ll manage, I’m sure; I’m pretty good at that after all. Though I must admit, I wouldn't be so hurt if I hadn’t let my guard down. While we were only on cleaning duty, my cellmate, Elaine Highland, was attacked by the creature. When it wondered off, I went to make sure she was okay, and that’s when the creature came back,” he admitted, seeming quite angry with himself.
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He still couldn’t believe he fell for such a ploy.[break] Josh Devlin

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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A hero, huh?
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To be honest, he didn’t really believe in heroes. A true samaritan, sure. But a true hero, no. Heroes just didn’t exist for people like Ever, people who hadn’t been dealt the best cards in life. However, that didn’t mean he would rain on someone else’s parade, so he simply nodded.
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“Seems like quite the role model,” he simply said, as close as calling someone a hero he would get.
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“I guess you could say I =do a good bit of cooking. I live on my own after all, and it’s quite unhealthy to eat out all the time, not unless I choose to order a salad for every meal or something like that,” he pointed out.
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Though Ever didn’t seem the type, he was actually fairly health-conscious. Well, to some extent. He probably didn’t eat as much as he should, but he didn’t really have the best appetite either.
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That aside, he cooked enough that he should know better to let his mind wander. It was actually a wonder it wasn’t worse. He could have set his place on fire instead by not paying attention. Instead, he had managed to only get away with a fairly bad burn. Speaking of…
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"Actually, it’s bad enough that it’s been requested that I take a few days off from my ranger duties. They don’t want to risk slowing the healing progress. I’ll still be doing photography, though; I don’t see how doing that would slow the healing progress,” he explained to the older male.
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Seriously, he really would rather not take time off. “I suppose I can’t just come in anyway? I would rather not have the free time to think.”[break] Josh Devlin

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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If it weren’t for the life he had lived, he would be more inclined to believe her optimistic view of the way things were. However, he knew well enough that there wasn’t always an upside to every situation. There was no point in getting into a discussion about his pessimistic views on the way the world was.
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“I’m fond of riding my own Pokémon, but sometimes it’s good to just kind of take the scenic route.”
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Could choosing to walk as opposed to riding your Pokémon be considered taking the scenic route? He wasn’t really sure. Oh well, it wasn’t like it really mattered.
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Though she said she was spoiled by the use of elevators or her Togekiss, she did admit to exercising regularly. That was definitely something he could relate to, even without the obligation to exercise that came with living in a treehouse.
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“Keeping fit is good. I hear it improves health as well as sleep,” he said, a strange tone in his voice, like he didn’t quite believe that about keeping fit. Perhaps because of his own troubles when it came to sleeping.
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Soon enough, they would come across a blockage. With how it looked, there was no way it could’ve just happened. He would say as much when his partner brought it up, claiming it looked intentional. Now, why would someone do something like this? was the question.
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Simply nodding, he would try and request the aid of the Pokémon. They actually seemed pretty willing to help until they saw just what the blockage was made of. If the Pokémon weren’t even willing to go near the blockage, you knew it had to be bad.
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Before he could think too much about it, Lutgarde spoke up. He supposed that was the best plan they had, and it was better than nothing.
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Showing his consent to the plan, he simply nodded. “Nyx unfortunately doesn’t have any moves that would help in this situation. I do have a Yanmega that could probably use Bug Buzz to help with dislodging the blockage,” he explained as he eyed the blockage.[break] Lutgarde Dijkstra

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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At the mention of hearing the voices of people he recognized, he couldn’t help but wince. "Yeah, aside from your voice, I thought I heard Elise Calcifet as well,” he said with a small frown. The idea that so many well-known people could be here was worrying. However, if it weren’t for some lesser-known people, he would almost think it was some planned attack against those who had some kind of standing in Hoenn.
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His gaze flickered briefly at the Raging Bolt once more, and he debated what to do. In the end, he decided to admit his own acquisition of a gouging fire. This seemed to surprise the older male, who told him they should finish such a conversation in the waking world.
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Though a bit confused, he simply nodded his acceptance before deciding to change the topic of the conversation.
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The fact that Josh had been hurt and probably poisoned was concerning. Though there was also a bit of confusion,.
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“When did that happen? I don’t remember you being among the ones to get punished.”
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Once he received an answer, he would grudgingly decide he should come clean about his well-being. He hated worrying people, but it wasn’t like he would be able to hide it upon waking anyway. It's better to just get it done and over with.
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“I’m afraid I’m not doing too well. I wasn’t able to avoid the creature while we were on cleaning duty,” he explained, finding interest in the ground.
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Knowing he would want to know how badly he was hurt and feeling he owed him for letting him know he had hurt himself, he sighed before continuing. “I believe I have a minor concussion, bruised, maybe cracked ribs, definitely not broken. I know what a broken rib feels like. Anyway, though I don’t have any broken ribs, I’m pretty sure my left arm is broken. I also have cuts along my arms. It’s not so bad, though it doesn’t even really hurt,” he said, adding on the last part to try and make light of his injuries.
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Though it wasn’t like the last part wasn’t true,.[break] Josh Devlin

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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It was a relief to know he wouldn’t be forced to have his picture taken. His grandparents were bad enough in that regard. Don’t get him wrong; he loved them, but he would rather not be forced to take part in pictures. That’s not to say he didn’t understand it, but still...
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As he went on to explain that he would at least get a shoutout, he nodded. He supposed he could deal with that, even if praise did make him a bit uncomfortable. A shoutout would help with his plans to get better at accepting praise, so that was a plus.
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He was just about to thank him for his compliments when he noticed Griselda approaching from his peripheral vision. Deciding words would be a lost cause now, and not wanting to seem ungrateful, he would incline his head to the other as a show of gratitude. Telling him the prices could wait and showing gratitude couldn’t.
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With that in mind, he would listen to the conversation between Griselda and Yannick. It seemed they had been able to find a bit of what they were looking for, but not enough.
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Rocks, stones, and gems were never much of an interest. No, he was sure that would be more Absalom’s cup of tea. However, he was polite enough not to say anything negative. He was skilled enough with controlling his emotions that he could also keep his expression completely neutral when he went on to explain what the mineral was.
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At the mention of Smoke Stone, he couldn’t help but think about something he had read in a book once. Not about smoke stones, but about different quartz crystals, especially the Smokey Quartz Crystal. Hearing something so similar made him wonder if there was any relationship between the two. However, not wanting to seem stupid held him back from asking. Perhaps he would look it up later.
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“It’s pretty; it kind of makes me think of a gem stone with the way it reflects light,” he said at last as he continued to eye the fumite.
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It was only the talk about wanting to explore further that would draw his attention away from the mineral as he listened to the conversation going on around him, not interrupting.
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As it was his job to guide them, he really didn’t care what they did. So he would maintain his silence as they debated what to do. Finally, a decision would be made.
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“I’m fine with that; we should get moving, though. We don’t want to be caught out here when the sun sets. The temperature will drop without the sun to at least warm things up,” he pointed out.
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Not that it wasn’t already cold. But with how they seemed to be faring, he doubted they wanted to still be out here when the temperature dropped.
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With that out of the way, he decided to finally answer the older male's question since the conversation had been interrupted before he could. “To answer your earlier question, $150 for the pictures.”
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Most photographers do $100 to $250 per hour, but unless he was working on something for multiple hours at a time, he really didn’t see much point in that. Besides, with how well he had done with his photography in the past, he wasn’t exactly short on cash.
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That aside, once he was sure everyone was ready, he would lead the way to the next location.[break] YANNICK SOLETTE

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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Waking up was an unpleasant experience.
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After sleeping on the ground all night, or should he say realistic dreaming all night? His body felt stiff. Thanks to his high pain tolerance, the most pain he felt was a dull ache, but being stiff had its own disadvantages.
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There was also the fact that he was now lying on his broken arm when he hadn’t been when he had fallen asleep. Only an idiot would go to sleep on a broken arm. So why was it currently under his body? Had he rolled over in his sleep?
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“This is exactly why I don’t sleep,” he said with a long, drawn-out sigh before pushing himself up with his good arm.
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His back ached, probably from sleeping on the ground. No surprise there.
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Biting the inside of his cheek to avoid making any signs of discomfort, he glanced over at his cellmate. “How’d you sleep? I’m pretty stiff. I must have turned over in my sleep, so probably a good thing I didn’t sleep on the cot; I probably would’ve pushed you off during the night or simply fallen off myself,” he told Elaine.
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Before they could get into conversation, the mochi would arrive, and he would proceed to glare at it before grudgingly eating it. Just one, though.
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As the chain attached itself to the ground, he had to force himself not to react. Reactions were exactly what these kinds of creatures thrived on. So he wouldn’t react.
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“I think I’m going to track a friend of mine. You’re free to join me if you want. If not, I’ll track you down later,” he told his cellmate before allowing himself to be herded out of his cell.
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What happened next was something he would resent for the rest of his life. First, he would watch as a mockery was made out of zachary stellar, Kyrenai Black, and Lucia Aldrete.
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Two of them he knew. The first was because he had met him before getting caught up in this mess, and the second was because he had been around her in this messed-up place. And even though he didn’t know the third, the fact that she was obviously a kid made a slow-burning rage start to manifest.
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His rage would only grow as they were forced to say the drivel that the Okidogi wanted themselves to say. And even though he was laughing, and yes, it sounded bitter, he was giving the Okidogi a death glare at the same time.
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Once he was released, he had to work hard not to show any outward reactions. Well, aside from glaring anyway, glaring wasn’t exactly new when it came to Ever.
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Stopping his glare at Okidogi, he tested how far the chain would allow them to go. Once confirmed, it didn’t seem to be much different from when they had been tethered to the door; he would move around people until he reached Zachary’s side.
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“I’m sorry you had to be caught up in this mess as well,” he would say low enough for only zachary stellar to hear. He would acknowledge the same of Lucia Aldrete if she was nearby before moving on and resuming his original task of tracking down Josh Devlin.
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Upon finding him, he would immediately start working beside him before speaking. “This place is so messed up,” he would say to the older male.
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That aside, they had more important matters to discuss. “That aside, what did you want to discuss that we couldn’t in the dream world?”

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IjlXpzMX

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + TL;DR: Wakes up stiff [break] checks to see how his cellmate slept [break] tells his cellmate he’s going to track his friend offering Elaine Highland to accompany him if she wants, if not plans to meet up with her later [break] doesn’t like being forced to say anything [break] offers zachary stellar his sympathies for him being her as well as Lucia Aldrete if she’s nearby (will offer Kyrenai Black his sympathies later) [break] tracks down Josh Devlin and works beside him while they converse [MAIN]=Laughing Hour/Physical labor

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