She blinks as the mist fades with the last visage of Elisabeth - one she can't yet decipher, unaware of it is a memory or a purely fictitious dream, or something in between. "It would have been unwise to leave," she explains without elaboration. "You may not feel different, but revisiting whatever your mind was chewing on should remedy whatever has been following you since the initial unsettling dream."[break][break]

His visit to the terrain was less disjointed and abstract than she'd expected, which tells her that he really did remember the sleep study - at least, more than those that truly forgot. Any obsessive qualities that had gnawed at him should be lessened. She would need to follow-up with him in several months to better assess any changes, but having not met him before this experiment will prohibit her from drawing major conclusions. [break][break]

In any case, today is a success. "I appreciate your time, Matias. If you find further issues, please do not hesitate to reach out."

TAGS – MATIAS SILPH [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

What did it mean? [break][break]

Shalin's subconscious was processing something, but she couldn't figure out the purpose of the toxic chain imagery. Did she think she could poisoned against her allies? Ameena certainly hoped it was true, though they would have to hold onto the Captain for a long time to manage a level of brainwashing that could stick. The Leaguer was clearly spirited. [break][break]

Ameena didn't care for seeing the Three in Shalin's dreams, and her own distaste began to influence the dream, the scene becoming more nightmarish under the negative emotions from her. [break][break]

Dark, bloody water appeared to fill the cell, and though none of it was real, the visual impact made it easy to trick the other senses into hearing the water lap at the edges of the cell or smell the blood in the waves. Shalin hadn't been at Sootopolis, but its violence flooded into her captivity. Shadow filled the ceiling, dripping down like water itself, coming close to Shalin as if to touch her or corrupt her- [break][break]

Ameena took deep breathes to re-center herself. The mist yielded to Shalin again, no longer beholden to Ameena's own mind.

TAGS – Shalin Nariya [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

The sweet kiss is unexpected but brilliant - Gardevoir won't be outdone by force alone, but inhibiting her is a great strategy to prevent her from wielding all of her power. It certainly does confuse Gardevoir, but she's also no stranger to fighting in unfavorable conditions. She's seeing double because of the status, but that doesn't mean she can't launch a wider attack. [break][break]

She launches a wide psychic at all three of them to push - aiming to achieve her goal of knocking Kasper down quickly. [break][break]

"You need a strong base to avoid getting pushed over," Ameena calls from the sidelines, picking up her tea again for another sip. All things considered, the kid is willing to adapt. Maybe they'll need to consider broad defenses like light screen or even a defense use of imprison, but Ameena trusts they'll pick a defensive style that works for them when this is over.

TAGS – kasper thaler [break]

NOTES – dauntless shield[break][break]

[attr="class","pkmn"]

She smiled at his visible frustration with architects. She could relate, with her dev team frequently finding themselves tangled up in meaningless details that they simply needed to iron out before getting to the meat of a project. She tired of dealing with anyone who knew a damn thing about computers. [break][break]

"The timeline for Sootoplis looks dreadful, so that is not so bad." She wasn't sure her comfort would help at all, but at least keeping busy was good for the mind. [break][break]

She was surprised about his interest in her work. Dream research was polarizing, and most did not care for it at all. "It is coming along. Lulu Flint demonstrated a significant function of the interdream zone not too long ago. If we can develop that further, I think the war is as good as won." Not that the weaponizing of dreams held any interest to her whatsoever, but she accepted Rocket's patronage with the understanding that her work had better contribute to its political agenda. [break][break]

"The world is changing so fast that understanding it might be a fool's goal," she said sardonically. "But if I did not study dreams, I have no idea what science I would turn to." The closest relative would be psychology, which did not interest her. More applied work like interrogation or brainwashing might be a more effective use of her studies, but doing something with such an immediate dead-end for development left a sour taste in her mouth. "Given the opportunity, what would you study?"

TAGS – Grigori Sokolov [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

She blinked. Was he-? [break][break]

"I can come to yours tonight." She looked at the papers scattered across the room. "I might be late." It was endearing, his nervousness. But she understood it, too. It was difficult to navigate something like this where they'd started on the wrong foot, started with knowing secrets about each other before they knew the soft details. They were moving in reverse and trying to pull from the darkness they've witnessed in the other. [break][break]

She huffed a laugh, looking at him with interest. "I know you like me." Liked her a lot, even. "I want you to have nice things."

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

Composed might be giving herself too much credit, but at least neither of them are college frat students about things. Respectable, nearly imperceptible noise level and no creaky furniture. Like professionals. [break][break]

She takes her time in the afterglow to pull him close for a kiss, unrushed. "Mm, I think my secretary can believe you got out of here without him seeing. He gets paid handsomely to work on his university capstone and ask zero questions about my business." Parts of AbCon were a front, of course, but she found that broke college students were happy to get overpaid to do zero work if she struggled to find a Rocket grunt to fill the position. [break][break]

"I can have Alakazam escort you out, if you did not bring your Claydol." A little teleport and her employees would be none the wiser. More tentatively, she added, "I can have him remove those gifts you do not want."

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

"Mr. Sokolov," she returns in kind. The scene holds endless hustle and bustle as everyone contributes to the rebuilding effort. There was a good spread of grunts and upper management, though she suspected the rebuilding effort was not going to be enough to comfort the Petalburg citizens who found themselves living under the iron fist of Rocket. Sootopolis had long acclimated, but this wound was fresh. [break][break]

Some more morale boosting efforts might be a worthwhile investment. She knew Rangers tended to donate aid and food for publicity by establishing support lines and tents in damaged cities. Mauville City had seen plenty right after the rampant toxic chain arrivals. The whole city reeked of Pecha.[break][break]

"It behooved me to visit and see the newest developments. I see we are focusing on restoring what was lost, first." She crossed her arms, but she nodded in approval. "Here to observe, but Alakazam can assist with some lifting and placing if that would benefit the site. I wanted to see things firsthand. So, really, how are things going?"[break][break]

She was no admin, requiring lofty words and overconfidence and overpromising. But word of mouth would distort the truth of the rebuild, so she knew it was best to ask a real authority on the topic. She had no idea what to expect for the timeline.

TAGS – Grigori Sokolov [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

His bafflement was endearing. "Not habitually," she answered coolly, "but I can appreciate a man who knows what he has." She looks at him meaningfully, pausing, though his own amusement overcomes him for a moment. She brings a hand to his jaw to caress him, meeting his gaze. "What a small price to pay for something so valuable." And trust, she would burn the building down before she lost such a calendar. [break][break]

The insinuation wasn't lost on her. She was not the jealous type, if only because she would've loved to watch him be taken to pieces as a scientist loves an experiment or as a soldier loves an enemy's white flag or as an artist loves a muse. The love of seeing fruition and creation. For as much pleasure as she derived from bringing him to his peak herself, she would give everything to watch him drown under a sea of others until he forgot his name and begged for something he couldn't articulate. It was not, however, a thought she was willing to share. She suspected he preferred exclusivity, but she couldn't prod for it without indicating interest in him being only hers; they had never put it into words.

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

Her eyes narrow at what's creatively left out, but she doesn't pick the issue. She would do it again, but successfully, if given the opportunity. It had looked like the ship was going to split or crash or otherwise face destruction, and she wanted to keep the child from that fate when it could be valuable. [break][break]

"Kind does not mean cooperative," she insisted, though she wouldn't say that the youth was as kind as she was... soft. "But yes, reports await us. I hope we can harness that time distorting power before long and put some theories to the test." Today had been the most productive day in dream research in Ameena's career - and, with any luck, it would sit in the shadow of one to come.

TAGS – Lulu Flint [break]

NOTES – [break][break]