LuckyBlackCat

Alt-Earth: To Find a Haven in Hell

@Asesina Don't worry, I can help you heal up when it's time to come in!

Be my Sanctuary

Jessamyn "Jess" Bailey

Some of the frustration fizzled away from Roxy's vigorous swimming, but not all - most of it left was probably Jess' own anger at herself, and at the men who'd trapped them in this situation. Staring blankly at the ceiling, she sighed. Floating wasn't as soothing as she'd thought it would be. Instead, she felt helpless, like a leaf drifting in a river. She turned over and sped up into a proper swim, from one end of the pool to the other, her movements not furious like Roxy's but slow and rhythmic. Controlled. One of the few kinds of control that were possible right now.

"Glad it's helping," she said, moving a little closer to show Roxy she didn't have to worry about bothering her. By now, they'd both reached a similar pace. "As much as it can, anyway."

Pokemon Spiral

Amber Pine

Mesalon Gym

@Typical

As Aedre stood, so did Amber. "We'll watch a battle some other time, ok?" she said to her Pokemon, recalling Chalcedony and Larimar. Tacita, who'd been perched on the ledge next to Little, gave a hoot of disappointment and fluttered down, nestling in Amber's pocket. "I'm told there's a gym in Vareena... And speaking of Vareena," Amber added, following Aedre down the stairs, "from what Lan and Sophia said, Oscar's already heading there." If Sophia caught up with him en route, knowing those two, an argument would be all but guaranteed. Still, it was clear Sophia was much more concerned than she let on.

Amber headed over to Lan alongside Aedre. Noting her hesitant tone and understandable awkwardness, she took a deep breath and looked the gym leader in the eyes. "There was an incident yesterday," she began. "We've already alerted the police, but it seemed best to report it to you too... A theft. And we think it was a Pokemon who was stolen."

Notes

Pokemon Party: Kabuto "Chalcedony" lv11, Yanma "Aeshna" lv9, Rockruff "Kyra" lv13, Rowlet "Tacita" lv11, Anorith "Larimar" lv13, Sableye "Almandine" lv12
Pokemon in PC:
Inventory: Pokeball x1, Potion x2, Dusk Ball x1

---

Lan Sohai

Mesalon Gym

@Typical

Despite Sophia's outburst and subsequent exit, Lan kept as composed as always. Nonetheless, a furrow appeared in his brow as the two trainers approached and brought an issue to light - more criminal activity, in the usually peaceful town of Mesalon. Given that it had happened so soon after the Team Noble attack and the agent's threat, there was a decent chance it was no coincidence.

"A stolen Pokemon? How exactly did it happen?" he asked.

---

Sophia Danvers

Start of Route 2

Gritting her teeth, Sophia straightened her posture. Maybe she shouldn't have stormed ahead like that. Then again, she shouldn't be this woozy before midday either. Yesterday's overexertion was still taking its toll. It didn't matter, though. Not when she had someone to catch up with, give a good talking to... and make sure was safe.

"I'm ok," she muttered to Clarus, who floated over, offering sturdy support. "And I hope he is." That annoyance burned out, leaving nothing but concern, and it was only when she picked up on a nearing otherworldly presence that she realised why. "Fanto, I said I'm ok!" She turned round, her irritation welling back up as Fantoccino stopped draining it. The Shuppet drifted to the side, sulking like a Lillipup who'd been caught eating something it shouldn't. "Ugh, I guess you'd know better..." Sophia mumbled. "But still! Sometimes I have every reason to get mad. Especially at him."

Notes

Pokemon Party: Gothita "Lacey" lv14, Purrloin "Grimalkin" lv13, Staryu "Arcturus" lv13, Darumaka "Lumas" lv11, Shuppet "Fantoccino" lv11, Bronzor "Clarus" lv11
Pokemon in PC:
Inventory: Pokeball x1, TM33 (Reflect), Oran Berry x3

Be my Sanctuary

Feeling better now? Rest up if you need to. As for whether to timeskip, we could do a post or two each of that awkward swim before moving on to the next day.

The Zephyr Extinct

Yeesh, sorry to hear that Drew, take your time. Glad you got a laugh though.

Alt-Earth: To Find a Haven in Hell

Yup, enjoying reading the posts so far, and looking forward to what happens next!

And I love the irony of how Cara, who's on the side of light, is technically going to be an antagonist since Jane is dark aligned. That or these two will be clashing allies.

Be my Sanctuary

Jessamyn "Jess" Bailey

Jess nodded in acknowledgement. "Then if it's ok, I'll join you." She looked down at the changing room tiles, the warmth of a blush spreading over her face. Would Roxy be uncomfortable having someone see her in a swimsuit? Maybe she was overthinking again, Jess decided. If there were any unease, it would already have become obvious.

Even so, she shuffled into the cubicle as Roxy left the changing room. She quickly changed into the bathing suit and headed out, sitting on the edge of the pool and dangling her legs in. The cool of the water would have been pleasant, if not for the knowledge of whose pool and whose house this was. Gripping the side, she hoisted herself in and propelled her body forward to warm up. Once the initial shock of chill had passed, she lay on her back, slow strokes with her arms and legs keeping her afloat. Relaxing really wasn't the right word, considering everything, but it was the closest to unwinding the two would get.

The Zephyr Extinct

✾ Steel Rose ✾

Steel Rose gave Iris the thumbs up. "Seems like we've got this!" she said, trying to sound as certain as possible as she dug a sheath from the chest, attached it to her belt and put the bladed gun into it. "Alright, let's get going!"

She followed Listener into the crowd. As important as this mission was, she couldn't help looking over her shoulder at Ruskali, catching some of of the conversation between him and a shopper. She bit her lip, unease growing as his zeal burned out and he sank to the stairs. Despite her joking about his ramblings earlier, she wondered what his story was. Grief changed people. He was like her in a way, motivated by it to protect society, even if it meant slipping into its margins.

For all she knew, he could have lost someone, just as she had. And now, she thought as her stomach sank, he was about to lose his pet. Grimacing, she looked away, her focus once again on Listener and the task ahead. As tough as things would be, she and the other new Zephyrs would ultimately help people... right?

Cedar's voice in the earpiece snapped her back to the present. "If you need us," she reassured him in her usual chirp, "we're not far behind, just let us know!"

Alt-Earth: To Find a Haven in Hell

Cara Bryant

Name: Cara Bryant
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Straight (but not looking, nobody can replace her husband and she's more focused on helping fellow survivors than romance)

Personality: Solemn yet kind is the best way to describe Cara. She doesn't talk much, meaning that when she does, her words carry impact. Even rarer is her tendency to smile. This, combined with her cynicism towards the hypocrisy she saw in the medical profession and towards the state of the world now, can make her seem cold. However, beneath that jaded exterior is someone who's held on to her principles even throughout the crisis. It's when she's helping others that her compassion shines through.

Appearance:

Despite her soft features, her height of 5'9" and her usually stoic expression make her appear imposing to some. She has a decent level of physical fitness, which was needed for her former career, and still is for her travels as well as to defend herself or others when necessary. One sign of such struggle is a burn scar on her right forearm from wrist to elbow, inflicted by a survivor who lashed out in anger.

Equipment and other items the character carries; ie. food, tools, weapons etc: Basic first aid supplies, gloves, water flask, non-perishable foods she salvages where she can

Alignment: +2, putting her on the side of light. While she's no saint, and has had to make plenty of tough decisions, she's always had a strong sense of duty. This alignment grants her the ability to slightly boost people's physical skills and functions with a touch. She mostly uses this to accelerate the healing process of the injured, although increasing strength and endurance also come in useful for survival situations. Of course, she has to be careful not to overdo it, as this will exhaust her. The affinity doesn't affect her appearance except for when she uses her powers; her veins light up with a faint white glow.

Backstory: Before the crisis, life was pretty good for Cara. Raised to be practical, she learned first aid skills from a young age, which she refined through studies and put into practice by taking a career as a paramedic. As stressful a job as rescuing and treating people was, between her work and her marriage, she'd gotten to where she wanted.

The storm turned all this upside down. After her husband died in the cataclysm, few would have blamed Cara if she'd given up there and then. Instead, she turned her skills towards saving those who still could be saved. It was near impossible at first, as given the sheer number of casualties, she and other rescuers had to decide who lived and who died on a daily basis. This kind of stress and desire to do more, though, was what awakened something within her. While treating a child who seemed close to death from his injuries, her veins began to glow. The patient's wounds lessened right away, and slowly but surely his physical state kept improving.

Many others manifested superhuman abilities just as she had, but some turned out more harmful than helpful. One survivor, beside himself with anger and paranoia, unleashed energy bursts on some of Cara's fellow rescue workers. She intervened, getting injured herself in the process. This was just the beginning of the darkness she witnessed spreading through the world. Since then, she's had to treat many people caught up in attacks by the darkmen on the gatherings of light, and watched several of them die. Although it takes its toll on her, she still staunchly believes in holding on to kindness and ethics, the things that make the world worth rebuilding.

Pokemon Spiral

Sophia Danvers

Mesalon Town -> Route 2

Sophia headed straight to the Pokemon centre, fuming the whole time she gathered up her belongings. She hurriedly checked out, the nurse giving her a rather bemused look as she stormed from the building and down the path. "I should have known," she muttered to her Pokemon. "I should have known he'd pull something like this. Again."

When she reached the trail downwards, she glowered out at the view, at the sprawling fields leading to forest, town rooftops just visible on the horizon. Starting along the route, she channeled what energy she could into a mental yell. "Oscar, you jerk! So much for sticking together! Don't you dare land yourself in trouble!"

Despite the downhill walk, her posture sagged. With a groan, she held onto a rock. Dang, there was no way Oscar could have heard her message. How early had he set out? How far away was he? If only she'd gotten his phone number... Not that she had any reason to, of course! Right now, though, it'd certainly be convenient.

Notes

Pokemon Party: Gothita "Lacey" lv14, Purrloin "Grimalkin" lv13, Staryu "Arcturus" lv13, Darumaka "Lumas" lv11, Shuppet "Fantoccino" lv11, Bronzor "Clarus" lv11
Pokemon in PC:
Inventory: Pokeball x1, TM33 (Reflect), Oran Berry x3

---

Amber Pine

Mesalon Gym

@Typical

Once again, the monastery was quiet as Amber watched, waiting for the next trainer to battle Lan. She shifted in her seat, unusually restless, before sighing and turning to Aedre. She didn't want to bring up the subject, but there was no avoiding it.

"Speaking of plans changing, do you think we should go with her?" she asked. "You know, considering everything, it seems like it's best to travel in groups." While Sophia and Oscar were capable trainers, between the strangely-behaved wild Pokemon and the criminal activity, that comment about chaos breaking loose hadn't been an exaggeration.

"We'll also have to tell Lan," she continued. "About yesterday." Aedre had wanted a distraction from the previous day's events, not a reminder, but they'd have to inform the gym leader - sooner rather than later, if her friend agreed on leaving early.

Notes

Pokemon Party: Kabuto "Chalcedony" lv11, Yanma "Aeshna" lv9, Rockruff "Kyra" lv13, Rowlet "Tacita" lv11, Anorith "Larimar" lv13, Sableye "Almandine" lv12
Pokemon in PC:
Inventory: Pokeball x1, Potion x2, Dusk Ball x1