#megaanchor

[experthiese]

❝ Give a man six bingos, everythin' he could want, and he'll still get caught up on you being French. ❞

[aetherceuse]

❝ thanks again for lendin' a HELPING HAND, lady lusamine. i promise to pay ya back for all of the resources you've so graciously given to me 'n my conservation 'n rehabilitation program. ❞ he would take her hand and kiss it graciously were it not for the fact that HE KNOWS HER BOUNDARIES.

Navigating the president's boundaries was paramount to having a successful allyship with her and the foundation as a whole; anybody who had the privilege to meet Lusamine Delacroix in person was briefed on how to interact with her, and were informed of her biggest restriction: do not touch her.

The Hoennian man was eccentric, but had his heart in his mission, and that was something Lusamine could appreciate. And so, when he expresses his gratitude, she folds her arms behind her back, pivots somewhat, and turns her head so that she could look down at him from across her shoulder.

Archie is afforded a small, albeit brief, smile.

"Conservation is something dear to me. When the ocean is choked, so is the entirety of the planet," Lusamine answered. For a woman known for her seemingly artificial personality, and frigid distance, she was genuinely invested in the health of Pokémon.

"I look forward to seeing how Aether's contributions affect your efforts. You should expect me to remain in contact over the following months; a member of our conservation division will keep track of the data collected from the currents off of Slateport."

[drgnbld]

❝ you look... familiar. ❞

" that's right, we never had the chance to formally introduce ourselves to each other; my name is Lance. I'm a representative of the Indigo League in the Kanto and Johto regions. "

as far as formal introductions went there's a calmness to his tone and voice, any hostility given as a member of the gmen as he once did upon arresting Maxie not at all apparent through this conversation. the undercover missions in magma and aqua were a good few years ago now, and from what intel Lance has searched through, he no longer views either group as threats per se.

that could always change - it was up to them to keep an eye out after all.

" from what I recall your name is Archie. I was present at the Groudon and Kyogre awakening as an undercover member of team magma. "

[danderosa]

@megaanchor asked: ❝ you can pet 'im, ❞ archie affirms, gesturing to the off-leash mightyena at his side. the bite pokémon, though INTIMIDATING in appearance, wagged its tail when acknowledged by its trainer, taking a seat on the ground with a soft, non-threatening growl.

Now given permission, Leon wastes no time in kneeling down to the Mightyena's level and burying his hands in the black fur across its back. It was surprisingly soft. Something about the way it spiked and jutted out had given him the impression that it'd feel rough to the touch, similar to the fur on his father's Manectric, but this is a pleasant surprise!

He ruffles the grey fur on top of its head next, keeping one eye on that tail and what makes it wag.

❝ Does he have a name? ❞

[orreanintrepidness]

❝ HE'S A TEN, but... i know from experience that redheads ain't nothin' but trouble. ❞

♢      —        send  [ THEY’RE A 10 BUT … ]  and finish it in my muse’s inbox.

"Oh now this... This is simply a skill issue."

[subspaceswell]

kneeling in lilycove's sandy shores, he watches the waves ebb and flow and admires the LUSTROUS SHINE of the sun's rays bouncing off of the water. clear skies, low humidity...

monsoon season has ended. the seas have calmed... for now.

he bows to the sea, forehead pressed to the sand, letting the shorebreak wet his messy head of hair.

❛ thank you. ❜

For those that listen, there would always be the even beat of something else in the seas that made them magical. Eons have passed and in those eons, the sea had different names, and so did that beat within it. Monsoon Seasons ends, with the currents shifting and the weather turning, and the rain that had engulfed the tropics and deserts of Hoenn had slowly calmed.

They are a set of listening ears when one of those outcast people touches his head to the sand. When this man prayed, it often listened. There were times in treacherous storms when this man would sail into the eye of them and look up. This man understood the oculus looking down at him was doing so by choice.

To make the depths a part of one's own passions and identity is to make its look inescapable.

The wave broke on his head, and with it, the sensation of being heard, and the sensation of being watched by something old. They are watching as much as the old sea god is watching. The great Kyogre is not the one calling this time. Uncharacteristically, intentions come with the next roll of the tide, and shape themselves into language.

'The depths call you. Come out to sea.'

[disturbnot]

❝ i dunno how i feel about the fact that we basically have the same beard. ❞

SUPPOSE HE SHOULD BE THANKFUL THAT THIS STRANGER is standing in the perfect position to keep the sun out of his eyes. In kind, the shadow cast pulls the shape of this fellow's beard into sharper focus. Ash (perhaps unsurprisingly) would never have noticed the similarity if it remained unmentioned. He squints, as though sizing up an unexpected offering he can only pretend to be happy with.

" Eh ... think mine's a li'l rougher than yours? " Vaguely, he makes a gesture with his finger outlining the sharper, more angular shape of the other's; practically manicured. It's almost like comparing a prize hedge to a humble roadside thicket. " Fluffier, y'know? "

[shinestxr]

@megaanchor :

❝ y'ever built a watercraft, son? ❞

“ a watercraft ? “ he hums thoughtfully . the IDEA seems to interest him deeply, already consumed by ideas .

“ it’s certainly a thought . I haven’t, but … “

he taps the side of his face, chewing the inside of his cheek . “ what kind of watercraft ? a ship ? a boat, a submersible ? you seem to know your stuff . what’s the COOLEST ? “

[experthiese]

@megaanchor asked: ❝ yer a lot... taller than i thought you'd be. ❞ he grumbles, standing just two inches shorter than lupin.

There's many ways to approach a first meeting. Lupin could have introduced himself properly, now that he actually has some clothes on and wasn't lounging naked on his inspector's bed. He could've tried to strike up conversation about Aqua, bemoaning how he never got the chance to swipe anything from them before the team switched track and disappeared from his radar.

He's chosen to do neither of those.

Instead, the weight of his arm snakes around Archie's shoulders as he leans in, the exaggerated downward angle forcing them eye-to-eye. It's a condescending gesture, and deliberately so.

❝ Like I already said: I'm full of surprises. ❞

[shclly]

(( So I was really stumped on what Shelly's like. Doing? Post Alpha Sapphire?? and what her financial situation was and all that, and then @megaanchor put in a hc post (I think) that in his canon Team Aqua had disbanded and I said "yeah you're right" SO

Team Aqua is disbanded in Shelly's canon too. It was done kinda suddenly and she was left with nowhere to go so she lived in cheap motels for a hot minute, living off of her Devon finances for a couple months, until she finally scored a job at the weather institute near Fortree. She has a nice apartment in Lilycove.

So! That's what she's doing now. I still need to think of what she does specifically, I just have her listed as a researcher there, but I'm happy to have something a little more fleshed out. ))

[experthiese]

@megaanchor asked: ❝ you look cute when yer upset. ❞

The Lupin pout is nothing new. Those close to him have seen it more times than they probably care to remember, each one following one small, inconsequential slight or another. It's his way of attention-seeking, of farming pity for every bruise on his ego.

This time, however, he's left to lick his superficial wounds alone. There's no Fujiko to try and coax cuddles out of, nestling against her side until she relents and lets him close (and takes his wallet when he's not paying attention). There's no Jigen to whine to, splaying himself out across the couch like a maiden with the vapors, drowning his sorrows in expensive whiskeys and shared cigarettes. There's no Goemon to chat away to, knowing full well that his complaints aren't even making a dent in his samurai's iron focus. He doubts they're even being heard, most of the time.

There's not even any Zenigata. All five of them are spread out across the globe, chasing their own jobs while Lupin works to plan their next big heist.

And so, here he is. Left to sit cross-legged on the nearest beach, some exclusive stretch of sand that doesn't get many visitors this late in the year. It's a beautiful sight, and perhaps Lupin would be more inclined to appreciate it if he wasn't busy scowling and skipping stones across the ocean with more far force than necessary.

❝ What do you want, Archie? ❞

[experthiese]

@megaanchor: ❝ can ya blame me? ❞

He's ignoring him. He's not listening. Lalalalala he can't hear you--

[experthiese]

It's only his years of dodging bullets that give Lupin the reflexes to move back before the teeth can make contact. His hand goes to his gun on instinct, brushing against the cool metal of the Walther tucked underneath his suit jacket, but makes no move to draw it. Don't get hasty, now. Sure would be a cryin' shame if this budding friendship ended so suddenly.

Instead, out comes his pack of cigarettes. He tips one out just to give his hands something to play with, twirling the unlit stick between his fingers aimlessly.

❝ Y'know what, buddy? I think so too. ❞

Though Aqua might have bit the dust, it seems the years haven't done anything to soften this sailor up. Though Lupin doubts he's held onto anything worth stealing - that blue orb he'd heard so much about is surely in someone else's hands, ten years later - he seemed entertaining enough to justify keeping around. There were many occasions having a salty sea dog as an ally could come in handy, after all. Especially when said sea dog has already proven himself willing to bend a couple regional laws.

❝ Let's start from the top, nice and easy. It's Archie, right? ❞

❝ issat so, ❞ the pirate claps back, black pupils constricting tightly as the thief wraps one of those shrimpy little arms around his broad shoulders. like a sharpedo circling its prey, archie WATCHES and ANALYZES every little move lupin makes, scrutinizing and deliberating his next move without giving even the smallest bit of INSIGHT for the thief to pick up on.

his next move hits HARD & FAST.

archie leans forward and upward and SNAPS his pearly whites right in the thief's face with just enough force for an audible CRACK to be heard as his teeth clack together. enough force to ASSERT HIMSELF, enough force to remind lupin WHO HE'S MESSING WITH. if he hadn't restrained himself, he might've just bitten lupin's nose off.

❝ SO AM I. ❞

when he pulls away, archie audibly huffs through his nostrils like a fuming salamence... and in another showing of his fangs, he smiles.

❝ we're gonna get along just fine. ❞