Forum Thread

"Well, your a musician for starters. What genre? What instruments? How did you get into it? And an insomniac... For how long? What triggered it? See, the devil's in the details." Rai spoke animatedly, her offhanded sarcasm translating decently.

"And Magnus? Is that a challenge?" She had no doubt she could beat him in a battle. She could beat pretty much anyone in a battle. "Do you need me to prove how dangerous I am?"

---

"...I play the guitar. And... I don't want to talk about... the insomnia."

Magnus looked away, clearly uncomfortable with the barrage of questions.

"... I... don't know how you'd prove that. I don't have my pokemon with me... and I don't like battling with them. They said that they're okay with it, but I don't like seeing them hurt."

...odd. he spoke as if his Pokemon talked to him.

---

"Alright, we'll drop the insomnia, but you owe me a song at some point. I've always like guitarists." Rai enjoyed playing verbal cat and mouse. Zaria hated it, mostly because she was routinely cast as the mouse, but Rai loved to spar.

"Mmm. Interesting. I love that your mind immediately went to a pokemon battle. It's how we've been trained to think in this world... But nevermind a battle. There are other ways to show one's... inherent danger." She grinned again, her short yellow coat fluttering behind her.

---

"No thank you. I'd rather not be shown your dangerousness."

Magnus backed away, slightly.

"I'd rather live in peace, thankyouverymuch."

His long, brown coat seemed slightly too big for him. He unadjusted the collar of his coat.

---

"That word again. Peace. I'm not sure if you're oblivious or in denial, but within the walls of this compound, none of us can live in peace." She rolled her eyes, absolutely astounded. Rai hadn't pegged Magnus to be so... náive. She noticed him distancing himself from her, and a spark of rage crackled within her. The Electrocutioner was fighting to break free.

"Look at me. You. Don't. Live. In. Peace. It's an illusion you've put up around yourself, or a lie that you tell others to avoid them. Not sure which, really don't care. Because unless you come to terms with a few things, I'm not sure you ever will have your precious peace." She took the knife out her pocket, turning it over in her hands. Her gaze shifted to the bandages Magnus was trying to hide, before she looked back up at him, pointedly.

"Because all of that screams that you're at peace with yourself and your environment. Ogd, I guess I'm the idiot here. I thought you were smarter than... this." She couldn't stop herself, so she continued.

"You've made three mistakes today, Magnus Exitor. The first was underestimating me. Case in point. I've ignored all your insults and slights, and tried to be polite in return. All I receive is rejection and rudeness. You're here and you have a choice: hate us all or try to make something happen. If I was morally against the science happening in this facility, I'd try to make some friends instead of sticking out like a sore thumb. Woe is me, I have counts of murder The Eyes would expose if I left. Well I have news for you: you're not the only one. We have so much in common, but I suppose you'd rather think yourself on an island than realize that yourself. The second mistake is your entire analysis of my friend, Zaria. Yes, I was curious what you had to say. I listened politely. I tried to understand where you were coming from. But you gave me absolutely no concrete evidence, merely speculation. You are a bloody scientist, years of experience means you should know better than that. If you have something to add, then add it. But I sure as hell know her better after twenty days than you do after twenty years. And as for the third... Well if you can't figure that out, we're done here."

"Congratulations, you've ended another social interaction. I get you have trauma that you won't let anyone help with, but so do most of the rest of us. You're surrounded by a crazy obsessive alchemist, a displaced potionsmaster, and a confused little girl suddenly playing in the big leagues. What makes you think we're anymore sane than you are?" She shook her head.

"Goodbye, Magnus Exitor. If you figure out your third mistake, you know where to find me." Rai walked away, rage pulsing through her. Idiot, idiot, idiot, idi o t, i d i o t . . .

As the word ran through her head, the idiot shifted from Magnus to her. There goes Raiden Asame, losing her temper again. There goes Raiden Asame, who scares away everyone, even before she explodes.

But it needed to be said. It was blunt, and more than a little cruel, but Magnus needed to hear it from someone. The question remained if she was the right person to say it. She slipped her hand into her pocket, holding the pocket knife so tightly, she thought it would shatter.

---

"I'm not smarter than this. Why don't people understand that? I was never meant to be here. I don't belong here."

Magnus mumured quietly, under his breath, his hands in his pockets.

"M not a genius, 'm not even a real scientist. I'm a doctor."

---

Rai stormed into Araceli's lab, her anger still simmering beneath the surface. The room was dimly lit, with various glass vials and bottles scattered across shelves. The walls were adorned with ancient symbols and mysterious writings, hinting at the witch's expertise in arcane knowledge. The air was heavy with the scent of herbs and potions, giving the lab an otherworldly atmosphere.

Rai's eyes darted around the room, unable to fully appreciate the beauty and complexity of Araceli's work at the moment. She couldn't shake off the frustration and disappointment from her encounter with Magnus. It wasn't just him she was angry with; she was also furious with herself for losing her temper and letting her emotions get the best of her.

The pocket knife in her hand served as a tangible reminder of her own shortcomings. It was her defense mechanism, her way of staying in control, but sometimes it felt like she was on the verge of shattering, just like the fragile blade she clutched. The guilt weighed heavily on her shoulders. She had let her rage take over, and now she feared she had only pushed Magnus further away. Rai prided herself on being strong and composed, but moments like these exposed her vulnerabilities, reminding her that she was not immune to the emotional turmoil that came with working for "The Eyes."

She walked back and forth in the lab, trying to shake off the negative thoughts that clouded her mind. Her frustration morphed into self-hatred as she cursed herself for not handling the situation with more finesse. She knew she should have been more tactful, more patient, but her anger had gotten the better of her.

With each step she took, she tried to push down the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. She knew she couldn't afford to let her guard down, not in a place like this, where secrets and hidden agendas lurked around every corner. But despite her best efforts, Rai couldn't escape the turmoil within. She felt like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment. The image of her outburst replayed in her mind, and she berated herself again and again for not keeping her emotions in check.

In this lab of arcane wonders, Rai felt like an intruder, a force of chaos amidst the order and mystery. The walls seemed to close in on her, mirroring the suffocating feeling she had inside. She needed to find a way to regain control, to quell the storm of emotions raging within her.

But for now, all she could do was stand there, her hand gripping the pocket knife tightly, her heart pounding in her chest. She felt like a flawed puzzle piece, unable to fit into the grand design of "The Eyes." And as she stood in Araceli's lab, Rai couldn't help but wonder if she would ever find her place in this world of secrets and shadows.

"Ara, I think I'm going crazy."

---

Magnus Exitor stared at the bandages around his arms.

Rai's words rang through his head.

Magnus Exitor shook his head.

He needed to bury everything.

Bury all of the emotions.

He didn't want to deal with them.

He couldn't deal with them.

"I thought you were smarter than that."

The walls around him flickered to the ruins of a building, the overhead lights turning into the setting sun.

A boy a few years older than him stood in front of him, his knife stabbed through Magnus' ribs.

His smirk was cocky, his long, golden-brown hair swaying with the wind.

"I thought you were smarter than that, kid."

And then, he shook his head violently.

He winced from the fact that he had just been digging his nals into his chest.

"...fxck."

---

Jirachi was immediately worried about their chosen hero. He had just walked out of the room, probably to talk with others... Jirachi shuddered a little. Being on enemy territory was nerve-wracking. Knowing just one mistake could lead to wrongful capture and study, or getting taken by the leader themselves... Jirachi decided to wait and to hide until his chosen was alone...


Bump-bump... Bump-bump... Bump-bump... Error and her... Legendary... Had finally calmed down a bit. She looked about, gauging how the others were interacting with their Legendaries.


Jet and Keldeo were able to have a small chat after the unique introduction. As neither were experienced in social interactions, finding similarities was important.


Perhaps it was fate that a certain someone happened to appear near her~. Emika and her Shiny Mimikyu stopped their wandering with the appearance of Hoshirube Sho, better known as "The Heart". She schooled her expression and spoke, "Well someone seems to be on a mission. Something on your mind, Heart?"

The Honchkrow that was tasked with guarding the lab was heckling at first, for Magnus being so dull towards Raiden. He knew about her short fuse but that's got to be the record for "least effort needed". But when he sees the Electrocutioner walking around, their emotions running wild and all, he couldn't help but feel slightly sorry. He leaps off his usual place, a small rod hanging from the ceiling and opens the door.

He stares at his trainer that happened to arrive in the right time, holding two ceramic mugs and placing them down. The Honchkrow made some noises and Araceli... nods, before pouring in some hot chocolate into both cups and putting one on the other side of the table, for Raiden to take. A quick switch later, a Roserade stood next to her. Shiny, even. He takes something from Araceli's desk and then runs off.

"Honestly?" Araceli reacted. Seems like she heard that little sentence of hers before. "You're one of the more sane people. And you got a good taste in literature." She... doesn't recall many that read those romance novels. Most of the staff were reading stuff related to work or science. It felt like they're taking their work into their spare time. Not Raiden though... and Araceli respected her for it.


Magnus was approached by a Roserade then. The exact same, actually, with his roses having the same coloration as Araceli's hair. He hands him something... a chocolate bar. Well, there were two, there was also a nut bar next to it, y'know . In case Magnus happened to be allergic.

---

As Rai stood there, still reeling from her encounter with Magnus, she felt a mixture of emotions swirling inside her. The Honchkrow's heckling hadn't amused her at first, but now, seeing him open the door and witnessing the kindness in his eyes, she couldn't help but feel a touch of gratitude.

Araceli nodded in response to the Honchkrow's noises, pouring hot chocolate into two ceramic mugs and placing one on the table for Rai to take. The shiny Roserade appeared beside her, and Rai couldn't help but be captivated by the elegant Pokémon's appearance. She accepted the mug of hot chocolate from Araceli, offering a small nod of appreciation. "Thanks," she said quietly, her voice tinged with a mix of emotions.

Araceli's comment about her taste in literature brought a faint blush to Rai's cheeks. Having someone notice her love for romance novels felt surprisingly vulnerable. It's why she had hidden the book from Magnus earlier. She wasn't sure whether to threaten the scientist, or trust her. She decided to go out on a limb, having made enough enemies for one day.

Rai took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to express herself. "Yeah, well, it's my way of unwinding, I guess," she replied, her voice slightly hesitant. "In a place like this, with all the pressure and intensity, sometimes I just need a little escape, you know?"

She paused, staring into her mug.

"I appreciate this, Ara," Rai said, looking into the science-witch's eyes. "It feels like I have to be strong all the time, and it gets exhausting. And then I snap, and more people hate me, and then... Well, you get the point. I am my own worst enemy."

---

Suicune and Kishi were both sitting in the grass, silently having a conversation.

"Kishimoto, something is on your mind." The dog legendary telapthically spoke, staring at Kishi intently. Kishi looked up and smiled.

"I'm worried about my brother and my human friend. My brother is brash and headstrong, and my friend is weak and...fragile. Unlike a demon." She spoke.

"I see. I am sure they're fine...they functioned before they found you, right?"

"That's...true."

---

Araceli looks down at her cup, smiling a little. Despite the scientists above not approving of her more dated ways, some were at least kind or indifferent to her. Raiden was one of them and despite their different areas of expertise, she was a welcome presence.

"You should not put so much stress on yourself. Everyone here has their own lives, dreams and traumas. Nobody here is strong all the time, why should you?" Araceli said, sipping her chocolate. It was a lot more aromatic than the vending machine cocoa upstairs. "Tense up for too long and the belt snaps."

She looks through the glass out of the lab. In the midst of Araceli's esoteric lab, there was a fancy chair outside. The one Raiden always sat on when reading.
"Rai, I placed that chair outside for you because I noticed you coming down here more often than any other. Even the Eyes don't visit me that much. I am of the opinion that you don't have to act strong all the time... but in case I can't stop you from doing so, I can offer you my lab as your relaxation vault. Whenever you feel like it's becoming too much, come down here. Who knows." She raised her cup. "Maybe I got more cocoa by then."

---

Rai's expression softened at Araceli's thoughtful gesture. She appreciated the offer of the lab as a place to unwind, away from the pressure. It meant more than she could express. And Araceli's kindness reminded Rai that she didn't always have to be strong, that it was okay to seek moments of respite. She sipped her hot chocolate, feeling a sense of kinship with the witch, knowing they both needed moments of escape. Now if only Magnus could realize that this was the support he needed. The chair outside the lab, the one Araceli had placed for her, held a special significance. It was a symbol of the connection Rai had found in this hidden oasis. She smiled, feeling a newfound sense of belonging.

"Y'know, maybe I'll take you up on that offer," Rai said, raising her mug in a small toast. "Whenever I need a break, I'll come down here, and we can share some hot chocolate. Just... make sure that you want that. I don't need to burden someone else."

~~~

Zaria's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts as she assisted her grandfather in the laboratory. The project they were working on was groundbreaking, but her thoughts were divided. She couldn't shake the memory of her encounter with Magnus, the friend (sort of) seemingly turned adversary. Why didn't he like her? Why couldn't he give her a chance? His words had left her feeling vulnerable and uncertain, and she questioned her own decisions.

Amidst the chaos of her thoughts, Zaria tried to focus on the task at hand. She admired her grandfather's brilliance, but there was an edge to his focus that she hadn't seen before. Q's obsession with their work was becoming more apparent. It both impressed and unnerved her.

The complexity of the experiment and the weight of its potential consequences weighed heavily on Zaria's shoulders. She began to feel the doubts and fears creep in at the edges of her subconscious. But she had come too far. Zaria thought of confiding in Q, but he wouldn't understand. Science above all, that was his motto. Besides, the walls she had built around herself were too high, and the fear of judgment held her back.

---

When Sho had went to seek out another pair of eyes, he certainly didn't believe that he would run into the direct extention if The Eyes herself, The Ears. While Emika wasn't exactly his first pick for this predicament (no one was), he at least trusted her to be as objective as possible. Besides, she would know all this and more by the time the day would end with how far her information network ran. Really, he was saving himself the trouble of having this almost mortifying experience be broadcast to the higher-ups in a manner beyond his control. Now, all that was left was to deliver his request in a suitably proper manner. "Ears." He greeted just as coldly, wishing that his Metang was here to at least give emotional support. At least it would babysit the Jirachi in case it really turn out to be real. "... How to say this, I am, as some of our co-workers like to say, tripping absolute balls."
Nailed it.

"Allow me to explain. I'm sure you're more than aware that today was yet another test after last week's less than stellar results. It appears that this particular concoction they have given induces quite vivid hallucinations to the point where I am unable to discern unreality. Now why am I telling you about this, you may ask. Simple. Though the border of fact and fiction remains thin currently, I have seen something that may prove useful to you. See with unclouded eyes if it is true and it is yours to use as you please. If it proves to be naught but a creation of my deranged mind, then we have a new potential weapon drug on our hands."

---

Araceli simply chuckled, raising her cup in response to the toast. She always liked that "only if you don't mind" kind of question. A fancy way of "yes please". And she'd always give the same response when someone said that to her:

"If I would mind, I wouldn't offer it." She smirks and takes another sip, before reaching over to a candle. "Hm, you probably remember that odd smell you had when talking with Magnus? It's a scented candle. In case you'd like it." The candle was a soft beige and, apart from the laboratory sticker reading "Chavarria", looked normal.

"Ahhh, if only people like Magnus or Quentin were as easy to please as you..." She said, a little dreamy and looks at some of her notes hung to a wall.

---

Elli was still sad, but after few minutes she calmed down a bit. "Maybe I should exit my room and try to talk to other people? I'm here more than 6 hours now... Nah, I will listen to music for like... 30 minutes? Yes, that's good idea." Elli grabbed her phone and started to listen to extended, 30 minutes long version of ''FIDUSPAWN, GO!''. "This one always makes me feel better." She said, while vibing.

After the end of song, Elli exited her room, looking for other siencists to talk with. She checked most of rooms, but didn't found anyone. She sighed. "Why am I even doing this? It's obvious that no one would like to interact with a monster like me... Well, at least I have my pokemon." Elli sent out her Baxcalibur and started teaching her some tricks. "Who is a good girl??" She gave a treat to her pokemon, Bax enjoyed it. She played with her pokemon friend for a while. "I'm really happy that you are here with me, despite everything that happened between us long ago, you still are here, ready to do anything I would tell you to. It's nice to have a friend like you."

---

Rai chuckled at Araceli's response, appreciating the witch's straightforwardness. She took a sip of her hot chocolate, savoring the comforting warmth that spread through her. The scented candle intrigued her, and she leaned in to take a whiff. It was a pleasant aroma, unlike the odd smell she had experienced earlier.

"Thanks, Araceli. I appreciate the gesture," Rai said, feeling a sense of ease in the witch's presence. She glanced at the notes on the wall, her curiosity piqued, but she didn't press further. Araceli had her own secrets and mysteries, and Rai respected that.

"People like Magnus and Quentin are a different breed, that's for sure," Rai replied with a wry smile. "They'd rather push on with their life than take five minutes to assess. At least... at least I realize how stupid I am after the fact. That's somewhat better than never at all."

As Rai continued to chat with Araceli, her earlier frustration and rage began to ebb away. The warmth of the lab and the witch's company provided a much-needed respite from the intense atmosphere of the complex above.

~~~

Zaria decided to take a walk in the complex, hoping that some fresh air would clear her jumbled thoughts. As she wandered through the maze of corridors, she couldn't shake the encounter with Magnus from her mind. His words lingered like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over her thoughts.

Lost in her own turmoil, Zaria rounded a corner and almost bumped into someone. To her surprise, it was Magnus once again. The chance encounter brought back memories of their past, their shared experiences during their Team Plasma days.

"Of all the people to stumble upon," Zaria muttered under her breath, feeling a mix of irritation and curiosity. She hadn't expected to run into him again so soon, and she wasn't sure how to approach the situation.

Magnus looked just as grumpy and unobtrusive as ever, and Zaria couldn't help but wonder what he was doing in this part of the complex. She debated whether to acknowledge him or simply continue on her way.

But something in her pushed her to speak up, to break the uneasy silence between them. "What brings you down here?" Zaria asked, her tone neutral but her eyes searching for any hints of his intentions. She wasn't sure if she was ready for another round of his cryptic remarks and unsettling insights.

---

"Hallucinating visions of knives slitting my wrists, why?"

He looked somewhat unnerved, a little paranoid, searching his pockets for other knives. Of course, there weren't any, but he didn' know that.

"Someone's fxcking with m3 and I don't know who. I swear I put my knife away in my office, but it appeared in my jacket..."

Magnus paused. Did he ever put his knife in his desk?

Now that he thought about it...

---

Zaria arched an eyebrow at Magnus's response, not expecting such a candid and... disturbing... admission. It caught her off guard, and for a moment, she didn't know how to react. The mention of hallucinations and knives sent a slight chill down her spine, making her wonder if Magnus was simply being paranoid or if there was something more sinister at play. With The Eyes, she couldn't ever be sure.

"Someone's messing with you?" Zaria asked cautiously, her concern evident in her voice. She had seen Magnus as a grumpy and self-contained individual, but this display of vulnerability was... unexpected. "I trust you're sure it's not just your mind playing tricks on you? The stress of this place can do... strange things to people."

She hesitated for a moment before offering, "If you want, I can help you look into it. We can check security footage or ask around to see if anyone has seen anything suspicious. It might be nothing, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

Zaria didn't fully trust Magnus, especially after their earlier encounter, but she couldn't ignore his distress. While he had always been strange and a bit of a loner, there was something off about him, and she couldn't shake the feeling that his cryptic behavior was connected to the complex web of secrets that surrounded them. But for now, she put her own reservations aside and offered him a small semblance of support.

---