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@askstormssong
This is a main blog! Closely tied with @askstormscall, that is also ran by me. Originally the characters came from the blog but due to story developments they had to migrate here.
Prior Events: Beach Time
Currently happening : Bottles at Sea
Characters | Rules | Plot | Ask Hints | Relationships | Ask Call | Chrono | Tags | Story
Themes: Slice of Life, Drama.
Raiden emotes by @asklalu
On the first day, they didn't so much as see each other. But Mariko knew he was a silent presence on the island.
As the second day went by, there was a new shell on her side, nothing like those that usually washed up on the shore. But she hardly batted an eye towards it, snout high in the air. With a flick of the tail, she sent it flying towards the ocean, tending the letters she had yet to read.
With the third day setting on the horizon, a conch drifted to the shoreline as she caught a glimpse of feathers diving beneath the waves.
She clenched her teeth. He was always like this. He was never good with words when he wrestled with his emotions. She could sense it beneath the surface, almost like the bubbling volcanoes she spotted underwater.
Hot, wanting to erupt, but he held his tongue and left her own with no one to talk to but her Chatot friend.
Now she felt that same emotion twisting in her gut until she couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Dummy, Raiden!" She shouted at the shoreline.
No response. Not so much as a ripple beneath the tides as they gently lapped against the shore.
Her expression grew forlorn. "What did I do wrong…"
-----
A week had passed and she found herself no closer to an answer. Mariko had gathered her letters in her arms, wobbly on her feet. As much as she enjoyed her human form, she often found herself stumbling in the sand after prolonged periods, her legs feeling jelly.
"I can do this…," she muttered under her breath. Her breath hitched as she made a misstep and lost her footing. Squeezing her eyes shut, she clutched letters tightly to her chest.
Only for her fall to be cushioned by the sensation of feathers.
"Be careful," his worried voice reached her ears.
Her eyes flew open, meeting a familiar pink. "Brother!" She squealed, letters forgotten as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
An undignified squeak from the Lugia as he wrenched back, Mariko dangling in the air as she giggled. "Sister, please," he said in a panicked voice. "Your letters."
She gasped, letting go as she landed to stumble on her feet. As she quickly leaned down to pick up the scattered letters, a shimmering of light caught her eye. Raiden assumed his own human form, kneeling down to help.
His brows knitted together in a line of worry, his eyes planted on the ground. She frowned slightly, hating the silence between them. It was… awkward, uncomfortable. Their hands met on the last letter left, his still slightly damp but he quickly withdrew as if she had scalded him.
Frowning, she sat up, truly looked at him. His hair was windswept, as if he had just come rushing from the ocean, water dripping from his bangs. Again he kept his gaze away from her, extending the letters to her.
A peace offering.
"Raiden." Her frown deepened as she watched him flinch. "Can we sit down and talk for a moment?"
He straightened up with a soft inhale. "Yes."
That formal tone. She bristled, but she followed him to their palm tree they liked to rest under. It was slightly bent at a weird angle. A slight flush tinged her cheeks as she remembered rubbing against it much too hard to get an itch along her back.
As the sounds of their laughter from days past replayed in her ears, she didn't notice Raiden had taken his spot beneath the shade, arms folded as he looked at her expectantly.
Clearing her throat, she sat down, setting a slight distance between them.
They sat in silence.
Again, that feeling unsettled her. She fiddled with the letters in her lap, unsure how to even begin.
"I'm sorry." They said together, facing each other. Surprise broke across their face as they quickly looked away.
Then… laughter started to bubble from within. They couldn't stay mad at each other for too long. All they had was each other.
"Brother. I'm sorry if I did something to hurt you." She almost crumbled the letters in her hands. "I will try to be more mindful."
He shook his head. "It's not your fault."
"Can I ask about Father? I… I do not have a good memory of what he is like? She asked.
All she could remember was seeing her small reflection in very old but kind eyes. All else was a blur, other than the haunting sound of a familiar song that felt so much like home to her. The same song she and Raiden would sing on occasion, hoping he would somehow find them. It was like a ritual at the start of their journey.
Only that ritual became less of a habit, an afterthought until after their last trip.
A crease formed at the corner of her eyes. She remembered the determination shining bright in her brother's eyes. Now, they seemed to have lost their light as he spoke, "What do you want to know?"
It was not what she expected to hear, and now he was waiting, a pregnant pause in the air. "Well," she stammered. "Why do you want to be like Father so much? Sometimes you hurt yourself, and I don't get it."
"Maybe your brother is stupid," he chuckled.
"I think my brother is smart," she corrected him, swatting his shoulder. "But he does stupid things. I thought it was a male thing. Now I think it is only something Raiden does."
His brows furrowed with confusion. "Aren't your brother and Raiden the same?"
"No," she shook her head. "He has stopped smiling since we got here. He changed since we got to this island. Maybe we should leave. He can go back to how he used to be."
A smile broke across his face. "You wouldn't be the first to say that." He looked away. "I guess I am like that," he muttered.
"Is it something Father used to do?"
Raiden exhaled, looking towards the sky. "He always looked out for us. All of us. I want to be just like him. No matter what it takes."
Remembering the way his throat was bruised, she frowned deeply. Always Raiden pushed himself to the limit. She bit down on her lip nervously. What if he goes too far? A worry she didn't dare voice.
"Then I want to be like Mother."
His smile faltered; a strange, indecipherable emotion registered in his features. "Have you thought about not being like her?"
"But Mother is pretty!"
A flicker of darkness before he smothered it. "You're prettier than she'll ever be," he nearly growled.
A look of hesitation from Mariko. "I don't think I am."
Raiden shot his feet causing her to recoil. "What made you think otherwise?! Was it those letters!? I told you not to-"
"It's not that, brother. I don't have her… shine." She didn't know how else to describe it. A light within… but distorted. She nursed her lip as she dwelled on it. A light she very much lacked.
"Shine?" He repeated, anger rising in his tone. "Is that what you think she has?"
"Yes… I don't know wha-"
"What you saw… What you got is something I've never gotten from her." For the first time in a while, she saw his expression become twisted, as a knife plunged itself deep. She felt the pain as if it was her own as his expression became vulnerable. "You don't get it."
"Brother, wait-"
Raiden had already dived into the ocean before she could finish.
"Raiden!" She cried out, her calls unanswered once again.
What did I do…
What am I to do? Follow him? Am I always meant to disappoint him? I thought I was doing better! Mariko kept her hands firmly in her lap as she fidgeted in place. I have to do better. Mother always wanted this for me. So why can't I shine just like her!?
She stared at her reflection in a small pool of water. A fragile girl who appeared ready to cry at a given chance. She quickly dashed away her tears. This is unbecoming. I can't do this…
Mariko emotes by @asklalu
Where do we begin
Melemele
Akala
Ula'ula
On the first day, they didn't so much as see each other. But Mariko knew he was a silent presence on the island.
As the second day went by, there was a new shell on her side, nothing like those that usually washed up on the shore. But she hardly batted an eye towards it, snout high in the air. With a flick of the tail, she sent it flying towards the ocean, tending the letters she had yet to read.
With the third day setting on the horizon, a conch drifted to the shoreline as she caught a glimpse of feathers diving beneath the waves.
She clenched her teeth. He was always like this. He was never good with words when he wrestled with his emotions. She could sense it beneath the surface, almost like the bubbling volcanoes she spotted underwater.
Hot, wanting to erupt, but he held his tongue and left her own with no one to talk to but her Chatot friend.
Now she felt that same emotion twisting in her gut until she couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Dummy, Raiden!" She shouted at the shoreline.
No response. Not so much as a ripple beneath the tides as they gently lapped against the shore.
Her expression grew forlorn. "What did I do wrong…"
-----
A week had passed and she found herself no closer to an answer. Mariko had gathered her letters in her arms, wobbly on her feet. As much as she enjoyed her human form, she often found herself stumbling in the sand after prolonged periods, her legs feeling jelly.
"I can do this…," she muttered under her breath. Her breath hitched as she made a misstep and lost her footing. Squeezing her eyes shut, she clutched letters tightly to her chest.
Only for her fall to be cushioned by the sensation of feathers.
"Be careful," his worried voice reached her ears.
Her eyes flew open, meeting a familiar pink. "Brother!" She squealed, letters forgotten as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
An undignified squeak from the Lugia as he wrenched back, Mariko dangling in the air as she giggled. "Sister, please," he said in a panicked voice. "Your letters."
She gasped, letting go as she landed to stumble on her feet. As she quickly leaned down to pick up the scattered letters, a shimmering of light caught her eye. Raiden assumed his own human form, kneeling down to help.
His brows knitted together in a line of worry, his eyes planted on the ground. She frowned slightly, hating the silence between them. It was… awkward, uncomfortable. Their hands met on the last letter left, his still slightly damp but he quickly withdrew as if she had scalded him.
Frowning, she sat up, truly looked at him. His hair was windswept, as if he had just come rushing from the ocean, water dripping from his bangs. Again he kept his gaze away from her, extending the letters to her.
A peace offering.
"Raiden." Her frown deepened as she watched him flinch. "Can we sit down and talk for a moment?"
He straightened up with a soft inhale. "Yes."
That formal tone. She bristled, but she followed him to their palm tree they liked to rest under. It was slightly bent at a weird angle. A slight flush tinged her cheeks as she remembered rubbing against it much too hard to get an itch along her back.
As the sounds of their laughter from days past replayed in her ears, she didn't notice Raiden had taken his spot beneath the shade, arms folded as he looked at her expectantly.
Clearing her throat, she sat down, setting a slight distance between them.
They sat in silence.
Again, that feeling unsettled her. She fiddled with the letters in her lap, unsure how to even begin.
"I'm sorry." They said together, facing each other. Surprise broke across their face as they quickly looked away.
Then… laughter started to bubble from within. They couldn't stay mad at each other for too long. All they had was each other.
"Brother. I'm sorry if I did something to hurt you." She almost crumbled the letters in her hands. "I will try to be more mindful."
He shook his head. "It's not your fault."
"Can I ask about Father? I… I do not have a good memory of what he is like? She asked.
All she could remember was seeing her small reflection in very old but kind eyes. All else was a blur, other than the haunting sound of a familiar song that felt so much like home to her. The same song she and Raiden would sing on occasion, hoping he would somehow find them. It was like a ritual at the start of their journey.
Only that ritual became less of a habit, an afterthought until after their last trip.
A crease formed at the corner of her eyes. She remembered the determination shining bright in her brother's eyes. Now, they seemed to have lost their light as he spoke, "What do you want to know?"
It was not what she expected to hear, and now he was waiting, a pregnant pause in the air. "Well," she stammered. "Why do you want to be like Father so much? Sometimes you hurt yourself, and I don't get it."
"Maybe your brother is stupid," he chuckled.
"I think my brother is smart," she corrected him, swatting his shoulder. "But he does stupid things. I thought it was a male thing. Now I think it is only something Raiden does."
His brows furrowed with confusion. "Aren't your brother and Raiden the same?"
"No," she shook her head. "He has stopped smiling since we got here. He changed since we got to this island. Maybe we should leave. He can go back to how he used to be."
A smile broke across his face. "You wouldn't be the first to say that." He looked away. "I guess I am like that," he muttered.
"Is it something Father used to do?"
Raiden exhaled, looking towards the sky. "He always looked out for us. All of us. I want to be just like him. No matter what it takes."
Remembering the way his throat was bruised, she frowned deeply. Always Raiden pushed himself to the limit. She bit down on her lip nervously. What if he goes too far? A worry she didn't dare voice.
"Then I want to be like Mother."
His smile faltered; a strange, indecipherable emotion registered in his features. "Have you thought about not being like her?"
"But Mother is pretty!"
A flicker of darkness before he smothered it. "You're prettier than she'll ever be," he nearly growled.
A look of hesitation from Mariko. "I don't think I am."
Raiden shot his feet causing her to recoil. "What made you think otherwise?! Was it those letters!? I told you not to-"
"It's not that, brother. I don't have her… shine." She didn't know how else to describe it. A light within… but distorted. She nursed her lip as she dwelled on it. A light she very much lacked.
"Shine?" He repeated, anger rising in his tone. "Is that what you think she has?"
"Yes… I don't know wha-"
"What you saw… What you got is something I've never gotten from her." For the first time in a while, she saw his expression become twisted, as a knife plunged itself deep. She felt the pain as if it was her own as his expression became vulnerable. "You don't get it."
"Brother, wait-"
Raiden had already dived into the ocean before she could finish.
"Raiden!" She cried out, her calls unanswered once again.
What did I do…
I wasn't sure if I had this image here but its Lugia Day so I'm going to make sure.
By @asklalu
Anonymously tell me something you think about me 💭
Fun Fact cause I was thinking about Luano and his girlfriend
He knew the whole thing about Milotics sharing the most beautiful scale they owe to those they're trying to pursue.
He doesn't have that. He settled for something else instead. He gave her a Mystic Water.
Mystic Waters are made when a specific gem type reacts to water type moves. It absorbs the essence and contains it better than a Water Gem but weaker due to this small shape. But it doesn't easily break showing the stone resilience.
This gem is pretty rare but the Araquanids have them because they have the necessary water needed to make them.
He had to do a few trading, trading is big in Alola, no one cares about money, its about trading something valuable or of interest to one.
She knew every bit of it. Alola is pretty small pfff. She heard about a Lapras working himself to death over something like this.
It was the merit that counted in her eyes. He really wanted her to look his way. Well she was already doing thathat without the scale.
No talk, only plushie
< in response to > @ask-the-golden-god
It seems Cepheus's gift and letter arrived safely! Mariko is delighted ~
I been taking a mental break! Theres been a lot lately. Ill be done going through it soon but here are some pics I took
Mariko 🌺
Gentle; Highly Persistent
Tag | She/Her | Teen | 5'2 (Human) 14'2 (Lugia)
Moveset: Mist | ??? | ??? | ??? ; Ability: ???
Typing: ??? / ??? | Affinity: Fire
Inventory:
Old Silver Wing - aged, this silver wing has lost its former glory, almost at the brink of fading entirely.
About:
Younger sibling of Raiden, daughter of the former Storm God.
Important Events
Relationships
💕 Romantic | ❤️ Resentment | 🧡 Dislike / Annoyance | 💛 Guilt | 💚 Like / Friendship | 🌸 Gratitude | 💙 Distrust | 💜 Respect | 🖤 Fear | 🤍 Duty / Loyalty | 🤎 Familial
Mariko stilled, feeling a shift in the air, a surge in electricity. She looked out, watching the clouds begin to gather ominously in the direction she saw Raiden take off towards. She recognized her brother's storm from anywhere, but concern touched her heart. Tentatively, she reached out to him through their connection-
She nearly fell back on her rear, her expression horrified.
Anger, sorrow, fear. A multitude of emotions slammed into her, and she couldn't process it all, making her ill. Recoiling, she severed the connection before he could notice her intrusion. Her tail swept around her feet as she hunched low to the ground, her expression growing more disturbed as she dwelled on it.
"All alone in this pitiful world, with no one to tend to you-"
The hauntingly familiar voice she heard through the connection resounded in her head. Was she always so… Mariko didn't want to finish that thought before it took a turn for the worse.
Mother couldn't possibly be like that…
She shook her head, focusing her efforts on something else, bringing her wings close before her.
Flickers of light began to form as her eyes narrowed in concentration, warmth spreading to the tips of her wings, almost touching. A small bud began to sprout within the sand, her eyes widening with wonder. She was getting better by the day, something she was proud of.
She exhaled, slumping in the sand, ignoring the throbbing she felt in her head. Despite how satisfying it was, it was taxing, with her energy sapped away. It was something only she could accomplish. A feat she was always praised for.
"You've done wonderfully, Mariko," Mother's praise in her ears. Her tail swayed slightly as she heard her mother's coo. Maybe brother misheard… That's it. The Mother she knew was kind and uplifting. Her eyes were like shimmering jewels after every little accomplishment she had done. Mariko fluffed up, brimming with pride.
She raised her head at the sound of wings beating in the air. Her expression, one of joy for the small life she had created and memories, faltered at the sight of her brother touching down. Her eyes immediately honed in on the bruising beginning to form on his neck.
"Raiden!" Fatigue forgotten, she approached with an outstretched wing, shimmers of light flickering at the tips.
He batted her wing away with an unreadable look. "You don't need to concern yourself with this."
"How can I not!?" Her voice rose in alarm. She always hated the distance in his tone when he acted like this. Ignoring his squirms, she lightly placed the tips of her wing on his throat, aware of the subtle flinch he made. "How many times?" When he didn't answer, her voice dropped in an octave, almost menacingly, as she gave him a pointed look, "How many?"
He winced. "Three," he grunted.
"That's twice too many!" She watched as the lights melded with his skin, the bruises receding away as if afraid of the light. She could see the relief instantly appear on his face before he craned his head away from her. "You know you can't use it more than once. Mo'o warned you," she muttered, bumping her head against his.
"I am aware," he chuffed, nudging her with a slight bump of his own. When their eyes met, she could see his guard lowering briefly to glimpse lingering anger and resentment before his slid shut. "I'm sorry," he rumbled.
"What happened?" She asked in a soft voice filled with worry. She knew he wouldn't use it unless the situationed warranted it. Frowning slightly, she inspected him more thoroughly, seeing not a feather out of place. "Did someone warn you off?" It wouldn't have been the first time it occurred. In their travels, territorial Pokémon took offense to their presence. Though very few were ready to challenge Raiden, a single look from him sent them scurrying away.
"No. No," he repeated, fatigue taking root in his voice as he leaned against her. "I'm fine…" He trailed off, exhaling softly. "It wouldn't be anything I could not handle," he said, with a slight smile.
But you're not fine. She could sense an emotion boiling beneath the surface, something she couldn't name. Irritation. She frowned more deeply, delivering a nip to his nape. "Stupid!"
His eyes flew open, shocked as he flinched away before she could deliver another nip. "Mariko?"
"Stupid brother!" Another nip sharper than before. "Stupid Raiden!"
Wincing, he fended her off with a wing, "Stop it, sister," he groaned. She settled for biting his wing instead, and his eyes flashed hotly, "Enough!"
"When brother stops being stupid, perhaps I will stop," she said, words muffled by feathers. She mustered the fiercest expression she could manage, releasing her bite. "Brother always doesn't tell me more!" Crowding his space, she marched forward, flaring her wings until his back pressed against a tree. She growled. "Raiden always hides! I want to know what troubles you! You can't be the only one allowed to know this!"
Raiden flinched. She checked a look of victory until his expression grew shuttered.
She blinked. "You… won't tell me?" Her heart fell. "I don't… understand." She wrestled with her thoughts. Her face mirrored his as she looked away, "You always have your way in the end," she whispered.
His expression grew torn, tormented even. "That's not it!"
"Then what is it, brother?! What are you not telling me?!" She shouted. She was done retreating into her shell and done watching her brother handling everything on his own.
His jaw twisted and worked, but no words came out. The amount of pain in his expression was insurmountable, leaving her stunned. He hung his head low. "I cannot. I am sorry."
When he shoved off the tree, she allowed him to separate. As he walked away, tail trailing in the sand, she found herself saying, "Is it about… Mother?"
The sudden stiffness in his back told her all she needed to know. She knew he heard her, but not once did he look back as he trekked to his side of the island. She felt a distance she had never experienced before as she watched him go. Like a yawning abyss of the ocean, the place her brother always warned her never to go in.
The same one she believed he was entering, leaving her behind.
What did you do, Mother?
The duality of the boy.
Art by @/dertherck
Raiden went until he sensed no one around him. Only the sea and the pelting of rain upon his wings as his company. He clenched his jaw, worked through the unsettling emotions churning in his mind.
He tried to push out Mo'o's wounded expression as he took off.
He tried to suppress the hurt in her voice.
He would have faltered if he had stood there any longer and heard her finish. He would have seen the visage of Her over Mo'o's in a sinister web, her maw twisting into a sneer.
"You will never amount to anything in my eyes." Her venomous voice pounded in his skull.
Shut up… Electricity charged the air, ran down the slope of his spine. The feathery plates, once flattened against his back, flared out, sparks enveloping them.
"Mariko is better than you in every possible way. I don't need you. Get out of my sight." Haughty eyes judged him before they dismissed him to look at the target of her affection. Greedy. Covetous towards the smaller Lugia who looked up to her, none the wiser.
"Shut up," he rasped, purple electricity beginning to form around his maw, the same intense glow flooding his eyes.
"Soon, your father won't bat an eye at you either. All alone in this pitiful world with no one to tend to you. I almost considered myself fortunate if you were lost to the abyss. If only he weren't there to see you to your safety. So close to being rid of you. My failure of a son-"
"SHUT UP!"
His throat felt raw after expelling the violent energy from his jaws. It's never any easier, a bitter thought as he swallowed. Shaking his head, he stared at the aftermath, a tunnel, a strange void, forming in the trajectory of the blast. His expression faltered. It never got any easier to see either. But he felt the need to see exactly what it had done.
He sagged in the air, using the thermals to keep him aloft.
"I'm sorry," he muttered to himself, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. "I'll do better..."
Art by @/dertherck
Raiden's Aeroblast has been unlocked.
Penalty: Constant usage inflicts damage upon the user.
