If there’s anything Dawn can’t stand, it’s the media. Despite her acclaimed heroism and Hall of Fame status, she manages to keep low, for the most part. The year tends to go by with little bother, too–possibly a fair few interviews between her travels here and there–but she can never seem to avoid the inevitable hype that always comes with the first break of summer, under the heat of the harsh sun and spotlights of whichever arena she finds herself forced to attend. Dawn slumps on a bench on the subway platform, heaving a sigh she feels she’s been holding in for the hours it took to get here.
The tenth of June marks the start of the Worldwide Pokken Tournament, and Dawn has found herself very unfortunately wrapped up in it as Sinnoh’s representative. AGAIN.
Such a hassle, she thinks to herself.
As a representative employee of Sinnoh’s Pokemon League, its board always seems to rope her into public spotlight whenever the region’s pride is at stake. She is the face of a HERO–a title she hates wearing, these days–and someone with undeniable prowess. We’d be foolish, she hears the Chairman’s voice say, to not take advantage of the impact your presence has in matters of strength and name. She can translate that well enough into what it actually is, though, knowing that it’s a clear indication of the fact that she’s her League’s favorite POSTER CHILD; not the Champion by name, but someone far more aligned in their contract. This isn’t bad in and of itself–she’s willing to battle anywhere, anytime, upon request–but the attention grand events like these draw in causes and uproar that runs all the way into the bottom-feeders of news outlets: tabloids, paparazzi, and nosy cameramen.
Dawn pulls her beanie down further over her eyes, hoping dreadfully that she could melt into the concrete beneath her feet instead of forcing herself to go and deal with her duties more gracefully. She’d usually be walking up easily amid the crowds of the city above to arrive at her destination, but they only seem to increase in size with upcoming news of live broadcasts and celebrity-level trainers; a notorious headache plaguing her at the mere thought of all the cameras littering the streets. Public transit isn’t really any better or worse in terms of convenience, but she fairs better here, where everyone seems to blend into a blur of people that don’t bother to care about the face of the person next to them.
… Her train is currently in a delay, though, as she notices the specified time of its arrival being replaced with the large letters specifying its tardiness. Dawn sighs again, deciding it best to go ahead and distract herself with something besides the constant noise of the subway station; the pamphlet in her bag should do just a fine job of that. It’s nothing she hasn’t read already of course, but it doesn’t bother her too much to occupy her waiting time with something admittedly dull. This is all fine and well until she notices the burn of a stare settling into the skin on her face. Dawn wants to groan, exasperated by the idea of actual conversation at this point in time.
“Hey,” she says, without moving her eyes from the words in her pamphlet. She gets no response, and figures they’ve been taken off guard for the moment, and she confirms her neighbor’s suspicions. “You’re not exactly being subtle, you know.”
Dawn looks up at the person this time with a look that appears neutral, but her eyes seem to spark with a quiet flare of irritation. This would be ten times easier to get over with, if only they’d SPEAK instead of STARE. “If you’ve got something to say, I’d rather you go ahead and ask it of me–you’re not going to get anywhere just looking.”
Send some symbols to hear about more in-depth about my muse(s)!
World Views/Experiences
†: Did they come from a religious family/culture?
☩: Do they practice any sort of religion? If so, is it the same as their family’s?
📿: Have they ever had a supernatural experience?
💣: Did they ever get caught in a situation because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time?
✨: What motivates them? Is it a deep rooted passion/motivation, or is it something they struggle with from time to time?
💊: Have they ever dabbled in drugs? If so, what kinds?
☣: Have they ever been severely ill? If so, did it leave an effect on their overall health in the long run?
💉: Do they suffer from any sort of chronic illness or bodily fragility?
✪: Have they ever let a rare opportunity slip them by?
Locations
🔅: What’s a place that holds special meaning to them? Why?
💧: Are there any places they avoid? If so, why?
🔥: What’s a place that left them motivated in some fashion?
💋: Where did they have their first kiss? Do they remember who it was with?
🌟: Do they have any places they want to go before they die? For what reasons do they want to go there?
🌙: Where is the most unusual place they’ve fallen asleep at?
People
✘: Who do they detest the most? Do they typically avoid this person or antagonize them?
👊: Have they ever been involved in a physical fight?
💞: What was their first love like?
💔: Have they ever had their heart broken? If so, why or how did it happen?
💍: Have they ever been engaged before? What broke it off if so?
💛: Have they have sex? If not, are there any personal reasons why?
The Sinnoh region in itself is undoubtedly built upon a long history of fantastical lore, it’s building blocks that of secrecy and wonder. Time and time again, people find themselves here, arms outstretched for some degree of truth, always barely out of reach, too complex for man to comprehend.
At least, that’s how he understood it to be from the texts. And those simply weren’t enough to curb his wonder.
Keep reading
The man speaks cryptically, or so she perceives it as much, as he insists that he’s no where he’s not intended to be. Dawn doesn’t speak to that, as she has no answer for it, but it does make her wonder what it is he’s come for... unless she’s overthinking it, and he is perhaps nothing more than what he says he is--a passerby looking for something fantastical, something ancient and impossible to decipher.
Maybe she’s been up here too long.
“... Forgive me. It’s not as if these grounds are barred from the public or anything,” she says, forcing her shoulders to relax as she convinces her body that it’s in no immediate danger. There’s no one here from back then besides you, she tells herself. “It’s just strange to find people up here... no one really likes to make the trek.” She quiets at that, at least, finding she’s out of things to really say to a stranger without starting on things she doesn’t like to talk about. She’s here for personal reasons--ones she wishes would dissipate into thin air.
Dawn turns back then, staring up at the pillar as she crosses her arms over her and she thinks of how things have changed since then. It feels as if this place is untouched by the passage of time, though she wonders if that has to do with the entities it is supposed to summon. If she let herself do it again, she could easily imagine herself from almost a decade ago--facing an opponent too otherworldly for mortal eyes.
“... I wonder if I’ll ever come up here and find something out of place,” she mumbles to herself. “But... nothing ever moves here. I have to wonder if it’s mocking me...”
i put this blog up a couple days ago but life hit me like a goddamn freight train and i haven’t been able to do as much as i like! but i have sunday off so i’ll DEFINITELY be doing some fine tuning and the like this weekend
anyhow to those who don’t know me my name’s tori i was here this past january for a Minute as a veteran oc then disappeared again, but i’ve done dawn before some time ago in WE--i missed her, so i’m ready to pick her back up again!
for now, i’d like to get some starters going if possible--so if you’d be interested in threading with this sinnoh lass, then please like this post! i’ll cap at 4 for now i think
i’m looking forward to getting things started back up here!!!
didn’t you know a world of smoke looms over our heads? | open
There are times where she is plagued by the mere thought of dreams; the inevitable feeling of falling, falling, falling down the deepest black of a hole thinkable. It’s always right before she thinks she sees a light–anythingbut that darkness–that she jerks awake in a cold sweat. She hears the echoes of an angered cry in the blurred aftermath; thunder amid the hurricane she feels shaking in her gut. What follows is her stuttered, heavy breath interrupting the silence surrounding her, and she struggles to calm back down.
A moment passes and Dawn remembers the difference between then and now.
–Perhaps this is why she finds herself amid the rubbled ruin of rocks scattered among the cool stone floor. There is a lack of sacredness that she remembers being here from long before, and Dawn contemplates whether that gives her permission to tread freely among ancient footsteps or not. Her breathing is heavy as she steps forward in near hesitance; a quiet fear settling in her chest.
The Spear Pillar may not have its gods present, but it still carries the weight of their gazes overhead.
Dawn can’t decide upon her exact reasoning; whether this excursion could cure her night terrors stood as a slim chance, and she certainly had no desire to relive any memories made here. But she doesn’t stop herself at the forefront of this suggestion, and her trembling heart has led her to the foot of a platform where legends and lore were given birth to. She can remember how high they both stood; one pearlescent entity, and another with a steel glare. She remembers their struggle between obeying and rebelling with a might so great that mere men should only dare to think on controlling it. One had, that day, been so swallowed up in his delusions of grandeur glory that his ultimate end was a dark, dire judgement made by the wrath of another.
She remembers that one, too. Stained gold caressed a black soul as red eyes glowed ominously; it is just as big as the other two, but Dawn knows it feels so much more encompassing, terrifying, unstoppable–
Stop.
Look up.
Breathe.
She hears the sound of footsteps behind her, and decides to force down her memories. It wouldn’t do well to startle a stranger, after all.
“… It’s not exactly an easy trip up here for a passerby, you know.”
If there’s anything Dawn can’t stand, it’s the media. Despite her acclaimed heroism and Hall of Fame status, she manages to keep low, for the most part. The year tends to go by with little bother, too–possibly a fair few interviews between her travels here and there–but she can never seem to avoid the inevitable hype that always comes with the first break of summer, under the heat of the harsh sun and spotlights of whichever arena she finds herself forced to attend. Dawn slumps on a bench on the subway platform, heaving a sigh she feels she’s been holding in for the hours it took to get here.
The tenth of June marks the start of the Worldwide Pokken Tournament, and Dawn has found herself very unfortunately wrapped up in it as Sinnoh’s representative. Again.
Such a hassle, she thinks to herself.
As a representative employee of Sinnoh’s Pokemon League, its board always seems to rope her into public spotlight whenever the region’s pride is at stake. She is the face of a hero–a title she hates wearing, these days–and someone with undeniable prowess. We’d be foolish, she hears the Chairman’s voice say, to not take advantage of the impact your presence has in matters of strength and name. She can translate that well enough into what it actually is, though, knowing that it’s a clear indication of the fact that she’s her League’s favorite poster child; not the Champion by name, but someone far more aligned in their contract. This isn’t bad in and of itself–she’s willing to battle anywhere, anytime, upon request–but the attention grand events like these draw in causes and uproar that runs all the way into the bottom-feeders of news outlets: tabloids, paparazzi, and nosy cameramen.
Dawn pulls her beanie down further over her eyes, hoping dreadfully that she could melt into the concrete beneath her feet instead of forcing herself to go and deal with her duties more gracefully. She’d usually be walking up easily amid the crowds of the city above to arrive at her destination, but they only seem to increase in size with upcoming news of live broadcasts and celebrity-level trainers; a notorious headache plaguing her at the mere thought of all the cameras littering the streets. Public transit isn’t really any better or worse in terms of convenience, but she fairs better here, where everyone seems to blend into a blur of people that don’t bother to care about the face of the person next to them.
… Her train is currently in a delay, though, as she notices the specified time of its arrival being replaced with the large letters specifying its tardiness. Dawn sighs again, deciding it best to go ahead and distract herself with something besides the constant noise of the subway station; the pamphlet in her bag should do just a fine job of that. It’s nothing she hasn’t read already of course, but it doesn’t bother her too much to occupy her waiting time with something admittedly dull. This is all fine and well until she notices the burn of a stare settling into the skin on her face. Dawn wants to groan, exasperated by the idea of actual conversation at this point in time.
“Hey,” she says, without moving her eyes from the words in her pamphlet. She gets no response, and figures they’ve been taken off guard for the moment, and she confirms her neighbor’s suspicions. “You’re not exactly being subtle, you know.”
Dawn looks up at the person this time with a look that appears neutral, but her eyes seem to spark with a quiet flare of irritation. This would be ten times easier to get over with, if only they’d speak instead of stare. “If you’ve got something to say, I’d rather you go ahead and ask it of me–you’re not going to get anywhere just looking.”
I doubt anyone's still following this blog but all the same-- UH HI IT'S TORI AND UH??? I really went MIA there and I'm sorry I was just so inactive at that last bit I got a new job and I've been involved with a bunch of other projects recently, so between a rough muse and being busy I just haven't had any time for Dawn... I miss WE a lot!!! And I hope you're all doing well??? And hopefully I can return another day--until then, it's been good!
Thorton is a terrible actor under pressure; a messy work of jittery nerves that show in the way he attempts to pace back and forth or busy his hands. Dawn only believes a little bit of what he’s said, thinking that he’s note exactly the type to be intrigued by the likes of interpersonal relationships, but that doesn’t stop her from thinking her assumption was entirely wrong.
She lets him deny the idea of getting to know her; Dawn is not entirely willing to deal with his ticking time bomb of a temperament, not now.
Thorton’s admittance is almost too impeccably timed with the snap of his pencil lead; pressing down too hard, because his weakness shows easily when he has lost the upper hand. Dawn might tell him that’s one of the reasons she beat him in the first place, but she has a vague feeling that he wouldn’t be so content with that answer.
But he wishes to talk of greatness? She’s not entirely sure she knows how to reply to that.
“I’d hesitate to call myself greater,” she says. “Maybe I’m quicker on my feet or I’ve honed my battle instincts differently, but that’s...” A heavy accusation, she doesn’t say, and instead trails off.
Dawn’s lost now, and perhaps that’s a point in his favor; she’ll willingly give it to him, anyhow, regardless of if he wants it or not. The amusement has long since fallen from her face as her expression drops to something serious, or maybe deep in thought. She readjusts her stack of papers again before slipping them neatly into the file nearby, and she absently reaches for another packet as she continues. She does not look up from where she is writing.
“... What exactly is it you want to know? It can’t be that simple.”
It is just a little later when the other responds, but Green had already fallen asleep with the cellphone in his hand. He doesn’t stir when it buzzes once, [Hikari +6] — when was the last time he nodded off whilst waiting on a conversation? [Hikari +13] Tonight, he sleeps easier than he has for a long while; tonight, he doesn’t feel so alone anymore.
[Shigeru] Sorry, I fell asleep
The day has long since passed since their last interaction that morning, and Dawn has since put it to the back of her mind, thinking he might’ve gone to sleep--regardless of the reason, she thinks it best not to worry too much about it, and goes about her day as usual. It’s well past evening by the time she gets a response, and she almost feels a little bad that she’d forgot.
[ Shigeru +9 ]
She’s gone and returned to her hotel room a few hours ago, and she leans back against the couch as her Pachirisu curls up against her leg--Kai’s finally managed to wear himself out, and Dawn feels content scratching behind his ear as she reads what Shigeru has to say. The small spark in her expression--the slight bit of _expectancy_ in her eyes--seems to slowly die as she makes her way to the very end of his messages, jumbled and cut short, before his abrupt leave of the chat room. Dawn isn’t sure how to feel... is she disappointed? Sad, maybe? While she can’t decide on that, she’s at least sure that she feels that they’ve left something undone.
She puts her phone down, deciding to grab something to eat before returning to her spot on the couch with her snacks. Kai settles himself back on her lap before her thumb starts typing away again. Shigeru won’t get a notification for this, but Dawn feels she should leave something anyway--perhaps in the slight hope that he might check, regardless.
[ Hikari ] growing up is as growing up does i think
[ Hikari ] but that doesn’t ever make it an easy process yknow?
[ Hikari ] but i think...
Her tapping trails off in an ellipses, unsure of how to approach this manner. The letters l, o, and v, stopped short of a word she’s fairly certain of--and well... what does she know on that matter? She knows it in different forms than the one he is asking for, but Dawn still does her best to think of something that might open that door for him again.
[ Hikari ] actually nevermind what i think
[ Hikari ] it’s not like hearing someone preach at you about expressing yourself ever does anything right?
[ Hikari ] at least not in my experience
[ Hikari ] but you don’t always have to start with words
Dawn stops again, pursing her lips before continuing with one last message, and she puts her phone back on the charger.
[ Hikari ] sometimes you just have to seek things out
send me “your relationship with” + a url and my muse will talk about their relationship with that particular muse (accepting)
“We’re surprisingly similar, though I think it was a little unlikely that we met in the first place... I’m not sure how to describe that feeling.”
“Cheren’s a friend I’m slowly getting to know, I think. Things are still very new and open, but we get along well; not to mention he worries like no other, and he’s always sending such practical gifts... It makes me a little happy that I have a friend who goes out of their way to do things like that. It’s refreshing.”
he’s checked his phone a few times now, reading over the texts and questioning reality. the cold air grips his knees, and inflates his chest with breaths that burn his throat. he’s running through the streets of lumiose, trying to get to her. — dawn, don’t leave just yet … i’m coming for you.
Dawn swipes away the notification immediately as it lights up on her phone; it’s not as if she has to look to know what it was for. Instead, she waits, in a mix between something like exasperation and... relief, maybe? She hesitates to call it that, because her nerves still stand on sharp ends; she hasn’t seen him since he last left her hanging, and she’s since refused to contact him otherwise. (If he wouldn’t go out of his way, then why should she? It was logic. Logic.)
She looks up at the sound of his voice, breathless and almost a little unfamiliar in his tone; had she a weaker poker face, she might’ve looked surprised at the small, barely-there curve of his mouth. This is new, she thinks. He looks relieved, for some reason. Dawn has to stop herself from huffing at the Kalosian that leaves his mouth, and she struggles to translate for a moment. Bonne soirée is good evening. Est-ce pas was... oh. Good evening, isn’t it? She translates it properly, finally.
It irritates her a little, that she’s had to go to all the trouble of gaping at him like a fish first, that she replies in her own native tongue, as a childish sort of retaliation. “いい夜だね。。。すわって。” Dawn gestures to the seat across from her, so he can get the gist of her foreign words.
There is a silence that follows--one that she had expected, honestly--and she’s not quite sure where to start with him. Dawn sips from her cocoa again, feeling content with the taste of peppermint on her tongue and sighs as she averts her gaze to the window. Her words, however, are clearly directed at him.
You can at least be thankful that you did not receive the horrendous scarf I tried to knit you… If I have learned at least one lesson this year it is that I cannot knit. I trust you may appreciate this Kalosian coffee instead? They’re better known for their wine but they do say that they make it better than we do. Perhaps we shall have to give them a run for their money in future?
I hope to see more of you next year,
-C x”
Dear Cynthia,
On the contrary, I would’ve loved your horrendous scarf; it’d be excellent blackmail material, don’t you think? The Great Cynthia, faulted by a knitting needle... I hesitate to say Kalosian coffee is better, but it’s got a different sort of bite to it; I like the ones from Cafe Soleil, myself. Sinnoh’s got nothing gourmet, but coffee here tastes like home, at least. I’ll make this brew with caramel, I think; care to come try it with me, sometime?
[ text ] : merry christmas dawn
[ text ] : did you go see the lights at the prism tower ?
[ text ] : ur still in lumiose … right ?
[ text ] : i hope ur not alone
[ text ] : do you wanna get some coffee ?
[ text ] : it doesn’t have to be right now
She hesitates at first, unsure of a proper response–if she should respond at all–as her thumb hesitates over the keyboard on her phone screen. He asks easy questions, yes or no serving as the only answers she really needs. Did you go see the lights at the Prism Tower? Yes. You’re still in Lumiose… right? Yes, but it’s not really any of his business. I hope you’re not alone. She is, but that’s also none of his business.
Do you want to get some coffee?
She looks at the time and her brow furrows. 9:23 PM. She shouldn’t even be out this late, but the main street still bustles with a distinctly foreign crowd she isn’t sure how to venture back into–she might think the sun was still setting in the sky, with how bright the lights shine over the sidewalks. Dawn looks back at the message again; yes or no, that’s all she really needed. Yes, did she want coffee this late? Or no? Yes… did she care to see his face? Or no, would she feel the frustration build again in her stomach at the sight of it? Yes or no?
It doesn’t have to be now.
Dawn spots the cafe past the salon and nods to herself; she was cold, if anything. She isn’t losing anything by stopping there and warming up, since they stayed open another hour or so. From here, the choice is in his hands. Dawn orders her a hot chocolate instead, the peppermint flavor seeping through the holes of the cup’s lid.
[ text ] : if you want coffee it better be now
[ text ] : didn’t i already tell you i don’t have time to wait around these days?
[ text ] : cafe soleil
[ text ] : they’ll close in an hour
She locks her phone back and chooses a small table by the corner and sips her drink. She’s not worried about his choices, not right now; on the contrary, it’s a nice night to enjoy on her own, and he’s free to join her if he finally chooses to do so.
send a ◣ for a sleepy confession from my muse about your muse (not accepting)
If he’s awake in her lightheaded haze, he doesn’t make a point of showing it; not that she would be able to tell, either way, but it feels oddly still between the two of them as her eyes fight to stay open. Dawn feels a chill and just barely moves closer, seeking familiarity in the dark of Snowpoint’s dusk.
His home here feels almost awkward, and unfamiliar, like a person she doesn’t know; a stranger despite their years, and her heart feels weighed down at the realization.
She tugs her blanket taught around her shoulders as a shiver runs down her spine again, and lets herself lean against Lucas’s shoulder this time. This is not unlike the way they’d stay together as children, huddling close over maps and giggling over how new the world felt and how wide and vast it seemed. Dawn’s body relaxes, finally, despite the bitter pang of nostalgia seeping through her chest, and she allows herself to be close to this friend of hers again after what seems like a long and arduous journey.
How long has it been, since he’d lost that curious shimmer in his eyes, like snowflakes?
“I wish you would talk to me,” she says, despite herself. Dawn doesn’t know what she’s saying, but she lets it out into the black of the night anyway. “I dunno... maybe I’m being a hypocrite... But you never tell anybody anything. You, you just... suffer all by yourself.” She curls up closer this time, overtaken by an emotion she can’t quite name. “It’s... it’s not good. It’s never good, and I know it... I-I know it.”
Her eyes ache for her to drift away, and she allows herself that, before she can choke on her words. “... I wish you would let someone be kind to you.”
Dawn doesn’t know if he hears her, but she sleeps soundly that night, in the end.
