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gracifleur​:

🌸 ███   WAS HE OKAY ? SHE STANDS there at the doorway now processing the startled man who seemed to be far more spooked at her yelp than she had been caught red handed. well it seems he didn’t notice anything like the lockpicks currently clenched tightly in a hand behind her back. for the best really. she relaxes & quickly slight of hands the tools into her pockets as she gives the gentleman a moment. eyes flicker toward his garchomp— a silent prayer to arceus that the beastie worries more over her trainer than it does of shea’s general presence.

                    ＂ uhm, are you— wait.＂  shea skips backwards a few steps, just to the end of the pathway from the street to the home, leaning over to reread the sign out front before straightening up & hopping forward back where she was. ＂ professor augustine sycamore ?＂

                    lucky that he had already invited her in, moving to accept with some tentative steps inside head on a swivel as she looks about. it’s a bit suspicious to ask outright for the information she was looking for, but perhaps she could fudge a bit. she’ll make this work. this is fine, actually. what she doesn’t realize is that she’s transfixed on the various machines that seem to be for examining pokemon.

                    a small whine leaves her throat before she turns somewhat rigidly toward the gentleman & his garchomp. ＂ i’m really sorry for how late it is. i just got here to the city & i’m a bit lost & well everyone said i should seek you out for help ! if you are… the professor guy that is. are you the professor guy.＂

His heart still feels like it might leap from his mouth at any given moment with how quickly it's still beating, so he subconsciously places a palm over his chest, and exhales into the night air an attempt to calm his nerves. He's always been the type who could never stomach horror movies or ghost stories, but that never stopped his imagination from getting the better of him whenever he heard a noise in the middle of the night. He's relieved to have his fears appeased, but this incident has definitely taken a few years off of his life. He's so absorbed in the whirlwind of a situation he's found himself in, he hardly even notices when she backpedals to look at the sign.

"Ah--Yes, that's me. I'm Professor Augustine Sycamore, a pleasure to meet you..." He trails off, brows scrunching for a moment in thought. "My apologies, I didn't get your name," he cranes his neck back to offer her a meek smile as he opens the door to the lab and steps inside. Somehow, the familiar scenery of the lab looks eerie in the dead of night despite the fact that he sees all of the tools and equipment daily. Or, well, perhaps it's because his heart is still considering fleeing from his chest. Removing his hand from his shirt, he pats Garchomp's head to reassure her--or, really, to reassure himself.

For a moment, he catches her staring at the machinery, and hears Garchomp let out a soft trill, but his attention shifts to her words before he really has a chance to think much about it. "Not at all! My doors are always open. I'm happy to be of help." His voice has leveled out, and no longer cracks when he speaks. The fear from earlier is finally beginning to subside. This is far from the first time he's had a trainer seek him out in the middle of the night after spending hours getting turned around in the winding and twisting streets of the massive city. It wasn't uncommon for newcomers to get overwhelmed and lost. So, he didn't find this chance encounter all that strange.

A genuine smile slips onto his features, and an airy, but friendly laugh escapes his throat. "I am indeed the professor guy, and this is one of my partners, Garchomp," he extends his hand to the dragon Pokemon, who offers a nod of her head and a happy cry in greeting. "Now then, what can I assist with you?"    

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gracifleur​:          

🌸 ███   JUBILIFE VILLAGE IS THE NEWEST thing about hisui really. the town is made of settlers from all various regions. kanto, johto. even alola. refugees from hardship, wars, pokemon attacks. merchants looking to capitalize on a brand new market. fresh starts for people with baggage they needed to leave behind. families, elderly. it did not matter. so long as they stepped off that boat & moved to help further the village, to aid the galaxy corps. to help build that brighter future in a new frontier.

                    prejudice was hard to cast aside, however. many still very adverse to pokemon joining in their day to day. learning to live amongst the beasts versus be their prey, their hunters. the galaxy corps had done wonders to help the people of the growing village change their minds—- but oh, was there ever work to be done still. time would most certainly help the growth of relations between humans & pokemon. && time they had now that things had settled. despite the crack in the sky above mt coronet, there was a growing peace. && with peace came understanding. breaking bread so to speak. each day the number of pokemon living alongside humans grew, but it was still far & few between.

                    shea, challenging such, letting her pokemon free of their balls to roam about. some would follow her, some would stay in her home. today the majority would stay home, but the small alolan vuplix tucked in a makeshift sling at her back would be the sole partner. her little head poking out & watching people as shea passed by, a armful of various fauna & herbs bundled tight. a steady pace, she doesn’t notice when one of the camomiles gets carried off by the wind & lands on a unfamiliar nose. at the sound of the mentioned herb shea catches attention & turns to look behind her. an unfamiliar face & their partner. very clearly not from the village. she moves to approach & tilts her head.

                    ＂ oh ! no no, keep it !＂ a sparkle & smile. ＂ i’ve got plenty more if you need it, this is mostly just what i harvested recently. my name is shea ! i’m a member of the galaxy corps here— who are you looking for ? i’m sure i can help, i pretty much know everyone around here.＂

His gaze briefly skirts to the small Pokemon tucked in the sling upon the stranger's back, observing it for a moment. It looks vaguely familiar to him--it resembles a creature he's seen before, but, at the same time, it's coat is a different color, and it's fur doesn't sit in quite the same pattern that he recalls. How strange, but he supposes it makes sense. He doesn't have much knowledge regarding Pokemon, but given that humans who reside in different regions have different customs and beliefs, the Pokemon who hail from lands afar would, likely, be different as well. But he turns his attention away from it for the time being to look at the camomile between his fingers. "I thank you for your kindness," he's quick to lower his head in gratitude, and Azalea instinctively mimics the motion from where she's scooted a bit to his side in order to get a better view of the stranger's Pokemon.

He straightens out his back as she continues speaking. "Harvested? So, you grow these plants yourself? If so, I may be in need of your assistance in the future." He's unfamiliar with the land here, and it would certainly be easier to purchase the plants he needs to treat his patient from her than to search the wilderness for them himself when he doesn't know where they grow here in the first place. He's brought a handful of supplies along, but only what he can carry on his back, and there's no guarantee that he has enough, or that he's brought all of the necessary ingredients.

His brows lift slightly in curiosity at her words. The Galaxy Corps? Was that the term for one of Hisui's military units? She does look a bit young to be a soldier, but he supposes he can't really speak on that matter given that he had been a mere child when he had been enlisted in Kanto's. And that would explain why she has a partner Pokemon--though having one also means she must be of high rank, as well. Given how young she appears, she must be incredibly talented.

"I see, forgive me for any disrespect I have shown you. I was not aware you were a commanding officer." He bows his head to show the sincerity of his words--lowering his gaze out of respect, and Azalea coos softly at her in greeting--as if acknowledging her as  superior. "My name is Heather. It is an honor to meet you. You have my thanks for taking time out of your day to aid me. I am looking for a merchant by the name of Myles. I am here to assist with his son's illness."

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Volo and his pokemon :>

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With a soft push, the bells attached to the cafe's door chime faintly as he steps inside. The rich aroma of coffee and tarts fills his lungs, and he welcomes the quiet atmosphere of the small shop when compared to the loud, and bustling streets outside. Though, he adores both--this city is his home, but sometimes it can be a tad overwhelming to say the least. He hears the crinkle of the newspaper from the corner of the small building when it's set down, and quickly glances to their usual table. A smile is quick to leap onto his features when he spots Lysandre--relief washing over him at the sight of his old friend. With everything that's happened this week, he's grateful to see a familiar face.

He makes his way over to the table, sitting down in his usual seat across from the taller man. "It's a pleasure to see you as well, Lysandre." While he sounds happy to see the other, his voice is also a bit ragged, and the bags beneath his eyes betray the fact that he's barely slept the past few days. "I appreciate you making time to meet with me, I know you're busy with your own work right now." Ah, he really does dislike asking for favors or assistance, but he couldn't think of anything on his own. Perhaps two heads are better than one in this situation. "No, no, not at all!" He quickly waves his hands to dismiss Lysandre's concerns. Though, truth be told, he hasn't been making much progress with his research thus far--unfortunately he appears to have hit a snag with that as well. It seems luck just isn't on his side this time around. So, he lets out a sigh, and lowers his head.

"Ah, truthfully, I could use your advice on something. Recently, one of my assistants found an injured Lucario, and while we've treated it's wound it seems it still doesn't trust humans despite our efforts. And, for some strange reason, it reacts negatively whenever it sees a mega stone...it's a bit of a peculiar case, and I'm afraid I haven't been able to get to the bottom of it." He chuckles faintly, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "It's done...a bit of damage to the lab as well, and I'm worried about it becoming a danger to humans in the future. I would like to find a way to resolve that, but so far, unfortunately, my efforts haven't yielded any positive results." A bit is putting it mildly.

@status-condition for Sycamore - Starter Call

When the door clicked open, Lysandre lowered the newspaper that was in his hand. He folded it at the crease, as was customary, and set it aside before he leaned back in his chair. His smile was kind, the light flickering in his blue eyes as he looked at his old friend.

“Ah! Augustine. Such a pleasure to see you. When I heard from my secretary you wanted to meet, I made sure to make time for you. I hope the time was not intrusive to your research. I know that your time is precious.”

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gracifleur​:

🌸 ███   THIS WAS TRUE RISK. SHEA’S list of fears was fairly small— however being near one of those so-called poke-professors was fairly high on that list. yet here she was, late at night right in front of one’s house.

                    she had paced in front of the door for quite a while. thinking, mumbling. all to herself if this is what she wanted to do. if there was no other way. there had to be ! there must be a library or published articles or something ! but shea knew that the best way to tackle any sort of research was to go to the professionals. even if that put her at risk.

                    it was late & she had no patience, thinking naturally the owner of the house would be asleep it would be easy to just pick the lock & sneak inside. any pokemon guarding would be charmed by her no problem( so she so thoroughly convinced herself of. ). waiting longer for the streets to thin out she then moves to attempt the lock. much to her dismay, she was failing quite easily & found herself smacking at the door in frustration. several times. so it was a bit of a shock when the door opens & the eternal youth jumps nearly six feet in the air with a yelp.

                     ＂ AH I WASN’T DOING ANYTHING–＂ a reflex of nonsense as she recoils, a hand to her chest & her face twisted in bewilderment. a moment passes & she straightens up & stares at the man before her with a almost confused look upon her features. ＂ oh. you’re home.＂

With Garchomp hiding behind him, slowly Augustine pushes open the door centimeter by centimeter, trying to peer through the meager crack he's created in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the street outside of his lab. But, in the overwhelming darkness, he can scarcely make out anything more than the flickering street lamps that occasionally illuminate the sidewalk. So, swallowing around the lump in his throat, he forces his trembling hand to shove the door open all the way.

A started yelp causes Augustine to fall back as he helplessly flails his arms while Garchomp cries out in a mixture of surprise and terror, but, somehow, even in her fear, she manages to catch her trainer so he doesn't fall flat on the ground. The startled professor grabs hold of his Pokemon for support, though she clearly shows no intention of protecting him from whatever ghoulish fiend lurks in the shadows--and then his eyes lock with the face of an equally startled individual. Shock still evident on his features, he takes one look at the stranger, and sighs in relief--while it might be highly suspicious that she's lurking about in the muddle of the night, she does appear to be entirely human and not the ghost he had mistaken her to be.

Slowly regaining the strength in his limbs, he pulls himself away from Garchomp who exhales a sigh of relief all her own when she spots the stranger, and offers a soft cry in greeting. Clearing his throat, he runs his hand through is messy hair, and inhales the crisp air in an attempt to calm his still racing heart. "Ah, yes, I am." His voice is still a bit shaky, and equally as awkward, but he straightens himself out, and shoves a gentle smile onto features.

"Pardon me for startling you," he begins again, though he's not sure who was more surprised--him or her. "Is there something I can assist you with--Ah, and pardon my rudeness as well, it's a bit late to be wandering around outside, so feel free to come in and make yourself at home."    

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Posted this on twitter! Just wanted to draw some cute glasses  💙 🧡

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Augustine remains blissfully unaware of the group attempting to swipe parfaits from the stall not too far away from them, and completely oblivious to the whereabouts of his folder. Truly it never even crosses his mind that someone might have grabbed it off him at some point--he's too frazzled and much too tired to even consider the possibility. Instead, he watches with a sprinkle of hope in his desperate expression as the youngster seamlessly glides their wheelchair over to the stall, and effortlessly presents the missing folder to him.

Relief washes over his scruffy features in an instant the moment he catches sight of the rushed and somewhat messy label on the outside of the folder. "Très bien!" he breathes, his voice a mixture of joy and excitement. "Yes, that's it! Ah, what a relief, I can't thank you enough." If he had lost it, his entire reason for visiting Alola in the first place would have vanished alongside it. And he has no desire to mull over what would happen if such a thing had come to fruition.

With the folder now secured, this time tucked away, safely, into the inner pocket of his lab coat where he was certain it would fall out--as he misguidedly assume it had before--he smoothes out the creases in the white fabric, and presents his newfound savior with a grateful smile. "Please, if there's anything I can do to repay you for recovering my folder, just say the word! I owe you, and I would like to repay my debt."

Should he be meeting with Professor Kukui right about now? Most likely, but he'll call the other man later and explain the situation after he's repaid the stranger's kindness. Which reminds him, "Ah, forgive me, my name is Augustine Sycamore, it's a pleasure to meet you."

The guys are pulling pranks on unsuspecting tourists again.

Ree would normally join in when offered, but they’ve got a rule — they won’t do anything mean to a tourist that doesn’t deserve it. Sure, they’ve scammed nice tourists before, but that was just out of a couple of bucks. It wasn’t anything malicious.

so they had declined, for today — and anyway, their body hurts more than normal, so they should rest it anyway — when this guy approaches them. And he’s …

Well.

Ree adjusts their wheelchair and glances at him, up and down. He looks frazzled and upset. the blond shoots a Look to the guys, who are trying to take a parfait from a stand nearby. One of them catches it, and they quickly, inconspicuously, “drop” the folder that Augustine speaks of.

Ree is one of the smallest of the skull gang. But that smallness brings along a surprising amount of weight. Nobody wants to be the one that upsets them. Ree moves, wheelchair smooth in its glide, before bending down and scooping up said folder to hand to the foreigner.

“— is this it?”

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gracifleur​:

🌸 ███   SHE GIGGLES SOMEWHAT MANICALLY AS the villagers start to swarm over, curious at first but hardly waiting for any sort of explanation before they grab at the various berries within the basket stores. taking hopping steps backward until she’s behind volo completely, poking her head around him to watch.

                    ＂ i would say no promises but i feel this is the sort of prank that i can only get away with once.＂ a cheeky grin as she stays safely put. out of the way of the fuss & out of the merchant’s way. though she does point out a few people who after taking a few berries seem to hold interest in some other items.  perhaps she should step in & help ? that in itself sounds like a fun way to alleviate volo’s blood pressure. scooting away for a second to help the various customers, so long as their answers were fairly simple. or she will lie. it’s fine.＂ while that’s fair n’ all that old man scares me !

                             i say let’s not tell him & see how that plan plays out !＂

An exasperated sigh escapes Volo's lips as he pinches the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. He tunes out the excited voices of the villagers as they dig through the once plentiful stock of berries that's dwindling by the second as he stands helpless to do anything to stop them. He barely acknowledges them when they ask him questions or point to various items--thoroughly defeated. "I would hope so," he heaves, shaking his head. He's like to believe this would be the only time she would get away with a stunt like this, but, right now, he feels as if Shea was personally cast down from the heavens for the sole purpose of spiting him. And, where there's a will there's a way.

At least she attempts to assist him in dealing with the newfound mob of customers ravishing his wares, and leaving the poor Ginkgo Guild stall in shambles, though how much good she's actually doing is highly questionable at best, and feels his migraine growing worse with each passing second. "Ah, yes, a wonderful idea, surely he won't notice that every single berry is missing, and we're short just a little bit of coin to compensate for it." He lowers his hand to squeeze his thumb and index finger together to express how utterly lacking his wallet before straightening out his back as the customers begin to dissipate, "Hmmm, I think I have a better idea." He turns to the young trainer with a grin befitting a villain. "We're going to go berry hunting. Both of us." He stresses that last part as much as his remaining willpower will allow him. 

“We’re going to replace every last one of the berries we lost today.” 

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original writing / do not repost

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All of the starters from the call have been posted via my queue! If you liked the call and didn't see your starter/get the notification for it, feel free to shoot me a message and I can link you to it!

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@gracifleur​ (liked for a stater)

Of all the places in Hoenn that he frequents regularly, he harbors a certain fondness towards Meteor Falls. Though he’s explored its depths countless times before, rummages through all of the nooks and crannies the twisting cave system has to offer, and document the placement of every cliff and body of water tucked beneath the surface, he still finds a new discovery whenever he takes a moment to venture through the area again. There are few, arguably none, who know these caves as well as he does--which is to say, they come with the added bonus of eluding anyone who might be searching for him. Something that’s rather commonplace in his life given his title and wealth. It’s a peaceful place these days, typically, save for the odd trainer here and there. One he can go to if he wishes to avoid the public or his duties as a whole for a bit. One where he can stand on the shores of the various pools of crystalline waters, and watch the reflection of the rocks bobble up and down, back and forth, for hours if he wishes to do so. Perhaps most would find this hobby of his dull or even outlandish, but there’s almost never a mundane moment in his life unless he purposefully creates one. 

His newfound discovery within these wall; however, doesn’t come in the form of an interesting rock or new dents and scratches on the surface of the cave side, or even a unique pebble tucked away beneath the softly rippling surface of the water, but rather a stranger. Though it’s impossible for a single person to know of everyone residing within an entire region at one time, Steven comes fairly close to achieving that. One of the wealthiest men residing in Hoenn, as well as its Champion, he has access to nearly every resource imaginable. And he makes it his business to know, if only because he’s remained on high alert since the incident involving Team Aqua and Magma. The Legendary Pokemon should be left dormant, in peace, or kept under control by one who understands the extent of their power. He’ll not see Hoenn destroyed. So he finds this stranger interesting to a certain extent. “I’ve not seen you here before,” he begins, offering a polite nod of his head in greeting. “Do you have an interest in the stones that can be found in here?”         

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@battlelyn (liked for a stater)

While the professor doesn't personally take part in the Battle Mansion himself, he still frequents Kiloude City to check in on the various trainers he's given a TMV pass to in order to access the island and allow them to participate in the challenges available there. Somehow, he has a feeling his former mentor would call him a busybody or lecture him for being too nosy about the status of the up and coming trainers he's sent off on their adventures. But it's a long-running habit of his. Now more than ever, he feels the need to check up on the people around him--even if he's only met them briefly. Perhaps it's a bad habit, and perhaps it's a blessing. Regardless, he can't stop himself from visiting every so often. Though, he certainly picked a terrible day to do so. Eerie, gray clouds loom above, and the soft plip-plop of rain can be heard striking the sidewalk and various buildings. With the sky getting darker by the minute, he has no doubt this fine mist will eventually turn into a rather intense storm that his flimsy umbrella won't be able to endure. So, keeping a firm hold on his umbrella with his left hand, and clutching his fresh cup of coffee with his right against his chest to keep it out of the rain, he swiftly makes his way to the Mansion.

But, as is typical with him, he almost immediately gets sidetracked when he spots a familiar, blue hat tucked away under the corner of one of the buildings. Never one to simply let things be, and always one to stick his nose into the business of others, he turns on his heels, and makes his way over to the woman. "Good afternoon," he offers once he's within earshot of her--the background noise of the rain grows louder by the second, and he can feel water beginning to seep into the cracks of his worn shoes, but he smiles with ease, holding the umbrella over her head. "You'll catch a cold if you stay out here in this weather. Please, take my umbrella and we can walk back to the mansion together." Without fail, Augustine always puts others before himself. He cares little if he ends up drenched in rainwater if it means another can come out without a drop on their clothes. "Oh, and you're welcome to this cup of coffee as well, it's untouched and freshly brewed." He extends his hand to offer the piping hot cup to her as well. The chill in the air makes him miss the steam beating against his chest where it had been held previously, but he can always get another cup at the mansion. And, truthfully, the last thing he needs is more coffee.

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@iruludavare (liked for a stater)

"Marvelous! Absolutely marvelous!" He applauds.

While it's commonplace to find the professor hunched over his desk, pouring over his notes and various findings, or studying countless Pokemon in order to expand upon his research, and field of interest, it's also not incredibly rare to see the man out and about over the whole of the Kalos region. Especially after the incident with Team Flare--it had sparked a desire within him to assist the region however he could, in whatever he could. Sometimes that assistance came in the form of conducting newfound research or helping others cope with the magnitude of what had happened. Other times, that assistance came in the form of him checking in on various trainers he had either sent off on their journey, or met later on in their travels. Perhaps his reasoning for doing so was a bit selfish, but after everything that happened, he truly wanted to know if they were doing well, and how they were holding up--if there was anything he could do for them. After all, he felt partly responsible for Team Flare's actions.

So, when he heard Serena would be back in town performing ballet, he was eager to support her new career, and swiftly ensured he and the remaining lab staff could attend. For most, it might have been difficult to get the green light from the staff at the venue to actually see the performer, but given his position and the fact that he's well-liked in the region, he only had to politely ask security if Serena was willing to meet with him. Truly, he had nothing but praise to give her. The show had been a spectacular one, and he had thoroughly enjoyed despite knowing precious little about ballet.

"Truly magnifique!" He praises once more. "And, welcome back to Kalos. Know if you require anything while you're here, I'm more than happy to offer my assistance." There are no amount of favors he could do to repay her for defeating Team Flare, but he'd offer up everything he could regardless. She, after all, took on a burden he was too naive and trusting to even see unfolding right in front of him.

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“…I had an ingrained taste for the absolute.”

— Simone de Beauvoir, from The Prime of Life: The Autobiography of Simone de Beauvoir; 1929-1944 (via mournfulroses)

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@visionairio (liked for a stater)

Paldea is a region full of history and boundless myths--all of which he's studied for centuries, just as he has for the other regions that make up this world, but Paldea is unique in that information regarding a certain area in the very heart of the landmass is difficult to come by. Even for someone with his countless resources and knowledge--it seems there's something that needs to be covered up. Something that people shouldn't know about. And when there's something the general population has no business knowing, it's something Volo absolutely believes he has every right to uncover. And, thankfully, worming his way into places he shouldn't be is a specialty of his--in a way. There's little a bit of sweet talk, money, and patience can't make available. So, when the opportunity arose for him to help sponsor a certain professor's research, he couldn't help but take the chance to sink his fangs into the region. After all, he had all of the time in the world to stretch his donation and see where it might take him. And his patience paid off. His silver tongue, too, a few years of precious little from the professor and the remaining sponsors were starting to get anxious--well, shouldn't someone check in on the man then?

His lips cruel into a smile that is neither warm nor kind as he stares at the dark screen of his phone. His cloudy eyes difficult to read, but there's something terribly unsettlingly about the way he carries himself as a whole. "Hello, Professor Turo?" He begins, his voice gentle, but utterly devoid of compassion and kindness. "My name is Volo, I'm speaking as the representative of the Merchant Coalition." He waits a moment, hand coming to rest on his hip as the wind nips at the nape of his neck. He can almost feel the excitement beginning to bubble just beneath his skin. "I don't mean to be brash, but given the rather large investment we've made into your research, your silence these past few years has been a bit alarming." That slight curve of his lips bends ever more, becoming something much more wicked and twisted. "The others are growing more concerned as well. And, so, we decided I should reach out to you so we may assess what the situation in Area Zero is truly like, and how much progress you've made on your research." He doesn't know, exactly, the extent of the professor's research on the supposed treasure in that crater, but a treasure doesn't become valuable overnight, and things are rarely as straightforward as they might seem. And any mystery kept hidden under ground for so long is bound to be of value.

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yanagi icons w/ gif backgrounds !?