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AZOTH
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Yumi
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Post by Marceline Labele on Nov 5, 2017 15:05:09 GMT -8
Marcie looked over the diagram Luke was making as he went on. It was a very simplistic explanation of Ultra space, but that was exactly what she needed. Marcie wasn't dim by any means, but as things stood she was just any other 'boss-man' hearing the pitch, and so long as she understood the general gist of what was going on, that was fine by her. She had done her own research on the Alolan cases to prepare for this, but most of that had surrounded about ultra beasts themselves, something that only intrigued her more and more as she looked into the creatures, the mention of them piquing her interest, but she didn't let it linger for long given Luke wasn't lingering either, following his examples especially as he brought out the small metal box, interest piquing again as her mind instantly jumped to how such a device could be used personally...though she had to make sure to word it just right for Luke.
"So..." She began, reaching over, hopefully allowed to take the small box and looking it over between her hands, shifting it's weight, knowing it wasn't a functioning device but curious in the prototype all the same. "You're looking to research both the affects of ultra aura and radiation...while also making a dvice that can track it, and thus, potentially the wormholes themselves..."
She could pitch this any number of ways. They could sell it off to defensive agencies like the League to stop any ultra beast threats before they occurred, it could be used to detect any potential wormholes for researchers to examine, potentially even just for finding them to see what could lie on the other side...but she would save those and decide on one for when she needed it, for now her interest was genuine enough to let Luke know he was almost certainly getting the job, Marcie placing the box to one side as she continued to speak, adopting a more formal tone again.
"What exactly would you be needing then? Funding of course, but perhaps you've generated a ballpark? I'm not quite used to what these things take but I'm sure I can provide what you need. Perhaps unique components or rare items would be of use? I could easily assign someone to you to help you gather what you need. Orion Perhaps.~"
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Pokémon League
Professor of Botany
Any trainer that can't afford medicine can come to me. |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jayspurr
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Post by Luke Indigo on Nov 5, 2017 17:07:23 GMT -8
Luke’s lips pressed together, but he gave a small resounding nod at Marceline’s words. Some part of him was anxious, another part resolute. The Nihilego had started up a tune in their shared mind-space that it had come to ‘hear’ rather recently in hopes of soothing him. What came was more than he could have hoped for, and for a few seconds, Luke blinked slowly. R-really?
She was… she was good with funding this? No, rather, she’d asked what he would need and now he needed to answer. Luke had spent so much time preparing to defend whatever he needed to that he’d never even considered what he would do if he got this far. Assign someone to help me gather what I need… Orion even? Orion… Orion knew why he was doing this, what he was preparing for, and everything already. He would make… the perfect person for this.
“I…” Luke forced himself not to stutter by shutting up for a few extra seconds. “Funds, definitely.. some of the key parts and pieces I have looked into may need to be imported from other regions…” he admitted. “And… having someone who already knows my ideas helping out would be great.” A weird half-chuckle escaped form him as he considered their very first conversation. “Orion is very good at math too.” He grinned almost a little cheesily now.
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AZOTH
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Yumi
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Post by Marceline Labele on Nov 5, 2017 17:20:19 GMT -8
Luke seemed almost as eager as her, and she couldn't tell if it was a genuine desire to work with her, or if he was just surprised to recieve what he needed to get his project started. Of course this was a long term investment for her. She still had no idea if she could even sell this the ways he wanted to personally, or if ultra beasts themselves could prove to have their uses should this lead to tracking a few down for research, but at the very least it was a far more promising start than he little project originally had. Luke had already shown he could be both the public face AND provide potential for her criminal work, without even realizing it to boot...~
"Do you have anything in that bag about funding? I'd like to have a look if you don't mind. Any files I could have a second expert look over perhaps?" She held out her hand briefly expecting it to be filled with at least something before continuing, looking over anything she might have been handed, idly chuckling at the comment about Orion. "Can finally put that brain of his to use hm? I'll still need him a fair chunk of the time, but whenever he's free I can assure you I'll have him assigned to your needs. He can be quite the effective little worker so I'm sure you two will do just fine."
Glancing up from the papers, she met Luke's gaze, closing up what she was looking at and taking a faintly more serious tone. "Just to be clear, nothing's set in stone yet. I'm still building the foundation. It could be weeks, maybe another month yet, it all depends on the construction team." (Picturing poke-world construction goes fast thanks to pokemon aiding the process) "You sure you don't mind taking a little risk to get this project funded? I can't promise anything in the long term, this is as new to me as ultra space likely is to you."
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Pokémon League
Professor of Botany
Any trainer that can't afford medicine can come to me. |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jayspurr
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Post by Luke Indigo on Nov 5, 2017 17:34:47 GMT -8
Oh! Right. “Yes, I have documents right here,” he rather quickly fished up a manilla folder containing the bulk of expenses that were to be expected. A second later, he also pulled out a blue one with past blue prints that he had managed to scour up while looking through different literature. His father had helped him decipher a lot of the more technical and confusing jargon that went beyond his background, but for the most part it was all pretty straightforward. The biggest expense, however, would be a strange crystal picked up only in Alola. Getting ahold of that would be the hardest part, apparently.
A small smile did pull at the corners of Luke’s mouth as Marceline assured him she could have Orion work at least part time with him. “That’s perfect…” he admitted. He didn’t… want to have to deal with Orion the entire time, but … yeah. Pulled from his thoughts as Marceline’s gaze fixed on him again, however, Luke felt a chill very briefly run through him. All depends on construction teams. A small exhale and a smaller nod. He understood that. He still had obligations to the League as the Berry Professor after all. Still, just having funding even if it meant doing the work on his own time or the off hours of his lab was enough to get started and…
“I have to,” he accidentally blurted out. Luke froze, mentally screaming a moment. Nihilego squirmed inside. “I… I need to know,” he rephrased a bit quieter. “It’s.. the part of me that has to have the answers… it’s what pushed me to rediscover the Switcheroot. I just… have to.” This was different on so many levels, yet he supposed in some ways the emotions were the same. I have to get Nihilego home though…
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AZOTH
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Yumi
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Post by Marceline Labele on Nov 5, 2017 18:05:19 GMT -8
A hard to obtain item, she could easily put a few of her 'goons' on that if push came to shove, but for the most part this seemed manageable. It's cut into her profits for a fair while potentially, but she had enough back up funds to justify the losses for a few weeks or even a few months, and if things were looking bleak she could always take more extreme actions on the shadier side of things to make up the difference. Everything was looking quite good. Of course she WOULD actually have a second expert look this over, finding things she couldn't without a mind for the scientific jargon, but this was looking promising...until Luke spoke again...
Maybe it was just her naturally curious and suspicious nature, but the way he stuttered and re-worded himself...the sudden shift in research desires, sure he could link it to the switcheroot, but she wasn't exactly an amateur liar, you had to base lies in truth and believabilit, and the switcheroot was that link.
Placing the file to one side, she crossed one leg over the other, sitting side on to Luke as she lightly narrowed her gaze.
"Dear...apologies if this comes off odd but...this isn't some weird crusade for you is it? I'm not going to walk into the lab, see you making some portal because you secretly lost your twin brother to an ultra wormhole or something am I?" An immense exageration, but it got the point across as well as any other would. "Don't get me wrong, if you provide results I don't really mind why you research this stuff under my foundation's roof but...is everything okay? Is there anything you need help with that you're not telling me?"
The look in her eyes was fairly open and accepting. If Luke wanted to tell her anything it was clear that was fine, but if he didn't, that was fine too, and she'd easily drop it, even without her facade she even knew this was just a suspicion, and she had very little to go on.
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Pokémon League
Professor of Botany
Any trainer that can't afford medicine can come to me. |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jayspurr
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Post by Luke Indigo on Nov 5, 2017 18:18:03 GMT -8
Some weird crusade for you. Luke bit the inside of his mouth, not quite ready to talk. See you make some portal because you lost your twin brother… Ok, ok that was a little funny but… weirdly closer to the truth than what he was ready for. But… is everything ok? Anything you need help with that you’re not telling me?
Luke’s lips parted, but no words came out. He didn’t know what to say, couldn’t know what to say. The League already knows. Yes, but the League was still actively trying to get him to give up custody of the Nihilego. Orion already knows. Yes, but would Orion spill the beans out of nowhere? She might find out eventually. This was probably the most driving factor in his decisions.
A slow breath drew into Luke. “I do… have a reason… beyond research,” he admitted. “It is personal but… I can assure you I’m not going to do anything rash or… crazy but I…” He took in another slow breath. “Would like to tell you myself later when this is off the ground." There, yes. That would work for now.
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AZOTH
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Yumi
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Post by Marceline Labele on Nov 5, 2017 18:34:25 GMT -8
So she was right...her brain itched with a desire to know more, to the point she could almost feel her skin crawl with the temptation to use her psychic powers on the boy, but...she quelled the urge. She barely knew Luke, and if they were going to be working together they needed more of a sense of trust between them. She'd barely used her power on any of her long term allies, Misora, Orion, Momo, she needed to make sure they stuck with her of their own choice, or she could never really trust them herself. She didn't need doubt lingering in Luke's mind that he'd not made the right choice confiding in her.
Still...he seemed to trust her enough to convey there was an issue of some sort, and that was a lot to her.
"Thank you for your honesty...I never thought you the type to do anything rash, but I hope you keep an eye on your own health and safety too. Understood?" She spoke now more as a superior seeing as their little arrangement seemed to be getting off the ground, though her smile was still reassuring and gentle. "Your reasons can be yours so long as you work with me." Standing, she'd round the table and rest her rear on the edge of the desk Luke was sitting at, folding her arms as she looked down to him.
"I'm sure whatever it is, you'll tell me when I need to know. Perhaps sooner, but no later, right?" It barely felt like a question but held a kind enough tone to show it wasn't a harsh or strict command. "As far as your funding goes, it seems entirely manageable. I still have a few other researchers to do business with in regards to the foundation, but your project does sound extremely promising, so I can promise you're going to get access to the most state of the art equipment I can supply, unless...oh I dunno. God forbid someone comes with me with a way to mass produce Master balls." She smirked, clearly joking about the possibility. "And don't worry...this isn't Orion getting you any free ticket. You're an impressive scientist and I'm hoping this goes well. Before you know it we'll both be getting exactly what we want.~"
Holding out a hand, she offered it both to shake on the half-deal made today, and also help Luke out of their seat given there wasn't much more they could talk about yet, keeping the file she'd been allowed and letting him grab his bag as he needed. "I may need to call you up again in the future to discuss finer details about equipment needed for your personal lab, maybe give my own experts it incase they need to contact you with questions on specific research elements, is that okay?"
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Pokémon League
Professor of Botany
Any trainer that can't afford medicine can come to me. |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jayspurr
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Post by Luke Indigo on Nov 5, 2017 19:01:58 GMT -8
A strange shiver went through Luke as Marceline spoke. The detail her assessment of him and her open concern for him got to him a little more than he’d ever admit to. It was… it was nice? Very nice, honestly. Even more so when she assured him that his reasons could stay private so long as he worked. He felt… relief? So much relief, honestly.
A small smile pulled at the corners of Luke’s mouth before he gave a small nod. “Alright.” More reassurance, both in terms of funding and research space. He laughed a little at the mention of mass producing Master balls but got the gist of it. What came after, however, warmed him greatly. Exactly what we want… Yes, yes good. The Nihilego could go home, and everything would go back to normal. It would … would be good.
As the hand was held out to him, Luke took it and found himself starting to stand as well. One think Marceline may or may not have noticed was the slightly different texture of his hands from when they had hand-shook before. The Nihilego wrapping had made them a little coarser and a little more foreign to the touch. Reaching down thereafter to zip up and shoulder his bag, Luke listened as Marceline spoke. “That sounds good,” he answered. “You already have my number now so..” He gave a smile and a nod. If nothing else, he’d hesitate and start towards the door. If not, he’d wait for Marceline to usher him out and follow suit. Either way, he felt relief right then. So much so… He could do this. He had to do this.
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AZOTH
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Yumi
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Post by Marceline Labele on Nov 6, 2017 7:13:50 GMT -8
Marcie barely noticed the odd feel to Luke's hand as they shook, though it did give her a moment of pause, wondering if her mind played an odd trick on her...Luke's hand felt almost rubbery or artificial to the touch, but she couldn't quite place why either. He looked entirely normal and he wasn't wearing gloves so...yeah. Yeah it was just her mind playing tricks. Guiding Luke to the door, she rested lightly against the doorframe, giving him a soft smile.
"I'll make sure to keep in touch while the builders and architect get to work, need to make sure you have the perfect lab hm?~" She patted his shoulder softly to guide him out of the office, spotting a genuine client in the waiting room and gesturing for them to head on in while she lead Luke out. "And same to you, if you need anything you have my number, don't be afraid to call okay?"
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Pokémon League
Professor of Botany
Any trainer that can't afford medicine can come to me. |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jayspurr
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Post by Luke Indigo on Nov 6, 2017 7:20:01 GMT -8
If you need anything you have my number, don’t be afraid to call. A small nod and a smaller smile. “Thank you again,” he answered genuinely, the smile on his face a reflection of his heart. This was… this was really, really good. Already he felt lighter, like he could breathe again after holding his breath for so long. Now he could focus more on everything else. He still had to run a berry lab after all, and with assistants, he knew he couldn’t just up and hault there work. No, this was the start of even more work to come. Still, his determination ran warmer, almost hot now, and he was sure that he could do this.
….He probably needed to call Dad again about how to put those parts and pieces together again, yeah. Maybe he could… even get him to come down here as well sooner or later. Right right, but for now other things.
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