Carved doors opened with a jingle of windchimes barely audible over the downpour that engulfed Hulbury. A tiny cafe squatted in the narrow street by the docks, its air rich with the scent of wet stone and sourdough bread. At that time of year, brown and yellow leaves carpeted the brickwork, eternally drenched.
The handmade sign on the porch had once been painted in rich butterscotch, but monsoons chipped away at the dyes. Prancing Ponyta. A humble gathering place far from the busy routes that tourists and students so commonly favored. Locals came here for tea and quiet rumination.
Warm evening lights welcomed the guests, casting a drowsy orange glow over the little hall. A scent of strong tea, burnt coffee, and something mawkishly sweet brimmed in the fresh air. An antique Galarian tapestry padded the floor, patched and knitted so many times that it looked barely recognizable. A lonely jukebox chewed on the old tape, playing soft jazz that faded into the noise of the rain tapping on tightly shut windows.
Cramped tables were encircled by small wooden stools, few of which matched one another. Old cigarette burns and cup halos had worn off the varnish.
A dim amber glow from lamps plunged the lounge into perpetual dusk. The counters served as a museum of humble suburban life in Galar. Sailors, dockers, and small-time merchants occupied the scuffed surfaces, exchanging stories and laughing away blue-collar troubles. The centerpiece, a wide glass display, featured rows of hearty wheat pastries. Nearby, a battered espresso machine sang a high-pitched melody as it ground the beans.
Behind it all stood shelves and cupboards holding cozy transferware. The walls brimmed with curling black-and-white photographs, glimpses of the cafe's better years.
Condensation trickled down the windows, blurring the glimmers of golden streetlights outside. The distant echo of passing cars blended with the soft tapping of rain, clinks of ceramics, chatter, and music spilling out of the rustling orchestrion.
Hazel shook the water off her umbrella, then waved briskly at someone in the hall. Her two little friends followed their trainer like ducklings, leaving wet pawprints on the dusty parquet. The bunny scurried in, sighing with relief as he darted from beneath the brolly and violently shook his fur, spraying droplets over the nearby furniture and prompting a few startled yelps from coffee-drinking patrons. He hopped ahead, plunging his nose straight into the complimentary bowl of crunchies for Pokémon. The coney stuffed up his cheeks with no care in the world.
Jasper slipped by almost unseen, pressing so closely to his owner's side that his shadow nearly merged with hers. He clung to the edge of her jacket with his paw, pink eyes darting sideways to lock on another feline perched on a pillow by one of the tables. That cat, a gray one with a long coiled tail, glared back. Both exchanged a low grumble, not loud enough to attract attention. They held their ground, eyes averted after a few tense seconds, silently staking out their territory.
The researcher walked over to the table by a smoldering hearth, shoving her backpack under the desk to join the patron. Another girl her age. She smiled, flicking a strand of greased blond hair, crowned with a thin red bandana. The denim jacket, covered in patches and strategically placed tears, and heavily made up, stood out like a sore thumb in the crowd, catching stray looks.
Hazel replied with a chuckle,
"Her..." Garnet crossed his paws, letting out an annoyed trill. His ears drooped.
"What did she do?" the cat inquired, still tense and weary. His tail flicked, eyes drifting off to look at the other feline.
Raboot didn't answer at first, simply puffing his cheeks in raising his nose up high like he was offended. "Hogging all Mom's free time, that's what she's doing."
"Oh-oh." Jasper let slip a titter, nestling on the corner of the pillow. His nose instinctively gave the tablecloth a sniff. His cheek rubbed against it, leaving a scent mark. "Someone's jealous."
The girl reached out to pat the coney's head, but he slammed his foot against the floor in clear protest. His snout jerked aside, and he gave the table a sharp nudge, grinding his teeth in frustration.
Mae pulled her arm back.
"I wonder why," he rolled his eyes, complaining under his breath.
"Oh, for the love of..." the bunny squinted. His tail flattened, but he bit his tongue.
Hazel tapped on the menu, giving the gar?on a nod as their conversation paused briefly, letting the lively cafe settle around them.
A strong scent of coffee filled the air, soon smothered by a faint smell of sugar. As the mare turned, the other side of the tack carried a carved wooden box meant for the tips. She paused a few moments, letting patrons notice the lovingly crafted plaque with orange flowers painted on its sign, before the conversation picked back up.
She shot Ponyta a parting glance, tapping the cigarette into the saucer and switching back to the topic,
Somewhere in the hall, a solitary spoon clinked against porcelain a little too loudly. That tap sliced through the conversations, sending ripples of unease through the room. The feline's ears flinched, picking up the tension echoing in the silence that followed.
The researcher went silent for a few seconds, drilling the ceiling with her brown eyes.
Hazel paused, cup frozen an inch away from her lips.
The researcher opened her mouth, but paused as the cafe went quieter than usual. Both caught stray looks from dockers huddled up around the fire, now awfully silent. When an old man, reading a newspaper, stood and left, grumbling, the hush lingered, shifting the focus back to their purpose.
She glared over her shoulder, then back at her friend.
Her voice trailed off into a whisper.
At that point, no one aside from the two friends made a sound. A couple more chairs screeched against the floor. More people left, deepening the awkward veil of silence.
Mae finished her second cup, taking a long pause. Her elbow softly nudged her friend.
"Huh?" Raboot perked up, curiously watching the exchange. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Cool. Opal gets to do stuff while we just stay home and count spiders, he thought with a deep sigh.
Hazel softly stroked his head, letting out a chuckle.
***
"What's the deal?" The bunny rolled his eyes, backing further under the canopy and pressing his shoulder into the wall to hide from the raging downpour. "Why is it taking so long?"
Monsoon drummed against the fabric overhead, showering down on the pavement and flooding the walkway. Puddles sucked in dust, quickly turning into a dirty swamp. The docks smelled like salt, oil, and rust, creating a stench that made the coney's face green. His paws slipped into the pocket, trying to hide away from the unbearable cold. The moist kind that bit all the way to the bones.
Good old Galar, such as it was. Sometimes the only difference between seasons was whether the rain was cold or warm.
Floragato responded to Raboot's inquiry with a weary shrug, shoving his snout under the stream of fresh rainwater flowing down the roof, and shamelessly lapping the liquid. He took his time, first getting a drink, then pedantically washing his fur. The coney, however, retreated as far as the porch of a run-down store could allow, watching their owner chatting away with sailors who huddled up on the pier nearby.
It's gotten dark. The docks looked almost derelict, with next to no people left pacing the alleys. Streetlights flickered like dim yellow stars along the walkways that stretched across the antique chiseled quay. Port bells blended with the dangling of chains and tapping of boyos against the wharf poles and boats moored by the jetty. Wingull's shrills rang somewhere above as the birds circled the roll-ons and empty stalls left around the sleeping market square. A pair of them fought over the fish scraps left on the racks.
The bunny's ears perked up, turning toward his trainer like two little radar dishes. His tail impatiently flicked.
His deckhand shook a net over the planks, clattering shells, fins, and bits of weed between the boards. Spheal slipped off wet rocks, diving under the pier to feast on the leftovers. He couldn't help himself, tossing a fillet to the chonky little rascal.
The old man let go of the rope, finally facing the girl and looking her up and down.
He interrupted, waving her off,
His partner spat over the handrails.
the researcher faltered, huddling under the brolly already bent by the violent gusts.
She finally conceded, sharing a nod,
Hazel took a couple of steps away, turning to the other sailor.
The third one walked away the moment her eyes met his.
Raboot folded his arms, glaring death at the dockers. "What's their problem?"
"Pointless," someone chirped above, making his ears twitch.
The feline arched his back, darting under the awning. Long claws instinctively slid out of his paws.
A pale blue raven perched on the pavilion, adjusting his wide black-trimmed wings. "Speaking about that place is a jinx. Sailors don't like it."
"Oh yeah?" The bunny looked the bird up and down. "Are you eavesdropping on us?"
"Well, your trainer isn't being quiet about it, is she?" he replied, raindrops slipping down his glistening feathers. Red piercing eyes gawked at the researcher, then back at her Pokémon.
Garnet exchanged a brief glance with the cat. The latter spread up his paws, sharing a tentative shrug.
"What's that to you?" the coney barked after a short pause.
"Oh, I'm just pointing things out. Those people won't help you." Corvisquire puffed up his chest. "But I just so happen to know people who can."
The feline's brow sprang up. He gently shook his head, crossing his fingers.
The cat softly chimed in, "I'm terribly sorry, but... We'll be okay."
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
"Let's hear what he has to say first," the bunny whispered to him, switching his attention back to the bird.
"Why should we trust you?" Raboot squinted, one ear heeling over.
"You don't have to," he scoffed, making a sound disturbingly similar to a human laugh. "Feel free to spend the next couple of hours wasting your time."
The leathery fold on his beak curled up into a smile. "Just saying. It's a one-time offer. Take it or leave it."
The coney sighed, watching his trainer being flipped off by yet another deckhand, "What do you want in return?"
"Garnet..." The feline softly poked his friend. "We don't know him."
"Look... I just want to get it over with. We've been standing here for I don't even know how long," he confessed, lowering his voice.
"How about I introduce my owner to yours so they can discuss the price then?" The raven motioned away from the piers.
Raboot went silent for a few seconds, weighing their options. His eyes darted toward Hazel as she was getting dismissed again. "Fine."
"Are you... Sure about that?" Jasper's brows fell down, heavy as lead.
"We'll be okay," the bunny crooned, softly clapping his shoulder. "Look. He has a point. We aren't making any progress whatsoever. I'm cold. I'm wet. And I'd rather take a gamble than loiter until midnight."
"Alright," the feline conceded, but his tail still stood high. "Just... Careful, okay?"
"You got it." The coney dashed, hopping from under one canopy and to the next like greased lightning until he slipped under his trainer's soaked umbrella.
His paws brushed the droplets of water off his fur with an annoyed groan. But the only thing he managed to achieve was smearing them across his coat.
"Stupid." His ears flopped around, shaking the raindrops off. White steam congealed around his pelt. Cold downpour sapped the heat, creating a subtle haze around him.
His fingers clutched the edge of the researcher's jacket, drawing her notice.
He pulled again, this time harder. His paw aimed at the bird waiting for them and motioned her to follow.
He pointed at the raven, then at one of the boats. His arms made paddling potions.
Raboot shared a nod, grabbing her arm and tugging it back under the canopy.
"Lead the way, then," he addressed their new acquaintance.
"Good call. You won't regret it." The stranger took off for a slow glide through the thoroughfare, skimming between crumbling shacks and bouncing off the red-tiled roofs. The bunny impatiently lunged after the bird, dragging his trainer along.
The feline's claws tapped the pink bud fixed to his apron. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, letting them both have a headstart before reluctantly coursing after. His paw refused to move, ears angled to the side. The cat's tongue anxiously licked his parched lips.
They shadowed the raven, guiding them through a maze of cramped streets and alleys running through the complex labyrinth of shacks and little huts. Light flickered in the quiet suburban buildings, preparing themselves for the night. An idle, faint chatter mixed with distant skids of worn tires and clanking of hooves against the pavement. There was no end to the rain in sight. Gray clouds blotted out the stars, stretching far beyond the black horizon.
Floragato's eyes darted from one gloomy turn onto the next. His nose twitched from the sheer amount of smells, very few of which were pleasant. A lingering scent of detergent reached from above. Someone's laundry hung off the long strings tied to the opposing balcony like cords of a cobweb, already too soaked to bother taking it off. That odor mixed with filth and dirt that spilled over the narrow streets, flushed by the rivers of mud. Trash dumped from upstairs. Scraps of expired food pulled out of the trash cans by stray Pokémon. Another Wingull leapt from a garbage collector with fish bones stuck in her mouth. Loud as always.
The stench, strong as it was, forced the cat to pinch his nose shut. Too much. Too intense for his sharp feline senses. His head went for a spin, overwhelmed by the fetor. Too pungent to make anything out.
Corvisquire perched on the broken lamp pole by one of the scruffy old porches. Planks creaked under the researcher's boots as she scaled the stairs.
"Here we are," the raven uttered with a polite caw. "My trainer's home. You're welcome."
Light flickered in one of the windows, glimmers of candles on the other side of the glass. Hazel knocked on the door.
Pink eyes squinted. The cat's heart skipped a beat. His fingers twitched, hovering over the bud.
The bird's claw slipped under the hook of a flower pot clinging to a chain above. Jasper's ears twitched, catching that sound of skin rubbing against crusty metal.
Brown planter took off the same second his yo-yo flew towards it. Paranoia paid off.
The floret collided with cracked clay, turning it into pieces of shrapnel and a cloud of wet soil mid-flight before it could drop on his trainer's head.
Instead of hard, jagged ceramics, a clump of dirt fell on her shoulders, taking the researcher by surprise. She coughed, recoiling away from the door.
"You little..." The bunny blinked, clenching his fists. His teeth ground against each other.
"Suckers," the raven gloated, looking over the crew and watching their trainer trying to wipe the mud off her head. "This is too easy."
"You're done." Two strings of smoke coiled out of Raboot's nose. His ears flared, paws springing ablaze for a split-second before the moonshot quashed down the flames.
"I think not." Corvisquire didn't take off, mockingly stretching his black-feathered wings.
The door cracked open. It flew outward so violently that it almost knocked Hazel off her feet. She bumped into the coney, stumbling over his foot.
A tall man in oily blue overalls stepped out of the house, a knife glistening in his hand.
The cat looked around, instinctively seeking an exit. Faint lamplights cast a shadow over the cramped alleyway. Another feline darted from under the canopy. Cream-colored fur vanished as quickly as it appeared. But his eyes caught a glint of burnished gold before the shape could disappear again.
He turned around, shooting a glance into the thoroughfare ahead. Another figure cut off the only remaining route of escape. A skunk, digging itself from under the crawlspace, shook the dirt off its tail.
Jasper backpedaled into the bunny, shoulder pressed against his. "Slow down..."
"Thanks for helping us, chum." The raven let out that disturbingly human-like chortle. "You don't go around flaunting how much money you have. People are gonna get jealous."
The docker stood over their trainer. Close enough to have his shade loom over her. One hand turned on a heavy old flashlight. The other spun the butterfly blade back and forth. Not quite ready to strike. But clear enough to serve as a warning.
Hazel's finger reached for her belt, but the man clicked his lips.
She raised her arms, having no other options.
Raboot bent forth as if preparing to lunge. His red eyes gleamed with a bright orange sheen. Despite the fire burning inside, the rain made him look like a wet rag, gray fur tightly clinging to wiry limbs underneath, thin as little twigs. The sparks wouldn't come. Instead, water sizzled on the tips of his fingers, turning into harmless strings of black smoke.
The bunny didn't wait for her to finish. He dashed forward, soles tapping across the puddles like a swift drumroll.
Before the man could object and point the knife, hurried Pokémon threw himself between his legs, leaving a skid mark on the ground. His sharp, frontal teeth sank into his ankle.
"Oh boy..." Jasper took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. His yo-yo went for a couple of spins to gather momentum.
The feline's back arched, eyes frantically darting between the assailants.
Garnet let go, pulled off the docker by his own ears. His bite did the damage. The wounded thief kneeled down, crawling back to the door. A deep crimson stain colored a torn cuff of his boot.
His yell made both shadows cut the exit and dart into the fray. The raven went up, flapping his wings and leaving a cloud of dust on a lamp pole. The bird spun through the air, quickly gaining height.
Floragato launched his floret, letting it wrap around a beam holding one of the balconies. Too quick for the skunk to react on time. Black paws tangled over the tripwire. Stunky tumbled face-first into the mud with the weight of his own momentum, leaving a scuff mark on the soil.
A bipedal cat dashed through the trashcan, using the rusty lid as a springboard. She launched toward the duo, claws sliding out of her paws. The bunny's ears twitched. He didn't turn, waiting for the right moment to strike. Strands of fur on his back stood up in anticipation.
Raboot swung not a moment too soon. His elbow plunged into Meowth's stomach with a satisfyingly loud thud. A sucker punch folded the latter in two, squeezing a cough out of the creature. But she slammed into the coney with her whole body weight, knocking him off his feet and sending both of them rolling.
Corvisquire dived down like a comet, droplets of water leaving jet trails behind him. The feline ducked, cracking his vine like a whip to distract the foe. Sharp raven's claws severed the cord, flinging his weapon into the air. The talons raked through Jasper's back as he fell. Honed tips left a trail of cuts.
Floragato let out a hiss, leaping under the roof on all four. One paw instinctively reached for his back. Soft touch sent a jolt of scaldingly hot pain. A thin scarlet line was imprinted across his pad.
That wasn't a clean battle in an arena they were so used to. No orders were barked. No measured commands shouted. Just chaos.
Meowth rolled over, claws pressing into Raboot's neck to restrain him. He wheezed, slipping his legs in between them. The bunny pushed as hard as he could, putting his leg strength into one powerful thrust.
The assailing cat flew a couple of feet back, colliding into the trash can. Garnet leaped up to finish the job, two nimble kicks clocking her straight into the face, cracking her lips and chipping a couple of teeth.
But before he could celebrate victory, the raven descended, wings spread out wide. Wide pinions bashed against his snout, beak jabbing again and again, claws frantically slashing.
Jasper bent down, preparing to lunge to his defense. But the skunk finally hauled himself up, curling his long striped tail. He took a potshot, spraying a jet of noxious oil point-blank.
The feline recoiled, hiding his face. Toxic liquid landed too close for comfort. That horrible stench of burnt rubber drew tears out of his eyes. The sheer strength of the dizzying stench gripped his throat, sending him to land behind the beam, struggling for air. A blue tint covered his nose, leaving him choking and gagging.
Hazel's boot stepped on the knife right before the thief's hand could reach up to the handle. Her fingers tapped on the belt, pulling a red sphere off. Her thumb pressed on the button, aiming the orb at the ground.
An arc of white lightning cracked with an ear-piercing hiss, leaving a scorch mark on the wet pavement. The blinding glow lingered, creating a shimmering haze. Flickering motes swirled like clumps of dust in a whirlwind, sticking one to another. Little pieces of a big jigsaw.
At first, it turned into a faint, colorless outline of a tall humanoid figure. But then the dots started changing their shades one by one, each turning into a scale.
Poké Ball let go of its payload.
A thin chameleon stretched, her yellow fins twitching like sails in the invisible breeze. A membrane wrapped around her shoulders slipped down, forming a cape. Blue lamellas changed their palette again, soaking in the gray hue of drenched brickwork.
Inteleon froze. Wide golden eyes popped open, going for a full circle to scan her surroundings. Without making a sound or saying a word, her arm sprang up, two fingers snapping together.
A bolt of liquid took off their tips with a thunderous clap, the burst going right through Corvisquire's wing. Black feather shot out in a cloud. The bird helplessly flapped and spun around in the air. He slammed into the wall and slipped down into the mud, thrashing and cawing profanities.
A long amphibious tail lashed out at the skunk, wrapping around his leg and flinging him into the garbage container. A squeak escaped his mouth as he flew headfirst into metal. The tide finally turned.
Inteleon's intervention bought Raboot enough time to regain momentum. His paw wiped the quills off his snout.
The bunny lunged at Meowth, struggling to stand up. Before her mind could process the reckless attack, his foot tapped her up into the jaw, sending the foe down, drooling. Garnet's seething expression leered back at him from the golden coin embedded in the rogue's head.
Jasper rolled out of his shelter, paws scooping water from a filthy puddle and washing his face. But the eye-watering liquid stung worse than common sense.
He darted toward Stunky on all four, still coughing and wheezing, fur bedraggled and messy. A vine whip cracked overhead, giving him a fair warning. His grumble turned into a loud hiss as the foe tried to stand up. Claws slid out. Floragato arched his back, ready to lunge.
Knocked down and outnumbered, the skunk slipped back to the ground, conceding.
Another shape dashed from the house, a little too late for the rescue. A brown hare with long ears tipped with bright yellow tufts. Pink eyes look at the injured man, struggling to get back on his feet. Then at the assailants.
Inteleon's fingers aim at her head before she can squeak. "It's over. Don't try anything funny."
She blinked in confusion, fingers squeezing into a fist.
Lopunny hesitated, both of her knees bent. As if weighing her chances before lashing out. But after a moment of fleeting reluctance, she snatched a piece of cloth off the dresser, kneeling beside her wounded owner to staunch the bleeding. The battle has ended.
"Good girl." The sharpshooter lowered her hand.
"Opal..." The bunny dusted himself off. But his fur was so drenched that it only made things much worse. Flocks of hair hung off him in wet clumps. It seemed that he shrank into a quarter of his original size like a soggy cat that had been dipped into a bathtub.
"Ashes." She rolled her eyes, looking him up and down. A deep sigh escaped her lips. "What did you get yourself into this time?"
"They... Jumped us," the feline chimed in, slowly backing away from the skunk as the latter stood up, stumbling and limping.
Inteleon finally took a moment to look around. Her brows fell. She opened her mouth, clicking her jaw in quiet astonishment, "Don't tell me you followed them into a dark alley on your own volition."
"I..." Raboot rubbed the back of his head. He struggled for words, trying to find the right ones. "Look, it's..."
"I was trying to-"
"Let me guess," the chameleon scoffed with such exasperation that it almost sounded comical. "You came up with another brilliant scheme, relying on courage and absolutely no foresight."
"What else were we supposed to do?" Garnet crossed his arms. "Save lectures for later. We aren't done here yet."
"No, please, don't stop," Opal barked over her shoulder, watching the wounded crawling back to the shack. "I'm savoring the part where you explain how this was somehow a great plan."
"This wasn't-"
"Well, on the bright side. You two are still breathing. Which puts this among your better ideas." The sharpshooter looked over them both, shaking her head like a disappointed sibling.
Her nose twisted as the cat came closer. "Petals."
"Y-yeah?" He shot her a glare, feeling that judgmental gaze linger on him.
"You stink," she gagged, letting out a cough. "And before you ask, no. This will not wash out with water. Life isn't that kind."
"Thanks... For pointing it out." His voice trailed off into a shameful whisper.
The feline tried to sniff his sprayed pelt, but dearly regretted it, folding over in sheer disgust. Even an indirect exposure burned his throat like living coals, leaving him retching. His paws desperately tried to get the droplets of pungent oil off.
"Don't touch it without soap," Inteleon groaned. "You're making it worse. Save your dignity and get back to your Poké Ball, will you?"
She switched her attention to Raboot, covered in bruises and cuts. A soggy dishrag, trying his hardest to hide the cold shakes. Too stubborn to admit. His breath turned into clouds of steam.
"Dry up." Opal deadpanned.
"I'll be fine! Quit-"
He didn't finish. The chameleon's hand reached for his scruff, lifting him up. The bunny helplessly bucked, but she was as tall as a tree compared to him.
"Okay, put me down." The coney lifted his legs, gray ears drooped in chagrin.
"What was that?" She pulled him a little bit higher, carrying him under the roof. Her other hand tore a curtain out of the open window.
"FINE!" he snarled, squinting his eyes. "I'll do it. Just let me go already!"
Her fingers released the troublemaker, sending the bunny to flop on the ground. Garnet tried to land gracefully and save whatever remained of his honor. His paw pulled the improvised towel out of her grasp.
"Just because you're already evolved doesn't mean you can treat me like I'm some sort of a child," Raboot muttered under his nose.
"You're welcome," Inteleon jabbed back, turning around and stepping onto the porch. Her hands tucked into her waist as she watched the hare hastily sponging the blood and pressing the cloth into the wound.
The injured thief bit his tongue, muffling a whimper.
She didn't reply, hiding her eyes behind her long ears and swiftly treating the bite mark. Practiced and almost mechanical.
Hazel wiped the dirt off her glasses, standing over the failed criminal.
She improvised, blocking his way into the house.
She hopped on a crate beside him. Lopunny tensed up, spreading her arms to shield the man behind her. Fishing nets drying on racks under the canopy drew the triumphant trainer's attention.
The thief couldn't finish his misplaced complaint.
His hand searched for the dropped docker's hat, dirty and soaked. A couple of curses took off his lips.
His composure gave way, crumbling under pressure.
The blade softly tapped against the cuts left by the broken ceramics, leaving red splotches on it as the researcher spoke,
Raboot shot the wounded mariner a glare, then looked at the hare shielding him behind her back. "Your owner's a dirty thief. Why are you protecting him?"
"You don't get to choose family," she replied, unwilling to move even an inch. "He has us to feed."
"Ah," Garnet snorted, rolling his shoulders. "So he robs people out of love? That's really heartwarming."
"Leave." Lopunny didn't budge, blocking the way. "Just go. It's over. Let us salvage what's left."
"Left of your dignity?" The bunny let out a chuckle, turning around. "Hey, don't lose it now. It might be worth something for the fence. Or whoever else you're selling stolen goods to."
The docker lowered his head on the wall, blankly staring into faint flickers of stars up above and muttering the same words over and over again. But now in bitter self-irony and regret.