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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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 Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2015 6:29 pm
Team Essence's RoomA room of rather unexpected size, carefully maintained by Nyx's compulsive caretaking: it can be recognized by an oblong golden placard on the door that indicates the Team's name.
Inside you'll be met with the gentle warmth of the fireplace on the wall opposite the door that's almost always lit no matter what the season: Nyx's one extravagant request for their initially modest home. There are three windows in the entry room, one a large picture window looking out on the Courtyard below, and two smaller ones on the adjacent walls, which can be opened and shut as desired, and serve to let the breeze in when the fire starts to make any Pokemon uncomfortably warm. There's a collection of coffee tables scattered about the room which the Team members frequently push together into one long table to take their meals. A cushion is always present on each side of each table when they're apart, and a much larger pile of cushions can be found to the left side of the room by the couch, for whenever they might be needed (a collection of toys, puzzles, and books can also be found by the couch, including the Team's prized Encyclopedia of Pokemon, which all of them have spent hours perusing since Nyx bought them a copy to call their own). There's a good deal of open space in the main room as well, for the children to run about and Killian to move comfortably around the walls without fear of crushing anything, since the Golurk spends almost all of his time in the main area as he has no desire for a room of his own. The only other feature of note is the short (though well-equipped) desk that rests against the wall just inside the door and to its left. This is where reports and other documents are written, and where Nyx keeps his notes on peculiar discoveries they may have found. There's a short stack of books piled beside it for reference purposes, along with the bag that the Team occasionally brings with them on missions.
The kitchen area is in a room to the right of the main area, and has tools for both quadrupeds and bipeds, though Nyx prepares the meals far more frequently than any of his other Teammates. It's always stocked with plenty of berries, since they're a food edible by all species of Pokemon, and the other foodstuffs constantly vary based on whatever meals are planned for the week. There are separate cupboards, iceboxes, baskets, and other such objects for separating the sheer quantity of food that the Team consumes over even a short time, given their large size and tendency to entertain guests. A fountain flows from the wall on the left side of the room, which the Team uses for both drinking and cleaning purposes, as the water is recycled each time it flows through the piping. Since the kitchen was made into its own room and the room was expanded however, Nyx has grown very picky about what the kitchen fountain is used for.
The towards the back on the left side of the main room a hallway can be found, which has four rooms that are divided up among the members of the Team.
The room closest to the main room on the right belongs to Neo, Eliot, and Clara; the Meowstic unwilling to stay too far from the children and his partner unwilling to stay in the same room as them throughout the night. Neo's bed is fairly basic, a cushion and blanket enough to keep him happy. He keeps a picture of his family on a night table beside it, along with a small pouch that he often wears around his neck, which contains pair of silken earplugs given to him by a friend. Eliot has his own cushion, which is well-indented from the specific position he curls up in each night, and his favorite plush toy often rests on it--an Aegislash that he likes to hold in his mouth when he gets nervous. Clara often sleeps with her arms coiled around her father's arm or her brother's tail, and has nothing specific to mark her sleeping place. The room also has a basket containing a number of toys, but they're always picked up when playtime is over.
Across the hall is Nyx's room: the closest to the main area on the left. Nyx's bed is composed of only a cushion, as the Fire Type has little need for a blanket, and it's begun to hold a slight indentation in the place where the Vulpix goes to rest most nights. The vice captain's room is otherwise quite sparse, since his desk has its place in the main area still, and there is little to be said about it except, perhaps, in the feeling of emptiness that clings to it.
The further room from the main hall on the right belongs to Air, Lux, and Alexandru, and the trio are quite amiable about sharing their living quarters and even vacating them to give any one of them some time alone if it is needed. Air's bed is on the left, composed of a cushion and some blankets that he often chooses to arrange into a nest rather than a bed form. He keeps a notebook beside it that contains notes on the most interesting qualities of other Pokemon that he has read and observed, mixed with rudimentary sketches that he grows somewhat embarrassed about when anyone stumbles across one while perusing the book. Lux's bed is on the right, and it's composed of a thin bamboo mat that can easily be rolled up and moved around--one of the few things the Lucario brought with him when he came to the Guild. He often sleeps in a meditating position, rather than lying down, and thus has no need for a pillow, but a handful of peculiarly mundane items can be found lined up beside his bed, most of them pebbles but one or two coins or other simple items. There is a small drawstring back that he keeps for their transport, and he claims that he's kept them because they hold samples of auras of those who have influenced him greatly throughout his life. If they do however, most of the auras are very faded, since Air and most other aura readers cannot detect them at all. Alexandru keeps no bed, but rests hanging from the ceiling, and there is a small window near the top of the room that he can open and fly out through if he so desires, as he is known to disappear on nocturnal outings from time to time.
The room furthest from the main area on the left is not a bedroom but a storage room of sorts. The second (and much larger) water feature is there, which is a pool that the Team uses for bathing and occasionally recreational purposes, which contains the same recycling properties as the fountain in the kitchen. There are also several locked cabinets containing things owned by the Team or any of its members, and even extra bedrolls and the like for other Pokemon who come to visit. At the hallway ends with a wall and a large map of the area that Guild looks after, with small stars that denote where each of the Team members have visited: one day, Neo hopes that every area will be filled with stars.
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Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 9:10 pm
The Ties // That Bind
Neo & Nyx Neo made his way through the halls wearily, following the instructions given to him by...some Pokemon in charge. After receiving his bow and partner voucher, all the Meowstic wanted to do was get somewhere that he could groom himself and get all the pesky webbing out of his fur, so he hadn't been paying very close attention to the friendly voice that told him Team rooms had been set aside for them down the hall. He tried to recall just who had sent him in the right direction, but it was no use--he couldn't hope to focus with the cobwebs swinging in front of his ears at every step. Neo had never considered himself vain, but he did have a sense of personal appearance, and he knew he didn't want his new partner to see him like this: he wanted to make a good first impression.
The Meowstic held his damp bow gingerly, glancing at it from time to time to be sure it hadn't started dripping again. Fortunately for the Guild's floors, but unfortunately for the weary Psychic, an Ariados's saliva was as sticky as its webbing--meaning that he didn't even have to hold onto the bow for it to stay in his hand anymore. Arceus, what he wouldn't give for some water; he could only hope there would be some waiting for him in his new home. Neo glanced up at the doors with a dull expression, seeing some with no identification and some that already reflected the character of the Teams that had moved within them. He continued to pass them by until at last he spotted a door with a little card hung around the doorknob with his team name written on it; a temporary nameplate that must have been left by some helpful Guild assistant. "Thank Arceus," he murmured, eagerly opening the door. He'd go to fetch his partner later, just as soon as he'd managed to get his bearings.
"Greetings." The salutation fell on unsuspecting ears. Neo had pulled the door shut behind him and turned back, only to jump with surprise as the sound of an unfamiliar voice startled him. His eyes widened and darted from left to right before focusing on the peculiar figure who stood in the center of the room, watching him with a measured gaze. "I take it you're the leader of Team Essence?"
"Y-Yeah..." It was a tad too much for Neo to handle, and his mind began to jump into overdrive as his voice died down. He was standing here, fur mussed, covered with cobwebs, and with a bow stuck to his hand; across from him was a Vulpix, whose nine tails--was he supposed to have nine tails?--waved in greeting and whose whitening fur looked positively impeccable. This was not what he had planned for.
The Fire Type smiled. "Excellent! It's wonderful to meet you. My name is Nyx Isthlamane: I shall be serving as your second in command." He extended a paw for Neo to shake, but the Psychic only stared at it, expression utterly blank as he struggled to come to terms with the situation. Nyx frowned as his paw was ignored, and lowered it after a moment, trying to get a read on his new partner. The Meowstic appeared to have been through quite the endeavor, if his appearance was any indication--perhaps he was still recovering from that "first mission" the Guildmaster had referenced. "Maybe it's best we skip the formalities for now, hm?" the Vulpix said in a comforting tone, taking a few steps back from the other Pokemon to give him some space. "There's a lovely built-in fountain here that will serve nicely for drinking and washing. Apparently they have it installed in some rooms for convenience and privacy. We were fortunate enough to claim one of them early enough."
In truth, fortune had little to do with it. While Neo had been completing his mission, Nyx had been taking care of a few things of his own. The Guildmaster had permitted him to select a room and organize some other details prior to his partner's arrival. Veilmys apparently had a lot of faith in the abilities of his Rank Zero members, since he'd assigned Nyx to Team Essence even before Neo had returned with his bow: perhaps the Sylveon had some other way of knowing these things. Regardless, the Vulpix found himself pleased that he'd had the chance to organize things for his captain beforehand. The disheveled Meowstic looked like he desperately needed some order in his life about now. With a respectful nod, Nyx made his way to the right wall, where he turned his gaze politely out the window, to give his partner some privacy.
Neo made his way to the fountain in a daze, steadying himself when he reached the edge so he wouldn't fall in. His reflection was rippling gently from the force of the small waterfall that flowed in from the side of the wall, and it made him feel slightly dizzy. With a sigh, the Meowstic began to wash, feeling a mixture of guilt and embarrassment that Nyx was still in the room. So much for a good first impression. The water felt wonderful trickling through his fur and against his skin and scales, and Neo allowed himself to forget his worries and smile for just a moment. The webbing came easily from his fur after a while, and he collected it in a ball to dispose of later before he turned his attentions to the crimson bow. The Meowstic gently worked the goo and Ariados silk out of the fabric, carefully washing it until he could feel the texture of the bow again and then spreading it on the ground to dry. Soon it would become the worthy token of his first mission it was always meant to be.
Although a bit damp, Neo's spirits were high now that he looked presentable, and he approached his Vulpix partner with a new-found spring in his step. Tapping the Fire Type on the shoulder, he cleared his throat nervously."Sorry about that. I didn't mean to keep you waiting, I just didn't realize I'd be meeting you so soon." He extended a paw to make up for his rejection of the handshake before. "I'm Neo Vespara. I look forward to working with you."
The Vulpix took his paw with a smile, shaking it firmly. "And I you," he replied. "But of course, there's no need to apologize Neo; I only hope to be of service." Nyx met Neo's eyes, a spark of intensity glowing behind them. "That is alright with you, is it not?" he asked, voice just above a murmur. "Do you accept me as your partner?"
Neo swallowed with some difficulty, feeling a twinge of unease at the Vulpix's tone. The way he said it made it seem like it was super important--like if he said no the Fire Type would go up in smoke or something. "Sure, of course I do," he replied with an uncomfortable laugh. "Why wouldn't I?"
The moment of intensity was gone in an instant, as though it had never happened at all. "No particular reason," Nyx replied lightly, as though there had been nothing strange about the moment before. "I simply wanted to be sure that you were comfortable with my presence. I wouldn't want a difficult introduction to spoil a good partnership." Neo decided to refrain from mentioning that he felt a little uncomfortable now, giving the Vulpix the benefit of the doubt and hoping that the odd conversation had just been a fluke. "Now then," Nyx said, making his way over to the wall opposite the door. "You're still a little damp, aren't you Neo? Would you like to warm up by the fire?" The Vulpix went over to the fountain and picked up the ball of silk, bringing it to the center of the room. "Technically we're supposed to wait for the fireplace to be installed before using fire in the room, but I've handled my share of open flames in the past, so it won't be any trouble." With a breath of Ember, Nyx wreathed the silk in flames and sat back on his haunches to hold the flaming orb in his paws.
Neo crossed the room to pick up his bow, bringing it over to dry by the fire as well. He watched the burning ball with surprise, eyes wide with wonder as he watched the dancing flames; he'd thought cobwebs burned more quickly than this, but maybe there were just too many of them to burn that fast. "Doesn't it burn your fur?"
Nyx chuckled, adjusting the positioning of his paws. "No. It would take far more intense flames than this to singe me," he replied. "Holding something as small as this feels quite nice I assure you. Almost...toasty, you could say."
The Meowstic's eyes widened and he froze, heart skipping a beat as he heard that word. Oh Arceus no, there was no way. The voice didn't sound right--it couldn't possibly be. And yet here he was again, smoke in his nose and that awful word in his ears. His eyes moved from the fire to meet Nyx's now-troubled gaze, and he didn't dare to avert them. If Nyx was that Pokemon from the castle... The Psychic shuddered to think of what he could have been up to.
"Neo, are you quite alright?" The Vulpix repeated the question a few times, but was met with nothing but silence. He returned the Meowstic's gaze, staring uncertainly back into the Psychic's green eyes and wondering what on earth had come over him. They stayed like that for a long time, eyes locked and utterly silent, until the sound of the alarm bell brought their uneasy standoff to a sudden halt.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2015 5:46 pm
Q soon reached his destination: Team Essence's room. He looked around, and, not seeing Neo out in the hallway, let go of Rika to start knocking on the door, Electric Egg clutched to his chest. "Hey Neo, you in there? You said we could come over whenever we wanted, and I wanted to introduce the newest members of Team Oddball to my friends!"
Behind him, Rika raised an eyebrow, the Shiny Mawile glancing over at Guile. "Team Oddball? Really?"
The Sableye shrugged, answering in his usual dry tone. "Well, let's do a roll call. We've got an insane leader, a former thief who seems to be the only sane one, a Mawile tomboy with a temper like a Hydreigon, and if Q really can speak Egg - which I wouldn't put past him - we've got a megalomaniacal Electric-type egg to top it off."
Said tomboy considered that, then nodded in understanding, letting the mention of her temper slide - it wasn't like he was wrong, after all, even if she'd only admit it internally. After a few more moments, during which Q kept beaming at the door expectantly and knocking every now and then, she spoke once more. "...Does he even know if they're in or not?"
"Probably not," Guile agreed sardonically, "but then that wouldn't be likely to stop him in the first place."
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2015 7:00 pm
Neo & Nyx Neo's ears twitched as he heard the sound of running coming from outside the door. The Meowstic paused, looking up from the cup of tea he was sipping to stare at the door expectantly a few moments before the banging started: that indomitable Psychic energy was recognizable anywhere. "Uh Nyx, you might want to brace yourself. We're about to have company."
The Vulpix looked up from the book he was reading, cocking his head in confusion at his partner's assertion, but the pounding and shouting at the door quickly put an end to that. "Team...Oddball?" he said slowly, shooting Neo an amused glance after hearing the shouts of the Pokemon outside. "My you chose an interesting group to associate with."
"Wait until you meet them," Neo replied, a smile coming to his face as he stood up and headed to the door. In truth, the Meowstic was more than a little amazed: it couldn't have been more than half a day since he'd first met Q and Guile, yet they already had new members? What on earth had they been doing? The Pyschic pulled the door open, ready to greet whoever was waiting there with a warm welcome. "Hey there Q," he said cheerfully, "Glad you decided to visit." Neo took stock of the other Pokemon crowded around his door, giving a nod to Guile and the unfamiliar Mawile, before realizing what Q was holding with a start. An Egg? Where did he get it? And why on earth was he carrying it around so casually? "I-Is that a...?"
"Neo." Nyx was swift to step in when his partner began to hesitate, moving up to stand in the doorway beside him. "Shouldn't we invite our guests inside before we start the introductions?" Gently prodding the Meowstic with one of his tails, the Vulpix nudged Neo back before stepping to the side himself, gesturing for Team Oddball to enter. "Do come in, all of you," he said lightly, "Please, make yourselves comfortable." The Fire Type swiftly headed to the side of the room, collecting four cushions for the group, which he arranged around the table evenly. When that was settled, Nyx stood attentively to the side of his own cushion, looking at the three non-Egg-confined Pokemon with interest. "Neo and I were just having some tea, can I offer you anything?"
The Meowstic, meanwhile, had closed the door behind their guests and made his way back to his spot at the table, more than a little confused about the whole affair. He was far too curious about these new members he was about to be introduced to for the concept of common courtesy to even cross his mind. Taking a sip of his tea, he nearly choked when his partner offered some to their companions, afraid that he'd been inadvertently rude. "Oh, right!" he said, hurrying to follow up on Nyx's offer. "We have more than just tea, if that's not your thing. And we've got some berries too, if you're hungry. You all look like you've had a busy day."
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2015 8:11 pm
Team Oddball entered the room, looking around with interest. Noting the way Neo was staring at the egg, Rika piped up, sounding faintly amused at the baffled expression on the Meowstic's face. "I'm Rika, nice to meet you. Yes, that's an egg. Don't worry, I'm pretty sure he knows what he's doing. And yeah, tea's fine, though I wouldn't mind having a couple of berries with it - the spicier the better." She then plopped down on one of the cushions unceremoniously - the Meowstic had said to make themselves comfortable, after all.
Guile nodded in greeting, answering with, "Just tea is fine, thanks," and similarly sitting down. It was easy to see that he was more relaxed than the last time Neo had seen him.
Q beamed, heading into the room with the egg in his hands, as cheerful, energetic, and quirky as usual. "Ooh, tea! I've never had tea before, is it tasty? Berries are probably a good idea, though, 'cause I didn't get around to eating yet and my tummy's likely to start roaring at me any moment now. Oh, I'm Q, awesomely awesome leader of Team Oddball, and the quiet one's Guile," he introduced himself and his partner for the Vulpix's benefit - he hadn't met the guy last time, so Q figured he was probably Neo's partner. "The violent-tempered Mawile tomboy in the corner is Rika - we were pals back before I became a Rescuer - and this little guy is Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All!" He held up the egg to indicate who he was referring to - wait, was that dramatic thunder outside? "...Or you can just call him Stormy. Rolls off the tongue easier." He then proceeded to carefully put the egg on one of the offered seats before sitting on the remaining cushion.
Rika sighed in exasperation, false-mouth twitching slightly as she restrained the urge to bite him; really, couldn't he have toned down the crazy just a little for their hosts' sake? "Q, I told you before, you aren't naming the Egg that," she told him with tolerant patience built from years of interaction with the eccentric Elgyem.
"Of course I'm not! ...Stormy picked his own name. He told me so himself." And then Q nodded sagely as if that weren't completely ridiculous.
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2015 1:52 pm
Neo & Nyx "Tea it is then," Nyx said amiably, nodding after he'd received the introductions and various food requests. "I am called Nyx. It's a pleasure to meet you all." The Vulpix proceeded to whisk himself away to the kitchen, and the clattering of various cups and saucers could be heard as he arranged their requests. He was quick and efficient, tea being no problem for a Vulpix to produce, and he soon called for his partner to carry them over. Neo jumped up, eager to oblige, and carried the various plates in his arms while Nyx brought the teapot over, handle held securely in his mouth. At his partner's instruction, the Meowstic handed out the plates--one filled exclusively with spicy berries for Rika, one with an assortment of flavors and types suited to Q's eccentric personality, and one with only a tea cup for Guile. Nyx made his rounds, pouring steaming hot tea into each cup, and then returned to his spot, placing the teapot in the center of the table. "Just let me know if your tea ever gets too cool," he informed them, "That problem is easily remedied."
When they were all settled, Neo carried on the conversation, hoping to make up for his gawking from before. "So you're Rika?" he said, turning to the Mawile curiously, "Nice to meet you too." He grinned sheepishly, "I admit, I was surprised to hear Q and Guile got new members so quickly. I met them at a gathering earlier, and all of us were just only duo Teams then. How did you and, er, Stormageddon end up joining?" That is, if an Egg could really be said to "join" anything. Although he paid close attention to the Mawile, he couldn't resist shooting another look at Egg first, to make sure it was safe. He could help feeling that a pre-born child should be kept in a nest rather than dragged on adventures around the Guild, but if Q's own Teammates hadn't been able to convince him of that, Neo doubted he'd have any luck doing so.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2015 2:43 pm
Disturbingly enough, the Egg seemed to be emitting an aura of (admittedly well-contained) bloodlust and general malice.
Rika smirked, taking a berry and eating it whole and taking a sip of tea before answering. "Well, I can't speak for the egg, but I was passing through Magnetic Edifice on my way to join the Guild when I heard about an albino Elgyem with a tuba pissing off some guy named Stryker enough to end up wrecking the abandoned power plant."
Q brightened. "Hey, that sounds like me! ...The damage was all the supercharged Zebstrika though. Well, except for that one hole in the floor and the circle Guile cut in the window."
Rika rolled her eyes, though the corners of her lips twitched upward slightly. "Anyway, I recognized a description of my old buddy, and since I was going to join a Team anyway, I figured I'd see if they had a spot open. They did, and here we are."
Guile nodded, taking a sip of his tea. "Ah yes, the Stryker mission. That was... interesting." His tone was as dry as the desert, suggesting that "interesting" was a rather polite substitute for other, less positive words.
Q didn't seem to catch the sarcasm though, because he just grinned. "Yep! We were hired to get a Blissey her egg back from the abandoned power plant! First it was locked, so Guile had to sneak in through the window and let me in. That took a while, so I practiced my tuba while I was waiting. Then once we got in it turned out to be occupied by this huge, probably-hostile group of Electric-types, so we had to sneak around their patrols, and I ended up falling through a part of the floor into a room conveniently located next to the room the egg we were looking for was in." Guile's eye twitched slightly, the Sableye recalling the sheer absurdity of that particular part of the mission - seriously, who just conveniently fell through the floor into the place they needed to be in? "Then it turned out the egg had fallen into a pile of Pokédollars and other assorted loot belonging to this mean-looking Zebstrika that had supercharged himself using the power plant's electricity." Here Q FINALLY paused. "...What was his name again? I forget..."
"Stryker. He's the leader of an Electric-type gang and an old enemy of mine," Guile supplied helpfully, tone slightly exasperated - didn't he cover this with the Elgyem earlier?
"Ah, right. Anyway, I went in to get the egg, and Stryker spotted me, but I managed to outwit him by asking to go to the bathroom. Then, after I was done using the toilet, me and Guile ran for dear life with a supercharged Zebstrika smashing through the walls in his attempts to tear us limb from limb and other assorted gory threats; when he caught us, Guile did some dark-shockwave-thingy that momentarily blinded him and let us escape, shortly followed by Stryker shouting disturbing threats about what he was going to do to us if he ever saw us again! ...Well, actually, most of them were aimed toward Guile, but I'm assuming he was talkin' to me too. The two of 'em reeeally didn't like each other - maybe Guile owes him money or somethin'?" ...Dear Arceus, wasn't he supposed to stop to breathe at some point?
Guile suddenly seemed very interested in his tea - mostly because that was, in fact, a rather accurate summary of Stryker's core issue with him.
"Well, anyway, we then returned the egg to the client, and as a reward we got Stormy! Then Rika came by later, threw a grouchy Elekid out the window, and joined the team too! Then she bit Guile 'cause he said something that made her mad, and then we came here because I wanted to introduce you to Rika and Stormy and vice-versa, and here we are!" Q beamed at their hosts, completely missing the two exasperated looks he was getting - one from Rika because that sounded just like the type of insanity Q would end up in the middle of, and one from Guile because he didn't appreciate having the bit about Rika biting him mentioned. And when had Q finished his tea and berries?
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2015 1:12 pm
Neo & Nyx When Q was finished there was a pause, while both members of Team Essence did their best to process everything that had just been said: naturally, Nyx was quicker on the uptake than Neo. "My, what a fantastic story," the Vulpix said with a chuckle. It seemed obvious that the best thing to do was take the peculiar Psychic Type in stride, just as his Team was doing. "A gang leader ending up with a Blissey's egg, who would have thought? I've never heard of this Stryker fellow, but he doesn't sound like the type to be looking after children. I wonder if it was just bad luck that the egg ended up there?" The Fire Type pondered the thought quietly, taking a sip of his own tea as he did so. "Regardless, it sounds like you foiled quite the nefarious plot," he said after a moment, "Zebstrika don't...what was your term? "supercharge" themselves for no reason. He may have been intending to head off on some sort of conquest. Who knows what dastardly deeds you may have prevented? For a day at least." The Vulpix smiled to himself, taking another sip of tea before he spotted the Elgyem's empty cup and plate. "Ah, can I offer you anything more Q?"
Neo stared at his partner, amazed by his nonchalance. Then again, Nyx was probably unaware of the hostility pulsating from that Egg. And the sound of that lightning in the far distance. ...It was a little bit terrifying. Doing his best to ignore Stormageddon, Neo tried to pick up on another part of the conversation, recalling something Q had mentioned when they first met."The tuba!" he said, as though it were some sort of revelation. Laughing with slight embarrassment, he explained himself. "What I mean is, this is the second time I've heard someone from your Team mention that. What is it?" While Neo wasn't any stranger to music, he'd never really been exposed to much brass in his life--probably out of concern for his hearing. Nyx shot a glance at his partner, mouthing the words 'don't ask', but it was already too late.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2015 3:45 pm
Q was about to answer Nyx, but was abruptly distracted by Neo's line of questioning and brightened at the chance to show of his mad tuba-playing skillz. No, not "skills" - skills. They were awesome enough to deserve the Z at the end. "It's a brass musical instrument! There's several different types, but personally, I specialize in the sousaphone, but I'm pretty good . I'm pretty good at playing it, too - here, I'll show you!" He reached behind his back, pulling out a comically large sousaphone from who-knows-where, inhaling in preparation for blowing into it...
...only for Rika to immediately snatch it away. "No! No playing the tuba in enclosed spaces!" she scolded him. "I'm quite sure Neo would rather NOT have his eardrums blown out!"
Q pouted. "Ah, c'mon! Everyone loved my tuba-playing back at the village; they threw me berries for my early morning performances and gave me standing ovations and everything! ...The berries DID taste a little funny, though. Kinda like floor ice cream. Anyway s'not like it's that loud."
Guile eyed the offending instrument warily. "I see... and how early in the morning did you say these performances were again?" The Sableye was currently employing the dry tone he used when he was about to unleash large amounts of sarcasm, snark, and/or exasperation.
Q considered this a moment. "Weeell, I generally made sure to get up really, really early. That way I'd have the sunrise to use as a backdrop for my music!"
Rika's eye twitched slightly, the Mawile no doubt remembering some of the aforementioned early tuba sessions. Really, she loved Q like a brother, but his tuba playing... well, it wasn't "horrible" so much as "ear-rendingly loud" - the Elgyem rarely ever bothered to use the concept of volume control when playing. It didn't help that he was insistent on finding a way to play rock and roll on the tuba, which was... no. Just... no.
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 10:56 am
Neo & Nyx Nyx too had been about to stop the Elgyem before he could start to play, aware of how loud the tuba could be; while he was unaware of the extent of Neo's ear problems as of yet, he did know that Meowstic had sensitive hearing and didn't want to risk the chance that it would cause his partner any discomfort. He'd been tensed to jump on the albino Psychic, since that was his only means of preventing Q from playing at this point, but fortunately Rika beat him to the punch. The Vulpix relaxed, repositioning himself so that he was sitting upright, tails tucked around his paws and no longer anxious. So long as that instrument didn't see a performance everything would be fine. "Yes, Neo would indeed prefer that, as would I," Nyx agreed with a low chuckle. "Perhaps on a different occasion." When Neo can be at least thirty feet away from him.
Neo stared at the instrument curiously, unperturbed by the sudden outcries of his various companions. It must be very loud for Nyx and Rika to react like they did, but he did want to hear what it sounded like; music was on of the Meowstic's fascinations, since he could hear things in it that few Pokemon could. He blinked in surprise at Q's commentary, starting to get some idea of what sort of a Pokemon the Elgyem was. "I, uh, maybe wouldn't make a habit of that here," the Meowstic said tentatively, "I'm pretty sure there's some sort of rule about quiet hours." Then again, he could be wrong, but there was no need to mention that to the excitable Elgyem. "But I'll take you up on the performance some other time, when we won't disrupt anyone." Maybe he should bring his earplugs with him too if that happened, they didn't cancel sound so much as make it softer, which he might need if the others' reactions were any indication. Even Guile looked troubled, so you knew it had to be pretty bad. "Anyway. So you just got back from your first mission! How did it feel to be out on assignment? Nyx and I were planning on checking the mission boards out tomorrow." The Vulpix nodded in agreement, sipping his tea once more as Neo steered the conversation back to subtler things.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 11:24 am
Q blinked in bafflement. "...Quiet hours? Why would anyone want things quiet?" And the scary/amusing thing was that he was completely serious. To him, quiet was boring. Fun was supposed to be loud and awesome and chaos and anarchy and debauchery (whatever that was) and FETCHEZ LA VACHE! How on earth would anyone have fun if they were supposed to be quiet?!? Still, he supposed he should respect the Guild rules - maybe there was some new kind of quiet fun he was overlooking?
The Elgyem was brought out of his thoughts at Neo's question. "Oh, it was awesome! I got to meet so many new Pokémon and see so many new things! For example, on the way back I saw this one rock formation that looked like a Pichu mooning passersby!" Guile choked slightly on laughter even as Rika shook her head in resigned exasperation. "Pity I didn't get to talk to any of the Pokémon - they looked like they'd be fun! ...Then again, a lot of 'em DID look like they'd attack us if we approached 'em..."
Meanwhile, Rika frowned slightly, looking rather puzzled; why did she get the distinct feeling that something was going on somewhere that would piss her off when she learned about it? Mentally shrugging, she shook her head to clear it and focused back on the conversation, eating another Berry.
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 5:45 pm
 Gilded
His nose was shoved to the ground as he padded along the hallway, sniffing and snuffling at every corner and door until he found the one that lead him to his destination. The scent trail for that delicious egg stopped just outside another team's lodgings and he nosed his way in with a wriggling motion to glance around inside the room before quickly dipping back out into the hall to assess the situation.
There were some other Pokemon in there around the egg. Huh, how was he going to get to it then?
Gilded was not a dog of particular intelligence and while he wasn't entirely stupid as well he lacked what one might call common sense in some situations.
He quickly decided, very wrongly, that the best course of action was to burst in guns blazing like in an old western movie.
The Poochyena began to bark rapidly as he jumped in through the doorway, his teeth glinting pale blue and frosting over with ice as he began to prepare his Ice Fang.
"Hand over the egg, ruff! Or I'll be forced to take it by force, ruff!"
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 6:17 pm
Neo & Nyx Neo blinked in surprise at Q's last comment, tilting his head curiously. "They looked like they'd...attack you?" While it wasn't completely unheard of for Pokemon to get hostile when their territory was intruded upon, but the Meowstic had never been in a place where a majority of the Pokemon seemed resentful of his presence. Sure there were the odd encounters, but most Pokemon were reasonable if you only tried to talk to them and work things out--at least, that was true of his past experiences. It was awfully strange for the Psychic to think about, but he made a mental note of it just in case: maybe the Guild wasn't well-known enough yet for other Pokemon to respect them. He would have said more, but a quiet sound caught Neo's ears at that very moment, causing him to perk up attentively--there was someone else at the door.
He only caught sight of the Pokemon's face for a brief moment, an inquisitive face with a golden muzzle opening the door a crack before it shot back just as quickly. Now that was strange... "Hello?" he called out, rising to his paws with a quizzical look on his face, "You can come in if you like. We were just having a little chat." The face had been unfamiliar, but Neo didn't mind in the slightest: if there was a new Guild member who was looking to make some friends, he'd be happy to oblige. This invitation came, of course, before the Poochyena burst into the room, hackles raised and hostility evident in the tone of his voice. "O-Oh..." The word came out of his mouth unintentionally as he stared, dumbstruck, at the golden Pokemon. Just what was going on here?
The words had barely come out of the stranger's mouth when Nyx turned on him, eyes flashing with utter derision. The Vulpix had turned around to see who Neo was addressing, but the minute he saw the ice that coated the Poochyena's fangs his neutral expression had grown cold, and the Fire Type crouched defensively between the Dark Type and the other Pokemon in the room, fire burning in his throat. "I will give you one chance," Nyx growled, advancing on the Poochyena threateningly, "I will not harm you if stand down and tell me exactly what you were intending by barging into my home and antagonizing my guests." The Vulpix made quite an imposing figure, all nine of his tails bristling with fury as he faced the other quadruped. "It would be in your best interests to comply."
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 6:52 pm
"Well, to be fair, most of 'em seemed pretty neutral at least," Q reasoned... and then blinked as the strange Poochyena barged into the room, turning to stare at it in bafflement. "...Say wha now? Why do you want Stormageddon?"
Guile rolled his eyes, on guard as he watched the little yellow canine warily, ready to intercept if it tried anything. "How about you defend first, ask later?"
"Good point." Q's stare hardened, his eyes glowing with psychic power as he formed a Psycho Cut blade. "You made a big mistake attacking Team Oddball... cause the Force is with ME, sucka!" he declared in a surprisingly deadly tone, brandishing his "sword" in a threatening manner... and then faltered as he noticed the aura of pure rage forming around Rika. And was that the shadow of some sort of demonic Hydreigon behind her? Yep, she was channeling her dad again - they were all doomed.
Sure enough, Rika was very much pissed off - they were having a nice, friendly chat with Team Essence, and then some random Poochyena busts in demanding their egg and threatening them? Yeah, she was pissed, and the steely glare she was giving the small, yellow creature did not bode well for him. "Stand down or SUFFER." Somehow, her demonic tone managed to conjure up all sorts of disturbing, gory, and all-around painful mental images, which quite heavily suggested that standing down was by far the healthier option.
Even the egg had somehow managed to get in on the intimidation act, the pure malice it was emitting increasing until it was visible in the form of a pitch-black aura. And was it sparking with large amounts of deadly-looking electricity? Yep, it was sparking.
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 7:01 pm
Gilded
"I don't think you heard Gil, ruff!" The canine barked out, sizing off with Nyx and his golden fur bristling along his spine like ridges on a dragon. "I say hand over egg, ruff!"
It was at that moment he glanced toward the others just behind the Vulpix and spotted the egg in question and his snarling and vicious display of teeth and growls faded into a look of pure confusion and aghast horror.
"...what the heck, ruff." The Poochyena's stance shifted into a more casual one that had nothing to do with the Pokemon bearing down to assault him in defense of the egg, but the egg itself. He'd never seen one do that sort of thing and it put off his appetite for it quite quickly and suddenly.
"How eat that, ruff? No good for food when it spark, ruff! Don't want, ruff!"
And what might have been amost violent altercation ended swiftly with the pup plopping down to sit on his bottom and grumble unhappily at the ground.
"What now, ruff?" He said plaintively, ignoring the two teams entirely now and apparently speaking to himself. "Can't eat spark, ruff, can't eat that. What to eat now, ruff?"
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