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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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 Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 12:33 pm
Neo & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Alexandru Lux was flattered, to say the least, by Quil's outburst. The bug's aura shone bright with excitement and awe, and it pleased the Lucario to receive such an honest delight for his actions. He laughed softly, shaking his head a bit at the Joltik's question. "No, this is only my color," he said, lighting a paw and holding it up so Quil could observe it easily if he chose. The aura he displayed was the same, deep gold as before,
but in its resting position the aura's restlessness would be made clear--though Lux wasn't manipulating it to do anything special, the energy swirled and churned with the ferocity of a tempest. "And it doesn't even stay this shade always. Auras generally have one or two dominant colors and one or more lesser shades. They don't always compliment one another either. The colors reflect the personality of the aura's owner, revealing certain things about how they're inclined to act. And the way the aura moves can tell you what that individual is feeling. Its brightness shows physical health as well, and also the strength of emotions."
The Lucario stared at the ball of gold that rested in the tendrils of aura that streaked his paw. His world was nothing but aura now, so he'd learned many of its intimate secrets; still, no matter how beautiful it was, it didn't stop him from wondering if he'd give it all up if he might regain his sight. No... By this point, to lose aura would be worse than even losing his sight had been, since he'd rebuilt his entire life around the curious energy that he was sharing with his small companion now.
"Your aura is similar to mine," he told Quil conversationally. He'd flirted with his past enough for one day--the present was much worthier of his time, especially when he could share it with one so young and curious as the Joltik atop him. "But yours is softer: a very gentle gold. Very responsive to your emotions, it grows and shrinks depending on your confidence in a situation. It's an encouraging aura; it will interact with others but never dominate them." He chuckled. "At least, that's what I have seen thus far. This is only our first meeting, so it's something of a cold read."
- - - - -
Neo nodded, not missing the speed at which Skye jumped on his conversation topic. Talking about the Eclipses was something she liked very much, it seemed, and he would respect that, though Alexandru seemed a bit disappointed. "That makes sense to me," the Meowstic said with a laugh and a warm smile. "I think most rescue-focused teams have a certain quality about them, you know? Not that the other focuses don't care about others, but rescuers tend to be softer types I think." His eyes widened as soon as the words left his mouth, keenly aware that the words could be misconstrued. "I-In the best possible way, I mean! I think there's a lot of empathy in rescuers." Neo rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably, quickly redirecting. "A-Anyway good luck working with a bigger group, I definitely know what that's like." Well, in part. Without Nyx, the organization of his members would have been hell, but fortunately Nyx always seemed to have a handle on... well, everything. "I guess you've probably done it before, but the pressure of directing everyone is no joke." He smiled, brightening again. "Once you finish your first group mission you should let me know; I'd love to buy you a celebratory drink to help unwind."
Alexandru, for his part, didn't mention the thought that may have crossed Frost's mind, were he listening: was that why Team Essence called themselves a rescue team, though they almost never did rescue work? His captain was certainly an empathetic person, and saw himself as the same type--perhaps it was that distinction that made him unwilling to change the forms so their team designation reflected the work they actually did. Instead, he picked up on something more intriguing Skye had mentioned. "Mercenary work, you say?" The bat tilted his head curiously. "That entails rather dangerous undertakings, does it not?" There was respect in Alexandru's voice, though he felt the itch of concern burn brighter in his stomach when he heard the information. Just who was this half-royal child who came from a family that trained Guildmasters? It was good, to be sure, that Neo and she seemed friendly. The bat was more concerned that he'd nearly lost his secret to someone with the amount of power Skye seemed to hold; he would not make the same mistake again. "You must be quite brave."
- - - - -
Clara sniffled, comforted by the way Zahra held her close. It was nice to hear her talk, and feel the way her voice vibrated in her chest. She said strange things, but nice things, and the Drifloon took comfort in the sincerity of the Togetic's words. She didn't get the wherewithal to speak for several moments after Zahra finished, instead focusing on her breathing. She waited until her breath matched her heartbeat in a way that felt strangely familiar--the child couldn't think of why she knew to do it and yet she was certain it would help. It did.
"Maybe... Maybe I'll talk to Uncle Quil about it later." She felt calmer now, less like she was going to drown in her anxieties. It was peaceful. She nuzzled her head a bit more into Auntie Zahra's down and sighed. After a moment, she spoke up again, curious, this time, and tentative. "What do you mean you were supposed to be a flower?"
- - - - -
Eliot's eyes quickly widened when he found his brilliant plan set awry by a pair of massive paws enveloping his entire body. It hadn't occurred to the puppy that something like that could happen, since he was used to much smaller sparring partners. But then Frost got very tall, head brushing the ceiling and Eliot found himself surrounded by gentle nuzzles and low growls in a language the tiny Growlithe realized as one of deep affection. It was good here: it was safe. Whining happily, Eliot relinquished his hold to nuzzle his head into Frost's paws, torn between gentle headbutts and a series of rapid, frantic puppy kisses. Not even Uncle Tobi, who Eliot had believed to be the expert on all things play, was as good as Frost. Frost was undoubtedly the best--he seemed to understand all the things that were so difficult for the puppy to say.
Eliot's whining changed from one of eager friendliness to a whimper of sadness at Frost's words, his tail's furious wagging stilled at the news that playtime was over when it had just begun. The puppy placed a small paw on Frost's nose and looked at him with sad eyes. "But... B-but..." He didn't have the words to express his feelings so he whimpered again instead, the spirited grin from before replaced with a gloomy frown. He wasn't done playing, but he knew that sound in Frost's voice: when Daddy's voice sounded like that you weren't supposed to disagree, otherwise Daddy would get sad or you'd get in trouble--or both. He didn't want either of those things from Frost, so he had to stop, but stopping was too hard when he'd just found something so wonderful. "It's n-not fair," Eliot muttered grumpily, still held up by the larger dog's paws.
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 8:32 am
 Skye & Quil & Zahra & Guildmaster FrostQuil’s tiny claw wavered in the air as he tentatively pressed the tip against Lux’s glowing palm. He had no true hands, but the gesture of touch was still something he very much treasured. The golden energy swirled restlessly around his claw, but it didn’t seem to interact with him at all. A part of him felt saddened, wishing that it would. Maybe that he could see his own. But he didn’t know if that was even possible; Lux looked like he used a considerable amount of focus to show Quil even this.
”It’s still amazing,” he answered Lux quietly, thinking about how Lux could tell so much even with the newness of their relationship.
”I wish I could feel it,” Quil informed him as he continued to watch the rapid swirling of what Quil would forever think of as magic. His was like this, too, but calmer as Lux had described it. He couldn’t imagine his own aura being so active and enthralling as this. ”It’s… like seeing your soul. But, outside of you. It’s really strange, but it’s kind of humbling looking at it and thinking that all this is from one person. It's like watching a little piece of the sun.” His voice softened to a dreamy whisper as a cloud-like tendril of aura curved close to his face.
- - - - -
Skye blinked at Neo in blatant surprise as the words left his mouth. Her own jaw slackened a little bit as the Meowstic rapidly tried to catch up to where his thoughts had actually been headed and she tucked her chin down to hide a laugh behind her paw. Eyes sparkling with bemusement, she waved off his comment. She’d known what he meant, even if watching the expression of dawning horror cross his face had been a little entertaining to watch. ”Don’t worry about it,” she told him with a smile.
She did listen with interest to his concerns about leadership versus typical teamwork; however, noting that he likely had as much or more experience in that matter than she did. She’d led groups before the Guild, but never actually within it. He was right and she likely had a steep learning curve ahead of her.
”I’d like that,” she happily agreed to the offered celebration. ”I’ll definitely have to let you know when we get back; it sounds like a lot of fun.” She wasn’t expecting anything particularly dangerous; not for their first mission as a larger group. Rescue work could be complex, but most of the danger lay in wait for their clients rather than the rescuers themselves. They just had to be careful.
Skye could feel a flicker of hesitation from the psychic-like Zubat beside them, turning to face Alexandru properly. She nodded as he clarified that she hadn’t misspoken about mercenary work. ”It… does. Sometimes it feels like the opposite of rescue operations, but I like to think that they have the same goal.” She knew that sounded incredibly strange, so she continued in a slightly clearer voice. She was a bit of a nerd; hopefully they wouldn’t mind if she rambled. ”Both… situations have the same problem: someone in need is faced with a threat. Rescue work involves removing that person from the threat and getting them somewhere safe. It’s less dangerous, but it’s not always a permanent fix. Mercenary work is like you’re removing the threat instead. You’re still separating people from the problem, but you do so by targeting what caused the problem instead of looking to move people out of the way.”
”I’ve actually had rescue missions that turned into mercenary work as much as I’ve intentionally taken a mercenary posting. I feel like a lot of us have.” She looked thoughtfully down into her cup of cider as she considered it. ”I don’t think I’m brave, exactly. It’s just that I don’t think there’s as clear a distinction between the two as people think there is. It’s all dangerous work; we just approach it differently.”
- - - - -
Zahra held herself relatively still and stable as Clara sat quietly with her. The minutes dragged on between words and Zahra felt herself itch to fill the gap, but she knew she should wait. Clara seemed to be calming down, and her eyes had fluttered shut as she breathed. The Togetic was almost surprised to find her awake several minutes later when the Drifloon’s eyes reopened.
She accepted the nuzzling with warmth and patience, but she snickered as Clara finally realized that she’d made a joke partway through their conversation. ”Not a real flower, I promise. My grandma’s a Florges,” she told Clara cheerfully, happy to talk about her big family back home. ”They’re covered in all sorts of flowers and their bodies look like leaves. It’s pretty neat, I guess, but I’m happy I have wings and feathers like my parents. Pretty sure my Grandma always wanted a Flabébé kid in the family, but it’s not like she loved us less ‘cause we weren’t.”
She playfully draped a wing over Clara’s head, the soft feathers brushing against the wispy clouds there. ”There’s not really a supposed ta’ be with people. They’re always different than you expect them ta’ be; we’re kind of complicated like that. It’s why I said you’re fine like you are. Doesn’t really matter ta’ us if you’re not what somebody expects.”
- - - - -
If Frost were a feline, he’d be purring. As it was, the low rumble in his chest and throat would roll like distant thunder when Eliot graced him with all the excitable affection one puppy could muster at a time. He kept nuzzling for a moment, enjoying the familiarity of someone his own kind and the brightness of actually a very friendly, well-behaved little kid.
”I know,” he soothed apologetically. Eliot’s sharp whine of sadness had fizzled into a whimper that instinctively tugged at his heart. He carefully settled Eliot back onto the ground as the Growlithe betrayed the lack of fairness in that situation. He wanted to stay, but that wasn’t proper or responsible for him to do. He was responsible for the whole Guild, and one little puppy who wasn’t his couldn’t get in the way of doing his job. It was unfortunate, but he’d likely not have time to play as long as Eliot wanted for a very long time.
Eliot’s grumpy growling about it wasn’t fair off his feelings on the matter, either. ”I’m sorry I have to go so soon,” he told Eliot earnestly. He hadn’t realized how deep his voice had gotten, but the high-pitched yips of the Growlithe with him was starting to be a bit of a contrast. ”If your father’s okay with it, maybe I can visit again some time. You can show me how much stronger you are.” The offer was there, but it would be conditional on Neo's comfort with the idea. As much as he wanted to just wrestle and play, this still wasn't his kid.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 10:39 am
Neo & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Alexandru "Your soul..." Lux pondered the phrasing. "I suppose you could think of it that way, certainly. I tend to think of it as your essence." He chuckled, wondering if Quil might pick up on the less-than-impressive connection that had drawn him to the Team he now served. "Of course, some would say those two things are one and the same. Perhaps they are."
Quil certainly seemed to be immersed in this experience, in any case. Lux smiled slightly at the bug's metaphor, listening to the awe that enveloped the little creature's entire being. The Lucario was glad to find someone giving proper appreciation to his art; most people just thought of aura as fancy lights and forceful magic, but it was so much more. "It's kind of you to say so," he said to Quil, "though I don't know that'd I'd compare my aura to the sun. It's not nearly clear enough." He smiled wryly. "Yours is far clearer, truer to its color." Lux exhaled through his nose, leaning back on his free paw. "As for how it feels, it's very difficult to describe. I think the closest I can compare it with is the feeling of a head rush. Think about falling. Falling from a great height and staring down as the wind rushes past your face. That briskness and clarity--that's something like the feeling of aura when it's focused. There's no sensation of touch, but it's a definite feeling that enters the mind and prickles the skin." He could answer questions like this, but unfortunately there was only so much he could do for one who couldn't see and control aura for himself. At least Quil seemed to appreciate even this, though Lux felt a pang of regret that he couldn't do more.
- - - - -
Neo smiled happily, nodding in agreement. It would be nice to spend some time with someone who could relate to his experiences. She seemed to be enthusiastic about it too, so that was nice. The Meowstic's mind began to race with thoughts of the best place to take her as the Espeon turned her attention to Alexandru.
The Zubat nodded pensively, considering what Skye told him. "I could see how that situation might arise, yes," he murmured. "In both cases the problem is the same, it is simply a matter of differing tactics. A good perspective." It made the reputation mercenaries held seem less-justified, a very sympathetic viewpoint. It was little wonder his captain got along so well with someone of the Espeon's persuasion. "Still, you shouldn't undercredit yourself," The bat chastised her gently. "Even if it is true that the tactics are the only difference, there is a strength of body and mind required to handle a threat directly that many individuals lack. I certainly know I would find it very difficult to do the same." He raised a wing to the Espeon in a slight salute. "In that sense, you are certainly made of something formidable. It is a winning quality for a lady like yourself."
Oh, not a real flower, that made more sense. Clara had been trying to reconcile the idea of a flower hatched from an egg with little success, but she did understand the idea of Grass Types covered in flowers and plants being hatched. "That would've been pretty," she agreed, "but you're pretty the way you are, too." She liked Auntie Zahra's white feathers, how soft and fine they were, like the clouds on her own head.
The Drifloon nodded at the Togetic's words of wisdom, trying to understand them as best as she could. She'd thought there was a "right" way to be--there were definitely right things to do so it made sense that there would be a right way of being, didn't it? But that wasn't what Auntie Zahra said. It wasn't really what Daddy said either, but this was somebody outside of her immediate family affirming the idea, and that was something new. "Maybe..." she said softly, clearly thinking very hard about the idea. "If--if it's okay to do something else, then I might." What that might be, she didn't know, but she knew very well she didn't want to fight, she didn't want to evolve, and she didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Those were certainties in her young mind.
Speaking of doing something else The Drifloon moved out from beneath Zahra, smiling slightly as she pulled out from under the Togetic's wing. She felt better now, and she glanced around the room. Everyone seemed kind of busy in here, and all the emotions she'd gone through were really tiring. With an airy sigh, Clara's eyes began to droop as she floated up to a more comfortable position, where her arms could dangle without dragging on the ground. She looked over towards her father, blinking heavily. Maybe they could go soon?
Eliot, rather than finding his paws, allowed his body to slump to the ground when he was placed there, dropping his muzzle to his paws as he sulked.
He heard the sincerity of Frost's apology, but it didn't change the fact that he was leaving and that was too sad for words to make it better. So, the Growlithe lay there petulantly, tail flicking listlessly in a way clearly learned from his Meowstic father. He looked up at Frost only after a few moments had passed since his last comment, perking up a bit. "You promise?" He wouldn't even wait for affirmation before jumping to his paws and scrambling across the room to an unsuspecting Neo. "Daaaaad!"
Neo flinched, drawn back from his thoughts to find a small muzzle nudging him impatiently, Eliot's expression determined and stern. "What, what is it?" He reached his paws down to scratch the Growlithe behind the ears, smiling down at him as he spoke to him softly. "What's gotten into you, huh?"
"Dad, Frrrrost wants to visit! He says he wants to see me get strrrronger." Eliot's words were surprisingly sure, so determined was the puppy was to convey his message. "Frrrrrost can visit, rrrright? He said if you said it was okay. It's okay, rrrright?" The puppy's eyes were wide and hopeful, and much as the idea shocked Neo to his core he couldn't even have imagined saying no.
"O-Oh? Frost does?" It felt weird to say a Guildmaster's name so informally. He didn't know what else to do though, since Eliot had said it first. He glanced at the Arcanine sheepishly, then refocused on his son. "Well if Frost wants to visit of course he can," he said reassuringly. "I told you you can invite any of your friends over, right?" Of course, this was a bit different, but...
Eliot was already off, back at Frost's paws. "Dad says it's okay!" he barked eagerly. "Th-That means you can come over. So y-you should commme." He batted at the Arcanine's paw, scurrying over towards the door and bouncing up and down expectantly.
"E-Eliot!" Neo's voice shot up in pitch to the point of it cracking slightly, much to his embarrassment. He hopped up from his seat and made his way over to the expectant child. "Frost is a very busy man, Eliot. He's in charge of the whole Guild. He only came here for a little bit to talk to Auntie Skye, so he probably can't come visit right now. But I'm sure, since you asked nicely, he'll come visit when he can." Hopefully he was saying the right things here.
Eliot stared up at Frost, awestruck by his father's words. "Y-y-y-y-you're in charge of the whole Guild?" Just when he thought the big dog couldn't be more amazing. His tail was wagging again as his eyes sparkled with admiration. "Wooooow!"
Meanwhile, Neo woefully thought to himself what have I done?
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Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 10:48 am
Skye & Quil & Zahra & Guildmaster FrostQuil’s nose wrinkled when he smiled. It wasn’t too visible through the thick fluff, but it still scrunched up his expression a bit. ”I guess that explains Neo,” he answered Lux amicably. The thought that Lux had chosen his teammates purely because of their name seemed a little silly; it was too shallow a connection to be the reason in its entirety. But it was interesting to think about.
He had to stop cracking jokes when Lux continued to explain the sensation of aura; however, because the complexity of what Lux was telling him necessitated his absolute attention. He didn’t have the same capacity to sense aura the way a Lucario would. He wasn’t a psychic or ghost, either, so he couldn’t adapt to feeling it out with similar abilities. Those words and the occasional glimpse of something beyond his reach were all he’d ever get when it came to aura. He wanted to treasure that.
Heart full of appreciation, Quil’s smile had settled into something more relaxed as their conversation continued. Their companionship for the afternoon would continue in sporadic bursts of comfortable conversation before the pair would eventually be called out of the sunlight by their teammates.
- - - - -
”I’ve had a lot of time to think about it,” Skye admitted to Alexandru as he voiced his approval for her perspective on mercenaries. ”Mercenary missions are pretty polarizing for a lot of people, but it makes a hard job much easier if I believe in the reason I’m doing it.” She felt secretly pleased that neither of the two Pokemon still with her at the table would judge her for it, either. Alexandru was still very much a mystery to her, but he’d proven himself a very lenient companion despite their initial conflict. Neo she’d known would be okay with it, somehow. She could sense his acceptance by the shift in his psychic energy and her own would give voice to contentment in turn. It was a vague exchange of emotions, but it made sense to psychics.
Alexandru’s chastisement felt more like a compliment than anything else. ”Thank you; it’s sweet of you to say.” She accepted his salute with grace, lifting her chin to smile proudly back at him in spite of the fluttering behind her ribcage. She was somewhat grateful not to have someone like Riley here; the other Espeon overhearing such praise would have been more embarrassing than she cared to admit. Particularly since the other feline knew exactly who she was.
The sudden interruption of Eliot worming between them to reach his father was enough to fill the lull in their conversation. Neo’s soft voice was paternal and loving. Skye’s own expression shifted to something like tentative affection, though she was notably more reserved with children than her teammates were. She could be vulnerable with other adults, given their maturity, but children she felt like she had to be a little more guarded with despite her affection for them. Eliot’s request was enough to break a polite smile into a knowing smirk. She eyed the Arcanine, who stood awkwardly on the living room floor.
To his credit, Frost simply smiled patiently down at Eliot as the Growlithe bounced around his paws. In the short time that Eliot had turned to ask his father’s permission, he’d drained his bowl of cider and moved to stand closer to the door. ”I am one of three who do that,” he corrected with quiet bemusement, gently stroking a large paw over Eliot’s shoulders. ”But your father’s right; I have to get back to work.”
Now he dipped his head respectfully to Neo. ”Thank you,” he told the Meowstic sincerely. ”I understand it’s a strange thing to ask of you, but our species is very social. I’m glad to spend time with one of my own.” His explanation was likely a bit late in coming for the frazzled-looking cat. ”Eliot’s a clever pup; you should be proud of that. Perhaps I’ll send a message along soon, that we could find a better time for us to meet.”
”It was good seeing you,” Skye’s voice echoed from behind the males. She found her way beside Neo but restrained herself from a more affectionate send-off given Frost’s distancing to a more professional stance. ”I hope you’ll visit us, as well. For something other than work?” Much like Alexandru’s, her chastisement held no real bite to it. Frost still looked properly admonished about it; he obviously hadn’t seen her outside of Guild matters in some time.
”I will, and thank you. I quite enjoyed this. Claudius and I will see you tonight. We’ll expect you in the board room by seven o’clock.” His voice didn’t betray his guilt at all. He’d had much practice in keeping an even tone.
”Of course, Guildmaster,” Skye chirped obediently. She held the door for him as he left, giving a last nod to Eliot and Neo as he went.
- - - - -
Zahra brightened at the compliment, but realized very quickly that the heavy conversation was pretty draining for Clara. Rethinking your life and facing your fears would drain the fight out of anybody, but Clara was just a kid.
As Clara rose to look about the room, Zahra wasn’t sure if she imagined her drooping posture or not. She just stood in time with the little Drifloon’s floaty movements, guiding the way closer to Neo where they’d stood near the front door. Frost was leaving (thankfully, as far as Zahra was concerned) and Neo’s team looked about ready to do the same. ”I think someone’s good ta’ go home and have a rest after that big a lunch,” she suggested considerately to Clara. She figured Neo had some idea of what was going on, but there was no need to just out Clara and announce it all to the room. Besides, the expression on Skye’s face looked a little more like a professional mask than it did several minutes ago. She had a feeling that she was going to be giving orders once their guests were on the way out.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 7:11 pm
Neo & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Alexandru Eliot took kindly to Frost's petting, growling affectionately and batting at the big paw that had landed on his back. It seemed the boy was placated for the time being.
Neo felt a twinge of jealousy to see the light in Eliot's eyes as the boy looked up at Frost, much as he tried to quell the sensation. It was hard to see your child look at someone else much like they looked at you, even if you understood why: Frost and Eliot shared a species, and with it an understanding that outsiders could never have. Having that feeling of alienation from your own child wasn't easy for any parent, but Neo, with all his will, swallowed his pride and nodded back to Frost with a half smile. "No, no I get it," he said, waving his paws quickly, to dismiss Frost's apology. "Eliot really admires other Pokemon of his line--I've seen it before with other Growlithe he's met." Neo laughed softly, somewhat embarrassed by the compliment he'd been given. "Thanks for saying that though," he said, honesty in his voice and words. "I think... You'll be an excellent role model for him. So I hope you two can spend some time together in the future, if it's not too much trouble; it'd mean the world to him." With a last hesitant nod, Neo stepped back to allow Skye to say her goodbyes, putting a paw on Eliot to keep him still when Frost moved away. He rubbed the boy's head quietly as the last formalities were spoken and offered a slight wave as Frost left, a nervous smile on his face as the Arcanine turned his back. That was a lot to take in.
"Good luck at worrrrk!" Eliot barked after Frost, tail wagging as he squirmed away from his father to bid farewell to his new hero. "Commme visit soon! I'll be even strrrrongerrr!" He obediently stood inside the door, but he watched Frost walk the hall until the large dog disappeared, and then a bit longer to be sure he didn't come back. It was only after several moments had passed since the Arcanine vanished around the corner that Eliot turned around--and promptly staggered forward to press against his father's side, nearly knocking the Meowstic over."Dad I'm tiiiired," the puppy said loudly, his eyes suddenly drooping now that the adrenaline rush had left him.
"I bet you are," Neo purred, adjusting his stance so he could bear his son's weight and patting him gently on the side. "It's been a big day, hasn't it?" He turned his head back toward Clara who was looking back at him with similarly heavy eyes and smiled. "What do you think, Clara? Is it time we said goodbye for now?" He held out a paw toward the Drifloon and she drifted towards him, arms coiling around her father's as soon as it was within reach.
He looked at her expectantly and she nodded, a short, weary gesture.
"Yeah... I'm ready to go home, Daddy."
Neo nodded, squeezing the Drifloon's hand gently. "Good girl. Thank you for telling me." He hailed Alexandru a moment after. "Dru, could you go tell Lux it's time to go? These two are ready for a nice nap after all that excitement, I think."
"But of course." Alexandru finished his final sip of cider and swooped out of the room to the garden without hesitation, returning in a short time with Lux in tow, a smiling Quil still perched on his shoulder. The Lucario would pass Quil off to Skye before they left, though not before handing him to Clara for a final hug.
The members of Team Sunstrike would receive sloppy puppy and airy balloon kisses as they said their farewells, along with a dual murmured "Good bye Auntie Zahra, Auntie Skye, Uncle Quil. Hope to see you soon."
Alexandru would offer cordial salutes to the group accompanied by a smile. "I had a lovely time. May you all be safe and well until our next meeting."
Lux offered warm handshakes to all of them, with the friendly strength of a Fighting Type. "Zahra, Skye, I do hope I'll have the pleasure of getting to know you better in the future. Quil..." he paused, reserving a special smile for the bug. "Thank you for our chat, it was just what I needed. I hope I get to see your flowers soon; I'm looking forward to it."
Neo, when the rest of his team was ready, smiled contentedly at the members of Team Sunstrike. "Sorry we have to cut out so soon," he said, an apologetic smile on his face. "But these two might topple over if I keep them out much longer." He grinned. "Still, you guys have some work to do it sounds like, so it's probably better this way." He looked Skye in the eyes and smiled. "Since this one got cut short, it just means we'll have to make up for it again soon. Maybe next time we'll host--Air and Nyx would love to meet you, and I'd love to meet Vyra, too." Happy thoughts for a future time. He turned his smile to Quil and then to Zahra. "Thanks for a fun time. You're always welcome to drop by any time, no matter the circumstances." And he meant those words. "We'll see you soon!" With a final parting wave, he turned, leading a child by either paw, and his remaining teammates followed behind him, heading back to their own home with a feeling of warmth and welcome still lingering in their chests.
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