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 Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 7:05 pm
 GhostGhost could almost feel the excitement that burst from Rebecca, watching the Armaldo’s pupils abruptly widen and her clawed arms suddenly reaching for as many of her documents as she could. It was both mechanical and hap-hazard as she dug through several of them consecutively, shoving them aside and re-dividing each of the documents she’d examined. The Absol could only sit and wait with trepidation as Rebecca continued to tear through everything she’d brought along to their meeting.
It would be several uneasy minutes of waiting, as it turned out, before Rebecca’s attention was finally returned back to Ghost. Three names were blurted from her throat, demanding to know if the Absol in question would have records with Ghost’s clan. She sighed with relief when, on mentally repeating the names, she realized that she knew all three of them.
”…Yes,” she nervously replied, not wanting to delay the already excitable Armaldo in her passion. ”I’ll have to get permission for Tide-caller’s writings from the next clan over, but Harbinger should be easy to get ahold of… Everyone studies Vitran’s records at some point,” she explained thoughtfully, tilting her head in a manner that would almost be cute were it not for the deadly gleam of the scythe-like horn at her temple.
She looked up to Rebecca, frowning slightly. ”Flame Augur… You will have to promise that you’ll treat her records well,” she managed, trying to muster some sort of confidence to demand that promise as she should. ”She was my great grandmother, a cousin to my clan elder. That’s… very recent, compared to the other two. Some of the Pokemon she mentions are still alive- you have to be careful about how you use that kind of information.” There was a slight edge to her voice as she warned the Armaldo.
She knew it would be useful from a historical standpoint, but that didn’t make it less sensitive a request. She didn’t want to think that Rebecca would misuse the transcripts. Perhaps that was naïve of her. Then again, perhaps she was right to think that- Rebecca had been very forthcoming so far.
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 11:50 pm
Venari
Arturius, Rebecca
Rebecca hung on to every word that was spoken with meticulous care. To hear that Vitran's records were accessible was pleasing as it would allow a great deal of work to be done on sorting myth from fact. Once they knew what was true, and what was not, they could begin to put in the work necessary to determine the true identities of those who had been wrapped into the myth of "Harbinger". Ghost's statement regarding Tide-Caller was curious in its own ways and it was something Rebecca made a mental note to ask about later. Rather than simply distributing the information as the Absol saw fit, it seemed there was some sort of vague ownership over the matter and that permissions could be required. That sort of thing wasn't particularly unusual but it did open up some questions worth asking at a later time.
But the two prior didn't really prepare her for the last of the trio. Rebecca, in a word, collapsed. She slumped and then fell backwards slightly to the side to avoid her cumbersome tail. It took her a moment of staring at the celing for her words to catch up to her thoughts. "Oh, goodness of course!" She had needed a moment to process it all. She needed a great deal more than a moment, but it wasn't as if she could ask for that. It was simply too much. Not in a bad way of course, no not at all; it was just overwhelming. In a single day, a single conversation, she had made years worth of progress. The geography of the coast would be elucidated by Tide-Caller's travels, but the "Flame Augur" was no less important. It was said that she had averted several catastrophic blazes or at least warned of them and saved the lives they would have consumed. No one had ever known what the blazes were, where they came from, or anything of the sort; some sources claimed legendaries, others thought it was the action of rogue marauders. It wasn't an ancient tale, but it was old enough and the speckled nature of the events gave rise to countless claims. It was even possible that the rash of fires had been a coincidence entirely and that she had simply had a gift for seeing them. She had endured, it was said, countless travels as she went from place to place and saved countless lives in the process.
Of course, that was all the stuff of myth and legends. The actual truth was hard to sort out from it all but there was now an option to grasp it. Pure, unaltered documentation offered by a direct descendant.
Rebecca lurched forward and upward, back into her normal sitting position, and finished her reassurance of Ghost. "I will absolutely handle it with the utmost care. If there's anything off limits, just tell me and then that's that." Whatever conditions Ghost had, they were fully acceptable. That was the start and the end of it. Rebecca's writings and recordings wouldn't mention a single solitary name if it was a concern of Ghost's that the privacy of those involved be concealed. She was fully serious when she said it, both on a professional and a personal level.
Provided Ghost didn't have anything to say that would redirect the discussion, Rebecca would continue on in the appropriate line of questioning. "Do you know what started the fires that she foretold, or how long she was fighting them?" It was the first and most obvious of many.
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Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 5:16 pm
GhostGhost felt a flicker of amusement as she watched her own words stun Rebecca to silence. The Armaldo seemed flabbergasted at the prospect of Flame Augur’s records, her gaze locked to the ceiling as she twitched and shifted. She looked like a kit that couldn’t sit still, itching with the need to do something and too full of energy for her own good. Ghost, a little more politely than you’d expect from a half-feral Pokemon, refrained from laughing at her antics.
Her reassurances were welcomed, though. The conviction in Rebecca’s voice felt trustworthy to Ghost, as did the childish excitement that still lit her plated face. At her offer for conditions on the matter, Ghost relaxed even further. Her shoulders sloped into a lax and open posture. ”Thank you,” she told her sincerely. She was still more distant in words than the average Pokemon, but much of the wariness impeding their conversation had vanished. Curiosity was rapidly taking its place. ”I… appreciate that. Absol don’t use real names very often anymore, but some of the other species do. If you could keep those to yourself, I’d appreciate it.”
“-And don’t um, share the copies. Especially Flame Augur’s. I know that’s probably frustrating for you, but some of the exact wording might be… sensitive. I think the elders would be much happier for it.” Her second request was a bit of an afterthought, and probably less liked by Rebecca given her line of work, but it would be a lot easier for Ghost to convince her people to share what they had if they knew the recipient was still sworn to secrecy about certain matters. ”N-not that you can’t tell anyone anything, I just mean that we should be discrete. I guess you already agreed to that.” Meaning: don’t share the actual papers. It wasn’t likely that Rebecca would.
She didn’t have time to dwell on the awkwardness of that, with Rebecca quickly pressing to ask about Flame Augur’s efforts. Ghost tilted her head with a confused expression. ”That’s in the documents,” she answered bluntly. Why would she ask when she’d be reading it herself? Were all Armaldo like this? Speaking of-
”Why is your armor blackened?” Ghost interjected curiously, offering a slight step forward and craning her neck to peer closer at the odd markings. She’d noticed the tattoos the first time they’d met, but she hadn’t really looked at them. They were different than what she’d seen on other Pokemon. ”Does it mean something?” She sniffed politely at Rebecca, but if she smelled of ink it was certainly off the parchment she wrote on. The tattoos weren’t fresh, even if they still looked new.
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Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 7:07 pm
Venari
Arturius, Rebecca
"Of course, of course. Strictly titles, then. They don't need to be known for anything beyond their roles. As long as their positions in the area are understood, little else matters for those who seek to understand the locals. And I won't copy or spread the texts, I'll simply summarize them and take notes. You can look them over afterwards if you'd like." Whether a man had a name or simply the title of mayor, history cast him the same eye. What was important was not the person, but the roles and responsibilities they undertook. Those were essential. Historians and pokepologists in the future would doubtless look back to her work in order to understand the times she was now documenting. How exciting!
She nearly began to reply, having had a brief mental stop at Ghost's half-response half-question. Well, of course it was in the document. But she wanted to know! And she would have to wait for the documents. And if she knew a little bit now, she could try to figure some out from existing documents in order to prepare herself. But then Ghost suddenly changed topics, and with it so did Rebecca's attention. "Oh! Yes, the tattoos! Well you see they're actually how I joined the team, I had found an old ritual for a fighting type clan I was studying, specifically a group of Primeapes, and I had wanted to undertake the ritual myself so I put out a request. The culture itself you see was very interesting, the clan used to live on what we call the Ancient Battlefield and it was one of many fighting type communities that had a friendly accord with one another. The clans all got along wonderfully, shared resources in times of strain and celebrated together in times of bounty. But an unfriendly rivalry between two clan leaders turned to war when their children eloped and one of the two, a particularly sinister man, called for aid from fire and poison types. The fields were scorched and poisoned, eliminating the clans as they stood... we only have a few records left of them at all! It was extremely hard work putting together what I did, and I had to track down a great many pokemon to inquire about the tales their grandfathers had spoken in order to fill in the gaps left from damaged writings. Luckily, the ritual itself was bizarre enough that a few travelers took note of it and recorded it in decent enough detail. The first and second part were simple enough, but the third involved having ink placed in cuts along the body, forming a permanent set of lines under the fur. I had an artist put one together based on the descriptions I could retrieve, and then Arthur did the cutting while Ty put the ink in. After that I drank some tea, as according to the ritual, and I undertook the final two parts; a fight with the ancestors, and the recognition of the crowd. I fought an elderly Primeape, and when I ascended the hill I saw them all. Nobody else saw it, and the doctors tell me that the tea I drank made me see and hear things that weren't there. But they also told me the tattoos would disappear when I shed, yet they're still here!" She smiled triumphantly as best as her body would allow. "So I'm certain that even if the clan is gone, something very real happened there."
It might have seemed like nonsense. In fact, to anyone with good sense, it likely was. Arturius was a ghost himself, and Katherine was of psychic origins. If it had been the spirits of the departed, or anything of the sort, they certainly would have been detected by one or the other. Yet Katherine saw nothing, and Arturius's original silence on the matter spoke volumes more than he originally did. All the same, the tattoos that covered much of Rebecca's torso and looped up, around and behind her neck were a source of pride for her. She was absolutely certain that it had been a real experience, in some sense.
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Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 7:38 pm
GhostGhost nodded appreciatively. The Armaldo’s idea seemed fairly sound, and their agreement was made with a slight flick of Ghost’s blade-shaped tail. ”I’d be willing to help,” she conceded.
The matter of Rebecca’s tattoos were something else; however. The tale was about as long-winded as they came, but Rebecca seemed only to gain enthusiasm rather than lose it as the story progressed. A lost culture for Fighting-types (she didn’t think too hard about that) and a grand ritual that she’d attempted to recreate for herself. It sounded like some sort of coming-of-age trial, but Ghost shivered in discomfort at the thought of having liquid ink spilled into her wounds. Obviously Rebecca’s enthusiasm went much further than Ghost’s bravery.
The part about the visions was interesting, but she wasn’t really sure what to think about that. It sounded like a hallucination to Ghost, but that wasn’t quite something to say. Especially not when Rebecca and Arturius had been so understanding as to heed the warning she’d brought for Katherine. If they would trust her at her words, Ghost would offer them the same courtesy here. Rebecca’s story came to a close, though Ghost imagined that the Armaldo had much more to say about it than she’d provided. Someone as passionate as Rebecca would probably always have something more to say. ”You must be very brave,” she decided aloud. ”I don’t think I could have carved markings into my skin like that.”
“…I suppose I couldn’t have fought a Primeape, either.” Some things were best left to stronger Pokemon. Fighting-types stayed robust and virile often into their twilight years. They’d certainly peak about the time that other species did, but their strength plateaued and their experience would creep ever higher as they aged. No, she confirmed with a shiver, she would not have attempted that kind of trial. No matter how curious she was.
”But I believe you,” she offered quietly. ”It happened one way or another, even if your teammates couldn’t share it.”
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Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 9:23 pm
Venari
Arturius, Rebecca
"Oh, no, I'm not brave. It's just that if I don't do it, nobody will, and it's no good to let those cultures die!" It was a passion and a necessity both; she was driven to chronicle and understand the history of those lost peoples so that they would never be forgotten. "It hurt a lot, and I did lose to the Primeape since he only got tired and fell over, but I did do it!" She beamed as she said it, pleased that Ghost believed her. Nobody else had outright denied what had happened to her, but the noncommittal "maybe"s and "I guess"es weren't nearly as meaningful as what Ghost offered.
She broke her gaze to look over at the clock and realized, much to her surprise, that a great deal of time had passed. "But I should be going, I think I've probably taken too much of your time as is." She was happy, but apologetic. She hadn't meant to let it get so far away from her. Ghost had seemed very hush-hush about the whole affair, after all, and they could always pick it up another day. "Please make sure to leave me a note when I should come by next! I'm always happy to learn more, and thank you again for this wonderful opportunity." Rebecca rocked herself forward, then back, and then forward once more only to "leap" up onto her feet in one motion. Assuming there was no protest from Ghost, she would set to busying herself with packing everything back into the bags carefully so as to avoid damaging any of it.
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Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 10:00 pm
GhostGhost smiled back at the beaming Rock-type, laughter in her eyes as the Armaldo described her victory by technicality. Having the elder fall over mid-battle likely didn’t count; she had to agree. It still made for an excellent story, though.
”I will,” she answered quietly. ”It might be a while to hear back from my elder. If he agrees to help you, he’ll likely want to wait until he’s had everything transcribed.” The longer it took to hear, the theoretically better their results would be. A bit of an odd system, but Ghost had learned to trust it in the past. Patience wasn’t an uncommon trait for Absol.
She hurried out of harm’s way as the Armaldo rocked and swung herself to her clawed feet. She wasn’t too small a Pokemon, but she was not about to underestimate the enthusiasm possible in whatever motions Rebecca made. Getting caught in the face was not the way she wanted to end her evening, especially if Atius came back before she could tidy herself after. She’d never hear the end of that, given how protective he was. She was still oddly ambivalent about it.
Rebecca bustled about in a frenzy, packing her things and arranging them just so. She had a clear method to it, just as she did with unpacking in the first place, but it still seemed like madness to Ghost. So many belongings for one person. With a cheerful and excitable goodbye, Rebecca then departed.
The door shut with a click being the Armaldo and Ghost stared blankly at where she'd disappeared. Her gaze shifted to the desk and back again. Then,
a blink of confusion. She left her teammate. "...Arturius?" came the quiet question.
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Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2017 4:28 pm
Venari
Arturius, Rebecca
"Of course, of course." That made sense. Everything would need to happen at that end first. Yes, that was certainly how things worked. Patience would be hard but it would be something she would have to have, at least for the time being. She would pack everything, go home, expand on her notes as much as possible, and do as much research as possible, and reach out perhaps to some of her better associates and... oh goodness. It was a lot. A lot of things and a lot of excitement! It was overwhelming, but "overwhelmed" was a constant state of existence for Rebecca at this point or so it seemed. She got everything inside of her bags and hustled out about as quickly as she could without risking any of her valuable supplies or reading materials. "Bye bye!"
"...I seem to have been forgotten." He had had no master plan for his arrival other than his passive presence. Absols were, or so it was thought, much more likely to bear prophecies for those they knew. Simply spending time with Ghost had the obvious benefit of increasing the frequency, accuracy and breadth of their deaths. He didn't need to do anything to enforce it; he simply needed to be a passive presence within her life now and then. And, of course, it also gave her an opportunity to divulge any prophecies that they could interrupt. It was an assurance that things would go smoothly, when the time came.
Arturius floated up slightly. He was fully capable of moving about under his own power, but he preferred not to; the most obvious reason was that the basic design of his body, he appeared to be no more than an ordinary sword that was mysteriously floating. His blade was simple, more akin to a gladius than anything, and his sheath was an ordinary leather cover as opposed to an extension of his body. He hardly looked like a pokemon. Though, as he was, he likely had other reasons. "Would you open the door?"
His inability to open doors was probably among them.
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Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2017 4:53 pm
GhostGhost dipped her head politely, trying and failing to hide the tiny smile at Arturius' blank response. Even when his teammate had literally forgotten to bring him alone, he was patient and somewhat deadpan in his response.
Padding to the door, she reared up to wrap both forepaws around the door handle. As she pulled it open, she dropped down to step back and out of the Honedge's way. He was hardly about to cause her injury, but it was still better to keep from the path of a living blade. He had places to be, and far be it from her intention to keep him here.
The Absol looked to him expectantly, and the two bid their quiet goodbyes as Arturius departed.
[[ //endpost ]]
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