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 Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 7:39 am
Just past the boundary marker, a bit further than the guild's territories lie, a startling green marks the landscape.
Across such a barren plain you would not expect to find such a lush and beautiful place as the Destiny Gardens. It is very much it's own little forest, alive with plants of every shape and size.
Within the deepest portion of the garden is a small house, home to the keeper of this enchanted-looking place.
He doesn't mind visitors, so long as you don't mess up his flowers...
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 8:04 am
Alfred
He'd wandered a bit further from the guild than intended, but hadn't truly meant to. Alfred paused in mid-step, glancing around at the strange place he'd stepped into. It was a bit too large to be called a garden, wasn't it? The place itself looked more like a tropical forest than a little, garden. Despite the calm and peaceful ambience here, he was still on edge and tired to boot. He hadn't lingered at the hospital for fear of being told he'd have to stay there, but his back was still torn up from that Payback and hurt with each step he took.
How he'd gotten this far without just passing out was beyond him.
Deciding it was best to stop here, the Gardevoir sunk to the ground under an odd, flowering tree. He folded his legs up to his side so that he was completely in the shade. The sun was bright, but overhead dark clouds hung in an ominous warning of a storm. At least here, under this tree, he'd be safe from the heat and the soon to come rain. Alfred closed his eyes, weighing the options of falling asleep here or trying to make it back to the Guild. He didn't think he could do the latter, and the former was fighting him. Every time he tried to sink into the exhaustion that pooled inside his head he would jerk back awake from the sounds of screams that rang in his memory. The accompanying flashes of images, though those he was unsure of whether they were memories or just his imagination, did little to help the process. Sleep wouldn't come, he suppose he'd just sit here and wait...
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Waifu Trashu Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 8:31 am
 SaileitheThe small Glaceon wandered through the garden silently. The park was getting all too crowded when need not be and over time, groupings of civilization started to urk at her. It wasn't that she didn't like company. She just didn't like it from those she didn't want to be around and as time continued to move on, such feelings seemed to grow stronger, though universally toward all rather than one. Time was a harsh process.
Sai looked up at the sky. Her eyes mostly closed as she could hardly take in the sun. It was always an issue, but it gradually got worse. How bothersome. A small pout escaped her maw as she turned her attention back down and looked about. It was nice here, but it would too would grow crowded with time. Her eyes slowly traveled the landscape before resting on a black and white figure. It stood out-- it wasn't large, but it stood out. Something about it pulled at her too. Did she know it? It was distant, but still. Curiosity had Sai taking cautious steps forward, mainly out of fear of possibly getting attacked. That mindset was blown away rather quickly as she realized who it was, but she couldn't wrap her mind around why he was here.
Alfred traveled a lot lately, didn't he?
Sai blinked as she came still. How would he respond to her? Mom said he was out of it. Then again, why wouldn't he be? His life ******** sucked. And she thought she had it bad. The Glaceon frowned, settling on taking the approach anyway.
"Alfred?" Her voice rang out, though quietly as she paused a short distance from the Gardevoir. She didn't want to get too close yet. "Aren't you a bit far from where you should be?" She paused. That... sounded controlling. Bad approach-- curiosity, but bad approach. "No, no not like that, I'm just..." Horrible at conversation? Yes.
Stupid.
"What brings you here?" The frail Glaceon sat down as she looked him over. From her angle and him against the tree, she couldn't tell his conditioning. Not that she expected him to be running around.
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 8:54 am
Alfred
Alfred's head snapped up, eyes wide and ears erect at the sound of his name. It was one of the few things he could recognize without fail, after all.
This Glaceon, however, he did not recognize. He couldn't even begin to think of what her name could be, or how she knew his. A lot of Pokemon he didn't know knew his name. It was both unnerving and a constant reminder of what he didn't have anymore. It was upsetting.
The Gardevoir's ears lowered at the question, flattening to their usual place at the sides of his head.
He didn't know why he was here. He just didn't want to be in the guilds right now. It was loud there, there was death there, it was terrifying to him.
Immediately viewing the Ice Type as someone who'd come to drag him back he turned away, tucking his head down into his arms with his back to her.
"I'm staying here..."
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Waifu Trashu Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:20 am
SaileitheSai's right ear stood, then lowered slightly at the Gardevoir's physical responses. He looked clueless. Just remember it's normal. She herself didn't see Alfred much at all despite how commonly she was at the hospital, but mom had a thing for talking about those she knew... frequently. It was both cute and bothersome.
Sai was overall nervous he might treat her as a threat and freak out-- at least he didn't. Then, he turned away. That served pretty much the same purpose, as far as she was concerned. Honestly though, she couldn't blame him. Sai didn't think it was good for him to be here, alone, but getting away always had its benefits too.
"That's fine." Sai shrugged her shoulders as her eyes closed and she promptly pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose. "Mind if I stay with you?" As her eyes opened again, she refocused on the small Gardevoir and frowned. He was hurt. She didn't want to ask how it happened. She couldn't do much, but maybe what little she could do she could do, Alfred would look over in favor of focusing on her. With that Sai took a soft breath and trotted up next to the Psychic. Her temperature lowered, but remained rather neutral as she carefully rested the cool end of her tail against his back, then promptly laid down beside him. "It's all fine. You probably don't remember me. I'm Sai." Sai came off in one of two ways. She was friendly, or she looked like a sick wreck. The latter was only somewhat voluntary. "I've known you for some time now. Actually, you were one of the first people I've spoken to. I was just an Eevee then." Alfred was actually the first she'd ever spoken to here. "A lot's changed. I don't blame you for wanting to stay here. It's nice."
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:42 am
Alfred
After turning around he ignored the Glaceon for the most part until the sound of pawsteps made him turn slightly, just enough to watch her sit down right next to him.
He flinched as her tail came in contact with his injured back, but after a moment the sudden spark of pain faded. It was a welcome relief to the searing burn that had been lancing up his spine since he'd gotten the wound earlier today.
The confusion on his face lifted as she began to idly chatter on, introducing herself, making small talk. The Gardevoir found himself frowning with the guilt of not knowing what this Pokemon's name was when she clearly knew him. An Eevee then? He couldn't recall anything from before the initial attacks and even then the things he could remember were vague and came in sudden bursts. He couldn't go digging through his own mind for the information, he could only wait patiently and hope it surface itself.
His shoulders slouched, believing that Sai had no intention of making him go back to the guild he could relax more easily, though he was still somewhat tense. Considering the parade of attacks recently, especially since he now realized that for some reason these Pokemon wanted him, he had every right to be alert.
The thought made him glance down in silence, wishing someone he could actually recognize was here. Nothing against this Ice Type, but as far as Alfred was concerned he'd never seen her before.
Though, now that he was thinking more clearly, the small Glaceon did seem just a bit familiar.
"You wore a bow on your tail." Alfred stated suddenly, surprising even himself with the sudden comment. "It was lavender." He added as an after though.
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Waifu Trashu Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 2:21 pm
SaileitheSai stared down at her paws that laid crossed over one another on the ground before her as Alfred shifted slightly. She was surprisingly calm and relaxed, though it was most likely because Alfred wasn't crazy and all over the place like everyone else she hung out with. It was exhausting. Just watching them was exhausting, but after getting yelled at to leave the team room after a while, she finally did... She just never expected to bump into Alfred of all others.
The Glaceon's ears perked as he finally spoke after some silence and Sai's attention reeled upwards to meet him. She looked nothing short of shocked-- not that she meant to react as such. She just had no idea Alfred even had the ability to recall something like that as is. "Y-yeah... that's me." Sai blankly stared at him for a few seconds after before finally shaking her head and smiling slightly. It was nice honestly. She was one of many that didn't particularly stand out. That and the fact that she never travels around or goes on missions, it's rare anyone really sees her outside her own team.
"That ribbon was my mom's. She gave it to me when I was still little." It was one of the few things she ever accepted from Epitaph. Her tail flicked away from Alfred's back for a moment before returning and her eyes left Alfred in favor of checking the sky. The oncoming storm was both welcoming and a bit unsettling. Rain was always nice, but she didn't want Alfred getting sick either. The tiny Glaceon had no intention of making him go back. After all, she couldn't even if she wanted to. Her eyes returned to the ground, checking the shadow of the tree with their positioning. They were covered fine. "I think it's going to rain soon, will you be alright? The Kingdom is a bit of a ways off." Sai's eyes met Alfred again. She could keep him cool, but not so much the opposite.
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 8:28 pm
Alfred---???
The Gardevoir nodded, still shocked the memory had come to him so easily. It was still somewhat blurry, but he could see the tiny, pale Eevee in his head now. Walking with a proud strut and an air of maturity for such a small Pokemon.
The thought made him give a faint smile. It was nice to recall something when you needed it, but chances are this would be the best he was getting today. Alfred turned from the Glaceon, following her gaze upward as the sky begin to fill with darkened masses, rain-filled clouds preparing to drop their burdens down onto the world below. The Gardevoir blinked rapidly, shaking his head from side to side in alarm as a fat rain drop plopped right down through the branches overhead and directly between his eyes. He raised a hand to wipe his face, now hearing Sai's question.
"I like the rain.", was his only reply, though a sudden crash of thunder accented his words like an exclaimation point. The psychic jumped at the sound, the motion caused him to twist his back in such a manner that no amount of coolness would console it then. Alfred gave a single, muffled cry before crumpling down into a ball, his arms folded tightly around his sides.
"Hey-!" A voice suddenly called from just in front of the two Pokemon, a large black and red Empoleon glared back at them as the sky suddenly opened up.
"Are you both insane? You can't hide under a tree in a storm like this, if lightning strikes it you're both dead." The Water type glanced to the side as though deciding something before turning back to them with a frown.
"C'mon. My place isn't far from here..." He awaited some response from these two....fragile-looking Pokemon. From his angle in the rain all he could see was vague outlines.
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Waifu Trashu Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 8:50 pm
SaileitheSai smiled at his comment. The rain was nice. The sudden sound of thunder made her lone working ear stand height and attent, the other just gave a limp twitch. She gave an uneasy blink as she readjusted, then finally looked at Alfred hunched up in a ball, and Sai was too her paws responsively. "Are you--" Her attention reeled forward as a new voice interrupted concern. She didn't know this voice. The tiny Glaceon moved in front of Alfred defensively despite her disposition and glared back at the Empoleon that towered before them. He seemed concerned but was he? What did they do? He had a point, but still. Sai was iffy. Finally, she turned back to look at Alfred. "Alfred... It's your call." Leaving the option to the disoriented Gardevoir wasn't her best idea ever, but she couldn't force him to do anything. Nor did she want to. She'd rather Alfred safely assume she was on his side.
Her attention quickly turned back to the large dual type then. "Who are you?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:08 pm
Alfred---Barcel
The Empoleon arched a brow as the Glaceon shifted forward and narrowed her eyes at him. From behind his golden mask a smile pulled at his beak and the dual type lifted his shielded arms to the side in a gesture of peace.
"I should be asking you that, since you're in my garden." Though he spoke harshly his smile never faded. "My name is Barcel, who are-" His question for an introduction was cut off by a sharp, cry of pain and his gaze moved just past Sai to the black and white mess on the ground behind her.
The Empoleon gave an expression that could be called nothing but torn. He didn't seem to be the friendliest of Pokemon, his manners made him seem more snide than anything but something made him stay rather than excuse himself from the situation. It wasn't normal for him to even pause and greet the Pokemon that roamed his floral paradise. He usually ignored them and took another path to avoid them, but this was a bit different.
If he left these two now, especially with one of them injured, Scarlet would be furious.
Deciding to risk an attack from Sai, who he could swat like a fly should she even try to lash out at him, he moved forward until he was directly before the two Pokemon before dropping to a knee and examining the Gardevoir's back. With Alfred's hunched over position it was easy to see where the dark type attack had struck. It wasn't fatal, but probably stung like hell.
"We can get that fixed at my place. Are you two coming or do you want to be stupid and die from having a tree crush you?"
Alfred lifted his head slightly, now noticing the Empoleon as well as Sai's question. "I...I can't.."Barcel huffed, taking this immediately as 'I can't move' [which was also true] rather than Alfred's intended 'I can't trust anyone I don't know'.
Without a word to either the Empoleon threw out his shielded arm and in one quick movement had the Gardevoir in the air within the fold of both wing-like arms.
"HEY! Put me down!" Ignoring the protest, the dual type began to stalk off whether the Glaceon followed or not.
"S-Saiiii..." Oh, god dammit. Why him?
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Waifu Trashu Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:30 pm
SaileitheSai listened to Barcel in silence, her eyes watching him carefully. He seemed okay so far. Maybe he wasn't bad. The tiny Glaceon seemed to relax-- though it hardly mattered anyway if she were defensive. This thing was huge. She snapped around as he approached Alfred then, tensing slightly. His words that soon followed again made Sai relax to an extent. Her heart wasn't very happy with her at the moment due to the constant changes. Sai was torn. What did she do?... Well, she couldn't do anything, but Alfred's actions made her feel nothing short of horrible. Her standing ear quickly lowered as she ran after the two, and her eyes locked on Alfred the entire time. "It'll be fine. I promise. I'm here-- I'm coming too." She doubted Alfred would get her 'If you're screwed, so am I' comment, but it eased her mind a bit regardless.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:33 am
Alfred---Barcel
Alfred gave a muted whimper, resigning himself to whatever fate was to come. Listening to the two talk Barcel rolled his eyes at the excessive drama. They were acting like Mareep he was leading off to be slaughtered. How melodramatic.
Making sure to keep Sai in his line of sight, the Gardevoir frowned deeply with worry and concern as they began to approach a rather neat and tidy, little house.
Cottage wasn't a good word for it, it seemed too rich to be called such a homely name. A pale brown structure, you could clearly see the individual wooden logs used to make it as they lined up in almost perfect symmetry. The roof was a pale green, blending in neatly to the surrounding foliage.
Without a word Barcel strutted forward and with one shove of his shoulder sent the door flying open with a bang.
"Scarlet! Get down here! We have company...." His voice was grudging as though he hadn't wanted to bring the two here. He was a hermit, of sorts, but was not so cold he'd abandon a Pokemon in need. Though, only if he happened along when help ws required.
A shrill voice rang from the back, obviously female, "One second!"Setting Alfred down on one of the plush couches, the Empoleon turned to shoo Sai inside and close the door before flicking the lock down over it.
"Don't touch anything." He muttered, vanishing to the back where the voice had come from.
His warning would have seemed rude had the room not been adorned with weaponry of all kinds. Swords and shields hung on the walls with an occasional picture strewn amongst them. A flail was suspended over one of the windows, close due to the rain and just over the door was a large and impressive battle axe.
Alfred curled his legs up under him on the couch before gazing around with a mixture of muted fear and curiousity. His eyes flicked from one sharp tool to another before lingering on one of the picture frames near a corner. It was a page, clearly ripped from a book, that displayed the image of a sword. Something about it set him on edge and sent a clench of pain through his chest.
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Waifu Trashu Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:04 pm
SaileitheSai stood in the doorway in mild shock as her eyes covered the house they were brought into. This wasn't entirely welcoming. It was cozy yet intimidating.
Her ears fell. How'd she get herself into this? She couldn't ditch Alfred though...
The Glaceon jumped then, fully attent when she was gestured into the room. She quickly complied by scurrying over to the couch Alfred was placed on, hopping up and curling up into a ball beside him. There was a female here. Whoever Barcel was, he didn't live alone. Her thought process slowly spread out as she looked over at Alfred, her eyes following his over to the frame, though as to why he was so interested was beyond her. In the end, Sai just turned her attention off elsewhere. "Barcel, right? Pardon our intrusion." He did say the garden belonged to him, after all. "We were just... out for a walk." Thank god she had people skills still though he probably already had his assumptions of the two.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:45 pm
Alfred---Barcel---Scarlet
The Empoleon starred back at Sai with a frown, clearly he could care less why they were out in his garden. He didn't dislike visitors, he just didn't bother with them. So long as they didn't hurt the plants he was fine.
The dual type turned to the door at the sound of tapping and a rather tall Flygon peered into the room with her long neck craned to eye the two drenched Pokemon on her couch.
Immediately she dashed back out to the sound of Barcel sighing loudly, only to return with a small stack of towels in her clawed hands.
"You poor things!" With little pause she tossed one over each of there heads before 'tsk'ing and toddling out with mutterings of a 'first-aid kit' on her lips.
Alfred didn't move to touch the towel now laying across his head, instead he instinctively laid an arm around Sai's shoulders and pulled the Glaceon just a little closer.
He'd stopped starring at the picture, having forgotten all about it already, and was watching Barcel stare back at them with wary eyes.
The Empoleon scowled. "Stop that. I'm not killing either of you or anything. If you must know, I'm a retired blacksmith. Collecting weaponry is still a hobby of mine. Now quit looking at me like a kicked puppy."
Alfred turned away at that, reaching up to drag the towel over his face in embarrassment.
Scarlet, as the Flygon was assumed to be, stepped back in with a small white case but at the silence and Barcel's smug expression her own cheerful face darkened.
"Be nice." She hissed at the Empoleon who glanced down sheepishly like a child being scolded at her harsh tone.
Shaking her head the dragon stepped over to the relatively smaller Pokemon and settled down in a sort of crouch on Alfred's right, as Sai was to his left.
"You'll need to turn around for me. That looks a bit too deep, it'll need stitches." And he seemed the timid type so letting him see the needle she was going to stick him with was a bad idea.
The Gardevoir made no response, flinching at the sound of the word 'stitches' and shaking his head from under the towel.
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Waifu Trashu Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:11 pm
SaileitheSai stared at Barcel absentmindedly before her attention reeled toward the female's voice again. She only caught a glimpse of her for a moment until she came running back and threw towels at them. Sai was just as unresponsive as Alfred, though for lack of knowing how to respond.
She listened to Barcel in silence as she shook the towel from her head and onto her back. She didn't respond to Alfred pulling her over in favor of blinking. A blacksmith? Why that surprised her, she wasn't sure. "I-I see." Sai took a quick glance up at Alfred as she spoke, promptly maneuvering onto the Gardevoir's lap as Scarlet spoke from before them. The comment made her cringe, but it wasn't like she meant to cause harm. She just didn't expect this to go well. At all.
"Alfred hasn't had good experiences with hospitals, you see." Sai wondered if it was force or nothing at this point. She only knew so much despite passively working in the hospital herself.
"I can't promise cooperation."
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