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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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 Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 8:51 am
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: Thu Mar 17, 2016 12:54 pm
Cont from hereRobin
Balerd
Balerd was phenomenally patient, but only in ways that had been strictly trained by Tobias. Being picked up was not one of those ways. The wriggling, writhing bird was almost ready for a fight by the time talon met floor, but luckily enough for Neo (and everyone, really) the prospect of food significantly overrode that. Neo's suggestion would go completely unheard, at least by comprehending ears, but marvelously enough it would be acted upon. Balerd would run from place to place clumsily opening doors and shouting "Food!" into every room, though only after doing similar to Eliot and Clara in a perhaps slightly-too-close way. The whole thing was fairly methodical and sensible, surprisingly so; it was impressive given that Balerd was, well, not exactly the most developed of the people in the home.
The reason why would become apparent enough to Neo when he would find his little more-precious-than-life-itself charge clumsily trying to open the heavier main door in order to exit the team room. Balerd didn't really understand much at all; habits and patterns of behaviour, mixed with a primitive ability to inference information, ruled the rambunctious wrestler's actions. What Neo had given was as good as a confirmation that dinner was ready and when dinner was ready everybody was to get together. Jessica would cook and, if Balerd discovered it first, would send for Tobias when it was ready. Food was good! Everyone got food! Dinner wasn't dinner until everyone was together. Everyone! It was a fact that Balerd would, roughly enough, verbalize on demand by loudly exclaiming Papa! and, if need be, demonstrate with a rather aggressive drive to exit the room.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 7:54 pm
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian Neo cringed as he watched Balerd go about his task with a child's regard for tact. He made to follow the bird, but the small Hawlucha could not be stopped from his task. Before Neo could even catch up, Eliot and Clara had been roughly roused from their slumber by a rather louder-than-necessary shout to their faces. Eliot whined to be so rudely awoken from his rest, blinking bleary eyes open as Balerd turned tail on him without another word. Clara, on the other hand, was startled into releasing her brother, who she'd been holding while she slept. The Drifloon wound her hands around herself in distress, staring after Balerd in a mix of alarm and confusion as he wandered off. Neo, of course, was left to soothe the startled children while Balerd hurried on to shout into the other rooms. The Meowstic's fur bristled with distress as he murmured reassurances to his own children, constantly looking over his shoulder to make sure Balerd didn't end up somewhere he shouldn't.
Though Balerd checked every door only one held the two absent members of Team Essence, and a pair of startled heads turned at the sudden opening of the door and proclamation of "Food!" Air gave Lux a baffled look when the boy disappeared and the Lucario shrugged before rising to his paws and heading out the door. Air followed shortly after, closing the doors Balerd had left ajar before joining the others. Awaiting him was a thoroughly ruffled Neo standing at the door and attempting to talk Balerd down from the door handle rather unsuccessfully.
"Balerd, no." The Meowstic shook his head firmly, as he turned the bird to face him, using a touch of Psychic energy to keep him still if need be. "Papa and his partner are having dinner somewhere else tonight." He crouched down to meet Balerd at eye level and smiled at him. "Papa and his partner are taking care of some very important business, so he brought you here to eat and play with us for the night. You can't have dinner with Papa now, but he'll be back to eat with you tomorrow!" Neo raised a paw to rub the boy's head-feathers back gently. "Come on now. You did a great job getting everyone together, so it's time to eat! We can even save some for Papa if you want." Once again Neo offered his paw to guide his young charge to the table, hoping that he had gotten through to the boy. As an afterthought, he sent a brief telepathic note to Killian that Balerd was not to be allowed to leave until his father came back for him, and he looked up to see the golem's eyes flash in affirmation before returning them to Balerd.
While all this was going on, Nyx had come out and enlisted Lux and Air's help in preparing the table. The Ditto hurried back and forth in the form of an Ambipom, balancing plates in both hands and tails, while Lux assembled the coffee tables and fetched the tablecloth that was promptly draped over them with the precision of aura. By the time Neo's explanation was over, the dinner table was almost set, and Nyx himself was bringing out the plates to set at each Pokemon's place. The preparation of meals was a well-practiced art for the members of Team Essence--even Eliot and Clara knew their part of waiting to the side until the adults had finished setting up.
Provided Balerd cooperated, the Team would shortly take their seats and begin filling their plates, Air and Neo helping to fill the younger ones' dishes first. The dinner was comprised of berries of all sorts, cooked and uncooked, prepared in several manners, as well as steamed vegetables, warm breads and nuts, and even some chilled fruits. Dessert, of course, was kept in the other room until the proper time. Cups of water rested to the right of every plate and cloth napkins to the left (Balerd and Eliot would have these tied around their necks before dinner began). Balerd's plate would be filled by Neo with whatever he showed interest in, as well as a few extra items mixed in for the sake of nutrients (something that was always done for Eliot and Clara as well) all cut into nicely bite-sized pieces; if he neglected to show a preference for anything in particular, Neo would make him a plate of savory and mildly spicy berries for his main course, along with a bit of everything else.
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2016 11:44 am
Robin
Balerd
Balerd was a little less than pleased about being handled by Neo, at least the way that it happened. What was happening, what was being done, was a very different affair from how things usually were. Neo's biggest err was in acting as an authority figure; he was not Tobias and he was not Jessica. He was blue-thing and while he was good-fun, he certainly wasn't somebody who was to be followed the same way. His touch was also slow, purposeful and controlling, though gentle in intent, and a far cry from how Tobias would usually simply pick up Balerd without any restraining holds and move from one place to the other. For an extremely combative fighting type child, it was an unreasonable thing to be so obviously restrained or controlled. Balerd would express both displeasure and warning through a low chirp and the soft growl that followed. It wasn't a friendly challenge, it was a clear act of opposition. It wasn't one that would fade with such simple words. At least, not while they were so meaningless.
The growl would slowly fade as neurons began to fire and electrical impulses shot across synapses. Sparked by the voice of Neo, billions of cells worked in concert with one another to cross-reference every available bit of information. Casual utterances, imprecise memories and vague concepts coalesced into a single clump and a word took on a new meaning. And a voice a new croak. "Papa tomorrow?"
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2016 6:21 pm
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian Neo's expression grew somewhat graver at Balerd's sound of aggression, but otherwise little changed. He continued to maintain eye contact with the child and waited silently to see what would be done next. Neo was not a harsh parent, but the Meowstic also didn't have any mind to allow a child to show such blatant disrespect and hostility to his elders--it wasn't the way he was raised and it wouldn't do Balerd any good in the future if he didn't learn these things young. It seemed Tobias hadn't imparted that lesson to the boy just yet. "Balerd, it's not nice to growl." His words were firm and cautionary. "You need to stop."
Eliot and Clara watched the goings-on from where they waited for the table to be set, both children's eyes wide with shock. Balerd had just growled at Daddy, and not just a play-growl but the sort of growl that meant trouble. Clara shivered, coiling her arms around her brother's tail with concern, and Eliot rose to his paws, a growl of his own rumbling in the puppy's throat. Nobody was allowed to be mean to Daddy, it was a rule. Not even Nyx was mean to Daddy.
"Eliot, no." The boy flinched at his father's scolding tone and laid his ears back, a whimper escaping his throat. The Meowstic didn't avert his eyes from Balerd. "Take your sister and go help out Air, alright? Balerd and I are going to have a talk." The Growlithe whimpered again, but a gentle tug from Clara turned him around, albeit reluctantly. As he wandered back toward where the Ditto-Ambipom was juggling dishes, Eliot continued to glance back at the pair, hoping that everything would be alright.
"Daddy can handle it," Clara whispered to her brother, though it was just as much for her own comfort: even she couldn't help looking back at the Hawlucha and Meowstic. The other adults didn't seem concerned but still... Daddy would be alright wouldn't he? Balerd wouldn't actually try to hurt him, right?
Neo continued to wait patiently while his own children fretted, the Meowstic's ears picking up a slight waver in Balerd's growl. Eventually it faded altogether, and Neo nodded approvingly. "That's better." He would have said more on the subject, but Balerd voiced a question first.
Neo's ears twitched with surprise at the incredulous tone in the Hawlucha's voice and he quickly put two and two together, nodding slowly in response to the boy's question. "Yes, tomorrow." Frowning thoughtfully, the feline glanced toward the windows across the room, then nodded again. "Here. Let me show you." Taking the Hawlucha's hand, Neo led him to the window and gestured outside. "You see the sun out there? Pretty soon it's going to go away for a while and it will be dark outside. That's why most Pokemon go to sleep then, because the light from the sun is gone, and when the sun comes back again we wake up and start a new day. Papa will be back after the sun has gone away and come back again." The Meowstic watched the boy carefully to see if he understood, ready to explain further if need be. It seemed Balerd had moved past the growling though, and that was a good start. Perhaps it was a good thing Tobias had entrusted Balerd to him for a while, in more ways than he'd initially thought.
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 12:33 am
Robin
Balerd
Balerd took Neo's hand somewhat uneasily, due to a lack of familiarity with the motion more than anything. Small shivers would surely play along the nerves of his arm as Balerd's claws pressed slightly-too-hard against his skin, not out of malice but simple carelessness. An expression that was both frantic and confused followed Neo's explanation as best as was possible. It was a terribly imperfect explanation flooded with incomprehensible words and vague concepts that held little or no meaning to a child who had only the loosest of ideas attached to the most specific of words. But it was enough to cast a net across the sum of Balerd's memories and experiences and, just barely, capture and solidify the needed concepts. An order. A structure. A flow of events.
"Food, bed, papa?" Small yet clear signs of distress had crept into Balerd's voice as understanding had. For Neo, and perhaps even the older Eliot and Clara, a single night wasn't a very long period of time. But time was a relative thing and when your age was better counted in days, even a single night was a large slice of your existence. Hours were torturous in a way that days or weeks were for adults. The lack of Tobias became acutely obvious in a way it hadn't earlier on in the stay. The excitement of friends, the novelty of a new place and the unadulterated joy of play had eclipsed such thoughts. Prompted by a break in routine, those thoughts came rushing to the front with a depth of feelings that Balerd had never felt before. Nothing even close to this had ever happened before. The inaccessibility of Tobias was, objectively, a small thing. But for Balerd it was quite literally the worst thing to have ever happened and by no small degree.
"Food bed papa?" Balerd repeated the words once more without pause. Talons would unwittingly dig into Neo's paw. The distress was clear, obvious and thorough at this point; the child was mere moments from breaking down sobbing and there was likely little Neo could do about it but weather the coming storm. The first night from home was the hardest without exception.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 9:16 am
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian Unlike Balerd's previous actions, his current ones were something that Neo had anticipated, albeit not necessarily as soon as this. Still, the child had to face this concept eventually, so sooner was just as well as later when it came down to it. Balerd's rapid-fire repetition of the question, the panic on his face, the way he tightened his grip enough to dig uncomfortably into Neo's skin, all of these things were reasonable and indicated the inevitable breakdown of the evening. Tobias would've expected it too--that's why it was good to have a familiar adult around, to try and make the process as manageable as possible. One day Eliot and Clara would experience the same thing, but their Team was so big there'd been no need for it yet.
Neo nodded, not withdrawing from Balerd but ignoring the pain in his paw for the sake of the child. "Yes Balerd. Food, bed, Papa." That was the easiest way to put it, and clearly Balerd understood the terms since he'd spoken the words himself. "Papa will be back." Perhaps it was better to leave it there, with simple terms that wouldn't further confuse the boy. Neo could see the child's mind working furiously to come to terms with the idea, so further explanation seemed like it would only help to overwhelm him further. Instead the Meowstic waited to allow Balerd the chance to process his emotions. If the boy did break down, as seemed more likely than not, Neo would comfort him as best he could, with hugs and soothing stroking of the head-feathers if these attempts seemed wanted rather than resisted, and with calm words of assurance and his quiet presence as a familiar face who could be cried to if the child didn't respond well to physical displays of reassurance. If, on the other hand, Balerd reacted angrily or violently, he would not be met with such kind gestures until his tantrum subsided. Instead he would experience yet again the unfairness of not getting what he wanted and being reprimanded for it, as Neo would take him to Eliot and Clara's room for a time out until he calmed down. Even though he was going through a difficult change, acts of destructive anger would not be tolerated: if a child was allowed to act out in response to new experiences, it set a negative precedent for how they learned to handle future experiences.
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 5:58 pm
Robin
Balerd
Balerd's response could really only be called "obvious". Neo's words may or may not have been fully understood, but the concept was already lodged in the bird's brain. Papa was gone and wouldn't be back until tomorrow and that was just terrible. There was no violence or aggression to be had; Neo wasn't at fault and there was no reason for such a rage. Balerd understood it well enough. Neo wasn't keeping Balerd away, it was that Tobias had left. There was nothing to do other than cry about it, so that's what Balerd did. Hicks, heavy breathing, soft crying and then quickly full blown sobbing would fill the room only to be muffled when Balerd collapsed to the floor and rolled into a ball.
There simply wasn't anything else to do about it. It was much too awful a thing for Balerd to do anything else or to be distracted by another thought. Neo would have to wait for the worst of the storm to pass; the worst of the sobbing would run well into the team's meal, but after that the choice would rest on the feline as to what to do. A hysterical child was inconsolable. Once the sobbing quieted down, and then even later once Balerd would uncurl, there would be room for Neo to try to help. But not until then.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 7:22 pm
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian Yes, it was about what Neo had expected. When Balerd released his paw and began sobbing, the Meowstic exhaled softly, preparing himself for a long wait. Looking up, he found the rest of his Team watching the pair of them, and he gave a dismissive gesture, indicating that everything was fine. Meeting Nyx's eyes, Neo brushed against the fox's mind gently: You should get started, sounds like we're going to be a while. The Vulpix nodded once, then said something to the others that Neo couldn't make out over the sound of Balerd's crying. Satisfied that the matter was being handled, Neo turned back to the now-balled Hawlucha and smiled sympathetically. With a gentle sigh, he settled down onto the ground beside Balerd to keep the child company as he dealt with his misery. Recalling the boy's reaction to being held before, Neo chose instead to rest a hand on the small ball's top, rubbing it in gentle, circular motions. His tails instinctively wrapped around the ball as well, to ensure his movements wouldn't roll Balerd away from him. "There, there," the Meowstic murmured, "It's going to be alright."
While Neo kept his vigil beside Balerd, the other members of Team Essence were doing as they'd been instructed. Nyx had relayed the message that they shouldn't wait for the other two, so the group began the drawn-out process of dinner. As could be expected, the mood was rather more somber than usual, given the sound of muffled sobs coming from the corner. Nyx and Lux seemed unaffected, but the other three all showed signs of discomfort. Air fidgeted in his seat each time the sobbing swelled, his Ambipom fur standing on end as he did his best to eat and ignore the problem since Neo was dealing with it. Eliot's fur bristled too, and the puppy whimpered to himself as he half-heartedly bit into a berry; not even the warm, savory taste was enough to distract him from his anxiousness. Clara didn't touch her food at all, just prodding it with her hands now and again. It didn't feel right to have dinner like this, and her concern for her father and friend robbed the child of her appetite.
"Eliot, Clara. Why aren't you eating, little ones?"
The pair looked up, twin expressions of shame on their faces when they met Lux's sightless eyes. "D-Daddy and Balerd..." Clara whispered for both of them.
"Mmm..." Lux took a bite of the roll in his paw and chewed thoughtfully. "You don't think your father can handle Balerd?" Clara shook her head, mortified, while Eliot tilted his in confusion. Lux chuckled. "Let me tell you little ones: your father knows exactly what he's doing. Hasn't he always helped when you were sad?" The children exchanged a glance. "Your Daddy knows how to make your tears go away. He can do it for Balerd too." Even Eliot understood Lux's last words, and the puppy took a bit of comfort from them: Daddy was the best at making tears go away. The Lucario smiled as he saw a positive ripple in the children's auras. "There, you see?" he said gently, "Now you know what would make your Daddy happy? If you both ate your dinner like he asked you to. Can you do that?"
The children returned to their plates, Eliot eating somewhat more regularly and Clara doing her best to nibble on some of the smaller, sweet berries that she'd been given. It was an effort, if nothing else, and Air looked on in admiration at Lux's work. "How do you always know what to say?" The Ditto-Ambipom murmured to his Lucario friend.
Lux smiled again, taking a bite of his apple before responding. "Sometimes the tone is more important than the words," the Lucario said. "The emotion behind your words can be conveyed, and latched onto by those who are searching for it. And what child doesn't want to believe in his or her father?" Lux patted Air gently on the back. "Now, how about you eat up too, hm? We want to set a good example for the children."
As the group at the table finally began to make headway into their meal, Neo continued to wait with Balerd, humming a soothing lullaby that he often used to calm Eliot or Clara when they had nightmares. Eventually, the sound of tears grew softer, and the quivering of the boy's body began to lessen. The Meowstic didn't change his actions, but listened still more closely for the eventual silence that overcame his young charge--only when he was certain of it did Neo finish his song. Shifting his paw to Balerd's neck, the Meowstic stroked the feathers to encourage the boy to uncurl. "Are we feeling a bit better?" he asked gently. "You're such a brave boy Balerd. What do you say we have some warm food? Does that sound good?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 12:43 am
Robin
Balerd
The complex affairs as they happened at the dinner table were of little concern to Balerd, not that there was any awareness of what had transpired. None of it really mattered at all when you were tiny and heartbroken. What came after that was the flow of time and the gradual loss of feelings. As the tide wore down the rocks on a shore, so too did time wear down sorrow; it was no less substantial and no less present but the sharpness it had was gone. Crying was cathartic and it left you with a sort of tired emptiness that filled your being; this was true even if you didn't know what the word "cathartic" meant.
"Yes" was all that Balerd sadly crooned in response. The petting and humming were familiar, but different. They were good, but also wrong. But they were. And that was enough to have Balerd uncurl and respond only to curl back up again, roll off towards the dinner table, bump into it lightly and uncurl again. The result was a somewhat sad bird sitting by the dinner table, slightly unsure of where to go because of the unfamiliar surroundings. Being led to a seat would be a necessity for a prompt continuation, as would some sort of positive engagement were dinner to be a prompt and properly pleasurable affair. Children learned from, and acted like, those around them; the best way to get such things to happen was always to meet the child on their own level and share the experience with them. Balerd was no different.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 9:00 am
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian Neo rose to his paws and followed after Balerd as the child rolled away. One hurdle had been passed over, and that was good for now. The Hawlucha was responding again which meant that he was in a place where sadness could be overcome, and there were few better ways to do that than with good company and warm food. The boy ended up at the edge of the table, and Neo laughed slightly, reaching a paw down to take Balerd's talons again and guide him over to the others. He helped the boy onto a cushion with a plate and cup in front of it, seating Balerd between himself and Lux. Usually the Team would have Neo and Nyx at the head, Air and Lux to Nyx's right and Eliot and Clara to Neo's left (Killian, of course, didn't eat), but today Neo sat farthest down the table so Balerd wouldn't be left with an unfamiliar adult. Careful Psychic energy wrapped itself around the plate and cup at his spot, and Neo brought it to himself, placing it down carefully before he glanced down to smile at Balerd. "Now, let's get something to eat."
The food-serving process was a quick one, since Neo was an old hand at it, and Balerd's plate would soon be filled with all sorts of wonderful things which can be seen in greater detail about eight posts back. Not wanting to prod the boy with questions, Neo took the liberty of choosing most of the food for him, but if Balerd appeared to be eyeing anything in particular it would be promptly added to the plate. Everything was bite-sized and though there was a great variety of food it was all in reasonable proportions to a small bird's appetite--if Balerd wanted more he only needed to indicate as such once he'd finished what he'd been given. Although the food had been out for a while already, everything was still mildly warm: Nyx, like most other Fire Type cooks, would not stand for allowing his food to grow cold if it wasn't meant to be served that way. When Neo had finished serving Balerd he moved onto his own dish, his stomach growling in response to the delicious smells around him. Even grown-ups got hungry when dinner was later than expected.
Across the table, Eliot and Clara relaxed visibly when Neo and Balerd rejoined the group. Eliot barked a hello, wagging his tail, while Clara simply smiled and set into her food with greater vigor, feeling hungrier now that things had gotten a bit better. Lux, who had nearly finished his dinner by this point, glanced down at the bird beside him with a smile. "Good to have you with us," the Lucario said, "Balerd, yes?" There was no need to draw attention to the happenings from earlier, Lux knew that as well as anyone. A ring of gold aura formed around one of the roasted berries from a plate in the center of the table, and it hovered back to Lux's waiting paw; he located them by their scent as he did with all foods, invisible to his aura-vision as they were. "Did Neo give you any of these? Try one. They're Eliot's favorite." The puppy barked in agreement, biting down on one of his own and looking at Balerd expectantly. He'd seen Daddy put one on Balerd's plate before. If Balerd was still sad that would definitely make him feel better--it always made Eliot feel better after all.
Noting the conversation, Neo paused from reaching for the rolls to gesture down to Balerd's plate. "Of course I gave him some," the cat said with a smile. "It's right there, Balerd." It was a little harder to tell what a berry was when it was cut up, although the color and smell were the same; better to give unnecessary guidance than to leave the boy confused.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 10:49 pm
Robin
Balerd
Balerd was still sad. There was no better way to put it, the fact bled into and explained every slow action. The one fortunate thing was that the mood of a child improved quickly enough and stimulus was quick to override emotion. It was hard to keep more than one thought in your head when you were that little.
The process started with Lux, of course. Eliot's greeting bark would be noticed but not particularly comprehended; the subtleties of the unspoken language were often even harder to grasp than those of the spoken one. Lux's prompting, however, would elicit an upward gaze from Balerd. The berry being shown didn't hold any special appeal. The words and ideas attached held too much complexity or too many unknowns to be deciphered. It was, therefore, a very fortunate thing that children were just as cooperative as they were not. The cues of their fellows were often taken to and so Balerd would reach onto the plate and grab the berry slice precisely. The sharp talons would dig into the fruit, dying the nails with their colour, and the berry would travel from hand to mouth and be eaten.
Euphoria would be a bold word to use but perhaps there was something to it. Balerd was hungry, the berry was good and it was a pleasant experience in the empty landscape of any child's world. Ideas stuck around, playing along the back of the mind, but emotions changed quickly enough if you had something else to focus on. Food fueled the body as much as it fueled the mind. A certain brightness would return to Balerd quickly enough, though the more aware of Essence would know that it wasn't quite "normal" yet. Just because everything was okay didn't mean nothing was wrong. Balerd's pace would pick up quickly enough as the meal continued, and somewhat messily at that, but relative to the frantic and aggressive sense of energy that had been present earlier in the day it would seem almost passive. Perhaps some amount of it was simply crude table manners, since Balerd wasn't reaching onto other plates or carelessly dropping food, but certainly not all. The thoughts would stay until nightfall had passed, they could be certain of that much.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2016 2:26 pm
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian The meal progressed without further issue. Now that all the children were placated and eating properly things returned to a relatively normal and easy-going state. The adults exchanged conversation here and there between bites (except Nyx, who remained determinedly silent) and Eliot and Clara listened to the gentle babble of words while they indulged in their own meals, too young to contribute or really care what in particular was being discussed. The important thing was that everyone was together and their bellies were being filled--the former being where Balerd's situation differed from the other childrens'.
Being the first to finish eating, Lux took it upon himself to be the driving force of the conversation, and to assist with looking after their young guest, affording Neo a reprieve from his duties for awhile. The two took turns making sure that Balerd stayed engaged with the meal, encouraging him to continue eating with the occasional indication to try something on his plate and intentional demonstration of eating something on their own to get the boy to follow suit. Clara received similar encouragements when the meal was beginning to die down, since the Drifloon tended to try and leave her least favorite foods on the plate, and they began to be joined by cautions that she would miss out on dessert if she didn't finish (Eliot had never picked up this habit because the puppy always had a hearty appetite). It was a rule at this household that everyone's plate had to be clear before dessert was had, and Balerd would not be exempt from it just because he was a guest. Hopefully the boy was hungry enough to eat what he'd been given of his own accord, especially since everything he'd been given should have been appealing to his tastes (there were certainly more and less-tasty foods, but nothing particularly sour or bitter had been given to him, since these were things unsuited to a child's palate). If, however, Balerd neglected some of his food the adults would insist upon it being finished, coaxing him to eat using the tried-and-true "airplane" technique if necessary, which would earn a whine from Eliot who wanted an "airplane" too.
Regardless of how the main course was finished, once all the plates were empty they would be stacked and carried off into the kitchen by Air, and Nyx disappeared as well, without a word. "Do you have dessert at your home Balerd?" Lux asked. "We tend to save it for special occasions. Tonight, you're our special occasion."
Air and Nyx reemerged after a moment, the Ditto now carrying a tray very carefully in his arms as Nyx watched his every movement carefully. The tray had seven cupcakes atop it, and from the smell of it they'd been warmed to a freshly-cooked temperature. The treats were a beautiful golden-brown color, and were topped with white icing that spiraled around the top until it reached the center, where the cupcakes were crowned with coin-sized, hard, butterscotch candies. What couldn't be seen from the tray was the centers of the pastries themselves, which would reveal a warm, sticky, liquid butterscotch center, to compliment the candy on top. "Wow Nyx!" Neo's eyes shone with delight. "I didn't realize you were going to make something like this!"
The Vulpix gave a huff, though it was clear he was pleased by the compliment. "Well, you didn't expect me to serve hard candy, did you?"
The comment's disdain was ignored and Neo simply shook his head. "Actually, yeah, but I'm not complaining!" The Meowstic grinned. "Knowing your baking, I'm sure they'll be delicious."
A ghost of a satisfied smirk settled on Nyx's features. "I'm glad you're pleased."
The children were given theirs first, as usual, and Neo handed one off to Balerd with a wink. "I heard that you like these," he said, tapping the candy as he transferred the unwrapped treat to the Hawlucha's claws. "Go ahead. Tell me if it's good."
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:05 pm
Robin
Balerd
Team Essence wouldn't have much trouble at all coaxing Balerd through dinner once it had begun. Balerd, against seemingly all logical odds, had a home environment that wasn't bad at all. Jessica had said that meals were as much a right as a duty. You didn't leave food behind if you could avoid it, which was a rule that Tobias seemed to follow as well for unspoken reasons. There was no way for Balerd to hope to match the pace of the relatively large, metabolically active Eliot but as a pace was established it would likely be found that Clara was the last of the lot to finish. It was a different enough dinner from the norm but fighting types were rarely picky eaters by nature. You needed a lot of energy to fight and grow the kind of muscles that would take you into adulthood. The conversation wasn't of any interest at all. Food was much better and much more important.
When dinner ended, it was strange that they weren't leaving. Eliot and Clara were idle but expectant and Lux was using the big word things again. What came after was something interesting. It smelled nice! Whatever it was Balerd didn't know anything about it but everyone else seemed exciting and that was kind of exciting too. When the cupcake finally came around to Balerd's grasp it was quickly set carefully on the table and the hard candy on top was plucked off. What would follow would likely be pure confusion as Balerd's brow furrowed and entire body tightened up immediately after taking the candy in. It almost looked like there was some sort of unspoken, indemonstrable rage but it would make sense to Neo in good enough time. I did not have many sweet things when I was young so I am happy that I can give those things to Balerd. I enjoy the sound they make. ...Is that not right? I was never told otherwise.
The meaning of the expression would become obvious with a loud crack as the hard butterscotch candy split inside of Balerd's mouth. Tobias was of a strange sort and strange habits did go from parent to child, one supposed. Neo wouldn't get a direct response to his query but he didn't need to be a psychic to read Balerd's expression. The cupcake itself would come after, once the almost-painful crunching noise of the butterscotch candy had expired. The result would be a messy one by pure necessity; Hawlucha had somewhat less-than-convenient mouths. The only way for Balerd to actually eat the cupcake, after having taken the cue from everyone else that it was in fact something delicious to eat, was for it to go top-end first into the waiting mouth and be bitten into. The slight rush of butterscotch brought about by the suddenly shrinking cavity would be enough to leave Balerd with a rather messy mouth, though it wouldn't be so bad as to ruin the furniture.
The cupcake itself, of course, would be swiftly enjoyed.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 6:59 pm
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian Admittedly, Neo wasn't expecting the reaction he got, nor were any of his Teammates. The Meowstic visibly jumped at the sound of the crunch, relieved that Balerd wasn't as upset as he'd appeared but in a bit of pain from the loud sound of the hard candy finally being bitten in two. It was easier to handle the crunching after the initial snap, but Neo still pressed his ears a bit further down against his head in an attempt to muffle the noise a bit. In fact, Essence's leader wasn't the only one to have flinched at the noise, all of them did to greater or lesser degrees. Lux flinched, closing his eyes for a moment, while Air nearly dropped his own cupcake with surprise; Eliot blinked, startled, aware that the sound was coming from Balerd but not as certain what had caused it, and Clara raised her hands to either side of her head, covering her ear slits. Nyx developed a rather prominent scowl on his face and bit down on his own cupcake rather viciously. Of course the Linoone hadn't taught his son to eat hard candy properly. He was foolish to have expected anything less.
Once the surprise of the less-than-pleasant sound had faded, the rest of the group delved into their cupcakes as well, ready to enjoy their desserts as much as their youngest companion. Eliot devoured his whole, surprised and pleased to find that he made the crunching sound too when the round thing on the cupcake's top met his teeth (the tail-wagging as Eliot munched on the hard candy was noted with a hint of dismay by his father). Clara looked at the treat skeptically, more suspicious of this new treat, but once she saw everyone else eating it she joined in, and even smiled when the warm butterscotch center, pleased by the way its sweetness complimented the lighter icing. She had removed the hard candy to try after the cupcake, mimicking what the adults had done, but when she tried it, she ended up spitting the candy out into her cupcake's wrapper because she couldn't chew it. The adults ate their cupcakes in the typical fashion, though their enjoyment of the treat was clearly visible on their faces; Neo and Air even made soft sounds of surprise and joy when they reached the cupcakes' centers. All in all, the dessert course went over quite well for all but its creator.
"That was delicious!" Neo purred, once the treats had all been finished. "Everyone, say thank you to Nyx for making us such a nice meal."
"Thank you Nyx."
"Thanks a lot Nyx!
"Th-Thank you Nyx...
And a pair of barks from Eliot, who had yet to speak his first words. Balerd would be expected to give the same as well, words or otherwise, though that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Then Neo last of all, smiling as always. ”Thanks for all this Nyx,” he said brightly. ”I don’t know what we’d do without you.” The Vulpix dipped his head, albeit rather stiffly, and then stole off into the kitchen again without another word, where a pile of dishes waited to be cleaned. With Nyx gone, Neo turned back to the children, beckoning Eliot and Clara over as he bent down to untie the napkin he’d wrapped around Balerd’s neck. He repeated the process with Eliot, then took Balerd by one paw and Clara by the other. ”Alright, time for us to wash up.” As the quartet made their way down the hall, Lux and Air began the careful process of tidying up the table behind them.
Neo would lead them to the furthest room on the left, and ask to Eliot to open the door since both his paws were occupied. The puppy would comply and Neo would lead them all inside to the pool, where they could clean their hands and mouths. "Dip your hands in and rub the stickiness off," Neo said, mostly for Balerd's benefit. The Meowstic did as he said as well, and Clara did so also. Eliot, who did not use his paws to eat, simply waited for what he knew was coming next. Neo pulled his paws out after a minute or so, but instructed Balerd and Clara to keep going before wandering around the pool to pick out a set of towels. He returned with them promptly, wiping his own paws off with one, then dipped a second into the water. He turned to Eliot first, using the damp cloth to wipe off the puppy's mouth and face, then repeated the process with Clara and then with Balerd. When he'd finished, he used the dry towel to wipe the excess water off their faces (and Balerd and Clara's hands), and then would smile, satisfied. "There we go, all clean." He folded the towels carefully, draping them over the water's stone side. "Now, what shall we do?"
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