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 Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 11:44 pm
Guy watched and listened as Aila reacted to his question. If her words were to be trusted, it seemed she had heard of it passingly, but did not really know anything of it. Words were very different than actions, though, and her movements and fidgeting sung quite a different tune. She knew more than she was letting on. Why would she go to such lengths to hide knowledge of something, though? Surely it wasn't of too grave of importance? Guy's expression hardened slightly as he spoke again.
"Yes... It was in the news recently. It was about a duke from the Grand Isle who had attended some type of ball. Apparently, Team Rocket had infiltrated the ball and one of them killed the duke's daughter. A daughter by the name of Aila." Guy's eyes lowered slightly as his hand reached up to stroke the top of Anonymes's head.
"I'm just curious... Do you know anything about that, miss Aila?"
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Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 11:56 pm
Was she being too obvious? Guy's expression seemed to indicate as much. Damn, she needed to get her emotions under control... But the topic was quickly venturing into territory that still dredged up painful emotions, and it didn't take much acting to bring an almost fearful mix of sorrow and confusion to her features.
"What do you mean? Why would they do that?" It was a legitimate question, even to the culprit. "I thought Team Rocket was about stealing pokemon or something... Why would they want to kill a little girl?" She leaned slightly toward Charmant, her hand ceasing its toying with the pink fur. Similarly-colored eyes struggled to maintain eye contact; hearing accusations about the murder of her niece was still hard for her to bear gracefully, especially when the accusing party took such a tone.
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:15 am
"I don't know," Guy replied, looking away for a moment. He was silent for a heartbeat or two, then spoke again. "...All I know is that the one who killed the girl was not acting on Team Rocket's orders. Or at least, that was what I heard." Guy sighed lightly and looked back to Aila. She didn't seem to be doing so well. Was it just Guy's imagination, or did she look slightly paler? Was this somehow hard for her to hear? Guy suddenly felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He didn't intend to sound so cruel...
If he could have placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, he would have, but that was thoroughly impossible for him. He heaved a sigh and shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head. "Miss Aila... All I am saying is that it's too much of a coincidence to just be fate. Please, I just want to know... Are you from the Grande Isle?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:25 am
When Guy looked back, it was Aila's turn to look away, turning her face into Charmant's flank and enticing a seething glare from the dog towards what she perceived as an endangering party. The Arcanine moved protectively around her trainer, not quite hiding her from view out of politeness for the fact that they were conversing.
Eventually, a voice, muffled and nearly disembodied by a mass of pokemon, replied, "I am."
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:52 am
Guy shrank back slightly as Aila's large Arcanine growled menacingly at him and nearly hid her human from sight. His eyebrows raised in surprise. Oki, sensing the tension rising, stepping forward, his arms held up in a fighting stance. His teeth were bared as he stared the Arcanine down. Guy exhaled sharply and raised a warning hand to his newest companion, giving the Zoroark a hard stare. The Pokemon blinked at his trainer, issued a short bark, and stepped back in line. That Arcanine was getting a little too close to Oki's human - much closer than Oki deemed safe. But... It was his master's call. That human girl, though... At first, Oki thought her to be so strong and dignified. Now, she looked just like a scared little girl. Perhaps Oki had misjudged her?
Guy's icy-blue gaze softened as he turned back to Aila. Like Oki had observed, he saw that she indeed look very small and frail in her current state. He had no doubt that she had a commanding power about her, but at the moment, she looked so frightened, so young. The wash of guilt returned to sweep over Guy. "...Miss Aila, please. If I have upset you, please forgive me. It was not my intention at all." With these words, Guy made another small bow, only this time its intention was apologetic. "It's just that... You looked so familiar. Perhaps we could have met before...?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:18 pm
Charmant made no move in response to Oki's stance nor to his threatening gaze. The only indication she recognized the movement at all was a brief snort of breath in mild amusement. The thing seemed to think she was going to attack. Foolish. Her role was as her trainer's protector, and her disposition would only dissolve into violence as a reply to a similar change in their company.
The words caused Aila to stiffen and objectively evaluate her behavior. Disgraceful. The man had taken a tone that had wounded her, but what sort of noble would she be to revert to a crying child upon scraping her knee? It hurt, and it bled, but she was a being of dignity.
Of course it also helped that she was no longer being attacked.
Pulling away from the protective crescent the Arcanine had formed around her, she faced Guy fully, relying on none other than herself for security and meeting his gaze with a level stare. It was forced, perhaps obviously so, but she would not fear a stranger. She had more grace than that.
"We have not," she assured. "I have lived in Kodo all my life. My relation to Grande Ile is through my mother's blood." There was a hesitant pause as she debated the words to follow. "You may recognize me by merit of my similarity to my brother. He is a Grande Ile native and resident." If anything, she suspected, revealing, or even hinting at, her heritage would make her a less likely suspect as a member of Team Rocket - and perhaps serve to remove her further from suspicion as the murderer of her niece.
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:52 pm
Aila turned to face Guy full-on, and he gave her much credit for it. Obviously this was a difficult topic for the young woman, but he was somehow relieved to see that she would stand strong through it. It was very noble of her. Yes... very noble. In fact, she almost looked like a little princess staring up at Guy so defiantly like she was. That thought was quickly swept out of Guy's mind, though, lest he chuckle at the vision in his mind's eye and further offend the young Miss. He'd already been cruel enough.
"Ah. I suppose I might have been mistaken, then. My apologies." Inwardly, Guy sighed lightly. Well, that was one mystery solved. It was kind of sad, though. Guy was sure that he had at least met her once before. It couldn't be helped though. Now that he got a closer look at her, though, he did notice some very distinguished features, particularly the complexion of her skin and the bright, vibrant color of her eyes. The iris was very peculiar, as it was a pure shade of coral pink. Guy had only seen such eyes once before. It was a long time ago, back when he and Luke still lived in the Duke fon Fabre's mansion. Once or twice, Guy recalled attending several parties held by the Duke Valois. Ah yes, the Duke Valois. He had those same brilliant pink eyes. The same skin tone, as well. How mysterious...
"Miss Aila... Forgive me if this seems out of place, but... You do bear a striking resemblance to the Duke Valois. Have you heard of him?" The statement was intended to be a compliment towards Aila's person, but Guy had no idea how she would take it. He didn't even know if she had any clue who he was in the first place.
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 1:25 pm
Sure though Guy was at having met Aila, Aila was absolutely positive she had never encountered Guy. He was familiar neither in appearance nor in name, save for that she recognized the style of his clothing. She nodded briefly at his apology, not that she was so offended by the suggestion that she found it due but because it was a polite means of dismissing any potential concerns.
Aila managed to withhold the impulsive physical recoil that threatened in response to the words that would follow, but an expression of startled recognition reached her eyes. She turned those eyes downward in contemplation as she considered how to respond to the question. "I have heard of him," she said at length. "J'ai mieux le connaître comme mon frère."
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:04 pm
Anonymes and Oki watched on as their master and this young woman spoke. Anon didn't really understand what they were talking about. He knew that Master was from the Grande Isle, but why did he want to know if the human girl was from there as well? Why did it really matter so much to Master? Perhaps he was just curious, like Anon? That might be it. That poor girl, though... She seemed really tough on the outside. Anon knew better, though. He knew she was sad. It made Anon sad seeing her sad. He debated on giving her a hug. Hugs made everything better. Hugs definitely made Miss Rosie feel better. But Anon wasn't too sure with this Miss Aila. That Arcanine seemed kind of scary. Anon didn't think the Arcanine would like hugs. That was too bad.
Oki, on the other hand, watched the happenings with detached boredom. How tiresome this was. Why did Sir Guy have to go to all of this trouble with talking with the human girl? It was obvious that she was troubled by this conversation, so why press her? Of course, Oki could completely understand the endless thirst for knowledge, and knowledge, obviously, equaled power. ...Was this some sort of training? It might be. It was impossible to tell, and Oki couldn't just ask Guy if that was his intention. Quietly, the Zoroark sighed. He should just try to stay out of this and take it as a learning experience...
Guy was taken slightly off guard by the abrupt use of French by Aila. His own French was very rusty, and so he had some trouble attempting to translate the words in his mind. 'J'ai' obviously was referring to Aila herself... 'Connaître' was... knowing, or recognizing. And 'mon frère' meant... 'My brother?' What? Her brother? What did she mean by that? Did her brother somehow know the Duke? Or, rather... Was her brother the Duke himself? Guy's eyes widened as the thought came into his mind. Could it be possible? They did look very similar, true, but... "...Your brother? Miss... or... Lady Aila, does that...? Are you...?" Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to directly ask the question 'Is the Duke your brother?' It was completely far-fetched, but... Was it really so far out of the realm of possibility?
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:39 pm
Aila had never in her life been referred to with any noble's title, and the sudden association of a 'Lady' with her name was almost startling. She shook her head to dissuade him from repeating the combination, "I am no one who deserves such an address, nor am I one to be associated with my brother any further than by merit of sharing the same parents. To the nation, I am little more than a ghost." Indeed, those who recalled Leon's ascent to the duchy would remember the years he spent searching for his mother and sister only to surrender hope and name them dead. Though the duke now knew that to be untrue, such news had not been dispersed to the public in any capacity.
Briefly she considered the plausibility of visiting the island some day, of presenting herself before her country, of meeting her sister-in-law, of acquainting herself with the home that was never her home-- A strange wistfulness took hold of her features on the realization that that could not be for a number of reasons - not the least of which was the fact that she doubted her niece's mother would forgive her of her crimes as readily as her brother.
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:58 pm
The dissuasion of the use of the term 'Lady' shocked Guy, but he dutifully did has he was told. "But La- Miss Aila, I don't understand! If the Duke is indeed your brother, then why on earth are you here in Kodo? Why are you not in the Grande Isle along with the Duke?" As he spoke the words to the young woman, Guy could not help but be reminded that Luke, like Aila herself, was the family of a Duke, and he had stolen away to Kodo as well. He was just an impatient brat, though, who was bored of the mansion. Aila's reasoning might be - and more likely than not, was - completely different.
The forlorn expression on Miss Aila's face greatly distressed Anonymes. Poor Miss Aila! She was sad! Anon could tell. Anon desperately wanted to cheer her up, but... Would Master get mad at Anon if he hugged Miss Aila? What if it was just a quick hug? Just a small one? Surely, no one could get mad at him over that, right? Right. It was worth a shot! Everyone deserved to be happy! With that logic influencing his actions, Anonymes hovered forward and gently wrapped his arms around Aila in a small hug.
Guy, not at all surprised by Anon's actions but still rather perplexed, laughed awkwardly and folded his arms. "Oh, uh, please don't mind Anonymes. He's, uh... He's very affectionate."
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 3:53 pm
She folded her arms behind her back gingerly, instinctively standing with the elegance her heritage suggested. It was strange to speak so openly with this veritable stranger, but her origins had little to do with her present occupation and their common homeland lent an undeniable sense of kinmanship. "I may as well not be Leon's sister," she replied. "We first met less than a year ago. My mother willingly left Grande Ile before I was even born. For all intents and purposes, she surrendered any affiliation I might have had with the duchy upon doing so." Did he think it would be so easy for her to simply waltz into the capital and reclaim her lost title? ...He probably did, simply because he did not understand the entirety of the situation at hand. Indeed, were she not the murderer of the duke's daughter and a member of Team Rocket, it might have been so easy.
Had Charmant not earlier established that the Lampent was a bumbling idiot, she might have sooner torched them all than allow Anonymes to approach her trainer. Nonetheless, she stayed on high alert, searching for any sign or signal that she should act.
Thanks to previous experiences with a certain Drifblim, Aila was not unaccustomed to sudden hugs from pokemon, and it seemed to make the Lampent feel better about things, so she allowed it for the time being - if not a bit awkwardly. "He's fine," she said, touching a hand to the ghost-type's shade to acknowledge him.
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 4:11 pm
As Aila explained her situation, Guy listened quietly and politely, nodding when appropriate to do so. So... Her mother had left the Grand Isle for one reason or another. Why she left Aila did not say, but Guy thought it would be too much for him to pry any further into the matter than he had already done. For goodness sake, this young woman had already told him something that was obviously a well-kept secret. What would be the point in making her drudge up any more unpleasant memories?
"I see... I suppose that that makes sense. It's unfortunate, but it seems like there's not much to do about it, yes?" Guy sighed quietly, breaking away from Aila's gaze. She lost her title and her place... No, how could she have lost it if she never knew it at all? She might still feel like it was taken from her, though, and Guy knew exactly how that felt. To lose absolutely everything...
"Believe me, I understand. It seems you and I are not so terribly different, Miss Aila." A small, wistful graced Guy's expression as he recalled his own situation. That night so many long years ago, when he himself had lost simply everything. Within a blaze of fire and blood, his home and his title had been stripped from him, leaving him cold and alone, so utterly alone. All he could remember from that night was the fear. The cold, blinding fear. There was also a warm presence from it, affectionate and protective. It made Guy's head hurt just thinking about it. One gloved hand reached up to rub at his aching temples.
Anonymes's somber mood lifted completely when Miss Aila allowed him to continue hugging her. Delighted, he seemed to smile as he hugged her a little tighter. Anon loved giving hugs! Hugs made everything better! He hoped that Miss Aila was feeling better now! Hooray for hugs!
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 7:51 pm
She heard the question as rhetorical, and so she offered no reply. No, there was painfully little that could be done. The only thing that was left was to look forward and build a future from what she had at her disposable. Aila could not honestly confess that she was unhappy with the life she led, and she couldn't imagine turning it over for any other.
A slight frown of curiosity, "Is that so?" She doubted they were indeed as similar as Guy seemed to think, but the sincerity of his statement alongside the shift of his features intrigued her. It was none of her business, of course, but she felt she would leave room for him to elaborate if he so chose. A mild furrowing of her brow responded to the raising of his hand to his head. "Do you feel unwell?"
Sadly for Anonymes, the contact with the Lampent scarcely even registered in the girl's thoughts. She was very used to disregarding awkwardness.
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Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 2:22 pm
It was blatantly obvious to Guy that Aila's question of concern to his person was simply out of politeness, and offered no real compassion to him personally. However, it did give Guy a small sense of comfort, and it was more than appreciated. Unfortunately, her lending a 'helping hand,' as it were, would give him no solace. He stepped back from the young woman subconsciously and, after ceasing the massage of his temples, gave Aila a small, hopefully reassuring smile.
"Oh, no... I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, though." He did not remove his hand because his head had stopped hurting. In fact, the situation was quite the opposite. The throbbing in his head had increased, and it made him wince slightly. He didn't want to worry his young acquaintance, though, even if her worry was a facade put up for the sake of polite company. He also desperately wanted to avoid having to talk about his condition, lest he be thought of even less that he no doubt assumed he was.
"...In any case, I'm afraid that we must be on our way now. Anon, if you would, say your goodbyes to Miss Aila." The Lampent, once he had registered the command of his master, did as he was bidden and released the young human girl from his hug. After giving her and the Arcanine a friendly wave goodbye, he floated back to his master's side, wrapping around the man's right arm and snuggling against it. Guy's eyes flickered over to the Zoroark to his left. "You as well, Oki." The Dark Pokemon's expression remained cold and stone-like as he bent at the waist in a small bow at Aila and her Pokemon.
Guy sighed lightly and turned his clear blue eyes back to the young woman. "If you will please excuse me, Miss, I'm afraid that we must take our leave. I bid you good day." As the words rolled off of his tongue, the swordsman did just as his Zoroark had done and gave Aila a bow. The only difference with his was that his expression was friendly and kind, accented with a faint smile. He stood straight, turned his back to the young woman, and slowly began walking away from her and her pink Pokemon with Anon clinging to his arm and Oki keeping in pace with his own stride. In the back of his mind, Guy somehow felt that he and this mysterious lady of his homeland would meet again. Perhaps it would not be very soon, but he would not forget that face. There was an air of intrigue about her, and Guy was curious to know more... Maybe foolishly so.
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