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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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 Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 7:52 am
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian & Alexandru
Clara looked terribly disappointed by Madeline's response, turning her gaze downward and retreating back into herself. Evolving didn't seem like fun to her--it seemed scary. How would anyone even recognize her if she looked completely different? And what would she look like? It could be anything; maybe she wouldn't like it. She did look over at Nyx though, and frowned unhappily. Daddy's partner hadn't evolved but he sure seemed like a grown-up to her, and she knew he'd be mad if anyone told him he wasn't... Was Aunt Maddie really right?
"I'm rrrready now!" Eliot was enthusiastic as always, in stark contrast with his sister. "I'm rrready to be big!" There were so many reasons being bigger would be better. He'd always be able to beat Balerd if he was big, he could carry everybody around--he could probably eat more too! Speaking of... The puppy began to work at his food again, clumsily munching on his bun and being forced to stop now and again to lick the yummy sauce out of his fur, though some of it was hopelessly beyond the reach of his tongue. "If I'm r-ready, why havven't I e-evvvolved?" He added in between bites, the thought only just occurring to him.
At the head of the table, a brief glare was turned on Madeline, but if she felt it and happened to look, she would find no one watching her at all. Beneath the table however, Nyx's claws were extended and pressing viciously into the floorboards. How dare she tell something like that to the children? The fact that he was unevolved had absolutely nothing to do with his age--in truth it was falsehood on many accounts. The fact that it lessened the status of Pokémon who were members of both Teams was the particularly infuriating thing--she had just disrespected her own captain yet Jessica hadn't reacted at all. His tails flicked sharply in ire as he retracted his claws, though his face was its usual expression of neutrality as he searched Jessica for some indication of a reaction, even as he listened to her explanation of Joshua's role as informant.
He turned to look at Jeremiah when the ghost chimed in, nodding slightly. It was an incredibly vague answer, but it helped clarify things nonetheless. He didn't know much about the Sableye, but it seemed he wasn't the strongest or the brightest from everything that had been said thus far; it seemed safe to assume that Joshua, then, was the one who had masterminded things for his friend. The Poochyena's choice in friends may have been odd, but apparently there were circumstances surrounding that choice. "I...see." The clearest response to a comment, indicating that one did not, in fact, see at all. "So Joshua was helping you to woo your princess. That is an act of true friendship." Especially when your friend had such negative opinions about said princess. Nyx's eyes trailed to Joshua for a moment. It seemed he and the Poochyena may have more similarities than he first thought.
"I'm glad it turned out alright," Neo said to Jessica. "That's all we can really hope for in the end. Balerd would have been pretty sad if something happened." After the boy's breakdown, Neo had quietly dreaded the thought that he would be proven wrong and they wouldn't come back--it was an occupational hazard, however unlikely of one.
Turning to Joshua, Neo smiled. "It's nice to have a good friend like that, isn't it? Sounds like you guys are basically partners, without the actual title." It made him happy to see Pokémon working together like that--best friends had their own unique bond that was always so touching to see. The Meowstic tilted his head thoughtfully. "So what made you want to marry the princess?" he asked curiously. She sounded pretty awful after all, to have gotten such a comment from Tobias, and Jeremiah was so nice. "Oh! And how did you find the best jewel? Did you just get lucky and everybody else somehow found out?" It seemed unlikely, but then again, he didn't really know how Sableye worked or anything about gemstones. Maybe it was really obvious which one was the best and it wasn't worth it to search for other ones when you found a jewel of a certain caliber. To Neo's eye, gems were pretty much the same; he was the sort who could buy a "diamond" made of glass and never know the difference.
Air's eyes were wide and filled with awe as she listened to Tobias's explanation. "Wow, really? I never knew!" Clearly, because the poor Ditto's social skills were terribly lacking; if Air was able to read people as Tobias could and still acted the way she did, the Ditto could be said to be a very unkind creature. "So if you look at somebody you can just tell how they're thinking or what they're feeling? I need to learn how to do that! I've been told that I can be overwhelming sometimes..." By almost every member of her Team, let alone those who she'd known before joining the Guild. "Could you show me how sometime?" Or now. Now was good too.
Lux laughed again, though he did his best to muffle it. Tobias didn't understand his own talent and Air didn't understand her own failings, to see the way their auras contrasted was a comical sight. "It is the case, yes." He nodded to Tobias. "Though beyond the basics, I'm not sure how familiar the average Pokémon is with knowledge of this sort." Anyone could read someone like Neo, who didn't ever conceal his emotions, and anyone could tell you obvious things, like heavy breathing showing signs of fatigue, but it wasn't just anyone who noticed when others deliberately concealed such things. "I cannot speak for you Tobias, but it seems to me you not only have the knowledge, you also possess an aptitude for it." The Lucario smiled. "Those like Jessica and Nyx, who hide such things, do so precisely because of individuals such as yourself. Like Joshua, they are unsettled by the idea if someone having access to their thoughts, even through something so basic as their emotional state." Lux didn't share these sorts of reservations, but unlike someone like Neo or Air, it was not a result of naivety or openness, but because he didn't feel threatened by it as most others did. He shrugged dismissively. "Pokémon like that are those who have encountered darkness in their past and seek to hide themselves because of it. No one wants to feel vulnerable, especially when the world seems filled with more foes than friends."
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 1:32 pm
Robin
Jessica & Tobias & Balerd & Jeremiah & Joshua & Madeline
"That's because, silly~ You're not old enough yet or big enough on the outside yet. You need to do more than want it." Madeline was acutely aware of the fact that Clara was upset about something, but it wasn't exactly obvious what. What had been said was sensible, reasonable and not at all a bad thing at least as far as any fair person was concerned so she wasn't sure what the ghost-balloon was upset about. Kids were hard, they really were. "You see, you gotta have to have a bunch of things for it." In absence of an obvious resolution, the best thing she could do was say it again. Addressing Eliot more simply meant ignoring Clara, asking Clara what was wrong meant ignoring Eliot. "You need to be old enough and big enough so that your body is ready for it. It's not easy to evolve, it takes a lot out of you!" Different pokemon responded differently, but whether it was moments later or hours later they inevitably found themselves in a deep sleep. "And you have to be ready on the inside, too. You have to want it a whole lot more than you've ever wanted something in your whole life. It's not enough to just want to be a bit bigger~! It'll happen when you need it to. I bet you'd both evolve in a hurry to help out someone you love~" Madeline herself had evolved simply because she "wanted to be a bit bigger", but she was an exception rather than a rule. Eevees evolved very easily relative to most and she had been ready for a long time, so even a relatively mundane reason was enough to spark it. She had been the last of her lot to evolve, after all. "So don't worry about it. You can still grow up to be a cool adult like Nyx or Jessy or Josh without needing to evolve. When you get old enough and big enough, it'll happen when you need it to." Like she had said, just look at Nyx. He was a vice-captain, a very skillful cook and a skilled conversationalist. You could be like him without evolving, so was there really anything to worry about? Evolution was an important part of the road, and it was one that Clara would have to face eventually, but it wasn't a roadblock. It was just another part of the path.
Jessica hadn't reacted for what could be a wide variety of reasons. One was that she hadn't interpreted what had been said the way Nyx had. Another was that she had, but that she was planning on dealing with things in private as was more appropriate. The third and correct option was that she was only loosely paying attention to Madeline because talking to kids was usually boring and it didn't seem like anything terrible was being said, so the conversation was safe to ignore. "Yup, everything turned out fine." Jessica let the conversation slip away from her, somewhat grateful that it did. She didn't mind talking, or anything like that, but having the spotlight taken off of her gave her time both to rest and observe. No matter how practiced or trained you were you could never be at your best all the time. She could jump back into things when the time was right, this just gave her a chance to eat and find that time.
Nyx's confusion was lost on Jeremiah, both because he wasn't the sharpest knife and because it wasn't abundantly obvious what he was confused about anyways. But if it was talking about how good Joshua was, that was something he could do. "Yeah! Josh helps me with a lot of stuff, he's really handy and he knows a lot of things I don't. He always knows what to do if I have a problem."
Joshua, meanwhile, tried his best to ignore what Jeremiah was saying. It was a bit embarrassing, but it was an embarrassment he was used to. Trying to tell Jeremiah not to do that kind of thing was like trying to tell a Slugma to breathe underwater. "We watch out for each other. We've been friends for a while and we take care of each other." It was an affirmation and a sufficient expansion on what Neo had said without needlessly dipping into the personal details of it. It wasn't a particularly guarded response, or anything like that, it was more that Joshua simply gave a fair response without randomly offering up deep and personal information. It wasn't like Neo had asked for his life story.
And then it shifted back to Jeremiah again. "Well I wanted to be a prince with a princess but I didn't really know she was like that. I always thought princesses were supposed to be more... nice, and stuff. But then Josh and Jessica told me that a lot of royalty are like that so I decided that maybe that's not something I wanted to be." It wasn't an especially sore topic for him, but it was something he was understandably a little ashamed of. He had had a very storybook understanding of what a princess was and reality had hit him in the face rather hard. She wasn't at all what he had expected her to be; she wasn't kind or graceful or anything like that. She was terrible. She was really, really terrible. The jewel subject, however, was one he was much happier to speak of. "Uh, well in the Glitter Cave the deeper you go the better the stuff you can find. So I just went really, really deep until it started to get warm and I found something that looked really good so I took it back with me. When Josh saw it he said I should probably get someone to help me protect it and told me where to send the letter." It was a fairly simple explanation in part because it was given by one oblivious to significant differences. Jeremiah knew that Sableye were exceptional at finding that stuff, but knowing and appreciating were different factors. "When some others saw it they thought it was really good and they tried to take it, so sending for help was a really good idea." The exact spread of the message had mostly been through the friends of those who witnessed him holding it; winning the contest was ideal, but being friends with whoever won was good too. Shaky alliances had been formed solely to steal from Jeremiah.
"Hmm..." At first, Tobias didn't say anything real in response to either Air or Lux; he did not agree or decline, he merely thought. The compliments registered but were taken away by the slow moving tide of confusion and self-reflection. He was genuinely troubled, although he did not fear the prospect he was unsure as to how he would handle it. Lux had presented him with something foreign and he would need to take some time to consider, process and validate it. "Perhaps that is so." The response, simple in itself, didn't seem to address anything in particular; it was intended to address everything entirely. Perhaps he was exceptional, perhaps others were unsettled by it, perhaps some felt vulnerable by it. It demanded an analysis that couldn't be completed so simply at a dinner table, especially since some factors stuck out; Nyx, in particular, was prone to concealing things without an obvious reason. Jessica's was also incomprehensible, but in contrast it seemed very purposeful in nature. Maybe he would ask her about it at a later time. "But I thank you for your insight. And yes if you wish for such a thing I would not mind, though I am unsure that I would be a skillful teacher." Now wasn't really a good time, for a variety of reasons. But later on it could happen. Tobias didn't have any explicit desire to teach Air, but he wasn't one to refuse a feasible request and there was a good chance it would allow him to properly consider the idea that Lux had presented to him.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 3:26 pm
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian & Alexandru
"Ohhhh." Eliot nodded, a little disappointedly. He did really want it, but he definitely wasn't big on the outside yet, so that must have been the problem. He'd just have to try really hard to get big really fast so that he could evolve. "It s-sounds hard... B-b-but! I'll evvvolve to h-h-help! Forrrr sure!" There was no way he'd let anybody get hurt if he could help it. He would get big to protect everybody. If his family needed it he would be the biggest in the whole world!
"If I had to..." Clara wasn't as convinced, but Aunt Maddie had said something important: you had to have a bunch of things for it. If she just never had all of the things, then maybe she wouldn't have to evolve. Besides, she didn't know how evolving would let her help anyone. Wouldn't it just be harder to help someone if you evolved and had to do things with a whole different body? These things were complicated, and she didn't really know how to understand them. Still, Aunt Maddie said not to worry--that it wouldn't happen until she was ready--so, so long as she was never ready, it would never happen. "Eliot's better at that sort of thing though..." She'd leave it to him.
"Don't w-worry Clara! I'll evvvolve to prrrrotect you!" The puppy said proudly, wagging his tail. "Nnnnobody can stop me!" Only the absence of a Fire Stone, but Eliot couldn't possibly know that yet.
Nyx knew Joshua's embarrassment well. "A good sort of partnership to have then. It sounds like a fortunate thing that your paths crossed."
"Aw, that does sound nice." Neo could sympathize with being charmed by the fairytale vision of being a prince paired with a princess. "Too bad she wasn't a very good princess," he said with a frown. "I, uh, don't know much about royalty myself, but if they're mostly like that then maybe it's for the best." It was a shame they weren't as nice as the stories said, but if Joshua and Jessica had experience with them maybe they knew best.
And then the jewel story. "Wow, that does sound deep!" It was pretty cool that Jeremiah worked so hard to find the perfect stone. He really must have had his heart set on marrying the princess. "Well I'm glad you did ask for help, since it ended up bringing you both here!" Neo said cheerfully. "Isn't it crazy how things don't always work out the way we plan them? So many of the people here never even planned on joining the Guild, but here we all are." He laughed. "I'm glad it turned out this way though. It's been so nice to meet all of you." He meant it from the bottom of his heart. "Most of my Team joined us for similar reasons. It's not that we've been banned from anywhere, but everybody's just needed a place to stay for one reason or another. I think Lux might be the only one who definitely wanted to join the Guild beforehand."
"My pleasure," Lux returned. "I hope it proves useful to you." In the end, even his understanding of the world couldn't always prove useful to those with different viewpoints, but the Lucario didn't mind sharing his knowledge when it seemed useful. Teaching was something that made him feel whole.
"Oh, yes, please!" Air said eagerly. "I would love to learn about it. I think it's fascinating. Even if it's hard to teach I'll do my best."
Lux smiled. "Air is a good student, I can assure you of that." Perhaps it had to do with the Ditto's skill for mimicry, perhaps not, but she picked things up quickly when they were taught to her, and put them into practice whenever possible. It would be interesting to see if what Tobias knew could help her with her woeful social abilities; if it did, the whole process would prove most beneficial to the Ditto, and Lux loved to watch his young friend grow.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 9:16 pm
Robin
Jessica & Tobias & Balerd & Jeremiah & Joshua & Madeline
Madeline let it go. It was good enough. It didn't seem to have fully calmed Clara down but there was a point at which you just had to let it go. She didn't mind talking to kids, she enjoyed it even, but dealing with one that was upset was difficult at best and at some point you just needed to pass the reins back to dad. "It'll all work out~ Don't worry about it too much, it's something for the future." It really was, but kids would be kids. They did a really good job of worrying about things that didn't matter and wouldn't for a very long time.
"It was, yeah." Nyx wouldn't know how true those words were and he probably wouldn't ever know.
"Yeah! There's lots of stuff to do here and lots of things to eat. The caves were nice but I really like it here. I always thought that the idea was kinda cool, running around and helping people and stopping bad guys and stuff. I never thought I'd end up in one since you don't see that kind of thing back home but I'm glad I did." It was the closest thing to a "hero" in his mind, to be the kind of cool and resourceful guy who ran around finding new places, saving people and stopping villains. And he was that guy! They'd already stopped a villain. So that was really cool, he liked that. Though he wasn't supposed to talk about that, so he wouldn't. "It's been good to meet you guys too! This is fun and the food is really good." Everyone else agreed with that as well, verbally or otherwise. It was a good gathering and an enjoyable dinner, individual hiccups aside.
"As I said I do not mind, we will simply need to go outside on a later day." It would have to be the day, and it would have to be outside. A busy street would be best. "But it is not that it is hard to teach, rather that I am not sure that I will be able to teach it." His lack of confidence was not in Air but rather in his own capacity to teach. It was, to a certain degree, apparent that things were not at all as he had thought they were. Things were indeed perhaps very different from how he had thought they were. That was not a good place to teach from, as there was the thought that things would go best if he knew both himself and his prospective pupil well. "I do not believe I have ever taught so I am not sure that I will be capable." It would be, at the least, something new for both of them.
((Might be prudent to introduce a small skip to the next significant event?))
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 8:33 am
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian & Alexandru
Gradually, a lull fell over the group, conversations dwindling so that everyone could take the time to enjoy what remained of their meals. Nyx's cooking was well picked-over by the time the group's plates were mostly clear, and the atmosphere shifted to one of anticipation of what remained. Neo, of course, picked up on such things easily, and shot a glance at his partner, tilting his head toward the other room. Nyx nodded, clearing his throat and looking out over the rest of the table. "If everyone is satisfied with their dinner, Neo and I will begin the preparations for dessert." He smiled wryly. "I do hope you all still have a bit of an appetite." The fox stood up from his position and headed back into the other room; Neo stood as well, but remained behind for a while longer to travel around the table, collecting everyone's plates. When the feline disappeared as well, the rest of the group was left to themselves absent their hosts again, but it wasn't a moment before something else would draw everyone's attention.
Killian's eyes flashed once where he stood at his post, and the Golurk bent down to open the door, allowing Alexandru to fly in. "Many thanks Killian. I must ask one more request of you, come join us at the table." The Golurk turned and made his way over to the table as he was told, the dishes that still lined it quivering from the tremors that shook the floor. He crouched down at the end of the table beside Air and Alexandru's former spot as the bat followed behind him, apparently satisfied.
"I apologize for any disruption my departure may have caused." Alexandru said, the nervousness from before a distant memory. "I needed to clear my head, and I tended to something else in my departure." Indeed, that was apparent, since the crimson bat had a small, velvet pouch hanging from his neck that he certainly hadn't had before. The bat flew down to perch behind Joshua, waiting for the Poochyena to turn around. "I do understand that you don't share my beliefs Joshua, and I understand I cannot persuade you otherwise, so I don't intend to. However, if you would accept a gift I would appreciate it. Lux, would you?"
The Lucario found his friend's aura back to normal, its usual ebb and flow returned and the blue as crisp as an ocean breeze. He hadn't seen Alexandru collect himself so completely ever before, and he wasn't certain how to interpret it. "Certainly Alex." Lux reached forward to touch his friend's wing, and the bat guided his hand to the pouch at his throat. He removed it carefully, but somewhat clumsily, and pulled open the drawstrings to pull out what lay nestled inside. "Oh?" He felt something cool brush against his fur, and further inspection of it with his hands revealed it to be a pendant of some sort, hung on a ribbon.
"It is for you Joshua, I hope you will take it." The Zubat sounded quite sincere. "This pendant, it is created specially for those of your kind. I do not know what sort of power flows through it, but I'm sure if you spoke to one more knowledgeable on such things you could learn. The one I received it from said it brings strength to your paws when you need it most." The pendant was on a thin, black ribbon that could easily be hung around Joshua's neck, leaving its small charm to rest against his chest. "Would you kindly do this for me?" Alexandru had known exactly what he needed to do when he departed, and exactly the person to see for it. Now he had what he wanted and he'd presented Joshua with an offer it would be difficult to refuse--after all, no one else could use a Pooch-Pendant, and refusing a gift after someone went out of their way to find it for you was generally frowned upon. All he needed was for Joshua to take and use it--then he could rest easy, knowing he'd done his best to keep the Poochyena safe. The protection spell he'd placed on the pendant was no trivial thing, and the pendant itself was practical enough that he would hopefully put it to use. Joshua didn't need to know the effects, all he needed to do was believe that the pendant would help him, and it was designed to do just that: Alexandru's plan was as foolproof as he could make it.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Neo and Nyx were busily gathering things together for the last course. There had been a terrifying moment where Killian's footsteps had forced Neo to drop Jessica's wine, but his Psychic was fast enough to keep the worst from happening. "Who told that blasted thing to move?" Nyx growled, turning away from the dessert plate he was crafting and staring back toward the door.
Neo glanced out, heart still racing as he held the cold, white wine in his hands. "It looks like Alexandru's back," the Meowstic said, "It was probably him." Neo was just glad the worst hadn't happened, and he set the bottle down on the counter with shaky paws before turning to find the wine glasses.
Nyx scowled, but said nothing further, turning back to his two-tiered plate. The top part was already piled high with many colorful macarons that came to a pleasing point at the top, and he began the careful process of creating more layers on the bottom, claws holding the sides of the small cakes so as to preserve their beautifully smooth tops.
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 6:06 pm
Robin
Jessica & Tobias & Balerd & Jeremiah & Joshua & Madeline
Dinner ended as well as anyone could've hoped. Everyone enjoyed their food, there was no problems, the conversation was pleasant, et cetera. The conversation thereafter would be little more than polite smalltalk as each and every one of them was keenly aware that it was a poor time to mine for a new topic. There wasn't much to speak of coming off of the meal, nor was there really anything to tug out into the open. It was just idle chatter; compliments on the meal, questions of the norm and so on.
The only particularly exceptional bit of it all would be Killian's sudden motion, which would forcefully grab the attention of everyone while eliciting a spirited wave from Jeremiah, as well as Alexandru's concerted effort to protect Joshua from those fickle things that lurked in dark corners. In the end Joshua had absolutely no reason to actually want the pendant. As Alexandru had said he didn't believe in superfluous bullshit like that. They were superstitions, they were stories, they were nothing more than pranks and excuses. He had absolutely no reason to want it. IT was just a pointless little piece of jewelry that wouldn't accomplish anything on its own. "Yeah." On the other hand, he didn't actually have any reason to reject it. It was just a pointless little pendant, a piece of jewelry that mattered little. It wouldn't weigh on him, it wouldn't hold him down, it wouldn't stop him; it was just a gem like the many he had seen. He would accept it not because he had any particular compulsion to do so but because the weight of wearing it was smaller than the weight of spurning someone, even if it was a stranger that he personally felt was being an idiot. He could always just take it off later and keep it around or something. "I'll wear it. Thanks."
And that was the end of it. The situation could be tended to at a later time if at all. For now it would go best ignored. It wasn't a conniving or manipulative series of thoughts that led him to that conclusion, just the fact that it was generally an awkward situation, that he didn't like, with no obvious or desirable resolution. Sometimes when you didn't know what to do the best thing to do was nothing.
Especially with dessert served so soon, and toasts to be made.((Left you a few messages on chatango))
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat May 21, 2016 1:21 pm
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian & Alexandru
"Ah, Jeremiah, would you mind...?" Lux held out the pendant by its ribbon, extending it carefully past Joshua. The Lucario would have helped him put it on himself, but it may have been a little clumsy since he couldn't easily gauge the best way to accomplish it. Better to let someone who could see handle it, since Lux didn't want to make the circumstances any more uncomfortable for the Poochyena than they already were. He would speak to Alexandru about it later, among other things.
"I am much obliged." Alexandru waited until he heard the soft sound of the pedant falling on fur before he fluttered back to his seat, mollified for the time being. That was enough. He couldn't do anything more than he had now: Joshua's fate was left to time and the mercy of the spirits now. Although he wished he could have taken the burden upon himself, even the superstitious Zubat didn't believe dwelling on the past accomplished anything.
Neo emerged from the kitchen after a short time, a number of implements hovering behind him. He didn't particularly like to use his Psychic to set up in front of guests, it always felt flashy and a little pretentious to him, but it was the fastest way to get everything prepared. He came to a stop at the head of the table and sent a dessert plate and glass to each place as he set a pair of bottles on the table in front of him; the plates were all the same--smaller clean settings for the desserts to rest on--but the glasses varied from proper, long-stemmed ones for bipeds, to elegant glass bowls for quadrupeds and others without hands (the children were given less-breakable settings of course, but even these were transparent, to allow the liquid inside to be seen), that were filled with a pale, translucent liquid. One bottle was significantly larger than the other, easily recognizable as Jessica's gift, the other was filled with a complimentary drink for the children, a sparkling apple cider that Neo had fortunately already been saving for a special occasion. For now, the pair of bottles served as little more than decoration, but there were there in case anyone requested more later. "Sorry about the wait guys," he said sheepishly. "Just give us another minute."
He slipped off into the kitchen again and when he reemerged Nyx was with him. The Vulpix carried a tray in his mouth that contained a few bowls of chocolates, and his partner held the two-tiered, multi-colored wonder that held the macarons. A few careful repositionings later, Neo had shifted the dishes about to make room for the collection of cakes, and sent it to the middle of the table for the others to marvel at as he took the bowls from Nyx's platter and set them at each end of the table, this time with his own paws. By the time he made it back to his seat, Nyx had already returned the platter to the kitchen and was coming back as well. Everything was set.
Neo smiled, pleased that nothing had managed to go wrong. "Um, if everyone doesn't mind," he said, "Before we get started on our dessert, there's a little tradition my family had that I think would be fun for us to try." The Meowstic gestured to the glasses. "We always saved drinks like this for special occasions, and before anyone had anything at all, we'd each make a toast. You just say a few words about something you appreciate, or something you're looking forward to or something you value. It can be anything really. I figure we can go around the table, and each toast to something. Then, when everyone's spoken, we take a drink to honor everything that's been said." He hadn't had alcohol outside his family before, so he didn't really know if anyone else was familiar with the concept: hopefully that helped to explain it. "I'll go first, then we'll go around starting at Nyx and ending at Jessica."
The Meowstic cleared his throat and stood up, glass in paw. "I just wanted to say again how grateful I am to have you everyone here tonight, and that the presence of each one of you means the world to me. I hope that we'll all be able to continue to enjoy each other's company in the future." He smiled and raised his glass. "To new friendships, and old!"
Nyx smiled faintly, waiting until Neo looked to him, and he rose to his paws as well. "It's been my pleasure to co-host such a charming gathering this evening." A necessary formality. "It is rare for such an assortment of individuals as ourselves to have the chance to meet, yet here we are." He raised a paw up and out, similar to Neo's posture but without the glass in hand. "And for that reason, I toast to fortune. May it continue to favor us in future endeavors."
Clara blanched when Nyx finished, realizing she came next in line, and she stared at her father nervously as his eyes fell on her. "Daddy..."
"Don't worry, sweetheart," he whispered, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. "Just say something you're happy for." He looked over to Eliot, "And you too. Tell everyone what you're happy for."
The puppy wagged his tail. That was easy! "Food!" he said cheerfully, eliciting laughs from Neo and Lux both.
Clara shifted nervously, her eyes falling to the table. "I'm...I'm happy for just being here." Or she had been. Now she'd rather be almost anywhere else without so many pairs of eyes.
"Good!" Neo purred, giving Clara another squeeze before shifting to pet Eliot with his free paw. "To food!" he said with a laugh, "To good food and to being here, together."
As Balerd and Tobias had their turns, Air stared at her glass pensively, fretting over what to say. Toasts were something fairly foreign to the Ditto, who'd rarely been included in any sort of special celebration; even those she had been a part of didn't have anything so procedural as a toast, they were highly informal. So, when all eyes turned to her, she stood up, paw shaking slightly as she held up her glass. "Well, um, I just want to say that it's been really nice to meet all of you. It's one of my first times being a part of such a big gathering, and I feel, uh, really lucky to have had this chance. I know that I wouldn't have if I hadn't come here, and the same goes for you guys I guess. So, um, I guess I'll toast to that. To the Guild, and to all the Pokémon we meet because of it!" Hopefully that was good enough. She raised her glass and fell silent, the quivering of the liquid inside it showing her nerves as plainly as the expression on her face.
"First meetings are important ones." Alexandru transitioned smoothly. "With them, we build the foundations that carry us into the future, which I hope will be a bright one for all of us." The bat dipped his head and raised a wing. "To the future."
Lux was the last of Team Essence to speak, and he stood with glass in paw readily. "I think we all have a great many things to be thankful for this evening. Many have been said already and there will be more to come, and I think it a wonderful thing that we have so many things in our lives to celebrate that we all have something to toast to." He raised his glass and smiled. "To gratitude."
It was left to Team Robin to round off the toasts and then they would drink, a process encouraged by Neo, who would lift his glass higher when Jessica had finished and say "Cheers!" before lifting the glass to his lips, leading his teammates to do the same.
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Posted: Sat May 21, 2016 7:17 pm
Robin
Jessica & Tobias & Balerd & Jeremiah & Joshua & Madeline
Jeremiah was happy to help with the pendant, having little else to do. Smalltalk was exchanged reasonably enough until such a time as they were once more called upon to once more seat themselves at the table. Jessica was pleased to see that Neo had had something so perfect for the kids, she had expected something given the household but nothing so apt, as well as the toast itself. It was a time-honoured tradition for celebrations and gatherings like this to have someone speaking. It was a good part of the process for reasons both easy to explain and not. There was just something so very right about it and she would have suggested it herself if Neo hadn't. Each team member mimicked Neo or Nyx, body type depending, and took their turn in order.
The first toast from Jessica's team would be the most troublesome of the lot, as it would require an understandable amount of coaxing. Balerd was already impatient; there was something new and exciting to get into that everyone was treating in a fairly important manner. The nuanced idea of a toast was somewhat lost on the little bird, who had only been kept from drinking early by the gentle-but-firm hand of Tobias. Recognizing well enough that Balerd had no meaningful understanding of what was going on, Tobias began the process. "Balerd, what is something that makes you happy?"
There was a moment's contemplation before a reply of, "Good things!"
Tobias gently patted Balerd on the head. "Then what is your most favourite good thing?"
Balerd, being somewhat oblivious yet excited about being the center of attention, gave the fastest answer of the night. "Papa!"
Tobias laughed, smiled and pulled Balerd inwards slightly as a gesture of affection before raising his glass. "To new understandings and to new family, wherever such things are found."
The process went around the rest of Team Essence, eventually picking itself up at Joshua who wasn't the best prepared. He didn't have some easy, abstract motivation to work with. He valued the practical things. Good meals. The few friends he had. A dry, warm, comfortable place to sleep. None of them were the right thing to say, a fact he intuitively knew even before the majority of Team Essence had spoken. Mentally stuck on trying to come up with something that fit without just making s**t up, he ended up choosing something simple. "To a good life."
Jeremiah's came next with a surprising ease. "To doing good things!"
"To knowledge and the good it brings us~"
Jessica went last, taking a moment to raise her glass well up and to speak in an even voice. She was the captain and the last to speak and she was sure as hell going to end it properly in all regards; how she moved, what she said and how she said it. It needed a sense of finality to it, it needed to be the end of the proceedings in a proper way. "To what we've had, what we have and what we've yet to gain, whatever that may be." Regardless of what that meant from person to person, it was always worth toasting to both the past and the future.
Each toast had been important, each one was to be considered and contemplated as it resonated with the individual. But there would be time for the complexity of thought after each and every one of them, in a somewhat shakey unison, spoke as Neo did. "Cheers!" would fill the room just before each began drinking in their own manner and the serving began.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2016 6:39 pm
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian & Alexandru
And drink they did!
Smiles sprang to the faces of the adults as they indulged in the sweetness of their alcohol, a refreshing change from the dinner before. Nyx and Alexandru took small sips, both sampling the alcohol with practiced taste; Neo and Lux took normal sips, and both set down their glasses after; Air was the only one to take a big gulp, and the Ditto-Buizel nearly choked with surprise at the unfamiliar burn of alcohol in her mouth, though she grinned shortly after when the warmth and sweetness registered. "Wow, this is really good!" she said, eagerly taking another (more reasonably-sized) drink. Eliot seemed to have a similar opinion, lapping at his bowl excitedly--the puppy liked the feeling of the bubbles in his nose, it tingled. Clara found the drink a little weird, so she set it down after taking her sip to stare at it; at least it was pretty they way it bubbled and sparkled.
Neo smiled. "Thanks for that everyone, it was great." It felt just like being at home for one of his Dad's family gatherings. "And thank you Jessica, Air's right, the wine's delicious." He raised his glass to her and took another sip. "Help yourself to dessert too, everybody. Nyx really went all out--each color's a different flavor. And if anyone needs more to drink just let me know and I'll come top off your glass." The Meowstic set his glass down and reached across the table to remove the top part of the macaron plate to set on his side of the table, while the bottom tier remained on the other side. He pulled out a macaron for Clara and a number of them for Eliot before picking out three for himself. He picked up a green one in his paw and took a bite. "Mmm, pistachio!"
Nyx picked out two macarons for himself and took another sip of his wine quietly. He was still considering the toasts--a number of things had been said, some of them less expected than others. It was interesting what people said when put on the spot like that. The Vulpix took a bite of his dessert and then took a slow sip of his wine. Ah, yes. They did pair nicely, at least with the vanilla cream macarons.
"Air, would you pick out some for Alex and I?" Lux's question came a few moments after the plates had been set, his expression somewhat confused. Usually Air was very prompt about this sort of thing.
"Oh, right!" Air said sheepishly. The Ditto-Buizel glanced at the plate of macarons; in truth, she'd forgotten about them in favor of drinking her wine. It was really tasty, and her glass was already empty. "Neo, could I get some more?" she asked, indicating her empty cup. As the Meowstic came over to comply, Air turned to the desserts. "Alright, there's a bunch of little cake-thingys and there are also chocolates. What would you like?"
"I'll take two of the cakes, and three chocolates if you would."
"No chocolate for me Air, thank you. But a lighter colored cake would be appreciated."
"Just one?"
"Yes, one is plenty." Alexandru dipped his head to sample the macaron he was given and found to his surprise it had a light lemon taste. He took a sip of his wine and smiled. Yes, it was a lovely pairing. If he still had the appetite perhaps he'd ask for a strawberry one after.
"There you go, Air!" Neo said cheerfully, having filled the Ditto's glass generously. "Glad you're enjoying it. Be sure to thank Jessica for it later, okay?"
"Will do!" Air said cheerfully, her plate now stocked with sweets as well. "Thanks Neo!" As the Meowstic returned to his seat, Air took another sip from her glass. It really was delicious stuff, and she loved how warm and tingly it made her stomach feel.
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 1:05 am
Robin
Jessica & Tobias & Balerd & Jeremiah & Joshua & Madeline
"This is great!" Jeremiah was almost a perfect mirror image to Air, having indulged a little too quickly only to pause suddenly as the taste hit his mouth. It was a new experience to him, but it wasn't one he hated; when one's biology made eating exclusively a pleasure rather than a need, novelty was valued highly. He gladly accepted Neo's offer for more, a choice that would surely show itself later on to one who was oblivious of what the drink really meant. Jessica had considered stopping him but it was too late. If he tried to go back for much more she would stop it there but trying to call it now would only raise a fuss.
"You're welcome, I'm just glad it's such a hit." Denying the thanks wasn't a prudent thing to do. There was humility in accepting it as much as there was in denying it but, while she tried to avoid seeming arrogant, she wasn't the self-effacing type. It had been a genuinely good decision on her part and she was, likewise, genuinely glad that it was working out. She had her concerns that perhaps people would end up a bit too inebriated, but that was fine too. People had the right to be themselves, even if that meant getting a bit drunk. She really couldn't help but smile at it all, the evening was really just going perfectly.
The rest of Team Robin, in contrast, drank much more normally. Jessica knew to drink slowly and did so by preference. The reasons for the remainder were less obvious; Tobias had to lean over considerably in order to drink from his dish, though he would eventually drop onto all fours once he ate his fill, which stalled his progress considerably. Joshua was wary of the possibility that he could end up too drunk to control himself. Madeline wasn't restraining herself at all, which itself was the reason her drinking was slow: she had a big stomach and a big desire for macarons.
Of course, out of all the members of Team Robin it would be Balerd who was the most voracious. Hawlucha anatomy may have been poorly suited for more modern implements but that wouldn't slow Balerd down in the slightest even if it did make a small mess. When you were a bird child there were no limits. None of them. The wonderful subtlety of the meal would be lost on Balerd in favour of an insatiable desire for the Good Things available. Such was the way of infants, at least those who weren't the reincarnated souls of dead children.
The indulgence of the team would vary between "reasonable" to "slightly excessive", but at the very worst it would be unlikely to cross the border from "flattering" to "unreasonable" for all but the most rigid of individuals. There was no greater compliment to a chef than to enjoy what they had prepared and Nyx's food would be well enjoyed, without the constraints of a more balanced meal or a need to "save room" it would be a much more earnest process. Personalities aside, Nyx could at least find assurance in the fact that his cooking transcended even truly awful people as the enjoyment was universal. Jeremiah and Madeline both would be the most guilty though Joshua as well would have a bit more than the "norm", whatever that meant. Tobias would take plenty, a fact not unexpected for his relatively enormous size. He was, after all, many times heavier than the average individual at the table.
In fairly quick order, Balerd would race away from the table with reckless abandon. Playtime was all the time.
The first adult to leave the table would be Jeremiah, who would stand with a mild uncertainty. There would be a brief period of awkwardness as he stood that could be easily enough mistaken for a brief moment of clumsiness or a stomach that's too full. "I'm gonna keep an eye on the kids." Balerd had assuredly been joined by Eliot at this point, leading to a rambunctious (though not destructive) playtime. Jeremiah would quickly enough have his attention pulled away by Air who, for one reason or another, would be the second depart from the table. Jeremiah would beat her to the punch on the greetings and prompt her with the most obvious of questions. "Hiya! You're Air, right? You're a ditto thing?" Jeremiah had been absent from virtually all of Air's conversations and antics, meaning that aside from arbitrary chatter at the table this was their first time actually talking to each other.
Jessica twisted slightly in her seat to take a look back towards Jeremiah and shook her head slightly as it became apparent that nobody was actually watching the kids. Jeremiah and Air weren't going to black out for a while, if at all, but it seemed like they were both naive to the effects of alcohol. It was probably best to avoid trusting them with anything for the rest of the evening, which included keeping an eye on the kids. She glanced down the table and quickly made a decision on her course of action. She slipped out of her chair, partially refilled glass in hand, and walked towards Lux. Everyone was still eating or drinking and Lux was no exception to this, but unlike the majority of the table he was blessed with bipedalism and useful hands. She could have gone and watched the kids on her own but not only would that have set a bad example, it would have been boring. She could have pulled Neo away, but that likely meant Clara coming along which could get in the way of any adult conversation. Besides, while she wanted to have a one-on-one with Neo it would be best left for another day. Such things were better for business arrangements, and business arrangements were best as a second meeting kind of thing. It would prove difficult for both parties if they agreed on something now only for some difficulties to arise later on.
"Lux," His name first, to get his attention. "I don't suppose I could invite you to help me keep an eye on the children?" It was mostly just a social movement. It was, for the most part, really just an obvious excuse that was intentionally spoken loudly enough to make it obvious why they were departing without being so loud as to interrupt the conversation. She could have left the kids well enough alone if she really wanted to, but watching them didn't seem like a bad idea. And it was a good way to get a spot with Lux to chat, whether that meant standing idly or sitting down on some available furniture. Provided the Lucario would assent to being pulled away from the table, the two of them would settle as appropriate and began doing that which any two reasonable adults would do while at a small party and slightly inebriated: have a nice, friendly talk about whatever.
"I take it you're not new to formal dinners?" It was a friendly comment meant to open further conversation. Of course, she was genuinely interested in the Lucario as well. He was distinct from the majority of Team Essence in that he was, in his own way, a foreboding and significant presence. She suspected, perhaps rightfully so, that he was the lynchpin of their fighting strength due to his relative power and his high reliability. Unlike his comrades he was well evolved and, unlike Neo, he didn't rely on relatively fickle psychic power. He couldn't be overwhelmed by a superior opponent the way that someone who relied on more "special" skills could. More importantly he also stuck out like a sore thumb in that, like Jessica, he was entirely too well-suited to the environment around him. He knew the rituals, he was well-adjusted. She had captured bits and pieces of what had been said earlier and she knew enough to know that Lux sought the guild out for what it was rather than what it promised, and that he had apparently been a part of a structured organization in the past. The simplistic query, in its own way, was an invitation for Lux to open up on aspects as he saw fit.
"Soooooo Nyxy~" Madeline paused from her meal just enough to talk to Nyx, and not a lot else. "You're a pretty great cook~ Any chance you give lessons?" She asked the question with a sincere if slightly mischievous smile. She really did mean her compliment, but the question was likely in jest. Joshua had asked a similar question earlier but, well, she hadn't been there then.
Joshua himself was relatively quiet, as he had been up to that point. Tobias had spent more of his time tending to his child than anything else and hadn't actually opted to begin any conversations, though he was well receptive to them.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 10:29 pm
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian & Alexandru
Dessert was a fun time, but it was also a short time, at least when you were young and able to eat like Eliot. The Growlithe consumed a considerable amount of cakes and chocolates, especially considering his two helpings of dinner, but it was hardly excessive for a child who was growing faster than his father would have thought possible. Eliot licked his lips cheerfully and lapped up the rest of his drink contentedly, a soft sigh coming from him. He was full and happy, enough that he could have gone to sleep, but Balerd had other plans. As the Hawlucha bolted off from the table, he jabbed Eliot in the side with his wing, perhaps unintentionally, perhaps not. Whatever the case, the puppy blinked with surprise and then grinned, paws itching to give chase. "Dad, can I g-go play?" He looked up at Neo hopefully, wagging his tail.
"Hang on." Neo untied the napkin from around Eliot's neck and wiped the boy's face thoroughly. "There you go. Now, go give Balerd a run for his money."
Eliot stood up and planted a wet thank you kiss on his father's cheek before turning and bolting off, eyes dead set on his small bird friend: it was time to play the game he and Clara had managed to teach Balerd since the bird's first overnight. The puppy put on a burst of speed and dashed past Balerd, pushing his nose into the bird's side and then ducking back quickly. "Tag, you're it!"
"You can go too, whenever you're ready sweetheart." Neo said, looking up at Clara.
The girl glanced down at her mostly finished macaron, then back at the boys. "Okay." She would float off of her own accord after she finished, hovering over to watch the boys play again. Her brother really was a lot more fun when Balerd wasn't around--watching did get old after a while.
Air was enjoying dessert immensely. Everything Nyx had made was good, and the more she drank of the wonderful stuff Jessica had brought the less nervous the Ditto felt. It was great--it tasted good and it made her feel good--so naturally she had a number of glasses that was enough to cause Alexandru to comment, after the fourth or fifth time Neo was called over, "Air, perhaps you should take a bit more time to...savor your drink, don't you think?"
Naturally, Air had no idea what Alexandru was alluding too, but just about any sort of suggestion sounded fine at this point. "Sure, I can try that." Of course, what was the best way to take some more time to savor the drink? She didn't really know but--oh, hey Jeremiah was getting up; he seemed really nice, they should be friends. Mind made up, Air stood up and blinked a few times before shaking her head. That was weird, the room had looked a little funny for a minute--maybe it still did, she wasn't sure. Oh well. The Ditto-Buizel toddled over to where Jeremiah was wandering, glass in paw, and hailed the Ghost with a warm, "Hey, I never got the chance to properly introduce myself I don't think!"
Jeremiah was on top of things already, he remembered her name and everything, that was nice. "Yep," Air giggled, "I'm Air and I'm a Ditto. We're not really things, we're just Pokémon, like Sableye or Buizel or anything else." She gestured to her current form and took another drink from her glass. "And you're Jeremiah. It's nice to meet you." Air extended her free paw. "I don't know how I missed you earlier. I guess I got a little caught up talking to Tobias and Maddie, sorry about that."
"I'm concerned about Air." Alexandru said softly, for only Lux to hear.
The Lucario shook his head slightly and smiled. "And what have I told you about worrying too much." He finished off a macaron and licked his lips contentedly. "No one's going to let anything happen to them. If we don't let people learn some things for themselves they'll never learn at all." Besides, Air and Jeremiah seemed to be having fun. He recognized the telltale fuzziness of their auras that indicated inebriation, but those two were the only ones who had it particularly noticeably for now. The fact that someone like Alexandru, who showed no signs of inebriation at all, was looking out for them simply affirmed his confidence that no harm would befall them this evening.
The sound of his name caused Lux to raise his head and turn, recognizing Jessica by her voice before his gaze settled on her aura. "Jessica." He nodded, smiling and rising to his feet. "Of course, I'd be happy to. If you'll excuse me gentlemen." He picked up his glass and turned to follow the Charmander where she led, pleased at the chance to speak with someone new.
When they were closer to the children and she posed her question, Lux smiled, sightless eyes crinkling at the edges. "Well I wouldn't call myself particularly experienced in such things, but I have been to one or two in my time, certainly. Of course, if you're talking about really formal events, then I'm afraid I know nothing at all, but gatherings like these? Small groups of like-minded individuals gathering to socialize and perhaps make a few connections in the process? I've been to a few of those." Though perhaps less than Jessica might have thought. "That was a long time ago though, and I was much less willing to give toasts back then." He chuckled. "When I was a Riolu, I tended to shy away from anything that drew too much attention to me." It was something he'd grown out of in all the right ways.
"I imagine you've had more intimate experience with these things, or at least more recent experience," he said. "Someone who knows the right wine to bring to a dinner party and who can offer an excellent closing line for a toast must be rather familiar with the proceedings." He smiled. "It seems a useful skill to have, especially for a Team Captain." Captains were public personae after all, they were the most recognized faces of the Guild, and they created their own miniature organizations within it, which required a certain amount of charisma. Jessica and Neo both were excellent examples of that, each in their own way.
"Hey Nyx." The Vulpix looked up from his dish to find Neo had slid over to the seat next to him, now that Clara was gone. "I think I'm gonna head down and say hello to everyone down there." The Meowstic gestured down to the other end of the table where Alexandru, Tobias, and Joshua were all eating together rather quietly. "Let me know if you need me to help pick up or anything, okay?" Neo stood and rubbed his partner on the shoulder encouragingly as he made to circle around the table. Nyx offered him a nod but didn't say anything; he understood, Neo was being a good host, but that didn't mean he had to like being left alone with the last creature he wanted to be near. But his bowl was freshly filled and he didn't have the luxury of bipedalism, which meant that one way or another the conversation had to happen.
She started it before he could think of anything to say, and that was that, though it was all he could do not to visibly react to the bile that rose in his throat at the nickname she used. "Well, I thank you for that Madeline," he said, "It's always nice to have one's work well received." And she had received more than her fair share of it. All of it. "I've never given lessons before, no," he said, shaking his head, "I'm not particularly of the teaching sort. You understand." His voice was somewhat apologetic, as one would be when breaking the news that their plans for a picnic had been ruined because it was raining--regretful, but without room to doubt the subject. "I feel more comfortable cooking the fewer people there are around me." And that was a true statement, certainly. "If you are looking to learn how to cook, I can recommend a book or two you may find useful. It's harder for those of our build, but far from impossible. Some have written extensively on the subject." He was acutely aware that Madeline didn't really seem the book type, but then again she'd also toasted to knowledge of all things, so who was to say?
Neo made his way down the table and smiled at the group at the end of the table as he approached them. "Hey guys, how's it going?" He popped down in Lux's seat, perfectly positioned between all of them, and set his glass down on the table. "I feel like I haven't had a chance to just sit down and talk with anybody tonight," he said, running a paw through his fur with a laugh. "I love hosting parties, but you really have to be on the ball all the time, you know?" He smiled. "It's worth it though, especially when everyone's having a good time." He took a sip of his drink. "So, did I miss anything interesting?" Aside from the fact that Alexandru and Joshua had both gone out for a while, Neo didn't really know much about what had gone on at this end of the table. There were some uneasy emotions floating about, but he wasn't trying to press at those, he just wanted to get an easy conversation going.
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Posted: Tue May 24, 2016 9:42 pm
Robin
Jessica & Tobias & Balerd & Jeremiah & Joshua & Madeline
Tag. Balerd knew the game and the word well. It was one of the better games. The best game, of course, was one that had been discouraged in one sense or another. For some reason Neo had problems with the more physical of the playful altercations that Balerd preferred. It was all very strange to Balerd, but children were children and the moment you dangled something in front of them they were apt to forget what they had seen mere moments prior. Tag, of course, was an excellent thing to dangle: it was a contest of agility, a contest of swiftness. Balerd could at times be more physical than was expected of the game, preferring to grab and stop Eliot rather than just a light touch, but the "violent" nature of it would never exceed a fair threshold. Kids did tumble about, after all. You couldn't stop them from doing that any more than you could stop breathing. And Eliot would find himself pursued no matter where he went, no matter what lands he crossed into or what tactics he utilized. Play was war, war was play. Physical dominance needed to be asserted through whatever the rules.
Clara would just have to deal with it for the time being. Or if she looked too bored, there was at least the cube that could be fetched.
"Oh right!" Jeremiah laughed too, uncertain as to why he'd appended "thing". He didn't really get the idea of Dittos, so much. Seeing was believing and Jeremiah had always been focused elsewhere when things had happened, if he had even been present at all. It was kind of hard to wrap your head around it just from thinking about it. Not that it really mattered! It was just a uh... thing. Yeah. "Naw it's okay! I was talking to Killian a bunch too. He's a good guy but he doesn't talk a lot." How Jeremiah had reached that conclusion from barely any words was a mystery to everyone, even Jeremiah, but it was the conclusion he had reached all the same. "This is a really nice party huh? We never had anything like this back home." Gatherings or drinks. The drink was great! Weird, but great. He liked it.
Oh. He was good. She had been right in her immediate assessment; Lux was experienced. Nobody attended a lot of gatherings like this, but usually someone who had was either very rich or a part, past or present, of an organization. Events like this to greet and make new business relations were a rarity in any static community. Even if you did have the wealth, you rarely had the visitors. Their folk were more apt to be judged as vagabonds or rogues by many, because visitors could bring disaster far graver than the good they could bring. No, Lux certainly had some kind of history and the tongue to match it. She was almost a little envious; Lux would have been an excellent team member. She was above poaching, as she imagined Lux was, but an individual of his caliber would have been welcomed with open arms.
Not that Jessica would do something as obtuse as gawk. What was, was and what was not, was not. She would have to consider making him an offer if something ever happened to Essence, but from the looks of it that was unlikely to happen.
"Haha, a bit. I'm a bit experienced, I've attended a few here and there. I was lucky enough to have some help when I was younger instead of going in blind." Though she had to stumble through and learn a great many things on her own, her father hadn't let her move with the wind without first giving her a sail. Easy mistakes had easy punishments and preparing a child too much often had opposite effect, or at least he had thought. "I just made some safe bets is all. Most of the time I buy wine it's to help keep people off of each other's throats rather than to have a bit of fun." She had only toasted a few times. Third parties often weren't welcome at such gatherings, and when they were they were very rarely a joyous thing. There were a lot of people who didn't like what she did. Some saw her as a vulture, especially those who had misplaced anger. Not everyone was a victim, even if they said they were. Lots of people who had money didn't get it through the nicest of means. If she had focused on more virtuous work the story would have been different, but her skills first and foremost lay in acts that weren't quite so positive. Doing good didn't mean being a hero. Smaller jobs got her a warmer reception, but smaller jobs rarely involved drinking. Ah well, that's just how it was. "Before I came here I did independent work, so I'm not new to the jobs." It was offered as an explanation that Lux may or may not have needed. She did say so earlier. "What about you, if you don't mind me asking? Where were you before this? From what I overhead, it sounded like this isn't new to you either." He had been a part of a group that planted flowers and he had wanted to join the guild. A new organization perhaps, but not an entirely new experience.
"Well there's only one way to learn~ I am a patient pupil you know." Teaching too had to be taught, potentially by a student rather than a teacher. There was only one way for Nyx to learn and Maddie would be oh-so-happy to help him do so if he accepted the offer, a fact well apparent in the sly smile she wore. He simply had to accept her offer. Anyone could be of the sort if they really wanted to. Nyx just had to want it. He didn't, but that was still all he needed to do. That was just how it worked! "Oh? Suggestions sound nice~ Maybe next time I can be the one who cooks, hmm~?" She would certainly accept his suggestions, whatever he had. Being a quadruped was the way of things more often than not.
"Not much." was Joshua's response to the query. Joshua wasn't being dishonest either, at least not from his own perspective. He had been absent for much of the conversations that had gone on and had really only joined back in when the conversation extended to Lux's aura. He had simply eaten, thoughtfully and quietly, as he was now. What happened with Alexandru could be glossed over for... ever. Forever sounded good, yep.
Tobias was a bit more helpful. "We spoke at length of understandings. It was a fruitful conversation for all involved I believe." Understandings, of course, was quite literally what they had talked about for almost the entire time. They had talked about little else other than "understandings". Whether or not Neo would understand what understandings actually meant was another question. Sadly for Neo, the one lifeline who could have readily and easily explained what had actually happened was the absent Lux. Alexandru had missed almost all of it, Joshua had missed most of it, Lux was talking with Jessica while Air was drunk and talking with Jeremiah. Poor Neo. That night would forever be a mystery to him. "But you have done most excellently. It is a wonderful gathering."
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 9:40 am
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian & Alexandru
The boys were a whirlwind of excitement and energy as usual. Neither would ever be the first to back down, that was the way of things, which meant that Clara went ignored. It was what she'd been expecting, so she wasn't particularly disappointed, but she did give up on watching them rather quickly. The girl floated over to the collection of toys Daddy kept in the corner of the room and pulled out one of the better ones, a peculiar tube that did marvelous things. She raised the tube to one eye and squeezed the other one shut, using her free hand to turn the front part and cause a cascade of colors to fall across her vision. It was much more fun to watch Eliot and Balerd try to topple each other when there were pretty colors gilding the scene. The cube would have been an excellent choice of course, but Neo had yet to give the children their presents, so Clara had chosen the best option she'd known was available to her.
Air giggled at Jeremiah's explanation. Killian? That was weird, but okay. "Oh, right! Lux said you got him to talk. That's cool. Did you know that he never ever talked before tonight? He never really does anything actually, unless you tell him exactly what you want him to do and he'll do that." Killian was definitely the strangest member of their Team, at least in Air's opinion. "I've read a lot about Golurk since he came, and I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to be like that normally." Oh well. "But did you know they can fly?" Air thought that was the coolest thing, that something so huge could fly around effortlessly, even without wings. "I tried it once and it's super fun, but you have to be really careful. There's a lot of energy that comes out all at once, so somebody could get hurt if you're not careful. Once you're in the sky though, it's fine." Aside from the Flying Types, but they generally were smart enough to know to avoid the giant golem hurtling towards them with fire shooting out behind it.
"Oh, yeah, this party is the best one yet!" Of course, Air hadn't been to any other parties where other Teams had been involved yet, but it was definitely better than any of the parties where it was just their Team. "Everybody went all out for this one, and everything's been so great. I never really had anything like this either. Probably because I never really had a group of people to share it with. Except once. Or twice." It was complicated. "Where are you from?" It wasn't really a non-sequitur: Jeremiah had mentioned home, which meant he had one, and it was probably nice because he was nice, so Air wanted to know about it.
"That's quite fortunate." Lux smiled and Darky laughed when Jessica mentioned "going in blind" to the blind guy. It was good when children were given exposure to these sorts of things at a young age, especially if it was something that would pop up again in the future: it gave them the confidence to deal with those sorts of things effectively, at least if it was done well. Jessica, certainly, had benefitted from that exposure it would seem.
The Lucario chuckled at her comment about the wine. "Well, that's just as well isn't it?" he said, in good humor. "Fortunately, tonight it looks like we'll get to enjoy the fruits of your foresight. Everyone seems to be getting on well enough." If they weren't he wouldn't be here. Lux was acutely aware of how well this needed to go, much as Jessica was, and if he thought his presence was needed elsewhere he would have politely declined her offer to chat. Fortunately, since Alexandru and Joshua had reconciled upon his return, everything seemed to be going smoothly overall. It wasn't perfect, but no one seemed as though they might ruin the comfortable atmosphere that had settled over the group, so he'd been confident enough to take some time for himself.
A nod was given to her brief explanation; it made perfect sense after all, since she was so confident in her place here. While she had said it before, Lux had been too preoccupied to overhear, particularly since she and Nyx had spoken at the opposite end of the table and facing away from him; he was good, but his focus had been on bridging the gap between those he sat around, not absorbing information from his surroundings. "Oh, of course not," he said, waving aside her formality. Unlike Nyx, Lux had no reservations about speaking of his background. "Before I came here, I spent a good deal of time on my own. When I lost my vision I resolved to spend my time studying aura, and refining my abilities with it, which I found easiest when I detached myself from social ties. But it sounds like you're interested in where I was before that point."
He took a sip of his wine to whet his palate before continuing. "A while back, prior to my evolution, I was a part of a small collection of Pokémon who spent their time helping to rebuild communities that had been torn apart by unforeseen disasters. It wasn't a particularly centralized organization--there were a number of members, but it was rare that many of us met up unless the situation was particularly dire. I traveled with a pair of companions around to any number of places. We'd receive messages about where we were needed and head to those locations, where we helped out with whatever we were asked to. Occasionally there would be celebrations after we accomplished something particularly monumental--that would be where the parties came in." Lux smiled. "I met a lot of good Pokémon in those days who had fallen on hard times. It was always nice to see the change that came over them when they found themselves with something to celebrate again."
No. When he'd said he wasn't the teaching sort he'd meant it. He had no desire to teach, and that was enough to ensure that any teaching experience he had would be an unpleasant one. Not only that, but Madeline had proven, no matter how patient a pupil she might have been, that she lacked the acuity of the palate to excel at cooking, otherwise she would have been sickened by the mess she'd slathered on her plate over dinner. "I appreciate it, but I have to decline." For his own sanity if for no other reason; there wasn't a chance in hell he'd willingly subject himself to her presence for any lengthy expanse of time without necessity. "I don't have the time to commit to such things. On a regular day I spend so much time doing work for the Guild I don't have much time to spare." It varied who did the cooking, and while he did it frequently, it was rarely so slow-paced that an amateur could keep up. Time was of the essence, as it were. "But certainly I can offer some suggestions that may be of assistance. Do you have any experience with cooking at all?" He anticipated a no, especially considering the booties on her paws that would interfere with such things, but without a baseline he couldn't properly recommend something that would teach her anything. With individuals like the Umbreon, it was best to give them something that would hold their attention, otherwise they'd come back continually, which he definitely didn't want.
"Yes, it's been rather quiet." Alexandru was, of course, speaking of the events since he'd returned. "I believe we've all been too preoccupied with our dessert to make much conversation."
"Oh?" Neo didn't get any of it, of course he didn't, but Tobias sounded pleased so he latched on to that. "Well I'm glad you're having a good time. We've been looking forward to it for a long time, so I'm so glad it's going well." He truly was. He'd been nervous about the event actually--making good first impressions, getting everything right, carrying on a family tradition on his own for the first time--it was all very daunting. It had gone so well so far though--the hard part was over and now he could relax.
Neo took another drink and proceeded to do what needed to be done--initiate a more lively conversation. "So, what did you guys think of the toast?" he asked, glancing around from person to person. "It was something my family always did but I wasn't sure if anyone else did that sort of thing. Everyone said such great things that it seemed like you all were pretty familiar with the practice." He was curious, he didn't know a whole lot about traditions of Pokémon from different areas, but it was pretty neat stuff--helpful when it came to learning about a person too. "Actually, Joshua, yours made me think of my Uncle Conroy. He always liked to toast to a good life too. What was it he said... 'There's nothin' so good as life, so we may as well show some appreciation for it.'" Neo spoke in a low, gruff voice as he imitated his uncle and grinned when he finished. "I always thought it was a great way to look at things."
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Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 1:24 am
Robin
Jessica & Tobias & Balerd & Jeremiah & Joshua & Madeline
"Really!? He'd never talked before?" Jeremiah looked over at Killian. That was pretty sad! But he seemed to have his own problems, so maybe he was getting bet-- "What?" Jeremiah's thoughts ground to a halt as what Air said registered. It took him a moment. "He can fly?" He looked at Air in disbelief, and then over at Killian sharply. "You can fly!?" would be half-spoken, half-shouted loudly enough for anyone in the room to hear. It was hard to tell where Jeremiah ended and where the alcohol began; though a bit vocal, it wasn't an unexpected reaction from... well, anyone. Calling him surprised would be an understatement. The idea that Killian could fly was insane. Could he grow wings or something!?
"True enough. Everyone's having a good time, a few of us more than others." She laughed a bit. Ah, she'd probably have to drag Jeremiah back later on... hopefully Tobias could hold his liquor well enough. But whatever, that was fine. Maybe it was just the small bits of the alcohol taking hold of the edges of her consciousness, but the thought came back again: things were just going really, really well. The wine had been well-received, dinner was great, she got along well with everyone she talked to and it was certain that the two teams would cooperate going forward. The hiccups had been mostly modest and none of them particularly destructive. It had just been good all around. It was easy to laugh and it was easy to smile when your day was filled with things both pleasing and eventful. Stressful coming in, but ah well. It happened.
Jessica listened carefully to Lux's explanation going through from start to finish. He wasn't exactly reserved about where he had come from and Jessica ended up getting a much denser story than she had bargained for, but it wasn't a bad thing. Unexpected, but not bad. She drank very lightly and very carefully in a polite effort to keep it from seeming as if she were gawking. Lux had her full attention, but it was one of those strange little social things to never show it. She made mental notes of what he said as he went through it from start to finish; he had previously worked with an altruistic organization, it was loosely tied, he had moved in a group of three, he had eventually lost his sight and detached from those he knew to study aura. She wondered if he maintained any of those ties, but that was possibly a question for another time either that evening or much later on. What did, of course, stick out to her was the obvious question. "What made you leave and continue here? Nothing awful, I hope?" Lux may have lost his sight as a part of the organization and he may have needed to abandon it for a time in order to learn to see aura, a concept that she didn't really understand and was willing to gloss over for now, but it begged the question: Why not just go back? He was obviously capable here. Why not return to the arms of his comrades? It was a rarity for there to be someone who would turn down help; there was no reason why Lux couldn't have rejoined those he worked with, or worked to mentor others, or acted as a free agent to go from place to place backing up more static cells. He was pushed away, pulled away or he simply didn't have a place to return to. She only asked it because he had taken the lead by speaking of his past at length and he seemed comfortable in the act; there was no reason for her to hide such questions, at least as long as she spoke them reasonably. If it trended into poorer places, she could just direct the conversation elsewhere; to herself, or the party at large, or whatever.
"Oh~? That's too bad." Not having enough time was an understandable enough issue. You needed time to do things, of course, so if there wasn't enough time then nothing else mattered at all. But then, of course... "But if you ever get a break, feel free to invite me anytime~ I'm sure I can help turn you into an excellent teacher~" Everyone had a bit more free time now and then and Nyx had never actually refused her. He wasn't of the teaching sort, which could of course be helped with experience. Cooking with only a few people around too was an understandable preference but we had to make sacrifices here and there to expand our comfort zones, didn't we? Simply saying "Ah, we can't because of this!" invariably opens up the response of "Then what if it isn't a problem~?" and that was all that Nyx was going to manage to get. "But none~ We didn't do much of that back home, there wasn't a lot to burn you know?" Disregarding her quadruped status, she hailed from a very cold area indeed. Which was fine, she was well-adapted to it and it didn't really bother her, plus the underground areas tended to be well enough warm. Snow was an excellent insulator and as long as you didn't live totally alone it was a nice place.
"It is, most certainly. Things have been little but well." What had happened with Alexandru was only a minor thing. It wasn't Neo's fault, it didn't affect the dinner, and it had wrapped itself up readily at all. It was more of a speedbump than a blockade and there was no part of it that Neo would need to worry about. So, indeed, "well" described all but the smallest part of the evening. Things had simply just gone very well.
"I just had enough time to figure it out." Joshua wasn't exactly the first one to speak, having had over half the table go before him, and in the end he had really just said whatever was least likely to rock the boat. Not that he disagreed with it. A good life was something to go for, and although it was a silly thing in and of itself it wasn't a bad thing to say. It was always worth reminding yourself that things were a means to an ends. "Sounds like a smart guy." He was beginning to get a quick grasp on the kind of person Neo was and it was alright. He was a similar enough type to Jeremiah, which meant he could be equal parts good and difficult depending on the situation. But, at the very least, Joshua found himself more inclined to Neo than to Alexandru or Air.
"I also guessed. I have heard of such things before but I have never attended. It is perhaps the case that I might have, at one point, but there things that stopped that from happening. I simply attempted to do as you did, I believe I was successful." Neo had done it first and he had done it right, so it certainly made sense to take after him. Simply coaxing an answer out of Balerd and then speaking on his own wasn't a hard thing to do.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 10:49 am
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian & Alexandru
"Yep, really!" Her question got ignored but that was fine, Air was pleased that Jeremiah was appreciating the knowledge she'd shared with him.
Killian raised his head from where he'd been staring at the table dully. He didn't like it over here so much, he was following orders but they were orders that lacked a purpose--at least when he stood by the door he could anticipate having something to do. But now the Jewel-Eyed One Friend was talking to him again, which meant he was obliged to answer. The Golurk turned his head to look at the gawking Sableye. "Yes."
Naturally, Killian didn't say anything else, but Air could see that Jeremiah was still curious. She could help with that. "Killian, come here." The Golurk looked down at the Zubat beside him who murmured something quietly before he complied with Air's command, but he was standing in a moment and took the couple of steps necessary to close the distance between them. "Sit down." When Killian was seated, Air hopped up onto his leg and grabbed on to the giant's arm. "Now tuck in your hands." Killian did as he was told and as Jeremiah watched, his hands would retract all the way back inside the bands that ringed his wrists, as though they weren't there at all. Air grinned. "Thanks Killian." The Ditto-Buizel looked over at Jeremiah excitedly. "His legs do the same thing, and the empty space lets him shoot fire out of his body! That energy is enough to help him fly all by himself." Air looked extremely pleased, like a proud parent. "Golurk are super cool."
Oh Jessica, you should have known better. Lux was, in fact, surprised by the question she asked because he had expected her to recognize he was avoiding it. When someone is forthcoming with information, chances are an obvious question isn't overlooked without cause. Lux wasn't a man of secrets, but there were some things he didn't particularly like to discuss: he'd rather expected Jessica to have clued in to that. He didn't fault her for it though, it was natural to be curious, but he would remember it. "Actually, I'm afraid it is something rather awful," he said, the warmth fading from his expression to something more somber and reserved than it had been, perhaps in the entirety of his time at the Guild. "It not something I particularly like to recall. The circumstances were devastating to not just myself but a great number of people. I'm sure the organization is still out there, but I don't have any desire to seek it out again. I've spent a long time making peace with my past, but some things are still painful." Could he have gone back? Of course. But he had moved on because clinging to fragments of the past wouldn't have helped anything--the only way to move past tragedy was to allow yourself to grow from it. The Guild was a new place, a budding organization filled with new blood that had the power to exert any sort of influence it chose on the world--a group like that needed to be shaped in the proper ways, and Lux knew he could be of service in that way. The Lucario gave a slight smile. "I'm sorry. I'd been hoping to avoid bringing the mood down."
Still, that meant he had to move past it. Jessica had touched a nerve but it was an act of good faith to show that there were no hard feelings because of it. "Still, it doesn't do for us to dwell on the negatives. I have no reason to doubt that things are going well for that collective and I'm quite happy to be where I am today, regardless of what may have prompted it. There comes a time when all of us realize it's time to follow a different path." He sighed, not unhappily, and took a sip of his wine. "You must have reached that point as well, yes? Moving from independent work to a group-oriented system is no small change. You seem to have adjusted well though." Jessica seemed like a natural-born leader, so it was a good fit for her as far as he could tell.
Nyx had move on from Madeline's not-so-subtle prodding, and he wasn't going back. "Ah?" So he'd been right, not that that was much of a surprise. "Well then, you'll want to start off with the basics. There are special tools made for quadruped cooks but it's rare to have access to them, so you'll want to figure out what you can manage on your own. I'd start with Valla and Cynthia Gray's books, they go out of their way to explain bipedal and quadrupedal methods for everything they list in their recipes in a helpful appendix." The Meowth and Persian duo were renowned, not for any particularly wonderful recipes, but because of the work they'd put in to figuring out how to bridge the gap between the two body types. Cynthia had been unwilling to give up cooking after her evolution, so she and her daughter had worked together to help her transition from one to the other. It was a helpful resource for those being taught by someone of a different shape, and it had plenty of basics that would occupy a novice, and were substantial enough that it didn't seem like he was giving her something too basic.
”Yes, I’m familiar with the practice.” Though it seemed he was alone in that. ”Back at the castle, the wine cellar is always kept fully stocked by one person or another, and any person who lives there is welcome to it. The collective I lived with often took advantage of that.” It was no odd thing for a Zubat of his origins to be familiar with wine, though he did have a more refined palate than many of his kind.
”You all did,” Neo said warmly. It didn’t take much to give a good toast, not at all, but it did mean something to the Meowstic. Of course, now he was once again left as the sole individual driving the conversation, but he could live with that. ”Yeah, I think you would like him. Almost everybody gets along with Uncle Conroy, so long as they’re nice to his daughters. You’ve never seen such sweet little girls.” Lillian and Tessie were a stark contrast from their father, but they were his darling little cousins and he loved them dearly. ”I miss them sometimes. It would be nice if I could have all my get everybody together sometime, from here and back home.” He took a drink. ”You guys have anyone you keep in touch with outside the Guild?”
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