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 Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 8:22 pm
Guildmaster's Chambers
Just like how every team has its own room, the guildmaster and his group heads also have their own chambers in a separate area. While each has individual housing they are all connected by means of multiple halls and adjacent storage areas.
Veilmys' Chambers
The guy likes pink, okay? The walls are soft coral-colored with white trim and the bed itself is a medley of heart shaped pillows and frilly ornaments.
Aside from the odd color scheme it is a simple and tidy room with no real decoration aside from a photo on the stand next to the bed that pictures a young Eevee perched between an Espeon and a Flareon.
Serrin's Home
Serrin's rooms are as simple and straightforward as he is. He kept the stone floor that is uniform throughout the guild and added little in the way of furniture aside from a rather large and imposing desk complete with several cabinets and drawers below as well as several shelves above. The shelves themselves are stacked with jars that have been filled with crushed plants. A small burner rests on his desk, one that is most evidently for tea.
Aside from what he would address as his practical furniture, the room is utterly devoid of anything and everything else.
Barcel's Dwelling
One of the more decorative rooms of the Head Wing, Barcel is an avid collector of weaponry and armors and has filled his living quarters with such items. The wall is lined with swords and shields, harpoons and other such instruments. There are mannequins sporting varying types of armor platting along one entire wall.
Aside from the pieces adorning the entire room it is simple. No colors, no patterning. The bed is a low seated nest of blankets and pillows and the temperature is unbearable hot at times.
This is in due part to the room located immediately to the right of it, a forge with fires and tools with which to craft weapons and armor like the collection within the room.
Claudius' Quarters
Despite his outwardly professional and organized appearance, Claudius' room is best described as eclectic. There are various cultural artifacts displayed on the bookshelves, dispersed among the books themselves, which cover many and various academic topics. The places where the walls are visible are adorned with maps of various places, some of them with markers of varying colors on them. While the maps on the wall are all finished products, the incomplete ones can be found all around the room, from his desk, to the file cabinets, to a handful of large umbrella-stand-like ornaments that hold up to ten rolled-up maps a piece: while some might consider this disorganized, Claudius always knows where each one is located, and can produce any individual map at a moment's notice.
The place is naturally larger than most other areas, designed to suit the impressive size of an Aurorus, but there are a number of furnishings for his visitors of smaller size, including a coffee table with a charming little tea set for when Veilmys or Serrin decide to pay a visit (Claudius has his own of course, but it's too large to be comfortably used by a Pokemon smaller than himself). The only indication that this might also double as a bedroom is the massive couch that rests against the wall opposite the desk. Claudius uses it to sleep on after his late nights of cartography and research, and (since it isn't lofted far from the ground) he's been known to allow his guests to partake of its cushy comfort from time to time. It's rumored that even the Guildmaster himself can be seen bouncing on the couch sometimes, when briefing Claudius on a new assignment.
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 11:48 pm
Stupid Pinata He was in a dark place for such a long time that the most gentle ray of light that fell upon him was so alarming his breath hitched in his throat and he felt the strange sensation of drowning.
He once looked down at his own hands and could not recognize them, once he could see the nicks and scars so vividly and could tell you exactly how each was formed but later they all blended into one mosaic of raised tissue and dirtied purity.
In essence he was one great scar himself, carved into the world; once a gaping wound healed incorrectly he was now a jagged remnant of what was once a smooth and undefined line.
It felt as though he was being stared at and the scrutiny he imagined was almost unbearable but he pushed it aside.
Anues teleport had placed them directly before the new guilds and he didn't bother to examine the structure before walking directly in.
It was guarded well enough, at least, a brief discussion with the guard tending to the gate finally ended with them being permitted to pass.
Directions had been hastily given and he ambled along slowly, the limp in his stride as distinctive as the cane he used to keep himself balanced.
The black coat he wore hid all of the impurities, the scars meshing over white flesh in every direction; the most prominent the one at his chest where his plate was missing and the other curving up around his hip and around his abdomen where it was clearly the source of his limping gait.
Upon reaching his destination he shifted his cane to the side, a hand lifted in a light knock upon the door.
Inside a light shuffle of movement sounded and when the door creaked open it was two wide lavender eyes that met his.
"Alfred..." The voice was breathless, confused, disbelieving.
The Gardevoir only smiled gently in response, "It's been a long time, hasn't it Solaris Eclipse?"
Pushing the door aside revealed a large Espeon, his muzzle graying and his once sleek pelt scruffy and marred with scars of its own. The Psychic feline could only stare in silence for a moment before he gave a concerned smile of his own.
"It has been, yes."
His steps stopped near automatically despite his distraction with his surroundings when Alfred came still, and he didn't actually look down at the Espeon in the door until Alfred returned the greeting. The extent of his own greeting was merely a brief smile at the Espeon before his eyes turned to look into the room itself for who they actually came here to see.
He didn't dislike Solaris, he just had no social value with the Espeon. They knew each other by sight less than action or activity.
He would only feel uneasy for a moment over Epitaph's absence. The dull grey-blue ruffed Flareon hidden within the room was slow to awaken at the sound of her partner's voice, but quick to react otherwise upon realizing who was at the door.
Nearly shoving Solaris out of the way,the quadruped awkwardly stepped in place with excitement in the doorway as her large, bushy tail struggled to wag haphazardly and her eyes filled with tears. Anues lowered himself to crouch at her level to lull and give the Flareon her much needed affection before she risked knocking over Alfred, though her eyes remained locked on the monochrome psychic. "Oh, what a day~" Her tone was lyrical despite the ball in her throat distorting her voice ever so slightly. They were alive. It almost felt like a miracle; the duo was there one day and gone the next without a single word or attempt in contact for a full 25 years. She figured one of many ghosts of the past found either of the two long ago and potentially took them both out in a single kill. She wanted so much to believe otherwise and years later, her silent prayers were answered.
"Where have you two been? You look wonderful." Which... said a lot. Anues looked considerably happier as an individual and regardless of Alfred's aging, he wasn't dying or in a hospital bed (and dying). The Flareon calmed down to a degree-- her heart was pounding, but she wasn't going to accidentally trample Alfred anymore. "Please-- come in and chat? Do you have anywhere to be?" Her eyes flickered between the two as though waiting for a response from either before just as quickly carrying on: "Would you like to see the guild? It's in fine shape. Veilmys has been doing a lovely job."
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Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2015 1:30 pm
The greeting with Solaris had been professional and almost uncaring, he didn't 'hate' the Espeon as he once did but that didn't mean he had missed him in the same way he missed Epitaph. As the Flareon in question appeared he couldn't refrain the smile that broke across his face and he dropped to a crouch when she turned and nearly threw him to the ground in her delight.
Crouching was difficult and his cane dropped unceremoniously to the ground as he leaned forward to wrap both arms around the large Eeveelution's neck ruff. His fingers tangled in thick fluff, his face buried in the side of it. There was no risk of tears from Alfred, he'd stopped crying long-long ago, but he was still genuinely happy to see her. More so than he could explain in words.
He stood back up slowly, a hand at the wall to help him rise back to full height and a Psychic hastily lifted his cane back to his hands. Her prattling was nice to hear, but the questions were hardly what he wanted to answer. A half-lie and a bit of truth then.
"I opened a small Apothecary within the territory, Anues stays there as well." And by stays he meant the other used the place as his default base but was otherwise off on his own doing one thing or another most the time.
"I don't see why we can't stay a bit, but a tour will have to wait." A ginger smile was given and he tapped his side with his cane, "Not sure I'm up to a long walk today."
Which was a not-so-subtle way of stating there was no way in hell he'd bother staying in this guild longer than he needed. The mention of their son drew some unseen ire but he merely continued to smile, passive and friendly.
Solaris meanwhile, forgotten and shoved aside, butted his head back into the conversation, "Well if you're staying for a bit then please come in!"
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Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2015 3:02 pm
"Is that right? How useful~ I can see you doing something the sort." The Flareon sat in the doorway for a moment as her energy returned to her, glancing up between the two psychics. Neither of them wanted to stay, and she respected that to it's fullest, but they came out here so they were stuck for a little while now, at least to briefly catch up. Her ears gave a brief twitch at Solaris' comment beside her and her exhausted smile seemed to brighten slightly. "A bit is fine, I'm sure you both have plenty to do of your own." she insisted, but only before the younger psychic removed his hand from her head to stand back upright himself. "I'm actually going to look around."
That was his goodbye and nothing was changing his mind, it's how it often was. Alfred was hardly a concern for him as he was no better after all-- he'd leave when he wanted to, though they wouldn't meet again for a good few hours at least. "Suppose I'll see how everything's changed; I'll find my way around fine." Briefly, Epitaph frowned though her smile returned quickly. "Of course Anues, don't let anybody give you trouble or you can just tell them to come to me." The Gardevoir only gave a slight nod of acknowledgement before raising a hand in farewell and turning to walk off. That was when her attention returned back to the black and white psychic and she stood to step back out of the doorway to let him in. Then her smile faded.
"Are you alright dear? The years have been so long and hard. I hope you haven't had a run in with any trouble."
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 4:17 pm
”Oh, Epitaph…” There was almost a joking tone in his voice as he sat down next to Solaris on the small couch, setting his cane to the side. ”…how can I run into something that follows me.”
The comment might have been comedic, he was even smiling lightly at it, but the way he phrased it came across as somewhat condescending and perhaps with a small edge. The Gardevoir’s seemingly good tempered attitude didn't falter, however, and he leaned back to get comfortable. His words, however, had unsettled Solaris enough to shift away on the couch so he was not within reach in the off chance Alfred suddenly snapped. The Espeon's psychic was faulty and useless but he had enough empathy to sense some duress in the other though he chose to hide it.
That did not stop his questions, though, "...what happened 25 years ago?"
The question, innocent enough, caused an immediate reaction. Alfred tensed visible, the hand resting lightly on his cane tightened around it and though his expression did not change the way he held himself did.
Rigid, like stone.
"...forgetful as always, Solaris. You were there, you know."
"But I mean after, when you-"
"There was nothing left. No one to fight, nothing to fight for. There was no reason to stay."
He turned to Epitaph and smiled pleasantly, "Tell me about your son, I do hope he takes mostly after you."
The Espeon's words had earned him a cold shoulder.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 7:52 pm
The Flareon had retreated to her bed for their conversation. It could have been rude or unladylike, but they'd known each other long enough and the Fire type had grown tired under her own weight as time went on. Regardless of her lounging, the psychic held her full attention.
There was, of course, the initial feeling of overwhelming concern you so often felt when dealing with Alfred as an individual. Seeing him time after time again in terrible condition was one thing. Him aware of it in such an otherwise stable condition was only a bit more disconcerting. 'You always know we're always here to protect you, Alfred' was her immediate thought... but she didn't speak a word. Say what you will, it sounded insulting, perhaps, if anything. Alfred wanted this all gone and over with. The signals weren't random.
Speaking of.
A stern glare was shot in Solaris' direction with his otherwise harmless question. The question was one thing, the follow up comment was another. She would have made some phony laugh and changed the subject, but to her surprise Alfred handled it rather fine. As fine as fine could get, at least.
And oh, thank heavens he changed the subject.
"Ah, Veilmys." Epitaph's response was quick, it was almost as in play as Alfred's own curiosities. "He's a Sylveon running this lone guild on his own. There's some help coming from the back though, of course. The system before was far too large. He'd decided on one head with four commands." Her tail flicked behind her idly. She would have mentioned Barcel and Serrin being around... somewhere, but that was for another time. If anything, Anues would catch ear-- they were apparently together now and the psychic was good at finding random information. Either way, saying it now felt too engaging, too forced. As though she would have been trying to root the psychic back into the guilds despite all intentions otherwise. Old friends were just wonderful to see is all.
"He's a smart boy, but he's young and you know how that goes. I might have told him stories." While a motivated leader was great and all, even she couldn't say how realistic a view her child had of this all. Dedication was a wonderful tool to have. Experience was another, not that her child had any other than the insight of his parents. Or, her's rather.
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 2:58 pm
”I hope your stories were of the more mild variety." Alfred comment with a soft chuckle and a dry bit of humor. Had she told Veilmys of the later events of the guilds perhaps the Sylveon might have not rebuilt them as he had.
The guild system of a whole was nothing more than a vast target for those who wish to cause harm. Even after an enemy had been defeated another rose to take its place, one far more dangerous than the last.
In due time this guild too would face an opposition. Alfred might have considered tapping into his psychic powers and seeing what was in store, but his future sight was a draining experience and he would admit he didn't care too much.
Solaris, for the most part, had learned his lesson and fallen silent though his eyes carefully watched the Gardevoir with all the concern he could muster. Being psychic as well he was highly attuned to the feeling of such energies and Alfred felt very...restrained. He was holding something back.
To the Espeon it seemed the other was dangerously close to unraveling but he maintained himself well enough by appearances.
"As good as it was seeing you I really can't linger for too long. Things to do. Keeping a business is very rewarding but somewhat tiring."
It was a joke, his words. A business was nothing to a guild. He'd grown old far beyond his time, felt the entire weight of the world crush down on his shoulders like Atlas of Greek Mythology.
A business was a joke, but his meaning was clear enough.
He didn't want to linger here any longer than he needed to.
Rising stiffly to stand the Psychic leaned down briefly to give Epitaph one last awkward hug, the awkwardness due part to the cane he needed to remain steady at such an odd angle.
To Solaris only a simple nod and he was gone in a silent, sudden teleport.
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 5:40 pm
((Completely slipped my mind that I didn't make a closing here. I'll edit this eventually))
----
Each step he took brought him closer to his detestation. There was no sign of uncertainty from him in the halls. Anues knew exactly where he was heading. Alfred knew where it was and by extension, so did he... Not that he was overjoyed by this visit. It was quite the opposite. The psychic wanted nothing to do with this interaction, but in the end, it beat Alfred doing it. He knew what this was about. Not because Alfred told him, not because he read it, but because reading each other at this point came without intention or effort. Certain vibes just sort of came with an exchange of touch or glance.
The Gardevoir stopped at Serrin's door with a moment's hesitation. There was no nervousness in his being. Just a second spent collecting himself before finally knocking on the door.
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Waifu Trashu Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 6:08 pm
Serrin was, as he often was, doing paperwork. He did a fair bit of paperwork. He was even-handed, meticulous and careful. He always did his paperwork. Veilmys might have called him antisocial but his folders were impeccable and he liked it that way. It kept things from slipping through the cracks, it kept things easy to look back on, it kept things easy to understand. It was at such a time that he received a knock on his door. Knocks were unusual. He didn't get many of them, let alone ones that were so clear and obvious. Most of the guild members had claws or, at best, heads to strike the door with. Though it was unusual, he didn't give any thought to it as he hopped off of his seat, walked toward the door and pulled it open with one of his vines. At least, not until he came face to face with Anues. There was a brief, tumultuous flash of recognition, confusion and then finally anger.
"Where is the little b*****d?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 6:37 pm
"Well that's no way to treat Alfred, Serrin, I'm almost reconsidering my visit." Anues frowned, looking down on the Ivysaur in mild disappointment. Really, neither of them were obligated to do this, it was just for face. If Serrin was going to be a little s**t about it though, he could play that game and Alfred wouldn't so much as bat an eye... But, this would serve the same. The psychic closed his eyes and with a quiet sigh withdrew the envelope from his pocket before they reopened. "This is for you." he stated, tracing the outer edges of it with his fingertips idly before merely dropping it. "If you ask me, he gives you far too much credit." Seriously, this was just going to fall on deaf ears. Look at where Serrin was.
Regardless, that was it. That was all he came here to do and he teleported in a black and purple flurry. He wasn't here to entertain the grass type and even if that was part of the directive, it'd be over his dead body now with that attitude. He should have just stared at Serrin and left without a word, but now that he considered it, it was too late to have acted on it.
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Waifu Trashu Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 7:24 pm
"We both know what he did." They were the only words Serrin could get in edgewise before Anues disappeared, leaving Serrin behind to think some less-than-polite words for the pair of Gardevoir. He didn't particularly know, or care, why Anues had it out for him when the two barely knew each other and had never really met but if he was going to be a little s**t then it was best to simply work around him for the time being. The "problem" of Anues could be dealt with at a later time.
And it would definitely have to take place at a later time for the letter quickly elucidated the point of the "visit".
Serrin sighed and the anger that had built up quickly dissipated. There would be time to be angry later. His anger was sure as hell valid but it could be dealt with later.
Instead he left his room, closed the door behind him and marched straight to Veilmys' door where he knocked several solid times before waiting patiently for the Sylveon to respond.
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Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 1:14 pm
 Veilmys
"J-just one moment! Oh dear, no-" A clatter arose from the room and after some hasty shuffling about the doorknob began to turn and the Sylveon stepped forward with a smell, if not a somewhat strained one.
Behind him a pile of papers had collapsed and scattered about the room and catching Serrin's eyes drift to it even briefly he laughed.
"One of the aides placed the teams in alphabetical order instead of their group, it will be a lot easier sorted by groups so I was trying to repair it."
Then it fell, now he'd have to start over. Ah well, he'd already finished his other work for the day. He had free time.
"Can I help you with anything, Serrin? Would you like to come in for tea? I can fix the mess later." Veilmys smile slowly shifted from a forced one to a more genuine one.
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Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 1:58 pm
Serrin's own expression and attitude didn't mirror Veilmys's in the slightest. The mess could be ignored. Had the situation been less pressing, he might have accepted the offer for tea (though it was so very rare for him to do so) but that simply wasn't the case. He was grim, serious and straightforward. "Maybe next time. We need to talk right now."
Serrin walked past Veilmys, into the room and straight towards the table. A free vine tugged gently at one of the chairs in order to pull it out slightly and Serrin hopped straight up onto it and then waited for Veilmys to do the same on a seat opposite his own. The letter was still clutched gently in one of Serrin's vines which was where it remained.
"How much have your parents taught you about the Guild of Rebirth?"
It was a simple question. Serrin simply wasn't sure how much Veilmys knew--the two hadn't spoken about it at any significant length and what was written in history was not at all what had happened. What they had done... that wasn't exactly something you published in a book. Solaris and Epitaph knew well enough but what they knew and what they said were likewise different things.
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Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:22 pm
Veilmys
Veilmys blinked, startled by the words. As Serrin moved past him his smile faded and he realized quickly this was no simple visit.
The Sylveon followed and claimed his own chair just as the Ivysaur asked his question and the Fairy type fluttered his ribbons anxiously, "I only know the basics of it. Mother and father didn't enjoy speaking of it or anything else regarding the guilds any more in-depth than just the facts."
Serrin probably expected him to explain just what he knew and as he began to collect his thoughts he noticed a slim white letter clutched in one stray vine.
Curiosity sparked in his mind as he spoke, "It was the central government of the guilds. Before there were six guilds and then eventually there were only three. But throughout all the changes it was Rebirth that controlled everything, all decisions and such went through them first. They acted as a higher power, the guild of the guilds so to speak."
Veilmys mused silently, recalling what else he knew, "Barcel was once a member of its higher ranks, so he told me. At the end of the great war he said that the tower of Rebirth was destroyed."
It was at this point the Sylveon's expression went wistful, "What a shame too, I heard it once housed a vast archive of knowledge that we could have used. I'd have loved to skim its library in my spare time."
How depressing.
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Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:59 pm
Serrin let out a bit of a sigh. Veilmys's knowledge was very... basic. If that was the case, he would give Veilmys a brief lesson. It wasn't exactly "necessary" knowledge but it would help if Veilmys had an actual appreciation for what was happening. "Then I'll tell you about the guild structure after Rebirth was reformed. The four guilds were run by Tempest of Storms, Frost, your father and Annabelle. Solaris's guild acted as a training ground after which the teams joined more specialized groups. Rebirth had a few people in charge. Alfred was the leader officially. Raith, Barcel and Tolin officially took the seats after that in order. Raith and Tolin are dead. Tolin..."
Serrin paused briefly. It was a bit hard to put it succinctly.
"Tolin was skilled at finding people and either killing them or making them follow him. Before Rebirth reformed, he led and maintained the guild structure on his own. Afterwards, he continued to act as the leader until he died. He's an important part of the reason you or anyone else here is still alive but more importantly is that he left behind two students. A Gardevoir named Alfred is the first. A Zangoose named Huo is the second. Both of them are capable of killing us. If either of them decided to rampage through the guild, most of us would die trying to stop them. The members of this guild aren't experienced enough or strong enough to stop them."
It was as simple as that. The members weren't strong enough, they weren't fast enough, they weren't brave enough.
"Fortunately, Alfred doesn't feel like fighting us. Huo does. Huo doesn't like us. That's what this letter is." Serrin put the letter down on the table in front of Veilmys to read at his leisure. "There's very, very few people in this world that I consider a threat. One of them has decided to pick a fight with us and we need to be ready if we're going to survive."
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