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 Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 11:52 pm
Though I do love them both. Robin
Tobias & Balerd
"I am afraid I must ask a favour." Tobias would show up at Team Essence's door in the afternoon with a knock knock while carrying a bird child and two bags. With a "May I speak to Neo?" if he wasn't the one that answered the door, Tobias would very simply make his request in his usual, somewhat hard to read tone. It seemed sincere at the very least. "I am preparing to embark on a mission that will keep me the night. Could I ask you to watch Balerd until the morning? It would be most wonderful if you would be able to do so."
Balerd was excited. There was nothing else to it. This was an adventure! To a new place! And the fuzzy blue thing looked kind of familiar and goodthing. Exploration would begin as soon as the ground was once more reached, as Balerd was currently suspended in midair by Tobias's careful grip. Not that there was any concern over such a thing as, not only was Balerd used to being carried around a certain amount, even if an accident happened Balerd was likely more resilient than Tobias was.((I actually thought this post over a bit, but any effort to lengthen it seems like extraneous padding. Tobias isn't one to give a lot of insight into how he acts so anything I do beyond this is mostly just irrelevant setup. I mean, I could have simply had him knock, but since Neo is around anything else is quibbling details. I'd just end up doing moderate narrative commentary re: Team Essence that I'll have in the next post anyways. If for some reason you want something else to happen just prod me and I'll reestablish this as a "knock knock" post.))
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Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2015 12:29 pm
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian "Oh, uh, sure!" Air's surprised face was the one to greet Tobias at the door, the Ditto's small form dwarfed by the enormous Golurk who had come up behind him. "Just a second. Killian, step back so they can come in, okay?" The Golurk hummed softly and stepped to the side where he crouched down to observe the newcomers, intrigued by the Long One Friend and his Colorful Feathered One Friend. The Colorful Feathered One Friend was one of the littlest creatures, just like the Excitable One Friend and the Floating One Friend, but these two were Other Ones, much like the Other One Friend Called Skullbasher. While the Golurk stared the pair down with impassive eyes, Air disappeared into the other room and returned with Neo beside him in no time.
"Tobias! And Balerd too!" The Meowstic's expression lit up at the sight of his friends, tail swaying slightly in delight. "Yes, these are friends of mine Air. Tobias, Balerd, meet Air and Killian, two of my Team members. The others are in the back." He would have invited them to make themselves comfortable but he quickly spotted the bags that Tobias had brought and remained silent, giving the Linoone a chance to explain his situation. "Oh, of course!" Neo said with a smile when Tobais's request was made. "We'd be happy to have Balerd with us for the night. I'm sure Eliot and Clara will be delighted to have a friend over." The Growlithe boy had most likely smelled the pair from Team Robin from the other room--no wonder he'd started barking loudly when he'd been left behind. Extending his paws to take either Balerd or the bags if they were offered, Neo wore his usual cheerful expression, happy to see his friends under any circumstances. "I'm sure we'll all have a good time together. Is there anything specific I should know before you go?" Missions were time sensitive things, and if Tobias's was to take place this evening Neo didn't want to keep him from his duties; because of this he got straight to the point, even though he would have rather had the chance to catch up a bit first.((I am indeed a dancing fool and don't you forget it. Also by this point the layout of the Team Room has been changed, just fyi. I've added in the updates in the actual Team Room thread's first post, so you can find them there.))
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2015 3:58 pm
Robin
Tobias & Balerd
"Oh my. You are quite tall." Tobias stared at Killian until Neo arrived. He was really quite tall, though not tall enough to prevent Tobias from centering his attention on Neo. "Hello Air, Killian." Tobias didn't take Neo's physical offer right away but he was quite clearly happy to have Neo accept his request. "Excellent. Now then..." Tobias deftly turned Balerd around within his grip so that they were face to face. "I shall return in the morning. You shall be good for Neo, yes?"
Balerd stopped wiggling and stared blankly at Tobias for a moment before wiggling excitedly and half-chirping a response. "Yes!"
Tobias smiled and rubbed his nose against Balerd's beak before once more turning his child around to face Neo. "And what shall we say when we meet others?"
"Hello!" Balerd once more half-chirped the word, this time without any hesitation. When Tobias set Balerd down, another half-chirped "Hello!" would come from the back of the room as the little bird excitedly raced in and towards the source of the noise.
"Very good." Tobias put Balerd down and Balerd did exactly what Balerd was expected to do, leaving Neo and Tobias to speak without the concerns of a child in hand. It was at this point that he handed the two bags to Neo with a positive but focused expression on his face. "The larger bag contains many toys. You will find Balerd easy to keep should you open it." If Neo took the time to glance inside he would surprisingly find some things other than balls. Although the bag was overwhelmingly filled with balls there were a few other toys appropriate for a small child inside, though they were somewhat limited in nature by Balerd's physiology. Wide, pointy and somewhat inflexible talons restricted what Balerd could play with. "The smaller bag contains a book and a bauble. The bauble will help Balerd rest. Please read the book at bed time." The "bauble" as it were was a glass sphere filled with things that gently shifted and shimmered in the light. It was quite obvious why it was a favourite of Balerd. The book was an astrology book for children.
It might have seemed as if that were all Neo needed to know but Tobias suddenly continued after a moment of thought. "If Balerd falls over and curls into a ball suddenly, it is fine. I have been told by Jessica that this is 'strange' but it is merely Balerd sleeping for a short period of time. It is very normal." Tobias nodded solemnly as he assured Neo that it was, in fact, quite normal for Balerd to randomly fall over asleep. "Balerd is also quite good at words but somewhat poor at understanding them. Please use a firm tone if something unfortunate should happen. Balerd will express needs rather simply. You will be told if anything is desired."
Balerd's development, verbally was a great deal further along than most children of the same age but it was somewhat different in function. Words were understood in a broad context built around the apparent results and only a few words had been learned in any meaningful capacity. Balerd couldn't speak the way other people did, as each word contained a wide idea rather than a singular concept. Basic words like "food", "play", "yes" and "no" all had very wide meanings.
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 7:43 am
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian "Hello Balerd," Neo purred back, waving a paw in greeting to the child. The Ditto beside him offered a soft greeting as well, though he had compacted his form somewhat after realizing that this wasn't a social call in which he had any bearing. It was only when Balerd raced across the room that Air did anything at all: his eyes widened with surprise and, after a quick glance at the other two, the Ditto quietly excused himself and raced after the young Hawlucha just as quickly, certain that the boy shouldn't be left unattended. Killian's gaze turned to follow Air and the child as well, lifting from Tobias at last when things grew more active in the room. The Golurk didn't move from where he crouched however, turning his gaze back after a moment and blinking slowly: this other littlest one was not among those whom he tended, so he had no need to leave his post by the entry for now.
Neo chuckled to himself as he watched the pair run off. "He's as spirited as ever I see," he said brightly, turning back to Tobias when the bags were handed over to him at last. He didn't rummage through them just yet, but listened to Tobias's instructions intently, ears flicking in understanding when he finished. "Alright. I understand." The words were cheerful, but it was clear Neo took the matter very seriously; it was important that Balerd feel as comfortable as possible since his father would be absent for the night, and routine helped with that to be certain. "You can come and pick him up whenever you feel like," the Meowstic added, "We don't have anything planned for tomorrow so if you and your partner would like the chance to unwind and rest a bit after your mission it won't be any trouble at all." Neo imagined the Linoone would want Balerd back as soon as possible, but it was important that he take care of himself as well--the offer was extended at least, whether or not it was taken up in the end.
Meanwhile, in the back hall, Lux had been stirred from his meditation by the sound of Eliot's loud and persistent barking. With a sigh, the Lucario rose to his feet and stared over across the room, watching the auras of the children quiver against one another as though the wall between them wasn't visible. The the bite of cinnamon wrapped in orange was pawing at the door, burning vivaciously with excitement; the soft taste of lavender clinging to lilac hovered nearby as well, quivering with a mixture of nerves and excitement. How peculiar--he hadn't seen the children like this before. Making his way to the door, Lux exited his own room and made his way over to the children's, resting a paw on the door and about to open it when a new taste lit on his tongue and an unfamiliar blend of colors caught his eye. "...Well hello there young one." The Hawlucha tasted of green apples--juicy and mouthwatering with a surprising but not unwelcome tang to round it out. His red and yellow was swirling with excitement as well, and it was quite clear now what had riled Eliot and Clara so.
Vanilla sprung forward as Air's teal rounded the corner moments after, pulsing with nervousness. "Oh Lux!" the Ditto said, voice filled with relief. "Thanks for finding Balerd before he could get too far. We're looking after him for the night: apparently he and his father are friends with Neo and the kids."
"I see," Lux replied with a nod. "Well then, I suppose we shouldn't keep them apart any longer than necessary."
With the turn of a paw, the door was opened, and Eliot came toppling out, his weight having been pressed against the door as he strained to listen to what was going on. The Growlithe's eyes lit up when they fell on the bird nearby, and his tail was wagging even before he could push himself back to his paws. Clara giggled as she hovered just inside the room, less eager to get close to the Hawlucha but still excited to see him. "Balerd!" she said softly, having heard and recognized the name when Air said it moments before, "Balerd is here?"
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 10:34 pm
Robin
Tobias & Balerd
"I will return as early as possible." Neo's offer, while appreciated well enough, was one that would be quickly turned down. On another occasion it might not have been a bad idea but for tonight it was almost certainly a poor one. "This night will be a first for Balerd so I shall return briskly." Balerd had been separated from Tobias only a few times and only once for any significant period of time but the hours of the rescue drill among friends were not nearly as long as an overnight stay. Tobias was a little worried about how Balerd would handle it. He was comfortable, or at least as comfortable as it got, that Balerd was in good hands. Neo was a naturally good person and while Tobias was unfamiliar with the rest of Neo's team, they were trusted by extension of their relation more than any kind of guild staff would be. Those who did not work did not eat, leaving the only alternative to be quitting the guild which was absolutely no better. Leaving Balerd with strangers was far better than leaving Balerd alone. "Balerd is most important, please take good care Neo."
Of course, the very adult conversation that Tobias and Neo were having had no impact on the very juvenile Balerd. Very little had an impact on Balerd. Especially not the ground, as Neo had learned in the past. "Hello!" was chirped at Lux as it had been at the door moments prior. It was chirped again after some excited bouncing from foot to foot while Lux opened the door and friends came tumbling out. "Hello!" Balerd was obviously excited and likely no less than Eliot or Clara, though the little bird didn't trip in the process of expressing it. In a way very typical for children, it manifested in aimless and excessive movement in the arms and legs. If Neo looked back to see it, it would do quite a bit to explain why Balerd was somewhat inclined to randomly fall asleep.((Thought about this for a bit but I've figured that between you having more characters present and Eliot probably having more proactive social behaviour than Balerd that it would be best to use a shorter post in this instance. Chambers post will come tomorrow; I've been busy today and must now sleep. Also, Tobias's dialogue remains permanently pleasurable to write.))
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Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 10:05 am
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian Neo nodded, understanding Tobias's concern completely. "Of course Tobias," the Meowstic said reassuringly, "Any friend of my children is as important as they are to me." Little Balerd wasn't Neo's own by any means, but the children of others were to be treated with as much love and care as his own when they were entrusted to him. The Meowstic intended to do everything in his power to ensure that the bird was given all the attention he needed to make the parting from his father bearable; the night would doubtless be a long and difficult one, but it was something Neo was well aware that he was signing up for by accepting the boy. "I promise I'll be with him the whole time--he'll be well taken care of." Smiling gently, he set the bags down on the ground and patted his Linoone companion on the back. "I know it won't be easy--I'm not looking forward to doing it with Eliot and Clara either--but try your best not to worry too much. Do your best on your mission and we'll be here to greet you as soon as you get back." He'd never left his children with someone else overnight before, and he generally had enough Team members around to ensure that such things weren't necessary. One day though, Neo knew that things wouldn't work out so easily, and then he would know exactly what Tobias was going though. "Take care of yourself out there," he said, concern tinging his eyes for just a moment. Guild work was dangerous and he didn't want to pry as to the nature of his friend's mission since it hadn't been readily offered, but he quietly hoped that it was nothing too risky for the sake of both the Linoone and his child. "And good luck."
Eliot was quick to scramble back to his paws and over to his friend, quickly circling all around the Hawlucha as he sampled the smells around the bird quite thoroughly. He barked twice in a way that mimicked Balerd's greeting as he continued to scope out the scents, and he paused in place when he caught drift of one of these quite strongly from the other room. Looking from Balerd to Lux to Air and back in quick succession, Eliot barked once followed by a brief whine and licked the Hawlucha to assure him that he'd be back before racing across the length of the room to where Neo and Tobias were chatting, bowing down in excitement to see his older friend. Eliot liked Balerd very much, but Tobias had made the better first impression with him and the Growlithe puppy recognized the older Pokemon as the preferable playmate. The last time they'd seen Balerd it had been without Tobias, so Eliot was delighted to see him again and unaware that he didn't intend to stay.
"Eliot come--" Air began, but Lux shook his head, silencing the Ditto quickly.
"It's alright for him to say hello," the Lucario said, amused by Air's tension, "Neo won't let Eliot keep him." The Ditto sighed and tapped his hands together, staring at the ground; he'd just wanted to make a good impression, and letting the children run amok didn't really seem like the best of was to do that.
Clara watched her brother run off, disappearing around the corner to where Daddy probably was and leaving her alone with Balerd. With a soft exhale of air, the Drifloon floated down closer to the ground and her friend, and finally came out of the room to approach him. "Hello Balerd," she said, drifting lightly from side to side so that her dangling hands waved back to the Hawlucha. She never knew what to expect from the bird so she remained on her guard--Eliot was really better at figuring out how to start a game than she was, so when he got back it would be fine. For now though, she watched Balerd with a slight smile to see what he would do, ready to follow him should he decide to wander off in any direction.((Not a problem. And yes, I’ll probably have quite a bit of text most times here just because of the character ratio, but it was unavoidable: Balerd stumbled across a typical evening at the Essence home and that means everybody’s around. At any rate I hope I’m keeping you satiated with posts for the time being.))
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 10:20 pm
Robin
Tobias & Balerd
"That is most reassuring." When Neo said it, he meant it. That was something abundantly clear to Tobias and it was why Tobias had spoken so highly of him to Jessica. Neo sincerely seemed like he was the type who would die for others, especially those that he was supposed to care for. It was an admirable trait but it was also a very comforting one; knowing that Neo wouldn't let anything happen no matter what gave Tobias a relatively strong feeling of security. It was unlikely that Neo and his team would be unable to handle a situation, should one arise. Tobias reciprocated the gesture by gently rubbing his back against Neo's paw. "We will be quite careful."
As Eliot came charging into the conversation, Tobias was quick to meet him in turn with some careful and affectionate scratching. "When the time comes, I believe my team would be willing." Taking care of Clara and Eliot for a night seemed like a fun activity and in spite of how strange Tobias was, he was probably a good candidate for it. Balerd was very clearly well taken care of and was nothing short of a happy, well-adjusted and wonderfully groomed child. "But I believe I should depart. Jessica will be waiting."
Meanwhile, Balerd did the most sensible thing possible: nothing. The lick didn't really make any sense. Tobias gave licks from time to time but they were precise, quick acts that had a very different intent and a very different effect. Balerd liked those licks since they always seemed to make Tobias happy but this one was something else entirely, seemingly bereft of any purpose or result. It just kind of happened and then Eliot ran off and none of it really made any sense. Another parroted "Hello!" was shot back at Clara and then Balerd did basically the only thing that made any sense. Clara would find herself following Balerd whether or not she wanted to once Balerd grabbed her by the hand and ran off in the direction of Eliot, only to playfully pounce on him (perhaps releasing Clara in the process) in an attempt to play. If Neo knew the first thing about Hawluchas, he probably wouldn't be too worried; it was quite common for young children to "play" by engaging in mock battles appropriate for their innate skillset, which for Eliot doubtlessly meant playful nipping and for Balerd meant lots of jumping and grabbing.((Oh goodness yes, don't worry about it. I'm happy as long as I get a post every now and then.))
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Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 8:02 am
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian Eliot yipped delightedly upon receiving his scratches, affectionately licking Tobias several times before he felt the gentle pull of his father's paw on his scruff. "Alright Eliot, come on back. Tobias is going to go for a while, but I'm sure you two will get to play later." Satisfied at the promise of 'later', Eliot drew back from the Linoone, though not after a few more licks, and immediately after he found himself tackled by Balerd. Yelping with surprise at the sudden weight of his friend clinging to his side, and the puppy immediately began to spin around in circles, trying to n** at his playmate but unable to reach him. The result led to Eliot spinning around until he toppled over with a soft grunt, surprised to find the room still moving oddly before his eyes even as he lay on the ground. Shaking his head to clear it, Eliot proceeded to shake his body as he would to get water off of him, hopefully dislodging Balerd in the process. If he succeeded, the Growlithe would tap the Hawlucha with his nose and proceed to bolt across the room, initiating a game of tag; if he failed, Eliot would break into a full-on sprint (albeit lopsided and ungainly from his residual dizziness) before coming to a sudden halt midway across the room to see if that would do the trick instead. Clara--who had decided to engage in the fun by holding onto Eliot's tail--simply went along for the ride.
Neo chuckled a bit before looking back at Tobias, having watched Balerd effectively distract Eliot from the attentions of his father. "Yes, you can go on ahead," the Meowstic said with a smile. "And I'll tend to these three rascals." The Meowstic would see Tobias out and close the door behind him before turning back to watch the children, content to stand on the sidelines until his presence was required.
Killian waved farewell to the Linoone from his post by the door, and Air and Lux did so as well from the opposite side of the room where they'd rounded the corner to watch the scene unfold. "So we'll have three of them all night?" Lux mused, the taste of parsley lingering on his tongue as the Linoone with the white aura slipped away.
"Yeah. Balerd's Team is going on a night mission from the sound of it."
The Lucario chuckled. "Well then, this promises to be an eventful evening."((Meanwhile Nyx is sitting in his room: "I'm not hearing this I'm not hearing this I'm not hearing this"))
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 10:01 pm
Robin
Tobias & Balerd
Tobias smiled as the three children effectively smashed into one another in their play. "Please do." Tobias would incline his head towards Neo before heading back in the direction of his team room. The mission had to be undertaken.
Balerd simply carried on being Balerd, which in this case meant being oblivious to the fact that Tobias had left. It also meant a few much more crucial things, first and foremost of which was the fact that it meant being on ones bottom. Balerd was still quite young and perhaps not the sharpest tool in the shed because of it but there had been a stern and thorough effort by Tobias to prune any bad habits early on, especially those that involved sharp talons and strong grips. There wasn't a grip sturdy enough for Balerd to hold onto Eliot without hurting him. But being flung free of Eliot wasn't nearly enough to stop Balerd and the chase continued as Balerd quickly ran towards Eliot, jumped into the air and attempted to land on him in a rather fantastic fashion. There would, thankfully, be no flying elbows involved again by way of Tobias's teaching. Playful pounces were one thing but the kind of flying strikes that came naturally to a Hawlucha had been quickly and gently helped out of. That, however, did nothing to prevent the instinctive and innate array of grapples and pins that Balerd would almost certainly try to get Eliot into if he didn't run away fast enough. That, itself, was fairly unlikely; although Growlithe and Hawlucha tended to end up at the same size a fully grown Growlithe was still a child while a fully grown Hawlucha was an adult. Eliot had, and would likely always have, a notable advantage in physical size. Balerd would be hard pressed to pin him.
Of course, should the implausible happen, Balerd would obviously pose (and chirp) triumphantly.
Balerd, sadly, did not know the game of tag.
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Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2015 7:45 am
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian So Balerd didn't want to play tag. Well that was alright, Eliot didn't mind too terribly. He wasn't very good at tag anyway: Clara was much better, and she was really good at never getting caught too. Glancing back at his sister, Eliot panted from the sprint and wagged his tail, waving her from side to side as she held on tightly--that was one of her favorite games, she liked it when she got to move around quickly since she couldn't do it by herself. The Drifloon beamed down at him and let go suddenly, allowing the residual wind from Eliot's tail to blow her backwards. She giggled with pleasure as she flew, and pulled herself to a halt again before she crashed into the wall, drifting back over to where the boys' fight had sprung into full force.
The moment he'd been pounced upon by the bird, Eliot had been caught off guard and pushed to the ground by the unexpected force of the Fighting Type's leap. Aware that this was the game now however, the Growlithe wasn't about to be gotten that easily. Growling playfully, Eliot rolled to the side, possibly over his Hawlucha companion if he didn't manage to get out of the way in time, being so focused on trying to hold him down as the other boy was. When the roll was finished, Eliot was back on his paws and poised to jump, his tail high in the air as he watched Balerd with every ounce of focus in his young body, ready to jump and meet the bird midair the next time he tried to come at him. If Balerd did jump, he'd find Eliot jumping to meet him, one of the boy's paws batting at the Hawlucha in an attempt to force him to the ground. Eliot would quickly spin and turn around to see if his ploy had worked, and if it had Balerd would soon find a Growlithe looming over him, paw on either wing and covering him in teasingly affectionate licks.
Finding their presence unnecessary at the moment, the members of Team Essence dispersed about the room to tend to their own matters. Lux slipped back to his room, curiosity sated and more meditation left to tend to, though not before glancing toward Nyx's room and smiling with amusement: the Vulpix's black aura was practically throbbing with displeasure--it seemed he'd overheard the news about their guest as well. Neo made his way over to the couch and Air was quick to follow, settling in beside his captain comfortably to watch the children play. Killian--with no further reason to monitor the visitors now that his Team had relaxed--shifted from a crouch to a sitting position, drawing his knees to his chest and turning his gaze to the children. They were doing the thing called playing now, a thing that Killian had never understood the purpose of. Still, he'd been instructed to play with the children when prompted, so he was always on watch for any sort of request from his littlest masters.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 4:55 pm
Robin
Balerd
Eliot's plan went off without a hitch right up until the last moment. Balerd was squished, not that that would have any impact at all on Balerd's... well, Balerd's anything. Balerd would continue to act exactly the way appropriate of a young child; there was little beyond the most pressing source of interest and nothing at all beyond the thrill of the moment. There was no complex thought, no exaggerated planning. There was just instincts and a desire for whatever was "good", which at the time meant once more jumping towards Eliot. Eliot's ploy would be successful and Balerd would be smacked down towards the ground with a surprised squawk but that was the point at which Eliot's plan would come screeching to a halt; the instincts that encouraged Balerd to pounce were the same ones that encouraged Balerd to bounce and they were strong ones. Instead of falling to the ground and laying prone, Balerd would curl up in flight and bounce off the ground in an even, controlled fashion until the wall was struck and Balerd was turned back around. The bird, it seemed, had mastered just a little control over it--if Eliot had the bravery to face the bouncing ball head on he would find it difficult to side-step and Balerd would once more come crashing down to try to pin him.
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Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 7:01 am
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian Eliot yelped in surprise as Balerd turned into a ball faster than the puppy would have thought possible. It was a neat trick that his friend could do, but he never saw it coming when it happened, and it always required a completely different way of looking at a battle: fighting a bird was nothing like fighting a ball. Falling back hard on his hind paws, the Growlithe fell into a sitting position before he could help himself, still being rather uncoordinated because of his youth. He watched the ball bounce against the wall and turn back around, heading towards him and he scrambled to his paws, anticipating what was to come. Unfortunately for Eliot, he was too late to get out of Balerd's path, but an unexpected stroke of luck helped him avoid the inevitable collision thanks to the help of a certain young Drifloon.
Clara had been watching from the sidelines, eyes wide with interest as she watched the boys roughhouse. It was something she'd never be able to do, and never really wanted to do, but it was always fun to see how they would constantly try to one-up each other. When she saw Balerd shift to his ball form the girl anticipated what the results would be--her brother was too dazed from having his plan go so awry he wouldn't be able to move out of the way in time and the Hawlucha would have the advantage. While she didn't doubt that Eliot would have been able to solve that problem himself, Clara saw a much more entertaining way to help her brother out that would let her play along too. Thus when Balerd arced through his final bounce towards Eliot, the one that would have hit the puppy on the way down, the Hawlucha would be scooped up by familiar hands at the peak, his bouncing interrupted. With a giggle, Clara spun around while Balerd dangled from her hands--she was much more fond of his round form because all of his sharp parts were tucked inside and she didn't have to be afraid of getting pierced by them. Lowering herself towards the ground, Clara stopped when Balerd dangled just a few inches above it and began to move forwards and back so that her legs mimicked a swing. "Togekiss, Togetic, To-ge-pi~! Balerd's in a ball and he can't catch me~!" The childish sing-songy rhyme was concluded with Clara letting go of her passenger gently and letting his momentum carry him into a new bouncing pattern across the room. Eliot wagged his tail cheerfully, quite fond of the rhymes his sister came up with, and watched Balerd as he bounced ready and waiting for the Hawlucha's next move.
Air practically jumped out of his seat when Balerd shifted into a ball, his eyes popping out of his head in dismay, but Neo raised a paw and chuckled at his companion's concern. "It's okay Air, I was surprised the first time too," the Meowstic explained, "Balerd is extremely flexible. Apparently he's been able to do that since he first hatched, and he enjoys it too."
"B-B-But wouldn't that be painful?" Air asked, still not settling back into the couch as he watched Balerd the ball be carried around by Clara. "I-I've never been a Hawlucha before but don't they have bones? Pokemon with bones can't do that, right?"
"Apparently they can. It is really unsettling though, I know what you mean." Although Neo was mostly comfortable with it now, he had still flinched when he watched Balerd make his shift initially. One day he might be properly accustomed to it, but the Hawlucha's contortionist tricks were still a little hard for the sensitive Meowstic to swallow.
Still skeptic, Air slipped off the couch and stared intently at Balerd, recalling the boy's features from earlier and the ones he could see now. His form began to glow and the change took place, leaving a Hawlucha that looked strikingly similar to Balerd in Air's place (though the transformation wouldn't be identical until the boy uncoiled himself and the Ditto could double-check a few of the more minor features). Raising his wings to either side, Air stared at them dubiously: he could sense the lightness of this body, but it didn't seem like it could make a ball shape. Crossing his arm-wings for the time being, the Ditto-Hawlucha continued to watch the children, waiting for the important actions of their young guest that would tell him what he needed to know about how the shift between ball and bird took place.
Killian looked on, noting the change of the Many Shaped One Friend and of the small Colorful Feathered One Friend both. He hadn't realized that there was any relation between the guest and his most unpredictable master, but there might have been something, given the fact that the Colorful Feathered One Friend no longer looked the same, which was something that the Many Shaped One Friend did frequently. Then again, something seemed different about the two--the smaller one's physical features hadn't changed just his shape, perhaps there was something to that. Whatever the case, it didn't prompt any physical reaction from the giant, just a greater diligence in watching. If the Colorful Feathered One Friend was in their charge then this may be something important to understand about him, and Neo had said that they were to "take care" of him until the Long One Friend returned, so that was how the Golurk understood it to be.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 8:57 pm
Robin
Balerd
Air wouldn't get such a convenient chance to complete the transformation. Air had made a grave and terrible mistake, or at least as grave and terrible as it got given the situation.
Balerd wasn't upset when Clara took hold. Far from it, in fact; the sudden and strange shift in momentum was fun and interesting and it would elicit a muffled chirp from the spherical child. Balerd's actions would take a subtle but distinct change. Balerd's otherwise steady course would transform drastically as the bird began to spin in midair, which in turn caused a rapid course change on impact. Each bounce would increase in speed until, moments before reaching the intended target, Balerd would have begun pinballing between the floor and the ceiling. With nearly pinpoint accuracy, Balerd would land feet-down on the couch in front of Air. Air would only have a brief moment to take in Balerd's form. Even as an inexperienced child, the relative oddity of a Hawlucha's build was present. There was little in the way of extraneous build, no unnecessary bulk. Balerd, as all Hawlucha, had a broad and thick chest that was matched only by a pair of equally sturdy legs and a solid waist. It was the most muscle you could pack on a tiny frame without weighing it down pointlessly. It was with this build and these muscles that had been well trained by Tobias's strange, playful sense of parenting that Air would find himself sailing through the air. Balerd would grab hold of Air, lift, lean back and simply fall off the couch all in one smooth motion. He would find himself either smacking into the ground with his head or his back, depending on whether or not Balerd overshot the motion.
That was, of course, assuming Air wasn't fast enough to do something about it.
Either way, he would be fine. Hawlucha had sturdy skulls.
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Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 5:05 pm
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian A bit of gentle chiding from Neo had brought Air back up onto the couch, but the Ditto had just gotten himself turned back around when he noticed the odd change in Balerd's movement pattern. He was spinning and he was bouncing faster, a fact that prompted Neo to straighten up too, his eyes dark with concern as the bouncing appeared to spin further and further out of control. "N-Neo..." Just as Air was about to ask if this was normal too, as seriously as he doubted the answer, the ball began to grow unsettlingly close to them, and the Ditto-Hawlucha's words were cut off by a frightened gasp as he cringed back from the inevitable impact. His captain, in contrast, leaned closer to the path of the ball, Psychic energy already welling up inside him as the Meowstic braced himself to counter-act Balerd's downward force enough to catch him before he could collide with them. The preparations proved to be unnecessary a moment later though, when Balerd somehow managed to uncurl himself at just the right instant to land on his surprisingly sturdy legs, causing both older Pokemon to exhale in sighs of concerned relief.
"Balerd, it's not nice to scare people like--" Neo's lesson was promptly cut off by a muffled squawk from the child's copy as Air found himself being lifted into the air by the child and careening forward as he was clung to in something far less friendly than a bear hug. "...that." Neo murmured the end of his sentence, shaking his head as he stared down at the boy who was sprawled out on top of his copy.
"...Owwww," Air moaned, attempting to lift his head from the ground as soon as he stopped seeing spots. The trouble with baby Fighting Types was that they were oblivious to their own strength, and that meant play-fighting with them could lead to some very real bruises. Of course, Air was a Hawlucha receiving this treatment--it must have been exceptionally awful for the child's Linoone father. "O-Okay, you got me," he said after a moment, when it became clear that Balerd was intent on keeping him pinned to the ground. Extending his arm-wings outward in an exaggerated show of surrender, Air let his head fall back down against the floor and focused on breathing in and out as he adjusted some of the features of his body to better match Balerd's specifics. The areas that changed would glow for a short moment and be replaced with more accurate representations of the child's features. All the while he stared upward and tried to ignore any further physical assault on his body until he was released, figuring that there was little fun in something like this for the child if it didn't provoke any sort of intense reaction.
Eliot barked with delight when he turned to watch Balerd's display of fighting technique, tail wagging furiously as he watched Air topple to the ground with his friend. Bounding over, the Growlithe stared at the pair of birds expectantly before barking twice in eager anticipation of something further. Clara hovered over as well, staring at the pair with interest from a good distance above the place where they grappled. "Eliot wants to go next," she said softly, translating her brother's desire.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2015 12:15 am
Robin
Balerd
Balerd had done it. With the defeat of the other, clearly inferior Hawlucha, Balerd was now solidly the second strongest in the room and possibly the third strongest ever(?), after only Eliot and Tobias. Eliot was just plain stronger and Papa, in spite of Balerd's best efforts, simply remained unflippable. The blue goodthing on the couch hadn't been tested yet, but he always seemed to get surprised all the time and was probably an easy challenge. No, Balerd declared with a triumphant chirp. Eliot would have to be next. It was simply a matter of course.
Though Air would find a foot on his chest, that was about as far as Balerd would take it. There was no pointless wailing or violence, once the fight had been won it had been won and there wasn't much more to it. As Air's features suddenly changed, Balerd would hop back slightly and squawk in surprise but return just as quickly with a look that sat somewhere between "curious" and "suspicious, but only to an extent that a child can actually muster". Regardless, Air would find himself grabbed again not to be flipped but to actually be lifted up and stood on his feet.
What would happen next would mostly depend on Air. Balerd would happily wrestle with Air again, especially if he either took up a defiant pose himself or if he responded to the clearly playfully-aggressive posture of Balerd. Otherwise, Balerd's attention would shoot towards Eliot and the vaguely, sort-of-understood words from Clara. In that case, Eliot clearly wanted a challenge himself and Balerd would charge forward to meet it by grabbing the pooch and attempting to turn him to his side in order to drop him to the floor.
It was, again, a relatively harmless maneuver. Balerd, like all fighting types was fairly strong and the kind of rough playfighting that came naturally was enough to cause pain but it wasn't enough to cause injury. A headache or slight pain in a limb that would dissipate within a day or two was about the worst it would get in any case. The real instincts for combat came about only from training or from fear. A flying elbow could certainly do a great deal of harm, it just wasn't going to happen. There was playing and then there was bad. The distinction was fairly well understood.
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