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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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 Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:43 pm
Tales of the Members of Team Essence
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Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:45 pm
The Ties // That Bind
Neo & Nyx Neo made his way through the halls wearily, following the instructions given to him by...some Pokemon in charge. After receiving his bow and partner voucher, all the Meowstic wanted to do was get somewhere that he could groom himself and get all the pesky webbing out of his fur, so he hadn't been paying very close attention to the friendly voice that told him Team rooms had been set aside for them down the hall. He tried to recall just who had sent him in the right direction, but it was no use--he couldn't hope to focus with the cobwebs swinging in front of his ears at every step. Neo had never considered himself vain, but he did have a sense of personal appearance, and he knew he didn't want his new partner to see him like this: he wanted to make a good first impression.
The Meowstic held his damp bow gingerly, glancing at it from time to time to be sure it hadn't started dripping again. Fortunately for the Guild's floors, but unfortunately for the weary Psychic, an Ariados's saliva was as sticky as its webbing--meaning that he didn't even have to hold onto the bow for it to stay in his hand anymore. Arceus, what he wouldn't give for some water; he could only hope there would be some waiting for him in his new home. Neo glanced up at the doors with a dull expression, seeing some with no identification and some that already reflected the character of the Teams that had moved within them. He continued to pass them by until at last he spotted a door with a little card hung around the doorknob with his team name written on it; a temporary nameplate that must have been left by some helpful Guild assistant. "Thank Arceus," he murmured, eagerly opening the door. He'd go to fetch his partner later, just as soon as he'd managed to get his bearings.
"Greetings." The salutation fell on unsuspecting ears. Neo had pulled the door shut behind him and turned back, only to jump with surprise as the sound of an unfamiliar voice startled him. His eyes widened and darted from left to right before focusing on the peculiar figure who stood in the center of the room, watching him with a measured gaze. "I take it you're the leader of Team Essence?"
"Y-Yeah..." It was a tad too much for Neo to handle, and his mind began to jump into overdrive as his voice died down. He was standing here, fur mussed, covered with cobwebs, and with a bow stuck to his hand; across from him was a Vulpix, whose nine tails--was he supposed to have nine tails?--waved in greeting and whose whitening fur looked positively impeccable. This was not what he had planned for.
The Fire Type smiled. "Excellent! It's wonderful to meet you. My name is Nyx Isthlamane: I shall be serving as your second in command." He extended a paw for Neo to shake, but the Psychic only stared at it, expression utterly blank as he struggled to come to terms with the situation. Nyx frowned as his paw was ignored, and lowered it after a moment, trying to get a read on his new partner. The Meowstic appeared to have been through quite the endeavor, if his appearance was any indication--perhaps he was still recovering from that "first mission" the Guildmaster had referenced. "Maybe it's best we skip the formalities for now, hm?" the Vulpix said in a comforting tone, taking a few steps back from the other Pokemon to give him some space. "There's a lovely built-in fountain here that will serve nicely for drinking and washing. Apparently they have it installed in some rooms for convenience and privacy. We were fortunate enough to claim one of them early enough."
In truth, fortune had little to do with it. While Neo had been completing his mission, Nyx had been taking care of a few things of his own. The Guildmaster had permitted him to select a room and organize some other details prior to his partner's arrival. Veilmys apparently had a lot of faith in the abilities of his Rank Zero members, since he'd assigned Nyx to Team Essence even before Neo had returned with his bow: perhaps the Sylveon had some other way of knowing these things. Regardless, the Vulpix found himself pleased that he'd had the chance to organize things for his captain beforehand. The disheveled Meowstic looked like he desperately needed some order in his life about now. With a respectful nod, Nyx made his way to the right wall, where he turned his gaze politely out the window, to give his partner some privacy.
Neo made his way to the fountain in a daze, steadying himself when he reached the edge so he wouldn't fall in. His reflection was rippling gently from the force of the small waterfall that flowed in from the side of the wall, and it made him feel slightly dizzy. With a sigh, the Meowstic began to wash, feeling a mixture of guilt and embarrassment that Nyx was still in the room. So much for a good first impression. The water felt wonderful trickling through his fur and against his skin and scales, and Neo allowed himself to forget his worries and smile for just a moment. The webbing came easily from his fur after a while, and he collected it in a ball to dispose of later before he turned his attentions to the crimson bow. The Meowstic gently worked the goo and Ariados silk out of the fabric, carefully washing it until he could feel the texture of the bow again and then spreading it on the ground to dry. Soon it would become the worthy token of his first mission it was always meant to be.
Although a bit damp, Neo's spirits were high now that he looked presentable, and he approached his Vulpix partner with a new-found spring in his step. Tapping the Fire Type on the shoulder, he cleared his throat nervously."Sorry about that. I didn't mean to keep you waiting, I just didn't realize I'd be meeting you so soon." He extended a paw to make up for his rejection of the handshake before. "I'm Neo Vespara. I look forward to working with you."
The Vulpix took his paw with a smile, shaking it firmly. "And I you," he replied. "But of course, there's no need to apologize Neo; I only hope to be of service." Nyx met Neo's eyes, a spark of intensity glowing behind them. "That is alright with you, is it not?" he asked, voice just above a murmur. "Do you accept me as your partner?"
Neo swallowed with some difficulty, feeling a twinge of unease at the Vulpix's tone. The way he said it made it seem like it was super important--like if he said no the Fire Type would go up in smoke or something. "Sure, of course I do," he replied with an uncomfortable laugh. "Why wouldn't I?"
The moment of intensity was gone in an instant, as though it had never happened at all. "No particular reason," Nyx replied lightly, as though there had been nothing strange about the moment before. "I simply wanted to be sure that you were comfortable with my presence. I wouldn't want a difficult introduction to spoil a good partnership." Neo decided to refrain from mentioning that he felt a little uncomfortable now, giving the Vulpix the benefit of the doubt and hoping that the odd conversation had just been a fluke. "Now then," Nyx said, making his way over to the wall opposite the door. "You're still a little damp, aren't you Neo? Would you like to warm up by the fire?" The Vulpix went over to the fountain and picked up the ball of silk, bringing it to the center of the room. "Technically we're supposed to wait for the fireplace to be installed before using fire in the room, but I've handled my share of open flames in the past, so it won't be any trouble." With a breath of Ember, Nyx wreathed the silk in flames and sat back on his haunches to hold the flaming orb in his paws.
Neo crossed the room to pick up his bow, bringing it over to dry by the fire as well. He watched the burning ball with surprise, eyes wide with wonder as he watched the dancing flames; he'd thought cobwebs burned more quickly than this, but maybe there were just too many of them to burn that fast. "Doesn't it burn your fur?"
Nyx chuckled, adjusting the positioning of his paws. "No. It would take far more intense flames than this to singe me," he replied. "Holding something as small as this feels quite nice I assure you. Almost...toasty, you could say."
The Meowstic's eyes widened and he froze, heart skipping a beat as he heard that word. Oh Arceus no, there was no way. The voice didn't sound right--it couldn't possibly be. And yet here he was again, smoke in his nose and that awful word in his ears. His eyes moved from the fire to meet Nyx's now-troubled gaze, and he didn't dare to avert them. If Nyx was that Pokemon from the castle... The Psychic shuddered to think of what he could have been up to.
"Neo, are you quite alright?" The Vulpix repeated the question a few times, but was met with nothing but silence. He returned the Meowstic's gaze, staring uncertainly back into the Psychic's green eyes and wondering what on earth had come over him. They stayed like that for a long time, eyes locked and utterly silent, until the sound of the alarm bell brought their uneasy standoff to a sudden halt.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:46 pm
Ghosts // Of The Past
Neo & Nyx & Air No sooner had the door closed behind Air’s departing companions than Neo’s eyes narrowed on Nyx, a frown on his face and unhappiness in his eyes. When the Vulpix turned back to face his partner and their new teammate, his eyes widened in surprise and a fair degree of discontentment to be greeted by his partner in such a way. “To what do I owe your displeasure Neo?” Nyx said softly, sounding almost wounded.
The Meowstic’s frown deepened and he shook his head. “I just don’t get it Nyx!” he said, exasperation in his tone. “First back at the castle and now here at home--you threatened that poor Shuppet and his friend! They didn’t do anything to harm us and you threatened them! That’s not what a member of a Rescue Team is supposed to do. We’re supposed to help other Pokemon, even if they’re Ghosts.” Neo was disturbed by his partner’s behavior because it seemed to have no source. He’d just suddenly determine a Pokemon was deplorable and that was the end of it; what’s more, no Ghost Types had managed to escape that thus far, except for Team Oddball’s Guile. Whatever it was that caused this sort of anger in his partner, Neo knew that he couldn’t continue on any longer without understanding it.
Nyx hesitated, his expression darkening slightly under his partner’s scrutiny. He had planned on explaining things to Neo of course, he would have done it back in the castle if they hadn’t been ambushed, but he hated when such things were sprung on him without warning. In all honesty he should have seen it coming, since one as sensitive as Neo wouldn’t have overlooked the genuine outrage he’d felt at seeing the Shuppet again, but the affairs of Ghost Types were so difficult to explain to someone who didn’t share the typing. The vulpine supposed he would just have to do his best, and hope that his partner understood--it was clear that he couldn’t avoid the subject this time around. “Very well,” the Vulpix said, making his way to the table and indicating Neo should return to his breakfast. “I will do my best to enlighten you. If you have any questions when I’ve concluded feel free to ask then, but I request that you refrain from interrupting me earlier, as it would only serve to confuse you further.”
Neo complied, returning to his spot at the table, though he didn’t move to touch his food; he couldn’t think about eating, not when a serious conversation was about to take place. He caught sight of Air out of the corner of his eye, sinking down low to the ground as he watched the two of them--the poor Ditto hadn’t been given a proper welcome yet, but this was just as important. “Hey…” he said to Nyx, nodding toward their newest Teammate, “Is it alright if Air listens in too?” The Vulpix nodded, sitting down at the other end of the table, and Neo called out to the nervous Ditto: “Hey Air, come on over here. Nyx needs to tell us something.”
Air shuddered, slinking back a few inches and shaking his head. “N-No it’s fine,” the Ditto said, “You two can talk without me, I can just go look at some of the other places around the Guild…” He trailed off as both of his Leaders looked at him and sighed as he began to make his reluctant way over to the table. He took a cushion resting nearer to Neo, since he felt more comfortable with the Meowstic that with his agitated Vulpix partner, and looked at his gelatinous hands miserably as he waited, a captive audience to the others’ conversation. He had already been skeptical of the Guild, but this sudden serious conversation right after he’d arrived made him seriously consider the benefits of running away.
Seeing that his two teammates were prepared to listen, Nyx inhaled deeply, breathing in the heat that lurked in his throat before beginning. With any luck this would go smoothly and they could move on as though nothing had ever happened: he imagined it would be manageable with Neo, but with Air...he would have to be very gentle with the Ditto for a while, that much was clear. “Well then,” the Fire Type said, wrapping his tails around his paws so they wouldn’t become distracting to his listeners, “Allow me to inform you about the culture of Ghost Type Pokemon.”
“Pokemon of the Ghost typing are a peculiar group, and many of us have our own sets of rules that we are obliged to follow around those who share the Type. These may vary depending on the clan we’re from, the area we live in, or other similar factors, but they are always present, and function as guiding social principles for every ghost in existence. In addition to the individual rules, there are universal codes that must be respected as well--this is where the Shuppet and his acquaintance transgressed.”
“You must understand, before I explain, that there are those of us who embrace the identity of a ghost, and those of us who reject it. Those who embrace it love to enforce the stereotype of ghosts as mischievous spirits who intend to scare others, or poltergeists who will pull harmless pranks and cause light-hearted disturbances that the living cannot understand. While there are countless Ghost Types who fail to fall into this category, it is often the image we are degraded to, and there are several who enforce this, ensuring that it remains an issue for those of us who have no interest in being recognized as ‘traditional ghosts’. Still, since it was recognized that we Ghosts should do our best to coexist with one another, because we are held in such disdain by Pokemon of other types, that we would establish the universal codes: one of these states that a Ghost should never attempt to frighten or haunt another Ghost, as it is an indication of extreme disrespect toward the fellow members of our kind.”
“When the Shuppet and Misdreavus we encountered in the tower took on their ethereal forms with the intent to startle you and I Neo, they were acting in direct violation of that rule--a fact that I indicated to them in short order. Such a transgression is something that should be taken before a council, and is often met with some form of punishment. They saw my mercy when I told them to stay away from us, which was an unspoken indication that I would not see them tried for their actions. When our Shuppet acquaintance came here today I was naturally furious, as it is difficult to forget an offense such as I’d received, but our conversation revealed to me that he was attempting to show his gratitude for my actions by repaying it with information. He told me something I was eager to learn, and I forgave him for his actions in turn: it was an equal exchange.”
The Vulpix paused at that moment, attempting to gauge the reactions of his two listeners after all that he’d told them thus far. Neo appeared perturbed, his brow furrowed and eyes revealing the thoughts that churned inside his head. Air, on the other hand, had dropped his misery and replaced it with a look of intrigue. The Ditto stared at him with curious eyes, clearly fascinated by what he was being told, and Nyx offered a wry half-smile at him in return--so Air had an interest in cultural analysis did he? Well then, perhaps this would encourage their new member rather than deter him. Glancing back to Neo, Nyx addressed the Meowstic with the gentleness he reserved only for his partner: “Is something troubling you Neo?”
The Psychic blinked, looking up at Nyx uncertainly, surprised to have been addressed. “Well…” he began, struggling to word his problem politely, “It’s just...um...you’re kind of…”
“Not a Ghost?” Neo looked up with surprise, startled when he found amusement in his partner’s eyes. Nodding slowly, the Meowstic found his skepticism met with a low chuckle. “Of course you would think so. It’s difficult for someone not of our kind to understand, but you Neo, you might be able to discern it if you tried. Psychics can sometimes detect a Pokemon’s typing heritage if they search hard enough.”
Neo raised his paws submissively, shaking his head. “Oh no, I couldn’t do that,” the Meowstic said quietly, “That’s ignoring your privacy, it’s impolite. Psychics have rules too you know.”
“Of course, of course,” Nyx said, amused by his partner’s thoughtfulness, “But I’m giving you my permission. I’ll explain in a moment but it would be good if you accept my point by proving it to yourself. Go on, is there any Ghost Type in me?”
Feeling somewhat uncomfortable at the thought of using his abilities to pry into someone else’s mind, Neo’s sensing was tentative as he closed his eyes and sent his Psychic out to poke at Nyx’s consciousness. He had a general idea of what each Type felt like, based on encounters with them in the past, so he recognized the warmth of Nyx’s Fire Type at once. When he pressed it further however, he found a dimness lurking in the shadow of the fire, something at once chilling and sad--the feeling of a Ghost Type. With a gasp, Neo’s eyes shot open and he withdrew his Psychic immediately, feeling far more comfortable once he’d withdrawn his senses from his partner entirely. “I-It’s there…” he said weakly, staring at Nyx nervously, “So you’re…?”
“Part Ghost.” The answer was smooth and definitive, accompanied by a smile from his partner. “It comes from my father, a Chandelure. Hence why the Shuppet mentioned that his actions would have been different had he known my father.”
“But how was he supposed to know?” Neo asked, trying to puzzle it out. “I had to really concentrate to see that in you, and he’s not even a Psychic.”
Nyx nodded. “No indeed, but all Ghost Types can recognize other Ghost Types. It’s one of our additional...senses if you will. It’s not the same as Psychic abilities, we can’t determine it for other types, but we can always tell a ghost from an ordinary Pokemon. That being said, someone like myself--who possesses a ghostly lineage but is not a pure Ghost Type--is somewhat more difficult to recognize. We still give off the same signals however, they’re just softer than they would be if we were pure ghosts; the only reason another ghost wouldn’t notice them would be if they were disregarding the signals entirely--hence why it’s a serious offense.” There was more to it than that--far more--but that was enough for now. It was enough to account for his behavior without having to delve too deeply into his rather peculiar nature. These things would come with time, once he knew he had his partner’s trust.
There was a silence after that, where Neo mulled everything over in his mind, making sense of what he had been told. So Nyx was part ghost, which meant that other ghosts should show him respect because he was one of their own. That made sense enough, but his reaction had been so extreme… A sudden thought struck the Meowstic and his eyes widened as he recognized a truth he hadn’t considered: if Nyx wasn’t a pure blooded ghost, perhaps ignoring his partial typing was as serious an offense as being prejudiced against Pokemon who didn’t share your species. His mother’s family had been like that a little, before he’d been born they’d considered cutting his mom out of the family because she’d chosen a Milotic as her mate. Even after he’d been born they were still uncomfortable with his dad’s family, which Neo had never understood--maybe Nyx had gotten so mad because it was like that. Looking up to meet his partner’s eyes, the Meowstic’s gaze was softer than before. “I think I get it…” he said quietly, a bit embarrassed that he’d take so long to catch on. “I’m sorry I overreacted. I just didn’t understand.”
The fox looked at his partner thoughtfully, wondering what sort of conclusions he’d drawn, but dismissed the idea after a moment. Whatever Neo had decided, it seemed that all was forgiven between them, which was all that Nyx had hoped for. “No need to apologize Neo,” he said with a smile, “If I have explained things to your satisfaction, then I am content.”
“Um…” A soft voice spoke up, and Neo and Nyx turned to look at Air, who was watching them with interest. “I have a question.”
“Yes, what is it Air?” Nyx asked, intrigued by the Ditto’s curiosity.
“Well it’s just…” the Normal Type began hesitantly. “I’m here at the Guild because I want to learn things. I want to learn about other Pokemon of all kinds, so that I can understand them, and so they’ll help me understand myself a little better. Your story Nyx was...really interesting. I think it’ll be helpful for me in the future. My only question is…” The Ditto began to glow, form shifting and reforming until he re-solidified, a mirror image of Nyx. “...Can you sense other Ghost Types too?”
Nyx was taken aback by the Ditto’s sudden duplication of his appearance, as was Neo, who practically jumped out of his seat in surprise. The only difference between the two Vulpix was that Air’s voice came out of one of them--which was quite unsettling to both of his companions. As usual, Nyx recovered first, soothing the hackles that threatened to rise out of astonishment. “I...can,” he said after a moment, reassured to hear that his voice was distinctly different than that of his copy, although their appearances were identical. He’d always thought that Ditto could only assume the typical form of any type, but Air had him perfectly-- nine tails, whitish-red fur, and all.
“Really?” Air said with interest, swaying his tails back and forth with interest as he got a feel for his new form. Taking on the bodies of others had always helped him to understand them, so now that Nyx had explained himself it just felt right to try living in the Vulpix’s form for a little while. “Interesting! Do you mind if I ask you other questions if they come up? I wouldn’t want to offend anyone if I’m in this form or any other Ghost Type one for that matter.”
Nyx hesitated. “Do you plan on taking my form frequently?”
Air shrugged. “I’m not sure. I like to copy the forms of people I’m close to so I can understand them better. I take on a lot of different forms every day, but I spend some time with the ones I really want to memorize.” The Ditto began to glow again and he shifted once more, this time adopting Neo’s appearance. “I hope you don’t mind.”
The partners exchanged a glance uncertainly, neither one particularly certain how to react. Neo looked over at his copy, who was close enough to touch, and reached out to do so, feeling the tuft of fur that circled the Ditto-Meowstic’s throat. “You forgot something,” he said, parting the fur at his collar to reveal the rainbow scales beneath. “They’re from my dad,” the Psychic added sheepishly, letting the fur fall again, “They go all around my neck.” He watched as the Ditto’s fur began to glow, and was torn between amazement and nervousness when Air parted the fur to reveal an exact replica of his scales, down to the coloring: their new teammate was really incredible at what he did. “Y-Yeah, that’s it,” he murmured, looking down at his paws, “I guess it’s fine Air just...maybe not too much? It’s a little unsettling.”
The Ditto-Meowstic cocked his head to the side, looking at his Leader with inquiring eyes before nodding. He began to glow again and this time he had assumed his normal form by the time the light faded. “Alright. I’ll do my best. Just let me know if I ever go too far, alright?” Air knew that he didn’t understand what made his transformations shift from interesting to troublesome for other Pokemon, but he was trying to learn. If Neo continued to be honest with him then maybe this place would be good for him after all.
“R-Right…” Neo said, trying to shake the feeling that he’d just been made obsolete by his Ditto teammate. From the looks of it Nyx was experiencing a similar struggle however, which comforted him slightly. “Well, Nyx and I should probably get to the infirmary,” the Meowstic said after a moment, recalling Veilmys’s words from the night before. “Would you mind staying here to watch the Egg while we’re gone Air?”
The Ditto jumped to attention, eyes darting around the room until they settled on the Egg that rested in front of the fireplace. “Oh! I-I guess so,” the Normal Type said, staring at the unborn creature with trepidation. “I won’t hurt it, will I?”
Neo and Nyx both laughed at that one, amused by Air fretting. “Of course you won’t,” Neo said after a moment, smiling. “Just keep an eye on it while we’re away. We wouldn’t want it to hatch without anyone around.” They’d seen the results of that firsthand a couple of days ago, and Neo wasn’t eager to see anything like that happen again.
“I’m sure you’ll do a fine job of it,” Nyx added, having come to terms with Air’s quirky behaviors. So long as the Ditto didn’t pry at him too much, he would be a useful member of the Team, of that the Vulpix was certain. “Before we go however,” he added, “You should finish your breakfast Neo. It doesn’t do to start the day on an empty stomach.”
The Psychic looked at him for a long moment, baffled, before a gleam of understanding dawned on his face. “Oh, right,” the Meowstic said, staring at the breakfast he’d only just begun before this whole affair had started. “First breakfast, then we’ll head out.” Without further prompting, Neo began to eat, finding that all this talk of ghosts and transformations and teammates had left him even more famished than before.
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Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:47 pm
Sunrise // Sunset
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara Neo lay down on the couch, his eyes running across the text of the enormous book that lay in front of him. Air had returned from the Library the night before in a burst of excitement, having found a documentation of every species of Pokemon in existence and a brief summary of their group behaviors; Neo and Nyx both had been intrigued by the find, but they gave Air priority over the encyclopedia since the subject was so near and dear to the Ditto’s heart. Of course, when Air was out it was a different story, which was why Neo was absorbing the text so hungrily now. He only had until Nyx and Air returned from their trip to the market to get through as much as he could, and he’d only just made it to Amaura: the Meowstic had really been hoping to at least make it through the A’s before they returned.
It was then that the faintest of sounds caught the Psychic’s sensitive ears, a quiet chk that came from somewhere in the room. Ears twitching with surprise, Neo propped himself up on his paws and looked around curiously, eyes scanning his surroundings for any sign of the source. Finding nothing, the Meowstic frowned and turned back to his book, assuming it must have been someone passing by in the hallway; he was hunting down the line he’d read last when he heard it again--chk-chk!
Brow furrowed in confusion, Neo slid off the couch, leaving his book behind in favor of looking around the room. As he wandered about, he continued to hear the gentle sound from time to time, but whenever he looked in its general direction he only saw the crackling fire and the pair of Eggs that were cradled in the cushion in front of it. It was only after the fourth time that it clicked in the Meowstic’s mind: maybe that sound was--!
Hurrying over to the pair of Eggs, Neo’s eyes were wide with anticipation as he placed his paws on first one, then the other. The first one he check showed no signs of damage, its delicate lavender shell as smooth as the day he’d received it from the Lopunny who’d been caring for it, but the second had a delicate fracture down its dark side that pulsed a glowing red, like a living heartbeat. The Meowstic’s eyes were like saucers as he lowered a paw to touch the Egg and felt it shake at his touch: the baby was hatching--it was actually hatching!
Uncertain what to do, Neo stood there watching as the sound came again, and another vein joined the first. The beautiful auburn shell was growing steadily less perfect as the creature inside it struggled to break free, but the cracks made it all the more beautiful to the Psychic who watched it. “Come on, you can do it!” he whispered, encouraging the child who was trying to come out to him. The Egg’s motion paused when it heard his voice, and Neo felt his heartbeat quicken at the fear of having stopped the process somehow. A moment later however, the whole Egg shook violently as the child inside seemed to have redoubled its efforts, only pausing at short intervals between cracks that formed. Neo looked on, awestruck, his heart fit to bursting as he saw the Egg rocking towards him with each new shove: the baby had heard him, and now it was trying to get closer to him. The Meowstic felt his eyes fill with happy tears and he whispered to the Egg again: “Come on little one, come out to Daddy.”
His words didn’t fall on deaf ears. The Egg was promptly hit so vigorously that it toppled onto its side, its top sticking just off of the cushion where it lay. Neo’s ears twitched at the sound of what he could have sworn was a soft growl coming from inside the eggshell, and then the Egg jolted again, a crack splitting down the other side. “You’re almost there!” Neo breathed, heart pounding with excitement, “Just a little more!” The Egg was still for a moment, and then something incredible happened: it shook again, but this time a tiny paw burst through the crack on the side, reaching out to grasp at the firelight.
Neo couldn’t help the gasp that escaped him when he saw the little paw reaching upwards, and he lowered his own to touch the tiny appendage. The fur was slick with fluid from the Egg, but it was a beautiful shade of orange, with two white claws that protruded out from it; the paw rested against his for a few long moments before Neo pulled back reluctantly, knowing that the job wasn’t done yet. “Alright, you’ve almost done it,” he said softly, “Come on out. I know you’ve got it in you!” His comment was met with an audible yip in response, one that surprised the Meowstic with its determination, and the paw lowered itself within the Egg again.
After a long moment, a soft crackling could be heard as a cream-colored muzzle pushed its way out of the same hole, a shiny black nose sniffing at the air outside. It withdrew in another moment and Neo waited, certain that this would be the moment: he wasn’t to be disappointed. A tiny howl resonated from within the eggshell, and a moment later its top splintered as a tiny Growlithe head crashed through it. The child pulled its paws up to prop itself out of the shell and it looked around with wide curious eyes, that squinted against the sudden light. When its eyes finally settled on Neo, the Meowstic beamed and he extended his arms. “You did it!” he said, tears running down his cheeks as he looked at the beautiful creature before him, “You really did it! Come here little one, come let your Daddy give you a hug.”
The Growlithe yipped softly, its eyes bright and happy when it heard Neo’s voice, and it pitched itself forward, tumbling out of the Egg and onto the ground head over haunches. It gave a soft huff, but its tail wagged rapidly as it rose to unsteady paws and made its way over to Neo as fast as it could. When the miniature Fire Type arrived, Neo knelt down to hold the puppy close, and was met with an onslaught of kisses for his effort--in that moment, Neo was the proudest he’d ever felt in his life.
“Haha, alright now, slow down,” the Meowstic said after a few moments, when his fur had gotten so wet it drooped around his eyes from the child’s affectionate licks. The Growlithe paused, looking at him quizzically, and Neo almost laughed out loud: he looked so serious, like he actually understood what was being said to him. “We need to give you a name,” Neo clarified, patting the Growlithe gently on the head. He could sense that this one was a boy, but he hadn’t really considered that he might have to name the Eggs when they hatched. Fortunately, this one was easy, he had a name that he liked which seemed to suit the little one perfectly. “How about Eliot?” he asked the Growlithe, batting the child's nose playfully, “Do you like the name Eliot?”
The little Fire Type yipped happily and his tail wagged as he jumped on his father, tackling the Meowstic to the floor. This Pokemon was the one who’d been talking to him in the dark place, and he smelled right too, like happiness and warmth: he said he was called Daddy, so the Growlithe was happy to think of him like that. The bigger Pokemon had also called him Eliot, and the Growlithe liked the way that sounded, so that was okay too. Now that he’d made it out of the dark place to Daddy, Eliot was happy--Daddy seemed pretty happy too.
Neo laughed as he toppled to the ground, allowing himself to be overwhelmed with kisses from the baby. “I’m glad you like it,” the Meowstic said, staring up at the Growlithe with pride. Eliot was possibly the most beautiful Pokemon he’d ever seen--so majestic and yet so incredibly small--Neo promised himself that he would be the best father he could be for such a wonderful new life, just like his mom and dad had been for him.
After a little while Eliot stepped off of Daddy and turned around, looking at the huge world around him with curious eyes. There were so many things to explore and so many things he wanted to smell and touch and play on, but there was one thing in particular that caught his eye. Back in the place where he’d broken out of the dark, there was a purple thing; Eliot looked at it curiously, and then at the broken thing that was his dark place, and then back again. Could that be another dark place? The Growlithe toddled over to it and sniffed it curiously, smelling a strange but nice scent coming from inside. It smelled like his dark place a bit, but there was someone else in it--this was someone else’s dark place.
Neo noticed the boy wander over to the other Egg and chuckled to himself, wandering over to the little Growlithe. “This is another one of Daddy’s kids,” the Meowstic said, “Just like you. You were first but this one will come out too, eventually.”
Eliot’s ears twitched at his Daddy’s comment, as it confirmed his suspicions. So this was someone else’s dark place. Well it was lonely in there, and really hard to get out, so he would just have to help them along. With a bark, Eliot stared at the Egg intensely, trying to see if the other one would respond. He closed his eyes to listen closely, waiting, and then he heard it: a soft sigh.
Neo watched as Eliot interacted with the Egg, and he briefly wondered if the babies could talk to one another, even when one was hatched and the other was not. He dismissed the thought after a moment, certain that he would never know, and continued to watch his young charge, entranced by the thought that the Growlithe had been only an entity in an Egg just an hour before. He looked on quietly, certain that it was harmless for the child to examine the other Egg...until Eliot’s mouth filled with flames and he breathed a tiny burst of fire at the lavender shell.
“Eliot!” the Meowstic choked out, grabbing for the little Pokemon with both paws, “Don’t do that! You’ll hurt it!” He tried to pull the Growlithe away, but it was still half his size, despite being small, and very slippery from the egg fluid that still hadn’t been washed off, so his efforts were to no avail. Instead he watched in horror as Eliot batted at the eggshell, making it wobble where it sat, as the Growlithe barked at it insistently, as though there was something wrong with it. “Eliot please!” Neo pleaded, trying to get a better grip on the child to pull him away, “Stop it you’ll hurt the Egg!”
The little Growlithe paused, hearing the anguish in his Daddy’s tone, and turned to look at him in confusion. Why was Daddy upset? The girl in there wanted to get out of the dark place, she’d said so, but she was too weak to make it out herself. Eliot had used the warm stuff to help get him out of his dark place, so it would probably help her too--didn’t Daddy understand that? Instead Daddy looked scared. Why? Eliot whimpered, nudging Daddy’s paw with his head and staring sadly at the purpleish dark place: the other Pokemon still needed to get out.
Neo started to breathe again when the little Fire Type turned around, his heart racing like never before. Oh Arceus, if he’d broken that Egg… Taking the boy’s face between his paws, Neo scolded him firmly: “Don’t you ever attack an Egg again, do you understand Eliot? Never ever.” The child whimpered again and his tail tucked between his legs, but the Meowstic didn’t let up; the Growlithe needed to know that it wasn’t okay to play with something so delicate. But then Neo heard it: the now-familiar chk!
With a gasp, Neo let Eliot go, but the child turned around also, tail wagging and his misery forgotten. The pair stared as the lavender Egg began to shake, a newly-formed crack splitting it down the little. “Oh Eliot you were trying to help! I’m so sorry,” Neo whispered, pulling the Growlithe into a hug of apology. The child simply wagged his tail and licked his cheek eagerly, content to watch from his father’s arms as the other Pokemon got out of the dark place. Neo looked down at the boy gratefully before looking up at the other Egg and calling out to it as he’d done before. “Little one, can you hear me? Daddy and Eliot are waiting right outside for you!”
Like before, the Egg responded to the sound of his voice, trembling as the child within reacted to the familiar vibrations of the Meowstic’s words. This time, however, given Eliot’s assistance, the shell was softer and the child’s actions were more urgent because of the heat that had built inside. Without any ceremony, the lavender egg was rent open by a ball of light that Neo was forced to dodge, pulling Eliot to the floor with him as he did so. The attack crashed into the wall noisily, causing Neo to flinch as he hugged Eliot close, but the Growlithe soon began to squirm, nosing at him and straining to get away. When he looked up, Neo saw why.
The Meowstic felt the breath knocked out of him as he looked up at the Pokemon that hovered before them, looking down with nervous eyes. The Drifloon’s coloring was even paler than that of its Egg, and its hands and cross where white as the cloud that rested upon its head. Once again Neo felt his eyes well up with tears as he felt his heart burst with joy for the second time, and he swallowed past the lump in his throat his he watched Eliot approach the balloon with a cheerful yip, staring up at the other Pokemon with eyes that shone with happiness. Even though they weren’t related by blood, Neo felt as proud of the pair as if they were; he couldn’t wait to share the world with these beautiful children.
Extending a paw to the Drifloon, Neo smiled at it, beckoning the Pokemon closer. “Come say hello little one,” he said gently, “Welcome to the world.”
A thrill ran through the balloon as it recognized his voice, and it drifted over to him gently, little hands grabbing onto Neo’s extended paw as the Drifloon’s stringy arms wrapped around his. Neo felt his heart leap at the gentle touch, so delicate and fragile that he didn’t dare to hold it any more tightly than he did currently. “Hello there,” he purred, as the Drifloon floated down to give him a closer look, “We’ll have to give you a name too, now won’t we?”
The Drifloon stared at this Pokemon, taking in his features with care so that she wouldn’t forget them. He felt right, he was the one who would look after her here: Daddy, he’d said. She knew what a Daddy was, she remembered it in some vague memory that she couldn’t quite define. She knew a lot of things there, things like a name that she should be called. “Clara,” her voice was soft and quiet like the breeze, yet surprisingly clear for one of her age. “I’m Clara, Daddy.”
Neo stared at the Drifloon in surprise when she answered him, hardly having expected a response from a newborn, but the happiness in her eyes brought his smile back quickly. “Clara? What a beautiful name!” He spun around as he spoke, twirling the child along with him, and she giggled in response, twining her arms around him even more tightly. Eliot barked, nudging his head against Neo’s side and looking up at him piteously, extending a paw toward the Drifloon. “Oh, you want to say hello?” Neo said with a smile, “Sure. Clara, go say hi to your big brother Eliot.” He released his grip on her arms carefully, allowing her to float apart from him if she desired.
Clara paused, hearing her Daddy’s words and turning so that she faced the puppy on the floor. He was the one who’d been talking to her before, when she was in the dark place. He’d said he’d help her get out, and he’d done that, so he must be nice. She didn’t remember having a big brother in the other place, just like she didn’t remember having the same Daddy in the other place, but something told her that this wasn’t exactly the same as before. She wasn’t exactly sure how it would be different, but it seemed like it was good in this place, even if it wasn’t the same as before, and she liked that it was good.
Unraveling her arms from Daddy, Clara floated down so that her arms could reach Eliot, and he sniffed at them with interest. She smelled nice, even if she smelled a bit like the dark place still, and he licked her hand gently, smiling up at her. “Hi Eliot,” the Drifloon said, and the Growlithe barked in response to his name, wagging his tail at his sister. She could use words like Daddy, but he couldn’t yet, so actions would have to be enough. He stood up on his hind legs to bat at Clara’s arms playfully, smiling up at her, and the Drifloon giggled, shying back towards Daddy. In another moment Eliot pounced, knocking both his father and sister to the floor and winning laughter from both of them.
Neo lost track of how much time passed as he played with the kids, thoughts of reading forgotten with the presence of babies that longed for his affection. He gave them each a quick bath at one point, which they both seemed to enjoy (though Eliot thought it was another game, which resulted in a fair number of puddles being created in the process), and he cleared up the eggshells as well, so by the time Nyx and Air returned the pair were dry and clean and ready to meet their other teammates.
Neo’s eyes lit up the moment he heard the door handle turn. “Nyx, Air!” he called out eagerly, “Look who’s hatched!” He grabbed onto Eliot by the scruff of his neck and held Clara by the hand with a firm grip so neither of them could rush out when his teammates appeared, which proved to be a wise decision when the baby Fire Type nearly pulled away from his grip at the appearance of the new Pokemon: a pair of Vulpix who looked utterly identical, both with groceries in tow.
The first Vulpix paused in the doorway, looking in at them calmly, causing the second to run into him and drop his bags on the ground: well, that clarified which was which. “Th-The Eggs?” Air asked, as he picked himself up, shedding his Vulpix form and peering over Nyx’s shoulder warily.
“The Eggs.” Nyx’s affirmation was curt, as he appraised the children from afar, staring at the Growlithe and Drifloon with interest. “Come, get inside,” he said after a moment, “Before they can get away from Neo.” With a nudge of one of his tails, Nyx ushered Air into the room and closed the door, allowing his partner to release the children at last.
Eliot rushed forward the minute Daddy let go of him, tail wagging rapidly as he approached the pair. They smelled like Daddy, which meant they belonged here too, but they were pretty different from each other. One of them was shaky and pink, and smelled kind of scared, and the other smelled warm like he did, but didn’t seem very happy. He went over to the one that smelled like him first and crouched down, inviting him to play, but the bigger Pokemon shook his head, causing Eliot to whimper quietly. “Hush child,” the reddish-white Pokemon said, looking at him with serious eyes, “I am not your playmate but your teammate. You’d do well to learn that sooner rather than later.”
“Aw Nyx,” Neo said, frowning as he looked at his partner, “Eliot’s just a baby, he doesn’t know any better. He needs to know that he’s loved: we’re his family now.”
The vulpine looked back at him with a quirk of the eyebrow. “Family? I wouldn’t call us that. We are their guardians but we’re hardly a family unit.”
Neo stared the Vulpix down. “We’re going to be their family Nyx. I promised them that and I intend to keep that promise. You don’t have to be their father, I can do that, but the least you could do is treat them as children should be treated.”
Nyx bowed under his partner’s gaze. “If that is what you desire Neo, then I will do it,” he said solemnly. “However you should know that I am rather poor with children. I will do my best not to interfere, and I will protect them alongside you, but I cannot be a friend to them as I can be to you.”
Neo’s frown lessened though it was still present as he considered the Vulpix’s words. He couldn’t ask Nyx for more than he could manage, but it would be nice if the fox could show a little more enthusiasm about the whole thing. With a sigh he nodded at last. “Alright, I won’t pressure you to play with them,” he said wearily, “Just please Nyx, please do whatever you can to let them know that they’re loved. They won’t have a normal family, so we have to do the best we can for them.”
“I understand,” Nyx replied, nodding. “I will do what I can.” The Vulpix looked up, peering around the room expectantly. Eliot had left him for Air, and the Ditto was amusing the child by shifting into a Growlithe and back again every few moments. At least Air would be able to provide Neo the help he needed regarding entertaining the children; the Ditto seemed to be enjoying it too, if a bit nervous around the newborns. Neo was standing by himself, and the other child… “Where is the other child?” Nyx asked curiously, looking around the room again. “You spoke as though they’ve both hatched yet I’ve only seen one.”
Neo looked around curiously, finding that Clara was nowhere to be seen, and he felt a wave of nervousness rush over him at the Drifloon’s absence. She couldn’t have gone out the door but she was nowhere to be seen. The girl was a Ghost Type, but did that mean she could disappear? “Clara?” the Meowstic called out, looking around, “Clara where did you go?” A tug on his tail gave him his answer, and the feline spun around to find the baby Drifloon hovering behind him where she couldn’t be seen, shaking ever so slightly. “Clara, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Neo asked, pulling the balloon close in a hug; she was quivering so unobtrusively he hadn’t realized she was brushing against his tail at all.
Clara leaned into Daddy’s hug, trying to block out the sensation coming from the Pokemon he was talking to. Daddy seemed to like the white-red fox, but Clara didn’t like him, he hadn’t liked Eliot, and he had a darkness about him that reminded her of the dark place. She didn’t want to go back there, so she didn’t want anything to do with the one Daddy had called Nyx. She didn’t answer the Meowstic’s question at all, but wrapped her stringy arms around him tightly, unwilling to let go of his paw. So long as Daddy held her she would be alright.
Neo turned around, Drifloon in his arms and looked at Nyx apologetically. “It seems like something’s spooked her,” he said, patting Clara’s head with a gentle paw. “This is Clara though, she can already talk a bit too!” His voice rang with pride as he looked down at the child, and she peeked up at him with a small smile before burying her face in his chest again.
“A Drifloon?” Nyx said, his tone shifting to one of intrigue from the apathy it had held before. “You didn’t tell me one of the children was a ghost Neo.” It wasn’t an accusatory statement but a surprisingly gentle one, and the Vulpix strode over to his partner and the child he held in short order. Looking down at her, Nyx frowned, his eyes showing an unexpected sympathy. “Poor child,” he said, staring past her physical form to see the shadow of what she once was, “What could have cut your life so short?”
“What do you mean?” Neo asked, arms tightening defensively around Clara as her shivering began again. “She’s only just been born, her life is just beginning!”
Nyx shook his head, a somber look on his face. “No, this Drifloon was once a Castform Neo. All ghosts come from a past life, even the newborns.”
Neo paled, looking down at the balloon he cradled in his arms. “You mean she…”
His partner nodded, still watching the child intensely. “How else could she speak? She has other memories in her mind, memories of her previous life that haven’t died. In a sense she’s one of the lucky ones: she’s been given a second chance at life.” The Vulpix’s expression darkened. “In another sense, she’s unfortunate, because her former life had such a woeful conclusion that her soul couldn’t rest at death.” He bowed his head, stepping back from Neo and Clara to give the Meowstic some room: it was a hard truth to process, that the lives of ghosts were doomed to be born of tragedy.
Neo stared down at Clara, hugging her closer still. Nyx knew far more about ghosts than he did, so the Meowstic trusted his partner’s words on the subject, but this… This was just terrible. If Clara had lived such a sad life before, he wouldn’t let it happen again--this time around he would give her the life that she deserved. “Was she a child when it happened?” Neo asked, tail whisking back and forth nervously.
Nyx shook his head. “I cannot say. All that I can see is what she was before. Her vocabulary would give some indication of her age at the time, but otherwise we have no way of knowing.”
Neo sighed, stroking the cloud atop Clara’s head gently. If they couldn’t draw anything from the past, then the present would have to be enough. Clara had seemed happy when they were playing before, so maybe this was the best he could do. No matter what, he would make sure she and Eliot were happy, that was the most important thing of all. The past couldn’t get to Clara here, and he would keep it that way if that would make her life into something better than before. Looking back up at Nyx, the Meowstic smiled forlornly, and Nyx stared back at him with tired eyes. One last question tugged at the Psychic’s mind when he looked at his friend, and after another long moment he voiced it: “What about you Nyx?”
The Vulpix froze, eyes filling with panic for an instant before he managed to soothe the fear that gripped him. “...No,” he said after a moment, eyes downcast, “I have no past life. My mother’s typing took the dominant place in my birth, so I was not born a ghost. I share characteristics of the type, but I have never died.”
Neo smiled, green eyes warm with empathy for his partner. “I’m glad,” the Meowstic said softly, freeing a paw from Clara’s arms to place it on Nyx’s shoulder. “No one deserves to come from tragedy.”
Nyx stared at the Meowstic with uncertain eyes, feeling something stir inside him that he’d never experienced before. Neo actually cared about him; that was… A slight smile settled across his features and Nyx nodded gingerly: for once he was at a loss for words. He opened his mouth again after a moment, having found his voice, and was just about to speak when suddenly he was tackled to the ground by a blur of fur, and found himself being covered in tiny Growlithe kisses.
“Eliot!” Air’s strangled cry broke the silence as the Ditto bounded over, still sharing the child’s form. “Eliot don’t do that! Nyx doesn’t like it!” He pawed at the child’s tail to get his attention, but the Growlithe was too preoccupied with his victim to take any notice.
Clara shifted her position to look down at Eliot and dared to giggle quietly to herself. Daddy and Nyx had been talking about things she didn’t want to hear, so she’d ignored them, some part of her subconscious shielding the child’s ears from the knowledge that she wasn’t old enough to handle. With Eliot on top of the fox, he didn’t seem so scary, and for a minute there when Daddy was talking to him the unpleasant feeling had stopped coming from him entirely. The Drifloon didn’t understand it, but she was happy to see that her big brother could handle it. He’d caught her eye when she was shivering and rushed over to cheer her up in a heartbeat.
“Enough!” Nyx said, doing his best to keep his temper in check for Neo's sake as he pushed the boy off of him. “Eliot really, you must refrain from accosting others like this.”
The Growlithe stared at the Vulpix curiously, head tilted in confusion as he considered the bigger Pokemon’s words. He didn’t understand them, they were too complicated for the child’s mind, but he did understand the tone, which told him he’d done something wrong. Why was it that Daddy liked it but the Pokemon that smelled like the warm stuff didn’t like it? Eliot didn’t understand, but he sat back on his haunches when the Vulpix stood back up, looking quite pleased with himself. Clara had looked like she needed some cheering up, and she smelled much happier now.
Neo laughed as he looked down at Eliot fondly, lowering his free paw to pat the boy on the head. “He’ll figure it out eventually,” the Meowstic said with a grin, earning him a huff from his partner. Clara floated up out of his arms and wrapped her arms around Eliot’s tail, which he immediately began to chase until they both fell down in a pile of laughter, and Neo smiled, even as his teammates looked on with concern and disapproval respectively. With a bit of time things would be alright, Air and Nyx would both warm up to the children--of this he had no doubt; until then, they had their Daddy Neo, who loved them more than enough to make up for any initial reluctance the others might have.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:48 pm
A Lesson Learned // Is Not Forgotten
Neo & Nyx & Air & Lux On the day the letters arrived, an air of calm had settled about the room. Lux’s presence had been a positive one overall for the Team’s moral, and Eliot and Clara had taken to him instantly, enchanted by the new friend who produced color from thin air. Nyx and Lux had spoken with one another privately and achieved an understanding of sorts apparently, as the malice of before no longer permeated the space between the Vulpix and the Lucario, and was replaced with a mutual sense of acceptance. Neo and Air were unaware of the contents of that conversation, but whatever they may have been worked wonders on the relations between the two, improving them from civil to almost accepting; whatever it was though, it thoroughly improved Nyx’s mood which made the whole Team better off for it.
Neo was offered a large manila envelope by Clara, who had floated over to retrieve the item when it had been surreptitiously slipped under their door, and the Meowstic took it with interest, impressed to find an official seal of the Guild holding it shut. He opened it with careful paws, reluctant to mar the lovely wax sigil, and found five letters inside. They all had different addressees, but all bore seals of their own and the same distinctive handwriting, one that Neo hadn’t seen before. The Meowstic summoned his teammates and distributed the letters carefully to their intended recipients before opening the group letter and reading it out loud for everyone’s benefit. The contents of the first note made it increasingly clear what the other letters were for.
“...Well.” The word was soft and made in afterthought when had Neo finished reading the group note, coming off somewhat uncertainly as he glanced around at his teammates. The Meowstic didn’t really know what else to say, given the grave nature of the Ivysaur’s tone. He appreciated Serrin’s words on a certain level, especially the confirmation that he did not, in fact, consider their lives to be as worthless as it would have seemed throughout the mission, but that didn’t change the things that he’d put them through. Still, he was able to appreciate the fact that the Ivysaur had made the gesture to communicate with them; that knowledge restored a bit of lost faith, if nothing else. “I guess we should each read our own letters and move on from there,” Neo said after a moment. “He’s making an effort, so we should at least return the favor.” With that, he left the group letter on the table and dismissed his teammates to go read on their own; Neo knew that he, at least, didn’t want to be in the presence of others when reading something regarding such a touchy subject.
The Meowstic went off to sit in the corner of the room where his bed rested, sitting with his legs dangling off the side as he opened the letter with his name on it. The first part of the letter was met with a quiet acceptance on Neo’s behalf, although he felt a twinge of discontentment just once, when Serrin offered a defense of the Pokemon that had injured him. Neo touched a paw to the bandages on his sides silently, wondering at the Rescue Leader’s words. It seemed unreasonable that he’d been put at such risk in his fight, and this confirmed it, but that didn’t really do anything to ease his unhappiness. He was flattered by the praise he received, somewhat mollified to know that he was being recognized by his superiors for his work but… The fact that it wasn’t real still burned raw within him, making Neo feel as though it still didn’t mean anything at all. Nothing could change that, but he didn’t know how to express such things to Serrin. Instead, he picked up the second note and laid the first to the side gently, wondering what more the Ivysaur could have to say.
The additional contents of the note were read quickly and quietly, and then the second sheet of paper was placed atop the first and both were folded carefully and replaced in the envelope, which he slid under the cushion that comprised his bed thoroughly so that it couldn’t be seen. He hadn’t known the actions that Nyx had taken before this point: no one had informed him. He’d heard about the fire of course, and that he’d fallen unconscious when trying to defend his partner, but he’d awoken back at base when things were beginning to wrap up, and knew nothing of what had happened in the time between the two periods. Now he knew.
Neo wasn’t angry. As he lay back on his bed deep in thought, he found himself to be somewhat...reassured, rather than upset by the knowledge of Nyx’s actions. His partner had been so concerned for his safety that the Vulpix had set the jungle ablaze trying to get him back; someone who cared so deeply for another Pokemon couldn’t have had bad intentions in mind--Nyx had just been frightened, and lashed out the only way he could think of. Of course the Meowstic didn’t approve of burning down a jungle, especially one that was as home to as many as the Mystifying Jungle, but he understood why it had happened. Later on, once he collected his thoughts and emotions, Neo would have a conversation with his partner about the event and caution him to be more careful in the future; the conversation would end in a hug though, and be accompanied by a great amount of gratitude that would bring a rare smile to the Vulpix’s face. For now though, Neo stared up at the ceiling and considered all the new information he’d received. In the end it left him feeling a mild sense of satisfaction, which he held onto for a long while as he waited there, trying to formulate his own response to everything that had been said and done.
Left by their captain, the three other acting members of Team Essence exchanged glances among themselves as each took their own letter. Nyx excused himself, moving across the room to sit at the desk, while Air made his way over to the couch after a moment of hesitation, leaving Lux alone at the table with his envelope. The Lucario stared down at the letter with unseeing eyes, feeling for the seal and undoing it carefully. The paper within was crisp and clean, as he would expect from a person like Serrin and the writing was fortunately ripe with emotion despite the Ivysaur’s distant demeanor. He looked down at the ink that glowed faintly with the dull green that defined the Rescue Leader and read the words curiously, savoring the faint taste of icy water on his tongue. The taste suited Serrin, but then the taste of the aura almost always aligned with the character of its source--he’d only met one Pokemon in his lifetime who didn’t fit that rule. The Ivysaur’s directness could be refreshing but also harsh and seemingly cold, like his taste, but he also held a great deal of importance and could prove a vital ally; these were the things that Lux had not only observed, but appreciated from the moment he’d first met the Rescue Leader.
It had surprised Lux that he’d received a letter at all, seeing as Serrin had called him down previously to discuss a few observations he’d made during the exercise, but it was soon clear that it was merely a follow-up to their previous chats. The Lucario smiled vaguely at the flattering words the Ivysaur used in his note and folded it up carefully, intending to keep it with him in the future. It was then that he noticed another sheet of paper in the letter, this one glowing with aura as well, but a brighter and more guarded kind that bespoke caution. Expression shifting to a frown, Lux removed the note and read it swiftly before carefully tearing the sheet of paper to shreds. Naturally he’d been intending to keep an eye on the peculiar fox, but he respected Serrin’s cautionary measures, and eliminated the note so that Nyx wouldn’t be able to find it himself. Yes, he intended to keep a careful watch over the Vulpix, and the Meowstic who was he was so taken with (or perhaps it was the other way around). He’d had a chat with Nyx upon arrival and had made peace with the irritated Fire Type by explaining how his use of aura functioned, and was certainly not intended as an invasion of privacy. What he’d neglected to mention was that these things were unavoidable for one who saw using only aura as he did, and that Nyx’s aura was worthy of some notice at the very least--the Vulpix was troubled, and Lux intended to see to it that he didn’t have the chance to bury such negative emotions within himself, since that could only lead to trouble for all involved. He liked the members of Team Essence far too much to see them hurt themselves or one another, and--as Serrin had so aptly recognized--the Lucario had every confidence that he could tend to them until they had grown into the Team that he saw they could one day be.
Air settled into the couch uncertainly, his letter in hands yet unopened as he watched Lux make his way over to Eliot and Clara after having read his own letter. The Ditto was a bit intimidated to be receiving a missive from the Rescue Leader himself, especially after all of the uncertainty surrounding his Team and their opinion of the Ivysaur. He wasn’t sure what Serrin could have to say to him directly since he’d been kidnapped just after their first rescue: in truth he half expected it to be a reprimand for his carelessness at being caught and leaving the Team alone. So, with a deep breath, the Ditto broke open the seal on his envelope and pulled out the note; his wavery hands quivered more than usual as he unfolded it and opened the paper to read its contents with worried eyes.
By the time he’d finished reading, Air’s eyes were bright with pleasant surprise and deeply flattered. This wasn’t a scolding letter at all, but one praising him for his efforts! A small smile formed on the Ditto’s face and he felt a deep sense of satisfaction settle over him. Recalling a conversation he’d had not too long ago about his usefulness, Air was quite flattered to find that yet another Pokemon had noticed his use of his abilities and praised him for it--and a Guild Leader nonetheless! Maybe he really did have a talent after all. He’d never considered his innate abilities something to be proud of, since any Ditto could do the same, but maybe it was a talent. Maybe he was really good at the thing he was meant to do; that was a pleasant thought indeed. Whatever the case, Serrin’s letter left Air in a far better mood than he’d expected, even if its tone was a bit strange, and the Ditto turned back to his reading filled with far more vigor and confidence than before. Maybe their Sector Leader really did know what he was doing after all.
As his Teammates went about their business Nyx sat patiently at the desk, waiting until they were sufficiently distracted before opening his personal envelope. The Vulpix was less than mollified by the group letter, and was far from eager to see what the Ivysaur had to say to him personally, but it was important enough not to ignore in the event that it required some sort of response. In truth Nyx had been hoping there would be no further discussion about this particular incident, but (as usual) things simply refused to happen in accordance with his desires. With a quick claw Nyx cut the seal off of the envelope and opened it, not bothering to be gentle with the paper as he unfolded it and scanned the words with passive eyes.
By the end of the note his claws had worked small holes into the sides of the paper where he held it, and the Vulpix glared down at the paper in disgust as he reread it. Was he really being reprimanded for his actions? After everything that the Ivysaur had done to his Teammates? It wasn’t unexpected, but the tone was deeply insulting and did nothing to redeem Serrin’s standing in Nyx’s eyes. He didn’t find anything about the scenario remotely acceptable in the first place, but he’d been willing to let it lie for Neo’s sake so the Team could get past it; now though--now he had no other option but to respond. His actions were being questioned as childish and unreasonable, and that was not something he would stand for.
Removing a sheet of paper of his from the desk along with an ink bottle, the Vulpix dipped the tip of one of his tails into the liquid and began to write.Rescue Leader Serrin I wish to make one thing clear to you. I do not take my work lightly--as a member of a Rescue Team anything less would be unreasonable and unprofessional. As such, I will inform you that my actions were not made without an understanding of their consequences. They were not an act of desperation or a lack of consideration but rather the best possible solution I could create for the impossible scenario that you set before us on the expedition in question.
If you recall, my partner was abducted during a period when I was unaware of the lack of danger in the situation. I had every reason to suspect that he and the other Pokemon who had been kidnapped were in a position of grave jeopardy at that moment, and that both clients and Guild members were being kidnapped by these unknown aggressors since we knew very little about them. Given that information, as well as the knowledge that there were a number of Guild-affiliated Water Type Pokemon and medics present and prepared for action at a moment’s notice, I made my decision to take action in the most effective way I could manage.
The fire I created allowed me to pursue the kidnappers, who I believed would return to the place where they were holding the hostages given that they had my partner in their possession. Additionally, it provided a beacon and distress signal to my fellow Guildmates, allowing them (and yourself) the capacity to follow my trail and locate our aggressors. Naturally other Pokemon have less destructive ways to accomplish this goal, but given my species and the nature of the split-second decision I was forced to make, I had very few options at the time. Believing, as I was, that we were facing danger on all fronts from disease, paranoia, and outside aggression, I hoped that my actions would be noticed and followed up on by my fellow members (and perhaps yourself), and that together we could locate those who had been taken and minimize the damage caused by the flames. Perhaps my expectations of my fellow members’ abilities to take action were too high--in which case I have no qualms accepting the fault in this situation--but I truly believed in the group’s ability to respond to my decision accordingly. I only hope that you can understand the rationale behind my actions as I have explained above, and appreciate that I did what I believed to be necessary and not without thought or reason.
I acknowledge that there were lives put at risk due to my actions and I understood this from the start. As you alluded to in your explanation of the test, it is difficult to determine what is “right” or “wrong” when placed in high pressure situations where lives will be lost no matter which option is taken. Given that I believed said test to be one such mission under the circumstances, I was forced to choose which lives I considered to be more valuable to save. Perhaps it is a weakness (as you mentioned in your letter to my collective Team with regard to our emotional nature) for me to place value on the lives of my Teammates and coworkers over the lives of strangers who were already at risk of death from an unknown and potentially incurable disease; if that is what you truly believe then I will not disrespect that opinion, but you should be aware that I do not share it. If this is a problem I hope you will inform me promptly so we might discuss the matter further, though I hope that if it comes down to a matter of personal beliefs we can settle our differences peaceably.
In any case, if any lives were lost due to my actions I will accept responsibility for them with my deepest regrets and see to it that the families of those I wronged receive my personal apology if you tell me how I can communicate with them. However I hope that you have learned from my actions as well, and refrain from giving me reason to believe that a situation is life-or-death without cause again. I believe my actions would have been reasonable if the mission were genuine, and it is only due to the fact that it was a simulation rather than a reality that my actions may have had such grave and needless consequences: if I had known we were being tested I assure you I would never have done something so drastic. Please understand, I view matters of the Guild with utmost seriousness, and will continue to do so in the future--I do not view our work here as something to be trifled with.
-Nyx, Co-Leader of Team Essence
Another nod followed as the Vulpix transferred the note to his paw for a moment to respond. “Yes, for a moment. Serrin’s note requested a response, so I obliged. I’ll be back once it’s delivered.” With that, the fox slipped the note back to his jaws and stepped out of the room. Lux waited a few long moments after before approaching the writing desk, drawn by the dark aura that still clung to it from when Nyx was drafting his response--something the Ivysaur had said had made the Vulpix quite unhappy, and he was curious what it might have been. Reaching a paw out, he brushed it against the desk, feeling for Serrin’s letter so that he might sense the aura that clung to its words since any sign of Serrin was currently overwhelmed by the swirl of negative aura Nyx had left in his wake. He raised the paw again after a time, staring down at it mutely for a moment before he turned and headed toward the pool, following the gurgle of running water: he had to dispel the ashes before Nyx came back.
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Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 8:08 pm
Gone // But Not Forgotten
Neo & Nyx & Air & Eliot & Clara & Lux & Killian It had been a few days since the fuss over the letters had been resolved. Nyx had received his response and was apparently unwilling to prolong it further. He’d been in a rather sour mood the day following its receipt, but it had improved by the following day and he was back to his former indifference toward the situation. The Vulpix understood the game that the Ivysaur was playing, so he didn’t deem the letter worthy of his response. There were any number of things that he could’ve retorted to if he chose to, but he didn’t deem it necessary. If Serrin believed that such a letter was threatening enough to make him change his ways then that was his own problem: being underestimated could only result in greater satisfaction in the future. Nyx planned to continue doing whatever suited his purposes best, just with greater care. At the very least he had learned that there would be no more so-called “simulations” again in the future, and how Serrin had chosen to respond to his statement: both important bits of information to have at his disposal.
Life was proceeding as usual, though it was one of the rare occasions where the entire Team could be found inside their room, crowded as it was becoming with six members (Neo had submitted a request for it to be expanded, but they had yet to receive a confirmation response). Lux was having a conversation with Air about aura, and how to interpret it, something that had become a regular occurrence since the Ditto had first adopted the Lucario’s form. Now the days were filled with eager chats about the colors of different Pokemon and how fascinating all of it was, and no one had the heart (or in Nyx’s case the desire) to tell him it was growing a bit repetitive. Neo and Nyx were chatting at the table about little things, like the rumors of some new area being discovered and the mysterious dojo that was on the tongues of almost every Guild member these days. Eliot and Clara meanwhile, were engaged in a game of mimicry, making odd facial expressions at one another and replicating them as best as possible before one or the other dissolved into a fit of giggles and they were forced to start over again. It was quiet and unremarkable--at least until the ground began to shake.
The tension that came over the room was thick and immediate, as the adults immediately grew defensive and the children cowered toward the back of the room while the floor shuddered in response to repetitive rhythmic footsteps. This wasn’t like anything they’d ever experienced at the Guild before, but Nyx had a distant recollection of the sensation, and it wasn’t good, not in the slightest. “Be on your guard,” the Vulpix said softly, “It’s here for me, not for any of you.” Nyx had believed himself to be free of Felonius’s curse, given that he’d ended the Claydol’s life before he could finish the incantation, but apparently that wasn’t the case: there was one Pokemon species that he’d met recently who would make such a ruckus, and he’d been hoping the Golurk pair would have forgotten him by now.
The quivering stopped suddenly and the entire group stared at the door expectantly, most of them waiting for the wall to be punched in or something worse. Instead, there was a long pause and then a pair of loud thuds as their door shook with the force of an unexpected knock. Everyone in the group stared nervously ahead as they wondered what they should do; one thing was certain--no one wanted to answer that knock. “What is it doing?” breathed Nyx, his expression dark. The constructs had shown no signs of any sort of intelligence or courtesy back then, and such foolish creatures couldn’t develop these habits without being told to do so.
“It would appear he has no intent to harm us.” Lux’s voice was calm as he stared straight ahead, not seeing the wall and the door, but the aura of the Pokemon behind it. It was an eerie one, a flat gray that barely stirred at all and lacked a taste except for a very faint bitterness. He didn’t like the absence of presence to the creature’s aura, but it was easy enough to tell that it meant them no harm--there would be motions of aggression in his aura if the truth were otherwise.
“S-Should we let him in?” Air voiced the question that everyone was thinking in a timid voice, his body shaking like a leaf. The Ditto’s mind was racing, wishing that someone would tell him exactly what was waiting for them so he could prepared. Nyx and Lux seemed to know, but neither of them seemed inclined to share. He tossed a look at Neo who was sticking his ear plugs in and shivered. His Teammates really seemed to expect a fight.
Then, to everyone’s surprise, Neo walked forward with careful and deliberate stides until he reached the door. “Neo…” Nyx hissed, “What are you doing?” The Meowstic didn’t respond but instead turned the doorknob slowly and opened the door, peering up at the figure who stood outside with wide, nervous eyes. “Neo!”
Waving a dismissive paw at his partner, Neo continued to stare up at the Golurk, unblinkingly. “Hello!” he called up to the giant, “Can I help you?”
The Golurk made a soft sound, similar to groan, and its eyes flashed softly as its body began to move slowly downward and the ground shook again as it dropped to its knees. With a deliberate slowness the giant extended a hand and rested it on the ground, and then he ceased moving entirely, apparently waiting for something. Tilting his head to the side curiously, Neo glanced back at the others before extending a paw to touch the enormous hand that had been offered to him. At the moment they touched, the Golurk shuddered, and the areas where his inner energy could be seen glowed brighter for just a moment. The giant withdrew his hand again after a moment, and he tilted his head to the side much as Neo had before. Then, without further warning, he rose to his feet and stooped down, entering the room and sweeping past Neo in two strides.
Everyone froze, breathing rapid and trepidation almost tangible amongst them as they stared at the creature who stood hunched over to keep his head from hitting the ceiling; then, just as before, he surprised them--this time by looking around the room once and then sitting down on the ground, his knees drawn up to his chest to take up the least amount of room, much like a small child. Unfortunately the room wasn’t meant for a creature of the size and girth of a Golurk, and as it was he had shifted the position of much of the furniture with his movements, pushing it back closer to the walls than it had been before, not to mention knocking more than a few things over. Nyx looked around at the chaos and stared back at the Golurk furiously, ever more displeased by the creature’s presence: whether it had intended to cause harm or not, it had certainly done enough damage by doing little more than existing. “What is the meaning of this?” he demanded of the creature, stepping forward with all the menace he could inspire in his comparatively tiny form. “Why have you come?”
The Golurk turned its vacant, bright eyes to look at Nyx and they flashed twice in apparent recognition. With a soft hum, the giant shifted his position enough to lower his hand, palm up, in the direction of Nyx. The Vulpix stared at the giant in confusion, stepping back rather than forward as Neo had before him; as he fell back however, Lux stepped forward to take his place. The Lucario had noticed something peculiar during the exchange between the Golurk and Neo, and he wanted to see if it was more than a simple fluke. As he touched the hand of the giant with his paw, his eyes widened as he watched the energy within the Golurk pulse, for just a moment, with the colors of his aura, just as it had with Neo before him. Stepping back rapidly, Lux closed his eyes, the aura of the Golurk still visible to his sightless eyes. It was dull grey once again, and eerily still, but for an instant it had been the same as his. “This creature…” Lux said softly, “He’s marking us.” Turning back to the others behind him, the Lucario beckoned them forward, “Quickly, Air, Nyx. Bring the children too.”
The Ditto swallowed nervously but nodded, turning and beckoning to Eliot and Clara. “C-Come on, Eliot, Clara. Come say hello to our guest.” Eliot sniffed at the air nervously, still smelling the fear that was coming from Air and Nyx; Daddy and Lux though, they didn’t seem scared. Did that mean it was okay? Clara didn’t seem to think so, but Eliot decided to trust his Daddy, who was starting to smile where he stood by the door. With a bark, the Growlithe called up to Clara to come down and scurried forward toward the huge creature that Air was standing by. The puppy watched as Air pressed his hand into the giant’s and followed suit with his own tiny paw, looking up at the adults to see if he’d done it right. Lux smiled at Eliot with a nod, watching the two pulses run through the Golurk’s aura.
Neo stepped around the large creature to look at Lux expectantly. “You think he needs to all of us to touch him then?” the Meowstic said. Receiving a nod, Neo nodded back in turn. “Okay then. Clara dear, come here. I need you to say hello to Daddy’s friend.” He trusted that Lux likely knew something he didn’t, and in the neutral emotions that radiated from the Golurk himself: they weren’t being attacked, he knew that for sure, but what was happening he didn’t know. After several lingering moments, the Drifloon hovered down, shivering as she looked up at the huge creature that Daddy wanted her to touch. He took her hand gently and pressed it into the giant’s before moving it away with as gentle of a touch, squeezing her gently. “There, now that wasn’t so bad, was it?” he cooed softly, pulling the child in close to give her a hug. “Even Nyx is going to do it.” The comment was accompanied by a pointed look at the Vulpix and his partner sighed, stepping forward to press his paw into the giant’s hand as well.
The creature pulsed a final time and then retracted his hand, a soft hum coming from his body as his glowing insides began to churn and brighten as it coursed through him. The process lasted only a matter of minutes before they settled again and the Golurk bowed his head, ceasing to move altogether. The members of Team Essence stared at the behemoth in confusion, none of them certain what to do. Air was the one who broke the silence first. “Uh, mister? What are you doing?”
The Golurk looked up at the Ditto, tilting his head to the side, and then raised his right arm, lifting it to rest diagonally across his chest. The Ditto stared back uncertainly, but Lux and Nyx both responded to the gesture, the former with a smile and the latter with a scowl. “No, no, absolutely not,” the Vulpix said sharply, “Your master is dead. You will do what you must but your place is not here.”
Neo’s ears twitched in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“He intends to remain here it seems,” Lux said calmly, “Apparently he has accepted us as his new masters.”
“Which we are not!” Nyx said vehemently, “There is no purpose to it being here. It is a shell of a Pokemon brought back from the dead but robbed of its life. It’s a tool that no longer has a function.”
Listening to his Teammates’ explanation, Neo felt his heart go out to the enormous creature. He was all alone in the world and had no place to go--the poor Golurk was trying to fulfill his purpose because he didn’t know what else to do. The Meowstic recalled his partner’s tale of the defeat of this Pokemon’s ill-intentioned master, and realized the giant must have tracked Nyx down as the one Pokemon he could recognize as a replacement for what he had lost; all of these thoughts swimming in his head, Neo stared up at the Golurk with pensive eyes. “What’s your name?”
The giant turned its head towards him and stared with dull eyes. A moment later he shook his head from side to side slowly, though his gaze remained fixed on the Meowstic.
“You don’t have one?” Neo said, his mind made up the moment the Golurk responded with a nod. “Well if you’re going to be a part of our Team, we’ll just have to give you one.” Lux smiled with approval at Neo’s decision while Nyx focused his anger on staring daggers at the ground. Why was it that his partner had to be so easily persuaded when it came to other Pokemon? It was utterly confounding and completely detrimental to his purposes. This was why he’d dealt with the potential recruits before the rest of his Team could get involved, so he could keep this group from getting any larger, but apparently it still hadn’t been enough.
“Killian,” Neo said after a moment, his tone thoughtful. “You look like a Killian to me.”
“An apt choice,” Lux remarked, sounding thoroughly pleased. “It seems he likes it as well.” Like was, perhaps, a strong word, seeing as the giant didn’t really seem to have strong emotional reactions to anything, but his gray aura had flickered slightly at the sound of the name, which Lux chose to interpret as a sign of acceptance.
Neo perked up. “He does? I’m glad!” Nyx took a deep breath and released a quiet sigh: now that Neo had named the thing they were never getting rid of it. Laughing, Neo patted the Golurk on the foot, since he couldn’t reach any higher. “Well then, welcome to the Team, Killian!” The Meowstic’s sentiments were echoed variously by the different members of the Team, some of them (such as Eliot, who immediately began to climb on top of the Golurk and give him a thorough sniffing) more enthusiastic than others but all of them offered nonetheless.
Stealing close to Neo, who was watching Clara begin to examine the newly-named Golurk of her own accord--albeit from the safety of the Meowstic’s paw--Nyx whispered quietly in a voice that only his partner could hear. “Are you quite certain of what you’re doing here? We don’t know its intentions and all it has known is violence in the past. Are you truly willing to accept such a creature onto this Team?”
Neo pulled the earplugs from his ears carefully and returned them to the small pouch that he kept them in before responding to his partner’s concern. “You said he was a tool that lacked a function,” the Meowstic said quietly, “And that’s no way for anyone to live. If he stays with us we can teach him how to live on his own, and fix the damage that his creator did to him.”
“It knows nothing but how to follow orders,” Nyx replied, “See it sitting there? It cannot be fixed Neo, it’s more a machine than a living being.”
The Meowstic shook his head, turning to meet his partner’s irritated gaze. “I think you’re wrong,” Neo said simply, with a gentle smile. “You need to learn to give things time Nyx. Every time someone new comes to the Team you’re always like this, and it always turns out alright in the end. Look at what happened with Lux just last week.” The Vulpix huffed angrily but said nothing, prompting Neo to give him a friendly nudge. “Come on, cheer up. At the very least this means they’ll have to upgrade our room sooner instead of later.”
Nyx looked away darkly, reminded again of the furniture that would need to be fixed because of all this. “Yes, at least there’s that,” the Vulpix muttered, turning around and stalking off to the place where their table had toppled over. Neo watched his partner with a bit of concern before turning back to Killian and the others with a smile; he hated that Nyx always had to be in a bad mood at the worst of times, but there was nothing he could do about it except to wait for the clouds to clear.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2017 12:52 pm
Prompt: Write about a Phobia
Sometimes they ask me, why are you so scared? Not every day, only on the worst days, when stars are misaligned or windsong speaks of danger. Their words are well-meaning but meaningless. They ask but they cannot understand--no one does. I have tried explaining time and time again.
The things they do not understand are formless and timeless. They have always framed our lives, given explanation when there was none. There are sequences and there are signs, subtle indicators of the universe's flow. Anyone can see them if they search, but it's easier to turn one's head, live in willful blindness. I, who am already blind, have learned to see through them, and that is sight enough.
The things they do not understand are found in numbers, in cracks, in plants and in words. They cross one's path, or else are banished by a cross. They speak in salt, in leaves, in coins and clothing. They are the voice of the universe, whispering what has yet to be.
The things they do not understand are called by many names. Luck. Fortune. Fate. Coincidence. Superstition. Some prefer to think of them in terms of blessings and curses, angels and demons and other spirits. They have no proper name. They are the energy of the universe as it corresponds to the individual, and how it fluctuates, sometimes giving and always, always taking.
The things they do not understand are not guarantees, merely warnings. They are a means to turn the energies in your favor. They tell you when the universe is watching you and when its sights are set on someone else; they tell you when you want the universe's eyes and when you should wait for it to avert its gaze. They are promises of potential futures, futures that you can improve, make safe with the proper precautions. They are personal and they are crucial--the only way to see into the vast unknown.
The things they do not understand are everywhere, yet they ignore them. For their sake I trace countless symbols, procure talismans and chains of words I know will give them help. I do these things because they will not. They will humor a paranoiac, but will not act on their own. They pity me, I can hear it in their voices and feel it in their too-gentle hands when they guide me place to place. In return for kindnesses I grant blessings, keep curses from catching those who care for as long as I can. They will never know what I have done, never see the doom they've narrowly avoided. But I know, and I will keep them safe until the evils are too strong.
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Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2017 8:24 pm
Let Me Call You // Sweetheart
Nyx had locked himself in the kitchen. It wasn't as though this was an abnormal occurrence, but today, in particular, Neo found it particularly troublesome. Today wasn't entirely remarkable--most Pokemon weren't even aware it was a holiday, but it was a holiday Neo adored.
Valentine's Day! A day for celebrating the most wonderful thing in the world, love! The young captain of Team Essence had made great plans for the day, and most of them had gone off without a hitch. He'd spent the night before making small cupcakes for each member of his team, which he'd carefully placed by their beds to be found in the morning, and eaten at their leisure. They were vanilla-flavored with red frosting that had small heart sprinkles embedded in its spiral, and they were his gift to his friends, who made every day a joy. He'd spent the day helping Eliot and Clara make cards to pass out to family and friends, and they'd gone around and delivered them door to door, slipping them into mailboxes. For every note in Eliot's clumsy claw-scrawl and Clara's too-light penstrokes, there was one in Neo's elegant handwriting, explaining the holiday and thanking the recipients for being such wonderful friends. And extra chocolates for Eliot and Clara after dinner, and flowers for Air and Lux and Alexandru. Everything had been perfect, except for one part.
Neo paced the common area, eyes darting up to the clock every now and again. Killian watched him mutely, as always, but for once Neo had all but forgotten about his Golurk teammate. There wasn't much time left, it would be February 15th soon, and it just wasn't the same if it came a day late. The Meowstic was clutching a card to his chest, and he jumped at every sound, staring across at the kitchen. The others had retired to bed by this point, Lux prodding the others along when it became apparent Neo was growing anxious about something. "Don't worry yourself too much, Neo," the Lucario had told him, eyes glowing gold as he watched the Psychic's jumpy aura, "He may not want to participate."
Neo nodded absently, and Lux excused himself shortly after, leaving the feline to his pacing. Now it was five minutes to midnight and Neo was beside himself, about ready to tear his fur out. Calm down. It's alright, it's just not how you thought it'd go, that's fine. Things change. Just talk to him, yes, talking to him would be good. Biting his lip, Neo turned his path toward the kitchen door and didn't stop until his face was little more than an inch from it. Inhaling deeply, he raised a paw and knocked, heart beating wildly for reasons he couldn't even begin to puzzle out. "Nyx!" his voice was pitchy, spiking with the name. He swallowed, then tried again. "Nyx, would you come out? Or let me in? I have something I want to give you."
Clutching his card, Neo listened intently, ear pressed to the door as he heard pawsteps moving around, and a muffled tsk of his partner's tongue. But Nyx didn't respond. A glance back at the clock showed 11:57. "Nyx, please!" Neo said, knocking again, his plea borderline desperate. "There's not much time left!"
Those were the magic words. Neo practically jumped back from the door as it was unlocked and shoved open, almost at the same instant. Nyx's eyes were wide, locking with Neo's as the cat stared back, startled. "What do you mean there's not much time left? Are you alright?" The fox's words were sharp and demanding, but his expression was rife with concern.
"I-I-I..." Neo stammered weakly, feeling suddenly guilty. "I meant there wasn't much time left in Valentine's Day, and I wanted to give you yours before it was over." Feeling heat rise to his ears, Neo extended the card in his hand to his partner before him.
The Vulpix stared at the paper offering for a long moment before he took it, hackles slowly lowering as he averted his gaze. "Is that all?" the vulpine said, "You should really be more careful with your wording, Neo. You frightened me."
Neo felt his heart sink, guilt overwhelming his other anxiety. "I'm sorry, Nyx," he said, ashamed. "I'm fine, really, I just...really wanted you to get your valentine on the proper day. It's important to me."
He felt something warm on his shoulder and looked to see Nyx's tails trailing it. "So long as you're alright." The fox said, his tone casual and dismissive. Neo felt a shiver of uncertainty run down his spine--it was one of those times where it was impossible to tell just what his partner was thinking. "If this card is so important to you, I'll read it now." The Meowstic blinked, surprised, but Nyx had already set the card down, eyes scanning the page. Neo clasped his paws together and looked away, embarrassment taking over again; there was no good reason for it, but he couldn't calm his nerves.
The card was simple, unlike the lavishly decorated ones he'd made with the children, it was plain white with a silver-bordered heart cut out of its front, revealing its recipient's name. Inside, Neo had filled both sides with text: words of gratitude and appreciation for all Nyx had done, and what their partnership meant to him, closing with a brief holiday note. I don't have enough space or ink to say everything I'd like to, but know that you're a remarkable person, and it's my greatest privilege to call you my partner. Happy Valentine's Day--I hope you always know just how loved you are. ~Neo
It felt like Nyx was reading for a very long time. Neo toyed with the fur above his scales, wrapping it around a nervous paw as he tried not to look. He managed well enough until he heard a soft sound beside him, one that he couldn't quite make out, and he turned to find Nyx hunched over, head ducked backwards. His body was shaking ever so slightly it was almost like he was laughing, or... The Meowstic's breath caught in his throat as he heard the sound again, the soft pat of a tear meeting the floor. Overwhelmed with emotion, Neo did his best to stay calm--he hadn't meant to make Nyx cry, he'd just wanted to give him some kind words for the day. Now he didn't know what to do at all.
"Neo." Nyx's voice was low, but the Meowstic jumped as though he'd shouted. "I wanted it to be perfect, but if it's very important that gifts be given on the day then you need to have mine now." As if to emphasize his point, the second hand grew painfully loud, counting down the last seconds of the holiday. "Go on!" Nyx said, voice catching slightly as he stepped aside, pushing Neo ahead of him into the kitchen.
Neo stumbled inside, glancing around as he blinked back the darkness of the room. It...wasn't lit at all, except a small fire that flickered in the back corner. As his eyes adjusted, Nyx slipped ahead of him, blowing on a candle that sat atop the table. It glowed with a dim, blue light, and revealed the small creation that sat on a plate atop the counter: a heart-shaped pastry, shimmering with muted rainbow colors. It was thin, but just puffy enough to hint that it was filled with something, and the way its colors changed made it look unreal. "It's a Heart Scale pastry." Nyx's voice was soft, and his eyes reflected the blue of the candlelight. "They're something I created a long time ago--not really anything you'd find for sale these days, they're a specialty dessert that had a short run."
"I've never seen anything more beautiful." Neo's voice was reverent, almost afraid to breathe.
"They've got to be made at a very specific temperature, or they crumble quickly," Nyx said, eyes on his creation. "I'm not sure how much longer it'll last, given the imbalance of the temperature when I left the door open." Suddenly Nyx's eyes were on him. "Eat it."
Neo balked. "How could I do that? It's too pretty to eat."
Nyx shook his head. "It may be lovely, but its meant to be eaten. I made it for you, in celebration of your 'Valentine's Day.'"
Neo felt his cheeks color, and he stepped up to the table, acutely aware of his partner's eyes on him. With careful paws, he picked up the pastry, finding it was almost lighter than air. He looked at Nyx and the Vulpix looked back, watching him with something like anticipation. The Meowstic took a deep breath, and then took a bite.
There weren't words to describe the flavor. At first it felt like he hadn't even taken a bite, it was so soft on his tongue, but then a rush of vanilla and raspberry hit him, the filling pouring out of its pastry shell and into his mouth. It dripped onto his paws and he gasped, quickly stuffing the rest of the dessert into his mouth. His eyes rolled back in his head at the delicate balance of flavors, more delicious than he could believe. This wasn't really something Nyx had made, right? Let alone made up from scratch.
The Vulpix waited until he'd finished chewing, raspberry filling still sticky on his mouth and paws. "Well?"
There were tears in Neo's eyes. "It tastes even better than it looked." The Psychic's ears and tail drooped, the aftertaste of the treat still fresh in his mouth. "I only made you a card and you do something like this..."
"Ha." Nyx was...laughing? The Vulpix had doubled over, chuckling weakly.
Neo's face fell, the taste of sugar souring in his mouth. "I'm sorry..." he whispered, heartbroken.
"No--No, no, no, Neo," Nyx straightened, wiping a tear from his eye. "Yours is a much better present. I'm...I'm laughing because I was thinking the same thing."
Neo's eyes widened and his expression softened, breaking into a cautious smile. "Y-You...Really?"
He looked to the Vulpix for affirmation and Nyx smiled. "There's no question." A curious look came over the fox's face then, as Neo allowed himself to relax, his rapid heartbeat finally starting to slow. "Neo?"
"Yes, Nyx?"
"According to this holiday of yours, does this exchange of gifts make me your valentine?"
Neo's blush returned and he grew silent for a moment. "...Yeah." The Meowstic nodded. "Yeah it does."
"Well then thank you, Neo. For being my valentine."
Nyx was watching him carefully, and Neo felt his ears go hot again. "You're welcome. And thank you too...for being mine."
The Vulpix smiled, brushing past Neo to collect the empty plate, so close Neo could smell his partner's fire-spice scent. "Of course Neo." He paused, turning to look back over his shoulder, expression suddenly serious. "Someone as unparalleled as you...I would be your valentine any day." Neo stared back, struggling to find the right response, but Nyx had already turned away. "Now go to bed, you need your rest."
Neo nodded mutely, staring at his partner's back a moment longer before he toddled off. There were other things he'd like to say, but he didn't have the words, didn't even know how to begin saying them. As the feline made his way back to his room, where the children were already sound asleep, he found himself licking at his paws, stealing the last drops of sweetness from his fur.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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