Ancient Dynasty; A Viper's Promise

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Hiii Charon! ^0^

Okay, so this whole OOC par is kind of silly since you probably won't be seeing it for a long while, but I feel like typing it, so yeah. It's nice to hear from you, and you're certainly right about missing online friends. Anything could happen and you wouldn't know a thing if they can't/won't log on. Guess this is at least concern over one friend off my chest. :3 Those exams do sound like a burden (Personally, I finished my last one this Tuesday. Three hours of Maths...*shudder* I hate Maths. Good riddance, I say. xP), particularly the ten hours one. Seriously, that's almost half a day of exam. Brutal. @_@ Good on you for getting through it, though.

The RP section...is actually sort of dead right now. (Case in point: see how long it's been since the last IC here) It's like almost all of the good, literate RPers have been sucked out into the cold expanse Real Life (tm). Creepy, I tell you. o.o

At any rate, I hope to see you back here sometime, then. Good luck with school and all those exams. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, no? n_n

IC:

As he walked into the elevator, Valen had been amazed by the absence of the annoyingly well-reasoned, level-headed, and ominous statements which Chain was so fond of giving. Yes, Chain...it was something of a testament to Slythe's skills to have rattled even that wandering enigma, but whatever he had said was apparently losing its effect, as attested by the fact that the hacker now spoke up in his usual way, the way that told you precisely too little of what you wanted to know. Valen could practically smell a deep, philosophical statement about the need to get along or whatever coming his way, adjusting his leaning position against the wall to be slightly more comfortable and pressing the button for the ground floor before acknowledging the remark in any way.

"Sounds more like you need to talk." Valen remarked flatly, "At us rather than with us, I presume, but go ahead; not like anyone's stopping you."

 

[Kogenta]

"At or with, that depends on how much you want to respond," Chain replied, unperturbed, to Valen's comment. After waiting in silence for a moment and receiving no opposition, Chain spoke--careful not to raise his voice, or perhaps too tired to, but in a tone that revealed no hesitation. "I'll be direct. Reina and Valen, Rosairie, you don't like each other. Perhaps you even hate one another." He paused. I don't know what devices could be hidden in the walls of this elevator, or what this might tell any listeners, but it's now or never. "And I won't ask you to change that," Chain continued. "I don't have that right. But I will ask you to consider the situation. It's as Reina said. Slythe is holding something over all of us, and none of us like it. And I don't think any of us is a match for him alone; if we were, we would have done something back there. The way Slythe has this set up, he's the sure winner, and even in our 'victory' we lose. Are you willing to live with that?"

The hacker fell silent, allowing the others time to think. When he resumed, his voice had lowered a notch, and his eyes had lowered to a point halfway down the elevator door. His expression was unreadable. "Whether you like it or not, the people around you may be your only chance to get what you're after. Don't destroy that chance."

 

[Mika]

-OoC-

-obeys- o-o;;;

Hopefully this isn't too long. T~T I've been working on it for a couple weeks now.... Because I don't wanna appear like ahm powerplaying. <<;;

-throws out balloons-

>>; I think we've just hit our first year anniversary...

And Alter, that NPC I was referring to was the Head Priest. <<; if this post is okay and everything.

Edit: July 3rd I added in Rose, I didn't realize it cut it out when I posted. Gomen.



-IC-

She didn't sleep long. She couldn't. Since she'd gotten to this stupid place, she'd been unable to sleep for extended periods of time. Voices. Echoing. Small, young. Haunting, old. The closer she got to this entire situation, the harder it became to function. Somebody was going to find out soon, if she didn't figure out how to handle all of this and if that somebody was Valen or Reina... well, it wouldn't be handled well at all. People who hear voices, even pokemon voices, are crazy. Crazy, crazy, crazy. It wasn't even her fault, she'd been born like this, born with the ability to hear suffering, to feel suffering of pokemon, cries the 'normal' people didn't hear nor did they care about. Extreme emotions, be them sad, happy or painful, that was all she could hear. She heard cries that made it hard for her to sleep, eat or function in places where they were especially strong or especially prevelant. Especially strong like in Slythe's office. Like during the catastrophe that most of the contestents didn't believe occured. Like the trigger that had set Silence off, the trigger that even now, had the Jolteon on edge.

Nobody saw it besides herself, nobody that is but Slythe. Just the thought of his smile, the atmosphere of his office (or doom chamber, take and chose) had Kyoko clenching her fists, burrying her nails deep within her palms. That monster, that man knew what he was doing. He knew exactly what he was doing, he knew she could sense it and she had a pretty good idea of what was really going on and he knew, he knew nobody would listen to her. She was nothing but an obnoxious child, someone who got to this position by sheer luck. A stepping stone to greater power. A tool, if even that. He knew they wouldn't listen to her, they would belittle anything she said, they would tear apart the ideas or concerns until nothing remained of them. She was only a child, an annoying one at that. What could she possibly know?

Shuppy had tried to talk her out of that notion, all but screaming that Chain would listen and Valen, for all his stubbornness, had some warmth hidden in the depths of his heart and a hatred for Slythe. A common enemy, a common threat. It was a stretch and they both knew it, but that was the only reason she'd given Valen the letter. It had instructions, plainly written, to bring Chain to this temple. Kyoko just wanted to talk. She'd force him to at least hear what she had to say and then, if he didn't want to believe her or listen, he could have his turn. She wouldn't bare any ill feelings. She wouldn't. She just wanted someone, someone with a thinking processor locked between the ears, to listen. Maybe offer advice. Maybe offer a solution. Maybe, if she was lucky, they would offer belief. Acceptance. Maybe it was too big a stretch. She wouldn't know, not until the sun went down.

Kyoko rubbed the hot moisture threatening to burst from her eyes in irritance, pushing the last of the wetness away before she forced herself into a standing position and walked towards the temple, slipping off her shoes before stepping into the inner sanctum. She'd been hoping the head priest was around but, unfortunately, he was probably attending to the grounds behind the temple itself. Sighing, she settled by the central shrine, staring into what would be considered the temple's sacred flame with a lost look on her face, her shoulders drooped in utter exhaustion. For the longest time, she sat there, staring into the flame, but after a while, her courage rouse up once more and in a tiny, barely audible voice, the girl began to hum softly an old temple song of sorts recognizable to anyone who learned the song as a youngling. It was flowery, like her high, innocent sounding voice. Her father had once told her it was used for a sort of asking for a blessing of sorts on a festival and, seeing as there was probably going to be a festival of some sort after this little ordeal was all over, the song fumbled into her head. She didn't realize her voice growing stronger, to audible levels that wouldn't be missed unless one was deaf.

Rose was mad. Piping mad. In any other instance, it probably would've been smarter to keep her mouth shut, clamped shut for fear of further damage, but with Chain's words came another slap to her ego and another provocation to her already provoked temper. Standing back up, she managed to calm enough to sound deadly serious, "Fine. It's true. It's absolutely true. We need to work... together. All of us." She was trying to imply that, becuase they were missing a party member, they couldn't say they were as unified as they'd like to believe. Shoving a hand forward in Valen's general direction, "I apologize for slapping you. Regardless of personal problems I have with you... Chain's right. It's about time we stopped fighting. So, I propose you and I shake on a temporary truce of sorts. No more insults, no more fist fights til this whole mess is over. All of us should." Was that enough of a hint? She hoped so. She really hoped so.

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Too long? There's no such thing as too long, except when it comes to absence of new posts. xD Anyway, this RP was started (as in, the first IC was posted) on the 24th of December 2005, so we're actually closer to one and a half years of activity. First year anniversary was around the time I started up Eseka. :3

Oh, and Rosairie and Kyoko seem to have switched font colors. Just randomly noticed that. Anyways, it's good to be back. n_n

IC:

Valen merely scowled a bit as Chain shrugged off his little instigation attempt without any apparent effort, and his expression certainly didn't turn any sunnier as the hacker proceeded to speak his piece. He had a point, there was a damn point to everything he said and that was precisely what ticked Valen off. When an average person came around to tell the boy that what he was doing was as bad for his own interests as anyone else's he could always shrug it off by picking on the flaws of the argument, the unfair generalizations and faulty conclusions, but here...the boy felt like growling. It was true, Slythe had certainly rigged this game to always play out in his favor and pitting his victims against their own weaknesses - not to mention each other - was precisely the kind of thing Slythe loved to do. He still wasn't ready to believe that Rosairie had anything at all that could be of any use to him; he would never accept that, but his CEO was no doubt counting on him to detest the insufferable little daddy's girl, so if Valen wanted to pick apart his little game then his best shot was definitely to play against it as far as possible. Yes, this was just an arrangement of mutual spite, siding with the lesser of two evils. He would never have to like or respect Rosairie in the least; just try to tolerate her obnoxious presence.

Rosairie, it seemed, was thinking something much along the same lines, speaking up in a tone that sounded about as pleased as Valen felt and offering a truce of sorts, accompanied by an extended hand. For a moment, the boy simply watched, obviously torn between whether to accept this handshake and the way it had been offered - which reminded him somewhat of the way new Team Viper grunts reached towards their first Ekans or Seviper - before finally coming to a decision.

"Fine." the boy replied at last and - with reluctance easily rivaling Rosairie's - reached out his hand as well, the long, pale fingers with their uneven nails briefly creating a contrast with her carefully tended ones as he proceeded with the briefest of contacts between two hands which could possibly be considered a handshake, after which he quickly retracted his hand again and spoke up in a voice so low it was barely audible, "We're in this together until we've gotten rid of Slythe, but after that I'll be glad never to see you again. Don't bother apologizing when you clearly don't mean it, though; I have no need for false sentiments like that."

With that, Valen turned back to ignoring Rosairie, absent-mindedly grasping the hand he had used for the handshake with his other one. Even that brief contact...it was something he would rather have avoided. Valen had never liked other people touching him, no matter how briefly, especially not people he hated as much as Rosairie. It was difficult to explain, but somehow Valen had always felt that in making contact with another being like that you ended up giving away a tiny part of yourself (even if it was little more than a few tiny skin cells) and - more essentially - you got an equally tiny part of the other person in exchange; a sense of warmth, a temporary mark on your skin, a scent - he wanted none of that, especially from someone like Rosairie, but now...he sighed inwardly, now he would probably walk around the rest of the day with his hand smelling just a tiny bit like Rosairie's. Normal people didn't pay attention to such things, but Valen did and it annoyed him to no end. In an attempt to shift his attention from this fact, the boy turned his gaze towards the little slide of numbers over the elevator door, wishing that they would arrive already.

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"For the last time, no!" the old, gnarled fist banged down on the negotiation table in frustration, it's owner's normally serene and friendly grandpa face - complete with a thin layer of silvery gray hair on top - contorted into a fierce scowl, the deep-set faded-blue eyes glaring at the far younger man on the other side of the table.

"Mr.Ambrose..." the Waiwai representative remarked, his features carefully masked beneath the sleek uniform and the cap that went with it as he shook his head, "Look at this rationally. Mr.D'Argent could easily have relied on the city advancement act to obtain a government permit for the confiscation of this...quaint establishment, yet he has offered to compensate your losses with a sum, which - considering that you technically do not own this land to begin with - is more than generous. Why do you insist on hampering progress?"

"There can be no progress without justice." the old man retorted coldly, "And as long as I'm alive and breathing I will never allow the vile serpent you call CEO to desecrate this holy ground." it was hardly an original sentiment, but it came from the heart and the representative seemed to realize the futility of arguing, shaking his head as he stood up.

"Very well, then." he replied, "I suppose we shall just have to return to this matter when that is no longer the case. Something..." he added with an arrogant little smirk as he passed the head priest on his way to the door, "...which may occur sooner than you expect. Good day, Mr.Ambrose."

"Quite." Ambrose replied evenly, following the Waiwai representative out of the room and into the main building of the shrine, not so much out of courtesy as out of a need to ensure that he didn't do anything improper. Fortunately, the representative seemed content with casting a disdainful glance at the shrine before exiting. The head priest shook his head in distaste as he watched the insolent intruder leave, the baggy white ceremonial robe he was still wearing shaking slightly. Just then, however, a familiar tune caught his attention: it had been so faint at first that he hadn't paid attention to it, but was now rapidly growing in volume: it was a chant, one which - judging by the voice - was far older than the chanter. Surprised, he quickly turned around to face the source of the melody, soon identifying the source as the young girl huddled up in front of the flame sustained in the middle of the sanctum...a very sad girl, by the looks of it. Moved as much by the girl's sadness as her respect for the old customs, the head priest couldn't help but interfere.

"Excuse me, child." he said in his kindest voice, gently tapping her on the shoulder, "I couldn't help noticing that you seem a bit...upset. Might I be of assistance?"

 

[Mika]

-OoC-

gaaah. x.o I need to stop doing that. -kicks fonts-

Teehee... Mika got Battle Revolution for Wii... Or rather, her friend did. And she got to play it...

SHE didn't get her bum kicked by the 10 year old girl from Japan, nope nope nope... -giggles-



-IC-

With a loud harumph and a flick of her hair, Rosairie said nothing more on the duration of the elevator ride that lasted minutes beyond what it should have and the moment the doors swung open, she attempted to kindly move Valen and Chain out of her way but it pretty much turned into her shoving her way thru, her eyes just gleaming with evil intent in the process as she did so. It wasn't until she got halfway down the hallway however, that a specific pokeball on her waist decided it didn't want to be in a pokeball no more and emerged, padding back to the rest of the group. Rosairie tilted her head in confusion at the Jolteon's actions but when she saw what Si was so worried about (Which was obvious from the way he was whimpering at Valen or more specifically Valen's pocket) that she threw up her arms in defeat and after a 'Well just don't come whining to me if he punts you across a parking lot' remark of sorts, stormed into her assigned room and locked herself in the bathroom. At times like this... she needed to give herself a semi-makeover.


---

She had finally begun to quell her nerves when, what seemed to be the head priest of this tiny temple, placed a worried hand on her shoulder. Squeaking in suprise, she turned towards him, a blush very evident on her face for being caught, "I-I-I'm sorry... I know that the hours are technically over but... but I needed a place I could come think at... Where WaiWai has...no influence..." She sighed, her shoulders slumping forward, "...Ever since I was little, I've been able to speak to and communicate with the spirits of Departed Pokemon, including ghost types and...well... I am one of the seven contest winners in the WaiWai Tournament and, to earn our prize persay, we must complete this little mission of sorts." She swallowed, hard. "But I don't... I don't want to. Something about where he, the one they call Slythe, is sending us does not sit well with the departed pokemon in this area. H-he's doing something there that's causing great suffering... but nobody in my group will listen to me because I'm a frail little child." Her lower lip trembling, she pressed a finger to it, closing her eyes to prevent an onslew of tears from trickling out, "He's a monster... and... and I don't know what to do. The only person I thought might... side with me and believe in me has the intelligence of a baby slowpoke and doesn't even begin to understand what's going on. I don't have anyone to turn to for help... but I... I can't just sit back and let Pokemon suffer, you understand Ojii-sama?"

[Ojii-sama = Respectful term for a grandpa like figure]

 

[kinglax]

Name: Dan
Age: 13
Gender: Male
Appearance: Medium height, spiky black hair, tanned, acne-free skin
Personality: Is very cautious, but get cocky in Battles. Loves women and flirts with almost every girl he meets. He also has a love for music and the arts, and uses his pokemon to help him with that. Also very cunning, intelegent and sneaky
Pokémon: Munchlax, Larvitar, Grovyle, Houndour, Pidgey (I know it said max 4, but I wanna have all those. He can catch one later, just not pidgey, Munchlax or Grovyle)
History (Optional): He came from the Kanto Region in the islands. His starter was Munchlax, who he has decided never to evolve. After leaving home at the age of 11, he found himself strugling to stay alive and went to theivery to be able to eat. He was eventually caught, but used his Pidgey and Grovyle to break out of Jail. Now he runs around the world, trying to stay on the right side of the law and become a musician
Other (Optional): He was trained in Martial Arts and the way of the sword, and he always carries a blade with him.
RP Sample: Dan stirred in his sleep. It was dead black out. He realized what had happened. He had been sitting on a corner and must've fallen asleep.
Dan got up slowly. He heard a strange rustling behind him and was quick to bring out his Katana sword. To his relief it was simply a few young Rattata. Dan sheathed his sharp blade and decided to find something to eat.
After walking a few minutes, Dan was sure hge heard footsteps, and he could tell that this was more than a Rattata. He huddled into a corner, quickly followed by his pokemon, then he listened tmo the murmuring:
" Hey, Vern" Said a man with a gruff voice
"What's up Gil" replied a higher, somewhat timid voice that must've been Vern
"You hear, there's a notorious rebel theif on the loose in this city. Big bucks for his capture I bet"
"Yeah, but come on, we couldn't catch a COLD, much less a convict, I mean this guy must be HUGE!!!"
Dan snickered somewhat loudly at that. What a mistake
"Hey you!" Vern yelled " Come out here or I will use lethal force"
"KADABRA!" Said a pokemon
"CRAP!" Dan yelled, and ran off, but bumped inot a large bubble of Psychic energy. He realized he needed to battle his way out. He turned to see two followers of the beast gods and a Kadabra, Mr.Mime and 2 Grumpigs.
"Lookin fer a battle, eh?" Dan said in a strong voice "Bring it! GO MUNCHLAX!" The small teddy bear-like pokemon stepped forward, followed by a roar of laughter from Vern and Gil
"You think you can beat our Psychic pokemon with THAT?"
Dan looked at them sharply
"Let's find out!"

 

[Loki]

Alter Ego has stated multiple times that sign-ups are no longer being accepted in this roleplay. Please read more carefully before signing up next time. ^^

Alter Ego, it would help to put your 'sign-ups are closed' statement in your first post. It's a little more conspicuous that way. xD;

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: What? I thought I did that already like...ages ago? o.O *Checks* Oh, right; apparently I didn't. Well, it's done now.

Anyway, Kinglax: count yourself lucky that Jyukai got to you first. *Twitch* You don't want to see what happened to the last person who did that, no you don't...<.< For future reference: read all of the posts in an RP before trying to sign up. If you had done so here you would have noticed that sign ups for this one were already closed in December 2005. Also, a profile like that would never have been accepted anyway. It's far too lacking in every field. :\

IC:

"Good riddance." Valen muttered under his breath as Rosairie stormed off, although he at least had the sense to keep it to himself until the rich little daddy's girl was out of earshot. Still wearing a slight scowl on his face, he briefly turned as if preparing to say something to the others but then apparently reconsidered, simply turning and exiting the elevator instead. It was better if no-one else knew, Valen concluded as he slowly palmed the crumpled note in his pocket. Regardless of what nonsense Kyoko had scribbled on that paper, the boy didn't want anyone reading it over his shoulder, least of all a Waiwai security camera. With this in mind, the boy walked through the entrance hall wearing his usual impassive expression until he reached a system blindspot - located just beneath one of the oh-so-cleverly disguised cameras - leaning against the wall as he straightened out the paper and read its contents, carefully disguising any emotions it might have awakened as he read it. Come to the temple, huh? Who did the brat think she was, trying to order him around? Valen had half a mind to scrap the damn note and just drop the whole matter, but something at the back of his mind told him that this was important, something far more than Kyoko's usual absurd little games. After all, she had asked for Chain too...that seemed a bit excessive for something pulled completely out of the blue. Still...the thought of taking another order from someone who still owed him...

Constraining his anger best he could, Valen tore up the note in what seemed to be a completely random fashion, tossing the useless scraps into a nearby trash can. Unseen to most, however, was the fact that he had conserved the part containing the directions in his palm.

"Cespenar." the boy remarked, nonchalantly releasing the Cubone and handing the remnants of the note to him, "Give that to the guy with the earrings, but discreetly, then return to me. If I'm right, he'll be heading the right way once he reads it."

Not even bothering to wait for a reply, Valen strode out of his little safe spot as if nothing had happened, exiting the Waiwai building and heading back out into the street at a purposefully slow pace. Just because he was going along with this didn't mean that he had to be in a big hurry about it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The head priest listened in sympathetic silence as Kyoko made her case, not wanting to interrupt what was obviously a flow of pent-up feelings and emotions. As the girl finished, however, the old man spoke up again, his expression far more serious than before.

"I understand." he replied, nodding, "I believe you have made the right choice and I thank you for confiding. Truth to be told, you've confirmed something which I've been suspecting for a long time. Still..." his gaze grew distant, "I had hoped that it wouldn't have occurred so soon..." he looked as if he was about to continue for himself, but then he seemed to remember Kyoko's presence, "Ahh...my apologies, child, I'm getting ahead of myself. If you're going through with this, I've got something which you would benefit from seeing." he continued, "I haven't spoken a word about it to anyone out of fear that I would be declared senile and lose control of this shrine to that viper of a CEO, but you seem different than the most, so...would you care to indulge in an old man's ramblings of prophecy?" he sighed, "I'm afraid that there's little else I can offer in the way of assistance."

 

[Mika]

-OoC-

^^ 'xactly. Thus why I alertyed Jyukai of the situation. And we prevented Alter from going on a rampage on every illiterate roleplay in site from having to deal with something that we members of his rp should be able to handle. :3 Sorry for the shortness.


-IC-

She rubbed the remnants of her tears away, smiling weakly as she did so. He believed her. He didn't doubt her gift nor did he doubt the strange feelings she'd been having about WaiWai. He didn't call her a stupid child nor did he shoo her out of his temple. He listened and when he was done listening, asked for premission to tel her, this stuipd girl who couldn't do anything right, some very privillaged information. Tilting her head softly, her eyes never leaving the wrinkles on his forehead for the longest time, she nodded, a hand brushing the har from her face, "If... If you really think I'm worth your time." She rubbed at the back of her neck nervously, her face blushing lightly, "My friends, they tell me I'm annoying and useless and never tell me anything. It's...not really all that nice you know but at least they let me kinda hang around them, you know?" Realizing suddenly that she'd gone horribly off topic, she gave the elder a nose-to-the-floor bow, flailing about lightly, "Eeep! I-I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to go off topic. ...I'll be quiet now, I promise... Please tell me your story Ojii-sama?"

She loved these sorts of tales. Her own Ojii-chan back home had taken her into his lap when she was small and told her all sorts of tales of mystic battles and things yet to come and when she fell asleep, as small children normally do, he would let her nap in the temple, close to the spirits that held her heart so blissfully captive. This man, while he wasn't a blood relation, kept his temple in almost the exact same mannor. It was clean. Not many people traversed its polished floor boards, the offertory bin was nearly empty, but some people had still obviously come to offer prayers and what not and thus, he kept it was tho millions of people stopped each day. Smiling warmly as she looked around the temple, she couldn't help a content sigh as she turned back towards the elderly man, tucking her legs underneath herself respectfully, waiting for the story to begin.

 

[Kogenta]

Chain caught himself on the elevator doorway as Rosairie pushed past him, turning to watch in silence until the girl disappeared from sight. Waiting until the others exited the elevator, Chain stepped out into the hall, hearing the doors slide shut behind him as the corner of his vision caught the approach of a Jolteon. The timid, depressed air about the Pokemon left little doubt in the hacker as to the electric type's identity. Seeing Silence make his way toward Valen, Chain stopped to watch for a moment--reluctant to leave the Jolteon with someone who held such strong distaste for the Pokemon's owner. Replaying the events of the elevator in his mind, Chain slowly turned away. Things went more smoothly back there than I expected. Now it's time to see if their words hold.

As he left the WaiWai Inc. building, Chain glanced down and discovered that, at some point, he had slipped Abra's Pokeball into the palm of his left hand. Apparently there's somewhere I'd like to go. But where? I need to find a place in this city where I can work quickly and easily without disturbance or the chance of surveillance. And with only a couple days to crack the lock on something I would usually need a week to work on . . .

Still holding Abra's Pokeball, Chain unfolded the map he had deposited in his pocket before the tournament began. Something like this only tells me so much. I really should have downloaded a map earlier. He began to walk down the street, not entirely sure where he was going, but not content to remain where he was either. Less than a minute later, however, Chain casually navigated himself into the nearest alley and stopped halfway down the passage. "Since you've followed me here, I guess that means you want something with me," he stated calmly.

When he turned to face the presence he had sensed discreetly following him, Chain did not expect to find himself looking at a Cubone that was itself carefully studying him and apparently making particular note of his earrings. Kneeling a little apprehensively in front of the ground type, the trainer accepted and studied the now-proffered scrap of paper as well as the words written on it. This paper and handwriting look like Kyoko's. She wants me to go this place? Chain's gaze shifted a little. I wonder if that means this Cubone belongs to her. Although . . . A memory flickered through the dark-haired boy's mind. Giving someone a note made from paper torn out of the middle of a sheet would be a little odd, especially since there seems to be other parts to the original message. This is probably a part of the letter she gave Valen earlier.

"Thank you," Chain quietly told the Cubone, allowing it to take back the paper if it so desired. "Tell your trainer I'm on my way." With a slight nod, Chain stood and strode out the other end of the alley.

Though he could have easily teleported directly to the temple Kyoko had indicated in her note, Chain chose instead to walk, using the time to plan and work out ideas in his head. Lost in thought, the trainer scarcely heard the Pokenav in his pocket ringing. Chain snapped the electronic device open, glanced at the caller ID, and answered before the next ring. "Hey."

"You'll be happy to know the program is complete."

"Already?"

"Don't sound so surprised. I know Porygon's systems better than almost anyone. Don't forget that I designed him." Finding no response given, the voice on the other line continued after an awkward silence, "Anyway, I've added a number of features you'll probably like, plus increased processing speed and data capacity. This program should meld with Porygon's already-present data, rather than remaining as something separate that could weigh him down."

"Thank you."

"Maybe you'll stay in touch a little more now. Sending Porygon to me for a minor update or tune-up every now and then couldn't hurt."

"Is that why you did this?"

"Hey, don't sound so suspicious. Besides, why shouldn't we talk more often?"

"I'll send you the list later."

A heavy, though not entirely ill-natured sigh came through the Pokenav's earpiece, followed by a regretful laugh. "I guess I can't blame you for feeling the way you do. But in any case, I'm sending the program over now. Prepare to receive the transfer."

"Alright."

-------------------

Chain stood at the entrance to the temple, gazing wordlessly inside as the green-gold iridescence of his eyes swirled and rippled like twin pools of oil. This should be the place.

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Sorry for the lack of posts during the last few days. You see, my copy of Pokémon Pearl arrived a few days back (Yes, I've had to wait for ages even though I had it on pre-order and instant delivery. T_T) so I've been sort of...preoccupied with it. xD Plus, today an RP about a certain children's card game was started so I just had to join. Oh well, posting now instead of making more excuses. :3

IC:

Ambrose chuckled softly - though by no means malevolently - at Kyoko's uncertainty, "Don't worry, child." he replied, "Judging by what I've heard thus far, you - if anyone - are worthy of knowing this. We all have our own purposes in life, don't doubt your worth so easily. Now, to begin with..." he paused, settling down on the floor in preparation of the story, "Are you aware of the tyrants of old, the ones who called themselves God Kings?" he paused, "Well, to put it simply: the power they so presumptuously labeled divine was an ancient art, now long lost to all but a precious few; the art of not merely communicating with but directly manipulating the behavior of pokémon. It was originally granted to their ancestors as the ultimate sign of harmony between human and pokémon, passed down only to those deemed worthy. However..." he paused, his gaze growing slightly harder - although the anger seemed to be directed at someone in an altogether different place or time, "Well...you are, I assume, aware of what those miscreants chose to do with it? They abandoned the old ways, defiled everything people and pokémon had worked so hard for...all in the name of their pathetic greed." he shook his head in disgust, "Their fate was sealed on the moment they first embarked on their mad quest. However, not all of them were oblivious to the risk they undertook." the old man paused for a moment, "Lore has it that one of them, Tyfeeis, was an accomplished psychic and soothsayer. I...am a bit hesitant to say this, but I have no doubt that he peered into the future that night, no doubt divining the punishment for their wicked acts, but arrogant as any...he sought not to better his ways but to avoid the consequences of their crime."

The head priest paused for a moment before turning his gaze back to Kyoko, "Now you no doubt understand why many would not take this tale seriously. However, there is one more part that needs to be recounted." he paused in his speech, slowly rising to his feet, "Come, child, there's something you should see."

With that, the old man proceeded to escort Kyoko to the same back room where he had met the Viper representative, striding past the negotiation table to a small pair of worn drapes at the back of the room. Pulling them aside, he revealed what he had apparently referred to earlier: it was a sizeable stone slab located in an indent in the wall, sandy brown in color and inscribed from top to bottom with faded runes.

"This..." he announced solemnly, "Is the stone of prophecy; it's a sacred relic that has resided in this shrine ever since its construction, its secrets passed down from head priest to head priest. Well..." he added as an afterthought, "...some of its secrets, that is. This object was originally crafted by the survivors of the great revolt, and possesses some truly unique qualities. Observe." he smiled, reaching out his gnarled hand towards the bottom layer of runes. As soon as his fingers came close, however, the tablet seemed to come alive, the runes squirming and wriggling out of the way as if frightened by his presence.

"This happens with all but the inscription on top." the head priest explained, pointing at a few lines by the topmost edge, "Needless to say, translation has been difficult at best, but if our runelore is correct, this is what it says." he procured a carefully conserved parchment, handing it to Kyoko. Inscribed on the paper were what seemed to be part of an epic:

"Dead.
Dead were the rulers, mistakenly prideful.
Dead were their betrayers, forever faithful.

Death left life for others to live.
Death left a path for others to follow.
Death left its children to end the cycle.
Death left the key to the serpent's defeat.

The end of the cycle is the end of his crimes.
The end of the cycle is the end of our duty.
The end of the cycle leads to rest well deserved.
The end of the cycle lies clear to their eyes."

"That is the last chapter of the Godslayer epic." the head priest remarked, "I wouldn't be surprised if you hadn't heard of it; few pay attention to such things these days. However, if we are correct...its presence here is proof that this is none other than the key of prophecy, and if that is the case then this unknown part of the prophecy should be legible only to those chosen to fulfill it." he paused, silently examining Kyoko for a few more moments before finally speaking up, "Child, please reach for this stone."

 

[Mika]

-OoC-

Sorry if I have crappy posts for the next week, I've got Band camp. ^^;;; And... stress and stuff. I'll post, they'll just not be... Alter Worthy in a sense. ^^;;

-IC-

She just blushed, hiding her downcast face for the moment by staring at her hands. There wasn't anything she could do about it. She'd been told, since she had told her father she wanted to leave the comforting prison of the gym, that she was worthless, pathetic and couldn't do anything on her own that she needed someone or something to depend on because she couldn't stand on her own two feet. Some gave her a night away from her comfy bed, some gave her a week. A few gave her a month. It had been almost a year now and she had no ideas of going home, not even for a visit. She wasn't going to give them a chance to bind her to the town again. Not ever again.

Snapping out of her own thoughts, she listened to his story, immediatly reconizing it but her memory of it was foggy. How long had it been since her father had actually pulled her onto his lap and told her one of these fables, these stories that made the worst of her days turn into brilliant ones? She couldn't remember and just the thought was giving her a slight headache. Rubbing at the side of her head, she followed along after the old man, tilting her head in light curiosity as to where she was being dragged off to. When he revealed the stone however, her headache magnified for a short while before it died completely and the girl, who'd had moisture drip softly from her eyes during the highest point of the pain, rubbed her eyes once or twice before nodding and showing more than just timid intrest in the rune with light and color returning to her face when the rune came to life and danced softly across the stone slab. Her eyes caught the formed runes and, without meaning to, tried to stumble through them when the man handed her the parchment and explained this was nothing short of a semi-direct translation. Sitting back, grateful for something in slightly larger print, she mumbled the words out softly, shivering when she finished, "Ojii-sama, do you- Oh, o-o-okay."

Swallowing hard, she pressed her hand towards the slab, the tips of her tiny fingers hovering just centimeters above it.

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Urgh...I hatehatehatehatehatehateHATE my browser! Damn thing died on me and ate the post before I could backup it. >_< *Sigh* Got to do it all over again, I guess...

IC:

The moment Kyoko reached for the slab, the runes sprung to life once more, but unlike before they didn't seem to be escaping this time, choosing to huddle together instead twisting in and out of formation for a few moments until they finally settled into a solid shape; not as obscure symbols but as fully legible, modern letters:

"Successor of the eighth, you are both blessed and cursed to have been born to this age, when beginning and end shall be restored. Know that the serpent was born with not one head but two: the face of a friend and the mask of a foe. Light and dark. Beginning and end. In his greed for life he turned one against the other, and they devoured each other as serpents do. And therein lies the serpent's crime: for he sought to die but still exist, descending into twilight. Neither light nor dark, neither lit nor extinguished. Without a beginning there could be no end. But his greed was not satiated, for he could not live any more than die. He had become a specter; neither part of this world or another. Thus, know that the serpent shall once again seek to return to this world, and that therein lies the key to his defeat. For though he knows it not, to invite life is to invite death. And therein lies your task, you who see what others can not: When the time comes he shall seek to tap into your power and you must permit it, for a life must be begun before it can end. Lead him into the light, successor of the eighth, so the darkness can claim him. Such is the duty we entrust to you."

"Ah...my apologies, child." Ambrose muttered, seemingly oblivious to the change in the tablet, "I thought that the message may have been decipherable, but it appears as mysterious as ever...if stationary. I-hold, did you hear that, child?"

Sure enough, as soon as the head priest had fallen into silence, the sound of footsteps - specifically, the footsteps of someone either in possession of a formidable mass or a pair of heavy boots - became audible from the other side of the door.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"That's about it." Valen muttered, glancing at the interior of the shrine in a rather irritated manner. Shrines had never been his thing, especially late in the evening when he could imagine a dozen of places he'd rather be at and things he'd rather be doing...such as investigating the contents of the disc. Kyoko's little diversion had already eaten up quite a bit of his time and Valen wasn't in the mood to waste anymore in poking about the area. Besides, there was just something about the place that made him uneasy, a disturbing feeling of being watched which he didn't relish in the least. He raised his voice, speaking up again, "Alright, brat, if this is your idea of a joke I'll have you know that I'm not laughing right now. You've got precisely five minutes to come out and explain yourself, otherwise I'm out of here!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

A slightly disapproving look appeared on the head priest's face, his glance traveling to Kyoko, "Is that person one of these friends you mentioned, child?" he inquired, "If he is then kindly ask him to show some respect. This is, after all, a sacred shrine and his clamping about is not appreciated."

 

[Mika]

-OoC-

-pets Alter-

Bad Browser! No eat Alter-nii-sama! -kicks it- D<

That's why I type my posts in notepad. v.v

-IC-
"Duty...? We entrust...?" She mumbled quietly, her head all but exploding from this newest little tidbit of information, "Chosen...? Me...?" She turned towards the priest, her eyes blurred from the impact of whatever it was she'd just witnessed. Apparently, as he didn't have the same glazed over feeling she did, he hadn't seen any of it. Perfect. Another person to doubt her. Turning back to the tablet, she ran her hand over it again, quickly memorizing the tablet's contents. She'd ask Valen about it, not that he'd answer her questions, but she'd try. She had to at least try. In the memorizing process, she looked a little deeper at the words and nearly lost what little color she had left when she read the final part of the tablet's words. Her body erupted into tremors. When the time comes he shall seek to tap into your power and you must permit it, for a life must be begun before it can end. Lead him into the light, successor of the eighth, so the darkness can claim him This evil, she had to befriend it? And lead it somewhere? Let it use her? This was all so confusing that she was almost completely lost in her own thoughts when the priest stood and a younger, familiar, voice barked through the halls of the temple.

Shaking visibly, she stood, almost falling once but managed to stay upright long enough to make sure she didn't look like a total wreck, "I... I wish I could call him my friend. I think all I am to him is a burden." she laughed weakly, "I'll go ask him to be quiet, he doesn't know... temple rules nor does he really care to learn." Coughing once, she ignored the light red stain it left on her palm and managed to make her feet move one infront of another, out into the main room, "V-valen please." Please don't hate me waving the non-bloodied hand infornt of her face, she pressed a finger to her lips, "S-shhh... It's not polite, not in a temple. I was ju-just asked to go talk to the Head Priest, I didn't mean to leave for that long, kay?" I'm not a burden... Motioning to a coushin, she sat on one opposite the one she'd just indicated, "I'm... I'm just asking for fifteen minutes. May I please request fifteen minutes of your time, Onii-er, Valen?" Biting down on her lip and lowering, she gathered her courage. This wasn't hard. She could talk to him. He would listen, or so she hoped. He might call her a burden, a pathetic excuse for a human being and a waste of his precious airspace but if he would just listen, for once, that would be enough, that would be enough. Breathing deeply a couple of times to try and still her coughing, which was trying its hardest to emerge at this very very bad time, she lifted her eyes back to his, meeting them with a fierocity she'd never shown him before, "I... um... Well, to start things off my given name is not Kyoko. I took that name when I left my home, at the Ecruteak Gym, so it would be harder for my father, Morty, to track me down. There's a definate flag on my real name in the GP Database, you could say my father wants his mistake back in his control." There was a bit of venom in the way that last sentance was stated and once she realized it, she shook it off, "Anyways, ever since I was little, I've been able to communicate with Ghost Pokemon and the Ghosts OF Pokemon since departed... and..." There it was again, that blasted physical tremor she couldn't contorl, "...since I've gotten to this place, I haven't stopped hearing cries from the depths of the Slythe building... That day you got hurt Valen, I passed out. You want to know why? Probably not but I'm telling you anyways. I was helping Rose look for Si, he'd run off, and I was suddenly overwhelmed by a massive wave length of pokemon litterally crying out in anguish. Try to imagine your head exploding. Then magnify that by two. And... and I've heard faint cries, from the direction of these ruins we're supossed to go to and.. and..." She was struggling to supress her coughing, which was starting to become harder to do, and the overwhelming urge she had to burst out crying, "...And I think something's wrong Valen. I think Slythe is... I think he's messing with something you're not supossed to mess with and I'm... I'm..." Scared? no, she couldn't come out and admit it. But it was written all over her face, "If you don't want to believe me, about my abilities, you don't have to. But the priest here believes me... and I'm pretty sure Slythe did to." Her eyes darkened, "So is that enough proof for you?"

Blinking, her eyes widened softly, "D-did you see Chain on your way in? I... I hope he didn't get lost."

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Yayz, I finally caught Palkia! And it's, like, apparently the second-best nature it can have too. But of course the IVs had to suck worse than a 4kids translation. Oh well, such is life. =O

And yeah, I suppose that writing posts in Notepad would have its advantages, but this way I can check the last posts just by scrolling, not to mention that it's the easiest way for me to get into a writing mood. *Sigh* The troubles a fickle muse causes...xP

IC:

Valen was about to remark that the brat had already taken up ten of the requested minutes - and tell her quite clearly that he didn't give a damn about the temple rules - but something held him back. He couldn't put his finger on why, but something about her skittish manner was holding back the countless crude phrases his mind was formulating. Perhaps it was the annoyingly loud voice at the back of his mind that he just couldn't seem to shake these days, perhaps it was something else, but no matter what the case the teenager simply didn't enjoy seeing someone - not even someone he wanted to loathe as much as Kyoko - squirm in such a way. Driving her completely over the edge seemed like something weak and cowardly to do, like something...something Slythe would have decided on without a second thought. Yes, that was it. That had to be it. He wasn't sympathizing with this wandering waste of space; he just didn't want to sink to the level of someone he despised even more. This was an arrangement of spite; nothing more.

"...alright." Valen remarked in his usual impassive voice, taking a seat on the indicated cushion, "But this had better be good."

Well, the first bit was far-fetched enough...a gym leader's daughter? And apparently she had little voices in her head, too. Valen would have scoffed and walked out right there and then were it not for the string of bizarre incidents that he himself had been through recently. He had to admit that part of it made sense: obviously someone in Morty's position would not have wanted someone as weak, frail, and - apparently - delusional as Kyoko wandering about unchecked if he could in any way be compromised by or held accountable for what she did, and if people were indeed on the lookout for her it would explain the need for a cover-up name. But the rest...spirits calling out in anguish? Ancient evils and other nonsense? Apparently Kyoko had gone as batty as Slythe and his new associate, thanks - no doubt - to the encouragement of a senile old man and this derelict hole in the ground he saw fit to call 'shrine'. Unlike Slythe, Kyoko seemed largely incapable of keeping a lid on her fantasies, however. By the looks of it she was dead frightened - it was written all over her face - and the girl seemed about ready to burst into tears. And for what? Some ancient fairy tales and an overactive imagination. As the girl finished, Valen felt torn by an uncharacteristic desire to comfort the sniveling wreck in front of her and a wish to smack her over the face and tell her to pull her head down from the clouds, stop worrying about imaginary horrors and assorted bogeymen and instead start focusing on real issues, like that damn assassination order on her head. Finally, he settled on a compromise of sorts.

"No, I didn't." Valen replied to the inquiry about Chain, "This being the case I'm sure he's around. Now let me see if I got this straight...you expect me to believe that our trip to those ruins is all part of an insidious plan to destroy the world as we know it, concocted by Slythe no less, because the little voices in your head told you so and a senile old coot - who is certain that we're all being watched and judged by an invisible sky fairy who'll come to reward the good people at some indeterminable point in the future - agrees with you?" he shook his head, "Honestly, listen to yourself. I don't know how old you are and I don't really care, but don't you think it's about time you grew out of fairy tales and started paying attention to the real world? So assume that I'd believe it - which I don't - what makes you think I won't rat you out to Slythe? I work for him, remember? And last I checked we weren't exactly the best of friends either, so why bother telling me any of this?" he wasn't just asking this for rhetoric, the boy honestly didn't know what Kyoko was playing at here, "Slythe is a conniving, self-serving bastard, certainly, but I could have told you as much without consulting any of your cadaver pals, so if you've got some actual information - beyond what I could read in any second-rate occult novel - then spit it out. I've got enough real problems to deal with without having to chase your bogeymen as well."

 

[Kogenta]

After several minutes of standing in silence, allowing his mind to work through the current situation a few times, Chain finally made his way past the gate of the shrine. A sudden, unidentifiable feeling flooded about him, as though he were stepping into a different world. The true nature of this feeling, however, lay beyond the hacker's grasp, and lingered in a frustratingly half-existent manner as he strode quietly about the outside of the shrine--studying the structure's surroundings before entering the building itself. The piece of note he had seen did not specify where in the shrine he was meant to go, and his cautious personality made him wary of unwanted observation. Once he was sufficiently satisfied, Chain walked into the shrine, moving in his usual casual, yet subtle and unobtrusive manner. Two familiar voices reached the trainer's ears as he walked, leading him toward the shrine's main room.

So, the note she gave him earlier must have been related to this meeting. I wonder what her intent is. Choosing to linger in the shadows as Valen and Kyoko spoke, Chain caught the latter half of Kyoko's narrative and the entirety of Valen's. After Valen finished speaking, Chain--finding he had nothing to say--remained where he was, but no longer made an effort to hide his presence. Though he was relatively certain that at least Valen, if not Kyoko, would notice him, Chain's current purpose was closer to courtesy than secrecy. Also, he deemed it prudent to wait until he had more fully assessed the situation before joining the conversation.

 

[Mika]

-OoC-

Gah, I apologize in advance for not being able to split up this mammoth paragraph. it was being stupid.


-IC-

"I...." Her voice caught in her throat and it seemed that she would once again lose herself when somehow, somehow she managed to pull herself together. "Morty is my father, don't you dare question that. For all the times he tells me I'm a useless child, there are still times he tells me I'm worth something and... and that alone means you don't have the right... the right to say those things!" There was nothing she could do to prevent herself from rising to protect him, it was just something every child, no matter how battered, could find the strength and energy to do. Ignoring tears that were most likely streaming down her face, Kyoko dug deeper than she thought she could and pulled more strength out of who knows where to keep her cool, as much as she could while crying, and not completely sucumb to the feeling that was overflowing in her chest, "I'm not lost in any stupid childish fairy tales! I didn't think you'd believe me but I thought I'd give it a shot, I thought maybe, maybe somewhere in that stupid thick head of yours that maybe you would see that, regardless of what it is, there's something wrong with that man and there's something wrong with this mission. All of it, it's so messed up." She was rambling, she knew it, but she couldn't stop, "And don't you dare insult the old man working here, don't you dare or I swear I'll make you regret it." Yes yes, threats from someone her size with her history weren't all THAT frightening but it was the thought that counts, right? Standing, she couldn't help but stamp her foot once, grinding it into the floor, "And as for you, Valen, don't you dare try and tell me you're on friendly terms with Slythe. Call me a stupid ignorant immature child all you want but I know, without a doubt in my mind, that you were just as terrified of that man as the rest of us were." Low blow. Hopefully that wouldn't come back to bite her. "And if you want to rat me out to the GP, go ahead. I've gotten away from them before and I'll do it again after, with or without your help mind you, I find out what Slythe's doing and, though I don't know how yet, shut his bloody operation down. I can't, I won't sit here anymore and blink off these things. I won't. If you want to help me, fine. If you don't, fine. Just stay, stay the h-hell out of my way." Taking a big breath of air, she managed to squeeze out the last little bit of her rant, "But I did find out, from the Old Man who watches the shrine day in and day out, something about this ruin we're going to, it's a pro-"

She couldn't continue and without further ado, she collapsed, falling to her knees in a coughing fit which rippled through her body like violent waves. Unable to breathe or really do anything beyond coughing and staying above the black waters of unconsciousness, she could do nothing but wait for it to finish, ignoring the specks of blood that once again appeared in the palm of her hand. When all was said and done, she wiped her mouth clean before looking up at Valen, her face white as a sheet. It was around this time that she finally noticed Chain and beckoned towards him, "I-I asked the both of you to come because... I found out a prophecy... and I don't understand it. I... simply want your help analyzing it, the others wouldn't understand this at all."

 

[Kogenta]

Chain slowly entered the room, making his way toward Kyoko as he studied her expression. The things he had heard were strange, even considering current situation, and the skeptic in him was not ready to allow him to believe Kyoko's story so easily. And yet . . . Seeing Kyoko crumpled to her knees brought back memories of a time when he would have bled his very veins dry just for someone--for anyone to believe him.

Even before the day the virus infected Circuit, some had disagreed with Chain's Pokemon battle methods, finding them too cold and harsh. To Chain they had merely been efficient, and he found no reason to change his ways. But after that time, everyone seemed eager to blame him for something he knew he had not done. When even his own father had refused to support him, rather allowing himself to be used by the police in an attempt to make his son confess the uncommitted crime, Chain had realized that he was alone, with only an unemotional data Pokemon by his side. But still, even after he had tracked down and isolated the virus that had caused him to lose control of Circuit--even after he proved the virus's existence to the police and had his Pokemon trainer's license returned to him--there remained a wrong that he knew he did commit. Although the program that brought the end of a trainer and Pokemon was not one of his own making, his neglect had allowed that event to occur nonetheless. And one regret was already too much to bear for a lifetime. He would not allow another regret to be added to the list.

Leaning down, Chain offered Kyoko a hand. "I see," he stated simply. Though his face did not turn, for a moment, Chain's eyes briefly looked toward Valen before returning to the pink-haired girl before him. "Tell me what you know."

 

[Alter Ego]

Valen's eyes narrowed as Kyoko proceeded further and further into her manic little rant. Apparently, he had been a lot closer to the mark in thinking of her as a Slythe-in-the-making than he had really expected to be. She was seriously losing it, more and more with each passing minute. Thick-headed, was he? Well, at least he wasn't a raving, delusional lunatic. As the rant neared its end, the boy rose up with all intention in the world to leave the brat to spout her nonsense at the surrounding walls, but just then Kyoko ground to a sudden halt, collapsing onto the floor in a violent coughing fit.

Part of the girl's earlier behavior might have caused vague resonance in his memory, but this-this was nothing short of a full flashback. At the sight, Valen froze, the emotions welling up inside of him. In an instant, the shrine had all but faded from his senses, and he found himself back at that cliff he had hoped never to see again, practically feeling the imaginary raindrops splash against his skin from the rumbling tempest above, the low drone of waves crashing against the rocks below drumming in his ears. And there...hunched over by the edge, she was. Not the pink-haired little pest, but the other she, her frail body quivering violently in an attempt to remain in the world of the conscious, the hands clutched over her chest as a thin trickle of red escaped from between them and the pale lips moving silently, desperately trying to form some kind of message, over and over again.

Valen's eyes glazed over, his hand extending towards the frail figure, slowly, mechanically, the subconscious action of a sleepwalker. The emotions he thought he had rid himself of so long ago were going overboard: compassion, caring, pity, but above all: guilt. This-this was his fault, he didn't know how but it was. He had to put it right, he had to. The boy tried to will his body to move, but it remained frustratingly stationary. Only his mouth seemed to be getting things done, uttering the sounds it instinctively saw as right:

"Ki-ri..."

"I see."

With those simple words, the frail vision was broken, the stormy night scene disappearing and revealing the shrine to him once more. Valen blinked, his mind eventually registering the fact that Chain had come out of hiding and joined in, currently offering a hand to Kyoko. And speaking of hands...what the heck was he doing holding his one out? The boy quickly pulled the offending appendage back, folding his arms and taking a step back from the scene, his head now dampened with cold sweat. He had no idea what the strange sensation just now had been, but he really hoped that neither of the others had paid it any heed. Unlike his previous visions, however, this one had left him with something: a name.

'Kiri?' he repeated in his mind, his eyes shifting back to the girl, 'So that's the one...Kyoko reminds me of?'. This made no sense, no sense at all, but the nagging little voice at the back of his head had left him with very clear instructions about what was to be done. It was madness, absolute madness, but still...

Valen remained silent for a moment, turning his back to the two others until eventually speaking - his back still turned.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Valen slowly turned to face Kyoko, looking the pale child in the eye, "Even though you can barely stand and don't have a clue about the true scope of this operation you're opposing, you really think you can tear it down all on your own?" he held his stare - and silence - for a while more, before suddenly bursting into a fit of mirthless laughter, "You really are as crazy as Slythe, however..." he broke the eye contact, once again focusing on anything but the other two people in the room. This was going to be his life's biggest and most foolhardy gamble, and now was the last moment to pull out. The ends of the boy's lips curved up ever so slightly, "I'm in a rather crazy mood myself at the moment, and I do think I know a thing or two that can help. But before we get to that, there's something about me that you need to know." he turned to face the others again, the slight phantom of a grin now replaced by an expression of complete and utter seriousness, "However, if you let it spread to anyone, I will have no choice but to kill you. That goes for you too, old man!" he added in a louder voice to make sure that the head priest didn't miss it, his demeanor still completely serious, "You've got five minutes to decide whether you're willing to take that risk or not."

With that, he took a bit of distance from the fire, wandering in a leisurely, slightly aimless manner in the direction of the building's exit. 'You've got plenty of big words, both of you, let's see if you've got the will to back them up...'

 

[Mika]

-OoC-

-sneaks online-

Yeah so I got sick and my friends, who came over to make sure I was resting, blocked me from my comp. They think I'm sleeping. >3 buwahahahah. -giggles insanely-

I win. :3

Anywho, sorry about the delay Alter. ;o;



-IC-

She took Chain's hand, not even noticing Valen had offered one til he jerked it back. Tilting her head, she managed to stay standing, a bit of dried blood on the edge of her mouth as she steadied her weary body against the strength and unusual warmth of Chain's arm. She looked up at the boy after Valen's normal staring sequence grew a little on the obnoxious side and was about to start speaking when Valen's voice, softer than normal, (or at least for a short while) echoed in her ear. Snapping her head towards it, she was immediatly overcome with a wave of nausea and, after a moment of her head in her hands, was able to look him in the eye. Yes, yes she was serious. She'd been serious from the get-go but she'd been too scared, too scared that nobody would find this true, hidden side of this outwardly hyper and timid child appealing. She couldn't be scared anymore. So what, so what if she was just one person? So what if the odds were against her? Hand't they been against her so many times before?

His laughing, however, sent Kyoko into a paler state (If one could believe it possible) and as she watched him, she couldn't help shaking her head lightly, her face drained of all emotion but fear and worry. This wasn't like him. Sure, he laughed, but never like this. Stepping towards him, her hands left the safety of Chain's arm, one tucking just below her chin as she watched him, her worry increasing with each of his words. Kill? Kill them? He, couldn't be serious could he? Whatever he had to say, it couldn't be that bad... could it? Biting down on her lip, she stepped towards him, her hands touching as close to his wrists as she could with what was visible and peered up into his eyes, staring intently for what seemed like an eternity, searching for signs of doubt, of disbelief, of lies. The more she looked, the more firm her opinion of the situation became and, at long last (Even though only three minutes or so had passed in real time) she pulled back, nodding slowly, her own face becoming as serious as Valen's, "...I believe you." She took a deep breath, her hands clasping tightly together, her hands twisting at the skin of their opposite palms, "...b-but I want to say something." Sighing, she looked from Chain to Valen and back, "...I won't, I won't say I'm not afraid. I am. But I'm not going to back down. I can't, I can't go back to being like that. So... So please. When you tell us... tell us as an us? Not an equal and a... lesser? I promise... I won't waste your time." Sighing, she slipped to her knees more gracefully than before, "Could..could we please sit down?" She didn't want to explain her physical condition right now, it would make Valen stop talking right here and now and she didn't that, not after this.

Maybe, maybe she'd finally be his equal. Or at least closer than she was right now.