Eseka Legends: Winter's Heart

[Light_Azumarill]

OOC: Hey I'm an adult, I'm allowed to! ^-^; Besides, let's not forget Teioh and Coran's 'relationship' in Project PS. XD


Emilie
~~~~~~~

'Wow,' thought Emilie, 'Arthur sure is the center of attention right now. It may be stressful, but it will benefit him in the long run.'

Arthur didn't know what to make of this. Why did all of these pokemon take such a strange interest in him? Couldn't they just let him be? He was actually starting to feel oddly calm, as if someone were petting him, though no one was there; but then the Raichu walked up to him again. Arthur straightened himself and his eyes widened. He silently watched the mouse speak his mind, and then watched as he left to his trainer. Arthur tilted his head a little... perhaps the Raichu wasn't so bad. He did seem to respect his space. Arthur still wasn't sure though, the Raichu seemed especially interested in him and he could tell the mouse was a powerful opponent.

Next the Misdreavus began to float over to Arthur and Emilie looking determined yet sorry for how it had scared the dog pokemon. Emilie listened, though she could only understand bits and pieces, and figured that the pokemon was being nice enough.

"Go on Arthur," she said encouragingly, "She just wants you to talk."

Arthur was frozen again. He stared at the ghost pokemon with large eyes. With another gentle nudge from Emilie, he spat out the thing foremost on his mind.

{Y-You're d-dead?} he said shakily, {Like n-not alive?}

Meanwhile, Edgar was observing the others. His rather round, large eye came to rest on Serenade, and he floated down a bit. {Another psychic pokemon, I see?} he said to the Kirlia, sounding quite curious.

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Well, that's true but...Teioh was originally human so it isn't the same thing. Erm...I hope? o.O If it is then Charon made me and I have no responsibility! xO Eh, that is...in a legal sense. I mean, I am a responsible RPer. Yeah, no ethically suspect romances involving four-legged individuals with tails and ex-rockets here. No sirree...*saintly smile* Yeah, all good clean fun with consideration for the kiddies, heh. *brushes topic under the carpet* ^-^

Regardless, I'm afraid that there shall be no Mira x Genki developing, even if you are - as you quite correctly pointed out - an adult. Sorry if that disappoints you. xD

Oh, and Nigma, I didn't say there was anything wrong with Amarezoth being played angstily. I love a good bit of angst as much as the next person, or maybe a bit more...erm*Stares at own angst record*...nah, better make that a lot more. xD Doesn't keep me from feeling sorry for the poor angster, though. ^-^

On the plot thing, if you are hinting at the Rocket past thing, then I simply decided that it was too early to bring it in full-scale. I mean, Serenade is already suspicious, but I want to wait with the full realization until after a...certain major plot event occurs. Also, I want the characters to get a bit more acquainted with each other before we start picking them apart, you know? Hold your Horseas. If you were refering to something else, then yes...I guess I did miss it. I'm only human, you know.

IC:

Coffee...what would the world be without coffee?

Mira had once again been in a world of her own, enjoying the warming feeling of the drink in her hand while being completely oblivious to the world around her. The cold, the wind, the people...only at Arthur's sudden outburst did she look up a bit, but it took another equally loud exclamation from Hakira to actually make her pay attention.

"So...you guys know each other?" she let the question hang in the air, hoping that maybe the other girl would pick up on it - she sincerely doubted that Hakira had ears for it considering the stream of inquiries flooding from her own mouth. For being a 'boring florist chick' this one certainly seemed to know a lot of things the prankster was interested in.

{Yes they do...} Serenade replied to Sphinx's remark with somewhat stiff politeness, {...some more sinister than others.} he allowed his gaze to drift over to Amarezoth in a would-be absent-minded way at the statement before focusing it back on Sphinx. He didn't know why the Persian was trying to torment him or what the cat new, but Serenade certainly wasn't a stranger to loaded sentences.

Serenade's brooding was interrupted, however, as Edgar floated down to him and struck up a conversation.

{Why yes, I am.} the Kirlia replied, nodding, {But tell me...} he added after a while, giving in to the question at the back of his mind, {...why is it that you always speak with someone else's voice?}

 

[Ibuberu]

"Whoa, whoa.. 'Lax."Rina held her hands out in front of her, as if protecting herself just incase the girl decided to jump up and tackle her down in all the excitement. She showed no reaction to the 'boring florist chick' comment, brushing it off as Mira approached them to ask a question. "Yeah... sorta' do. We're from the same town."the trainer replied, rubbing her hands together as the old memories flowed back before continuing. "But.. Hakira here left real early for her Pokemon journey, when I was 'bout eleven or sumthin'."

{W-What?}Dot had not been given the Totodile or his oddly familiar-looking trainer his full attention, retreating back a few paces as the scary Persian decided to lay himself down on the ground before him. The Parasect shivered, gathering up all his courage to slowly reply to the cat, {I-I'm.. Not that fond of being around so m-many strangers.}he mumbled, orange pincers clinking as he twiddled them. The Bug type glanced upwards to his still, very much neutral-expressioned trainer, returning to Sphinx. The Mushroom Pokemon hesitated for a few moments, before nodding very reluctantly to the Normal type's previous question.

{J-Just a small walk. A-Around here. No where f-far from Rina.}Dot gulped, trying his best to sound normal. The bug stole a look at the Swinub and Kirlia with the tour guide, scurrying off at a normal pace so that Sphinx could catch up. The Parasect gazed at the Founder's Stone, awaiting for the black Persian to ask his... "questions".

Achan and Jojo. How long had it been since Rina heard her brothers' names? At least about a year, perhaps. The girl couldn't help but break into a small, faint smile as well, remembering how the boys were such good friends with Hakira back in the day. They would pull jokes and pranks around the town of Azalea while she stayed in the quiet comfort of home studying and looking after the Slowpoke that would make it a habit to wander in and out of the shop on sunny days. Rina remembered once, when the trio of pranksters managed to push(or rather, roll) all the Slowpoke of the town in front of Bugsy's gym, barricading the way for other trainers who wanted to challenge the town's somewhat famous gym leader. What a laugh that was for them when the rookies scratched their heads in confusion, before proclaiming that it had to be the disbanded Team Rocket's doing, charging out of the town in search of anyone sporting a black uniform.

"They started on their Pokemon journey 'bout three years back, wanted to find you, both really missed y'a lot.". In actual fact however, from the girl's point of view at least, the sly, money-loving Achan wanted to gorge off new tricks from Hakira so that he could earn a living out of it as well amuse himself. While the younger, more mild, twin brother, Jojo(or Jouko, though no one really called him that now), just wanted to see Hakira again. It appeared that the blonde-haired boy had developed a small crush on the pink-haired girl. Rina never knew if the older girl found out about it though.

"But I heard Ma' and Pa' telling me from a letter 'bou, last year. They got lost in Mount Silver,"she paused, recalling the exact details, "-when they finally got out alive, they ran back home.. y'know? Help with the family business."Rina grinned at this, wanting so much to have seen the look on the faces of her seventeen-year old brothers. Yes, yes, a geniune pleasing happiness filled the girl, perhaps there was still a tiny chance that the day wouldn't turn out to be so.. boring afterall.

 

[Light_Azumarill]

OOC: Oh darn! I am disappointed!! XD

Yeah, um, strange things happen in OOC posts. ^-^;;


Emilie
~~~~~~~

Edgar blinked thoughtfully, {Unown are capable of reading other individuals' minds, and I'm certainly no exception. All Unown from the Ruins of Alph strive to understand the emotions of others in order to fulfill a human, or pokemon's desires. Younger Unown, such as myself, have not matured enough in their psychic powers to grant the thoughts and feelings of others, so we merely practice reading and behaving as others do in order to gain the skills necessary for later.}

The 'E' shaped creature floated silently for a moment, but then felt like adding another part to his explanation, {Perhaps you wonder if I have a personality of my own? Feelings of my own? None of the Unown from the ruins have their own feelings. I have never felt anything that wasn't associated with someone else.}

Emilie watched her pokemon say his last part with a bit of interest. She could have sworn that he sounded the tiniest bit sad about not having his own feelings. But then, it could have only been because she felt sad for him.

 

[Raposa Dalua]

Caroline smiled as the Houndour's trainer gave the okay to talk to her, hoping this was a sign that things might work out a little better. Her grin faltered, however, when the fire pup edged away from giving his name to ask if she really, truly was dead. Well! She wouldn't be a ghost if she was alive, right? She kept up a calm pretense however, seeing that being a little hyper might only push him away further.

{Yeah, I'm pretty dead. Can't get much more dead than being a ghost, unless you're just... dead...} she seemed to have confused herself at this statement, and paused to work it out in her head. Seeing that she couldn't, she merely continued, {I was alive once, I don't remember much of that time though. I don't really know why I haven't passed on, I guess there's something I still have to do? I dunno, I haven't found many clues yet as to why...} There she went, confusing herself again. She shook her head, slight memories of her past life filtered in and out, but soon faded away. {Since we're on the subject of me being dead, and you don't really look comfortable enough to give your name yet, is there anything else ghost related you wanted to ask?}

~~*~~

Hakira listened intently to Rina's recount of what's been going on with her two idiot brothers, laughing and shaking her head at the appropriate times. Just hearing about Achan and Jojo again left her in a deep state of nostalgia, remembering all the good times had, the pranks pulled, with them jumping headfirst into each day and wondering how much trouble they could get into next. Sly Achan and the slightly more cautious Jojo; truly they were great prankers, and just generally good people. The sudden reminder of all those wonderful memories left her feeling just a bit lonely; she missed those two gits more than anything. Sure, having Kushin around to mess with was fun, and the twin Misdreavus pals could offer up hours of entertainment, but pulling pranks with them didn't provide her with the real thrill that pulling pranks with two very real, very alive friends did. The last part of Rina's tale made her laugh out loud, though a tinge of anger could be heard mixed in with the amusement in her voice as she spoke.

"Mount Silver? THE Mount Silver?" she pressed two fingers against her temple, shaking her head and smiling, "They really are stupid, aren't they? I can understand wanting to see me (who wouldn't?), but getting themselves lost in a dangerous place like that?" she sighed, "Augh. The next time I'm in Azalea, I'm going to the shop to have a word with them..." she paused, "And by 'word with them,' I mean beat the crap out of them! They're idiots! Big, stupid, idiots!" she chuckled. "So, lemmie guess. They came home bruised and crying? There weren't any medical bills to be paid, were there?"

 

[Nigma]

OCC:
@alter: What would the world do without coffee? What a question! Sleeping of course! ^^ Coffee is a very good invention... *hands shaking* Uhm.... *drinks a cup* Ahhh.... *shaking stops*


IC:
Sphinx followed the parasec to the stone. It seemed for real that the Pokémon didn´t feel well with all these new strangers. He catched up and started in a soft voice: {Well, i did want you to ask some question...} Sphinx didn´t know were to start. {Were are you coming from? I´ve gotten interested because i´ve never seen a parasec like you before, so you can imagine that i am really excited. It took quiet some minutes to gather enough courage to ask you for a walk. So you see, i am some kind of afraid too.} Surely Sphinx did want to ask many questions but for now he waited for the answers from the parasec, so he looked at him with big eyes. Watching every detail from the exotic Pokémon type he never had seen before, he begun to snarl again.

_____________________________________​

Meanwhile Thunder had climbed down Amarezoth again and walked to the Kirlia. He felt some kind of mad because Sphinx was so mean to the Kirlia. He did want to excuse for his friend, and even if Amarezoth and Sphinx didn´t trust this Kirlia, Thunder thought other wise. He saw that the Kirlia was busy talking to an unown, a mysterious Pokémon which he was afraid of. How does an unown eat? And what does it eat? If it copy's somebody's emotion and character, is it thinking the same as the copied person? The Raichu waited until the Kirlia had finished talking to the unown, then he went to it. {Hi there. Sorry if i am interrupting you but, errm... i did want to excuse for what my friend was babbling about. Sometimes he doesn´t know when to shut up. By the way, my name is Thunder.} He stopped for some moments. What wasn´t the best option Thunder had chosen, but it was clear that he had to do it quick. Surely the Kirlia was thinking bad of him and the others, but Thunder had calculated with that. Of course, the tribals and ornaments in his face didn´t give him the friendliest look, but he tried to make the best from the situation. {I would like to talk to you under four eyes if you have the time.} he added to his last sentence.

_____________________________________​

Amarezoth walked up to the tour leader. "Excuse me..." he started. "I don´t want to disturb you but... when is the tour going on? You know, my Pokémon and i got interested in the shrines history so we want to continue..." For real he had gotten interest in the shrine. The hole place was very interesting Amarezoth realized. He never had seen a shrine. Then Amarezoth noticed the dog Pokémon near it´s trainer. "A very fast Pokémon you have there." he said, while looking to the new trainer. The girl looked quit normal so he tried to have a normal small talk without that his Pokémon or his stupid phone could interrupt him. "I am Amarezoth. What´s your name?" he asked the girl.

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Nyu, actually Nigma, I hate coffee. Mira, however, is a downright addict on account of her need to be out and about treasure hunting. xD I always make a point of distinguishing between my characters and my real-world self. :3

IC:

Serenade listened to Edgar's account with considerable interest, 'Remarkable...' the Kirlia thought for himself, 'He seems to have answered my real question before I even asked it, but...no feelings of his own'? None at all? intelligent though he was, the Kirlia had a hard time grasping this concept, although he was - by now - quite convinced that the Unown was being truthful. Even though he was somewhat unusual for one his kind, Serenade was still an emotion pokémon, after all. Try as he might to distance himself from it, judging by emotion was woven into his very being, and needless to say, a creature possessing no emotions whatsoever...it just made him feel uneasy. Kirlia - just like Ralts and Gardevoirs - relied on reading emotions to discern the motives of those around them and thus identify treaths, but with Edgar this wasn't an option at all.

{But...} Serenade let out without thinking, {How can-} he cut himself off abruptly, however, realizing how rude the question would be, {No, never mind. My mouth is moving faster than my mind, it seems, excuse me...} with that, the psychic type turned his attention elsewhere, willing the question out of his mind and hoping that Edgar hadn't caught onto it. 'How can you live without emotion?' that was what he had been about to ask, but no...how could he possibly pose such a question to the Unown? It couldn't help being what it was, and just because the Kirlia was feeling uncomfortable it didn't give him the right to question Edgar's right to exist. Fortunately, Thunder arrived in the middle to save the potentially awkward situation.

{Don't trouble yourself on his account.} Serenade replied to the apology, {Whatever issue that Persian has with me we shall sort out between the two of us. But yes, you may have a word, certainly.} he paused, {How much privacy were you expecting, though?}

"Hmm?" Mira looked up as Amarezoth approached her with a question, the girl instinctively shifting her position a bit closer to Tori's. After all, some primeval instinct told her, where was the harm in playing it safe?

"Oh, the tour..." she mumbled, her eyes focused on an unspecified point in front of her as she took another sip of the coffee. The sun seemed to have discreetly gone and risen while she wasn't looking, the slight rosy tints in the horizon now replaced with a seamless, clear blue and the snow glittering in the sunlight. The wind was still a pain, of course, and with the snow reflecting most of the sunlight right back where it came from, leaving little change in the temperature. The coffee had gone a long way to warm Mira up, though, and consequently helped her to forget the aching hunger in her stomach. Still, getting a move on might be a good thing, but on the other hand...she had kind of promised the opposite a while ago. She couldn't go around taking back her words at every turn, could she?

"In a while." the girl concluded, nodding, "Can't go making contradictory decisions every step on the way, can I? If it's the history you're after, though, I might be able to fill you in, though."

'Goodness...' Mira thought, surveying Amarezoth carefully as if this was the first time she had properly noticed him, 'He looks weirder than I realized. And what's with that weird red mark?' she decided against asking, though, as the way Amarezoth was right now - standing tall and dark right in front of her - gave his appearance a slightly creepy edge and she didn't feel like pissing him off. Fortunately, something soon dawned to the girl that dragged her attention elsewhere 'Hey, wasn't there some stuff on his pokémon too?' she cast a sideward glance at the Persian and felt like kicking herself. Not only did the cat pokémon have markings easily as funky as Amarezoth's, but it was black to boot. How the heck did she let that slip? Thunder had a rather weird look to him too, and not only weird but also...the familiar glint that Serenade had dreaded all morning dutifully appeared in Mira's eyes at the thought, 'Rare...'. Yes, a Persian of that colouring certainly wasn't commonplace, far from it. Her eyes held a certain appraising look to them as she turned them back to Amazeroth. To end up with both his pokémon being rare the guy had to be either extaordinarily lucky or a professional like her. Yes, of course! That explained the phone bussiness, too! Heck, on a normal day Mira's pokégear was ringing virtually around the clock with information from all the treasure hunting contacts she had scrounged up on her travels. It would probably have rang all night too, were it not for the fact that her father had quite bluntly informed her that another midnight wake-up would mean a week's separation from the pokégear.

"I've...got a question of my own, though, if you don't mind." Mira spoke up, her voice now betraying the kind of excitement that it only contained when she was on the verge of a very promising discovery, "Those pokémon of yours...they're...rather unusual, aren't they?" she began tentatively, searching for the right way to approach the subject, "So, um...where did you get pokémon like that? That is, if you don't mind me asking."

OOC: Nyah, I figured that it was kind of odd for Mira not to have payed proper attention to unusual-looking pokémon earlier on, but it would have been too artificial to just alter it mid-dialogue. The coffee, however, worked as a perfect bridge. xD

 

[Light_Azumarill]

OOC: If I could somehow turn off the tastebuds that register bitterness, then I might be able to find coffee drinkable. ^^; Coffee tends to make my face scrunch up in distaste. >> Wow! Alter doesn't like coffee too! That makes my mental list of people I know that don't like coffee 4 people long now! XD

Coffee's great for those who need to stay up all night for schoolwork and whatnot, but for those of us who can't drink it, we need to come up with more creative ways. Or just suffer. ^^


Emilie
~~~~~~~

Arthur was still quite afraid of this ghost pokemon. Why he continued to stand there as it revealed that it was indeed dead was beyond him. He could just run off and hide from it. He could even request that Emilie put him away, but... what good would that do? He really did like being out of his ball, for he never really got used to the whole pokeball thing. Being a pet for so long made him into a creature that enjoyed the freedom of the outside.

He gulped heavily and looked at the scary pokemon before him. {Uh... no, I g-guess that's all I wanted t-to ask,} he paused, considering the floating spirit, {M-my name's Ar-Arthur.} The last part was small and high-pitched, as if someone had been tightening the poor pup's throat. Actually, there was something tightening his throat; fear.

Emilie smiled a little at Arthur, glad that he was at least trying. She hoped that the Misdreavus would continue being kind to him, because after all, it was a tricky pokemon. She turned her gray-blue eyes up though, as Amarezoth had walked up to Mira and began asking about when the tour was starting again. It hadn't been too long since their rest, but with Mira looking much better now, Emilie could venture a guess that they would be starting up again soon. To her surprise, Amarezoth decided to strike up a conversation with her next. She took a moment to observe the interesting appearance of the young man, and found herself curious about the reasons behind it. Such a question would be too personal though, and so she kept the thought to herself.

She smiled at his comment about Arthur, "Yes, well I'm afraid he's only fast when he's scared to death. Otherwise, he's just normal. In battle he has been getting a bit quicker though." She paused for a moment, "I'm Emilie Ennes. My two pokemon are Arthur, the Houndour, and Edgar, the Unown." She indicated each of her pokemon with a small hand gesture.

Then Mira decided to ask a question to Amarezoth, and as Emilie listened, she noticed the girl's tone held a rather strangely excited sound. It wasn't really excited though, but that was the closest thing Emilie could pinpoint it as. Edgar would be the one to really know.

Edgar was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable about this conversation with Serenade, which meant he wasn't the only one to feel this way. The psychic pokemon seemed to be on the verge of asking a very difficult question for Edgar to answer. He didn't think he could explain it properly to anyone really. After all, every being had its own idea of what it was to live, and as he was always a reflection of them, his own feelings on the subject changed often. Edgar's thoughts on the subject were interrupted by the Raichu that had earlier been trying to speak with Arthur.

{Oh, um, I'm Edgar,} he spoke, almost timidly. He suddenly felt as if everyone here was aware of how different he looked.

 

[Nigma]

Occ: Weeee! I know your problem with coffee. If you use electrical old fashioned coffee machines, the taste is bitterness, because you have to use filters. But we use another kind of machine where a filter isn´t needed. So my coffee is quiet natural and without bitter filter taste... ^^

Amarezoth

"Where i get my Pokémon?" he repeated the question. It seemed Mira had some interest in his two friends and it wasn´t the right thing he needed now. I can´t tell the truth here... Well, i think i can shorten everything. I hope nobody finds out…. Because he first had spoken to the girl named Emilie, he decided to reply and answer Mira's question in one turn. "Emilie, it´s nice to meet you. These are my Pokémon Sphinx..." and he made a gesture to the black Persian "...and this is thunder..." showing the mouse some meter's behind him. He felt like explaining him to both of them. "Well Mira, to explain, i had have many different Pokémon all the years..." he, i stole the most of them... "...but these two are my friends who won´t leave ever my side. It took a long time, a hard journey and much different dangerous fights to get them, but we finally found each other. It´s difficult to explain the details." he slightly noticed the strange tone in her voice and that she watched his both Pokémon so intense. Hmmm... It seems she has some questions she doesn´t want to ask me right now... Of course he knew the reason of the ornaments and why the Persian was black. "Thunder! Come here. The tour is going on soon. Sphinx?!"

___________

Thunder

{If we reach the shrine, i think we can talk a bit under four eyes without that anyone disturbs us.} It was quiet important to speak to the Kirlia, but he had to watch the Kirlia more, and to tell him he had to be very carefully. Amarezoth didn´t like if the Raichu did something like that but this time it had to be done. He nodded to the Kirlia that they would speak together soon. Then he turned to the unown. {Hi Edgar! Nice to meet you. You are a psychic type too, aren´t you? So you are surely very powerfully.} For real, he didn´t know what to say to the unown. {Hmmm…} he had a strange feeling in his stomach. Woaaah! I almost forgot! I have to unload my voltage tension. I wasn´t in a battle for almost… 5 days! The last thought in mind his tale started to load intense high electrical energy, so some sparks could be seen. {Hrrrm…. Well, perhaps we can continue our… eh… conversation later… uhh… I have to… have to unload some energy… isn´t easy to be… electrical… and my trainer… calls…} Slowly the sparks crawled down his tail. I have time left… Because the Raichu was like every electrical Pokémon a very big store for energy, but if the container was full, the energy would find his way out. This is the time Thunder would hurt himself by his own energy. He got in a hurry to be back to his trainer. The pain he would feel were surely too much for him...

 

[Kogenta]

Reith quietly observed the other group members and their Pokemon, his eyes naturally tracking movements and noting the unique subtleties of each person or Pokemon's gestures. Meanwhile, Reith's own Pokemon, Kasen, was pensively silent as she stood at Reith's side. Genki's earlier comment about a mating gift had thoroughly troubled the young Ponyta. Still, the Kirlia belonging to the tour group leader had thoroughly refuted the ice type's idea, and a Pokemon such as Serenade was surely to be more trusted in opinion than a mere Swinub, right? Right?

As her agitation grew, Kasen's fire output unconsciously increased until she stood in an ever-increasing pool of water, and flames completely hid one of Reith's arms. At the sound of Reith's voice, the horse Pokemon was snapped abruptly from her reverie.

"Hey, Kasen?"

The Ponyta's mane and tail flared in a sudden burst as she quickly turned. "Yes?!" Her voice was high-pitched with surprise and eagerness as she spoke.

Smiling in bemusement, Reith lay a hand against her neck as he answered, "Calm down . . . I just wanted to ask if you were alright. You seemed . . . agitated, to say the least."

Suddenly aware of the fire streaming out of her, Kasen nodded timidly as she lowered her flames to their customary levels. "Yeah . . . " was all she could say.

"You've had a pretty tough morning. Maybe you should take a rest in your Pokeball."

Kasen lowered her head, not wanting to be parted from Reith, but at the moment lacking the will to protest. At last, she nodded somewhat miserably, mumbling, " 'Kay. As long as you promise to bring me out later."

The white-haired trainer ran a hand reassuringly through his Pokemon's mane. "A promise--as long as you promise to get some rest." With a flick of his wrist, Reith had slid a gleaming Luxury Ball into his hand and expanded it. Seconds later, Kasen vanished in a stream of red light.

After a moment of gazing in silent laughter at the miniature lake of water Kasen had left behind, Reith reattached his Ponyta's Pokeball to his bracelet and resumed his observation of the group. So many different personalities in one place. It's pretty remarkable if you think about it. He placed his hands behind his head and interlocked his fingers, allowing his head to rest back against his arms. Really remarkable . . .

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Heh, Kasen freaked just as I imagined she would. Poor little Ponyta...xD Anyway, coffee...bleah, it's not just a matter of the filter for me. It's the very taste of the coffee part of it that I can't stand. Oh well, I can still get my caffeine from Coca-cola. I just have to drink more of it. xD

IC:

Mira listened intently to Amazeroth's explanation, nodding in understanding at the right places. 'Evasive...' the girl thought for herself, '...very evasive indeed, Mr.Amazeroth. But...' for a split-second a scheeming grin flashed across her features, but it was replaced with a sweet little smile just as quickly, '...I have my ways...and if you think you're hiding a bounty of rare pokémon from me with tricks like that then you're sorely mistaken. I promise you that...as one treasure hunter to another.'

Yes, surely only a treasure hunter could be so vague about treasure? Your average lucky trainer wouldn't pass up on such a perfect opportunity to brag. The nagging little voice of reason at the back of her mind told Mira that this was probably not the case, that a guy that creepy-looking might very well have less scrupulous ways of obtaining rares, that a 'hard journey' could be done in other places than the wilderness...but the voice was silenced at the moment, overridden by the loudest side of Mira's personality - the ambitious treasure hunter who showed about as much self-restraint in the presence of potential finds as a Meowth did in an unprotected jewelry shop.

"Oh, don't worry about it." the girl volunteered sweetly, "No need to rush the details, I'm sure they'll come to you in time." 'and I'll be buggered if I don't pull them out of you when they do' she added in her mind. Noting that Reith had moved to return his adorable little Ponyta to its ball, Mira suddenly recalled a question that had been left unasked, "Excuse me for a moment." she said, nodding at Emilie and Amazeroth, "There's something I want to verify, and after that I think it's time we move on again. Wouldn't want to miss the shrine, right?" with that, she turned on her heel and walked off towards Reith.

"Hey." Mira began, tapping the boy lightly on the shoulder to get his attention, "Thanks for the coffee, but I was just wondering...what did you want me to do with this bag?" she demonstratively lifted up the bag Reith had handed her a while ago, "Did you want me to look after it for you or something?"

Serenade, meanwhile, was considering Thunder's proposition of private talk. Now he was far from trusting Amazeroth or anyone closely associated with him, but the Raichu's emotions betrayed no hint of ill intent. Then again...he pondered, just because the electric mouse's intentions seemed to be innocent, it didn't mean that Sphinx or Amazeroth couldn't have tricked him into being the middle man.

{Well...allright} the old Kirlia concluded at last, {But the meeting will have to be brief as I don't wish to be away from the group for long.} he cast a sideward glance at Mira, noting the familiar gleam in her eyes, {I'd rather not take any chances with the shrine again.}

 

[Mika]

Name: 秀吉誇示 (Hideyoshi, Koji)
Age: 十七歳です (17)
Gender: 男の子 (Male)
Personality: (Enough with the Japanese, I know I know…. but you see I just couldn't resist. :3)

Koji is as a boy with a mask hiding most of his true emotions and intentions. On the outside he appears as though he's nothing more than a orphaned child who acts too ridiculously optimistic for his own good and yet when his mask comes off, he is a completely different person. He's almost always smiling, being an arrogant (though he knows his limitations) but quiet boy and will find the dragging depressed loner the-world-hates-me person in any given party and dunk them into a snow bank til they're somewhat happy (if they're not faking it, he always knows; always) or will find some way to impale himself so as to change their mood. He had a good teacher he says, when asked why he even bothers, and that teacher was as bad as they can get.

He's not an airhead. Arrogant at times yes, but he's incredibly smart. He knows an incredible deal about technology and doesn't hesitate to show it when he's needed. He's the one who's going to threaten you in his sweet little way when you're ill and refuse to rest. He's sometimes called a "prince" because he tends to stay out of conflicts and confrontations unless he's been told to or he senses some imminent need for him to get involved. He is sometimes viewed as a cold hearted jerk for those 'tough love moments' but then again, the person most likely needed it.

But-he's not your average perfect Prince Gary, with no internal demons or flaws.

Koji has a tendency to show his unmasked side, his violent vicious side, in two situations, either of which must involve an attack on his family or on a girl/child. He simply cannot stand people who pick on small, 'defenseless' children. He's put three people into critical care from such events, enough said.

Appearance: The first thing anybody would notice about Koji is his striking mid-back-length navy blue 'shiny hair'. A bit of it always falls into his eyes but most of it is always secured in a low ponytail at the base of his neck. Around his head, he's normally got a purple headscarf that is tied just above his ponytail and the headscarf is adorned with tiny Fuchsia [-can't spell at 6am-] City symbols contrasting against the base purple fabric by being black and are almost barely visble at times. His sharp green eyes are said to glisten in the cold and being as this place is oh-so-cold, they glisten but not with that "teary" glisten but rather with that glisten of 'Oh-my-muffins-can-it-get-any-freaking-colder'-ness.

Underneath his black(And of course, very warm) cloak/trench coat (Also adorned with a Fuchsia symbol on the back) he has three layers. Starting above the basic undergarments most everybody wears, he has a layer of a black t-shirt and a pair of long-underwear like pants (Also black) that snuggly hold the heat in. Above this layer he wears his normal clothing which is actually relatively simple. He has three pairs of white socks overlapping each other on his feet under the navy almost black steel-toed boots, a pair of baggy but not falling off him purple cargo pants, a black sweatshirt (Also emblazed with the Fuchsia Emblem if anybody wanted to know) and the cloak/trenchcoat he wears over all of it. He also has a pair of almost skiing goggles strapped to his head and it would take somebody with a brain to note said-goggles aren't just normal goggles and have several nice little features (Temperature, heat sensor, the normal extra little features) built into it and it matches in color, black of course, with the leather finger-forming gloves on his hands to keep his fingers warm.

[The trench itself is somewhat like the trench in KH2 that the XIII wear but it's different. >.< I actually somewhat drew it out but my scanner decided to go live with my sister…who spilled coke on it and now it doesn't work so lemme give it to me friend Seph so she can scan it in for me mmkays? Mmkay. :3]

Pokémon: [>.> I know we can't have a "Fully evolved" team… but I want these three anyway. D: -clings- Mineeeee Also, I know Kogenta has a Ponyta but Sakuya is the most important pokemon to Koji. xP You'll find out why later.]

Name: Chabok
Species: Arbok
Appearance: Nothing but your typical average Arbok here, at first glance anyways. He's got the normal purpley stripes and cobra-like head but if you look a wee bit closer, you'll see a small little crest just below his head on his back in the shape of some sort of kanji-character and it doesn't seem like a natural birthmark he was born with.
Personality: Chabok, or Cha, as Koji calls him, is the most obnoxious arbok you've probably ever met. He does not like humans and he really has no reason to, thus he acts like a satanic little monkey and plays the worse pranks imaginable on absolutely everybody he can get his tail wrapped around. He is by far the strongest, aside from Sakuya, in Koji's party and he acts like the boy would be lost without him. Then again, the arbok is a sucker for baby pokemon and has taken a bit of a fathering position to Koji's infantile Igglybuff, who in turn runs to him for protection
History: Cha was given to Koji as an Ekans from Koga himself when he graduated from the Ninja Academy in Fuchsia City at the tender age of four. There really isn't that much more to say about him; he's always around the boy and tho he acts like an uncarring loaf, he does give a great deal of love to his trainer when nobody else is looking.

Name: Sakuya
Species: Rapidash
Personality: Sakuya has that motherly attitude about her that anybody could tell from a mile away. She's incredibly patient and will tolerate just about anything anyone can do to her. You can maim her mane, twist her tail, grab her neck a little hard and she'll just stand there and take it but you touch her foals (Meaning anything little that cuddles up against her at night) and she'll maim your face She's very overprotective in a good sort of way.
History: Koji had apples. Sakuya was hungry. Koji lost his apples. Koji gained a Ponyta

Name: Plush
Species: Igglybuff
Personality: Plush is a baby who likes shiney things. She takes the shinies and keeps them in the little pink bag Koji's cousin made for the puffball and enjoys long naps on Sakuya's warm warm back. When she's scared, she clings to Chabok or Sakuya, whoever's closer and if none of them are out (because she's normally napping in Koji's backpack) she'll cling like a small child to Koji's chest.
History: Koji bought an egg from a suspicious looking salesman and three weeks later after many many steps he had himself a fluffy Plush.

History: Simply put (Because this is already four pages in Microsoft Word) Koji grew up in Fuchsia City as the nephew of the Fuchsia Gym's Leader and for the first ten years of his life, everything was given to him on a silver platter. Yes, he still trained and was often returning to his parent's estate up north by the Safari zone with more bruises than a month old banana, but he was given individualized attention. At eleven, he was considered a graduate ninja trainer and was sent out to become a ninja master. From time to time, he is given a note via a Carrier Pidgey that gives him specific instructions as to what he must begin doing. A few weeks prior to his arrival on the snowy hell, he was told to investigate this Alvene and get the basic low-down on what it was like. So, stopping his Johto run-of-things, he skittered away to the nearest port and arrived in Alvene a few weeks later.
Other: It's not supernatural but Koji is a bit of a master at Koga-like skills (Substitution and incredible running speed for the msot part) but I won't go over the top.
RP Sample: [ >> I'll add it if you absolutely must have it but I have delayed quite a bit in getting this up. Anywho, accept me and I'll offically make a first posty. ]

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Well, since you specifically asked for the official procedure...^-^

@Mika-chan: Formal requirements are met and the character looks fun, so you are hereby...~Accepted~ Now go on and post, your RP master commands it. xD

 

[Mika]

-OoC-

Yay! HAppy blue text! ^-^

Anyways, I shall post, just let me take care of my smoldering oven? My mom thought I was watching the food and vice versa and we almost had a fire on our hands. ^-^

 

[Kogenta]

"Eh?" Reith glanced toward Mira as he felt her touch his shoulder, falling quiet until the girl had voiced her question. "Oh, the bag," he replied casually, turning to fully face Mira as he continued, "The bag is yours--and what's in it, of course. I'd like it if you ate the food, but that's really your decision." The pale-eyed trainer lowered his hands to his side and smiled apologetically. "Sorry if I wasn't really clear about that. But, yeah. The bag's all yours." He laughed slightly before another thought occurred to him. As he dug his wallet out of his pocket, Reith added, "Um, just remembered something. It alright if I ask you a quick question?"

The trainer flicked his wallet open and, after a moment of searching, slid out a photo of a man. The photo was somewhat worn at the edges and slightly bent, yet clearly well-cared for, indicating that the photo had been with Reith for some time and was of value to him. The pictured male had short, brown hair and eyes of dark, deep blue that seemed to carry an ocean of thought. Though older than Reith, the man's face bore several similar features. A background of snow-covered fields leading up to a series of icy mountains suggested that the picture could have been taken in Eseka--or at least a region that had a similar climate and terrain. Holding up the photo for Mira to see, Reith asked, "Do you recognize this man? He may have come to Alvene a while back . . . My guess is that if he was here, it would have been over a year ago, but I'm not really sure. He's a meteorologist, if that helps."

[OOC: Whether or not Mira recognizes him (Reith's father) is your decision, Alter Ego. ^-^;; I do not know what your plans for the RP are, but if you feel Reith's backstory might somehow support your ideas, feel free to use it.]

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Nyah, I think Reith's backstory could fit in very well, so I say she recognizes him. ^-^

IC:

"The bag is yours--and what's in it, of course."

At the statement, Mira fell into silence for a moment, the bag...was hers? He had gone through all that trouble for her?

"Really?" her voice was little more than a whisper and probably went unnoticed as the male continued...

"Sorry if I wasn't really clear about that. But, yeah. The bag's all yours."

Sorry? After all this he was apologizing? At the second confirmation, something inside the girl finally clicked into place, her hand calmly and carefully returning the lid to the coffee cup, after all...it wouldn't do to spill the stuff on anyone...not when her natural reaction was just about over the delay period and about to erupt in all its fury...

"Thank you!" the outburst was so sudden that Serenade nearly jumped up in shock, although the same was probably true for anyone within close proximity of the girl. Mira could be a very loud young lady when the situation waranted it. Led by the same impulse - which moved way faster than any rational thought process - she proceeded to give Reith a hug. Although truth to be told, the force involved would probably have passed for a vicegrip. A few awkward seconds later, this fact caught up with Mira, as did the fact that she had just hugged a near-stranger - a near-stranger who was a boy, to top it all - in the middle of a crowded street and right in front of the tour group. It was pure dumb luck that her grandma hadn't been around, as she'd certainly have gotten such an earfull for her 'unscrupulous behaviour' that the resulting noise would have alerted the rest of the town. Dahlia Tanglebrook was very mindful of her family's scruples.

Blushing rather heavily, Mira relinquished her grip, "Sorry about that." she mumbled, chuckling in a rather embarassed way, "It's just that that was the nicest thing anyone has done for me since...well, my last birthday, I guess."

Noting the increased awkwardness of her position, the girl was glad for the change of topic that the photograph brought, eyeing the picture carefully. There was definitely something familiar about that face, no doubt about that, but that could just be because it looked decidedly...well, Reithish. Still, there was something else...something about those blue eyes with their seemingly endless depth that stirred a memory from Mira's past...

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

It was a cold winter night. Outside, a storm was raging, fierce gales howling non-stop and seeming to shake the house itself. Needless to say, Mira wasn't one to sleep under such conditions. She had always loved storms for some reason - well, as long as she could watch them from inside, wrapped in a warm, cozy blanket anyway - they were so beautifully...wild, so free, and a storm this impressive? She wouldn't have missed it for the world. That was why she had played nice with her dad and grandma, not arguing against the bedtime and even agreeing - without objection - to put on that old-fashioned white night gown that her grandma just loved to put on her. It had belonged to Mira's mother when she was that age, and apparently passing down old garments was part of the proud history of the Tanglebrook women, although Mira suspected that it was mostly a matter of her grandma's nostalgia.

Oh well, Mira concluded as she sat on her bed with the sheet wrapped around her, staring out into the maelstorm of white snowflakes against the black night sky, it had been well worth it. Grandma semeed to have been so content with having ushered her to bed without effort that she hadn't bothered to come and check up on her more than once. Dad had seemed strangely relieved too, come to think of it, which was rather peculiar. It just then that the girl realized that the more impressive storm was the one on the inside of the house.

"Absolutely not!"

Even through the thick wooden door and over the noise of the gale, the voice of Dahlia Tanglebrook was audible, and it obviously wasn't pleased. This was quite the dilemma for Mira, on one hand, the storm was awesome and she didn't want to risk it subsiding while she was preoccupied elsewhere, but on the other...if both her dad and her grandma had conspired for Mira not to hear this conversation then surely it was something she simply had to hear. With this in mind, Mira slipped out of the bed and the warming comfort of the sheet - if somewhat reluctantly - and pushed the door open as quietly as she could, slipping out through the narrow gap she had made with trained ease. The floor was unpleasantly cold under her unprotected feet and the gale felt like it was blowing straight through the house as she crept down the corridor, trying her best to keep her teeth from chattering. Mira's room was on the second floor, and there was only a decorative hand rail to obstruct her view to the kitchen on the floor below. It was the only room lit at the moment and so obviously the place of the conversation. Truth to be told, the noiseless movement was pretty redundant in this case, however, as between the howling of the wind and the loud, authoratize voice Dahlia Tanglebrook, a 15-year old girl would have been hard pressed to make herself heard even if she had wanted to. A half-hearted attempt had been made to shut the door, but with the hinges being what they were it had swung partially open again, a fairly wide beam of light spilling out from within. The gap was pretty large, so a person with enough agility and the correct knowledge could have gotten quite a good peek inside from the second floor without running any serious risk of detection.

Needless to say, Mira was such a person, lowering herself down on her stomach and carefully edging her upper body below the decorations of the rail, although she took care to take a firm grip of the rail with one hand. It was all fun and games until you fell down by a floor, after all, not to mention that that would have called for one heck of a good explanation when she was discovered.

By the kitchen table, two people were clearly visible, locked in conversation with someone on the other side who could surely be none other than Dahlia. The first one Mira easily recognized as her father, and his frustrated expression was quite a clear indicator of which way the debate was going, but on his left...the girl squinted, taking a closer look at the features of the stranger. In contrast to Mira's father he looked very calm and composed and above all...well, neat. The short, brown hair was neatly cut, in contrast to Mr.Tanglebrook's messy mop, and there was something peaceful about his countenance which stood in stark contrast to the others in the room.

"This is ridiculous!" Mr.Tanglebrook exclaimed in frustration, "Mr.Yamata only wants to take some measurements! It's not like he's going to harm the mountain! Why can't you just guide him there?!"

"Because it is sacreliege, son-in-shame!" Daliah retorted at the top of her lungs, "To even think of disturbing the peak of the dawnbringer-I should disown you for bringing this-this heretic into the same house as my blessed granddaughter! I will not jeopardize the fate of the world for the sake of a mere merkonomist!"

"Meteorologist." Mr.Tanglebrook corrected her sternly, "And keep Mira out of this. She may be your granddaughter but I'm her father! And don't you dare-" his voice quivered with anger, "Don't you dare suggest that I would do something to put her in danger!"

"You already have, son-in-shame." Dahlia hissed back, her voice dripping with venom, "There are wards on these places, wards older and stronger than you could possibly comprehend, and they don't care who-"

"Please, calm down."

Even though the man's voice was hardly above a normal conversational level his words had, in combination with the raising of his hands in a gesture of peace, somehow managed to silence the argument.

"I'm sorry that my request brought up such emnities between you." he continued calmly, "And I apologize if I unintentionally offended you, mrs. Tanglebrook. I only wish to understand these strange phenomena the local weather goes through, but since we do not seem to be getting anywhere, might I suggest that we postpone this discussion for now? We all seem to be a bit on edge right now, and besides..." his eyes seemed to from one person to the other as he spoke, slowly, calmly, "I think it is about time that went to sleep."

Mira froze, not so much at the words as the fact that those blue eyes with their seemingly infinite depth seemed to be focused on hers. For a moment, just for a tiny moment, the girl thought she caught a glimpse of a smile on his face. It had been something of a general suggestion, but to Mira it was as an unquestionable command. Mr.Yamata had obviously noticed her, and so he would probably steer the conversation away from anything even vaguely interesting, besides...all the lying around was making her muscles stiff and it was cold...freezing cold, to be precise. Why had she even eavesdropped in the first place? Her grandmother's warnings about the wards...they had been different from her usual ranting, so much more...severe. Mira shivered slightly in the hallway, all the shine of her little adventure now gone as she retreated to her room as fast as she dared, carefully shutting the door behind her and practically diving between the sheets, soon drifting to sleep in their pleasant warmth, with dreams of old places, cold, dry air and disturbingly deep blue eyes drifting across her mind.

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

"I-" Mira snapped back from her flashback, feeling slightly disoriented. How long had she been spacing out this time? Oh, she sure hoped that Reith hadn't taken her silence as a 'no' or anything. But then again...Mira bit her lip in thought, should she tell him? That mountain...the Dawnbringer's peak. Her grandmother had made her solemnly swear never to do as much as step on the thing, telling tale after tale of people disappearing on its snow-covered slopes, never to be heard from again, wandering in an eternity of snowstorms and freezing mist. Now Mira didn't give much weight to these stories, but the fact remained that the town council would give the evil eye to anyone who tried to climb it, not to mention that the same would happen to her for having told. Still...the girl considered, Reith had been so nice to her, offering encouragement when she was at her most awkward with the whole guiding thing, bringing her food and coffee when she was hungry...it would be wrong not to let him know.

"Yes." the girl replied at last, nodding, "I think I saw him here a while back, caused a bit of a fuss among the town council for wanting to take measurements from the Dawnbringer's Peak." she paused, "That's a holy mountain, you know, they don't want people trespassing on it. He...came to discuss it with my grandma - she's head of the council, you see - but...I don't know if he got permission or not. Haven't seen him for a good while, though." Mira shrugged, "I'm sorry if that isn't very helpful." she took another brief pause, "Is he...a family member or something?" the girl asked at last, "I mean, you two kind of...well, look alike."

While waiting for a response, Mira absent-mindedly reached into the bag, fishing out the cinnamon roll and taking a somewhat greedy bite. She had still been hungry, after all, and besides, the whole trip down memory lane had left her with an uncomfortably cold sensation which she would rather get rid of.

OOC: Okay, I really don't what Reith's father is like, so if you think that bit in the flashback was OOC of him just tell me and I'll edit, okay? ^-^

 

[Light_Azumarill]

OOC: Yay, Mika's joined! ^^

Anywhoo...


Emilie
~~~~~~~

"Ah, I see," Emilie replied as well to Amarezoth's explanation, as she was a bit interested herself. It was obvious he was avoiding the strange markings for some specific reason, and Emilie was not about to make the young man spill his guts to complete strangers. He was, without a doubt, the strangest of the group; his odd markings were certainly a thing of interest. Did all of them mean the same thing? Or perhaps they were all different things from the same place? Markings were really like wearing name tags in some places Emilie had been to. They let people know who was good, bad, or worse. It also was used as a way to separate their own people. Emilie wondered about this, but placed this though elsewhere at the moment, for Mira was beginning to have another conversation with the other boy, leaving her and Amarezoth alone.

She smiled a bit, "It looks as if the tour will be starting a few minutes more." She paused for a moment, "So why are you here? I myself am here to study the legends and ancient history of Eseka. Hopefully they are worth my time here. I have heard a good deal about this place, but never from anyone who has actually been here. They all say it's too cold to visit as an archaeologist."

Emilie sometimes sounded this way; a bit pompous. Things had to be 'good enough for her,' 'worth her time,' and including a 'broad knowledge.' It tended to make her sound quite stuffy. She was unaware of this most of the time however, and so she was often confused when people showed negative reactions to it.

Edgar nodded to Thunder as the electric pokemon excused himself. {You'll have to excuse me as well,} he sounded oddly anxious, an emotion picked up from Thunder no doubt, {Now that Emilie is engaged in a talk with that boy, I should probably pay attention to Arthur, in case that Misdreavus scares him again.}

 

[Kogenta]

[OOC: If Kasen had been out of her Pokeball when Mira hugged Reith, she (the Ponyta) probably would have fainted. ^-^;;

Also, Reith's father seems pretty in-character. ^-^ He can be strong-willed or aggressive when he needs to be, but also knows when to remain calm.]

For the third time that day, Reith nearly fell over--unlike the first time, however, managing to steady himself before finding himself being hugged rather tightly. Though clearly surprised by Mira's thankful reaction, Reith quickly changed his expression of shock to a reassuring smile as the girl blushed and apologized. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad that you're happy."

Seeing Mira fall silent after receiving his question, Reith also became quiet, lowering the hand that held the photograph as he waited for a reply. She looks like she's pretty deep in thought. Is she trying to recall if she knows him, or is it a specific memory that's in her mind? Moments later, Mira suddenly snapped from her reverie and, after some apparent indecision, proceeded to tell Reith what she knew.

Now was Reith's turn for a thankful reaction, albeit one less extreme than Mira's. Though his eyes had not the dark colour of his fathers, they now possessed a similar vastness--more closely resembling an endless sky than the deep sea. This sky was now lit by a pure light, the same light that lit his face with happiness. "Yes, he's a family member . . . ," Reith began as his expression calmed slightly. He looked down at the picture in his hand. "He's my father. And it looks like he made it to Alvene after all. Thank you for telling me." The trainer's usual smile appeared for a moment as he looked back up, though with the smile was a new note of a little more personal sincerity.

"If I may ask, how long ago were these events you told me about?"

 

[Ibuberu]

{A-Afraid?}Dot repeated Sphinx's words in surprise, wondering how in the world such a tough-looking Persian like himself could feel shy when it came to speaking with him. It astonished the Parasect greatly, causing him to totter to one side as a brief faint feeling overcame him. The bug quickly resumed a sturdy stature, digging his spindly legs into the snow-covered ground before turning to address the cat.

{I-I come from Johto. Many forests are there. And there's n-no snow...}the Mushroom Pokemon glanced at the white substance, allowing himself to pick up a pincer-ful of the snow, feeling it slide out of his smooth touch. Nostalgic feelings blanketed the timid bug for a moment or so, as he tried to remember life in Ilex forest before Rina came along. He flinched once as Sphinx snarled, lowering his pincers when he realised that the cat had no intention of attacking.

{B-But there's never enough berries to go around..}Dot mumbled, adjusting his gaze so he could see Rina. His attention slowly came back to the black Persian near him, as he concluded that Sphinx wasn't all that intimidating, snarl or no snarl, as long as he didn't try bearing any fangs or claws.


-


"Heard that they had a bruises here and there. Achan was bawlin' like a baby cause' he had a scratch on his face. Jojo, he was all disappointed and quiet-like..."Rina answered Hakira's question, nodding as if to assure herself that her words were precise, chuckling once she was done. Taking note that her brothers possessed such odd personalities, it was a wonder that they were related. "Achan decided to return to pranking the customers in the shop. And well, Jojo continued to sulk for abou' a week more."Rina continued, figuring that the younger brother wasn't really thrilled about the fact that he had gone through the last few months for fruitless results. Darn it, proclaiming one's love was really hard, especially when the person you wanted to proclaim to was somewhere across the globe.

"Dun' worry abou' those two goofs. They're fine now, probably waiting for you to return back home though,"Rina laughed, feeling more lively now that she knew someone other than the quiet Tori. She eyed Kushin with curiousity before adding on to her statement, "How bout' you? What you been doing these last few years anyways?"

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Heh, I figured that Kasen would either have had a heart attack or some serious agression release. Guess I was close enough. ^^ Funny how no-one else noticed, though. Or maybe they're all just being really sensitive. xD

Anyway, strong-willed and aggressive? Nice, guess that would warrant him heading out to the dang mountain even without permission, eh? Well, I'll leave that decision up to you. ^-^

IC:

The moment Reith broke that smile of his, Mira was feeling pretty confident that she had made the right decision in telling, and when he revealed the identity of the man in the picture it was effectively confirmed. The girl stopped eating for a moment, quickly swallowing. That missing guy was his father? She couldn't help symphatizing, losing a loved one was devastating in its own right, but having one just disappear for goodness knew how long with no indication of whether they were alive or not? That was enough to drive you mad, yet Reith was possibly one of the calmest people she had ever met and he was smiling practically all the time too. She couldn't even begin to imagine how hard that had to be.

"I'm...so sorry about your dad." the girl mumbled, "That time I saw him was...well, I was fifteen at the time, I think, so it would be about a year ago, give or take a month..." Mira trailed off, feeling slightly guilty over not being able to be more specific. Reith had looked so happy when she recognized that man, and she really didn't want to crush his hopes like that.

"Hey." she proclaimed after a while, an idea popping into her head, "There was a really huge snowstorm here that night. I never forget stuff like that, and those aren't common here. I bet the folks at the weather research institute could tell you precisely when it was. Your dad probably stopped by to talk to them too, someone might remember something." she gave the boy an encouraging smile, "Tell you what, once this tour is over and done with we'll go and talk to them, allright? Someone's bound to have something worth knowing." Mira nodded, as much to convince herself as the boy in front of him.

"Speaking of tours..." the girl added, "Maybe it's time we got back to it." she turned around to adress the group, taking back her guide voice, "Allright, people." she announced, "We're moving out again. Next stop, Dawnbringer's Shrine."

Serenade, meanwhile, had been observing the scene with a smile on his face. Mira certainly seemed to have warmed up to this boy quickly, to actually volunteer going through the bother of helping him - in full knowledge that this would mean that she'd lose precious time by the festival stalls. The Kirlia didn't mind that much, as Reith had proven himself to be a nice young man thus far, and Mira could certainly do with learning a thing or two of his manners, but on the other hand...his eyes narrowed slightly, this boy was just a bit too balanced. For someone to pursue a single goal for years at an end - as Reith must surely have done - it took either unremediable optimism or a very obsessive personality, and the Kirlia knew all too well that obsessions - even well-meaning ones - could easily get out of hand. In fact, it was often the well-meaning ones who caused the worst harm. Still, maybe...just maybe this boy was the optimistic type, and regardless, there was no call to get concerned...yet.

After one last glance, the Kirlia moved back over to Tori's side. The boy seemed to have been doing well enough thus far, but he didn't want to push his luck. Emanating the usual calming sensation, he added in a gentle psychic nudge, suggesting that they get moving before they were left behind.