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Posted by: Wolf Heart Apr 30 2010, 02:12 AM

Sagira stepped out of the bathroom, toweling off her hair. Her pale skin was still damp as she wandered into the living portion of her hotel room. Her eyes flicked to the door, her eyes snagging on the chain lock and the doorknob, both of which were still locked. She turned her attention to the bed, where Umbrae was curled up, seemingly asleep.

She had a rather firm belief that Umbrae wasn’t in the least unconscious. As a houndour, Umbrae was always extremely protective, and Sagira could remember waking up from nightmares about her father to find the canine laying on the bed, staring at the door defensively, as though daring someone to enter.

His eyes were closed now, but Sagira was certain that he was wide awake, watching for danger.

Sagira knew that the compulsion to check the locks on doors every time she stepped into a room was a form of hyperawareness that she should really been somewhat concerned about, but she had never found enough determination within herself to bring up this fact to a doctor (not that she would have gone to any doctor but Dr. Robinson, of course, and Danny already knew about it).

It didn’t really matter, though. It had evolved from being attacked as a child and having grown up with it without too many horrifying effects, Sagira didn’t bother herself with it this time any more than she had previously.

Pulling on a thin long-sleeved black shirt over her bra and buckling a leather belt over loose black khakis. She slipped on a pair of heeled boots and a long black glove over each hand. Stepping in front of the mirror, she ran her hands over her hair. It was still incredibly short and bleached, and while Sagira missed her long black locks, she had no intention of wearing a wig.

Jay, Ivy, and Sagira had been given two weeks of leave after their last mission. Sagira’s concussion hadn’t been overly bad, but the ringing in her ears had been a constant annoyance. Jay’s arm had been causing him a lot of pain, his old wound aggravated by the collapse of the building around them. Ivy was also still recovering. It was good to see her back to her old self, but it was clear that some things had changed. Spending the last week around her, however, Sagira had high hopes.

With half of their leave gone, the three had decided to go out to eat together. They were still arguing over what kind of restaurant (Ivy was adamant in the fact that she wanted biscuits), but it was the company that mattered, in the end.

Sliding a pair of stylish sunglasses on and pulling on a leather jacket, Sagira unlocked the door, whistled for Umbrae, and stepped out into the hall.

It was going to be a good day.

Posted by: Master Houndoom Apr 30 2010, 01:45 PM

"It's not a date."

You keep telling yourself that, Jay, and you might believe it one day.

Jay glanced back at Hinata. He still hadn't gotten to the bottom of her melancholy from the previous weeks, and not for lack of trying. Any attempt to find out the truth, no matter how subtle or abrupt, was met with "I will handle it," spoken in either a calm, gentle tone, or an exasperated one. He had finally decided that, whatever it was, he would have to trust her.

It didn't mean he had to sit back and take her teasing.

"Ivy's coming with us. That's not a date."

Hinata lay on the bed on her stomach, disinterestedly flipping through a magazine, turning the pages with her telekinetic powers. Yes, you're right. You're merely going to dinner with two very attractive women. You poor little celebrity, you.

Jay snorted through his nose, not voicing the opinion that if he had the inclination to view it as a date, Sagira would likely punch his head into his tummy. Instead, he sat down on the bed next to Hinata, putting a hand on the back of her crest, which was a glossy black with latex body paint. "Hinata, I wish you'd talk to me--"

Then I'd have to know the human language, came the sullen reply. Jay sighed, looking at the back of Hinata's head with his lips pressed together, then stood up and walked toward the door. He hadn't made it halfway across the room when he was stopped by a wall of telekinetic force made to feel like cold goose down. Looking up, he saw Siryn floating nearby, her face set in a grim look not unlike the one he had graced Hinata with. Her eyes, however, were not on Jay, but on Hinata.

Bitter Hinata will apologize to Jaytrainyman.

Jay sighed. "It's OK, Siryn, she--"

Siryn turned her look to Jay, then to Hinata, then back to Jay, her eyes filling with something close to warmth, for a ghost pokémon. Bitter Hinata will apologize to Jaytrainyman, not because Siryn says so, but because Bitter Hinata knows Siryn is right and Jaytrainyman is not who Bitter Hinata is angry with. And if Bitter Hinata doesn't get Bitter Hinata's act together, Siryn will tell the whole story not just to Jaytrainyman, but to Sagiracatgirlhotbody and Ivydoggygirlprettyface!

Jay blinked and looked back at Hinata, who was facing Siryn's direction with a similar grim expression, and whose face was just beginning to grow red. She huffed a sigh, then "looked" at Jay. She's meddling where she shouldn't, but she's right. I'm not angry with you. I'm sorry I'm being a jerk.

Jay was stunned. Hinata apologizing, calmly, was another troubling aspect of her recent mood. Despite the fact that it seemed like a good thing, Hinata had always been proud, and fierce, and playful, and this calmness was less like refinement of character and more like the draining of spirit. Jay stepped toward Hinata and put his hand on her crest again.

"I'm here if you need to talk."

I know. But right now you have two beautiful girls waiting for you, and I may sound bitter, but I actually like them too much to make them wait over my petty problems. Go, she insisted when it seemed Jay would protest. Please. I can wait, I promise.

Jay looked at her, then patted his leg. Instantly Videl stood up from her place in the corner, stretched, and trotted to Jay's heal, followed closely by Raven. Jay nodded.

"Raven, I'd like you with me, but I think one of you will need to go to the pokéball." As the two argued, in Videl's case, playfully, over who would be in the pokéball, Jay held a hand up to Cammy and Lady Jaye, who had been perched on the windowsill looking outside, Lady Jaye's facial expression changing with Jay's, almost unconsciously. "I'll call you if I need you, I promise."

Cammy's eyes narrowed, but then, with a start, she looked at Hinata, and nodded nervously.

Jay stepped out the door with Videl following, Raven trotting along behind her with her eyes half hooded, the pokéball debate decided: Neither would, if they could help it, be in their pokéball until they got to the restaurant.

None of them heard as they left, but Siryn turned again to Hinata. Hinata should not try to do what Hinata is going to try to do alone! Hinata needs backup to go in there!

Hinata did not move, but her focus was on Cammy, who swallowed nervously from her place on the window sill next to Lady Jaye. I know how you feel about it, Siryn, but it's something that needs to be done. I'm going in.

Jay was already gone, as was the rest of the new team he was a part of, and so none of them heard Hinata give a sharp, short pained scream.

Posted by: Living Arrow May 3 2010, 04:47 PM

Ivy took missions very seriously. If you didn’t take missions seriously then your probability of failing was greater than it should be. Then again, finding the appropriate balance of serious mission behaviour and chilled gardening-leave behaviour was completely lost on the girl. She was built for recon and like any serious member of Aqua’s Reconnaissance division, Ivy had arrived at the restaurant early. Two hours early.

“Oh, friggy.” Ivy sighed, pouting her lip at the waitress designated to greet patrons for the evening. “So I’s got to wait?”

“I’m afraid so, miss.” The young woman bowed her head formally. “We shall patiently await your return.”

Ivy hung her head sadly and moped out of the restaurant door, her lofty heeled shoes clip-clopping on the sidewalk. She thrust her hands into her deep, woollen pockets and caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection of a shop window. Deep grey knee-length woollen coat with a high collar, black halter-neck underneath with an above-the-knee black skirt and silver strappy shoes. Curled golden hairs loose in waves about her shoulders under a plain black beret - she had become rather fond of berets since Sagira and Jay had done their French married couple disguise.

“All I wants is a bizkit…” Ivy muttered to herself, stalking along the street with an unimpressed frown over her face. She drew her long coat closer around herself and moseyed on, not really paying attention to where she was going – time wasting was harder to do if you planned a route – and soon found herself in a small park lined with fragrant cherry blossom trees. The slight breeze of the evening cast a handful of petals into the open air and fluttering by their visitor as she wandered towards a bench in the middle of the park. She sat down and looked about glumly, wishing the time away so that she could feed her grumbling tummy and thank Sagira for her latest present.

“Big bone is on the top… little bone is on the…” She said quietly to herself, trying to tell the time on the watch that Sagira had given her when she had moved into their quarters outside of the Maw. The small black wriststrip had an equally plain white face with clear number marked in black, two silver bones pointing outwards to tell the wearer what time it was. Ivy loved the watch – not only was it thoughtful, but it was educational, too!

“Good evening.”

“KIBBLES!” Ivy cursed, jumping up and holding her fists up, ready for a fight. What she found standing next to her was a smiling face, rough shaven, with dazzling green eyes that sparkled with mirth. Ivy lowered her fists slowly and rolled her eyes. “Oh. It’s you.”

“Hello Ivy.” Gray sat down on the bench and signalled for her to join him. She checked her watch again – still unsure of how long she had left – and sat quickly, keeping a good distance between them both. They sat in silence for a long moment.

“You look nice tonight. Are you going somewhere special?” Gray asked, huddling inside he fur-lined coat and luxurious red scarf. Ivy had, on the few occasions that she had run into this boy, noticed that he was a man of wealth. How he got it she didn’t know, or care, but it was clear from the way he spoke, carried himself and dressed.

“Dindins.” Ivy replied after a moment of thought. “Just dindins with my friends.”

“Ah, dindins.” Gray nodded sagely. He smiled warmly. “What sort of place are you going to? Somewhere that does savoury biscuit appetisers?”

“I WISH!” Ivy giggled, coughing quickly to hide her delight. Instead, she quickly rose and began to walk away. “Must get back – they’ll be wondering where I am.”

“Oh? What time should you be there?” Gray asked politely.

“Eight o’clock.” Ivy replied with a sniff. This boy made her uneasy. Why did he always look so calm and pleased with himself? Why did he look at her with a permanent smile under those emerald eyes?

“It’s ten past already.” Gray said, his eyebrows raising but the smile never faded. “I could give you a ride there if-”

“Late! Dammit!” Ivy stomped her foot. “Your fault, Gray-man! Now I gotta runs!”

As her heels struck the pavement at a hurried trot, Ivy could help but feel that boy’s eyes watching her hurry away and even without turning back she knew, she knew he would be smiling without fail. Why oh why did he make her act so... so... unserious? That was just silly.

Posted by: Wolf Heart May 10 2010, 02:23 AM

"Ivy's late," Sagira remarked softly, her midnight irises taking a wayward glance to the clock on the wall. She and Jay were sitting in the waiting area, even though it was a quarter of an hour past their reserved time. The cute waitress standing behind the podium eyed them nervously, tugging on the bottom of her blouse and continually trying to straighten her nametag (the name Erin typed in thick black letters over a white, pasty background), which insisted vehemently upon remaining slightly lopsided. Sagira had seen the badly-tied tassles of an apron and the not-quite-right setting of a hat over thick hair before. It was dismally clear that the girl was new at her job, and by the eyes that kept darting around, offering a pleading look to anyone else in a uniform, she was incredibly nervous.

She had tried twice already to seat Jay and Sagira, but she had refused before Jay had been given a chance to speak, saying that they would wait on their friend. It was clear that the girl wanted to seat them badly, but was afraid to ask a third time. She kept glancing over her shoulder and getting wide-eyed in terror every time she spotted what was apparently her manager standing in the kitchen doorway, regarding her with raised eyebrows and a sharp motion toward the two of them. Sagira rather thought that the girl might start hyperventilating soon.

Sagira felt a little bad for snapping at the girl the second time that she had asked. She remembered a job that she'd had a few years ago. It was nothing quite so large as this restaurant - just a small walk-in bakery. Sagira's job had been, of course, customer service, and she had been set in front of a cash register and told to check people out. Her devil-may-care grin and snarky joke had earned her pursed lips and a narrowed glance from her manager, and then the customers had filtered in.

She had to admit, Sagira was rather proud of herself. She had lasted a whole two weeks on the job, performing admirably. She hadn't even made a single child cry. But when a man with a large girth and an even greater ego can waddling high and mightily through the door, demanding in both speech and presence, and rude beyond disbelief, Sagira very short-threaded temper burned to a cinder.

She thought that was probably the first time she had seen a grown man cry.

Of course, she'd been fired five minutes later, but it hadn't been worth to stay, and her elder co-worked had borne an equally disgusted look on her face when the man asked Sagira if she offered any other services that came with cream filling.

So when the petite waitress, looking every bit like a mouse waltzing up to a hungry cat, finally made her way over to the two of them, clutching two menus in her hands to the point where she was fraying them, Sagira couldn't even bring herself to scowl to keep up pretenses. Her smile was gentle and genuine, and she saw the young girl relax slightly. "I suppose we can wait for Ivy at the table," she said softly and, with a not-quite-clandestine sigh of relief, Erin-the-cute-new waitress led them to a booth in a corner of the restaurant.

Sagira threw her off a little when she stepped behind her and slid into the seat that allowed her to see the door, but the girl made no remark and simply swallowed and stumbled over her words as she searched her apron pockets clumsily for a pen. "Um... c-can I get you anything to eat- I mean drink?" Jay had just opened his mouth to speak when the girl let out a soft gasp of surprise. "Oh, wait! That's not my job! Um - your server will be with you in... in a minute, I guess. Um... bye!"

It did not escape Sagira's attention that the girl's mouth was moving as she walked away. Sagira could see her reflection in the window she walked by, her eyes shut and her fists clenched in a manner that screamed how she was berating herself. Sagira couldn't keep a small, humored smile off of her face as she watched the girl, eyes still shut, trip on the rug and nearly knock a server - balancing a tray of steaming seafood - over. There was a hiss of sharp words, a mumbled apology, and then the young waitress dashed, with less grace than a gazelle, out of eyesight.

Sagira snickered slightly under her breath.

"You're a complete sadist," Jay chided, not without a fond smile in her direction.

Sagira flipped through the desert pamphlet on the table, smirking. "You just be glad she wasn't any cuter, Jaybird, or you might have competition."

The window of the mock-hotel didn't give a great view of anything. A street, often deserted, lay below them, and a thick building made of bare stone took up most of the space. It was not the view that Calypso sought, sitting at the window, but the feeling of vastness that stretched before her. Somewhere within that vast, open space, Wajibu ran free.

She had not known him. She knew this, of course - he was all but a stranger to her. In those moments when he had spoken into her mind, however, and they bore a link cast by his strength, she felt connected to him. A bond had formed between them - something palpable and unmistakable. She wished she'd had more time to appreciate it, and could remember it better.

Now, it was lost to her forever.

The soft, tell-tale sound of claws on carpet revealed a presence behind her, but she did not turn around or seek a reflection in the window. It didn't matter.

"I am sorry," Malchior spoke softly, his voice gentle in the stillness of the room. He seemed to hold a sadness within him - one that she could not understand, perhaps because she did not, at the moment, care. "Wajibu was a member of my pack, but he did not take heart with the idea of my becoming bond to a human. I fear my willingness to make myself a tool... a weapon has driven him away from me."

He hesitated, but the ninetails offered no response. "He did not wish to leave you, fire-eyes, and I apologize that my actions might have been the one to end his... bond." When there was still no response from the nine-tailed fox, Malchior bowed his head as he rose to his feet. "I hope you will not think too badly of him... or of me."

The sounds of paws on carpet eventually faded as the absol wandered off. Distantly, Calypso's mind considered the words, but she found she could not really concentrate on them too deeply.

And anyway, it didn't really matter.



The sound of a crash somewhere beyond their sight called both Sagira and Jay's attention and the two of them were on their feet in an instant, hands at their belts. A moment later, Ivy came dashing around the corner, eyes seeking, nose sniffing.

"I's late for dindins!" she wailed and, without so much as an "excuse me," dashed around a bus-boy and under the arms of a waiter balancing three plates piled with food on his arms. She leapt over a waiter who was bent down, retrieving something from beneath a table, and then dashed to a pause next to a stiff-looking waiter who held a tray of four plates, each steaming fresh. Ivy blinked at the savory meals.

"Is any of those a biskit?" she asked sharply, turning almost-fevered eyes to the waiter, who looked quite ready to scream for either security or the dogcatcher.

"Ivy!" Sagira called. The young girl looked up sharply and, spotting Sagira, her white shock of hair unmistakable, bounded over, leaving a rather unimpressed waiter in her wake.

"I's late for dindins!" Ivy declared, fairly leaping into her seat. "But it's not my fault. Some boy kept pestering me."

"A boy, you say?" Sagira asked, grinning mischievously.

"Now's not the time for plotting!" Ivy scolded loudly, shaking her finger in Sagira's face. "Ivy demands a biskit!"

"T-Three for the buffet, then?"

The trio glanced over at their server, who just so happened to be the nervous-looking Erin, who offered them a smile that held less pleasure and more worry over the sanity of her first table. Sagira glanced surreptitiously at the stiff waiter whom Ivy had asked about biskits. He was peering at them and their waitress with a smug expression on his mustached face.

"Yes," Sagira said, turning her eyes back to Erin with a smile that both seemed to ease and frighten the young girl. "Three for the buffet."

"Do they have biskits?

Erin seemed to think it safer to ignore Ivy, as she asked, "And what would you like to drink with that?"

Sagira's eyes maneuvered back to the smug waiter while Jay was ordering. He wasn't staring at their table anymore, but he seemed to be getting a good chuckle out of whatever was on his mind. Sagira snapped her teeth together sharply. She had an idea of what he was up to, and it wasn't likely to happen while she was here.

"Um... miss?"

"Water with lime," Sagira said, narrowing her eyes at the waiter when he glanced their way. He caught her gaze and tried to look busy, but Sagira was hardly fooled. She hoped she had enough cash on her to give Erin a good tip. By the end of the night, the girl would surely deserve one. "And a cup of hot tea with honey," Sagira added, returning her gaze to the nervous young waitress as the girl tried to hold up a small tablet and write on it at the same time. It wasn't going well.

"And... for you?" Erin asked, looking at Ivy.

"I wants the brown stuff!" Ivy declared matter-of-factly, with a sharp nod. "An' a biskit!"

"Brown... stuff..."

"Where's the dindins?" Ivy demanded.

Blinking in fright as Ivy shoved her nose right in the girl's face, Erin pointed in the direction of the buffet. Ivy was out of her seat and scattering people in the aisles before either Jay or Sagira had taken into account which direction Erin had referred.

As the two climbed out of their seats, the waitress looking more than a little harassed, Jay whispered softly to her, "Water will be fine," in regards to Ivy, before following Sagira through the aisle, quite a bit more placidly than their companion.

As though picking up a prior conversation, Sagira gave a steady, agreeable nod, as she muttered, "Definitely a leash."

Posted by: Master Houndoom May 12 2010, 03:32 PM

That anyone could experience this much pain and still function was amazing to Hinata, and the amazement, even admiration, was the only thing keeping her coherent. It acted like a very thin shield, like rubber gloves held up to hot water; the hands didn't get wet, but the heat was still there, and it was barely less painful. Hinata struggled forward.

It was oppressive, and the weight on Hinata's chest felt very real, even though it was a phantom pain. She felt her shield melting, and she retreated, pulling out of the riolu's mind with a shuddering gasp.

OK... OK, give me... give me five minutes, and I'll try again. Cammy, the riolu, blinked with wide eyes and shook her head, the bulbous sensors hanging like pigtails flopping from side to side with her vehemence.

You must not. You must not do this, she projected, doing her best to allow Hinata to "hear" her thoughts without having to touch her mind. She seemed to struggle with words, then burst out, You are inside... you are not inside... you... She cringed, whimpering and holding her head.

Hinata's heart went out to the newest member of Jay's team, and she put a hand on her shoulder, facing her as best she could. <<It's all right,>> she said audibly. <<I know it seems like forever that I'm in there, but if I can find out the source, I can make the pain stop-->>

It is forever! You are in there, you are always in there, the pain is always! Cammy gasped, sobbing, and dropped the top of her head to her paws. You are in there now, and you are in there before now, and you are in there after now, you are always there!

Hinata's eyes crinkled around the edges. <<Cammy, what are you talking about? I was only in there for thirty minutes-->>

Seconds Came a voice behind her. Hinata gave a start, blinking rapidly.

What are you talking about, she snapped, turning to try to face Siryn. The mental voice, however, came from her side now.

Disoriented, isn't the Hinata, the voice cooed acidly. First, the Hinata is touching the Cammy's wrong shoulder and is turned away from the Cammy. Second, The Hinata was only touching the Cammy's mind for thirty seconds.

Hinata's brow furrowed. But... no, you must be mistaken--

'No, you must be mistaken'! Siryn said in a whiny mockery of Hinata's mental voice. Siryn is not mistaken! Siryn has been watching the Hinata in order to make sure the Hinata is not hurt, and this is the thanks Siryn gets?! As she spoke, she puffed up to three times her size, looming over Hinata and Cammy. Cammy cowered. Hinata wasn't affected in the slightest.

I'm sorry, Siryn, Hinata said, truly contrite. Then her head snapped up. You said 'you' in a sentence!

Siryn rolled her eyes, still gigantic. No, Siryn did not. The Hinata said 'you' in a sentence. Siryn merely mocked the Hinata, using the Hinata's words. And why is Hinata not frightened of how Siryn is so big?!

Hinata blinked, then her eyes hooded. Slowly, she lifted her hand and waved it in front of her pale, milky eyes.

Siryn deflated. Oh, right! The Hinata is blind!

Hinata huffed breath through her mouth and turned to regard Cammy again. OK, here we g-

-----

Jay smirked, bringing his plate to the table. Ivy's had been stacked high, mostly with meats and starches. Sagira's, on the other hand, had a moderate portion of vegetables, rice, and fish. Jay looked down at his own plate, lined with poultry and a moderate amount of potatoes, higher than Sagira's but dwarfed by Ivy's, who, now that he looked, had not only balanced meat and starches, but at least two bowls of brown liquid, for dipping.

He hoped it was for dipping.

Down her arm she had a smaller plate, balanced rather well, piled with plenty of biscuits, both the western, large muffinesque bread type, and the European small shortbread cookie type. Jay rolled his eyes. So much for that quandary.

As he sat, Jay found his eyes drawn to their waitress. Sagira was right. The girl was cute, in a bumbling, klutzy kind of way. Kind of like the way Ivy was cute, only less feral.

He knew one thing, and if he had observed Sagira correctly, she agreed with him. There was a male waiter who was being all too smug watching her.

Jay had grown up in Jubilife, but once he'd gotten tired of the glitz and glamor and falseness of the city, he'd insisted to his parents that he get a job, a real job, and make his own money for a while. His mother, of course, while not trying to talk him out of it, had warned him that he'd basically had it easy before then, and that having a job was no walk in the park. His father had simply looked at him, chuckled and shook his head, and handed him an address. A new restaurant wanted waiters. "Everyone," he said, "treats waiters the same, no matter who they are."

Jay had worked that job for a year, and it was grueling, yet exactly what he had felt he needed; No one fawned all over him because of his parents fame. People did fawn over him because of his looks, but there had been nothing he was willing to do over it now.

In the course of the job, there was a waiter who was a smug, devious bastard, and Jay had run afoul of him for some reason or another (to be fair, Jay, at the time, could be a bastard himself). Every time that guy had gotten one over on Jay, mostly in the beginning, he had a look of smugness, similar to the ass-waiter that Jay was now convinced was supposed to be waiting their table.

Erin was going to get the biggest tip he could give.

The waitress had a small tray in her hand, holding the five drinks they had ordered (Jay had asked for a lemonade, and had also thought the tea with honey was a good idea). There was a flash in his peripheral vision, and he felt the strong urge to move as Erin stepped on a spoon awkwardly, overbalanced, and pitched forward, the tray of drinks just beginning to rock forward dangerously.

Jay's hands moved as if on their own, catching the edge of the tray with his right as he managed to right Erin with his left, bumping her with his hip as she stumbled, in a way that somehow managed to help her balance rather than hinder it.

"Oh, dam- I mean... I'm so sor-"

"You should watch where you're going," sniffed the waiter, in a tone so familiar Jay found his eyes rolling of their own free will.

He smiled at Erin and handed her the tray, carefully, then turned to face the ass-waiter. "You should know, a spoon dropped off of your tray. I think that's what she tripped on. Darnedest thing, too, it happened just when she couldn't possibly see it."

The waiter's eyes narrowed, but, of course, he couldn't say anything in rebuttal. "It was, then, a good thing you were there, sir," he said silkily, feigning boredom.

Jay looked at the man, smirking as he bent to pick up the spoon, then did a double take. "Hey, weren't you a waiter at Chez Chimecho?" The man's face snapped up, his brow furrowed. "Did they ever solve their salty fish problem?"

The man's eyes widened, and he stood so quickly that he nearly backed into the table. Jay grinned. "Man. This must suck for you, a waiter at a buffet..."

The ass-waiter turned, quickly heading to the other side of the restaurant. Jay shook his head, chuckling, and walked back to the table, where Sagira, Ivy, and Erin were waiting. Erin was wringing her apron in her hands.

"I... I just wanted to say again that I'm sorry that I almost dropped the drinks on y-" Jay noticed Sagira's eyes widening, but shook his head minutely, "you, and I'll be happy," she said, sounding as if she were miserably embarrassed," to find you a new waiter or waitress."

"Nonsense, you're doing just fine. Great save on the tray. I've seen pros drop those for less."

"We wouldn't dream of a new waitress," Sagira said, smoothly.

"Jus' keep th' biskits comin' an' I'm happy," Ivy said, grinning widely.

Erin blushed and nodded, stammering a thank you before moving toward the drink stand. She looked back once or twice, flushing pink, before she was out of sight.

"Ah, what a night," Jay sighed, sitting down to his plate. "Nice to get the team together-"

"Hey, she didn't bring me th' brown stuff," Ivy cried, causing Jay to blink at her. Then she lifted one of her bowls of gravy. "Good thing they haddit over by the foods!" With a smile she slurped gravy straight from the bowl. Sagira sighed, putting her hand to her forehead, and Jay chuckled.

"Annnnd a muzzle, maybe," he joked, just loud enough for Sagira to hear.

Posted by: Living Arrow May 18 2010, 01:09 PM

"Did they ever solve their salty fish problem?"

*Problem?! T’was an improvement! IMPROVEMENT!*

Ivy grumbled around a gravy-soaked biscuit and continued her unstoppable munching. If there were four words that Ivy loved above all others they were ‘all-you-can-eat’. When she had been very little and her Pokémommy was away on a kitchen raid, her tummy would complain terribly and when the spoils were returned it could only get loader – it turned out Mightyena can’t carry all that much when being chased by two cooks and a maître d’.

Jay made an effort with the clutz of a waitress to make her feel better – he must have been doing that or he was blind – so Ivy puffed out her chest and tried to help out, too.

"We wouldn't dream of a new waitress," Sagira said, smoothly.

"Jus' keep th' biskits comin' an' I'm happy," Ivy said, grinning widely.

*But drop them and I cut you!*

Ivy watched on in quiet, noticing much to her displeasure how the girl was still clumsy and yet was wearing flats. FLATS! Victor had taught Ivy how to walk in heels in an hour and she was more stable on them than this girl was in FLATS! Not only that, but…

"Hey, she didn't bring me th' brown stuff," Ivy cried, causing Jay to blink at her. Then she lifted one of her bowls of gravy. "Good thing they haddit over by the foods!"

Lifting a bowl of gravy to her lips, Ivy tooks several deep gulps. Sagira raised a hand to her forehead, producing a raised eyebrow from Ivy.

“Summink matter?”

“Is that… that…” Sagira started.

“Gravy… yes…” Ivy cocked her head to the side. “Wassa matter? Gravy’s my favourite soft drink…”

~

When it came to all you can eat buffet, Ivy was never sure exactly how far the invitation extended. Sure, you could eat until you were full but that meant stopping before you had absolutely tried everything you wanted. However, purging yourself and eating more was frowned upon – she had learned that the hard way the year before – so it wasn’t much of an option either. All she knew was that her stomach was bulging and there was still chocolate cheesecake on the stand.

“Urrrgh.” She moaned, struggling to stand and get back to the buffet. “Must… cake…”

“Mistake?” Jay broke in. “To have eaten so much? Why, Ivy, I do believe you’re right!” He mocked her as she steadied herself with support from the table. Ivy moaned and rolled her hooded eyes, trying to focus through the meat sweats.

“Mist cake?” She got out. “Sounds ‘licious…”

“Oh. Dear. God.” Sagira muttered. “Ivy, I think you need to take a break and stop now. You can go back for more once the first set had gone down.”

“Never!” Ivy tossed down her napkin. “Cakes… Ivy… Food…”

“That wasn’t even a sentence.” Jay sniggered over his lemonade. “Having a rest may be a good idea.”

“Eat… the… rest?” Ivy blinked, her smile rapidly consolidating into a crazed grin. “Sounds fabby.” And with that, she tottered back to the buffet cart.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas May 22 2010, 10:52 PM

"Can I get you anything else, Mister Monroe?"

"No, no, that will be quite everything I need, my dear, thank you." He offered the waitress a suave grin which had her blushing, and she dashed off. No doubt to the kitchens, to gossip and giggle with the other waitresses about having this stranger as a customer.

"Mroww."

"Oh, do hush," he scolded the persian lightly. The feline lay across his lap, her claws extending and retracting as she lightly sank them into the flesh of his leg. He let her continue, knowing that trying to make her stop was more likely to result in a ruined pair of pants.

Rather, he let her continue, as he sipped at a cup of hot tea with honey, gazing across the restaurant at a far table, where his quarry lay. The trio had no idea that they were being followed; nor that he had been following them for months now. If he had his way, they wouldn't know for months to come - not until he was ready to reveal himself. Depending on what Iris knew, perhaps he never would.

For the moment, however, he sat quietly, the cup of tea warming his hands through a pair of leather gloves. His thick black hair, slicked straight back, looked glossy under the lights of the restaurant, and his light brown eyes gleamed behind a stylish and expensive pair of glasses. Dressed suavely in an Italian suit, he was anything but inconspicuous. Smiling to himself, he had to wonder if, perhaps, he wanted them to notice him.

Yes, perhaps he did.

Sagira bit the end off of a sliver of asparagus and chewed thoughtfully as she watched Ivy shove more food down her throat. She had briefly considered that lovely slice of strawberry cheesecake, but she was almost certain that she had gained ten pounds just watching Ivy eat.

Ivy's diet, from what Sagira had been able to stomach, had consisted of no vegetables or fruits. Rather, it contained starches and sugars and sweets. Sagira had never liked thinking far enough into the future that things began changing for the worse, but she worried about the ramifications of Ivy's diet. Yes, the girl's metabolism was grand in epic proportions, but that could mean little in the face of how much fat was clogged up in her arteries.

She's undergone some changes already, Sagira admitted to herself, glancing Ivy up and down. Her wardrobe and mannerisms were very different from how they were when Sagira had first met the girl. Although some of the changes had come at too high a cost, they were forced. Sagira wondered if she could, possibly, help Ivy to make some changes for the better.

Oh, relax, Ira.

She really couldn't cope with a peaceful day, could she? Sagira smiled lightly to herself. Today was a day of friends, a day of spending her time with two people who meant the most to her. She would worry about changes and the future later. Nothing would take away the happiness of this moment, or her good day.

Sagira's eyes followed the clumsy stumble of Erin, as the girl went to check on another table, blushing and stuttering and smiling in embarrassment as that familiar jerk of a waiter watched her, grinning maliciously.

Sagira smiled.

Nothing.



It was a cold chill that touched him first, before he became aware of anything else. Like an ice cube, melting against his consciousness and burning him softly with cold, he felt Hinata's presence, close but separated from him. Sitting at the head of Sagira's bed, his arms wrapped around his legs, he cursed himself for not blocking off the feel of her presence immediately, even as he clung to the feel of her in utter desperation.

She was beautiful. She had a gorgeous heart. One might think he would be turned off by the scars she bore across her emotions, but he found her perseverance added to her beauty. She had a brilliant mind, with a sassyness that couldn't be ignored. It could be infuriating - probably should have been infuriating - but he found it to be just another thing he loved about it.

And that was infuriating.

He loved her, knew he loved her, and loved that he loved her. But he also hated it, because he couldn't love her. It wasn't fair to her. He was Sagira's protector, her paladin, and he had to be there for her. He couldn't divide his attention between the two of them. He dared not love both of them, because inevitably, one of them would be hurt. That meant that he had to choose and, though it hurt him to turn her away, it was for the best that he remain with Sagira. It was his duty to protect her.

Hinata... Hinata could take care of herself.

Posted by: Master Houndoom May 26 2010, 12:55 AM

She panted where she lay, thrown, not by any outside force, but by the sudden release of her own tensed muscles, muscles that now quivered from the strain of holding herself in place when her every instinct was to escape. She panted and rolled over, barely able to rock enough to complete the roll. Her head dropped, her forehead resting on the ground. Viscous tears flowed down her cheeks, but she held the sobs in.

No more. You must not hurt yourself.

The words, and not just the emotion behind them, caused the kirlia to raise her head. Her eyes, like blank slates, grayed over with scar tissue over the corneas, still managed to penetrate the riolu who had spoken. The riolu did not react except to avert her eyes. Though the kirlia could not see the action, she could feel the emotions behind it.

<<Cammy. Look at me.>>

The riolu's head snapped back to look at her. Cammy's eyes were wide, confused. She knew the kirlia was blind. It was the first thing that the one named Videl had said when the team had learned of each other.

<<Right now you're wondering why I knew your head was turned. You want to know why I care so much. It's because of Jay. He's... my trainer. He's my best friend. He's my father...>> Hinata swallowed thickly. <<And he chose you, to be a part of this team. He needs you at your best. Which means you need me.>>

It hurts you. Therefore, you stop. The riolu crossed her arms, this time ignoring the instinct to look away. Hinata merely chuckled.

<<I'm no stranger to pain. Or discomfort.>>

A small form bobbed between them, startling Cammy. Siryn believes that the Hinata needs to stop hiding behind the Hinata's bravado and tell what the Hinata really wants to say. Hinata's head turned, slowly, toward the misdreavus, who stared back with hooded eyes.

Hinata thinks that Siryn needs to butt out!

Siryn knows that the Hinata is trying to prove that the Hinata doesn't need help. The Hinata's words were true, but the Hinata refuses to ask for the help that the Hinata surely needs. The misdreavus looked down at something, her eyes hooded, then sighed with an exasperated huff. Siryn needs nails to buff!

Hinata turned her back on the riolu and the misdreavus, closing her eyes. Fine. FINE! She turned around, glaring in the general direction of the two pokemon. Siryn, I need help.

Siryn is a bad choice. Siryn looked down, ashamed.

Why? Though she was annoyed, Hinata regarded the misdreavus with nothing but curiosity.

Because Siryn feeds on fear, and The Cammy and the Hinata are full of fear when mind-riding. Siryn would... encourage that. Siryn looked up, meeting Hinata's mind, and, even more, opening hers to the kirlia, an act which made Hinata jump mentally. The Hinata knows who she needs.

No.

But-

He won't agree to it, and I refuse to force the issue. So no. I'll just have to do this myself.

Hinata tried to float up, but found she was more mentally fatigued than she even had been physically. With a sigh, she turned and trod toward the bathroom on dainty feet. After a hot bath...

-----

Jay looked across the table at how Sagira and Ivy spoke to each other. It wasn't their words, however; to the outside listener, Sagira was haranguing the overstuffed, lethargic animal. However, to Jay's eyes, and ears, there was more. An undercurrent of caring, a touch of humor. Even the eye rolls, devastating to anyone else, held the slightest hint of a smile. Sagira was happy, and Ivy...

Ivy was warm.

It was a flash, really, just the barest sense, but Jay could suddenly feel that Ivy was warm and safe and well fed, and all of those spelled happy to a person who, much of her life, had only cold and hunger and loss to look forward to.

Jay's brow furrowed. The impression was gone as the ass-waiter walked over, offering Ivy, with a slight sneer, and a cheesy french accent, a mint, which she waved off.

"Oh, come now. Eet's wafer theen!"

"Bugger off, 'm stuff'd!"

Sagira looked at Jay, rolling her eyes, then tilted her head. Jay blinked at her, and raised his eyebrow at the same time, and in the same way, as she did. She grinned at him, then turned back to Ivy to chide her some more.

Jay chuckled, watching them, when a coolness crept up the back of his neck. He sat up a little straighter, and turned. He'd felt this feeling before, usually in furtive spurts, and, it turned out when he'd gotten used to the feeling enough to investigate it, due to being watched. Usually by star struck girls.

This time, however, it was constant, but also indirect, as if he were not the target but close enough that the watcher couldn't help but to watch him as well. He turned, brow furrowing curiously, and saw a man blowing on a cup of warm tea. He looked like stereotypical wealthy gentleman: Slicked back hair, expensive gloves, expensive suit. He was looking down at the cup with a frown, but Jay knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that this person had been watching one of the three of them.

He turned to tell Sagira about it when a crash sounded behind him, and a short, sharp scream, high pitched, like a girl's. Jay stood and turned at the same time Sagira did, and a little bit ahead of the bloated, but more awake, Ivy.

Three men stood before them, each of them wearing white coats that dropped to mid thigh, each of them with a covering over their face. One stood back by the door, massive enough to keep anyone from passing him, and the other two were circulating menacing the patrons. Erin stood trembling, and the waiter who'd antagonized her all night was kneeling in front of her. One of the men stepped toward him quickly, and he screamed again, with the same high report of the one that had alerted Jay. For a brief second, Jay had to shake his head.

"No worries," called one in a deep, loud voice, which would have been soothing in another situation. "We are not here to hurt you!" He turned to a woman who was crying next to him, addressing her directly. "Honestly, ma'am. We're not here to hurt you. I promise," he said, soothingly, as if comforting a small child in a thunderstorm. "We just want to take your pokemon."

"In the bag! Now!" The man who shook his cloth bag was the exact opposite of the man who'd spoken before. "DO IT! DO IT!"

When the man turned toward them he felt both Ivy and Sagira tense. A quick glance confirmed his suspicion. A black patch on the lab coats all three wore looked suspiciously like an M shaped like a mountain range. However, Jay noticed something else: The middle of the M was white, and had a circle a lot like the cross bar of the Alpha A. It was a vague connection, but it was still there, and Jay's eyes narrowed.

"You," the screamer shouted, pointing at Jay's face. "Put your pokemon in this bag, right now!"

"You want my pokemon?" Jay said, raising his eyebrow in an eerie imitation of Sagira at her most playfully cunning. His hands whipped to his belt, releasing Videl and Raven, both of whom growled menacingly. "Take 'em if you can!"

-----

He was looking out of a window when the ghost type let herself in. She had spent time watching Hinata, who was currently asleep on the bed, where Siryn had telekinetically deposited her when she had fallen asleep in the tub. She had watched as the kirlia, who she thought she must still hate, but couldn't remember why, twitched in phantom pain, sleeping poorly. And that was how she got fed up and came here, to Sagira's room, looking now at Paladin, who she felt she must still love, but couldn't remember why.

She did not have to see his face to know that he was forlorn, in despair. There was no fear in him, but there was pain, and sadness, crushing his spirit, and Siryn felt a wave of simultaneous pity and anger.

Siryn would talk to the Paladin.

Paladin's shoulders tensed, but he did not turn. He didn't even look. He didn't speak.

Siryn said, Siryn would speak to the Paladin.

Still nothing. He didn't even acknowledge her presence.

For the longest time, as Siryn grew, she was trapped in a place where people, when they saw her, had grown used to her. They ignored her, instead of fearing her. It had given her a deep seated hatred for the act, and she opened her mouth wide, to screech and make him turn.

An image of Hinata crossed her mind, and she stopped.

Fine. The Paladin will hear, and the Siryn will talk. And the Paladin will have to talk to Siryn to make Siryn stop.

Paladin did not turn, but Siryn approached him anyway. The Hinata needs the Paladin. And the Paladin needs the Hinata, but the Hinata, right now, needs the Paladin more. He twitched, but did not turn, and Siryn sighed. The Hinata is hurting the Hinata's self. And Siryn cannot watch it anymore. But if the Paladin does not feel like helping the Hinata, then Siryn cannot make this happen.

She floated to the doorway. The Paladin should think, very hard, if what the Paladin is doing is worth what the Paladin is doing it for.

She left him, then, and did not see him lean forward until his head hit the window.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 1 2010, 02:17 PM

“Oop… I nearly done a sick…” Ivy confided in Sagira as the mint was retracted. In fact, she lied. Her mouth was actually lined with sick which she had hastily swallowed because, apparently, being sick in front of other people was ‘rude’.

“I think you ‘nearly done’ a hernia.” Sagira scoffed. She opened her mouth to continue when a crash and a scream stole the ambience of the restaurant and put all three members of the team on edge. All three were rapidly on their feet and, even to Ivy’s own surprise, she was trying to kick off her heeled shoes as discretely as possible. When the lab coat-wearing men began ranting about taking people’s Pokemon, Ivy got mad. When one of them yelled in Jay’s face to hand his over, she got furious. When Videl and Raven growled, Ivy growled. When the guy looked at her, she pounced.

“No takin’ the Pokemon!” Ivy roared, clearing Videl in one bound and hitting the man square in the chest with her whole body. Together they tipped and fell, Ivy landing face-down on top of the grunt who gasped for air as the wind was knocked from him. Ivy pulled back a fist but-

“Huuuuurgh!” She vomited violently into the facemask of her target, splattering him with chunked meat and thick brown gravy along with odd piece of orange solid. She was about to remark that she hadn’t had carrots when all hell broke loose. Jay’s strong arms lifted her from her middle, pulling her away from the man as Videl took over. The movement, however, caused Ivy to continue spewing.

“Nargh! Ivy!”

“So… much… gravy…” Ivy moaned, regaining her footing and steadying herself on a chair.

“Don’t just stand and spew!” Sagira yelled from nearby, her own Pokemon crashing across the tables in the restaurant. “We’ve got a battle here!”

“Oh, er, right!” Ivy wiped excess spewtum from the corner of her mouth, hawked and spat before snarling at another man who was fast approaching. Leaving Jay to deal with vomit-face, Ivy leapt atop the nearest table and glared viciously at the third white-garbed thief. He back off a little, seemingly unsure of how to proceed.

“You’re not…” He wisely kept outside of Ivy’s pouncing range. “You’re not going to hurl on me, too… are you?”

“I hurl on who I damn well please!” Ivy petulantly stomped a foot. “DON’T STEAL POKEMON!... It’s not nice and more than a little bit silly.”

“Why you!”

“Pokeball, go!” Ivy pitched the red-and-white globe right into the dude’s face, connecting squarely with his eye. He swore and staggered backwards, clutching where the ball hit. “Looks like I caught me a Sillybilly!” She declared, launching herself into the battle, finally free to move with the contents of her stomach on the establishment’s floor.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 6 2010, 02:59 AM

The appearance of the six masked thieves was unexpected, but expected. It was unexpected because this was supposed to be their week off, and their dinner, but it was expected because… it was them. They never could get a break.

The three of them leapt into action like they had known this was coming, but of course they hadn’t. It was a testament to how well they worked together that they moved simultaneously forward, none of them getting in the others’ way. Of course, then Ivy had to loose the entire buffet in a chunky, fluid mass over the face of one of the thieves.

Karma, Sagira thought idly, as Topaz dashed between the legs of her opponent, followed swiftly by the jolteon he was trying to command, whose spiky fur slammed into the man’s legs and groin as the electric dog tried, and failed, to slip between his trainer’s legs.

The man let out a wail and fell back, both he and his jolteon yelping as he sat down on the beast. He lay on the ground, panting in pain and moaning, and Sagira turned to watch Umbrae take down a second opponent.

“Why don’t you be a nice waitress and serve me your pokemon?”

This had to be the worst first week in the history of beginning a new job. Erin had wanted to be a waitress since she was little. The talent required to balance two plates of food and a tray of drinks in ones hands was something she had always wanted to learn to do. However, things, she was learning, seldom seemed to go as planned.

“I’m a hostess!” she snapped, and kicked the masked thief between the legs.

There was a grunt of startled pain, and then the thief reached out and grabbed her wrist. Erin stared at her. “Why aren’t you crying?” she wailed.

“Can’t kick a girl in the groin, you moron!” the thief snarled.

Erin flushed brilliantly red. “Wow, you… you sound like a guy.” The thief’s grip tightened minimally. “A really old guy!” Erin yelled. With her other, free hand, she reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a pokeball, which she promptly threw at the face of her captor.

The pokeball burst open and a predominately blue pokemon came flying out, slamming into the thief’s face in a failed attempt to land gracefully. The thief let out a shriek, releasing Erin as she reached up to try and claw the pokemon off of her. Two round pouches at the pokemon’s cheeks puffed out and there was a deep croaking sound, before the pokemon’s long tongue flashed out and snapped at the mask. It pulled back just as quickly, tearing the mask from the thief’s fast and ricocheting backward. The croagunk let out a muffled grunt as he was knocked to the floor when the mask came flying back with his tongue and smacked him in the face.

The thief turned narrowed eyes onto Erin and snapped her hand to her belt. “That’s it!” she said. “Keep your stupid pokemon. I’ll finish him off for you!” She tossed a pokeball in the air, releasing a bayleef that pawed angrily at the ground. “I’m looking forward to this.”



She looked so peaceful when she slept.

Paladin hung in the air above Hinata, staring down at her sleeping form. It was hard to believe that she, so beautiful and kind as she was, could be causing him such pain.

But at the moment, she was causing more to herself.

Paladin had listened when Siryn spoke to him, but he had not offered a reply. He did not love Hinata anymore. He needed them to know that. He needed them to believe that, because if everyone else believed it, then his small modicum of doubt would be all right.

Hovering above her now, a mirror image in his position but for his open eyes, he gazed at her with a face of longing that would have shamed and disgusted him for how much it revealed. He did not love her anymore. He did not want her anymore. There was no longing, and he did not need her.

She was hurting, however – Siryn had been right about that. In her state of complete exhaustion, he could slip into the crevices of her mind without being detected, and the agony that poured from the walls of her mental sanctuary were needles of torment. It stole his breath to feel them brush him lightly as he passed and he could not imagine how she felt. Surely, she would not survive much more of this. One could not handle this level of pain for long, and it would destroy her.

He certainly couldn’t have that.

He knew what she was doing. He could see it in her mind as he walked the corridors. Her bravery was drawing, but he did not along himself to long for it. She was foolish and a danger to herself in such a state. He wasn’t doing this because he loved her; he was doing it because if he didn’t, she could hurt someone. That was the only reason.

The lines of his own power, the strings of consciousness that he cut from his own soul, he bound together until, to the mind of a psychic who could see them, it appeared that he held a fishnet. The net was made entirely of psychic energy and, while strong and powerful, it was also thin and loose, and therefore, effective, but hard to detect. Even if Hinata found it, somehow, she would not be able to tell that it came from him.

And so, with a touch more gentle than a caretaker would give, he placed the net within her mind, wrapping it tightly around her own soul like a blanket to protect her. Even as he did so, he could see some of the tension wearing off of her, as the pain that she had been feeling was drawn into the net.

She could continue with her attempts to heal the damaged riolu. The agony that she suffered at the hands of her own foolish bravery would not reach her. They would be caught in the net and Paladin would take them.

She would be a danger to the others if she became to wrapped in agony. That was the only reason he did it.

That is the only reason, he lied.

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jun 15 2010, 01:05 AM

When Hinata awoke, the first thing she felt was an intense relief, so intense that she giggled. There was no pain, not active nor residual, in her frame. She could think clearly for the first time.

She looked over at Cammy, who was asleep on the other end of the bed. Her face, too, was peaceful, and with one paw near her mouth, she looked younger than she was. Hinata floated to her, but hesitated. Yes, there was no pain now. She attributed that to the mental training and trauma she had gone through as a hatchling. But to delve into the pain again while she could think clearly without analyzing was suicide. At the least, it was masochism.

The information she had gathered had been masked by pain, like a radio signal would be masked by static. Images had popped and wavered in her mind’s eye, too distorted to make any sense of, especially when she had so little reference to go by, all of which had been vicariously received. Now that the pain was gone, she saw it all, but she saw it in flashes, and, unless the riolu had miraculous healing powers, they were not in order, even in the riolu’s mind; In some images, she had the scars she has now, and in others, flashing after and remembered more clearly, she had none.

Hinata began to sort through the images, not feeling the twinges of pain that the residual link had left in her, not feeling them sucked away by a psychic net, and not knowing that the one person she would have ripped every bit of grief and pain from was suffering from hers now.

* * * * *

In Jay’s eyes, every possible action was a light, and every light was a move, and all he had to do was follow it. In his eyes, each right action made the course of that action, either a pokémon or a path for his feet to take, come up in sharp relief, and bad actions by contrast darken as if a shadow passed over them.

“Videl, Ember!” He called, because in his eye, a small flame detached itself from her mouth and arced toward his opponent’s pokémon, sending it scurrying in a bright trail around the restaurant. Videl was Jay’s second oldest battling pokémon, and had long learned the benefits of following his commands to the letter, when he gave specific commands.

To Videl, the fun was in trying to figure out if he’d let her run free, with a snarled “sic ‘em!” or call out the attacks he wanted her to use. It made no difference either way to her. A battle was a battle was fun all the time, especially when Hinatadancer was there with her. When they were together, the only thing they had to fear was not getting a treat at the end!

Raven, on the other hand, had been left to her own devices, which seemed to please the eevee. Did she need a human giving her commands? Less than she needed to hear Topaz’ advice on anything. But this human, at least, knew when to give commands and when to just let her battle. She smirked, using tail whip to intimidate her foe into letting down his guard, before leaping in to bite at the nape of his neck and send him crashing away as she shook him, even though he was half again her size.

The lab coated enemy was perplexed. How was this guy countering all of his wicked moves?! Why hadn’t he been intimidated when the “crook” had screamed in his face? All the books had said that when one wanted ultimate control, one acted extremely aggressive and shouted and used coarse language. But it hadn’t worked with this fellow, and now, the crook though, he was forced to maintain a role that he didn’t even like.

What one did for research.

Jay’s neck tingled. Literally, like a spider’s web touching the back of his neck. Great, he thought, I have ariados sense…

He spun, seeing their waitress struggling with another of the lab coated thieves. A croagunk, which seemed to be Erin's, had a Masquerade style mask stuck in his mouth, caught on the bulbous end of his long tongue. It was beginning to panic, and it didn't take a special vision to see that it was about to become dangerous for friend and foe alike.

A nearby table brightened as the croagunk left Erin's arms, and Jay kicked it to its edge and rolled it in front of Erin. Just as it rocked into place, a series of purple darts shot out of his mouth like a shotgun blast. Many struck the mask, piercing it, but not tearing it away. Many more got around the mask, deflected by it or simply passing it to rocket in every direction at once. Many of the people in the buffet had already moved out of harm's way when the fighting started, so that only the lab coats, Sagira, Ivy, Jay, and Erin were in harm's way. Fortunately for the lab coats, the croagunk wasn't facing them. Unfortunately for the Aqua members and their waitress, he was facing them.

But somehow, Jay's trick with the table kept them safe. The darts struck the table, which, still rolling, kept the waitress and Ivy safe.

"Are you OK," he shot to Erin. Erin blinked, owlish and stunned, more than likely at her near miss.

"Y-you're not supposed to move the tables!"

Jay, Sagira, and their pokémon were already out of harm's way, except for a lone eevee. Next to him, Raven gave a strangled "vee!", coiling to launch herself at her litter mate.

She was beaten to the action by a snarling houndour, with nicks on her skull plate that neither Videl nor Umbrae could have ever matched. Indeed, Raven glared at where Videl was and seemed surprised to find she was there instead of attacking her sister, and that she was a houndoom and not a houndour at all. Raven shook her head at the situation, then bristled, coiling to attack.

"Raven, no! We have more important fish to fry!" Jay pointed at the bayleef that Erin had been fighting. "Videl, Fire Fang! Keep that thing back! Raven, Quick attack on the aipom Videl was attacking earlier!" Jay gave his instructions, but was drowned out by a cry as a pokémon was called out to battle, filling a massive space that had been empty before.

"HARI!"

"Dammit!" A hariyama thrust her palms forward in rapid succession, barely missing Videl and Raven, who snarled at the fighting type. Even her aggression was tempered by the knowledge that this massive beast was not only large enough to squeeze her into eevee jelly between its hands, but had a type advantage as well.

Jay's teeth clenched until he heard it.

"TAAAAAIIIIIIII!"

A blue streak struck the huge arm thrust pokémon in the chest, sending her rocking backwards. Behind her, the trainer held his hands up, eyes wide, shouting, "No no no no no!"

Despite his protests, the hariyama toppled backwards, rolling on top of her trainer.

Lady Jaye's grin matched Jay's as she flitted to his shoulder.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 15 2010, 04:48 PM

"I'm gonna make you squeal, little girl!"

"I'm gonna make you bleed,... big... man? Whatever. HIYA!" Ivy leapt toward the man clad in white, kicking high towards his face, right where the glaring red mark from the Pokeball had struck him. He dodged backwards, jumping out of Ivy's reach and summoning a Pokeball into his palm.

"This is no place for kids, you little brat!" He snarled, spinning the ball once before releasing it to announce his Hitmontop who clenched its fists angrily, awaiting his own opponent to make an appearance.

"Oh, yeah? I think you'll find this is no place for unwanted customers!"

"What? That's not even an insult!"

"Your FACE isn't even an insult!"

"Wait... Neither was that!"

"Nargh! Eppy front and centre!" Ivy tossed the epsilon-marked Pokeball in between them and watched with dismay as her cute Eevee regarded her opponent with some disdain before sitting back and calmly washing her paws. "Come on, Eppy! Let's learn this Silly a lesson!"

Epsilon didn't even bother to look at her trainer, merely licking a paw and inspecting it briefly before stroking it back through the fur on her ears. The foe's Hitmontop stomped a foot and yelled at his four-legged foe and, not getting a response, quickly launched himself into action, leaping atop the spike on his head and whirling into a Triple Kick frenzy.

"Eppy! Dodge it!"

Epsilon finally looked back at Ivy with an expression of "Well, duh!" and instead rose to meet the attack, a red aura surrounding her body. Ivy gasped as she realised her Pokemon was willing to take the hit rather than obey her and winced as the first fott came crashing down... and stopped. Mere inches from Epsilon's face, the heel of the Hitmontop was instantly frozen in place as Detect claimed it from doing the Eevee any harm. Completely taken off balance, the Hitmontop crashed to the ground, bowling several chairs out of his way as he went.

"Dammit! Hitmontop, get up and try it again!" The thief ordered. The fighting type, enraged by the uninterested face of Epsilon, threw itself right back into action, another foot whirling toward the Eevee.

"OK, dodge it this time!" Ivy urged. Epsilon stuck a tongue in her fluffy cheek and ignored her. A red aura surrounded her once more and...

"Switch to Feint!"

The Hitmontop, speedy on its feet head, lashed out with an equally glowing fist, breaking through Detect much to the recipient's surprise, and punched the canid square in the jaw. With a squeal, Epsilon catapulted into the air and fell harshly into a well-laid table, scattering cutlery and glasses like bowling pins.

"Awww, uber crap!" Ivy complained loudly. "We're gonna lose if you don't listen to me, Eppy! Just stay back and watch how Kappa deals with it - let's go, Kappy!"

A second Pokeball flashed open, the laid-back Floatzel materialising with a 'And why wasn't I invited to dinner' jaw drop. Ivy facepalmed but shook it off rapidly. This idiots were trying to steal Pokemon. Not just jewelery or cars - Pokemon! They had to be stopped at any cost!

"Do an Aqua Jet!"

"Rolling Kick!"

Epsilon watched on with disgust as the Floatzel named Kappa was used to replace her on the rediculous battlefield. Why the orange idiot chose to obey such a weak and pathetic female like that she would never know. Maybe the imbecile's brain was so addled that he couldn't even contemplate anything else? Who knew? All that was certain for the moment was that the girl had been stupid enough to put her on the sidelines.

*You watch yourself, missy.* She growled aloud as plans began to form in her mind. *One day I'll show you how to be a real leader... One day...*

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 17 2010, 12:32 AM

”He should not be doing this. It’s too dangerous.”

“The choice is his to make and no one else’s.”

”We could tell the singer.”

“And then we would be breaking a promise.”

Malchior and Adimu sat together in the empty room, side-by-side, not looking at the other but for the occasional side-long glance. How Adimu managed to get into the apartment without being seen, nevermind the closed doors and windows, Malchior neither knew or asked. It didn’t matter, anyway. He couldn’t teleport, but for all he knew, the other could.

”He’s being ridiculous.”

“To be honest, I think he’s rather noble in his efforts. True, his actions could do with some correcting, but his intentions are good.”

”The road to hell is not paved in gold, Adi.”

“No, quite, it is not.” Adimu lowered his head and glanced at his counterpart with violet eyes. “He means well, however, Malchior, and you must not ignore this fact. He wishes to take her pain from her.”

”His reasoning is flawed.”

“As reasoning generally is where love is concerned.” He continued before Malchior could interrupt. “Yes, I know quite well that he broadcasts how much he does not love her, but do not be so foolish as to take that at face-value.” He gave a wry chuckle. “I am finding it a rather obscurely-common fact that, in the case of this particular group, what you see is far, far from what you will be getting.”

”I do not find that particularly reassuring.”

“Good. It was not meant to be.”

”Maybe Wajibu had the right idea.”

“Wajibu left because his path led to a place far beyond yours.”

”Mine.” Malchior hesitated a time and then, softly, uncertainly, asked, ”Just mine?”

Adimu regarded him with an appraising look. “Does it bother you to think that we would not remain with you forever?”

”I just… we’re a pack. – Aren’t we?”

“Ah.” Adimu gave a slow, understanding nod. “You look at us as though we were wolves, and as though we would bear a pack oath as such.” It came off as something as a question, though it was offered as a statement. Rhetorical or not, Malchior swallowed, unable to answer even if it had been required of him.

“We do not see it this way,” Adimu said, and though his violet gaze sought out Malchior’s golden eyes with firmness, his tone was gentle. “Imagine us, rather, as birds – fearow, we shall say, for we are still predatory creatures and we would not lose this even if we did, someday, sprout feathers.”

His smile was whimsical as he continued. “Living in flocks, fearow – and their younger forms, spearow, of course – thrive together. However, when the spearow first hatch, they are young and weak, unable to protect or care for themselves. They rely entirely upon their parent. As they grow, however, so do their strengths, and eventually they are pushed from the nest, and there they learn to fly.” He gave Malchior a fond look. “It is on these newly-found wings that they must discover their own place, be it in the flock that they were born, or in one that they will find or create for themselves.

“Consider this, young Malchior, your chance to fly. You have been pushed from the nest and found your wings – now you must find your home. It is you who chose to allow yourself to be captured by the child with the feline grace, and I do not doubt your decision. Nor should you, for you very well may have found your pack here, rather than a mere flock from which children are eventually pushed.”

Malchior was silent for a long time, digesting this new information. ”How long… do you intend to stay?”

Adimu closed his eyes and tilted his head back slightly in thought. His answer was offered in a slightly detached voice. “I will remain as long as I am needed. Beyond that has yet to be seen, and I imagine we will only discover it in time.

“Rather than contemplating on things that can neither be predicted nor changed, perhaps you should focus your efforts upon the question that plagues both our nights, sleepless as they are. That is, how could Wajibu so willingly leave, and Nipashe, so quietly depart, when the other remains, steadfast and verily a plague upon us.”

Malchior made a face at this. ”I’m not sure I want to know the answer to that.”

“Perhaps not,” Adimu agreed, “but I think it is one that you need to hear. And perhaps he does, as well.” The violet-eyed absol rose gracefully to his feet. “For the moment, my young friend, our attentions must turn to separate ideals. I feel I best offer my apologizes to our singing comrade for keeping her from entering the room, and further placate her ire. Regardless of his foolish, if well-meant actions, the young knight did ask that she know nothing of his predicament, and I feel I must continue to oblige his wishes, for now.

“You, however, would do well to turn your attentions to the felinian, for I feel she may require, or would at the very least, appreciate your aid.” With a gentle bow of his head, Adimu vanished from the room, and Malchior found himself alone, yet again.

But not really.

Umbrae was Sagira’s second pokemon, but he was, truthfully, her first fighter. Serenity was always too placid to enjoy the sensation that she gained from battling, and for this reason, Umbrae and Sagira were actually closer than Sagira was with the ekans. Serenity was a pokemon whose presence had been pleasurable as a child – a pokemon who had shown her kindness and thus garnered Sagira’s kindness toward pokemon in return. Because of her proximity and continued presence around Sagira when she was little, however, the ekans still retained, despite the incidents of her own past, an innocence of youth.

It was not something to be loathed, but something to be cherished and, Sagira knew, preserved. This wasn’t something that she entertained on a whim. Sagira had been thinking, off and on, about Serenity’s position in her little group of warriors.

The ekans didn’t really have much of a position as a fighter.

That’s not to say that Serenity wasn’t brave. The fact that the tiny serpent, small for her breed, frequently battled against enemies while simultaneously fighting against her fears – powerful antagonists in their own right. Regardless of threats on her safety, imagined or not, the ekans was always there and willing to battle for Sagira. Even now, the serpent’s form was wrapped tightly around Sagira’s wrist, awaiting the gentle relaxing of the muscles that would suggest the inevitable re-enactment of their signature move – the flinging, snap of a wrist, which would send the ekans, coils loosened, whipping through the air and into the face of some ridiculously over-confident opponent.

There was always the chance that a stray bird pokemon might snatch the ekans from the air, or that she wouldn’t be fast enough the next time to escape the grasp of a flailing opponent, or she might get stepped on. Sagira could go on, but it didn’t matter. The fact was that Serenity was not a pokemon built for battling – not because of her size or her breeding, but because of her temperament and her past, encouraging the love of a child. Serenity was, as her name suggested, serene, and she did not deserve a life that left her, at every moment, terrified.

Despite her ire at having her night interrupted, Sagira thrived on the spontaneity of moments like these, but such shocks would be the end of Serenity.

Even if the ekans held an immense strength that would forbid her from injury, Sagira could not ruin her like that – not the pokemon who was her first charge, her best friend. Being separated from her would hurt, of course, but not as much as breaking her would, if – when – it came to that.

For that reason, the muscles in Sagira’s hand never loosened during the entire battle, and Serenity remained a tightly-coiled presence around her wrist during the entire fight. Sagira would not send her flying like the pokemon she feared through the air, but would enjoy the touch of the scales on her skin for as long as she could, before she freed the ekans from a lifestyle she wouldn’t allow to be the end of her.



He shivered convulsively despite her attempts to ease his burden.

Calypso was curled tightly around the form of the young male kirlia, his head pillowed on the soft fur of her stomach. Her nine tails were draped gently over him in an attempt to keep him warm. She tried to soothe him as she vaguely remembered once being soothed by her mother, a gentle nuzzle, a soft lick on her forehead, whether to smooth out an errant lock of fur or offer affection, she did not know even as she did it now. Perhaps she wanted to feel useful.

”I find myself in the odd position of no longer being needed, and I’ve wanted to move on for a while. I have no doubt that you can handle things from here.”

Calypso could not find it within herself to be angry with Nipashe, though she had not known the absol long enough to truly miss her. Though she had been vaguely aware of her presence, as she had vaguely been aware of Wajibu’s – though his moreso – she had not been exposed to the absol with the light-blue eyes as much as any of the others. She thought, at least. She wondered how many there were, following Malchior even though he had been caught and tamed. She wondered more how many would leave.

She rested her muzzle against Paladin’s neck and tried to soothe his shivering. Her thoughts drifted again to Wajibu and she felt that the anger and hatred that she begged to burn was a grain of sand in an ocean full of loss that she did not understand. She had not even known him, and this feeling was so strange.

Was this feeling, or its positive counterpart, at the least, the reason why Paladin suffered now?

Every now and then, he would release an involuntary cry, his back arching as his mouth opened. He kept his eyes closed and, beyond those moments, his jaws locked. His voice never rose to a full scream, but it was not hard to tell that he was fighting everything to keep the pain from fully being realized by anyone else. She wondered if he feared that they would go to someone for help if they knew how much pain he was in. She found herself disturbed by this, frightened by the answer should she wonder how bad the pain was.

Would she go to someone else? She didn’t know, though she wondered if she should. Paladin had begged them, eyes filled with agony, to swear they would not tell anyone, and to keep the misdreavus away. Calypso found herself hoping that the ghost pokemon would break the door down and see for herself what was happening. Even if she wished to tell someone else, Calypso was not sure she could bring herself to leave the kirlia’s side and take away whatever small modicum of comfort her presence offered.

Paladin stiffened in a way that was becoming sickeningly familiar. A choking sound cut through his clenched jaws and he arched his back with a soft wail, all the more plaintive for its silence. He collapsed back onto the bed, his chest heaving up and down as he tried to breathe in enough air to steam the pain, and Calypso gently licked away the tears rolling down his cheeks. A whimper escaped his lips as she pulled her head back, and she gently lay it down next to him, her muzzle pressed against him gently, nuzzling him. She heard a gentle murmur of a song, too soft to be fully understood, and only realized, after a moment, that it was coming from her. A song from so long ago that she couldn’t remember how it went – only that it soothed her and came, always, with such gently whispered words in the middle of a terrifying night.

“Hush,” she whispered softly, rubbing her muzzle softly against his face and finding her heart in her throat when he reached for her, seeking comfort. “Hush now.”

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jun 18 2010, 04:41 PM

"This isn't how it was supposed to go, Steve!" the woman who had been fighting the waitress snarled in her low, husky, Demi Moore tones.

"Don’t call me 'Steve'! Call me by my code name!"

"I am not calling you Dark Wonder! That's a stupid code name! You don't even have a dark pokémon, and the only thing anyone wonders about you is if you've ever gotten laid!" The woman reached down, trying to get her mask back, but was denied when the croagunk tripped over his own feet and toppled backwards. The woman swore.

"Look, Bastia," Steve persevered, only to earn a slow, icy glare from the woman.

"I told you, I don't want that code name! Just because I'm big boned doesn't mean I'm like a bastiodon!"

"It's a symbol of strength!"

"It's a symbol of fat, Steve, so stop calling me that! Jerk-ass!" She took another swipe, finally catching the mask. The croagunk resisted, pulling backwards, and the woman tightened her hold. "Gimme that, you little mmph!"

The croagunk's feet gave way, and the pressure on his tongue pulled him toward the woman, slamming into her face. Little did the poor croagunk know that this was "Bastia's" first kiss.

Erin stepped forward, horror etched on her face. "I... am so sorry! I would hate that my first kiss would be with such a wretched creature!" She stepped forward and took the croagunk up in her arms. "Don't worry. I'll take you to the store, and get you the best mouthwash for pokémon that money can buy!"

Steve's protests were lost as he succumbed to braying, gut holding laughter.

* * * * *

Jay stepped back and looked at the situation. The hariyama was still struggling to get to her feet, causing her trainer to flail underneath in agony. The chikorita that he had put Videl against, which Erin had been battling previously, staggered but righted himself, snarling. The rattata Raven had been engaging was similarly weakened, but Raven had taken as much damage as the rattata, having not been under Jay's direct command.

That would have to change in the future.

But for now, Jay had to worry about two, possibly three pokémon that were ready to tear his team a new collective opening. Multiple actions lighted and dimmed in his mind’s eye as possibilities made themselves clearer or passed without action taken. Blinking rapidly, wondering what it was he was supposed to be seeing, he faltered, nearly allowing the hariyama to knock raven through a wall. He saw her brighten, and a spot to her left brighten, with more intensity than he had seen before, and called the command to dodge to her left. She landed in the spot, and the brightness faded to normal levels.

Jay’s eyes narrowed, but there wasn’t time for speculation. “Videl, give that huge beast a hot foot! Lady Jaye, use Arial Ace on the walking bean sprout! Raven, show that rattata that you’re not afraid of any fangs!”

Videl shot a small ball of flame where the hariyama was about to stomp, causing her to rear back, tottering dangerously once again. Panicked, her trainer dove, hitting his head against the table and knocking himself out. The hariyama and the rattata were not without anyone to give commands, which could work in Jay’s favor. Raven had charged the purple mouse pokémon and hit it with two quick attacks, using her speed to dart out of range of the rattata’s fangs. Lady Jaye gave a joyful cry and swooped down, raking her talons across the bayleef’s back.

“Chicory!” the larger trainer cried, narrowing her eyes. “You’ll pay for that!”

“I’ll pay for that if you pay for the meal you interrupted,” Jay quipped, smirking. The woman’s nostrils flared.

“And the damages on the tables,” Erin shouted, stomping her foot. Unfortunately, it landed on a lemon that had rolled off of one of the table’s centerpieces, causing her to trip. Jay twisted, catching her before she landed in the pool of Ivy’s lunch, then spun to avoid razor leaves that had missed Videl. He deposited Erin, blushing madly, on her feet, and pointed without even looking toward the battle. “Videl, Fire Fang the chikorita! Raven, Sand Attack our large friend! Lady Jaye, Double Team and confuse the rat!”

As his pokémon moved to obey (Raven with much eye rolling and sighing), Jay pushed Erin toward a booth. “You should probably stay out of the way, sugar,” he said, as kindly as he could under the circumstances.

“But,” she stammered, “they’re destroying the restaurant, and trying to steal people’s pokémon! That isn’t right!”

“No, it isn’t, (Videl! Bite the rattata!) but I need you to help get the people who aren’t (Raven! Tail whip in the bayleef, and keep dodging, I don’t care how tough you think you are!) battling to safety. Can you (Lady Jaye, Whirlwind! Let’s clean up this mess!) you do that for me?”

The girl seemed stunned, that he was both asking her instead of ordering her, and ordering his pokémon in a battle that he was not watching. Finally, she straightened her shoulders and nodded, heading off to help those unwilling or unable to battle to the kitchens, where they would be relatively safe.

Jay turned his full attention to the battle, pointing at each of the opponents in question. The Whirlwind attack had little effect on the hariyama, merely pushing her backwards, where she tripped over her landing trainer and sat, heavily. The bayleef teetered over and stumbled, nearly falling, and the rattata shook his head, biting at the two copies of Lady Jaye circling her. Jay grinned.

“Bring it home! Fire Fang! Body Slam! Brave Bird!”

The three pokémon leapt as one, each hitting with their attack, Raven baring her teeth in a grin-like rictus. She and Lady Jaye stumbled and fluttered back after hitting, but their opponents all fell at the same time. The hariyama’s legs rested atop her trainer’s back.

* * * * *

Hinata “looked” into Cammy’s eyes, sinking into her mindscape much easier than she had before. The images played around and through her, some occupying the same mental space at the same mental time. She still couldn’t figure that out. Many of them were horrible; why hadn’t her mind glossed them over?

Exerting her will, she began to place them, gauging mostly by Cammy’s mental vision of herself when they should be. This, too, was difficult, as she had trouble seeing herself in a way that she didn’t look like. If left to her own devices, mental Cammy always appeared scared, with the largest, ugliest scar at her throat, and more on her cheeks, legs, and arms. Again, Hinata paused. Shouldn’t she try to remind herself that she wasn’t always this way? The fact that the images flickered, showing visions of herself as young, whole, and even innocent, meant that the memories were there. For example, here was one of her learning to sign to communicate, soon after her voice was taken from her.

The images, memories represented as panes of thin materials, fluttered back together like cards being shuffled, and throbbed red. Hinata felt nothing, and, with a sigh, reached forward to reorganize them.

That was when she saw it: the gossamer strings of a mental net that were drawing the red of pain from the memories into the net, travelling away from her body. She did not recognize who might have put it there. Siryn, while powerful, did not have the finesse to do this without making her aware, and Paldin, while he had the ability, was not talking to her.

Someone was absorbing the pain, and that wasn’t right.

With deft movements she removed the net, jerking and hissing as the pain made itself painfully obvious. She began to weep; she could feel the sharp stabs of pain increasing as the net dissolved. Finally, it was gone, and the agony returned. Hinata began to sift the pictures again, and as she did, as she put them in order, she realized; each picture that throbbed red was a pain, far less intense than the overwhelming pain that dominated Cammy’s mind. That was significant, but how.

It came to her when the pictures snapped back together, and the pain, which had been less and less as she ordered them, flared to full force. As blackness claimed her, she understood, and cried out, <<You feel it all!>> before passing out.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jul 5 2010, 04:28 PM

Apologies for this but the crashing of the server cleared my post. I will rewrite it again but not right now as I don't have the time or inclination to fix a mess that wasn't caused by me.

This post will come in time but the idea is, Ivy finishes her battle and rejoins Jay. Sagira is still battling.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jul 11 2010, 12:15 AM

Paladin was not vain enough to think that Hinata never would have discovered the psychic net. He knew that she was smart, although there was no way that he intended to tell her that anytime soon, especially since she was acting so stupid, but he had no delusions that she would have gone on without ever finding the net within her mind which kept the pain from her.

What surprised him was how soon she had discovered it, as he had not anticipated her finding it for at least a week. Here, within the matter of a few hours, she had not only discovered the net, but destroyed it.

And therein was another surprise on his end. Why hadn’t she followed the net to its source?

It wasn’t that he wanted her to know that he was actively working to keep her from suffering, and thereby keeping her from becoming a dangerous liability. Exactly the opposite, in fact, but it surprised him how she would not follow the net to its anchorage – to Paladin – and find that he was the one interfering.

Though, he supposed, he should be grateful to Arceus for these few small favors, for there were what allowed him to sleep at night, knowing the world wasn’t an entirely horrid place.

And they would allow him to recreate the net – sew it back together from the few tatters that remained, dangling from him like a ragged cloak on the psychic plane. He would place it again on her, deeper this time, entering her mind through the doorways of the psychic plane and slipping in through crevices as mold creeps. There, in the recesses and cracks that even she was unaware of, he would place the net where it could not be found. He would keep her pain from her, keep her from becoming a danger to them all, keep her strong and, silently, distantly, hold on to her through the traces of this net and love just that small part.

And no one need know.

Lying on the bed, no longer shaking but still with Calypso curling around him, acting as both pillow and blanket, as both friend and mother, Paladin settled himself on the Psychic Plane and, with careful, deft movements, began to sew the net back together.

The lines are singing.

It was the only way that Sagira could think to put it, but it sounded right. The colored lines that she could see – constantly now – overlapping the real world were thrumming. They danced in her mind, not stagnate as they connected one creature to the next, but twitching and throbbing and singing.

There were no actual words that she could hear, and the tune was too distant to be identified, but it was there. Sagira could see the colored lines that connected her to Umbrae and Topaz – the one from her heart to that of the houndoom was as strong as ever, throbbing in time with her heart. The one that connected her to Topaz was thinner, the color bleached, but the line was there. It connected the two of them, a bridge between their hearts. It was the sign that they were bonded, and loyal to each other.

“Quick attack, Topaz, and watch both ends!”

Dashing forward, the eevee abruptly vanished, she was moving so fast, and then slammed feet-first into the slowbro’s large girth. Using her momentum to kick off a retreat, she dashed to the right, left, and rolled under a water gun attack, before sliding to a stop and turning to face the slowbro again. She growled low at the creature, but it came out more cute than fearsome.

“Smog, Umbrae, but stay away from him!”

The differences in each of her pokemon under the vision that also retained the colored lines was fascinating in a way that could be distracting. In Topaz, she remained the same but for the line connecting her and Sagira. Those she had been with longer, however, had a different appearance about them.

Umbrae had a glow. It was as though the force of life within him was too strong to remain inside of him and spilled outward. He did not glitter like a star, but verily burned like a sun.

The colors that burned from him changed in what an ignorant person would say was random. Sagira knew, however, that the colors were different depending on his emotions, which changed according to the situation. In the heat of battle, light blazed off of him in crimson rays, ripping and rippling through the air. Anger, rage, and a want for war – she saw it all in him now, cast off of him, despite his weakness to the pokemon he and Topaz battled, both of them tired but still going strong.

Umbrae ducked down, letting a water gun attack burst over him, showering his back with water that sizzled and evaporated from his burning fur. Shaking himself off, he rose to his full height with a low growl.

“Sand attack and bite!” Sagira snapped, and the two leapt into action. Turning around, Topaz began digging and kicking up anything within her reach, tossing it at the slowbro. A few broken chunks of table, a half-eaten hot dog, a paw-full of oatmeal. The slowbro turned its attention to Topaz, and Umbrae rammed his entire body into the creature side and sank large, angry fangs into pink flesh.

A glowing blue ball of water flew from the slowbro’s hands and into Umbrae’s face, flinging the houndoom backward, through the air, and into a table. Whimpering, the water sizzled on his steaming fur as he pushed himself to his feet, snarling at the slowbro.

A water gun attack made Umbrae slip on the table and hit the floor. Rolling to his feet, shaking his fur off and dancing to the side, he snarled repeatedly, eyes narrowed, crimson shine bursting with energy, hatred, the desire to attack. Claws dug into the floor and he kicked himself off, charging forward, a howl ripping from his throat.

“Beat him up!”

A howl, snapping a snarl, Umbrae and Topaz leapt forward together, pacing each other as they raced toward the slowbro. As the neared him, they were suddenly joined by a third pokemon – a white and black blur of fur that tore across the floor next to them. Barking his own rage at the slowbro, a wind kicked up behind them as the absol whipped his head around, slicing through the air with his horn. As the whirlwind whipped around them, Umbrae, Topaz, and Malchior each slammed into the slowbro, kicking, biting, scratching, and clawing – driving him backward, right into the force of the razor wind attack. Slicing from behind, the whirlwind of pain cut the slowbro down, and the large bipedal pokemon collapsed to the ground, and was swiftly recalled.

“If I were you,” Sagira said, stepping up beside her growling and snarling pokemon, “I’d run really fast.” She pointed to the exit. “That way.”

Giving her a wary but potent glare, the young boy she had been facing chose to take her advice and bolted for the exit. Sagira watched him run, moving over to stand next to Ivy and Jay, her pokemon crowding around them in a protective formation. She raised a slender eyebrow and looked at her two friends. “I wonder what’s for dessert.”



Sitting cross-legged on what appeared as the ground in his choice of landscape, Paladin held the streaming net of psychic energy in his hands, as he linked his mind with Hinata’s. He slipped through the cracks in her defenses, trickling in like water into a basement, and fled deep into the recesses of her mind.

He wanted to find a place so deep within her that she would not be able to sense his net. Somewhere so remote, she would never look and never be able to find it. Where she couldn’t remove it from and so would have it there for as long as he chose to leave it, catching every ounce of pain, not letting any harm come to her… anything that could ultimately lead to others getting hurt.

He had made his way deeply through the labyrinth that made up everyone’s mind and was digging, with firm but gentle strokes, into the base portion of her mind. But something gave him pause. It was a sensation of someone else being there, of being watched, and of someone else knowing that he was somewhere he was not supposed to be.

Swallowing thickly, he pulled himself out of Hinata’s mind and sat up, frozen in place. Behind him, he could sense her, and he didn’t need to turn around to know her stance, her expression.

Standing as tall as she could make herself without using illusions, she had her arms crossed, her mouth set in a firm line, and her eyes bulging in power and rage. “What,” she growled low, “do you think you are doing?”



“Miss Smythe?” Sagira turned at the sound of her name, finding Erin there with a phone in her hand. “There’s a call for you.”

Frowning, glancing at her companions, Sagira took the phone and put it to her ear. “Smythe.”

“I hear you blew up a restaurant.”

Sighing, Sagira looked at Jay and rolled her eyes, nodding into the phone. He raised both eyebrows and tilted his head to the left.

“I hear you sat on your ass all day.”

“I was tallying up how much I had to take out of your paychecks to pay for repairs.” He couldn’t have not heard her growl low, but chose to ignore it. “I hope the three of you don’t intend to have this much fun every time you go on vacation.”

“That brings up a question,” Sagira said, cocking her hips to one side. “How exactly did you know where to call us?”

“I have my ways.”

“Right. I’m getting a cell phone, and you’re paying for it.” Sagira banged the phone on a tabletop a few times to give Bryce a headache, and then hung up on him. Tossing the phone to some random waiter, she crossed her arms and looked at her friends. “So… who else wants coffee?”

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jul 20 2010, 01:42 AM

As Sagira answered the phone (he would need to talk to her about that: You never answered the phone in a restaurant… Whoever called you in a restaurant and wasn't your parent was trying to get you to do something you didn't want to do!), Jay remained wary, focused. The men and women in lab coats had fled, leaving one of the coats behind, and Jay walked to it. They had taken the time to drag the one who had fallen at Ivy's pokémon and feet, and another who'd been felled by his own pokémon falling on him, but hadn't thought, or had been too scared, to make sure they left no evidence.

Likely they had hit this place thinking that the clientele wouldn't fight back. Disorganized, then. It wasn't an Aqua attack, nor, Jaima thought, a Magma one. They'd be more disciplined, and less likely to wear masks.

Sagira hung up the phone. "Jaybird," she drawled, seeing that his mind was elsewhere. "We're going. We have phones to pick up. Bryce is buying." She had approached him, her hips swaying as she did; nothing got her juices flowing like a good fight. She stopped, feet away from him, when she realized he still wasn't paying attention. She pouted, then, seeing his face, the look of worry etched on it, crossed the remaining distance and put a hand on his arm.

"What is it," she said, urgently. Jay looked at her, narrowing his eyes.

"I don't know. I just… something's missing." He shook his head, looking down at the patch on the lab coat. It looked like a pair of mountains close together, with a river running past them. The mountains were a deep reddish brown, and the river a light blue…

Then it struck him.

"No one attacked us."

Sagira pulled her hand away, her face creasing in a puzzled frown. "What? Jay, the entire restaurant was attacked!" Her eyes crinkled in concern. "Did you get hit in the head again..?"

"No," Jay said, irritably. "I mean, after the pokémon got knocked out, none of the trainers tried to fight us hand to hand!" He looked at Sagira, whose face was sinking into incredulity. "Seriously, that's how it happens! We get attacked, our pokémon beat their pokémon, they get all but hurt and charge us!"

"And we win."

"Well, yeah," Jay said with a chuckle. "I just miss it."

Sagira rolled her eyes. "Is that all? There's nothing else?"

Jay shook his head, ripping the patch off of the lab coat. "Nah. Gut feeling, but it's really mild. Probably the fried dodrio. Hard to find a place that doesn't make it all greasy."

Sagira's eyebrow rose. "So you ignored me swaying my hips over not getting attacked and fried dodrio?"

"You… you swayed your hips?" Jay's face fell.

"Yes, and it was very sexy, if I say so myself."

"And I missed it?"

"Yes, and I'm not feeling very much like swaying them now…"

Jay turned toward the door where the lab coated attackers had fled, raised a fist and cried out, "Curse you, Perry the Psyduck!"

Sagira smirked and grabbed Jay's arm. "Come on, Bluejay. We're going to buy phones."

"And have more eats!"

Oh, no," Jay said, turning to Ivy. "You've had enough!"

"But it all spilled out!" Ivy pouted. "Now I'm hungry again!"

Jay looked at her, then at Sagira, then sighed. "Fine. We'll stop somewhere for a snack."

-----

Around the corner, a small, beige shape wearing a fedora rounded the corner. He had no idea how the Boy had seen him, but if he was caught, neither the Boy nor Perry's handler would be pleased.

-----

Hinata shook. While he didn't act it, the feelings of guilt rolled out of his mind, visible only to someone who knew the ins and outs of his mind, intimately.

Guilt poured from him. Guilt and anger and shame. And that combination made her angry. If he was ashamed of her, he would have to tell her to her face. Look her in the eye and say it.

Not that she'd know if he looked her in the eye. But he'd have to do that!

As she was probing his feelings, he crossed his arms. His guilt and shame wavered and disappeared, leaving only anger and a distinct aftertaste she always associated with hatred.

Her lower lip quivered as his voice, usually low and soothing, ground out from his throat. <<What am I doing?>> The hatred became nearly palpable, and she shuddered. <<I'm keeping you from making a mess of things.>>

<<And how,>> she asked, swallowing against her suddenly dry throat, <<do you think I'm doing that?>>

Paladin rose up, arms crossed, a distortion in his psychic presence the only thing showing his intentions, but it was enough. <<You are making yourself weak! Endangering your trainer for the sake of someone else!>>

Cold fury ran through Hinata's veins. It was one thing for him to hate her. Maybe she had done something to deserve it. At one point, she had been ready to attack him with sharp emotions. But to accuse her of endangering her trainer...


<<You've gone too far,>> she snarled. Raising to his level, the veins around her eyes bulged as her fury became power, the lance she had honed and shattered and took into herself reforming. <<Hate me, that's fine, but never imply that I'd endanger Jay!>>

Cammy moved behind her, but Hinata, focusing on her target (because if he wasn't going to love her, and if he was going to attack her, he might as well earn the right), didn't worry. Nor did she have to.

Siryn thinks poorhurtriolu needs to stay out of this, Siryn whispered to the riolu sadly. The Hinata needs this to happen, one way or another.

With a sound like a bang, the two kirlia, without having moved, filled the air between them with psychic power.

Siryn watched, then huffed a breath. Come, she said with false cheer. Siryn will take poorhurtriolu to the commissary! They have cookies! She turned in the air, just as a large crack appeared in the wall. Also, the further Siryn and poorhurtriolu is from this, the less Siryn and poorhurtriolu can be blamed!

Siryn turned again. Does flameybuttwhitefur also want cookies? Siryn does not want flameybuttwhitefur to get blamed either.

Calypso's ears twitched, and looking at Paladin with a scowl of distaste across her muzzle, stood and walked out the door. However, she did not follow, but lay in front of the closed door. <<I will keep them from... spreading the damage.>>

Siryn looked at her, then nodded. Come, poorhurtriolu! Cookies abound!

-----

" Silph Co.!"

"You're high! Devon Corp!"

"Silph has the best reception!"

Jay shook his head, rolling his eyes. "The receptions the same everywhere. Devon has a better variety of phones."

Sagira snorted through her nose, more amused than she let on. "You just want the Leppa iGear."

"Yessss," Jay hissed, then caught himself. "Because it's a good quality, reliable phone-"

"And has a touch screen and a lot of apps." Sagira's brow raised, and Jay sighed.

"Yeah."

Sagira's hips swayed once, and this caught Jay's attention. "Well, dear, you are in luck. Devon recently lost the exclusivity on the iGear. Silph now has the V4."

Jay grinned, and before she could do more than give a token squawk and half heartedly swipe at him, kissed her on the nose. "To the phone depository!"

Arriving at the Silph store, the two separated, Jay going toward the iGear display, and Sagira marching straight for the new display for a new touch phone on the market. The Devon Inator boasted more apps and better sound than the iGear.

Jay, having picked his phone easily, snuck up behind Sagira. "Ooo, the Inator. Nice. More apps. Lots of space, if you get the right package."

"In every way superior to the iGear." She turned to him, smugly.

"You want it for the ringtone selection."

She opened her mouth to protest, then hung her head. "Yeah."

Jay smiled at her. "So, what about Ivy? I really doubt she's going to care."

Sagira sighed, and looked at Ivy, chatting up the counter man. "Well... the Inator is superior in every way..."

"Are you kidding? The iGear is a growing product. The Inator is so new-"

"Guys! Lookie!" Ivy came up, grinning. She held up a device in her hand, the name clear on the box it was in.

Blukberry Storm.

Jay's eyebrows raised. Sagira looked at him, blinking. Then both turned to the counter man.

"Shockproofing. We need shockproofing."

"And full insurance!"

Posted by: Living Arrow Jul 21 2010, 04:58 PM

“So, wassis?” Ivy demanded, snagging up a slidey-flippy phone. “Can it do the lazers?!”

The clerk, seemingly frozen in time, stood and stared with a gawping jaw at the short girl who had entered his shop. An incredulous look of ‘what-the-hell-are-you?!’ was painted over his young features but he eventually managed to drag himself free of the time loop and back to the present.

“Er, that’s a Tamato-Lite. It’s got a-”

“’Matoes? YUCK!” Ivy thrust the phone back at the clerk and began to examine the rest of the store’s wares, ignorant of the employee’s cries for her to be careful with the merchandise. He only had to stop her chewing on handsets twice and she managed to catch on that she should bounce the devices on the floor to check durability before she threw the first one (he had given her a mean look!).

“How about this?” The clerk intercepted Ivy’s grabbing paws and thrust a sleek black handset into her palms. “It’s a Blukberry Storm.”

“Storm, eh?” Ivy sniffed the case. “Dunna smell of blukkies but it looks all swishy! Show me the tricks!”


Some time later…

“So if I do this, it writes me a… wassit?”

“A text message.” The clerk sighed again.

“Right… sex message…” Ivy moved slowly away from the counter, thumbing the keys and experimenting with her new toy. She waved the clerk away and retired to a quiet corner of the shop to inspect the finer functions of her new phone. It didn’t take too long for her to set the ringtone – “Hungry Like The Wolf” and before she knew it, she was fishing in her pockets to find the scrap of paper which had been squirreled away days before with the number of someone she barely knew.

[hi gray. went for dindins and had bizkits and grayvee. it was v nice. i hope you had a good dindins 2. if you want, we can go out together and-]

Ivy realised she had broken out in a massive grin and could feel the heat stinging her cheeks several seconds before she hit the delete key. Grumbling to herself, she erased the unsent message completely and chewed her lip. Damn that Gray-man! He just turned her into a silly goose and he wasn’t even there!

Stomping down her racing heart, Ivy went in search of her friend with her new phone.

“Guys! Lookie!”

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jul 22 2010, 12:08 AM

Sagira was leaning against the wall of the building, her fingers flying over the keys of her phone. She cocked an eyebrow when Jay finally walked out of the door. “Get what you needed?” she asked without looking up.

Jay sauntered over to her, pocketing his own cell phone. “How did you manage to get your Bluetooth so fast?”

Sagira smirked. “I have the hips.”

She glanced up from her phone to see him eyeing her up and down. “You certainly do.” He leaned up against the wall next to her after checking to see that Ivy was sitting on the ground a few feet away, playing with her own phone. “What are you doing?”

“Programming ringtones,” Sagira said. She had just finished downloading a series of ringtones and a few games from the Internet. She hoped Bryce got the bill in public.

“What’d you put for me?”

Sagira frowned. “I haven’t decided, yet.” Jay, she found, was a hard person to nail down on one feeling. There was, of course, the bubbly feeling she got when he gave her that smirk that so mimicked her own. And the tingling that raced through her whenever he caught her with those electric green eyes that seemed to shock her whenever they glanced her way. He annoyed her sometimes, but in a way that no one else seemed to be able to. There were other ways that he made her feel, but she couldn’t name the emotion precisely, or it wasn’t one to think about in public.

“Oh, come on, I’m not that hard!”

Sagira glanced up, but chose not to say what was on her mind. “I want to make sure my ringtone is fitting.”

“So what are you looking at? Rock, pop, rap, metal? Personally, I prefer Disturbed’s style, but even theme songs have a good ring.” He tried to peer down at her screen. “Pick something, yet?”

Sagira’s eyes were narrowed in a slightly annoyed glare, but Jay didn’t seem to notice. She clicked a few buttons on her phone, then flipped it shut and pocketed it.

“You pick something?” Jay asked, giving her an eager look.

“Mm-hmm,” Sagira hummed, cocking an eyebrow at him. She watched as Jay eagerly pulled out his cell phone and hit the speed dial. Her phone vibrated in her pocket first, eliciting a momentary pout from Jay, and then an incredulous expression, as the ringtone began.

Sagira didn’t take her eyes off of Jay’s as she pulled the phone out of her pocket and, in a slow, casual motion, opened it and hit the ignore button. Smiling slyly at him, she flipped the phone shut and stuck in back in her pocket.

“Baby Got Back?” Jay asked, in a detached, stunned voice.

“Yes,” Sagira said, still smiling. “You know the song, I take it.”

“You have that as my ringtone.”

“Yes.” Sagira’s lips pulled back and she bared her teeth in a grin.

“That… I don’t think… I do not have a big ass!”

Sagira cocked an eyebrow at him, but didn’t say anything. The message, however, was quite clear. Oh, really?

“Why did you put that as my ringtone?” he demanded, sounding offended.

“You were rushing me to get it done. Under such stressful circumstances, it seemed the most fitting.” She tilted her head innocently to the side. “Unless you think I should change it…”

“Yes! Yes, I think you should change it!”

Sagira smiled and pulled her phone out of her pocket, flipping it open. “Then… don’t rush me.”



I don’t care. I don’t care. I don’t care. I don’t care. I don’t care about her. At all. I never did. I was lying. I don’t care. I don’t, I don’t, I don’t.

Paladin’s arms were crossed over his chest as he continued to tell himself that he didn’t care about Hinata. He wasn’t going to admit to her or anyone else that he had ever cared. That meant convincing himself, and not letting her feel any emotion but his anger, his hatred, his disgust, his shame. She wouldn’t feel any love, because there wasn’t any love there. There never was.

But she was so angry, and her angry always made her both dangerous and beautiful- NO!

No, she wasn’t beautiful. She was hideous. She was disgusting. She was a horribly stupid kirlia who risked the lives of those she was supposed to be protecting by weakening herself foolishly, making herself a danger. He hated her. He hated her, hated her, hated her.

The psychic tension rose in the room, crackling to their ears, hissing across their skin, and giving everything a static charge. Paladin felt his own skin tense, growing taut as though stretched across his bones, as he and Hinata faced himself across a room.

Though, really, I’m facing her and she’s looking at the wall. She’s ridiculous and I don’t love her. I never did!

“Asshole,” Hinata whispered quietly. There was a moment of placidity, where she seemed to pull all of her power back into herself, and then the psychic energy in the room peaked abruptly. ”YOU ASSHOLE!!” The large oak wardrobe that sat next to Sagira’s bed was suddenly hurled across the room, trailing psychic energy.

Paladin’s form shimmered and disappeared as he teleported out of the way. He reappeared behind Hinata, somersaulting backward in the air from the force of the psychic energies surrounding the wardrobe that he hadn’t fully been able to avoid. He righted himself quickly, to find Hinata, tense and angry, with the shattered remains of the wardrobe, chunks of plaster from the wall, and the shreddings of what was once a set of bed sheets circling her like vultures waiting for a command.

She was absolutely, completely, undeniably the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen.

Paladin swallowed thickly. “At least you aren’t as filthy as you were last time we did this.”



“What do you mean you don’t have regular coffee?”

The clerk standing at the counter glanced around as though looking for some form of backup, or maybe a scapegoat. “We only serve… flavored… coffees here.”

Sagira’s scowl deepened. “What about the people that don’t like flavored coffee?”

“They, um… they usually don’t come here.”

“I can’t imagine why,” Sagira said, spinning around and storming for the door in a smooth motion.

“You know it’s not the clerk’s fault what coffee they serve, right?” Jay asked smoothly, moving to stand next to her.

“Do you know what flavor coffee is supposed to be, Jacob?” Sagira asked, eyeing him critically.

He glanced at her as though expecting it was a trick question. “What flavor?”

She leaned in close to his face and whispered, “Coffee flavored.”

Standing in the middle of the restaurant avenue, Sagira sighed heavily. “I can’t believe how many coffee shops there are around here.”

“Foods…” Ivy moaned in the background of their conversation, peering into a bakery window at a large, expensive wedding cake. “Ivy wants…”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“One coffee shop suffices,” Sagira growled, “provided they have coffee.”

“We can split up.” Sagira glanced over at him in curiosity. “If we can’t find a place that sells what you want down Silver Strip,” he suggested, motioning toward the small cul-de-sac of cafés behind them, which they had yet to check out, “I’ll go to the east end of town and you can check out the west. Every coffee shop I’ve gone to has what I want, but whoever finds your coffee can give the other a call and we’ll meet up. Sound good?”

Sagira nodded, smiling softly at him in gratitude. “Sounds wonderful.” She glanced over at Ivy, remembering the trouble that the girl had had with their phone numbers (she’d yelled at the Delibird Pizza worker when he picked up the phone she called and didn’t know who Sagira was) and gave Jay a critical look. “You have the right cell phone number, don’t you?”

He rolled his eyes and hit the speed dial on his phone. Her pocket started singing.



“I still don’t get why you chose that song.” Jay glanced up at her, smirking. “I’m a cowboy?”

Sagira tilted her head to the side and shrugged, smirking. “I don’t know, I always thought of you more as a stallion.”

Jay cocked an eyebrow. “A stallion, eh? Hm…” He tapped his chin in an exaggerated motion. “Jay Stallion Lange.” He smirked. “I’m a catch, then?”

Sagira chuckled – a low sound in her throat that came out in the same manner as the smiles you give to small, stupid children. “I meant that you were untamable. A catch… eh.” She waved her hand in a so-so motion and he pouted at her. She grinned. “Try… Wild Horse.”

“Hm… Jay Wild Horse Lange.” He grinned. “I like it.”

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jul 24 2010, 11:33 PM

Jay could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. A feeling, deep in his gut, told him that something, somewhere, was wrong. He leaned backwards against the counter as Sagira... interviewed the barista.

"Coffee... flavored... coffee!" Sagira snarled leaning over the counter as far as she could. She ended up off of her feet, menacing the barista of the Moonstantler's they had stopped in. Jay glanced over, looking more at Sagira's posterior than the counterwoman.

"I'd tell her, if you know anything. She really, really likes her coffee." Jay did not need to look at the barista to know she was terrified. And so he availed himself of the preferred view.

"W-w-w-we only SELL flavored coffees!" The girl's voice was edging on hysteria. "We... we have m-m-mocha berry s-ssupreme—"

The girl screamed as Sagira's hand slammed against the counter.

"COFFEE..."

The girl let out a sob, and Jay sighed, pushing off the counter. "Catseye," he said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She twitched and spun, landing on her feet, facing him with a glare. Jay raised a brow.

"She's not to blame for what Moonstantler's serves, sweety."

Sagira narrowed her eyes, then stalked out of the restaurant, leaving Jay to sigh behind her. He turned to the barista and smiled apologetically. "She's cranky when she doesn't get her coffee," he said, sliding a bill into the tip jar.

The girl watched him go, trying to quell her shaking hands. Anger began to well up, and she looked down at her tip jar, contemplating taking the bill out and burning it, imagining the snarling woman's face as the face on the bill.

Except, she found, with a start, the bill was a twenty. A good forty times more than her usual tip. She snatched it out of the jar, gawking at it, and then pocketing it.

Maybe a little snarling isn't bad.

-----

Hinata felt the objects rotating around her. She didn't know what they were, only that they were large and heavy, but at this moment, that was all she wanted.

The thoughts coursing through Paladin's mind were all the same, all filled with hate and venom, all released with timely precision, all designed to distract and anger her.

He should know better than to anger her.

At least you aren’t as filthy as you were last time we did this.

With the words, which stung enogh, came images, flashes that he saw. Her eyes streaming thick, viscous tears, her head black from dust and dirt, and power radiating from her as she tried to kill men, kill them for taking the one being she'd loved from her... the one, at least, before she'd met Paladin.

You dare... She was trembling, then heavy objects falling to the sides, and behind her. She trembled, her eyes already releasing the viscous fluid that passed for her tears. Her shoulder slumped. How could you use that against me..?

Paladin simply stood. His feelings faltered, then hardened, but the entry point was already made, and through the falter in his emotions, Hinata flooded Paladin's thoughts and emotions with the anger, the pain, the sheer despair of the moment she'd thought Jay had been killed.

The force of it knocked him backwards, and the telekinetic push she added to it sent him right through the wall, into Jay's room.

Hinata floated, deceptively calmly through the hole. Her eyes glowed, accentuating the veins with ethereal shadows. The light did not help her at all, in fact, Hinata had no idea it was happening. It was all tied to the anger, pain, and need for revenge she felt.

Unfortunately for her, while she could not find Paladin, who could keep hidden from her psychic probes, all he needed was his eyes to see her.

A sudden whirlwind of debris from the wall, unfinished paperwork, and dirty laundry erupted from the room, enveloping Hinata before she could erect a defense. Before she could do more than cry out, she was thrust through the hole in the wall and slammed into the wall on the other side in Sagira's room, leaving a kirlia shaped dent as he came spinning through the maelstrom, sending a psychic bolt into her.

He released her to fall, nearly falling himself, his mind still buzzing from her psychic attack. You are... weak... for letting the past affect you... he panted, struggling to hold in his emotions lest they betray him.

She rose, slowly, her eyes narrowed. The tears had not dried, would not for a little longer, but they had stopped flowing. Her lip curled, from pain and an attempt at disdain.

I bet that would have looked badass if it wasn't for the fact that you look like you're wearing a mini skirt.

How would you know? Paladin sneered.

Hinata's eyes narrowed so much they were almost closed. She floated to him, dampening her psychic power until she was right next to him.

Then she punched him in the stomach.

-----

Jay belched, his eyes widening. Sagira shot him a nasty look, but instead of giving him a lecture, she continued her rant.

"Did I miss a memo or something? I mean, did I miss a meeting with the coffee? You can get every other flavor except coffee flavored coffee!"

Jay smirked, biting his lip to keep from grinning. He'd been there when she'd been looking up videos on the computer, and had watched, and laughed, as the comedian ranted and raved. It seemed to be his entire repertoire, but it was hilarious.

"They've got mochaccino, chococcino, frapaccino, capaccino, rapaccino, Al Pacino, what the hell?!"

He didn't think she'd taken the time to memorize it.

They walked to the next shop, and Sagira stopped, narrowing her eyes. They were resting on a placard, which listed no less than six flavors of coffee. Her shoulders dropped.

"Hey, Sagira," Jay mumbled. "I have a gut feeling."

She turned, coffee briefly forgotten, and looked at him, mixed concern and alertness. She didn't ask, but she didn't have to.

"Something's happening, somewhere."

Sagira looked around, narrow eyed, then grit her teeth, looking at her partner with a mixture of fear and suspicion.

"Where's Ivy?"

Posted by: Living Arrow Aug 31 2010, 03:30 PM

“Well, they’ll just have to wait and see how good Ivy is at finding things, oh yes they will! I’m no Silly normal! I’s got a nose!” Ivy told herself as she trotted down the street in search of what Sagira had called ‘coffee-flavoured-coffee’. Thankfully for the young Aqua Elite, the area of town they were in was not overly crowded and so movement was not hampered by space-stealing Sillies who annoyed Ivy so much whenever they got in her way.

“But fiiirst…” Ivy licked her lips greedily and tilted her nose to the light city breeze. Amid the stench of car fumes, cigarette smoke and feet came the lustrous and mouth-watering scent of delicious oily, fried gorgeousness. “BURGER STAND!”

The speed with which Ivy reached the small corner-stall was nothing short of miraculous. The bearded fellow who owned the portable grill had spotted her moments before, rounding the bend that would lead her to the culinary delights of his greasy beefcakes. He had noticed the gaze that she had locked upon his meat. The licking of lips. The flexing of fingers. The crazed light of hunger in her little bright eyes.

“GIMME BURGER QUICK FAST!”

“Woah, hold on little lady!” The burger man paused to turn a couple of quarter pounders. “You’ve got to be a little more specific with the order – we’ve got more than plain old burgers here!”

Ivy’s face turned down into a frown. Her eyes narrowed. “Gimme. Burger. Bugger.”

“How rude.” The man mumbled, selecting a slightly burned piece of beef and shoving it in the worst quality bun he had (it was stale and a little smaller than the others) before near-on throwing it at Ivy. He was so surprised to hear such a sweet-looking girl speak so coarsely to him with no warning. “Ten poke.” He demanded.

“WHA-?!”

“Gimme. Cash. Brat.”

It was Ivy’s turned to be surprised. Even so, she shrugged and handed him the money, turning on her heel and giggling with delight as she returned to her search for coffee-flavoured-coffee.

“Victoria.” Ivy hissed, her burger forgotten in her hand. She had gone no further than half a block when that blonde girl’s face had jumped out at her from the coffee shop window. Across the street and sat in one of the window seats, the honey-haired-harlot was sipping at a small mug with a faraway glaze in her eyes.

Ivy’s knuckles turned white as they clenched with anger, a wave of emotion capturing the girl like a tsunami. That girl had been one of the ones to corrupt Victor! To steal him away! She had to be punished…

“Why, hello again!” A cheery sing-song voice next to Ivy was promptly accompanied by a dull-coloured coat that blocked her view of the girl sat in the coffee shop.

“Get outta the way, Gray-man!” Ivy moaned, reaching out to shove him aside. He resisted easily – being twice her size made him a mountain to her molehill self. His chiselled jaw, still miraculously unshaven (had it ever been smooth?!) was twisted up into a fond smile under those captivating eyes. Ivy blinked.

“OK, OK!” He stepped aside and looked back across the street where Ivy had been watching. “What are you so interested in looking at, anyway?”

“SHE’S GONE!” Ivy cursed, stomping down hard on Gray’s foot. “Stupid stupid… SILLY!”

“You’re so cute when you shout, y’know that?” He smiled again, this time showing her his white teeth. Oh, how he had a fine turn to his canines…

“DAMN YOU, GRAY-MAN!” She kicked him in the shin and ran into the street. With any luck, she’d find that Victoria and if she could capture her, she’d be able to find Victor once more. And then she would… she would… What would she do?



“Ivy!”

The Elite stopped walking when she heard Sagira calling her name and turned around to find her teammates hustling toward her. Both looked somewhat frustrated and red-cheeked.

“Why is there a burger guy back there, claiming that an urchin has stolen someone’s clothes and demanding meat like a bum craving liquor?” Sagira demanded, folding her arms tightly in the stern catlady way she did when Ivy had done something wrong. “And don’t give me ‘I’s gets hungry’ – you don’t see us mouthing off when we ge the munchies, do you?”

“No, Saggie…” Ivy mumbled, casting her eyes to the floor. “The urges…”

“And we all get urges, but you don’t see me just jumping up and-”

“Catseye…” Jay calmed her quickly. “We’ve found her now – no harm done.”

“Yeah but…” Sagira glanced sideways at Ivy. “But we don’t know if it’s completely worn off yet… y’know… the brainwashing?”

“I’s fine. Really.” Ivy nodded to reassure herself just as much as the others. “I’ll try to be more unSilly? next time. Promise.”

“Good enough for me.” Jay-man smiled but Sagira’s took some long seconds to follow and it never reached up to her eyes. Inwardly, Ivy sighed.

Their meeting was interrupted rather suddenly and comically with Sagira’s ringtone from her new phone. Ivy’s eyebrows twitched with mirth as the lyrics began to play out and soon enough the topic of Victoria and Victor was out of her mind.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Sep 14 2010, 10:33 PM

Sagira and Jay left the burger man to his complaints, still able to hear him grumbling loudly to anyone who would listen (and those who tried not to) about the girl – a demon, surely – masquerading as a child and flinging demands like a spoiled princess. His words were far more crass, and Sagira didn’t like to associate the word “urchin” with anyone she considered a friend. After all, she didn’t have to think too hard about to whom the man was referring. If there was one person who had the capability of ragging on someone’s nerves through the simple task of asking for food, that would be Ivy.

Though, Sagira thought, Jay would probably be just as successful, if in a separate fashion.

Finding Ivy alone proved an exercise in futility. In the end, they had needed to call out Videl and Umbrae and let the two houndoom sniff out their quarry, because trying to track the errant child on their own was foolish at best, dangerous at worst (or aggravating, at worst, in Sagira’s case, which was dangerous for everyone else).

The two dark dogs were a powerful team against all enemies – even sidewalks. It seemed to Sagira to take so long to find Ivy, as her mind raced with possibilities of where the child – for how could she be considered anything but a child? – could have gone. Possibilities filled with knives pulled from hidden places and eyes filled with a darkness that did not fit.

But then Videl and Umbrae stopped at the same moment, sharply, both releasing steady barks, as their quarry was walking down the sidewalk, away from them.

“Ivy!” Sagira cried, racing toward the girl. She worried… feared that Ivy would start to run from her, or glance back at her and, realizing that she had been found, attack. It wouldn’t be Ivy, though, but Kylarian, and Sagira didn’t know what she would do, then, if her friend disappeared again.

When Ivy stopped, however, and turned around, she didn’t run. She didn’t attack, either, but rather watched them with curious eyes. Sagira’s quick gait faltered only mildly, almost imperceptibly (though not enough to avoid Umbrae’s detection, the houndoom glancing back at her in concern), but then she was moving toward Ivy in a long, smooth stride. Sagira cocked an eyebrow and cast her mind to something simple, something to take the focus to Ivy, until she could full regain her composure in the knowledge that Ivy was… Ivy.

“Why is there a burger guy back there, claiming that an urchin has stolen someone’s clothes and demanding meat like a bum craving liquor?” Sagira crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her hips to the side in a way that she knew drew Jay’s attention way from her face. “And don’t give me ‘I’s gets hungry’ – you don’t see us mouthing off when we get the munchies, do you?”

Calm down, Iris, Sagira hissed mentally at herself.

Ivy looked contrite, though, at Sagira’s words, and though she came up with an excuse that, in the past, would have worked, Sagira immediately rebuked it with more words, even as she berated herself. It was Jay who finally quieted her, rebuking her lightly and, when Sagira realized that he had seen through her attempts to hide her true feelings on the matter, she told him she wasn’t sure…

“I’s fine. Really. I’ll try to be more unSilly? next time. Promise.”

“Good enough for me,” Jay declared with a grin. Sagira narrowed her eyes at him. How could he think…? Jay gave her a familiar look. Come on, Catseye.

Sagira sighed, lowering her eyes and turning away from both of them. She heard Ivy sigh behind her, but couldn’t bring herself to turn around. She wouldn’t tell them… she was so afraid of losing the people she cared about, and for a time, Ivy really had been gone…

Sagira ignored the number of people staring her way, including Ivy and, with a ridiculous expression on his face, Jay, as she unclipped her phone from her belt and flipped it open, cutting off the very loud and rather crass ringtone.

“You shouldn’t call me in public, you know,” she said by way of greeting. “It’s very rude.”

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to cut your vacation short, Smythe. You, Lange, and Kylarian.”

Sagira sighed, cocked her hips to the side, and a rather exaggerated huff into the phone. “Should I ever bother acting surprised?”

“Don’t waste your breath or my time. I want you, Lange, and Kylarian to rendezvous with me so I can debrief you on a new mission.”

Sagira saw Jay watching her with a pondering look on his face. He caught her eyes and cocked an eyebrow at her. Sagira smiled at him teasingly, but offered no information on what Bryce was saying, allowing he and Ivy to hear nothing by the steady mumbling from the other end of the phone. She listened to Bryce continue to talk to her, his voice holding a commanding tone that wasn’t entirely successful in hiding his exasperation.

Eyes still on Jay, Sagira cocked her hips to the side and raised her eyebrows as she lowered her head slightly, gazing at him from under thick eyelashes. She saw Jay raise his own eyebrows, and then his eyes flicked downward and back up, roving over her body. Sagira smirked and tried to ignore the gagging sound Ivy was making behind her.

“Smythe, are you listening to me?”

“No,” Sagira answered matter-of-factly. She heard a heavy sigh on the other end of the phone and rolled her eyes. “Look, Bossman, I may be sexy as hell, but I’ve got brains, too.” She pulled the phone away from her ear long enough to glance at the time. "We can make it there in twenty minutes, and then you can buy us drinks."

"You're on the clock as of three minutes ago, Smythe."

Sagira huffed. "You know, you really are an asshole." Without waiting for a reply, Sagira snapped her phone shut and clipped it back onto her belt. Then she crossed her arms a made a grunt, thoughtful.

"What'd he want?"

"Vacation's over," Sagira said, glancing sideways at Jay with a leery expression on her face. "He wants us to meet him at the Black Dragon Saloon."

Ivy let out a whoop. "Yay! We's goin' fer da drinkies!"

Sagira didn't laugh, however, and she didn't look like drinks were anywhere on her mind, despite what she had said to Bryce. She'd heard of The Black Dragon and, as places went, it wasn't on top of her list of tourist sites. In fact, it was on her list of places to avoid, but it looked like she would be going, anyway.



Hinata's fist to his stomach expelled the air from Paladin's lungs in a rush. He choked as it tore from him, and then sucked in a gasp of air as she pulled back her fist again. Eyes narrowed, he reached out, grabbed her fist in both his hands, and buried himself deep into her mind as he teleported.

He remembered that age-old fear, the feeling of being unable to breath, the water rushing over him, coiling around him like the body of a seviper, consuming him, sliding inside of him and stealing everything. He remembered it, buried himself in the memory, and then sent it to her as he carried their bodies together through the teleportation, never finishing one locational transfer before choosing another, and then another, and another, dragging along the moments that they remained in-transit, in that place where there was nothing, much like that area beneath the water, where he had found himself after having failed his previous trainer, and where he had lost his hearing indefinitely.

Paladin drug Hinata through the locational transfer, leaving their landing marks behind without touching down, not hitting the checkpoints, not passing Go, not collecting two-hundred poke'dollars. He dragged her through the teleportation as he remembered...

He remembered the red-haired man who had been his trainer. Not his name, not his face, not even his eyes. He remembered red hair, he remembered the word pathetic, and he remembered, painfully to his heart, the man's voice - the last voice he had heard with his ears before there was nothing but the sound of water.

Pathetic.

And then water. Cold, harsh. He was thrown into the rough waters. Too tired to hover above it, too weary to swim, his wounds from his last battle still bleeding, his muscles still burning. He remembered his crash into the waters, their rough surface as harsh as any brick wall, and as he remembered it, so he lived it still.

He fought the water, their cold, sharp edges cutting into him as he slapped hands against the surface, trying to find a hold where there wasn't. He dragged his head above glassy waves, sucking in air with greedy breaths, only to lose his hold against gravity, against the waters, and be dragged back under them again.

Fighting, always fighting. Fighting for the man, and now fighting the waves, and he was so tired, tired, tired, and cold, and hurt. He was cold, but still burning, and his chest burned and he kicked the water, fought for the glassy surface, and broke it, and breathed, and fell under again.

Paladin fought it now as he fought it then, only now he fought the memories and pulled away from them, somewhere deep within him aware that they were only memories. As he pulled himself from them, however, aiming the end of the teleportation - the end of the memory - at a corner of the room, he'd not even touched a graceful foot on the surface of reality before he was jerked back again, this time not by his volition, but by Hinata's own strength. She grabbed control of the teleportation, and she pulled him back into the waters, back into the river and the cold and the wet, and pushed him under crushing waves.

Paladin fought. He fought, kicking the waves and slapping his arms, but he couldn't get to the surface of the water and he couldn't steal his control back from Hinata. She was stronger than he was, like the waves were stronger than he was, and he was swept away by her control of the teleportation, as was - had been - swept away by the current of the river, caught under the fold of its waves, as they thundered against him, crushed him under their hold, and pushed past his battling defenses and slipped into him, bringing cold and darkness.

Paladin forced himself to remember.

As his breath caught in his chest and, caught in the hold of the teleportation, dragged through nothingness at Hinata's whim, he forced himself to remember hands.

Hands, which had slipped under his arms, which had grasped him tightly and pulled him out of the water. Hands, which had held him gently, even though he felt nothing but knew, like the way that he knows what is happening outside while he is in his pokeball, laying him down, gently, only to hurt him. Hands, which had hurt him, punching him, hitting him, leaving behind bruises as they struck him. Paladin remembered knowing - not feeling until after, but knowing - that the hands pushed him and punched him and tried to crush him as he slept under the waters, everything so quiet...

And then he remembers waking up, and he remembers being sick and throwing up, and he remembers a blanket wrapped around him and how cold it is. He remembers the hands that punched him and hurt him holding him, caressing him, and he remembers how confused he is and how hurt he is. He remembers waking up, he remembers breathing, and he remembers running - he remembers getting away.

Paladin opened his eyes, seafoam green orbs glowing, and the teleportation touches down - he does not know if she does it or if he falters - and his feet touch the ground, and then he feels his power rise within him. He breathes, cold air, and then he screams and launches at her, and suddenly, he is a teenaged boy in a lopsided green helmet and she is a teenaged girl with cloudy white eyes and black hair, and they are not in the hotel room but in a room made of stone, walls cracked and crumbling, and he hates her because she hurt him, and he wants to hurt her, too.



Sagira, Jay, and Ivy were walking toward their rendezvous point with Bryce when the sound of someone yelling for them to wait was followed swiftly by a thud. The three of them turned together to find the waitress from the restaurant pushing herself back onto her feet, before running - stumbling, more like - after them. She managed to trip three times before reaching them and, upon reaching them, nearly tackled Jay to the ground when he caught her before she fell. She righted herself, breathing hard.

"U-um... right, it's you." She looked at Sagira, who stood with a raised eyebrow, wondering why in the goddess' good name she was being stalked, and abruptly thrust her hands out together, a pokeball clutched in them. "Will you please please please take my pokemon with you?"

Sagira's eyebrow twitched upward a notch as she looked at the pokeball. She glanced from the pokeball to its owner's face and spoke, surprisingly to the others, in a soft tone. "Erin-" The girl twitched at her name, though she kept her eyes closed. "-why do you want me to take your croagunk?"

Erin seemed as surprised that Sagira knew her pokemon was a croagunk as she was that she remembered her name, but she didn't say anything as she opened her eyes and stood up straight, hugging the pokeball to her chest. She looked down at it as she spoke, her voice shaky.

"Shin likes to battle," she said quietly.

Sagira closed her eyes and shook her head sadly at the name, though Erin didn't notice. Sagira couldn't help but feel some internal part of her screaming. Oh, how she hated Crayon Shin-chan.

"But he's not very good at it," Erin continued. Her shoulders sagged. "Actually, he's not good at it at all, but he does try." By the time she looked back up at Sagira, the older girl had recovered and was watching her closely. "You're a really good battler, and you're kind to your pokemon, and... and you're not... clumsy." She scuffed her shoe on the ground as he glanced down again. "I know he's not very good right now, but I think Shin could be a great battler... if he had someone to teach him how." She glanced up shyly. "I was just hoping... maybe..." She swallowed.

"That I would teach him." Sagira finished.

Erin nodded. "I don't mean... I don't mean just for a little while. I don't battle very much. I don't really know how and, well... I fall a lot." Sagira smirked. "But Shin likes to battle and I think he could help you, if he learned how. I think if he was trained by someone who was like him, then he'd be happy, and he'd make a good partner." She gasped softly and continued quickly, "Not that he's not a good partner to me, of course, but I think he'd make a good fighting partner, and I know he's content with me but he's not really happy and I want him to be happy... you know." She blinked, then looked up at Sagira. "You know?"

Sagira nodded. "Yeah. I get it." She looked to her side, thinking.

"You wouldn't need... to trade me anything." Sagira glanced at her quickly. That had been what she was pondering on, in part. Though she had already made the decision to send Serenity home, it was to home, not to the arms of another trainer the ekans didn't know. Even if Erin did seem like a nice girl.

"Do you have another pokemon?" Sagira asked. If Erin only had... the croagunk, she'd wouldn't take it. Even if the girl was just a civilian, she would be vulnerable in Noverus without a pokemon. She'd be vulnerable anywhere. The attack at the restaurant was proof of that.

"Oh... yes." Erin stuck her left hand into her pocket and pulled out a pretty ball - Sagira recognized it as a Luxury Ball - and clicked the button on it to summon the pokemon.

The pokemon appeared in a flash of red light - big, snarling, with drool spitting from a large mouth and great fangs. Sagira blinked in surprise at the juxtaposition, and then again, when Erin patted the granbull gently on the head, and the salivating pokemon calmed instantly, and nuzzled her hand.

"My daddy gave him to me," Erin said, and Sagira had to wonder why the girl didn't summon the granbull during the restaurant battle. "He's a big teddy bear, aren't you, Kanabo?" Erin wrapped her arms around the granbull's neck and hugged him as though he were a fluffy teddiursa and not... not a granbull. "He looks really mean, but he doesn't like to fight."

Right. Sagira looked at the granbull's mouth, nearly larger than Erin's head. She smiled at Erin, a fond smile that you gave a very stupid child. Whatever you say.

She thought about the clumsy croagunk with its tongue stuck to a mask and sighed. "I suppose it couldn't hurt."

Posted by: Master Houndoom Sep 24 2010, 03:52 PM

Jay smirked a bit as they walked along the sidewalk, sending the blushing, stumbling waitress off after Sagira had agreed to train the girl's croagunk. The way she was glowering down at the pokéball seemed to be a warning, both to the pokémon inside it and to her travelling companions. Jay decided, discreetly, not to bring it up just yet.

They came to a building and stopped. The building itself was almost nondescript, a single story building that seemed to sprawl on the outside, taking up more area than it should. The parking lot was empty, perhaps owing to the fact that it was still early in the day. There was no flashy neon sign, only a wooden sign above the door with the image of a shiny rayquaza on it, which had the uncanny effect of seeming to stare at you.

Walking into the black dragon was an experience in and of itself. Though it was clearly still daytime out, the party was struck by the dimness of the place. They stayed in place while their eyes adjusted, and it was then that they were approached by two larger men, both with smiles on their faces.

"Well, well, lookie here, Stu! Got us a couple o' pretties, we do. Never seen 'em before, they're fresh meat! Looks like we stumbled on a tasty treat!" The man, tall and thin, cackled gleefully.

Jay stepped to the front of the group, snorting softly. He'd likely hear no end of it from Sagira, but he felt any protest offered by the girls would excite the two men further. Him stepping up might cause a fight, which they were perfectly ready for, or might make them back down, which would be preferable.

Stu, the other man, tall as well but heavy set, grinned toothlessly at Jay. "Aww, the ickle man's gonna step up and protect his girlyfwiends! How cute!"

Jay sighed. Looked like it might be a fight. He didn't back down, but lowered his hands to his sides. "Guys, we don't want trouble--"

"Trouble? Trouble! There's no trouble! We just wants a look at the girlies double! Maybe if you back away, Stu and I can have our say!" The thin man cackled wetly, and Jay bit his lower lip.

"Yeh, boy, why don' you back off, let Les and me have some fun, whot?" The thin man stepped forward, menacingly.

Jay's hand whipped to his belt. Behind him, he could feel Sagira and Ivy prepare their own pokémon. "Why don't you eat hot fiery--"

"LANGE!"

Jay's head snapped up, where, behind the two men, Bryce appeared, as out of place with them as Jay, Sagira, and Ivy must have looked just walking in.

Bryce smirked, then patted the two men cordially on the shoulders. "It's all right, Stu, Les. They're with me."

An instant change came over the pair. Stu swiped his hands through his hair, pushing it back away from his face, and Les rose to his full height. Jay hadn't been aware he'd slouched.

"Oh, hey, sorry about that, kid," said Les with a smile. "This isn't really a place for civvies, you know? "

"Yeah," Stu nodded, the accent gone. "We like to cut 'em off before they get in and somebody actually harasses them." He nodded, then he and Les moved back to their table, leaving a stunned Pack behind at the door. Bryce's smirk raised to an amused smile.

"Come on, I need to talk to you. There's a couple of rules in the dragon: No fighting. Doesn't matter if you're Magma or Aqua, this is neutral ground. I expect you to adhere to that as if it were an order from me-"

"So hardly at all," Sagira quipped with a raised brow. Bryce ignored her.

"Two, he serves alcohol. Don't come home falling down drunk, or else you'll get the loudest, noisiest job in the morning. And those start early."

Bryce sat at a table, looking up at the three. There were already drinks waiting. Soda, from the looks of it. Jay waited for Sagira, who took the seat directly across from Bryce, then sat and moved his chair closer to her than to him, taking his drink and leaning back to lift his legs onto the table. Bryce looked, but did not comment. Sagira leaned onto her elbows as Ivy, who had also moved her seat closer to Sagira, mimicked Jay, which had the unfortunately comical effect of putting her head almost below the edge of the table.

Sagira sat straight and tall, her arms flat on the table, near enough to Jay's lounging arm to be touched if he'd stretched his fingers a little. Instead, she shifted her own hand, laying her pinky and ring finger across his. She looked at Bryce and raised a brow, saying nothing.

Bryce rolled his eyes.

"We've received reports of attacks on various locations," he said, dryly, pushing a folder across to them. Sagira took it, releasing Jay's fingers for the time and looking through the packet; a dry, stale sheaf of papers with sparse facts and a blurry picture which could have been a woman with a surgeon's mask and lab coat, or an actual surgeon, or Dr. Doofenshmirtz. The cartoon character.

"Truly, you're on top of things," Sagira drawled.

Bryce leveled a flat gaze at her, then looked at Jay, who shrugged. "What?" he asked, smirking eerily like the girl next to him. "I agree. I mean... obviously you've learned so much."

"They're hitting known Magma locations. People are starting to blame us."

"I bet you'll find that they're hitting known Aqua locations as well."

"Retaliatory strikes," Bryce said, but Jay could see in his eyes that Bryce was repeating the official line, not agreeing or even believing the theory. Jay reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out the patch he'd pulled off of one of his attacker's lab coat, and tossed it on top of the folder.

"Or, maybe, people are just seeing what they want to see..."

-----

Hinata swallowed thickly, her gaze soaring around the space she and Paladin were in, avoiding, while she could, Paladin's face. "What have you done," she hissed, horrified, angry, her hands shaking as she took in the scenery.

The entire realm was a visual cacophony, swirling, shattered images, nondescript faces screaming as they approached or receded from the shard of mental memory that had made up the joined realm they were in. Hinata recognized almost as many as she didn't.

"What have you done," she repeated, unable or unwilling to hide the mortification in her voice.

"What you deserve," came the quiet, strained reply. Finally, Hinata looked at him. He was in the same clothing he always was on the plane: a shirt two sizes too large, a knight's tunic on a squire. Trousers that were rolled at the cuffs and scuffed all over. A green helmet on his hear, a size too large, slightly lopsided, the hair underneath covering his eyes as he stared down.

Paladin's fists were clenched, and Hinata backed up, not in fear. "You brought... you brought me to a place where I could see?!" She tried, she tried so hard, to sound haughty, as if by removing her one handicap he'd lost the battle prematurely. Her voice, however, came out shaky, almost terrified. "Are you stupid?"

"You did this. You pushed this." Paladin's voice was getting more and more vehement, but Hinata couldn't concentrate on that. He was right. She had pushed this. Attacked him first, when she'd sworn she wouldn't again, not after building up an emotional weapon that would have devastated him. Even in the middle of the battle, when it was equal amounts attack and counter attack, she had used his worst moment against him. Yes, it was to prove a point, that forcing her to teleport was not as damaging to her as it was to him, but she had done it, at the worst time possible.

This, none of this, was what she wanted...

"You did this to me!" Paladin looked up, his teeth gnashing. Somehow, he had grown. The clothing was no less shabby, but now seemed to fit, and where he had looked like a skinny boy, there were now muscles corded under his arm. He put his hand to his waist and drew a shining sword, charging with a growled shout of such madness that she had reacted by dodging before she even realized how much danger she was in.

Paladin had charged past her, but spun sooner than he seemed able and was sending another blow crashing at her back. Hinata leapt to the side, twisting and then curling to evade his weapon, hitting one of the shattered mirror walls feet first to launch over his shoulder, which she grabbed to drive him to the ground.

"Paladin, wait-" she tried, but was cut off by him raising the sword, only missing cutting her arm off by her quick reaction. Even so, it tore through her own tunic and sliced her shoulder. She backed up, hands raised in front of her chest.

"Paladin, I was wr-"

"GRAAH!" His anger was so great, his frustration so deep, that he had been reduced to wordlessness, and as he charged, more than his screams and grunts as he swung his weapon in wide arcs, missing her as she skipped back, she heard whispered voices, a multitude, sibilant and insistant: Hinata did this... Hinata did this... Hinata did this... You did this...

I did this...

-----

Jay's head started to tingle, and that was not a good sign.

He peeked over at Sagira, who's brow was just beginning to furrow, but whether it was Dawson's explanation of his personal theory of the new attackers or the same feeling he was feeling, Jay couldn't know. What he could know was that this feeling inevitably lead to a headache.

He got Sagira's attention, leaned in and muttered, "I'm going to get us some water. Feel a headache going on." The nod was almost imperceptible, but he saw it and brushed her wrist with his fingertips. Bryce looked up at him, but with Jay walking away, and Sagira waiting patiently, he stored his observations for another time. *

Jay approached the bar, sat on the stool, then put his head in his hands. The headache was starting sooner than he'd expected. The tingling was in the back part of his mind, and years of contact with psychic individuals, it only confirmed his suspicions.

If it's causing that much trouble, then stop! It was a desperate attempt: He knew Hinata could hear him if he spoke to her, but at the same time, the headaches brought on by a distressed psychic presence tended to distract both parties.

He'd wondered why he hadn't had this happen before. It used to happen quite a bit with Amber, but, then, she had been trying to break through whatever natural barrier he had to psychics. In this case, Hinata had already forged that connection.

And then, like that, it stopped. The tingling lessened, the headache began to ebb, and Jay felt a lingering sadness and surprise before the forced connection ended.

Jay looked back to Sagira, surprised at his line of thought, and turned forward.

"You OK, buddy?" Jay turned forward, looking at the worried face of the bartender. The man was a large man, bald with a red van dyke beard and moustache and bushy eyebrows. One of which he raised.

"Yeah. Fine. Could I get three, waters and whatever the walrus faced guy sitting with the teen girls was drinking?"

The bartender smirked, looking over at Bryce. "You must be Lange."

"My reputation precedes me," Jay smirked, and the guy nodded.

"Look, some advice: Talk to the girl."

Jay blinked. "What?"

"She obviously likes you. You can tell by the way she's staring."

Jay looked over to the table. Sagira and Bryce were talking calmly, but Ivy was staring longingly at Jay. He gave a start until he realized, she wasn't staring at him. She was staring near him.

"Ah. No, the brunette's my girlfriend. Ivy's not attracted to me. She's attracted to the bowl of pretzels next to me." Jay picked them up and put them on the tray with the drinks. "I'll just take them to meet her. She'll eat them up."

As he got to the table, Bryce took his drink, nodded his thanks, and left to the jukebox.

"He's letting us talk it over," Sagira said, quietly. She looked thoughtful, even regretful. Jay tilted his head, sliding the water and pretzels to Ivy.

"S'matter?"

"He wants to cut off our off time. Send us on a mission to a place they think these people will hit." She sighed, leaning back and sipping her water before giving it a look.

"And you don't want to get back to work?"

"No," she admitted. "I mean, eventually, of course, but... it was nice, just being able to... spend time together."

Jay grinned. "We're going undercover to a place where these guys might attack?"

"Yes," Sagira said, looking at Jay as if he were a fool.

"Like, say, a restaurant?"

Sagira's face changed, and she smiled, a slow, curling smile. "As long as it's not Chez Chimecho..."

Jay's brows rose, and he winked at her. "I hope you wear that dress again..."

He could have sworn he saw Sagira blush, but instead she changed the subject. "Ivy and I are going back. In the mean time, there's another mission, suited to your talents..."

-----

In the Psychic Plane, if one's will is strong enough, one could last forever. Any physical looking action was merely a personal representation of an actual mental one, anyway. A swing of a sword in the plane might be a psychic jab in the actual world. The same jab could be represented by a flat-palmed strike, or a gunshot, or the manifestation of an animal attacking. For Hinata, she tended to take after the comic book character that her name came from, a shy, unassuming female ninja who's hands moved like lightning when she was provoked. Of course, she wasn't exactly shy nor unassuming like the character, but her manifestation of attacks tended to follow that theme.

But Paladin, who she'd never fought before, was much better at defense. As she watched, as she battled, sketchy armor appeared over his tunic, which was now tight across his chest. Bracers appeared on his wrists, and his helmet straightened.

She swung behind him, jamming a palm strike to his back, but he shrugged it off, reaching back and throwing her across the room. She rolled and stood. It was getting harder to stand, but she had to. She had to stop him, now, and find a way to end this thing that she had started.

But it was so hard. He wasn't listening to her. He was swinging, wildly, his attacks strong yet unfocused. He was not listening at all.

It was too hard. She'd messed up too much.

If it's causing that much trouble, then stop!

Jay's voice sounded strained, and she looked behind her to see his reflection in a shard of the mirror wall, sitting near a counter somewhere, holding his head.

Stop... yeah, right...

Paladin knocked her down, straddling her, and raised his sword for a two handed blow.

If she was skewered in the psychic plane, would she die in the real one?

What would that do to Jay?

What would that do to Paladin.

She rose, just before his sword came down, and slipped between his arms. Wrapping her own around his chest, she hugged him tightly, breathing harshly, sobbing. "I'm sorry," she said. The noises in the plane stopped, and only her words, echoed from her own mouth, a litany of apologies. She felt tears, hot and viscous in the real world, but normal here, running down her face and his chestplate. "I'm sorry, Paladin, I'm so sorry. This isn't what I wanted. This is never what I'd want..."

Paladin's muscles bunched beneath her hands, then, slowly, relaxed. She heard a ping as the sword hit the ground behind her, narrowly missing her, but having no direction.

"I'd let you," she murmured. "I'd let you, but it'd hurt you so much when... when you came to your senses... but I attacked you, I deserve it... I'm so..."

His hands dropped to his side, and he made no move to embrace her. The breast plate that had appeared slowly dissolved back into the plain off white tunic it had been. The bracers stayed, however, and the helmet didn't slip back as much as he took it off.

She pulled away from him, her eyes on her knees. She couldn't look at him now.

"I..." Her voice caught in her throat. "I won't... stop you. I won't... you don't have to be with me anymore... we... we don't have to work together, except when it will help our... our trainers."

He still hadn't moved, and she didn't want to weep in front of him. It would make him feel guilty. She tried, then succeeded, in lifting her head, facing the consequences of her actions as he would if he were wrong. She couldn't stop the tears, but she could arrange her face to a stoic mask of acceptance. "I hurt you, Paladin. I overreacted. I was angry with you for pushing me away without finding out why. I won't bother you again."

She turned to go. Both to get out of the psychic plane, and our of his sight in the real world, in order to break down in private, where he wouldn't feel guilty. She had already started to close her mind off, to keep others from hearing or feeling her emotions, when it happened.

Paladin, his eyes blazing, made a noise, and as she turned to look at him, eyes widening, he tackled her. They left the psychic plane, and were in the real world, where she could not see, but she could feel the crush of his mouth on hers, and could feel his hands, and knew what he wanted.

If anyone had still been in the room, if their mental shields had slipped, if anyone had thought to investigate the squeaks and giggles coming from the room of Jay Lange and Sagira Smythe, they would have found out, first hand and in graphic detail, how kirlia eggs were made.

Posted by: Living Arrow Oct 16 2010, 01:13 PM

Four heads tilted to the side in contemplation, regarding their master with some consideration as she flounced back and forth in front of the mirror. All canine, save one, nodded fervently as she smoothed down the latest outfit, removing crinkles that had collected from where she had left it neatly scrunched into a ball on the floor. The ever watchful eyes and growled or barked opinions of Alpha, Beta, Kappa and Tau were important to the young girl but the snooty yips from Epsilon were ignored altogether.

“Saaaaaggyyyyy?” Ivy moaned, frowning at her equally bemused reflection. “I’s not sure these is the right clothes for me.”

Sagira’s head bobbed around the door. Since Ivy had been placed into the three-man-cell with Sagira and Jay, she had relocated her room from the Maw to be closer to her friends. It turned out that that meant she slept with only one wall and her cat-like friend and only a couple to her gingery maned partner.

“Whats the problem now?”

“S’difficult doin the lunges…” Ivy stated, showing off the lack of movement at her hips by performing a series of long stretches. “Lady nurse at the healing center said something about a Camperupt? And a toe? Dunno what it meant exactly, but me thinks it is too tight.”

Sagira face-palmed. “That’s one way to put it.”

Ivy relaxed as Sagira came bustling in and set to pulling the shift back over Ivy’s head and choosing another from the very small collection in Ivy’s wardrobe. If anything could be said for the canid girl’s way of life, it was certainly simplistic. Everything the girl owned could literally fit into one bag and so her selection of undercover garments was meagre at best.

“What happened to all those clothes Victor got you?” Sagira asked. Ivy’s mood darkened.

“Trashed ‘em.” Came the dead reply. The matter was not persued.

“Well, when we have another day of leave I’ll make sure we get some more things in here. I mean, look at this jacket! It’s threadbare! And where are your underwear?”

“Underwear?” Ivy’s head cocked to the same angle as her boys, arranged along the opposite wall. “Why would I put something on under other clothes?”

A wide eyed stare was the only response she got.

*****

“Don’t see why we aren’t on a special mish-mish like Jay-man…” Ivy grumbled as she followed Sagira toward their mission’s entry point. “Bet he’s off fightin’ and doin’ the gymnasticals.”

“Yeaaah…” Sagira glanced sideways at Ivy. “Gymnastics on his mission… Jay bending over backwards sounds about right to me.” She giggled to herself. Ivy frowned. Humans were so weird sometimes.

“NARGH!” Ivy yelped as he newly acquired phone vibrated against her thigh. The sensation, not only pleasurable, was extremely alarming! Why she couldn’t have the speaker on, she’d never understand – the vibrate option was hardly silent.

“Who’s that?” Sagira asked as hey walked.

“No-one!” Ivy blushed profusely. “No-one at all! Serviceproviderman!”

“Whatever you say, Ivy…” Sagira smirked as a very red and embarrassed Kylarian trudged along behind her.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Oct 27 2010, 11:05 PM

"Mm..." Sagira tipped up her cardboard cup and let the last remnant of the espresso slide over her tongue. Coffee. Wonderful, wonderful coffee-flavored coffee.

"You've passed this test, Agent Jacob," she said, licking her lips and calmly replacing the lid of the cup.

Jay smirked and nudged her elbow with his as they walked. "Was there any doubt, really?"

"Hm... not with you, but the incompetence of the world is high at the best of times. But I have another mission for you." She tossed the cup at him, which he caught in surprise. "Recycle."

"Hey." Jay grinned, catching up to her from where he'd stopped. "I'll get you coffee. You deal with your own trash." He handed the cup to a passing Aqua. "Recycle that, will ya?" Neither he nor Sagira stopped to see if the man followed directions. Their paces were matched as they walked through the lobby of the "hotel," heading for the elevator.

It opened before they even reached it, an older gentlemen with a balding white head being led out by a busboy.

"I don't understand how it's possible that you can have no vacancies! The whole fifth floor was empty!"

"I'm terribly sorry, sir, but those rooms are reserved and simply have no place for you. Now, there's a pamphlet at the service desk with a list of hotels nearby. Surely we can find one to your suiting-"

The elevator doors slid shut with a gentle ding and the civilians curt reply was cut-off as the lift began to rise, carrying to two passengers to the third floor.

"Where did Ivy run off to, anyway?" Jay asked casually, clearly accustomed to the flightiness of the younger girl.

"I'm not sure, but there was something about a serviceproviderman." Jay cocked an eyebrow at the fact that Sagira was amused by this, but said nothing, and the doors opened on their floor.

They matched paces until they reached Sagira's door, where Jay gave her a sideways look and a teasing grin. "Do you need my help to get dressed?"

Sagira turned fully toward him and, pressing her fingertips against his chest, pushed him lightly up against the wall opposite her door. She leaned her face close to his until she could feel his breath on her lips. "I think I can manage fine without you," she said, grinning that feral gleam of a smile, "but if I need help, you'll be the first I call." She leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips, lingering for just a moment before she turned around and danced to her door. It was, as she had left it, locked, which she quickly remedied before pushing it open.

Jay was still standing behind her when she did and it was, in unison, that they spoke.

"What the-"

"Sunuvacrap!"

The room was in complete and utter disarray, and the word didn't even rightly fit. The floor was littered with clothing, both torn and whole, pieces of splintered wood, jagged springs from a half-massacred bed spring mattress, and part of a... wall.

Sagira took a step into the room to gape at the wall, which stood crumbling, a great hole ripped through its center and drywall dust scattered about the floor near it. Framework boards had been splintered and a few stuck out haphazardly, clearly ready to give way.

Jay followed behind Sagira, walking in slowly with his mouth open a little, staring at the same hole in the wall. Hinata, who had been the first to move, was reaching for clothes out of reflex, only to pause halfway through gathering a pile of shredded black shirts and a few pieces of tattered lingerie. It seemed to occur to her, post-panic, that she was a pokemon and therefore didn't wear clothes.

Sagira had turned slightly from the wall to try and spot the rhydon who had formed this hole in her wall, found her gaze on the bed, which wasn't quite whole - the box spring mattress with half of its insides missing and the blankets torn off of the top mattress. On top of that mattress lay two kirlia. The more noticeable was the one sitting up, clutching some black tatters to her chest, blind eyes turned toward the only sources of sound in the room.

"... Hina?"

Jay, who had still been focused on the wall, spun quickly to look at where Sagira's gaze had focused. The movement was done midstep and lost him his balance as he tripped on half of a board and fell through the hole in the wall, into his own room.

Sagira glanced at him absently, but quickly turned back around to gaze, open-mouthed, at the kirlia on the bed. Two of them. Hinata still holding the clothes in some silly attempt to hide herself, and Paladin laying sprawled on the bed, looking very happy, and glancing idly at her.

"Oh, great!" Jay said, pushing himself clumsily to his feet. "JUST GREAT! Some great big huge pokemon tears a hole in our wall and you two are playing Doctor!" Jay paused in what appeared to be the beginnings of a lengthy rant, looking quite surprised at what he had just said, and the rest of them were silent in a sort of shock. Sagira's mouth closed with an audible click in the silence, and the four looked back and forth between each other for a time.

Abruptly: "All appointments are full!" Paladin said, louder than necessary, and teleported away in a loud crack born of embarrassment and shock.

"I'LL GET HIM!" Hinata hardly paused, teleporting away with a great deal more finesse, and then the two humans were left alone in what had become a conjoined room. They were silent for a long time.

"I'll change in the bathroom," Sagira said after a long moment and walked out of the room. She left Jay standing alone in the room as she, unbeknownst to him, rode the elevator down to the lobby and left the building, in search of a clothing store. She didn't want to know what little remained of her wardrobe.

The elevator doors were dinging closed as Sagira exited them when, up in the room, Jay gaped in sudden realization. "... HEY! WAIT A MINUTE, THEY WERE--"

Sagira was well-aware of the fact that Jay would be slightly disappointed that she wasn't wearing the same dress on this mission as she had on their previous date, but there were two reasons for that. One was that she intended to draw attention to herself, or rather, her image, and thereby away from her actions and from Ivy, who would be doing a good deal of the snooping.

The others was that she really enjoyed watching Jay's eyes bug out.

The dress she had picked was black, though she doubted many would notice the color. Soft satin and shorter than anything that Sagira had ever worn, the dress ended above her knees in a lacy black border that tickled her legs. The top of it that covered her breasts covered little else but them, two separate strips of cloth that stretched in either direction, tying behind her neck. Her stomach and lower back were covered in little more than a decorative lacy mesh of cloth, easily seen through, and the skin between her breasts from the base of her ribcage up was bare. A delicate, wide necklace of cloth was all that adorned her throat, and the dress itself was held tight across her torso by nothing more than a simple black ribbon, which Sagira had demanded she have instead of the pink one that normally came with it. The base line of the dress had also been altered and now gleamed a shiny black, instead of pink.

Sagira stepped into the high boots she had bought specifically to wear with this. They weren't as delicate as some others that she might have chosen, the heel of a wider, more stable material than most others that she had seen. They would hold her weight better and she would be less likely to break her ankle she she had to run. The boots didn't look it, but they bent nicely and allowed for a good deal of movement. In this line of work, that was necessary.

Sagira turned around, running her fingers through her short hair - now dyed black - as she glanced at her back in the mirror. She grinned sideways at herself. Jay would, indeed, be surprised, she was sure.

"Time to go see, isn't it?" Sagira asked, looking at Umbrae, who was lounging in the corner of the fitting room where Sagira was changing - her and Jay's rooms were... less than private, at the moment - obfuscating asleep. At her words, he opened his crimson eyes and regarded her curiously. He made no noise of disagreement, so Sagira assumed he approved of her wardrobe as much as any canine might. Though Umbrae always had been rather protective of her. He never would have let her out of her house like this when she was younger.

Sagira grabbed the clothes she had previously been wearing and stepped out of the fitting room to head back to the hotel. "Come on, Umbrae. Let's go see if Jay's ready, yet." She mentioned nothing about the possibility of seeing a certain pair of kirlia, because really, what would they say?

Posted by: Master Houndoom Nov 13 2010, 01:55 AM

She wasn't sure when she woke up. Part of her felt that it didn't matter, because she felt so light, and cool, and free where there had only been responsibility and hot anger and the weight of hatred on her shoulders that if she stayed where she was all the rest of her days, it would be all right. So long as she didn't feel that way ever again.

Slowly, she became aware of another, pressed close to her and breathing evenly. She opened one eye, pushing a stray lock of black hair away from It, only to see more hair, rich brown in color, in front of them.

The memories came flooding back, stopping at the point where they might ruin the moment and happy feelings. She let them wash over her like a hot shower, soothing the aches of her recent strains and hurts, so effective at that duty that she stretched, giggling lightly (had she *ever* giggled? Even as a ralts? She didn't think so) and nudging the one snoring softly next to her.

"Paladin," she cooed, softly, running a finger along his chest. "Paladin, wake up..." He stirred, but did not wake, and she stopped trying to make it happen after a while. If she had had a lot to deal with bearing what had happened between them, he had been more strained causing it. Or, at least, beginning it. In the aftermath, she was more than willing to accept her own responsibility in making it worse. Instead, she took a good look around. The Psychic Plain was tricky when one entered it willingly. They had done so in the throes of so much emotion that it had been nearly automatic, as if the Plain had pulled them in rather than them manifesting themselves their of their own accord.

That the walls were nearly featureless and black meant that she had a lot to do with the creation of their shared pocket of the Plain. No vision meant no references. What did it say about her desires then? Likely, that she had wanted no false input. She made the place as she knew the world: featureless, black, with only his beauty in it.

The bed was another matter. It wasn't the typical storybook romance furnishing that she had gleaned from Jay or Amber's minds (more Amber and their mother than Jay's, as the two women were more prone to those types of stories), but instead much smaller, much cozier, and much warmer. It almost forced them to hold each other close, to stay close to each other, but did not make it so needed that there was no comfort. Instead, it enhanced that comfort.

Sounds were nearly as absent as sights were. There was a breeze, but it was silent. There was music, but it was muted, heard and sung as though in another room, in another mind. The voice that sang the muted, unintelligible words was beautiful, however... and there was running water. It was all quite soothing.

She lay back and stretched again, running a hand along the smooth skin of Paladin's arm. He stirred again, rolling over to face her and draping an arm across her chest, but his breath against her neck was still slow, still even. Still asleep, then.

She decided, since she wasn't willing to stir him to wakefulness, yet at least, to at least check on those he and she had taken as charges, and had been taken as charges by, and opened her mind, one way, to her trainer. Jay was mildly amused, enraptured by something Paladin's trainer, Sagira, was doing, and she did not dig deeper. It made her happy, his devotion to everyone he loved. Even those he barely knew got that same amount o fdevotion: Ivy, Lady Jaye, Raven, Cammy--

Cammy! She started and sat up, pulling her half of the covers with her to cover her upper body. There was something she had to tell to Jay, now... Let's see... blush... rage... anger... indignance...

Right! Cammy was a mute, but had been taught, once, to speak in sign by the one technician that had anything resembling pity, and even that had been laziness. Cammy could not tell them what she was going through because she was a pokémon. He taught her to sign. And then they cut her vocal cords out.

Lightning flashed outside, and thunder rolled ominously, and Hinata had to calm herself lest she wake Paladin.

She could not open the link between her and Jay to communicate, however. He'd know, there would be no way for her to hide it. So, instead, using the same stealth and soft touch Paladin had used to pull Cammy's pain from Hinata's mind, she planted the desire, the near need, to learn sign language as well, into Jay's mind. She'd explain later.

Maybe.

That done, she leaned over, kissed Paladin on the corner of his mouth, and stroked his hair until he woke up.

That was the plan. Instead, she ended up falling into a deep sleep once again.

-----

It was only twenty minutes since they had left the Black Dragon that Jay found himself walking alone, near the more affluent parts of town. He couldn't help but feel nostalgic, at least a little bit. While they didn't live in the more glamorous parts of Jubilife, the Lange family was a frequent visitor of them, and Jay spent a lot of his childhood there with other child stars and children of stars.

Seeing the "rich" part of a town like Noverus was both familiar and very foreign. The rich were the same all over, a fact that Jay had had long since grown tired of, even when he was early in his teens. Knowing that these rich were fat off of the misery of others, paid by Magma excesses, turned Jay's stomach even more.

He caught himself looking into the window of a large bookstore, the kind put in the shopping areas of well to do neighborhoods. Too large, and with too many books for any one person to read. He was about to turn when something caught his eye.

How long had it been since he'd learned something for the sake of learning it? He'd always sought out something new to do with his hands (or, in many cases, his whole body) or something to occupy his mind. French had been a good for a while, and parkour and martial arts, any martial arts, were great ways to just let himself go. He'd learned chess to be able to play his father, and was now convinced the man cheated to win as often as he did.

Maybe there'd be something in there he could do in his off times. Maybe something he and Sagira could do together, so that their time wasn't just fighting Magma.

Well, wasn't just fighting Magma and kissing. They could fight Magma less, and learn to do stuff more.

And the kissing could stay the same.

He walked in, and instantly his eye was drawn to the Language section. By the time he'd gotten there, it was as if a whole section of books had jumped out at him: Sign Language.

He could learn a language, and have something to do with his hands. It was perfect, and the only weird part was that he hadn't given it a second thought before. Jay paid for two copies of the beginner's book, as well as another, more comprehensive selection, to help him once the beginning lessons had done their job.

Leaving with his books, he looked across the street. There was a small shopfront that looked out of place among the larger stores around, but with a name like Lava Java, it had the requirements he sought, and couldn't possibly be worse than the other places he'd visited.

Walking in, he had a bad feeling. But the mission was paramount, so up to the counter he went, looking at the menu the whole time.

"I need to know if you sell coffee." As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he knew that there would be a glare in his direction. The barista, a girl in all black with a red apron, hooded her eyes, which were covered heavily in black mascara. Her hair, dyed jet black curled around her face, and the only other color was lipstick as red as her apron. Her otherwise pale skin caused an outlandish contrast.

Jay sighed. "Yeah. I know. Dumb question." He leaned against the counter, looking the girl in the eye. "The thing is, I've been to about twenty coffee shops today. They all sell coffee, sure, but it's all... flavored crap. Mocha hazelnut lemon crème de menthe au lait, you know? And my girlfriend, she wants... just plain coffee. Espresso, sure, but none of that fruity crap. Coffee flavored coffee."

The girl stared at him for a little while longer, rolled her eyes, and said, "fine. What you want is the Basic."

"Great. Make it a double."

The barista cocked an eyebrow at her in what Jay saw as a poor imitation of Sagira's most scathing expression, but shrugged. "Her heart attack," she said, making the coffee as ordered. Jay prepared it the rest of the way: Irish cream, two packets of sugar to take a bit of the bitter out, stirred clockwise with one counter clockwise turn every seventh rotation. He also ordered a hot chocolate with two squirts of mint for himself.

How to get it home was solved by getting a cup holder, which the store supplied in two and four cup sizes, and putting it in a small plastic handled bag. It wasn't like he was going to be chased all the way home. He should be fine.

"Are you sure," he heard, from behind him as he paid for the coffee. The barista seemed to have also heard. Her eyes shifted to the left, looking over his shoulder. Jay made a show of looking at the small case of (mostly chocolate) pastries as the men behind him spoke.

"Yeah, I'm sure," the other said, supposedly quietly. "This is the guy that Laird was supposedly raped by..."

"Yeah, but that was all faked by Bays, wasn't it?" The second man, the doubter, sounded dubious, even nervous. Jay sighed.

"So what? I don't care if it was true, the most important part to me isn't what he did, it's who he's with."

The second man seemed to cheer up. "Oh yeah... dude's an Aqua, isn't he?"

The barista turned her widening eyes to him, and Jay rolled his eyes. "Lava Java... another word for Magma... how stupid am I, huh?"

Reaching into his bag, he grabbed his cup of cocoa and worked the lid off, slowly. Just as one of the men grabbed his shoulder, he spun, pulling the cup from the bag and tossing the liquid inside in an arc across their faces. "Sorry, boys, I have a delivery to make."

With that, and before he could be stopped, Jay was out the door, spinning to his left and sprinting down the street, turning into an alley way as he heard others giving chase. Of course, just his luck, one of them had a radio.

-----

Siryn stayed in the dining room, long after Cammy had left, sick to her stomach. It wasn't Siryn's fault that there were no cookies as she'd promised. It wasn't her fault there was cookie dough instead.

It might have been her fault that Cammy had eaten so much of it, but so had Siryn, and she wasn't any worse for it!

Right now...

She was changing. Siryn was. Changing in drastic ways, and now that everyone was gone, Snootypup (Raven), Horndog (Videl), Copybird (Lady Jaye) with Jaytrainyman, poorhurtriolu (Cammy) to a place she could be sick, and...

and The Hinata with The Paladin, which is what got her thinking about all this.

Siryn had fallen in love with The Paladin. She knew she had. But The Hinata... Siryn loved her, too, in a much different, and much less make me lay your eggs way. She hadn't even wanted to admit it, but the seething hatred for the black-crested kirlia had somehow turned to much less seething, much more wow-what-a-nice-kirlia-with-a-black-crest feelings. Likewise, her burning desire for the green crested noble kirlia had turned, briefly, into anger on the other's behalf.

It was strange.

Siryn took another gulp of cookie dough. She'd just have to admit it. She didn't love The Paladin the way she had, and The Hinata still did, so...

so?

So.

So that was it.

Siryn's thoughts were interrupted by a slamming door, and a young, feminine cry of, "Hey, where's my cookie dough?!" She decided, happy with her revelation, to beat a hasty retreat.

-----

Ordinarily, Jay liked to run. Moving smoothly from one stepping point to another foot hold to that climb was invigorating.

He was learning, rapidly, that it lost quite a bit of charm when someone was chasing him.

He tied the little bag that the remaining drink was in around his wrist via the handles and prayed to several different gods, including ones he was sure hadn't been released yet, that he didn't spill too much. Ducking into an alley, he squeezed through a gate in a chain link fence, closing and slapping down the gate latch as he spun. It wouldn't keep them out, but it would slow them down. He'd probably make it through the ally before they got it open.

He was halfway through when he heard the telltale ringing sound of someone climbing the fence, and not the hand over hand. Spinning again, he caught sight of a dark, lithe figure running up the fence, pushing from fence to wall to fence and leaping over the top. The figure landed with a roll and continued pursuit, much closer to Jay than it would have been if he hadn't let himself get distracted.

Passing under a dim light on the side of one of the buildings, Jay turned to see his pursuer. She sneered at him, her face alight with both malice and excitement. Jay couldn't deny that he felt the same kind of excitement.

The other end of the alley had a similar gate, but Jay wasted no time wondering who would put a fence and gate on either ends of an otherwise unused alleyway. Using the same maneuver he'd heard the Magma girl use, he pushed from fence to the perpendicular wall, stepping up and over. Instead of using a hand to flip himself over the fence, he kicked off of the top bar and over it, landing in a crouch, allowing his legs to take the force of the drop. His pursuer grabbed the top railing and flipped herself over, lessening the fall but giving Jay time to put distance between them.

He'd almost made a straight line toward the hotel, but he quickly realized that would be foolish. Instead he broke to the left, crossing traffic rapidly. The drivers of the cars were startled to see the human-sized blur pass in front or behind them and hit their brakes on instinct, causing more of an obstacle for the Magma woman. While it offered only a few seconds at most, forcing her to leap onto and over the car hoods or twist one which was still in the act of stopping, a few seconds was all Jay needed to put some quick distance between them.

There was a low wall which kept cars from driving off of the edge of a bridge, near which was a large parking garage. Without a second thought, Jay topped the wall and leapt, hanging briefly over a good twenty foot drop, falling at least a floor in level, before he reached the building. Reaching out with his free hand, he caught the cables that stretched across the otherwise empty front of the parking bays, and flexing his legs to absorb the impact, uncoiled his muscles to spring off of the edge of the platform and kick over the cabling. As soon as his feet touched the cement, he was running. He checked the bag, which was flecked with large drops of coffee, but the liquid still seemed to be mostly inside the cup.

He turned to look over across the chasm to see the girl stopped short, fairly glaring at him over the expanse between the elevated road and the parking garage. Jay smirked. If she didn't feel like she could make it, so much the better. He'd gone far enough out of his way. With a cocky salute, he turned and dashed toward the nearest exit.

Behind the girl footsteps sounded, coming to a stop next to her.

"No bloody way," said an amazing voice, deep and rich with a foreign accent. The girl turned and let her eyes fall on a tall young boy, who happened to be a native of South Africa. The dark skin on his bald head beaded with sweat, which was the only indication of his exertion in catching up.

"He jumped over this, did he, Keela?" An eyebrow raised, and Keela snorted.

"He cheated!" She crossed her arms, pulling off the cap she wore and letting her curly red hair fall free. "He had some kind of device! Like... like a great bloody rocket, or something!"

"Really?" The young man's tone was curious, not at all accusing, but Keela glared at him as if he'd laughed. "Didn't hear anything, and it'd have to be pretty strong to push him that far."

"I saw it, Fen! Then was a blue flash, and then he was flying over there!"

Fenyang eyed her, then nodded. "OK. So he cheated. Why didn't you send your pokémon after him?"

Keela dropped her green eyes from his brown ones. "I'd hoped he was a match, all righ'? That he'd be a challenge. He seemed tae a good runner, and... I didn't want tae cheat." Her gaze hardened. "But he's a dirty cheater anyway. So next time, the gloves are off, and the balls are out!"

"Pervert."

Keela blushed deep red. "STIFLE IT!"

-----

Sagira met him outside of the hotel. Arms crossed, eyes hooded, she was the picture of discontent. Jay opened his arms when he saw her, spreading them wide as a gesture of supplication.

"I ran into some Magmas outside of the shop I found," he said when he was close enough not to be overheard.

Observers wouldn't have noticed the change in her demeanor. They would have simply assumed that whatever explanation he chose to give her was sufficient. She took the bag from him, but her fingers lingered on the back of his hand. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," he mumbled to her. "Just took me a while to shake 'em..." He looked behind him before going into the door. "One of them... does parkour. Gave me a run for my money."

Sagira's brow furrowed, and she lifted the bag. Quite a bit of the coffee coated the inside, but not enough to empty the cup overly. "Where's the cream, Jay?" The concern that had been in her eyes, while not gone, was definitely wise enough not to get in the way of her ire. Jay opened his mouth, but Sagira raised an eyebrow. "I always get Irish Cream in my coffee, Jay." She tsked, then sipped. A smile crossed her lips. "Oh... There it is." She closed her eyes, savoring the taste, briefly, then leaned into Jay, nuzzling his cheek.

She took another sip, a long one, and licked her lips. "You pass this test, Agent Jacob."

"Was there ever any doubt," he shot back with a cocky smirk.

"Hm..." She pretended to ponder. "Not with you, but the incompetence of the world is high at the best of times. But I have another mission for you." Her voice had turned serious, and Jay perked up to listen, only for the cup leaving her hand to almost strike him in the forehead. "Recycle."

Jay smirked. "Hey, I'll get you coffee. You deal with your own trash!" He bumped her with his hip and, as another Aqua passed them, he tossed the cup to that person. "Recycle that, will ya?"

At the elevator, he reached into his jacket. "I..." He bit his lip. "I have something I want to do. Us. To do. Together."

When Sagira didn't answer any further than a modestly curious look, Jay pulled out one of the books. "I like learning stuff... you know, on the side." Sagira's brow rose, fractionally, and Jay handed her the book. "I want you to learn this with me."

Sagira looked. "Sign Language?"

Jay swallowed, but realized just before he launched into a tirade that she didn't sound mocking. "Well, yeah. I figure it'd be good on missions, and interesting..." He trailed off when she smirked at the book, but then she smiled, a small smile that caused her nose to wrinkle in a way that Jay could only think of as cute.

"You want to learn this... with me?"

"Yeah..." He smiled, sheepishly, and they entered the elevator that took them to the floor their rooms were on.

"I'd like that," she said, quietly. She was looking away from him, almost sheepishly. Jay didn't press it.

"So," he said after the doors opened and they were walking to the doors, side by side, which lead to their rooms. "Need any help getting dressed?"

"I think I can manage fine without you," she said, pushing him back with her fingertips. He winked as he entered the door to his own room.

Seeing her through the wall was just too weird to acknowledge.

Seeing Hinata and Paladin intertwined on her bed caused his mind to lock.

It was almost a relief when they teleported away, and when Sagira left to get dressed. Jay, after a moment of deep pondering, decided getting dressed and leaving this for later was a fine idea.

Posted by: Living Arrow Nov 28 2010, 12:57 PM

[Dindins again? Sounds like it’s time I asked you to come with me. Hope you have fun. G. x]

Ivy’s bright red cheeks feel like dual bonfires in her face as she read the text message. Suddenly the sound of hers and Sagira’s heels ringing on the sidewalk sounded all the more clippie and cloppy and the smell of the dead street air was all the more rank in her nostrils. Everything was just so Silly!!!

“Who was that, Ivy?” Sagira asked, peering sideways at her companion. “Serviceproviderman again?”

“Yes! Serviceproviderman!”

“Who’s providing Ivy with a service?” Jay asked from the other side of Sagira.

“NARGH! No-one!” Ivy’s face, now completely beetroot, was hastily hidden as she turned away and grabbed for her Pokeballs. “It’s Recon time, anyway! I’ll go scout from the air and radio in if anything seems suspicious. If it’s clear, you two go in as we planned and I’ll follow in a few minutes in case we’ve been compromised.”

Tau burst free from his Pokeball and barked in rapid succession, stomping around in a circle and dropping his head in an attempt to lick Ivy’s face. She nimbly side-stepped the slobber attack and launched herself over his neck to sit between his paired wings. Her team-mates eyed her mischievously.

“Mission mission! Tau, Fly!” With a great beating of his enormous leafy wings, the Tropius sprang from the ground and upwards into the dark night air. Within only a few seoncds he was a dark stain on the midnight blue of the sky.

High over Noverus, Ivy tried desperately to focus onto the right thing but couldn’t help slipping back to the wrong thing. The wrong thing and his lovely hairy face and messy hair. Warm-looking clothes and sturdy boot. Playful smile and healthy teeth and gums. The smell of roasted chestnuts.

“Oh, Tau… My brain’s a little fussy.” Ivy sighed, their shadow flitting over the main business district and into the retail centre. “And it’s all his fault.”

The Tropius’ whine of support was enough to earn him a good old scratch between his broad shoulder blades. Ivy was particularly fond of Tau, Since his capture she had bonded closely with the vegetative reptile and enjoyed his company. Unlike the others in her group, Tau could not communicate with her with the more complex series of barks and whines and howls that her other partners could. Nor could he engage in mutual battle alongside her since he was so big and not very agile. But, on some level, that made their bond more special – they didn’t need to speak to each other to understand each other.

“Say, Tau, what were you doing in that market when I caught you? Seems like a pretty Silly place to go for a walk for such a big guy like you.” Ivy contemplated all the possible reasons why her new friend would have flown into a busy city but decided none were very plausible. Especially the ‘my long-lost love was in town’ theory.

When the restaurant came into view, Ivy guided Tau into a lowering spiral, circling the site while she view from above using a mini telescope that had been donated to her upon her promotion. Now an official member of the Recon Corps, she had been trained in several more skills and given even more tools. Ivy felt for the extra Pokeball at her side. It was cold but certainly not lifeless. She had put the Pokemon in herself after briefing it on its possible requirement in the next mission.

“Nothing below, huh, Tau?” Ivy used her knees to guide her Tropius lower into the street. He swooped obediently down into a dark alley to make a surprisingly soft landed. Ivy congratulated him on a job well done and recalled him, instead summoning two other Pokeballs.

“Beta, Kappy – you guys got to keep an eye out while we’re in doors. If anything seems amiss, gimme a signal.” She told the Manectric and Floatzel. They barked quietly in agreement before springing out into the dark. On her own once more, Ivy tapped her comm. device to send the all-clear message to her teammates and waited patiently for their arrival. Patience, however, rapidly turned to impatience as a certain young man began to invade her thoughts once more.

*Oh Saggy, Jay-man… hurry up!*

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Dec 15 2010, 03:20 PM

"Luxray Palace?"

"Well, they are the king of the jungle."

"Luxray don't even live in the jungle," Sagira said, raising an eyebrow at Jay. "Don't tell me you're one of those people?"

Jay matched her expression. "Which people?"

"The type that don't know the laws of true reality because your knowledge is based off children's movies like... The Luxray King?"

Jay smirked at her. "You loved that movie and you know it."

"Of course." Sagira smiled teasingly at him, but then looked toward the restaurant.

It was large and imposing, but utterly beautiful. Built like a palace as its name implied, it was dark blue and gold, spires circling toward the sky.

"I feel under-dressed."

"You're the one who wanted to draw attention to yourself."

Sagira grunted.

"Come on. Mission or not, I'm starving!" Jay took her hand and together, they walked into the Luxray Palace.

"Welcome to the Luxray Palace. Table for two?"

"Yes, please," Jay replied. "And nothing by a window. My girlfriend doesn't like being watched while she eats."

Sagira stuck her tongue out at Jay when the hostess turned around and began to lead them through the dining room. Jay smiled at her. "Were you expecting something outwardly pretentious?"

"Well, if we're telling the truth..." Sagira eyed him for a moment. "You've been here before."

"Here, no. But the Luxray Palace are a chain of restaurants. There's one in each region and my parents took me to the one in Sinnoh when I was younger. The owner of the chains calls himself the Luxray King." He smiled at the irony and she smirked in reply. "He prides himself in owning beautiful, famous restaurants, but more than that, in having a team of waiters, hosts, and chefs that are polite and kind to patrons. Not like some we've met before elsewhere."

"Interesting." Sagira smiled at him. "Maybe if things go well here, we'll have to come back after the mission."

"Maybe."

Sagira took note of the looks she was getting from some of the other patrons, but ignored them. Jay was smirking at her in that manner he did to mimic her. She'd asked for this, after all. She deserved what she got.

"It will serve its purpose," she whispered to them, as they took their seats.

Jay thanked the waitress as they received their menus. "I'm sure it will." He flipped his menu open and muttered to her as he scanned the choices. "Let's just hope things aren't going to be as bad as you seem to think."

Sagira flipped to the seafood section. "Let's hope."

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jan 6 2011, 04:27 PM

As planned, many eyes were attracted, willingly or not, to Sagira. Jay found himself walking straighter next to her, smirking ever so slightly as if to say he were the luckiest male in the place, and everyone else was just getting around to figuring it out.

It was, of course, completely true and not at all an act on his part.

Jay's eyes flicked down as he pulled Sagira's seat out, purposely yet discreetly taking in the shape of her thigh, and accidently yet not unwelcome getting a decent look at her cleavage. He lingered not too long on either body part, but long enough that the truly observant knew he'd gotten a good look. More than one man, and quite a few women, felt a singular flash of jealousy. Just as many felt a lingering hint of annoyance at such a display.

"You," he said, not at all insincerely, " are the most beautiful woman in here." He expected a blush, and got it, but he also got a cocky smile with twinkling eyes.

"I'd tell you the same, but you're not a woman," she flirted back, earning a smirk and a bowed head of acquiescence.

One of the few things Jay's father taught him about what he'd termed "The Life" was how to observe people without letting them know they were being observed. "It's very handy," Robert Lange would say when explaining to the then young Jay, "to figure out who you might be working with in the future. It's also nice," he added once, with a leer, "to scout out your next night's companionship." At the time, Jay hadn't known what his father was talking about, but it wasn't long before he was not only understanding, but applying the lessons he had learned.

He found that watching the crowd for potential pokémon thieves was very similar, and, though stimulating in a much different way, as exciting as his previous use of the techniques.

There, to his left and diagonal, were a man and a woman, eating but not talking. Prime suspects, in Jay's mind, but soon it was revealed, but the growing, hissing argument, that they were a couple having a spat. Jay nearly rolled his eyes, but satisfied with simply looking somewhere else, smiling at Sagira as he did so. Yes, they bickered, but there was hardly ever any real anger in it anymore.

A little beyond, further away and more toward Sagira was a man sitting alone. He was impeccably dressed, in a full suit that Jay would not have been surprised had tails on the jacket. His hair was styled and swept back, out of the way but complementing his face. Purple, rectangular glasses finished the ensemble off. He even had a pair of white dinner gloves on, something Jay had only seen in movies. Jay shook his head a bit and moved on. The man was eating his soup carefully, and not looking at them, but Jay did catch him raising his head as his eyes passed. Jay didn't stop looking around, but did subconsciously decide to keep a more subtle eye on that one.

Behind Sagira was a harried woman trying to control her young daughter, while the husband ate on, seemingly oblivious. Not at all a suspect, and Jay paid them no mind. The woman's daughter was merely being curious for her age, but the woman seemed haggard nonetheless. Perhaps the nanny was out sick.

Sweeping toward the right, there was a suspicious pair, and a face Jay thought he recognized. A black, bald man sat with his back to Jay and Sagira, but the girl with him, a pale, freckled woman with curly red hair, had a look as if she were trying to get as much information in as little time as possible. Most people would not have noticed such scrutiny, or would have taken her as being stuck up and in a mood, but Jay picked her out, mostly because she'd looked familiar. He decided to keep an eye on them as well.

The man directly in front of her from her perspective, sitting with his back to her, was also watching, keeping an eye on things with narrowed eyes in a way that screamed bad news. Jay did not see a white coat or a mask like before, but it was possible that he would put them on before they made any moves.

"See anything?" Sagira asked quietly. Jay had not tried to show her any tricks for observing silently. She had been part of Aqua long before he was, and had proven herself besides as, at least, an accomplished thief. If she had wanted pointers, she'd have asked. Offering would have lead to a fight.

And a chance to make up, but some things were more trouble than the convenient excuse to make out warranted.

Jay looked up just then, spotting the waiter coming toward them just before he was within ear shot. He smiled at her. "I'm seeing quite a few things I like, and only one is on the menu." She blushed prettily, her eyes sparkling in warning for making her blush, and Jay smiled.

"Welcome," The waiter said with a smile, "To the Luxray Palace. I am Johnathon, and I will be your waiter this evening. May I interest you in a beverage or an appetizer this evening?"

Jay looked across the table at Sagira, allowing a slow smile to play over his lips. "Oysters," he said, watching her eyes. They narrowed, and she seemed to redden again. "A double order, please." His tone was pitched to seem as if it were neutral, and yet held a hint of seduction that made Sagira's own mouth curl upward at one corner. "And champagne. Chateau de Chasselas." Sagira's eyes widened, but Johnathon simply smiled politely and bowed, asking no questions and making no assumptions.

"Chateau de Chasselas?" she whispered, and her smile became much less warning.

"It's not on our dime, so why not," Jay smirked, causing Sagira to laugh. He reached across the table, letting his fingers graze her wrist, and her eyelids lowered to halfway down, her smile becoming sultry.

"And oysters, Jaybird? What exactly are you expecting to happen tonight?" She smiled as she said it, but there were teeth showing through a thin opening in her lips; not entirely a good sign.

"It isn't what I expect, unfortunately," Jay said airily, keeping a wary yet seemingly relaxed eye on her, "but what others assume I expect." He shrugged, still stroking her wrist, and looked at her hand, not out of embarrassment, but out of the desire not to let anyone read his lips. "There's a guy diagonal to us watching when he thinks I can't see. There's another girl watching everything. And a guy who looks awfully guilty. If I can make them out, I want to make it harder for them to make me out."

Jay looked up and smiled, and Sagira smiled in return. Her eyes held that deeply buried concern she always had on a mission, but her skills in surveillance and acting were as good or better in some areas as Jay's. He glanced toward the impeccably dressed man. He was watching, from the corner of his eye, and scowling. His soup was probably cold. Or warm, if he got the vichyssoise.

A sudden shot of an emotion Jay knew wasn't his own passed through him, and he nearly jumped out of his seat. Covering it with a cough, Jay stood, looked apologetically at Sagira, and made his way past the man toward the bathrooms. The man looked up at him with clear annoyance on his face, but Jay passed him, coughing all the way. He went into the bathroom only to keep up appearances. Once inside, he stopped coughing.

That was not normal. That was not normal at all.

Jay tried scanning his memory, and then tried scanning the area around him, trying to pick up the emotion again, but he was no psychic, a fact he constantly reminded himself. As he knew it, he was almost anti-psychic. His sister had come to rely on the fact that he seemed to block out the psychic noise that plagued her. To feel such malicious intent so strongly meant a strong psychic, or something else.

Like an ariados sense.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. That still sounded stupid.

He let himself out, moving much slower than before, and observed the impeccably dressed man from behind. Now that Jay was gone, the man was staring, most intently, at Sagira. Her back to him, she could not see the intensity or creepiness of his glare, but Jay was sure, somehow, the man had projected a hostile feeling, and it must have been toward her.

He'd have to keep an eye out. But confronting him now would jeopardize the main mission.

Why hadn't Sagira felt it? She was a psychic.

He shook his head and made his way back to the table, smiling apologetically at anyone who seemed curious, including the annoyed man he passed. Sitting, Sagira's eyes met his in undisguised concern, but Jay merely smiled, a smile that widened when an orchestra struck up a song. Looking back and to the left, he spotted an empty, wooden floor that could only mean one thing.

Jay turned to Sagira, stood, and held out a hand. "May I have this dance?"

Posted by: Living Arrow Jan 7 2011, 06:02 PM

Turns out waitress’ heads are soft… Ivy dusted off her new-fitted outfit and draped a dark blanket over the slumped form of the unfortunate girl who had stepped out for a smoke break. Luckily, she was of the same small stature as the Aqua Elite herself so fitting her uniform was no hassle at all.

“Cheers, m’dears!” Ivy saluted the unmoving lump and slipped into the restaurant through the kitchen door.

What welcomed her was the most outstanding smell young Kylarian could have ever imagined. Cheeses, steaks, breads… there was all of the meats and starches a girl could wish for!!! Around her, six different chefs moved with precision and haste in a co-ordination that shamed Ivy to the core. She and the others to stand to learn a little from these people. Sure, she had gone off the rails before and her team mates had… fallen out… with her but that was behind them… right? Ivy sure hoped so. She loved being around Sagira, Jay and Vi-… Sagira and Jay.

“Game face, Hedera.” Ivy reminded herself, stolidly taking in the floor plan. The kitchen was basic – simple aisles with a serving window at the front of house. She tied her hair back into a curly ponytail and set off.

It really didn’t take much to copy the other serving staff. Pick up food, walk it out to the designated table. When someone new came in, ask them if they wanted drinks and give them menus. There were a couple of problems with this particular restaurant, however. First off, the plates were too thick. Of course, Ivy would never admit that carrying a plate was too difficult for her, but her strength was in her legs, dammit! Not her arms! Secondly, everyone talked so… so… human she’d never be able to mimic it properly and get away with it – even she realised that.

That’s why…

“Cheers, m’dears!” Ivy saluted the unconscious body of the bathroom attendant. The poor woman, a couple of times again Ivy’s own age, didn’t have a suitable outfit for Ivy to nab so instead she simply donned the hat and apron – the black dress underneath would have to do.

“Now, wheeeere’s old Saggy-poo?” Ivy muttered to herself as she loitered in the hall outside the bathrooms, peering into the restaurant. “Aha!”

On the dancefloor, her subordinates team mates looked wonderful. Ivy wasn’t one for dancing and she didn’t know a great deal about it, but from the way they were moving she was sure they were good.

“Good and neglecting the mish-mish.” Ivy sighed and rolled her eyes. Those two were unstoppable.

She managed to tear her eyes away long enough to get a better view of the room, examining the people scattered through the establishment as best she could. Couple. Man. Family. Another couple. And not a one with the right evil-doer uniform.

“Buggers, m’lubbers!” Ivy sighed to herself. Then giggled. “Geddit? Lubbers? I’m totally in Team Aqua... Hehe… Lubbers.”

<DING>

The attendant timer maxed out on the men’s room and Ivy shuddered. Men’s rooms were icky! Why did she have to resort to this disguise? It was the most ridiculous idea she had ever had… And yet it was the one that saved the mission.

“Grosses, guy!” Ivy whined, closing the main door behind her and swinging around the ‘Female attendant’ sign for the patrons’ benefit. She paced into the room without a care, pushing open the stalls as she went. That is until the final door didn’t swing at her push.

“Ooh, sorry, sir!” Ivy cooed. “I’s wait until done, m’yeah?” No answer. “Siiir?” Ivy trilled. No answer. She pouted. “Now, sir, there’s no need to be a rudey dudey!” She dropped to her knees to look under the door – maybe it was jammed.

Ivy was up like a shot and back to the main door. Wide-eyed she scanned the room once more. She had been wrong to check out just the customers of the Luxray Palace – they should have been monitoring the staff, too! Either that, or she had knocked out one too many people on her infiltration and he was lying on the floor in the men’s room… Resuming her position in the hallway, Ivy begged silently for Sagira or Jay to look her way – they had to be told before something bad happened!

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jan 9 2011, 01:30 AM

"I didn't know you could dance."

"So you invited me out on the floor hoping I would trounce on your feet?" Sagira cocked her head and smiled at him. He took his one hand off of her hip and spun her with the other. Sagira thought it would have been a great deal more fun if she were wearing an appropriate dress and not this attention-grabbing cloth. Still, it was effective and that was what mattered.

"I think we should come back here, after the mission."

"Do you?" Jay pulled her back toward him and wrapped his left arm around her back. "I think that might be a good idea."

The orchestra was playing a slow, rhythmic tune that was made primarily from violinists and some various string instruments, including a harp. The song they played created the perfect rhythm for a dance called the Viennese Waltz. Sagira was equally surprised that Jay knew the dance.

"I didn't know stunt men had to learn to dance so gracefully." She smirked at him teasingly as he led them around the dance floor in an elegant twirl.

"You know some people have no qualms about interrupting a date to attack their opponents. You can't expect the main actor to risk cutting his face by leaping through a window, can you?"

"I don't know... I might be pretty angry if your face got cut up from having to run from someone. I might have to teach them a lesson."

"I guess they'd be smart not to interrupt, then." He smiled at her, and then the two spun away from one another, twirling across the dance floor in opposite directions. They matched each others smiles as they paraded in a series of elegant twists along the edge of the polished floor, before spinning in time back into each others arms. Jay led them off again.

"I am a little surprised you know the dance so well, though your grace is no surprise at all. Of course." He leaned his cheek against hers and whispered into her ear. "Catseye."

Sagira smiled. They released hands and spun next to each other, synchronized, before clasping hands again. They repeated the gesture, and then they were off again, carried across the floor by music and grace.

"We were offered a choice in the academy. Take a gym class, or learn to ballroom dance." Jay deviated from the natural form and twirled Sagira again. She smiled as he caught her in an embrace. "I hate football."

"So ballroom dancing it was." He grinned at her. "You're very good, for it being a class at the academy."

"My dance partner was a jerk," Sagira said, the two twirling again before clasping arms, "but he was a jerk with grace and talent. He thought men should lead on the dance floor." Sagira twisted, ducking under Jay's arm and pulling him after her, the two spinning together toward the other side of the floor. "And off it."

"A misogynistic jerk, then."

"Quite. That really left me with just one option if I wanted to put him in his place."

"At your feet?" He smiled at her, baring his teeth.

"See? You're smart." She trailed her hand down his chest. "I had to beat him at his own game." She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her face in close, until she was breathing the air onto his lips as she spoke. "And I did."

"I'm so unsurprised by that," he whispered, leaning his face closer to hers.

Sagira half-closed her eyes and smiled at him, her one hand still flat against his chest. "We're in public, Jaybird."

"Mm-hmm," he mumbled absently.

"Getting kicked out of the restaurant would jeopardize the mission."

"Ivy's not a newbie. She could handle it on her own."

"We haven't even had the oysters yet, Jacob."

"Don't need 'em."

Sagira cocked her head and smiled at him, the orchestra winding down the song. She had glanced Ivy a few moments ago, staring at her from the bathroom, wide-eyed and looking like a shuppet had just proposed to her.

Sagira gave Jay a quick kiss on the lips and smiled sympathetically as she pulled away. "Duty calls," she whispered, and trotted off to the bathroom, her dress flouncing slightly as she walked briskly away, a satisfied smirk on her face.

Ivy slipped into the men's bathroom before Sagira got there. She sent a cursory glance toward the table area, but only Jay seemed to be watching her at the moment, though it looking like he was simply very interested in his glass of wine. Sagira knew he was watching her, though, so she sent him a smile, and slipped into the men's room.

"Ivy," Sagira called, glancing at the urinals and rolling her eyes. Only men would require two different types of restroom equipment to remind them of how to perform the actions. "Why are you a restroom attendant? I thought you were going to be a waitress."

"I's a waitress, Silly, but everyone speaks so - so HUMAN! Sooo... now I's the toilet attendant." Ivy crossed her arms importantly. "I's don't know why they don't have a boy watching the men's toilet." She stuck out her tongue in obvious disgust. "But I's seen where the bad man is!" Ivy rushed to the last stall and dropped to her hands and knees, peering under the apparently locked door. "See?"

Sagira grimaced and opted to peer through the crack in the door. "Looks like somebody's gonna lose pay for sleeping on the job." She turned back to Ivy as the girl got to her feet. "So the guy we're looking for is disguised as a waiter. I hate it when people steal my plan."

Sagira glanced at her nails and sighed. "Ivy, do you have a quarter?"

The younger girl scuffed her foot. "Aw, yeah, but Saggy, I's gonna get some machine sweets laters."

"You can have it right back. I only need it for a moment."

Ivy sighed heavily, as though it was all a great chore. "Fiiine." She handed Sagira a quarter. "What are you doing?"

"I want to know this guy's name so you have something to call our thief if you find him." She smiled. "And I'm sure you will."

"I'll sniff him out!"

"I'm betting this guy has his ID on him, and I want it."

There were always those little tricks you learned from working in a restaurant, no matter how long. And there were always those kids who thought it was hilarious to lock the bathroom stall doors and crawl out underneath them, so people thought that the bathrooms were constantly occupied. What most people didn't realize was that it wasn't impossible to unlock the doors from the outside, just hard. Unless you had a habit or carrying around loose change.

The locking mechanism was little more than a bolt that turned, and the shallow groove on the outside was just the size of a quarter. Sagira fitted the coin properly and, pressing against the door, twisted the coin to the right. The bolt slid open and the door swung inward.

"All right." Sagira tossed the quarter back to Ivy, who quickly hid it somewhere (Sagira did not want to know) on her body. "Let's see who you are, my sleepy friend." She front his ID conveniently in his front pocket, probably where the thief stuffed it once he read the guy's name. "Hello, Kalvin Darrow. I imagine you didn't expect to have such a crappy day this morning."

She handed the ID to Ivy, who stuffed it in a pocket. "Keep it on you, in case the authorities show up and we have to prove we're not lying. Who knows if this guy has accomplices around ready to hide this guy." Sagira crossed her arms, thinking. "You better try to find our Kalvin imposter. No doubt he's hiding somewhere in the kitchens. If you go get the mop to clean up this filthy men's room, you can have a good reason for lingering around, trying to spot someone out of place."

"No's problem, Saggy-poo!" Ivy took off the apron, revealing the waitress outfit underneath. "I's blend right in!"

"Good. I'll go let Jay know what's up and we'll get ready for whatever's coming. If you need a distraction-" She grinned at this, "just let us know. I've got something in mind, if you need it."

"Will do, Saggy-poo! Have good dindins!"

Sagira waited for Ivy to escape the bathroom at an excited trot, before exiting herself and making her way back to the table. She sat down calmly across from Jay and sipped her wine while he watched her.

"What's up?" he asked.

Sagira twirled the wine in her glass, watching the light reflect off of it. "Our thief is posing as a waiter by the name of Kalvin Darrow. The real Kalvin is taking a nap in the toilet."

"Ivy looked excited."

"She's playing bathroom attendant and waitress. She's trying to scout out our thief now. I told her if she needs a distraction, I have one planned."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

Sagira's smile was a tad more than feral. "What exactly were you thinking when we were finishing that dance, Jacob?" She ran her fingers lightly up his arm.

"Ah." He grinned at her. "What are the odds, do you think, that Ivy will need that distraction?"

Sagira's eyes were half-lowered as she smiled at him. "High, I hope."

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jan 18 2011, 03:10 PM

Hinata found him, finally, on the roof of the hotel. It wasn't that he had blocked her, it was that she had respected his privacy. Admittedly a new thing for her, but she found that after her reconciliation with Paladin, she was much calmer.

Perhaps it was a type of bond. She had gotten something from him, and he from her. If that was the case, then she couldn't see how she didn't get the better of the deal.

She approached him from behind, floating silently above the gravel and cement top of the roof. He sat, also floating, watching the city. She had, instinctively, known that he would be in a place where he could look out, see everything around him. It was similar to her. If she wanted to work through things, she played music.

As she came within feet of Paladin, she could feel him open to her, allowing her to see what he was seeing. She smiled despite herself. She hadn't wanted to disturb him, and yet he'd opened himself to her rather than pushing her away/

Hi, Hinata said, sheepishly. She received only warmth as a response, warmth tinged with worry that he was, it seemed at least, trying to hide from her. She "sat" next to him, leaning against his arm. Why are you worried?

She felt a sense of shame float through the connection he had allowed, and felt him begin to pull back. She did not try to force him to stay, but she did run her arm along his, and his recession from her mind stopped.

They must be so ashamed of us.

She had expected something like this. It was why she had come looking for him. And now that she'd heard it, she found that it wasn't as upsetting as she thought it would be.

No, she started, centering her mind, as the image was something she could not control, I don't think so. Hinata leaned even closer to Paladin, and was rewarded with him putting an arm around her. I think that if they were going to be upset about it, they would have forced us to explain then.

They had a mission... Paladin's mental voice sounded fretful, but resigned. Hinata sighed.

They did, but they... both my Jay and your Sagira... are very impulsive.

Paladin looked at her, his worry beginning to recede. I distinctly read annoyance intermingled in the shock, milove.

Hinata felt herself blushing. Yes, love, but... I think it was less what we did and more that we did it... first.

Hinata registered the surprise in Paladin's thoughts, and then, as if he'd checked, a profound sense of relief. She cuddled closer, admiring the city from his point of view, and opened his mind to the music she could hear from several spots in the neighborhood.

So... I suppose they will call us should they have need of us, he spoke, softly, and Hinata allowed him to feel the wicked thoughts in her mind, finally allowed to be thought and not held back for his sake.

Yes... but will we hear them, I wonder, she thought, allowing the words to flow like chocolate.

-----

As Sagira handled whatever it was that Ivy needed from her, Jay sat back, glancing at his fingernails. Or appearing to. In actuality, he was flicking glances back around. There was something familiar... a gut feeling, more than a sight.

The impeccably dressed man explicitly ignored Jay, which was fine. It gave him a chance to... Well, Jay really had no idea, but he was hoping that if there was bad intent to sense, he'd sense it again.

Instead, out of the corner of his eye came a flash of movement. Jay flicked his eyes that way to see the redhead he'd noticed earlier, caught in the middle of standing, with the man she had been sitting with holding her back with a hand on her arm. She was openly glaring in Jay's direction, and something about the look on her face, the flash in her eyes, brought back a memory. He had seen that look, angry and eager, chasing after him not long ago.

Jay gave a cocky wave, secretly hoping they didn't have a confrontation later.

-----

"Th' nairve," spat Keela, sitting down. Fenyang rolled his eyes. Whenever Keela was upset, her accent, carefully hidden otherwise, came out in full force. "Did ye see him, Fen? Wavin', all cock-sure an' relaxed as if he weren't on th' run from us earlier!"

"Keela, let us not cause a scene. We are here to track down the ones giving Magma a bad name. Or at least, a worse one than we already have here."

"An' he has th' nairve tae be on a date," she mumbled, glaring at the redheaded boy with open malice. Keela's mouth worked and she leaned back in a huff, throwing her napkin on her half-finished plate. "Fookin' cheater," she spat, finally, pulling the napkin off and shoveling food into her mouth.

Fenyang sighed again, also eating, but much more delicately. In a way, he'd understood. Nobody who had been pursued by Keela Shaunnesy had ever gotten away, and she was taking it personally. Hopefully, for the sake of the mission, they wouldn't have a confrontation later.

-----

And then The Hinata was all, "Oh no you di-in't and Siryn said "Oh yes Siryn di-id and if Siryn had had hands she would have won that slap fight!A spare wad of pilfered cookie dough floated in front of her, held as if by invisible hands, and she looked down at the riolu, who in turn looked slightly green at the wad of dough. What does poorhurtriolu think?

Cammy.

Oh, of course, poorhurtriolu can't talk! This won't do! Siryn floated above the riolu, back and forth, slowly, as if pacing. As she did the ball of dough began to disappear, bit by bit.

He calls me Cammy. You should also call me Cammy. My name is Cammy. Cammy's face distorted in frustration as the misdreavus above her head did not acknowledge her.

Siryn has it! She moved a decent amount away from Cammy, but, having given no warning to the riolu, Cammy followed her. Once Siryn felt that she was a good distance away from Cammy (which she would have known wasn't true if she had only looked behind her,) she opened her mouth as wide as she could.

THE HINATA!

Siryn turned at the sound of a thud against the wall behind her, finding Cammy against the wall, upside down. The riolu's legs were propped on the wall, and her body was on the floor, so that she looked much like an L.

If poorhurtriolu wanted to take a nap, poorhurtriolu should have said something!

There was a light pop, accompanying the smell of ozone, and both pokémon looked toward the noise. There, her pale grey eyes glowing, the veins around them bulging in anger, was Hinata, her black crest still scuff and showing green through the paint after her fight with Paladin. What.... do you want..?!

Cammy cowered, pulling up from her awkward position and staring at Hinata as if she were a demon. Siryn, however, had no such reaction.

Poorhurtriolu can't talk!

Hinata rolled her eyes, though only Siryn caught it, as it was hard to determine with the kirlia's eyes being blotted out with blindness. We know she can't talk, Siryn!

Siryn, too, rolled her eyes, much more successfully for it being recognizable. However, her target being blind, it had no effect. Duh! Poorhurtriolu can't answer Siryn when Siryn asks poorhurtriolu a question!

Hinata pressed her lips together (effectively causing her mouth to disappear), and counted, silently, backwards from ten. When she finished, she looked in Siryn's general direction and said, sweetly with an inflection of steel in her mental voice, She spoke to me fine... mentally. You have to listen for it. She's not a psychic like me.

Siryn's eyes widened, and she looked distressed, causing Hinata's ire to melt, slightly. But Siryn can't listen for it! Siryn also isn't like The Hinata! Her lower lip quivered, and Hinata sighed.

Oh, poor th-- Siryn began to wail and sob, not deafeningly, but enough that Hinata knew she wasn't getting through. I don't think-- I mean, really, it's not... She sighed. Forgive me, chef... Isn't there a new batch of cookie dough in the kitchen?

Siryn snapped out of her sobbing instantly. Oh! That's right! Come, poorhurtriolu! She fled toward the kitchen, Cammy glancing over her shoulder with a pleading look. Hinata, sensing the riolu's mind, chuckled.

Her name is Cammy, Siryn!

Though the misdreavus was already around the corner, her voice came to Hinata clearly. Nuh uh! Chefcookiedough's name is Agnes!

No! The riolu's!

-----

The chef was delighted! So many more people today, and all on his first day as head chef! She knew that the restaurant had made the right decision to promote her after Gaston had left in his huff! She'd show them, all the naysayers, all the jeerers, all the mockers! She'd show them that Monica Bing was not a chef to be reckoned with!

She looked out toward the doors, just in time to see a young girl, one of the waitresses, peeking out. She obviously was looking for something, and not doing her job. Monica, HEAD CHEF Monica, approached her, prepared to teach the young newbie waitress that being in the Bing Kitchen meant being disciplined!

And that is how she noticed the blue at the back of her. The waitress' skirt was sloppily tucked into her shorts! Shorts with a stylized A... an A that looked like the symbol for those ruffians, Aqua...

Not in her kitchen!

"Freeze!"

"Oh, spit!"

-----

There was a clatter from the kitchen, and Sagira looked over her shoulder, and sighed. "It looks as if Ivy needs that distraction after all..."

"Bless her," Jay said, grinning. Sagira, it seemed, couldn't keep a grin off of her face, either.

As they leaned toward each other, however, the man to Jay's right stood up, and, as if with four voices, (Jay confirmed, quickly, that it was at least four people scattered throughout the restaurant) called out, "This establishment is being robbed! Hold out your pokémon and submit to the will of the MagmAqua!"

Jay turned, gritting his teeth, then furrowed his brow. "Wait, that's their name? Really?!"

Posted by: Living Arrow Jan 26 2011, 06:24 PM

“Kylarian Dodge!” Ivy squealed her technique as she sprang up and kicked at the doorframe, narrowly escaping the deadly arc of the rolling pin. Clopping to the floor and dropping to her hands, her eyes darted left and right looking for a fast way out.

“We’ll not be having any of your sort in here!” A red-faced woman advanced on Ivy once more, brandishing her wooden flour-covered weapon of choice. “No gang or club or cult or whatever it is that you are is coming into my restaurant, my restaurant, and ruining a perfectly good evening. You’ll learn not to trouble Chef Monica, you will!”

“I’m not a culty!” Ivy pouted angrily. “Dat’s for the Sillies, DUH!”

The enraged chef took a swing which Ivy easily avoided, launching herself upward to land on the kitchen worksurface. Her hand splashed in something warm and brown…

“Oooh! Gravy!” Ivy’s delight was not masked.

“Hiya!” The next attack swooshed in.

Keeping the rolling pin at a safe distance, Ivy skittered across the slippery shiny kitchen counter to its opposite end, bounding back up to her feet and spinning about to face the woman chasing her. Ivy was surprised that someone with such fat fingers could really cook but then realised that most things that came out of this kitchen in particular required stirring with a spoon – something that this woman was probably capable of. That said, she was already working up a sweat from only a moment of pursuing Ivy…

“I don’t thinks you’ll be able to get me, y’know?” Ivy raised a quizzical eyebrow and folded her arms. “We Recon speshla… speshee… types are far too good at the dodging.”

“Get ‘er, Douglas!” Monica the Chef cried with delight. Ivy’s eyes widened as hands clasped around her ankles and yanked. Like a sack of yummy potatoes, she went down and slammed on the work surface before she could untangle her arms in time to ease the fall. Wind was knocked from Ivy’s lungs and before she knew it she was being dragged to the equally hard floor.

Amid the ringing in her ears, Ivy was aware of noise around her and the raised voices of people in the restaurant. "This establishment is being robbed! Hold out your pokémon and submit to the will of the Aquagmabellion!" Rang out along with the sound of this Douglas person clocking the chef out cold with her own rolling pin. A firm hand gripped her hair roughly on top of her head and yanked upwards, pulling her away from the floor with a yelp.

“Well, well. What do we have here?” A lofty voice crooned as Ivy struggled under him. He tilted her head around so that his eyes came level with hers. They were dark and cold. Beneath them, on the side of his neck, stood an oddly shaped symbol that Ivy had seen somewhere before. “A pretty one for Team Aqua… A shame, really – the Aquagmabellion could do with some lookers.”

“Gerroff!” Ivy flailed in vain.

“Oh?” He muttered mocked her. “You still have your senses after that? Well, you’re either a tough little cookie or you didn’t have much sense to hold on to. No matter – I’ll just have to put you down anyway.”

“I’s no cookie.” Ivy hissed through gritted teeth. “I’s a BIZKIT!”

She kicked out hard, finding the floor and arcing her body high over herself to twist Douglas’ arm back. He gasped and tried to make some distance between them but his fingers were so caught up in Ivy’s hair that he couldn’t budge free.

“KYLARIAN KICK!” Ivy threw her knee up into his stomach even as his other arm came around to deflect it before impact could be made. Successful in his own defence, the man named Douglas wrenched his arm around, spinning Ivy free and casting her aside. She tumbled back and found all fours once more flipping sideways into a clear aisle between counters in the kitchen and sucked in a ragged breath of air.

*How is he so good at all of the dodges!?* Ivy mentally cursed.

“You’re probably thinking how I’m just as good at dodging as you are.” The Aquagmabellion grunt smiled.

*WHAT!? GET OUT OF MY HEAAAAAD!*

“Looks like we’re both Recon – the first members of our teams to arrive and scout the place out. We’re not meant to battle, so let’s not make things difficult for ourselves, hmm?”

“Ya!” Ivy threw the knife like a dart. She didn’t know where she had picked it up from but, hey! It’s a kitchen! It slashed where Douglas had been standing – nicking his arm rather than cleaving his breastbone. It was a shallow wound – he really was good at dodging!

“Dammit, you little bitch!” Douglas advanced on her once more. “Don’t get in my way!”

“Eat teeth!” Ivy wailed as she leapt for him. “Alpha!”

The Pokeball under her dress exploded and mid-leap the Mightyena materialised between her legs, carrying her straight across the kitchen. Douglas cursed and dodged nimbly sideways, snatching at a Pokeball of his own.

“Looks like we’re in for a Recon battle, eh?” Douglas dropped the Pokeball. “Let’s go, Zoroark.”

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Mar 19 2011, 12:13 AM

The sound of pokeballs opening with their customary "bwoosh" sounded repeatedly through the dining area. Sagira didn't even turn around, choosing instead to smile at Jay, tilting her head to the side. "It appears that someone was foolish enough to interrupt our date."

"Again," Jay added, with a eyebrow-raise that mocked her own.

"Again," she agreed.

"I want everyone to stand up, nice and slow, and get ready to hand over their pokemon!"

Raising her eyebrow at Jay, Sagira rose slowly from her seat. She held a hand out to Jay, smiling. "I believe we need to finish that dance, Jacob."

"So we do." Jay took her hand as he rose to his feet, stepping over to her. Sagira wrapped her arms around his waist and curled her fingers around his pokeballs discreetly. Giving her a teasing smile, Jay gripped hers, as well.

"This should certainly prove to be interesting."

"And no small amount of fun," Sagira said, just before someone's hand clamped down on her shoulder.

"Hey! I said turn around and hand over your pokemon!" The man jerked hard on her shoulder.

Sagira twisted quickly, causing the MagmAqua member to overcompensate his strength. Sagira smiled as he stumbled slightly, and then kicked him in the shin with her heels.

"You really shouldn't ask for what you can't handle." Sagira chucked Jay's pokeballs, at the same time that he threw hers. The pokeballs snapped open, releasing the pokemon they had brought with them specifically for this mission. Sagira grinned widely. "All right, guys. Let's play."

Posted by: Master Houndoom Mar 29 2011, 01:45 PM

There were several thrills running through Jay's body at this point. The thrill of having been so close to Sagira. The thrill of combat. The thrill of danger, as many of the people decided that these new people were very dangerous and fleeing, no matter what might be in the way, was a capital idea. There was even a small, unquantifiable thrill that seemed to go away as soon as he noticed it.

He grinned as Sagira wrapped her arms around him and took the three pokéballs from his belt, reaching similarly and taking her own three. As one man tried, unsuccessfully, to force Sagira to turn around and hand over her pokémon, Jay turned, now back to back with her. The two in front of him, again wearing masks of different shapes, sizes, and complexity, simply stared, one holding a bag for people to drop their pokémon into. Jay shook his head.

"Really, guys-"

"Guys?!" said one, a bulky yet short person holding the bag for her partner, who was tall, muscular, yet decidedly feminine. The bulky one looked like she (presumably) was wearing layers under her lab coat, but Jay shrugged.

"I call 'em like I see 'em." The taller woman scowled fiercely, and the shorter girl narrowed her eyes.

"I think maybe you better recall that and hand over your pokémon, little man..." She straightened to her full height, which still put her a good three inches under Jay's, and the other one pulled two pokémon off of her belt. "Or else Diana's going to have to get rough..."

"What is it with you people giving out your names?!"

"AMAZON, Dammit, I meant Amazon..."

The taller woman looked down at the shorter. "It's OK, Shiara--"

"AMAZON! Use my codename, it's STEPH-... a.... nie..."

"Wow, you're bad at this." Jay grinned as the shorter girl slapped her palm to her face, and the Amazon snarled.

"That's it, kid," she growled. "It's time to face me!" She tossed the pokéballs she held to the ground, and a brilliant flash of light rose from them, fading to reveal an igglybuff and a cleffa, who, upon seeing each other, did a little dance and spun each other around, giggling.

"... Really?"

"Diana!" The short one, once again with her face in her hand, seemed to drop all pretense of keeping secret identities. "Weren't you bringing the Fighters?!"

"Um..." The taller woman actually looked embarrassed. "Yeah, I was going to, but no one's ever tried to stop us..." She straightened. "Besides, these two are good enough! Gigi! Fifi! Attract!"

The two pokémon continued dancing with each other as if they had not heard. All three humans watched, two incredulously and one looking as if he might begin to laugh his houndoom's tail off. Finally, Diana was fed up.

"HEY!"

The two stopped, blinking up at the woman, and she pointed to Jay, who's taillow had landed on his shoulder, her face mimicking his. "Attract!"

"Ig!"

"Fa!"

The two spun around, still holding each other's hands, and ended in a pose, leaning against each other and winking with the eyes closest to the other. Pink hearts floated rapidly toward the quadrupeds at Jay's feet, who had joined him, also looking on with confusion. The hearts wafted over the houndoom and eevee, resulting in the obvious outcome.

Nothing happened.

"They're girls, am I right?"

"But... but... buhbuhbuhbuhbut..."

"Mine too," Jay said, grinning. "Raven, why don't you watch these two, make sure they don't get into any trouble."

<Because I don't want to?> Raven yipped, rolling her eyes. Still, she walked to the pair and sat next to them. With a delighted squeal, the igglybuff and cleffa began climbing on her and pulling her ears.

<Stop it.>

<FLUFFY!>

<YAY!>

Raven sighed.

"Wait a damn minute," Stephanie cried out. "You're actually commanding your eevee, which you have no right laughing at Diana's pokémon because of, I might add, to babysit?!"

"Hey, they're kids. I don't want them getting hurt..."

Diana, wide eyed, nodded, but Stephanie let out a scream of frustration. "Stop mocking us! That's it! Face the power of never before seen pokémon! Sent to me by my uncle in a far off land! Nothing you have can defeat what you don't understand!"

Jay crossed his arms, looking bored. "Are you going through an entire transformation sequence, or is there a point to this?" His smirk turned into a grimace. "I hope it's not one of those 'clothes removed' things... nobody wants to see that..."

Stephanie's eyes narrowed to slits, and she pulled two pokéballs from her belt, letting the bag drop. "Coca! Atari! Squash this man's team so that we may liberate his pokémon!"

The taller girl's brow beetled. "Steph, we're not trying to liberate them, we need them to--"

"QUIET!"

The pokéballs opened and shut with the usual bolt, allowing the pokémon to form in front of Jay. Unlike Diana's pair, these were not cute baby types. Towering over the humans were a large, angular white pokémon that looked like a narrow-shouldered, bearded ursaring, and a slightly larger bug type that looked like an irradiated pill bug. Imposing as they were, Jay allowed his face to finally lose its relaxed smile.

Stephanie smirked. "What will you do now, you over confident moron? There's no way you can have seen such powerful creatures! How will you command your pokémon?!"

"I'm going to ask Videl," he said seriously, pointing to the houndoom, "to use Fire Fang on the bear, and Lady Jaye," he pointed now to the taillow on his head, "to use Aerial Ace on the big bug, and see how it goes from there."

Stephanie stared at him, blinking. "G-good idea..."

Though she seemed less confident, she sent her pokémon forward, and the battle was on.

Posted by: Living Arrow Mar 29 2011, 04:24 PM

"...Kylarian owwie..."

Ivy slumped down against the cupboard, a smear of thick red sauce trailing down behind her. The sauce wasn't one of her favourites - like gravy or the oh-so-sweet'n'sour - but one of her least favourites, more like bloody, blood sauces. She winced as she pushed back to her knees, clutching her shoulder where the skewer had stabbed straight through the flesh of her armpit. It seemed that she wasn't the only one who used the resources of her environment to fight.

"You can't beat me." Douglas crooned, advancing on her with the skewer held low in a reverse grip. "And now, you can't even escape."

"Alpha, Bite attack!" THe Mightyena locked with the Zoroark again, his long teeth sinking down into the flesh of one of the werewolf's arms and eliciting a terrified yelp from the other Dark-type.

"Night Slash!"

The other claw came down in a deadly arc, flinging Alpha away and ripping dark fur away from his ear which hung lip at the side of his head. The two canids separated momentarily, circled, and then pounced again to rip and tear at each other in a frenzied ball of grey and black that would be impossible to break up.

"Why's are you even here?!" Ivy demanded, back on her feet and edging away from her human opponent. "These peoples done nothing to you and you attack me without sayin nothin."

"Orders are orders." Douglas replied, not breaking his stride. "Of all people, you should know that Recon don't ask questions - we just scout and deliver information. As the first point of contact for others joining the mission, we relay the lay of the land, advantages to our footholds, weaknesses in our approach that require masking, opportunities for-"

"Eppy, Covet!" Ivy declared, her Eevee exploding from her Pokeball and taking Douglas completely by surprise. She slammed his stomach and nimbly used his chest as a springboard, snatching the skewer from his hand in her mouth and landing neatly at Ivy's feet. With the weapon now in Ivy's hands, the tables had turned once more. Douglas glared.

"You got me monologuing." He stated. Ivy glared back and held the skewer ready. "You're not as stupid as you pretend to be."

"Recon's gotta have the best defences." Ivy reminded him sagely. "We's all knows that."

"Quite."

"Alpha, Shadow Ball!" The Pokemon named Zoroark was struck point-blank by the black ball of darkness and was sent rocketing over the pass and into the main restaurant where the others were battling. In a flash, the Mightyena was in hot pursuit and his trainer was not far behind.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Apr 5 2011, 12:24 AM

Sagira and Jay stood back to back in the center of the dining area. As his pokemon faced off against their opponents (or otherwise occupied them), Sagira's pokemon leapt loyally to her side. For the most part.

Umbrae took his spot on her right, and Topaz flanked her on her left. Whether by indecisiveness or simple foolishness, the croagunk tried to find a place midway between them. This was, unfortunately, right where Sagira was standing.

"Oof!" The force of the frog pokemon hitting her in the back knocked Sagira forward. She caught herself and glanced back at the creature, now sitting clumsily on the floor and looking embarrassed.

When Erin had given him to Sagira, she had referred to him as Shin, and Sagira took that as being his full name. Only once she had returned to the hotel base did she learn that it was a nickname. Having decided to send Serenity home out of understanding that her lifestyle was far to dangerous and unpredictable for the passive ekans, Sagira had registered the pokeball in which the croagunk lie as being an active member of her party. When his information came up on the computer, she learned that his name was not Shin, but Shinobi. Fitting, she supposed... or it would be, once he overcame his clumsiness.

And one only does that through practice, Sagira reminded herself, before she got angry with the clumsy croagunk. Instead, she waited until he met her gaze, and then nodded at the ground in front of her. Hesitantly and not without a sight stumble, he took position there.

Turning back to see her opponents - two men wearing oddly-shaped masks - she found that they were regarding her with amused or disappointed expressions.

She raised a slender eyebrow in their direction.

"This is a roaring disappointment." The one that spoke did so in a blasé tone of voice that raised Sagira's hackles. At her feet, Umbrae growled low in his throat. "Honestly, I thought if we were forced into a battle, it would at least be with someone of..." He ran a chocolate brown eye up and down her form. "Better taste." Sagira's hand twitched, but she resisted the urge to curl slender fingers around the man's pale neck. Instead, she took in what appearance she could - brown eyes, pale skin, and short, muddy-brown hair swept back across his head. The mask he wore was in the shape a ditto might take after it had been splattered across someone's windshield at high speeds. Not a pleasant image, she noted. She mentally identified him as Splatter.

"Oh, get over yourself. You know as well as I do that the boss only sends us after the places that'll give up the best dough without much fuss. If you've been wanting a battle, you should be thankful for what you're getting, regardless of how ridiculous it looks." Hm. Black, spiky hair, bright lime green eyes (probably contacts - I know that trick, you conceited jackass), and skin bronzed by tanning solution. Sagira refrained from making a crack and noted the jagged mask like a fat lightning bolt that stretched across the man's face. In her mind, he became Crispy, and if she gave Umbrae an overly-feral smile at that thought, she knew the houndoom wouldn't say anything.

"Well, I suppose we can't drag out this affair any longer," Splatter said, pulling two pokeballs off his belt. "Let's get on with it."

"At least try to have a good time, man," Crispy pleaded, pulling out two pokeballs of his own. "You get so cranky when you don't get to battle."

Sagira smirked darkly at Splatter. "PMS, man? Sucks, don't it?"

The pale flesh that she could see beyond the mask flushed a dark red and Sagira grinned. Splatter either didn't see or didn't understand that this was something to be feared, as he tossed down both pokeballs. "PMS is right. Positively Making you Shit yourself!"

"That would be PMYSY. It sounds like the name of a stuffed teddiursa."

"Koryū! Jaga!""

The two pokemon who burst out of the balls leapt forward. Sagira did take a moment to admire them, as she had seen neither before. The first was a muskrat-like pokemon with piles of fur that hung low around his legs like a tunic. It moved with grace, nearly dancing across the ground, moving feet and hands in skillful tandem. A fighting type, without a doubt.

The second pokemon, however, stole all of Sagira's attention. Sleek, slim, purple and tan, the leopard-like pokemon did not so much leap from the pokeball as slip from it, gliding across the ground to rush forward in a move that was graceful and utterly, she realized, deadly.

"Umbrae, the cat!" With a snarl, the houndoom launched himself forward at the feline, who neither recoiled nor retaliated. Instead, the creature pulled back lips in what Sagira realized was nothing short of a smile, and twisted around Umbrae like a serpent, easily evading his attack.

"Shit." Sagira turned back to the other pokemon, in time to see the croagunk duck an attack aimed for his head. She mentally praised the fast reflex. "Shinobi, he's yours to handle." She thought she saw the croagunk shiver a little, but chose to ignore it. If the pokemon was with her, it would fight. He would learn.

"It seems you'll be outnumbered if I release both of my pokemon." Sagira turned to head to find Crispy was regarding her with an amused, predatory smile. "If I were a gentleman, I would release only one and wait for you to defeat one of our pokemon before letting you face the other." He clicked the pokeballs, setting them both off to release their occupants. "What a pity I'm not a gentleman."

Sagira smiled at him knowingly. "I knew you were the bitch in the relationship." It amused her to no end, watching the smile slide from his lips, but she quickly turned her attention to his pokemon. These ones she recognized.

The seviper moved swiftly, twisting and curling over itself with viciously pleased hisses. Much like the leopard pokemon that Umbrae was having some issue with, the serpent was quick and deadly. The other pokemon cackled with certain glee, fading in and out of view.

"Topaz, looks like it's all you," Sagira said, watching her two new opponents. The eevee hunkered down beside her and growled, tail waving in the air. "Watch out for the haunter, but concentrate on the seviper. He's the bigger threat."

The small dog yipped in response. "Go, Topaz!"

His lips contorted in a snarl, Crispy thrust his hand outward in an offensive motion. "Copperhead, Banquo - attack!"

Sagira's eyes flicked from Topaz's darting form to the image of Umbrae slamming into the ground as the purple leopard twisted around him elegantly, and Shinobi being forced backward by a thrust of the muskrat's hands. This was, actually, going to be a tough battle.

Sagira smirked. 'bout damn time.

Posted by: Master Houndoom May 3 2011, 03:49 PM

Jay did not like to think he was cocky. At worst, he thought he could be a little rash sometimes, and at best he was a decent tactician, able to compensate for any unforeseen circumstances.

His sister, Amber, knew better. She knew that when Jay had figured something out that he knew his opponent didn't think he could have, he would feel a sense of superiority that surpassed his actual skill.

In other words, he got cocky.

Usually, Jay had an incredible luck that followed him. Not that he hadn't lost his fair share of battles, but he would, more often than most others, just manage to eke out victory, wrest it from the jaws of defeat. This would not help assuage his cockiness, and there were times that Amber, or even their parents, would rest their forehead in one palm and sigh with longsuffering as Jay gloated over a victory he had pulled out of a pokéball no one knew he'd had.

His accomplishments, which included reigning in a hyper active houndour and molding a blind ralts into a formidable battler, while genuinely impressive, only fueled those moments when he over extended his reach.

So when he figured out his opponents types and sent his pokémon out to strike with super effective attacks, he would later look back and that and think, embarrassed with himself, "Dammit, I got cocky..."

Much to the consternation of his opponent, a short, semi-stocky girl named Stephanie, Jay had commanded his houndoom, Videl, to attack her beartic, an ice type he had never seen before, with Fire Fang, and commanded his taillow, Lady Jaye, to attack her scolipede, a bug type he had never seen before, with Aerial Ace. Both of those moves would have been powerful against her pokémon, but even as the flames enveloped her roaring bear, she gave a wicked, split second grin.

"Coca! Use Icicle Crash on the bird! Atari! Steamroller on the mutt!"

"MUTT?! Videl i-- Wait, what?"

Jay watched as, just coming out of the Aerial Ace attack and flying back to Jay, low enough to climb dramatically and land on his shoulder when she arrived, Lady Jaye was overtaken by a gigantic icicle the polar bear seemed to shoot from his snout. She gave a terrified, surprised squawk and hit the ground, rolling, her wings flapping wildly. She lay still panting, hiding her head under one wing as she drew the other close, trembling. As that happened, the scolipede curled into a wheel and rolled straight for Videl, its antennae like wicked blades bearing down on the houndoom. Videl tried to leap for safety, but a moment too late: She was caught in the chest and sent flying, crashing into the wall.

Jay took it all in with wide eyes, his jaw tightening as the implications hit him. Dammit, I got cocky, he mused, rushing to Videl's side.

"Atari, Toxic on the bird! Coca, hit it with Powder Snow! I want it to know what's coming! Freeze that fowl in place!"

Jay's teeth grit again, and his lip curled as the snow surrounded Lady Jay, still curled with her head under her wing. He did not take into account that, in the long run, she was lucky the snow had hit her first: The freezing effect of the move encased her in a block of ice, leaving the toxic venom from Atari oozing harmlessly down the ice.

"Videl," Jay commanded, his eyes still on the woman battling him. Somehow, without his looking, he knew she was up. "Let's even the playing field a bit. Smog, then Fire Fang on the gigantic bug". He filled the last word with such malice and disgust that his opponent hissed in outrage. Videl gave a bark and charged, taking a step or two longer to gain momentum, her mouth open and spewing a small cloud of smog around the two larger pokémon. Though their heads were not enveloped by the thick smoke, Videl was able to move within it, using Odor Sleuth, and the bear was affected by the noxious smell.

"Don't just stand there, get it!" screeched the woman. The beartic and scolipede turned in circles, confused that the houndoom had seemingly disappeared, until the scolipede reared up, one burnt leg rising out of the smog to crash down again in anger.

"There!" the woman pointed at a whip like tail that had risen and fallen out of the smog. The beartic ducked his head under the surface, but rose up quickly, gagging. "No, just... Dammit!" The woman shot a scowl at Jay, then sneered. "Atari! Venoshock... on THAT thing!"

She pointed dramatically at Raven, the silvery eevee, who was sitting on her haunches, ears pinned back as an igglybuff and cleffa danced, sang, and snuggled into her ruff. As the woman pointed, Raven stood, growling fiercely, and the two pink pokémon scampered behind the eevee and hid behind her legs.

The taller woman, Stephanie's partner, pulled her around by the shoulder. "What are you doing?! Those are my pokémon over there!"

"They're in the way, Diana! Call them back!"

"It's not hurting anyone! Why are you attacking it?" Diana rose to her full height, impressively towering over the shorter, stocky woman, but Stephanie held her ground.

"That thing is the enemy! It's his fault for letting it play babysitter!" She looked at the scolipede, which also seemed confused by the order to seemingly attack an ally's pokémon. "DO IT!"

As the scolipede reared back and sent a fast-moving cloud of venomous spray at the three, the two pink pokémon scowled.

"Iggly!" cried the igglybuff, flapping its tiny arms. A blue, gemlike field rose and constructed itself around the three.

"Clef!" cried the cleffa, putting one tiny star-like appendage out in front of herself. A sphere of green light expanded within the shield. The cloud passed through the shield, changing color from a sickly green to clear, then splattered against the bubble. The bubble popped, but protected the trio from harm.

"VEE!" Raven charged, bounding from side to side, and glowed white. Though her target was the scolipede, the beartic had stepped up, trying to swipe at the new arrival. Instead, Raven's head impacted with his chest, sending it crashing down, the force of the beartic's impact with the ground clearing the smog. Unfortunately for the ice type, he landed right in front of a flame-grinning Videl, who bit down on his snout with glee. The beartic arched, swiping with a paw, but Videl jumped away this time. The beartic rose, wobbling, to his feet, his eyes drooping in fatigue from the chest attack combined with the fire weakening him.

Any and all outcries, and from the red faced look on Stephanie's face to the dangerous way that Diana was clenching and unclenching her fists toward Stephanie, there were going to be some, were interrupted as the immediate area was bathed in light. With a crackle and then a great pop, ice shattered, and a large shape rose from the ice.

"SWEEEELLL!!!"

The swellow folded her wings in front of her, matching Jay's folded arms, and the corner of her beak turned up to match his smirk. "I believe," Jay said as Videl crouched to spring, and Raven trotted back to the two baby pokemon, "The phrase is, 'It's on.'"

Posted by: Living Arrow May 7 2011, 05:19 PM

Epsilon sprang after the so-called leader of the pack, and the Prey, into the main restaurant where chaos reigned supreme. Taking it all in with her large dark eyes, the Eevee sat back on the pass and surveyed the many combatants like a warrior queen over a battlefield. They were all pathetic excuses for Pokemon and humans. Did they not all see that this battling today was worthless. It did not matter who would win – further battles would be had soon enough and even more after that until the Final Battle decided to show its ugly face. Until then, exerting oneself was a waste of time and energy. If these imbeciles could not recognise that this skirmish was meaningless then clearly none of them were worth her own time.

These fools would need a true leader when the Final Battle came and if she was the smartest then she would have to claim the crown sooner or later. She glared after the one that held her Pokeball. Hedera Kylarian was a weak excuse for an Alpha Female and time would show that she was the rightful master of their pack.

Her eyes narrowed again. Actions would have to be taken to claim her own unit… The right opportunity would just have to show itself. With a smug prnce, Epsilon dashed after Ivy and Alpha with mutiny in mind.

“This is so not cool with me, bro…” Kappa muttered to Beta as they circled back to back, enemies all around. Just how they had been found and caught off guard so easily was beyond the Floatzel – they had been careful enough to avoid detection and hadn’t noticed anything approaching either. Something simply wasn’t right!

“Keep your eyes, ears and nose alert brother Kappa!” Beta urged. The Manectric was equally startled but had managed to hold his nerve a little better – he was the sub leader of their team, after all. “We can make it back to Ivy and regroup as a team if we’re fast. Just watch for an opening and move as quickly as possible…”

Dark shapes gurgled and moaned around them. Bright eyes glittered from garbage bags that hid the stink of the Pokemon within… Within?

“Uh, bro?” Kappa shifted uneasily. “What Pokemon are these?”

“I have no idea… They’re nothing like I’ve ever seen before…” Beta growled. “But they can’t move like we can. Are you ready?”

“Just call it.”

“QUICK ATTACK!”
“AQUA JET!”



“Take this!” Ivy roared, pouncing towards Douglas with the skewer. He vaulted away and toward the exit, dashing through the open door and into the street. His werewolf sped after him with Alpha right on his tail.

The cool of the night air was like a welcome old friend to Ivy’s burning skin – especially the fiery wound in her armpit that sang with burning blood an aria of painful tragedies. Ivy blinked. Did she think of that metaphor herself? Ugh. Too much time around Gray!

“Kylarian Fang Over Fang!” She screamed, flying alongside Alpha as they poured on the full-frontal assault. Douglas and his Zoroark, however shimmered like a mirage before the two could make contact. Tumbling through the illusion, Ivy and Alpha rolled across the ground in a confused ball of legs and fur.

“Nice try, but we Recon class are built for dodging – not assault.” Douglas schooled Ivy mockingly from the other side of the road where he materialised with his Pokemon. “You and your friend may have interrupted our plans for now but we will not leave empty handed.” He rolled two Pokeballs around in his hand. “Who knew Douglas would have two Pokemon worth this entire operation.”

“Thief!” Ivy spat. “Give me those Pokeballs right now!”

“It’s very annoying when you shout like that.” The villain wearing Douglas’ uniform and namebadge uttered. “And now if you’ll excuse me, I shall be leaving. Zoroark?”

Unable to do anything, Ivy watched as the two began to fade behind another illusion…

“VEE!” Epsilon smashed the side of the Zoroark’s face with a blinding Quick Attack that produced a scream and a broken mirage. The werewolf went down in one, the Eevee prancing from its body as fast as she had collided with it and aiming right for the human.

“Not again you don’t!” He protected the Pokeballs in his hand by turning swiftly on the spot so that Epsilon’s Covet missed its mark. Instead, the man was faced by her Bite attack that clamped into his tricep and elicited a scream from him. Ivy used the opportunity to get back to her feet and plan how to ensure any stolen Pokemon were returned while Alpha jumped back into the fray and took to clawing at the Zoroark that had begun to rise once more.

Blood pooled around her feet, her breath escaped in short ragged bursts, her shoulder was going numb and her mind was unable to focus on formulating the next battle plan. One thing was for certain. Ivy had lost control against this opponent and now she had to rely on the wits of her Pokemon to make sure they came out of the battle on top.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas May 14 2011, 02:03 PM

Umbrae let out a pained howl as the panther unleashed a fury swipes attack on him, cutting deeply into his flesh. Steam rolled off from his blood as it hit the open air, and he snarled as he snapped back with his fangs, attempting to catch the cat’s paws in his teeth, but it was far too fast for him.

“Your little puppy seems to be doing well against my Jaga.” Splatter sneered at her, but Sagira ignored the jibe.

“Umbrae, faint attack!”

The demon dog lunged from between the feline’s grip, moving quickly to strike fast at the cat’s side with paws and fangs. Umbrae hit the cat hard, but the panther struck back even harder.

“Jaga! Slash!” Splatter grinned as the panther cut a deep slash through Umbrae’s short fur. “Now, Taunt.”

The panther let out a purr and curled around Umbrae, dragging its tail across Umbrae’s muzzle. Umbrae let out a snarl and lunged at the cat with a snarl, snapping teeth and claws, trying to hit her repeatedly with the same attack that had previously done little damage.

“Damnit!” Sagira narrowed her eyes as the panther easily handled the attacks. They clearly affected it, but didn’t do a great deal of damage. She hadn’t considered that the feline was a dark type, but if that were the case…

Sagira whipped out two of her pokeballs and recalled Umbrae at the same time that she called back Shinobi. The croagunk had been at the mercy of the muskrat’s Force Palm attack. Sagira had been under the impression that only riolu and lucario could use that move, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.

But that was for another time.

“Giving up?” Splatter asked with a grin.

“Just evening the odds up a bit,” Sagira said with her own smile, and switched which pokeball was in each hand. She released Umbrae and Shinobi again, this time with the houndoom standing in front of the fighting type, and the croagunk in front of the panther.

“Umbrae, fire fang! Shinobi, venoshock!”

Both pokemon moved to comply, with varying levels of success. Umbrae lunged for the muskrat pokemon, fangs on fire, and clamped down on the arm that moved out to strike at him. The muskrat let out a shriek of pain and punched with his left arm.

Umbrae released his hold on the one hand and ducked the punch while releasing a roar attack. The muskrat jerked back in fear and Umbrae brought his head up, releasing an ember attack directly into the pokemon’s fearful face.

As the houndoom and mienfoo were battling, Shinobi had unleashed a poison from his gullet that shot into the air and rained down over the liepard. Or it was supposed to, except the liepard was particularly fast.

Running on swift paws, the purple panther dodged the attack and came at Shinobi with a deep-throated hiss. Claws extending, it raised its paws for a fury swipes attack.

“Shinobi, mud bomb!”

The croagunk let out a loud belching sound as he spat a ball of mud from his bulbous throat, spatting it into the rushing liepard’s face. The mud sloshed across the panther’s eyes, blinding it, but it kept coming, claws extended, and slammed into Shinobi, slicing his rubbery skin.

When Shinobi attempted a poison sting attack, however, he only managed to spit out a couple of the poison barbs. The rest he spat into his own lip. Sagira groaned as both he and the panther staggered drunkenly.

Sagira turned quickly to see the seviper that Topaz ad been battling collapse to the ground with a hissing whine and an exaggerated slither. With a growl, the eevee turned to the haunter.

Sagira grimaced and glanced around. Umbrae and the mienfoo were still battling fiercely. Shinobi and the Liepard were both staggering around each other, poisoned. And now Topaz was up against a pokemon she had no attacks that could hurt him.

Posted by: Master Houndoom May 17 2011, 03:52 PM

Raven looked back at her two "charges". They had protected her, for no reason other than that she was "fluffy! And Pretty! And NICE!". While she disagreed with the last one, to see such young pokémon do something so brave for someone they hardly knew was...

Weird.

<Pretty Pretty!> the cleffa toddled up to her. <We're scared!>

<You're scared?> Raven shook her head, incredulous.

<The big bug thing spit at you! It was mean!> the igglybuff pouted, trembling next to her.

Raven looked at the two, her eyes narrowing, then sighed, deeply. <Don't worry. Auntie Raven won't let anything harm you.>

She thought she caught the sound of a guffaw, but when she looked back, Topaz was intent in her battling. She glared in her direction, just for good measure. Somehow, Topaz always knew when Raven was doing something silly, and it was getting old.

Of course, it didn't help that the two baby pokemon were now dancing around her, singing loudly, <Auntie Raven! Auntie Raven!>

<Stop it.>

-----

Jay pointed dramatically, and Lady Jaye matched the gesture with her wing. Had she always done that? With a shrug (that Lady Jaye also matched, causing Jay to blink), he gave his command. "Brave Bird on that over grown caterpillar!" As LJ rose on her now mighty wings to comply, flying up almost to the vaulted ceiling to get momentum, Jay barked to Videl, "Fire Fang!" Though he gave no command as to which one of the pokemon to attack, he pointed to the bear. Unfortunately, Videl was well in front of him, and also was not happy with the scolipede for attacking the babies anymore than Raven had been. As Lady Jaye rammed into the gigantic bug, Videl changed and leapt up to his back, sinking flaming teeth into a point above his upper antennae. With a screech that rattled the windows, the centipede's upper body waved in the air and fell, the lower body, which had been his support, crumpling as well.

"Dammit," Stephanie cried. "Diana, help me out!"

"Screw you!" Diana's face was still livid.

"Come on," Stephanie wailed, watching her beartic face off against the two pokemon. "I know you have other pokemon on you!"

"You turned on my pokemon because it was convenient." Diana's voice had gone cold, and she reached to her belt. "Any pokemon I call out will be turned on you!"

Stephanie shot Diana a look that nearly matched the taller woman's in ferocity, then sneered. "This is war, Di. Grow up or get out!" Turning to her beartic, she thundered, her voice louder, more desperate than it had been, "Coca! Blizzard!"

"That will hit everyone!" Diana's anger had broken in shock, but Stephanie's face had turned malicious.

"Yes, but it will take out our opponents..!"

The beartic rose to its legs and let loose a mighty, shaking roar, vapor shooting from his mouth as if powered by the noise. The vapor coalesced near the ceiling into clouds, which grew heavier and heavier, finally letting loose snow, sleet, and ice throughout the dining area.

Raven saw the ice above, and stared in shock as the two babies started crying. Quickly, she shuffled them to a nearby table.

<It's cold!>

<I'm scared!>

The two crying, reaching for her caused something to break in her, something that lead to cold rage. She nuzzled each, then looked at them. <Stay here. I'm going to stop this once and for all!>

<But!>

<No buts! I said I wouldn't let anything hurt you, and I meant it!> She added a slight glare to her features, and the two cowed slightly. <Stay here.>

<OK, Auntie Raven...>

Raven dashed from behind the table, just as Jay sent Videl charging at the beartic. Lady Jaye fluttered one last time, but was driven to the ground, and then to unconsciousness, by the blizzard. Raven could feel her own muscles slowing, but used Quick Attack to increase her speed.

Just as Videl slammed into the beartic's chest, letting loose a mouthful of flames into the bear's face, Raven hit him from behind, her head glowing like before, slamming into him with a vicious snarl. <Nobody hurts or scares my kids!>

The bear arched backwards as the eevee hit, and though Raven fell to the ground, reeling from the impact, the combined attacks finally did the trick, sending the bear backwards, unconscious. Jay, grim faced, recalled Lady Jaye and Raven.

With the bear down, the blizzard quickly dissipated.

Stephanie cursed. "Never mind," she called. "It's time to go!" She dashed out the door, Diane hot on the shorter woman's heels after recalling her wailing baby pokemon. Jay gave chase, Videl ahead of him. They dashed out of a side door and called a pair of spinarak with oddly blank eyes.

"String shot!" roared Stephanie, and the two obediently shot strong webbing to the top of the building. Stephanie and Diana snapped the pokéballs in half and began climbing the webbing. The two spinarak, now free, looked around, confused, with clear eyes before spying the only other threat they could see. As a pair they began shooting sticky webs at Jay and Videl, the designs on their backs showing wide "eye" spots and a wavy, confused "mouth" line.

Jay snarled, his left arm already stuck to his side. With his right he reached to his pocket, enlarging two spare pokéballs he carried around just in case. One by one he threw them at the pair, intending to break the attack and have Videl burn them. Evidently, however, they had not been treated well. The pokéballs snapped shut and, wobbling, finally chimed, indicating captures, and then disappeared to wherever pokeballs went when there were already six active party members.

Jay looked up to the roof, then to the side. The two spinarak had been smart, pinning Jay's arm first, but also Videl's snout. It would take her a while to work the webbing loose enough to burn it off, and slightly longer to make work of Jay's entanglements. Jay followed the two web ropes up to the roof, but, trapped, couldn't follow them. He sat and fumed in silence as Videl growled and whined, working on her restraints.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 19 2011, 06:52 PM

"Topaz, use Helping Hand!"

The eevee wouldn't be able to do anything to the ghost pokemon, but she could be a use against the others, and help her team mates out some.

"Umbrae, smog! Shin-" Sagira paused on a thought. Croagunk were part poison-type pokemon, and were resistant, though not immune, to poison type attacks. On top of that, Shinobi had hit himself with his own poison attack, and while the attack may have stung, the poison was his own. So was it really possible that he had poisoned himself, or...

Sagira took a closer look at the clumsy croagunk in her party and then rolled her eyes. "Shinobi, you're not poisoned, you stupid frog! Now use revenge!"

The croagunk actually looked surprised for a moment, and that gave the liepard time to leap first, claws extended, to catch the croagunk across the chest, ripping great gashes in his rubbery flesh. Spinning with the move, Shinobi grabbed the liepard's paws and twisted, pulling the large cat with him and slamming it into the ground.

Hissing in rage, the feline rolled to her feet and turned, spitting as she lunged.

"Mud Bomb!" the croagunk puked a great ball of mud into the purple leopard's face, effectively blinding the cat. "Now, Venoshock!"

Spitting a rain of poison into the air again, the cat was blind and unable to avoid the attack. The purple droplets of toxin poured down onto the purple fur, drenching the feline and sending her into a staggering fit, before it finally collapsed into a shuddering mass on the ground.

"Jaga!"

"Shinobi, Mud Bomb on the rat! Umbrae, Beat Up on the haunter. Topaz, bite!"

The three pokemon moved to comply, and like she had hoped, moved in tandem easily. Shinobi spat the purple toxic rain into the air over the head of the mienfoo, as Umbrae dodged away. The mienfoo took the poison attack, unable to avoid it, but seemed to shake off the effects, only to have Topaz slam hard into him, sinking her fangs into his fur like Sagira had hoped she would.

"Quick Attack!"

Topaz rushed and slammed fast into the mienfoo, sending the muskrat pokemon collapsing to the ground, before both she and Shinobi dashed over to the haunter to join Umbrae in his beat up move, slamming hard into the haunter.

"Topaz, helping hand," Sagira called again.

"Banquo, shadow punch!"

Two black, translucent fists burst out from the haunter and slammed hard into both Shinobi and Umbrae. Umbrae hit the ground with a yelp and didn't get back up, utterly spent after having faced the liepard earlier. Shinobi rolled across the ground, taking out a table with him, and then clamored back to his feet drunkenly.

"Astonish!"

Giving a loud, croaking cry, the croagunk launched himself at the ghost pokemon...

And missed him completely. Catching his foot on the back of a chair, Shinobi face-planted in a half-eaten piece of cake. Sagira groaned softly.

"Banquo, curse!"

Cackling, the haunter drew out his hands, displaying a large mallet in one and a glimmering spike in the other. Placing the spike against its own forehead, it slammed the mallet into the end and let loose a scream as the pin dug into incorporeal flesh. Sagira winced at the image, as the haunter dropped the mallet and it disappeared into a shadow. The haunter cackled again.

"Shinobi, use faint attack!"

"Night Shade!"

Shinobi disappeared abruptly from where he had been faceplanted in the cake, and reappeared in front of the haunter, arm raised in an imminent attack, frosting still covering his face.

The haunter released a beam of light before Shinobi could finish his attack, and the croagunk grabbed his head in pain as he staggered backward.

"Banquo, confuse ray!"

"Sucker Punch!" Shinobi's attack moved first and he slammed his fist into the haunter's stomach area, sending the ghost reeling. Sagira could see, however, that the croagunk was tiring, and she was frankly amused that he was doing so well, seeing as she knew how clumsy he was. It appeared he did have a lot of potential.

"Damnit! Send out one of the pokemon you stole!" Crispy snapped to his companion.

"It's not gonna listen to me," Splatter said, shaking his head. "Screw this, man, I am so out of here."

"Hey!" But Splatter had turned tail and bolted out of the door already, happy to be gone before Sagira finished off Crispy and he risked being caught.

"You gonna run, too?" Sagira asked, smirking.

Crispy grimaced. "Banquo, lick him!"

Drolling out a long tongue, the haunter licked Shinobi up the front of his face even as the croagunk was moving to attack. Shuddering, Shinobi hesitated too long in making his move, and the stiffness of his limbs assured Sagira that he had been paralyzed.

"Try to poison him, Shinobi!"

"Night Shade!"

Shinobi shuddered as he attempted to move, apparently trying to use a few different attacks. Unable to do anything elaborate or move very far, however, he opened his mouth and spat out a few poisoned barbs at the haunter. Not expecting his opponent to be able to attack, the haunter didn't avoid the poison sting, and shuddered as the barbs struck him.

"Damnit, Banquo! Night Shade!"

The ghost pokemon fluttered this way and that, trying to attack, but it had already cut its own health when cursing Shinobi. Shinobi, for his part, had fought even through the curse, but was unable to avoid it. Both pokemon collapsed at the same time and Sagira stared across at Crispy after they had each recalled their pokemon.

"I guess it's a stalemate, then."

"Not quite." Sagira called Topaz back out onto the field. "It's checkmate, and you're sticking around to answer some questions."

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jun 22 2011, 02:04 PM

Jay was livid when he finally got out of the sticky mess. Videl had been able to burn her way out, her Flash Fire ability keeping her from taking any damage from the flames, but Jay had to tear his way out, and the process was a slow one. It was also painful. Videl had tried to chew through the sticky webbing, but ended up gumming her mouth closed for a while until she could use Fire Fang to burn the substance away. Finally, with webbing still hanging from his clothing and hair, Jay could move. He stalked back into the restaurant.

The man Sagira had beaten was being menaced by Topaz, which caused Jay to smile. Still, he was standing to his full height, looking haughty through his mask. Jay circled wide, along the wall, to come up behind him just as the man, who's mask looked like a mutated lightning bolt, growled out in what was supposed to be an intimidated voice, "And what's going to stop me from turning around and walking right out that door?"

"Me," Jay said in an oddly high, raspy voice. It was one he had effected for comedy, but had wanted to try to use it ever since he'd caught the second episode of Illumise on DVD. "I am to make you not go out door." His voice, modulated like an old man you might see at a carnival, was given an odd eastern bloc accent to enhance the creepiness.

That and the character on Illumise had the same accent.

The man turned, and there stood Jay, covered in webbing, grinning ear to ear, eyes wide like a psychopath. "You have reputation. "Men in masks take the pokemon. Very scary." Do you know what is reputation? Is people talking, is gossip. We also have reputation, not so pleasant I think you know."

Jay put an arm around the man, who tried to shrink away despite being a good six inches broader than Jay. "You see devastation? We stand up to you. We beat you. All your friends," he made a motion in front of the man's eyes, his forefinger and middle finger scissoring back and forth like running legs, "they run away. Now, to you, reputation is fact, is solid. You give information to nice lady friend, and you are solid, yes?"

The man's eyes widened, but Jay simply smiled, that half real smile, half slasher grin that gave nothing but conjecture as to what his intentions were. The man turned, trying to spin from Jay's hold, but was suddenly faced with Sagira, who had stepped up close both to try to figure out what Jay was doing, and as a measure of intimidation. The second worked. The man spun, stopped suddenly, and gasped, simply because she had gotten within shoulders touching distance and he hadn't heard her.

Jay chuckled dryly. "Ah, Shadowcat. She like to greet up close and personal. Jump out and say, 'Boo!'" Steering the man to a chair that, miraculously, had managed to stay upright and unshattered, with Sagira close to the masked man's other side, keeping him from bolting, Jay sat him in the chair with a press on the shoulder he was clamped onto. "Now, I think, the girl has questions, yes?"

*-*-*-*-*

Keela stepped forward, primed an ready for another battle, but the bald black man behind her stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. She grit her teeth and clenched her fists. "Ye'll want tae move tha' hand if ye want tae keep it, Fen."

"Keela," he said, showing no fear at all, "now isn't the time."

"Like hell," she roared, rounding on him. "He's here, he's toast!"

"He has a companion. And we're weakened."

"So's he!"

"And we're on a mission."

"Which has tae be scrapped, an I'm sure he has som'in to do with tha'!"

"And he's caught one of them."

Keela opened her mouth, then stopped, her eyes narrowing. With a huff, she slid sideways, within earshot of the interrogation. "Next time, lad," she muttered, unheard, to the boy with the grin on his face. "We'll meet again, an' then I'll kick yuir arse!"

Posted by: Living Arrow Jul 10 2011, 06:51 AM

With Ivy down and unable to battle herself, Epsilon took her opportunity to prove what a real Prime pack member was made of. With a spurt of energy, she poured on a full-frontal assault on the human Prey that had two stolen Pokeballs in his hands. He dodged nimbly, springing clear of the Eevee’s snaps and dashes and keeping those stolen orbs clear out of range of the puppy’s Covet attack.

“Zoroark! Zoroark, help me!” Douglas roared at his fallen Dark-type but Epsilon didn’t need to check that she had knocked the beast out cold.

“Alpha! Use Shadow Ball!” Epsilon commanded the Mightyena lurking nearby. There was a long pause as Epsilon continued her nimble swipes and dodges of her own as Douglas became accustomed to her movements and started to punch back counter attacks. She chanced a glance to where he was watching from a distance. “I said attack!”

“I…” Alpha looked back to where Ivy was watching on with heavy-lidded eyes. He skin had paled drastically and the hand clutched to her armpit was stained red with blood. “I must protect Ivy…”

“And if you don’t help me, this guy will get away!” Epsilon roared, snapping at the thief’s fingers as they flew towards her face but they were pulled out of reach before tooth met flesh. Douglas ducked and span, narrowly avoiding a Quick Attack and instead threw his arm over his head in a tight arc. The edge of his hand slammed Epsilon’s back in a hard chopping motion and with a squeak she was struck to the ground where she bounced twice. A twitch of her ears and Epsilon was back on her feet and leaping away – Douglas’s boot stomping where she had been a moment before.

“Zoroark, return!” Douglas sent out the recall beam even as he began to sprint away.

“No!” Epsilon charged after him but the man’s stride were far greater than hers. “He’s getting away! Shadow Ball, Alpha!”

With no dark sphere passing her by, Epsilon knew her attempt had failed. The thief was about to get away and she had failed in proving that she was able to lead their team to victory. Another try had failed and she was growing sick of taking commands from a weak human being. What could she do now? Without proving to the pack that she could be their Prime, she would be forced to a life of restricted imprisonment in the Pokeball…

“Woah!” Kappa collided with Douglas without warning, his Aqua Jet catapulting him straight out of an adjacent alley without warning. The human Recon expert had no way to stop himself from crashing down to the ground and Epsilon wasn’t about to let such a good opportunity go.

Her teeth clamped onto heel, eliciting a scream from her target and a series of struggling kicks. Losing her grip, Epsilon sprang over the human and blocked off his escape, the shapes her her fellow Floatzel and Manectric lining up alongside her.

“What is going on, Epsilon?” Beta growled at the human menacingly.

“He has stolen those Pokeballs.” Epsilon informed them through ragged breaths. She was tired after battling so hard and fast without support and it was starting to show. This would need to be wrapped up A.S.A.P so that the others wouldn’t realise she was waning this soon… “Beta, use your Thunder Wave to immobilise him and Kappa use Water Gun to distract him. Go!”

“Thunder Wave!”
“Water Gun!”
With a paralysing wave running through his body and water splashing his face, Douglas didn’t prepare for Epsilon’s final Covet attack. With a dash and a grab, she raced back towards the restaurant with both Pokeballs and the next stage of her plan running through her mind.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jul 10 2011, 06:23 PM

The bad man was not tied, but he was restrained just as well as if he were. Fear of her mistress had him glued to the chair, and Topaz knew that she was no longer needed. Raven wasn't completely fainted, so if her mistress and her mistress' mate needed someone's help, her sister would be there to torment the bad man. Raven was very good at stuff like that, but she was also, apparently, very good at protecting little pokebabies.

Prancing through the restaurant on silent paws, Topaz was looking for anymore of the bad man, because bad man traveled in packs called Bad Packs. There were four who attacked her mistress and her mistress' mate, but there might be more, and the human dog who travels with her mistress was missing.

The restaurant smelled like food, humans, and pokemon. It smelled like food because it was a restaurant, and humans because restaurants were where humans eat, but it only smelled like pokemon because of the battle, so Topaz sniffed the air, trying to smell pokemon that she recognized but were not part of her mistress' army. As she moved deeper into the restaurant, away from the lobby area, the smell that became most prominent was that of blood, and that smell was never a good one to catch on the wind.

Her tail and ears bounced as her pace quickened, carrying her across the red carpet, and then the slick linoleum of a dirty kitchen floor. When Topaz found another being, it was in a group of them, and she recognized all but the human who was lying on the floor. He looked like a bad man, because the others - the human dog's floatzel and manectric - were treating him like a bad man, and the mightyena who was the human dog's Top Dog was looking at him like he was a bad man, as he stood protectively in front of the human dog. And it was the human dog who smelled like blood, and was slick with blood as red as the lobby floor's carpet.

Topaz's ears flicked, her tail twitched, and she sniffed the air again. The human dog was very, very hurt, but she was still alive, and Alpha was protecting her, and the others had the bad man restrained as well as her mistress had the other bad man. With a yip, Topaz turned tail and rushed back toward the lobby to fetch her mistress and her mistress' mate, so that they could come and help the human dog.

The sky outside was devoid of stars, the lights of the city too bright to let them shine. The shade to the window was rolled up to illuminate the pitch night, but the flash of vehicular lights and the steady burn of building electricity ruined what would have been a calm vision elsewhere.

Calypso was curled up in a corner of the room, her head resting on the fluffy pillow of her tails. The brown and cream of Topaz's fur could barely be seen peeking out from beneath the cover of those nine great locks - the eevee curled up within the confines of the ninetails' blanket-like tail, slumbering deeply. Umbrae was lazing behind Sagira, at the foot of the bed, his muscles relaxed in false slumber. Curled in a similar position in front of the door to the hall lay Malchior, the blade crest on his head gleaming from the reflection offered by the outside lights filtering in. Shinobi had made his bed in the bathtub, having apparently known how to work the faucets and the stopper so that he had a shallow pool in which to lay.

All of her pokemon, save Paladin, lingered around her in positions of comfort, support, and protection, but they were able to offer little. Paladin had appeared once, himself, offering his comfort, a psychic touch, but Sagira had known he would find comfort himself in Hinata's presence, and that he could do little for her, and told him such. Reluctantly, he had left her, and she'd remained sitting on the edge of the bed, staring out of the window, seeking... something. She didn't know what. She had such a strange feeling... perhaps it was more than just guilt?

A knock at the door called Sagira's attention. Because it was the door to the room that adjoined hers, and because it was three o'clock in the morning, she knew it could only be one person. Because she knew who it was at the door, she didn't bother to get up from where she sat, still fully clothed. It was only a few seconds later that the door opened a crack and Jay peered in. Sagira made a small motion with her hand, and he entered her room quietly, stepping over and taking a seat next to her on the bed.

They had not had adjoining rooms before, and Sagira didn't know if they would again, once they were moved to the fifth floor. Their rooms on the third floor needed to be completely refinished, as well as some of the rooms surrounding theirs, which had apparently been affected by the force that ripped theirs to shreds. Whether they would have a discussion about the cause of that, she didn't know. At the moment, it was not paramount in her mind. For now, she and Jay were sleeping in temporary quarters on the second floor, and perhaps the closer proximity to the ground was making her nervous?

She wasn't sure, but she had such a strange feeling...

"You should be sleeping."

Sagira didn't saying anything in response. She knew she should be sleeping; she had tried to sleep. It was a futile effort, it appeared. She was worried about Ivy, who was in the hospital... again.

"She'll be okay, you know."

"Will she?" Sagira asked quietly. "Will she ever be okay? She's not right, Jay."

"She wasn't right when we first met her, Catseye, but she's been fine so far." He ran his fingers over the back of her hand until she moved her hand palm-up and entwined their fingers. "You can't change her if she doesn't want to change. Not without forcing it."

"And I won't do that to her," Sagira said quietly. "They shouldn't have."

"I know." He squeezed her hand lightly. "We're going to talk to Bryce about taking the rest of our vacation. We'll be off until Ivy's better and the three of us are back at full strength. He shouldn't have any complaints. We caught them one of the guys who've been causing problems. We deserve some time off."

Sagira nodded. He was right, of course. Bryce had sent them on a mission to gather information, and instead, they'd learned the name of the organization was the MagmAquas, and had even captured one of them. It was better than the higher-ups had expected, to be sure. They didn't have anything to complain about.

Sagira had a few complaints.

"She'll be fine."

"Sore, stitches, some much-needed time off, but yes. Ivy will be fine."

Sagira leaned against him, laying her head on his shoulder. "I told her to find the man who had impersonated Darrow."

"Catseye-"

"I sent her, alone, after that prick."

"She had her pokemon with her."

"But you and I have each other." Her voice was full of stubborn anger and self-recrimination. "We each have our pokemon, and we watch each others back. Ivy is always on her own." She closed her eyes and gave a weary sigh. "There should be four of us."

Jay wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "After our break, when we're all back together, we'll talk about it. If it looks promising, we'll check out some of the new recruits. Even if we have to train someone from the start, they'll do things our way, learn to read us, and they'll be part of our pack."

How did he know she liked that term for them? It suited Ivy best, she supposed, but still she liked it. The sound of the word send a tingle down her spine, though, and that feeling returned...

She didn't like it.

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jul 13 2011, 01:00 AM

Jay sat in the office alone, sitting calmly in the chair with his hands neutrally at his stomach, fingers laced together. His eyes never left Officer Bryce, not since he had come in. It had taken, in fact, all of his self control not to burst out laughing when he saw the man pull his coffee cup closer to his side of the desk.

Yes, he did have Siryn waiting outside, just in case, but it seemed she wouldn't be necessary.

"Let me see if I'm clear," Bryce said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You want to take more time off?"

"Yes, sir," Jay said, saying the word "sir" as if it were his name, and one he were familiar with. "Youdid call us back from some much needed time off-"

"Because we're short handed. This isn't one of your parents movies, boy," he said, leaning forward and piercing Jay with his stare. Jay sat up straighter.

There was a long while of looking at each other, then Jay gave a small smirk.

"Sir, I don't think you understand how movies work. There aren't as many people working on a film at any one time as you might think." He sat up and started ticking off fingers. "There's actors, cameramen, crew, and the production team, the directors and cinematographers and make-up artists. And that is the most you'll see, during shooting. There are no backups for any of these, so if someone important, the director or an actor, gets sick or injured..." he clapped his hands together. "The filming stops until the person gets better."

Jay leaned forward, the twinkling in his eye gone, his mouth set in a grim line. "One of our very important members is injured and needs time to heal."

Bryce looked at Jay, having leaned back, his fingers steepled. "You and Smythe have been fine on your own..."

"No, sir, with all due respect, we haven't. We've been lucky, but when the chips were down, Ivy was there for us, getting us out of some serious scrapes. And that's part of my second request... Sagira and I have each other as back up, and Ivy if that's not enough. Ivy needs someone to watch her back."

Bryce pursed his lips, pushing his moustache out and looking more like a walrus for it. "You're getting spoiled, Lange," he said, then shook his head. "But you have a point. You have a week. After that, you and Smythe need to do light work while Kylerian recuperates." He opened a folder, scribbling something in it. "Maybe take one of the new recruits out. See if there's a fit."

Jay tilted his head, giving a tight smile. It wasn't perfect. It was, however, more or less what he thought he'd get.

Now to convince Sagira that it was a good idea.

-----

Two days had gone by, and this time Jay and Sagira had decided two things: The less time at the hotel, the better, and there was no reason to bring their phones. Not with a pair of kirlia waiting to alert them if Ivy really needed them.

They had arranged to meet in a park, where there was a small clearing out of sight of most people, where they could spend time together, out of the sight of anyone who'd wish to do them harm or make them work. This was where Jay found Sagira, in the middle of said clearing looking up at the circle of sky with a slight smile on her face.

Her hair was darkening still, and she had opted not to wear the special cat contacts that made her usual costume unique. Instead the dark blue, nearly black eyes looked up into the noon-day sunlight, shaded just enough by the trees blocking the sun, and she was smiling happily.

It was rare, which made it all the more beautiful.

"Hey," he said softly, loathe to break the spell of this dark sprite in the forest. He did not succeed in that which he did not want to do. She turned, and, if anything, the light of her smile brightened.

"Hey," she said softly, walking toward him. His eyes flickered to her hips, which sashayed seductively even though she put no effort into the act. She noticed his glance and her eyes brightened, twinkling. She stopped within inches, close enough to feel her body heat, but not close enough to touch without him making the effort. Jay liked to savor the anticipation.

"Did you bring it," she said with low, sultry tones.

Jay reached into his pocket, drawing out a smallish package. unwrapped it and ruffled the pages enclosed, smiling at the diagrams for sign language. "Yep. Bring yours?"

Sagira smiled, pulling her own book out of her pocket. "I've been practicing a little," she said with a bare hint of self consciousness. "So... shall we begin?"

Posted by: Living Arrow Jul 14 2011, 03:56 PM

Ivy left the hospital on a cold Wednesday afternoon. The nurses had claimed that if she took it easy, walking would be fine but she shouldn’t undertake strenuous exercise for a little while. Ivy had said everything she had to just to get out of the weird-smelling place and back to normality but she knew that would never happen – not when it was Gray that had busted her out. A message had been sent to Sagira, Jay and their boss to let them know where she was and that she was recuperating and a day later, she was an official houseguest of the rich Civilian.

“Woah, slow down.” Firmly gentle hands gripped Ivy’s elbow as she hobbled down the stairs of his enormous mansion in Noverus. The thick brown wool of the cardigan he had donated her felt itchy on her skin but she didn’t complain too much. Instead, she just offered him a grunt and shot him a look of ‘who you touchin?!’. Unperturbed, Gray continued to guide Ivy to the bottom of the staircase and out to the expansive garden.

“I know you probably won’t listen to me,” Gray began in his huskily smooth voice that rang with upper-class tones which Ivy would normally refer to as stuffy, “but maybe you should spend a bit more time in bed… Relaxing?”

Ivy ignored him and focused on getting to the bench at the edge of the park-like lawn. By the time she reached it, her breath was a little faster than she would like and it felt like cotton wool was in her ears.

“I need the air.” She explained, sinking down to the bench with a sigh. “And I need to make sure the others are alright.”

“They’re fine.” Gray settled beside her, peering out over the garden to where Ivy’s Pokemon were playing with a multi-coloured ball. Well, almost all of them. The young Eevee, Epsilon, sat apart from the others, her large brown eyes watching Ivy and Gray closely. Ivy met that stare with flat eyes. “They are more concerned about you right now and I think they would agree that you should be resting up a lot more than you are.”

“I’m resting plenty.” Ivy said back, not looking away from the chestnut eyes that had drawn her in. Gray coughed.

“Um, no you aren’t.” He accused. “I know you’ve been… exercising in your room. You need to take it down a notch.” Ivy shook her head.

“I ended up this way because I already ‘took it down a notch’. And yet again I’m a burden. The only way I’ll be able to keep up with the others is if I work even harder.” Her voice was resolute. Decisions had been made. Gray inwardly sighed. How could a girl as beautiful as Ivy not see that her actions were not good for her? She should be living an easy life in the arms of a loving man, not battling in the streets and getting hospitalised at every turn.

“The others? You mean Sagira and Jay?” Gray frowned.

“Not just them.” Ivy’s shoulders visibly slumped. “Magma, too. Their hold on this city still hasn’t been taken away and they’re allowed to pollute and destroy whatever they need to so that their ambitions are fulfilled. I swore to stop them, Gray-man. I swore…”

Gray didn’t know Ivy as well as a good deal of other people but even he could see that this was not the same Ivy that had dropped into his life a little while ago. She was more determined. More focused on achieving her goals. Her exact goals and reasons for them were still unknown to Gray but he didn’t need to be told them to know he wanted to help her.

“So you think making yourself worse right now will help out?” He pressed her.

“I need to be stronger.”

“Right. Well, if you’re set on this then I suppose you’d better eat properly.” Gray reached into a small bag that he had brought outside with them and produced a rolled up package and a flask. Tearing open the first packet, he plopped the roll of biscuits into Ivy’s hands and started to unscrew the flask. “A little Pidgey told me these were your favourites.”

The flask lid opened and the delicious scent of meaty broth poured out.

“Bizkits and gravy…” Ivy’s gaze finally turned away from Epsilon and to meet Gray’s.

“Get well first, Ivy, and then I’ll hep you to get stronger.” He smiled one of those deep smiles that creased the corners of his eyes. Under that rough stubble and tired expression it was sometimes hard to realise that Gray was as young as he was but Ivy could see it clearly in that moment. “Deal?”

She brightened slowly and took the cup of freshly poured gravy.

“Deal.” She grinned.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jul 17 2011, 07:42 PM

"Argh!"

Jay laughed as Sagira threw her sign language book over his head and into the grass. "It's not funny," she said stiffly. "Why can I not get this letter?"

The two of them had spent the better part of two hours sitting on the park bench and practicing Sign Language. Since their last mission had been completed, they had been spending some part of each day working on it together, and Sagira had been practicing a little on her own, as well. Right now, they were trying to sign the entire alphabet together, and Sagira remember how to do all of them, except the letter R. For whatever reason, she could never remember how to position her hand, and not knowing that letter would make finger-spelling difficult, if she ended up having to use that.

"Like this," Jay said, taking her hand and folding her ring and pinky fingers down. She let her move her middle and index fingers up, and then crossed her index finger in front of her ring finger, and folded her thumb over the two fingers that had been curled against her palm. Sagira, who had been watching her fingers as they were moved into position, glanced at Jay's face when he was done.

"You just wanted to touch my hand, didn't you?"

Pulling her hand closer to him, he kissed her over the veins of her wrist. "Guilty."

Sagira lowered her eyelids at him and tilted her head to the side. "Jay..."

"Hm?" he asked, smiling at her a little foolishly.

"I require use of my hand to sign."

"Ah." Grinning, he let go of her hand. Sagira drew it back, giving him a suspicious glance, and then crossed her legs.

"All right..." She held up her hand and began to sign again, starting with A.

"You know, if you don't get it, we can just sign that your name is Saggy." He grinned at her half-hearted glare. "I know someone who won't have a problem calling you by that name."

"Are you taking many points from Ivy?" Sagira asked nonchalantly, her fingers still continuing to move through the letters of the alphabet. "Because I will be happy to buy you a collar and leash."

Jay's eyebrows ticked upward. "Is that a promise?"

Sagira grinned but didn't say anything. Her fingers moved through the signs, until she abruptly stopped after the sign for Q. "Damnit!"

Jay laughed. "How did you forget already?"

"You distracted me."

"So it's my fault?"

"Damn straight." She unfolded her fingers from their position and poked him in the chest. "Bad dog."

Jay leaned a little closer to her, grinning, which caused Sagira's right eyebrow to jump upward in his signature "what are you planning?" look. "So... do I have to miss dessert, or do I get a spanking?"

Sagira's lips pulled back into a feral smile, her eyes crinkling. "That depends entirely upon-"

"Well, well, well..."

"-whether or not we get interrupted again - WHAT THE HELL?!" Sagira turned from where she had been sitting to face the two people standing some distance away, hidden by the hanging vines of the willow tree they had been hiding under for who knows how long. "Don't you have anything better to do than interrupt us?"

The two stepped out from under the vines, smirking. Sagira and Jay both narrowed their eyes as they recognized Tony and Ezira.

"I don't know. Ezira, do we have anything better to do than interrupt the two of them."

Ezira grinned widely and flicked both of her wrists. A pokeball flew out of each of her sleeves, into the waiting palms of her hands. "I can think of something."

Sagira grabbed at her belt, pulling off two of her pokeballs with one hand and tossing them both to the ground. All four pokeballs were bursting open as she got to her feet and faced her childhood rival.

"I've been waiting for this for a good while, Iris."

"I've gotta be honest with you, Ezira. I really could've got without seeing your ugly face."

Ezira's face went red in rage at the insult and she screamed out orders to her pokemon. "Razor Wind! Bulldoze!"

The red light was just fading from around the pokemon when the ground began to tremble violently. The grey-skinned legs of a rhyhorn appeared, pounding the ground viciously, causing Umbrae and Malchior to stagger against each other. The red-coated Scizor came flying out of the red light that had surrounded him, slashing his claws though the air. The wind picked up, a whirlwind swirling around the insect.

"Double team, Malchior. Umbrae, Smog!"

"Running, Iris? That's so like you." Ezira pointed at Umbrae, who was issuing a toxic black cloud from his mouth. "Fury attack, Rhino!"

Unleashing a braying cry, the rhyhorn lumbered forward at Umbrae, horn lowered to attack.

“Roar, Umbrae!”

Umbrae snapped open his jaws, but before he could roar and frighten the rhyhorn away, a thundering blur of black and white slammed into him from the side. Thrown to the ground, the houndoom yelped loudly, kicking up dirt as he rolled to his feet.

“You damned cheat! I’m your opponent!” Jay yelled at Tony, as the strange zebra pokemon reared up with a cry and just missed slamming her hooves into Umbrae’s head.

“You’re not worth my time,” Tony said, sneering.

Sagira grit her teeth and snapped her eyes around. There were four pokemon out on each side. Ezira had a scizor and rhyhorn – two pokemon that Sagira knew well enough to be able to judge their weaknesses and basic strengths. Tony, however, had two pokemon she’d never seen before. The striped horse paled in comparison to the massive dragon with golden scales and red scythes on his head. She had no idea what the creature was, but it was huge and clearly dangerous. And it was commanded by Tony, and that meant bad news by itself.

She had called out Malchior and Umbrae, and Jay had summoned Lady Jaye and Siryn. Tony never was one to play fair, but Sagira and Jay knew each other. And they worked very well together.

“Umbrae, you’re on the scizor! Fire Fang!”

“Lady Jaye, Aerial Ace on the dragon!”

“Malchior, Razor Wind on the rhyhorn!”

“Siryn, Screech!”

Umbrae lunged with a snarl, darting passed the zebstrika and launching himself at scizor.

The razor wind unleashed at that moment, the whirlwind of blade-whipped air slamming hard into the houndoom. It tossed him backward, but he managed to turn himself in midair and landed on his feet, blood dripping from a few cuts on his torso. With a growl that tore from his chest, he leapt at the scizor.

Lady Jaye swooped upward, wings cutting the air, and twisted. The edges of her wide wings turned a silvery-white and seemed to harden into steel as she let gravity catch her and carry her into a higher momentum as she dove for the neck of the great draconian monstrosity.

Malchior whipped his head around, tossing his blades against the air to churn the winds in his favor. A whirlwind whipped up, just like the one that the scizor had called, and began to sharply bite at the air around him. The rhyhorn grunted loudly and charged, ignoring the danger.

“Siryn is against everyone!” Siryn yelled, and opened her mouth wide.

“Siryn, you’re fighting the horse.”

Startled by this limitation, Siryn closed her mouth and turned to look at Jay. “Siryn is only fighting one opponent? Siryn thinks the Jaytrainyman doesn’t know her Screechyscreech will hit all of them.”

“Siryn, just use Screech!” Jay yelled.

“Okay, but Siryn told the Jaytrainyman…” Opening her mouth wide, Siryn let loose a high-pitched screech that caused everyone around her to flinch.

“Now, Siryn, use Astonish!”

Siryn opened her eyes wide. “Siryn is astonished?” She looked at the zebstrika, who was running toward her, hooves thundering against the ground. “No, it’s the stripystrikyhorse who is astonished!” Suddenly, the misdreavus had exploded in size and towered over the zebra. “Siryn says to be astonished, stripystrikyhorse!”

Umbrae ducked under a Metal Claw aimed at his head and spat an ember attack in the scizor’s face as he leapt to the right, away from the fury cutter strike. The scizor, who had gotten the short end of the stick, was already staggering, being no match for the fire-type attacks being unleashed at him in fervor.

Malchior hit the ground hard when the take down attack struck him. The rhyhorn was knocked backward a little by the recoil of his own strike, but recovered more quickly than the absol, who took a second attack in the side because of his slow recovery.

“Malchior, use Mirror Coat!”

“Chip Away, Rhino!”

Malchior fur flashed as the mirror coat protected him, but the rhyhorn’s attack ignored the protection completely as he slammed heavily into the absol again.

“Finish it! Earthquake!”

The rhyhorn brayed loudly, rearing up and slamming down against the ground. The ground shook violently, sending all of the pokemon and humans to their knees. Malchior hit the ground heavily, unconscious, and the red beam of light from Sagira’s pokeball pulled him to safety.

“Lady Jaye!” Jay’s pokeball recalled the falling swallow after the haxorus’ Dragon Pulse attack had sent her reeling into unconsciousness.

They’re far stronger than I’d thought, Sagira admitted to herself. She only had four of her pokemon with her, but Shinobi was clumsy and very new at this fighting thing. Were it a battle with some weak drones like the last big battle had been…

“Topaz it is!” Sagira drew out another pokeball and was about to throw it, before it was caught in the talons of a great flying beast.

“What the— you damned cheater! Give that back right now!”

The eagle had ripped the pokeball right from her hands, and as she watched, it flew around back to Ezira, dropping the pokeball in her hands. Grinning, Ezira took a glance down at the pokeball and then held it out to the eagle resting on the ground beside her. “Falcon, do the honors, would you?”

With a cry, the braviary hooked its wicked beak over the button on the pokeball and jerked its head downward. The button broke.

“Topaz!”

Ezira held up the pokeball for Sagira to see. “Oh, don’t worry, she’s still in there, safe and sound. For now, at least. The ball is even fixable. If you promise to be a good girl.”

Sagira narrowed her eyes. Be a good girl, indeed. She was not giving up. It was time to call in the calvary. Paladin had taught her to shield her mind, and to open it. They were always linked, but to call him to come now, and to bring with him the rest of their team, she needed to open her mind. And she did.

Tony chuckled, grinned widely. “Good girl.”

What-

The air behind Tony and Ezira rippled. A strange brownish pokemon appeared, hovering in the air, its large odd-shaped head supporting two glowing green eyes. The glowing buttons on its hands that were presumably fingers flashed and blinked, but Sagira’s eyes were drawn to the glowing green orbs in the creature’s head, as though called there. She thought she could hear voices…

”What is it, my lady?”

”Paladin, what’s wrong?”

”I think my lady needs us.”

”Where are there? Are they being attacked?”

”Forget all of that.

”We need everyone.”

”Forget everything.”

"My lady?"

”Forget everything. None of it is important.

”My lady, who is that?

”Nothing is important. Forget."

”Who is that? Who are you?

”Forget…”

”What are you doing?!”

”Forget…”

"ENOUGH!”

"Forget..."

”Paladin? Paladin, what’s wrong! Paladin!”

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHH!!!"

Sagira clutched her head in her hands as she screamed, the sound ripped from her throat as something forced its way into her head, burying itself deep, penetrating all that she was, settled down deep within her and then shredding her from the inside out. She screamed until everything that she was was no longer, all the breath that’d she’d had was gone, and darkness claimed her completely.

”Forget…

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jul 18 2011, 11:05 PM

Always with the interruptions... was Jay's first thought when the voice came out of nowhere, interrupting his and Sagira's quiet time. It seemed that no one would allow them more than a few days peace these days, and he was getting tired of it. As Sagira screeched, Jay stood up with a huff.

Then the woman he'd seen on his first official mission with Aqua, the one who'd given them so much trouble, stepped out with a guy older than he and Sagira. His brown hair was slicked back, slightly longer than norm, but not shaggy; it seemed thin, but not balding, not yet. His clothing was impeccable; white, button down shirt and silk vest pulled tight over a broad chest, black slacks and Italian shoes. It wasn't his clothing that made Jay instantly dislike him, however. It was the contemptuous look on his face, and his eyes pinned to Sagira.

Jay's ears were already turning red as the fight began, and Tony's dismissal of him when he attacked Sagira's pokémon made him even more angry. He pulled out the two pokeballs he'd brought with him and called his pokémon as Tony brought out his second, a tall, tapering beast with nasty scythe-like tusks on either side of his face. Lady Jay flapped to the ground beside him, her face mirroring her trainer's look of sheer contempt.

"Somebody's compensating for something..."

He actually got a reaction out of the man, and couldn't help a cocky grin. He had no idea it would be the only one he'd get.

"Scythe, why don't you dance for the boy," Tony called, drawling out the words, rolling his eyes. The dragon stepped backward, spun, and shot fire in the air, in a surprisingly agile display for one so large.

“Lady Jaye, Aerial Ace on the dragon!” He could hear Sagira shouting out her own commands between his. It gave him a thrill. "Siryn, use screech!"

The battle waged, and it was soon evident that both he and Sagira were out classed. He'd have to bring out the reserves. Evidently, Sagira had the same idea, especially after her eevee was stolen.

Things went downhill from there. Her eyes went vacant, and Jay prepared to send his own call to Hinata, when Sagira stiffened, then fell to her knees, screaming.

Jay looked around wildly, rushing to her side and grabbing her shoulders. Here, the volume was deafening, but the worse ache was the tone; as if something were tearing from her, as if something vitally important were being ripped from her.

And his head exploded in a cacophony of noise, followed suddenly by a silence that felt like Sagira's screams, silent where she was loud. Hinata, somehow, was silent.

Jay's vision exploded in red as Sagira, too, fell silent, and he was, suddenly, up and running. He heard Tony command the haxorus to stop him, possibly kill him, but even as the dragon swung one of its razor tipped claws, jay was sliding underneath it, rising suddenly to run up the tail and launch off of it, sending a fist into the jaw of Tony.

Anyone lesser would have fallen like a sack of pokeballs, but Tony simply rocked back. Jay's fists blurred, once, twice, there was, he was sure looking back, a flash of blue in the peripherals of his vision.

It wasn't enough.

"Eeetea!" It was all Tony said, and all he had to say. The psychic that had appeared behind him and the woman with him before Sagira began to scream turned toward Jay, sending a pulse rushing at him. Jay flew back into a tree and was held there, his chest being compressed. He saw black stars on the edge of his vision before Tony raised a hand, and the pressure eased.

"See, now, kid... you just made yourself worth my time." Tony walked toward him, rubbing his jaw, spitting some blood out of his mouth. "You could have walked away quietly, but no... you had to get noble and fight. For that?" At the words, he pointed at Sagira, and Jay began to struggle harder. "Pathetic."

Tony pulled up close, sneering, raising up on his tip toes to get in Jay's face. "Now, see, I could easily just let Eeetea kill you. Keep squeezing until there's nothing left. But, like I said, you made yourself worth my time... Nobody..." he reached up and grabbed Jay's chin with one hand, gripping as hard as he could, "but nobody makes me bleed my own blood!" He let go, sneering in contempt. "So you get to live. Maybe you'll learn the error of your ways. I kind of hope you don't."

He turned, then, flicking fingers out to Ezira, then looking at the large headed pokémon. "When we're finally out of here, take her back and get her ready."

Jay struggled harder as Tony and Ezira left, almost working his arms loose of the telekinetic hold, when the pokémon floated to Sagira, put its arm on her back, and disappeared.

Jay dropped to the ground, pushing up with his hands to rise, but the pokémon must have put some suggestion in his head; he was sluggish, he couldn't concentrate.

He screamed himself, in frustration, in rage, and collapsed.

Siryn, who had been blown backwards by the psychic, made it to the clearing, looking around with wide, trembling eyes, and said, in the softest voice she'd ever made, <Jaytrainyman? Jaytrainyman..! ... jay..??

-----

Jay woke to psychic screaming. It was cut off as soon as he rose. He may have imagined it. The place where Hinata was, in the back of his mind, was full again, but black, dark. Jay, too, felt that his world had dropped out, so was surprised when Hinata's voice, though frantic, was quiet.

Jay... Jay... Paladin's sick... something happened, and... and... He could feel her weeping, and despaired in it. Paladin, too, had been affected. His one hope for finding Sagira quickly, gone.

Jay, what... what do I do..? He's not answering me, Jay... I can't find him anywhere...

Jay looked at his hands... inadequate hands, he couldn't protect Sagira... he couldn't comfort his pokémon... with dread, he realized he couldn't even summon his projection of calm... there was no calm now.

"Take... take him to Doc Robinson. Take him there, and stay there with him."

He could feel Hinata's shock. But... but Jay--

"Sagira was taken, Hina-- hinata... She was taken, and I... I can't... I'm not fit to be around. I'll... I'll send Siryn to you. She'll carry messages... but you need to stay away from me... for now."

He could feel her protest, but he cut her off. "Don't argue!"

She receded, stroking his mind with a shaky touch. Siryn, watching from behind him, sobbed and faded as well, already going to Hinata without being told, if only to see what happened to Paladin. Jay stood in the clearing, unable to move, except for his hand, which pulled out and raised his cell phone, dialing the number he dreaded.

It began to rain, hard, as Jay pulled the phone up to his ear. It rang once. Twice. Then picked up.

"Ivy," Jay said, the name catching in his throat. "Ivy... Sagira's gone."