we're taking off together

private & selective multi-muse. → written by lucas.

[firetruth-blog]

radiantjourneys:

Serena wasn’t quite expecting to have a room suddenly thrust onto her like that, but she had planned to stay the night here anyways. So it wasn’t like it was that bad of an idea. Though sharing a room with Calem? That made her blush a bit, but maybe it wouldn’t be so bad? No, it wouldn’t be bad, but it only made her blush more the more she thought about it.

“I-It’s okay! Really, hehe. I was planning to rent a room anyways. I just wasn’t expecting to share a room is all. And you don’t need to sleep on the floor! I’m sure we can figure something out. E-even if we have to… y’know, share the bed. I don’t want to make you sleep on the floor.” If Calem slept on the floor, that would just make her feel bad.

The two of them walked up to their room together, and once inside, set their stuff aside so that way they could relax a bit together. Not surprisingly, it was only a one bed hotel room. And it was a big bed, enough for two people, but it was with Calem, one of her friends! It was just embarrassing her since they were a boy and a girl. She shook her head, trying to forget the thought.

“So uh… besides the lady at the front desk, how have you been…? It’s been two months, like you said, been thinking about you every now and then… Hope things have been well.” Jeez, could she be any more embarrassing right now? She could feel the heat at her cheeks and it must be so uncomfortable for him too. All she could do though was try to play it as cool as possible.

Calem made sure to shut the door quietly because of how late it was. After that was done, he set his backpack on the floor beside the small kitchenette, and then took a seat. It felt good to have a real chair to sit on as opposed to a log--he couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

“How have I been?” Calem looked down at the sleeping Pokemon in his arms and bit his lip. “I’ve been alright. Catching Pokemon, scaring civilians, you know. The usual.

“I have four badges now,” he said. “Isn’t that something? I’m already halfway done with this whole gym challenge thing.” His chair creaked when he shifted, his eyes now on Serena. “How far along are you? I heard from Tierno that you beat Korrina awhile back. But I know you-- you’re too impatient to just sit around. You could have gotten three more badges by now.”

For some reason or another, Calem felt eyes on him, but he chose to ignore it; it was probably just because Serena was here.

Shifting Phantump to his other arm, Calem muttered, “I just hope you’ve had fewer run-ins with Team Flare than I have. Those guys are bad news...”

[radiantjourneys]

@firetruth

It was a late night, with the stars shining brightly along with the moon. Serena was just now arriving at Coumarine City, and was pretty tired from such a long trip through Route 12 and the train ride to the Pokémon Center. She knew that once she was there, she would have to get a room to stay in and rest for the night.

There was only so many nights you could camp out really. A soft bed sounded really nice right now.

Walking into the building, the blonde let out a yawn as she stretched, before suddenly feeling someone right square in front of her. She backed away a bit and laughed nervously.

“S-sorry about that! I didn’t mean to bump into—wait, Calem?! You’re here too? Oh that’s great! I was wondering when I would run into you again! It’s been a little while, hasn’t it?”

Serena gave the boy a bright smile, that same happy spirit beaming from her as usual. Though being near the boy had her feeling more calm and content than anything else.

“Are you planning on spending the night here too?”

[firetruth-blog]

Calem leaned away from the counter when he noticed how uncomfortable the woman behind it looked. “I don’t mind renting a small room,” he tried again. “At this point, as long as it’s indoors, I would gladly sleep in a broom closet.”

The woman’s frown tightened ever-so-slightly. “I understand that, sir,” she said, “but this room is something of a legend at this hotel. Past residents have claimed that it’s, well, haunted.” She eyed the Phantump sleeping soundly in Calem’s arms with caution. “I can’t in good conscience let you stay there. Not until we figure out what’s really going on--”

“Miss, I appreciate your concern, but ghost-types and I aren’t exactly strangers to one another. If there really is a ghost in that room, I would sooner solve your problem than get eaten by it or whatever other ludicrous possibility you might be thinking of.”

Biting her tongue, the woman looked about ready to collapse from stress when yet another guest walked through the front door. Calem stiffened on reflex when that same guest bumped into him, but relaxed once he saw just who it was. A gentle smile found its way onto his face. “If by ‘a little while’ you mean ‘over two months,’ then yes, I suppose it has.

“It’s nice to see you again, Serena.”

The woman behind the counter cleared her throat. “I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said awkwardly, “but I still can’t allow you to stay in that room. Instead, why don’t you take these complimentary coupons? They provide a 50% discount off your next stay! Quite the deal, if you ask me.”

Calem looked like he was going to argue, but opted for something a little less aggressive after an idea struck him “What if I share the room?” he asked. “Would that make your ‘conscience’ feel better? Serena”--he gestured to her--“could watch my back, and I could watch hers. That way, no one can be spirited away in the middle of the night.”

“I suppose that would make me feel... a little better... about renting you the room.”

Five minutes later, Calem handed the keys to the hotel room to Serena. “I apologize for not asking you first,” he said, “but that woman was more hard-headed and stubborn than Shauna.” Patting his Phantump softly on the head when it stirred, he said, much meeker than before, “D-Don’t worry! I’ll sleep on the floor. It’s like I said earlier; anything inside is better than something outside...”

[firetruth-blog]

radiant-journeys:

“Wha—Leave? No, you’re going to stay and eat with me! And no I wasn’t thinking that either, I was just surprised to see you is all!” Serena flashed him a smile, reaching over to take one of his hands. For a moment, both of their eyes seemed to flash, but it was only a brief second and soon after Serena felt more calm than before.

Whatever it was, it was still a strange, but it wasn’t as if Serena disliked it. Besides she was too focused on seeing her friend again to exactly care. 

“Come on, don’t go leaving on me again when we both just got here. Don’t you wanna stay with me for a little bit?” she asked, giving him a slight pout. The way he was blushing was also kind of cute, which made her giggle after thinking about it. “Let’s take a look at the menu and get some food, okay? We can talk more after!

Serena let go of his hand and grasped the menu instead, glancing at the options they had. She ordered a simple breakfast and some juice to drink, and was soon alone with Calem again once their food was all taken care of.

“So did you take on Viola before making your way here? How tough was she for you?” Her upbeat attitude had quickly returned, and her smile that shined so bright quickly returned. Whatever it as, just being around him made her that way; even more than usual.

Calem flinched when Serena took his hand, but was quick to relax. Her explanation definitely helped clear things up. “I guess that makes two of us then, huh?” Calem was slow to sit down across from his friend, but once he finally did, it was obvious he no longer had any plans to bolt. “I didn’t think I’d find you in a place like this either,” he said. “It’s kind of off the map, isn’t it? Not particularly busy. Definitely not one of the more famous places around here.”

Turning his attention toward the menu, Calem held it up for his Pokemon to see. (Hex had wiggled his way out of his ball while Serena was talking, so he could see it now, too.) After placing an order, Calem found himself fidgeting in his seat. The restless energy that dripped from Serena never failed to throw a wrench in his normal routine.

“We, um... w-we did. She put up a good fight, but her bugs have a lot of weaknesses.” Calem glanced at Hex, who was chasing his own tail underneath the table. “It wasn’t too hard to take advantage of them, not when I have a fire-type.” Rubbing the back of his neck, Calem sheepishly added, “It was almost too easy. I felt like I had cheated by pitting Hex against her team, but... the first Gym is the first Gym for a reason, right? If it was too hard, no one would get anywhere.”

After the waitress dropped off their food, Calem took a sip of his drink and then asked, “What about you? Miss Viola didn’t give you too much trouble, did she?”

[firetruth-blog]

radiant-journeys:

@firetruth

Serena finally made it to her net destination: Lumiose city! It was a bit of a tough time getting there, but determination and training certainly paid off. Having gotten her new partner Froakie, who she nicknamed Koko, and making her way through the Santalune Forest with her newfound friends, she decided to go do her own thing for awhile to train up her team before her first gym battle.

During this, she ended up capturing a Fletchling, which she would start to call Talo, and ended up training the two of them enough before she felt confident in being able to take on Viola of the Santalune City gym. The battle was intense, but she was able to pull a victory in the end. And this began her true journey of taking on the Pokemon league.

And just before making it to Lumiose City, she ended up catching a Ralts along Route 4. She named him Kai and was honestly ready to take a bit of a break. Her whole team was exhausted, and she had been made to meet with the professor first before she could actually take a chance to rest. At least she could go to a local café that was nearby after that.

Inside the café, Serena took a seat at the first table she could and just let herself lay on the table. For as hyper as even she was, she was quick to become tired. So much that she didn’t even notice a certain familiar boy cross the room. When she finally looked up and saw him, her eyes suddenly grew bright, literally, and then dimmed but kept a more figurative bright shine to them.

“Calem! Hey! I didn’t think I’d see you here of all places!” she called out, getting up to go over to his table instead. “I’ve missed you and wasn’t sure I’d see you again so soon. How have things been since Santalune Forest? ”

Calem couldn’t believe he had made it this far. Lumiose City towered above him, making him feel like an ant in a nest of giants. He kept his hands stuffed firmly in his pockets and held on tight to his Pokeballs. There was so much to look at, but he kept his head down, not wanting to risk spooking the locals.

The sidewalk was fine to look at. There were flowers planted along both sides, prettying it up and giving him something besides concrete to look at. He fiddled with the three Pokeballs in his pockets. The first one was Maggie’s. The second one belonged to his Fennekin, Hex. And the third one held the first Pokemon he’d had to fight to catch: a Phantump native to Santalune Forest.

Calem remembered the earful he’d gotten from Trevs about that with a dry smile. “There’s no way,” he’d said, shocked. “According to the Pokedex, there are no Phantump in this area. Could this be some kind of scientific anomaly?! Or just a fluke?”

Calem could only shrug. He didn’t know how it worked; ghosts just seemed to flock to him, regardless of where science said they should be. Trevs hadn’t like that answer, though, and swore to ask the Professor about it when he finally met up with him.

Snickering, Calem pulled Danny’s Pokeball out of his pocket. After clicking it open, he glanced up from his shoes and smiled at the little ghost. “You hungry?” he asked it, only for the ghost behind him to chirp excitedly in response. Rolling his eyes, Calem said, “I know you’re hungry, Maggie. You’re always hungry.”

Maggie stuck out her lip as her form flickered. It’s not my fault, she huffed. I’m still growing, and I gotta eat so I’m not small forever!

Calem rolled his eyes, but gathered both her and Danny in his arms. “That’s what you always say,” he said. “Don’t you ever get tired of telling the same lie?” Danny snorted and Maggie looked like she was going to reply with indigence, but Calem swept the three of them into a cafe before she got the chance. 

It wasn’t the Professor’s lab, of course, but he did say they were going to get breakfast...

There was something strange in the air of the cafe. It was almost as if the place was electric. Calem had felt this same strangeness before however, so when he saw Serena sitting in the corner, he knew it was because of her. “Good morning, Serena.” He couldn’t seem to meet her eye, looking embarrassed in the face of her innocent statement. “Ah... well, I hadn’t planned on meeting you here, if that’s what you’re thinking. I just wanted to grab a bite to eat. B-But I can leave, if you want...”

[firetruth-blog]

krystcllines.

“I think I’m stopping a thief. And, as for keeping my nose where it belongs, I’m afraid that if I let someone get away with stealing a Pokemon, I’d have trouble sleeping at night.”

Chikorita’s shaking more, appearing distressed at the sight of Cyndaquil – a fire type against a grass type is never a good situation… It looks up at her with a scared face, but she swallows.

“Chikorita, use Growl!”

Hopefully this plan of attack will work.

Cyndaquil puffed its cheeks out wide and then let loose a blast of hot air-- but it wasn’t a true Ember, not yet. The Pokemon clicked its tongue in anticipation. Then, after a shower of glowing sparks dripped from its mouth, it spat a ball of fire at Chikorita’s face.

The harsh shrieking from Chikorita caught Cyndaquil off guard however, startling its aim ever-so-slightly to the left. The fire ball streaked by the overgrown flower’s cheek but failed to fully connect with its flush green skin.

Silver pushed himself up onto his feet. “This has nothing to do with you.” Stepping forward, the boy reached down to scoop up Cyndaquil. “What are you, a police officer? And you don’t even have a badge?! Ha! That’s rich.” He started to back away slowly, glaring viciously at Krys. “You’re not fooling anybody.

“Someone as weak as you just doesn’t deserve a Pokemon as good as that!”

[firetruth-blog]

krystcllines.

@firetruth

It’s a complex situation, really; one that she didn’t exactly expect to find herself in, being faced with a thief – one that stole a Pokémon, no less. Her Chikorita is at her side, and she calls after him, though it’s after the fact that she realizes how truly futile the act is; why on earth would a thief stop just because a girl yells for him?

“HEY! Where the hell do you think you’re going?!”

Alternatively, people do often end up stopping because of pain – an Ultra Ball in her hand, thrown at the back of his head while he’s retreating, she’s only got to wait to see if he stops or not. There aren’t many other alternatives, truly, sadly.

Yeah, he stole a Pokemon. No, it wasn’t the right thing to do. But he’d needed to do it, and so he did, simple as that. The girl on his tail wasn’t a part of the plan however-- what was supposed to be nothing more than a sneaky in-and-out operation was looking more and more like a wild goose chase with each passing second.

Silver shot the stranger a glare over his shoulder. If she thought he was going to stop just because she asked nicely or whatever, she was dead wrong. He turned his attention back to the dirt road stretching in front of him-- so, he never even saw the Ultra Ball coming until it had already beaned him in the head.

Tumbling to the ground was less than fun, because the stray rocks and mud showed no mercy on Silver’s clothes or face. He shrieked in surprise and agitation. 

Whoever this girl was, she was gonna pay.

After quickly rolling over onto his back, Silver snarled at Krys. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he spat. “Didn’t anybody ever teach you to mind your own business?” The boy reached into his pocket and then pulled out his newly-pilfered Pokeball before chucking it into the air.

The tiniest Cyndaquil ever to grace this Earth popped out only to land inexplicably on Silver’s head. It looked down at him in confusion, but once it noticed the Pokeball in his hand, it quickly adopted a happier demeanor. 

Unfortunately for Cyndaquil, Silver was having none of it.

“Pay attention,” he snapped at the small Pokemon. “This is your first battle, and we don’t have time for screw-ups!” Leveling a glare at Krys, he pointed to her and then said, “Go! Use Ember!”

[firetruth-blog]

lillie.

  Admittedly, her face lit up red at the earnest compliment. It had been a good while since anyone had genuinely complimented her, and to be honest? She liked that feeling. Still, that didn’t exactly answer her question.

“Well, I… I don’t really want to wear these clothes for as long as I live… You understand, don’t you?” Again, she held the two dresses in front of her, showing them to Hau one more time. “Honestly though, which one do you think would suit me more?”

The longer this went on, the more appropriate it seemed to give up for now and try again later. Her tastes had been so… non-existent. She simply wore whatever her mother told her, and felt no need to question it; but outside the confines of her home, she felt a newfound sense of freedom, which she didn’t want to squander. 

     Hau frowned for a split second before his face melted back into a smile, and then he snatched the second dress from Lillie’s right hand. “Tell you what,” he said, “you buy that one, and I’ll get this one! That way you’ll have both without havin’ to worry about pickin’ the wrong one.”

Nodding fervently at his brilliant plan, Hau slung his arm around his friend’s shoulders so he could steer her toward the register. “How ’bout I give you some free advice? I learned it from my pops a long time ago.” After handing the dress to the cashier, he turned to face Lillie. “No matter what you do, you have to do it with confidence! That’s how you avoid regrets.”

The cashier rang up their total. Reaching into his pocket, Hau pulled out his wallet-- although it didn’t really look like one. To an outsider it probably looked like nothing more than a sack of bottle caps, or coupon stubs.

Once he had finished paying, he handed the bag with his purchase to Lillie. “Hea, the only thing I can think of that wouldn’t suit you is a shirt made from a Grimer’s sludge! Yuck!” Scrunching up his nose in disgust, Hau headed lazily toward the door. “Oh well, it’s my turn now! Let’s go on an adventure. The cemetery sounds good, yeah?”

[firetruth-blog]

lillie.

@firetruth

   The girl’s gaze drifted back and forth between two articles of clothing, each held opposite of each other as she compared the two of them. She’d been at it for about 5 or so minutes, seemingly unaware of the rest of the world around her. 

On the left was a relatively simple green dress with not much to it. And in the other hand, a much more bold black dress with swirling purple patterns on the hem. It was probably getting painful to watch by this point, but she finally looks away from the clothes.

“Umm… Pardon me, Hau, but what do you think of these?” 

Had she really needed to drag poor Hau with her on a shopping trip? Absolutely not, but she didn’t want to go by herself… It was maybe a little selfish of her, but to be fair, she was planning on treating them to lunch.

     Hau was staring into the mirror across from Lillie, making faces at his reflection. Shopping had never been something he’d enjoyed-- unless it was for malasada. But he’d have sooner eaten his own foot than refused Lillie’s nervous invitation. 

After all, what were friends for?

“I think they both look like dresses!” Hau grinned, but quickly grew more serious. “That one”--he pointed to the dress in Lillie’s left hand--”looks like something my gramps would’ve seen growin’ up. It’s just got that look to it, yanno? Kinda like a salad or something...”

Leaning forward on his toes, the boy squinted at the second, darker, dress. “Something’s up with that one, yeah? It reminds me of Nebby!” 

After looking from the dress to Lillie and then back again, Hau said, “What’s the difference, eh? Does it really matter? I wouldn’t worry so much; you’d look good in either of ’em.” Hau gave Lillie a reassuring pat on the arm. “Besides, they’d both taste the same covered in malasada crumbs! Just wear whatever you want.”

[firetruth-blog]

vera.

     “I dunno how they manage to act so interested, though.” The witch hummed. “But I guess I manage to act like I’m interested in them, so it can’t be too difficult.” She giggled, and as she did, the fly she was playing with started bobbing up and down in time with her laughter.

     “And I never said I didn’t like cake, Ketchup. I just don’t like looking like one. Do you think I want people to want to eat me? If you do, you’re sorely mistaken. Though, I probably do look pretty tasty to the regular old bystander…”

     Vera let out a high-pitched whine. “But I’m always on my best behavior, Ketchup, and it’s exhausting! I just wanna let go for a while, be free, y’know? But I guess this business trip ain’t exactly the best time or place to do that.” 

     She realized she’d have to let the conversation drop when Sakura got that look in her eyes, the one that meant that shit was about to hit the fan.

     “Yeah, yeah, I know, stick to your side like glue and all that.” She watched with interest as the metal floor of the car melted. The fly she’d been playing with was free from her hold, and it quickly escaped the car before it could be harmed.

     To the slimy guy, Vera said, “Yo, dude, that’s some funky magic you got there! Maybe you ought’a chill with it, though, ‘cause you’re not really going to get anything out of hijacking my car—”

     The man’s hand flew out and nearly hit Vera in the face. “Ay! Rude!” She jumped out of the way just in time and hid behind Sakura.

     “Gettin’ real tired of being completely useless in these situations, Ketchup. Real fuckin’ tired.” The two were cornered; the car doors were locked from the outside and they were pressed up against one.

      “Got any random smart ideas, Ketchup? ‘Cause I’m all out.”

     It surprised Sakura that this man had the balls to attack her princess. “You’re so irritating,” she growled, her eyes narrowed, glaring at the slimy man. She watched him step up into the car, a crooked smile on his face. He wasn’t even looking at Sakura-- he was focused entirely on Vera, his pudgy cheeks stretched in anticipation.

     “You wouldn’t fuckin’ believe how long it took tah get you alone,” he said to Vera. “Those guard dogs of yers are hella annoying, I’ll give ’em that much. Ain’t no match for me though.” The nasty man winked, his shoulders bobbing up and down with an air of nonchalance. “Yer goodie-two-shoes shit ends here, Vale. I’m putting an end to your business-- permanently!”

     His arms stretched out in front of him again, this time headed directly for Vera.

     “Don’t forget about me!”

     The acid splashed and bubbled against Sakura’s skin, eating away at her heavy flesh like it was nothing more than tissue paper. She snarled, her face contorted with pain, before filling her veins with more magic. A bright red light flooded the car, radiating out from Sakura’s core, blinding her attacker.

     “If there’s one thing I hate,” she snarled, “it’s men who run their mouths.” Shaking off the acid, Sakura pushed forward before the terrorist had a chance to react. She slammed her rock-like fist into his face, not stopping until she heard his bones crack beneath the slime.

     The man fell to the floor spluttering. Blood mixed with goop, swirling red and green on the floor of the car before melting through it and dropping to the street. In the next instant, he was gone, but he left behind one foreboding statement:

     “We won’t give up ’til all’a you Seer lovers are in the ground, you hear me? Y’all’re as good as dead!”

     Sakura collapsed to her knees. Her entire body shook, exhausted from the magic she had used as well as the injuries she had sustained. But she was quick to force herself back onto her feet, leaning heavily against the ruined door frame while she peeked out into the street, her crimson eyes scanning for anyone else who looked like they would cause a problem.

     Meanwhile, her magic began to fade, and her body returned to normal. Her soft skin burned.

     “M-- Miss Vale, are you well...?”

[firetruth-blog]

vera.

@firetruth ( SAKURA ):

     “I haaaate these stupid business trips,” Vera, dressed in a frilly white dress, whined. “I look like a fancy cake, all dolled up like this. Ketchup, can you believe this? They make me wear make-up. Make-up!” The witch leaned against her bodyguard’s shoulder, all the while kicking the toes of her expensive high heels against the wall in the car, separating her and Sakura from the driver.

     Vera’s index finger was waving in lazy circles, and, near the ceiling of the car, a fly could be seen, flying in circles in time with Vera’s movements.

     “I hope this goes well, though. I really do. I don’t want the old man to yell at me for fuckin’ up another business venture, or whatever.”

     There was comfortable silence for a moment or so, in which Vera was simply enjoying Sakura’s company (as per usual), but it was broken by a loud bang!, and then the sound of the wheels of the car screeching to a halt.

     “Uh-oh. Ketchup, I think we’ve got a problem.”

     “Your parents don’t seem fond of them either,” Sakura replied, “but they have class, so they hide their boredom. No matter how droll the meeting becomes, they have to make a compromise, and no one has ever made a compromise by complaining.” Her head fell back and she sighed, looking up through the skylight. “Besides, I was under the impression that you liked cake, Miss Vale.”

     Folding her hands in her lap, Sakura sat up straight. She watched the fly Vera was playing with move back and forth with interest, before turning to look at the princess herself, a small smile on her face. “He’s a smart man. I highly doubt he’ll chew you out for being insatiable; you just need to be on your best behavior, that’s all.” Sakura nodded. “It’ll be over before you know it.”

     Suddenly, Sakura’s eyes widened. Her head whipped around to face the front of the car, but the only thing she saw before the driver slammed on the breaks was a dark, shadowy figure.

     Sakura stood immediately after the floor of the car stopped shaking. “Stay close to me,” she told Vera. “We’re being hijacked.”

     The right side door was ripped from its hinges without so much as a warning, only to reveal a slimy man wearing a ball cap. He said nothing, shooting his dripping arms toward Sakura and Vera. The green sludge that fell from his skin burned through the car floor on impact-- not even the metal was safe from its scorching corrosion. 

     Sakura wasted no time in bringing her arms up in front of her face. Her eyes flashed red, and then the man’s hands crashed into her, but they failed to knock her aside. Instead, she just looked pissed, her heavy feet bending the floor, her skin totally crystallized.

     A bit of smoke rose from her forearms however.

     “Vera,” Sakura said. “Don’t let him touch you!”

[firetruth-blog]

hanamaru.

  Hanamaru visibly recoiled from the harsh rejection her invitation received, hand lowering back down to her side. Before she could truly process the words that had been said to her however, she found that the wind had suddenly been knocked out of her. In a single moment she had become completely disoriented, unable to tell where she was or what had happened. It took a second to feel the cool ground beneath her and the person on top of her; And a few more to realize those were fangs growing closer to her.

  She had thought she had prepared herself for this moment. She knew the chance of her surviving to live a long life in this world were slim, but when death was staring straight at her, she couldn’t control the chilling fear that overwhelmed all of her senses. She wanted to cry, scream for help, thrash about, anything, but all she could do was sit there and-

  As soon as it had come the threat disappeared, leaving Hanamaru dazed in its recoil. Alive? She was alive? Her gaze suddenly moved to that of the nearby blonde,

  “Y…Y-You’re…” Mitsuba told her to run,and she most definitely wanted to listen now. Her body however, was failing her. She attempted repeatedly to stand herself up and run away, but it was as if all of her energy and strength had suddenly left her when she hit the ground. Even once on her feet she was stumbling and unbalanced from a terrible mix of possible injury and the fear that still ran through her. Hanamaru knew there was no way she could get away like this, and she blurted out the singular other thought running through her mind,

  “What happened to you?”

     Mitsuba shook her head and snarled, keeping her eyes trained on the ground and away from Hanamaru. “You’re asking the wrong person,” she said in aggravation. But this was good-- if this girl could keep her talking then maybe she’d be able to make it out of here and call for backup. 

     "Nothing about this makes jack-fuck-all sense to me, okay? I don’t know. I just-- I don’t know! The last thing I remember is getting ready for supper with my--” Suddenly Mitsuba froze. Her eyes widened in realization. “If I’m here,” she began, “then what happened to them? Shinoa, and Yuu--... Shit, now I can’t die, because-- goddammit! What if those idiots need me?!”

     In a fit of frustration, Mitsuba slammed her fist down on the ground. The tile of the courtyard cracked beneath her fingers. It splintered into a million pieces and then burst up from the ground with a resounding boom. Mitsuba stared at the hole she had created, shocked, before gingerly setting her hand back down.

     A piercing red light split through evening air without warning and a siren was soon to follow. Mitsuba not-so-silently cursed her luck, but then she stood and dived to the side. An explosion rocked the courtyard, the space where Mitsuba had just been standing nothing more than a pile of rubble, with only a sniper on the south-most roof to blame.

     “Are you stupid?!” Mitsuba roared. “Can’t you see there’s a civilian here? What are you tryin’ to do, kill her?!” Narrowing her eyes, Mitsuba watched the gunman reload, clearly not listening. Fine, she thought sourly. If you wanna lose brownie points to a bloodsucker, that’s your problem.

     It took Mitsuba no time at all to reach Hanamaru’s side. “Yo. We’re outta here.” After picking her up, the girl raced through the winding paths and hallways of the school, although none of them looked familiar to her. She gritted her teeth.

     This whole time she had been able to ignore the itch in her throat because she’d had other things to worry about. But now she was alone with an over-sized blood bag, and Mitsuba had to put all her willpower into ignoring how good it smelled, and how much she wanted to sink her teeth into it.

     “Fuck! This fucking sucks!”

     After sitting Hanamaru on the ground, Mitsuba backed away from her, practically tearing her hair out in frustration. “I can’t help anyone like this,” she muttered, “not even myself! Does it really matter that much if I drink some stupid blood? It wouldn’t be too much, I don’t-- I won’t kill her, I just saved her life! I’m not a murderer! Plus, I can always die later... Shinoa owes me one, anyway.”

     Mitsuba turned to face Hanamaru with a grave look on her face. “I’ve gotta figure out what’s going on, but I can’t do that if I don’t stop this itch in my throat. My friends-- I need to find them and make sure they’re all right. And if they’re not, I have to help them, ’cause God knows they can’t do anything right on their own.” She sighed. 

     “I’m not happy about it either, but screw this beating around the bush crap. I need some blood.”

[firetruth-blog]

nikki.

@firetruth! ♥

   Shoves entire body in their entire sweater, to be honest.

     She saw him coming, but she didn’t expect Nikki to actually have the balls to hug her-- not before introducing himself anyway. “There’s nothing wrong with asking for affection,” she told him with a frown. “But it’s rude to just expect it.” 

     Maria set her hands on Nikki’s shoulders and then stepped back so she could look him in the eye. “Why don’t we start over? We’re all friends here, you know.” After flashing a dazzling smile, she wrapped her arms around the small boy, hugging him warmly. “My family’s name is Akizuki, but you can call me Maria. I don’t mind.

     “What about you? Does your pretty face come with a pretty name, too?”

[firetruth-blog]

luna.

     Hopping on top of Xavius, the Metang began floating along behind Ophelia. Luna looked around at all the people walking by, giving her strange looks. They likely weren’t used to seeing something like Metang, nor a trainer casually riding their Pokemon through a town.

     Arriving, Luna frowned. This was not the kind of place that served coffee, as far as she knew. While Kanto was culturally different, that much was certain, she could say with almost certainty that this was not a coffee place. Before she could question Ophelia, the voice responded and opened up the doors.

     Hopping back off of her partner, she followed Ophelia inside, looking around. This was her first time inside of a police station(at least, that’s what she was assuming it was), so she was curious. She was eventually led into the conference room, where she would stand behind a chair, unsure of if she was allowed to sit or not.

     Resting her arms on the back, she looked over at Ophelia and Red, and tilted her head slightly. “So you’ve never really heard about what a psychic teacher is like?”

     Ophelia dropped Red into one of the chairs around the rounded meeting table and then moved to the back corner of the room. She fiddled with the coffee machine, pouring herself a cup of double shot expression before switching the mix to decaf and making a cup for Luna. After setting both cups down onto the table, Ophelia sat down next to Red.

     “Take a seat,” she said. “We might be here for awhile.”

     Rummaging around in her shoulder bag, Ophelia pulled out a deck of cards. Red needed no further prompting after having them set in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye he glanced at Luna before turning back to the cards-- which had suddenly disappeared.

     They reappeared on Red’s head, arranged like a crown. Each card glowed dimly as did the little boy’s eyes. He snickered.

     Teachers are lame.

     Ophelia ignored Red’s antics in favor of being serious. “Even if I wanted to,” she began, “I couldn’t tell you much about his past, because it would put him in danger. And, plus, some things are better off forgotten. But it’s not like he’s never had any training, I guess... he just hasn’t had a teacher.” Leaning back in her chair, Ophelia sighed. “I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think what worked for you will work for him. 

     “He isn’t like you. He isn’t like anybody. If he wanted to, Red could destroy this entire building with us inside-- and it would be easy for him.” She shrugged, seeming far too casual for the occasion. “Think of it this way: if power was skill, and psychics were baseball players, Red would be an all-star athlete.”

[firetruth-blog]

luna.

     Luna laughed awkwardly, as Ophelia stopped Red from using his powers. The lack of discipline in that regard began to give her an idea that perhaps he was untrained, a concern that was soon confirmed. Xavius behind her made some concerned noises.

     Luna sighed. “No teacher, huh? That’s frightening to hear.” She muttered under her breath. When Ophelia went on with her comment about Sabrina, her curiosity was peaked, but she didn’t ask anything on the matter. She looked to Xavius and nodded, in a silent gesture to make sure they knew to remember this for later, so she could look into it.

     The offer of coffee caught her off guard. Sure, it was normal for someone from Hoenn to offer to grab something to eat or drink when meeting someone new, but Ophelia had just mentioned that not everyone from Kanto was as friendly. Thinking on it for a bit, she nodded.

     “That sounds nice, but a few requests. Can we drink somewhere outside, so Xavius doesn’t have to go back into their ball, and can I get decaf. When you have powers relating to the mind, you don’t want to have sudden bursts of energy if at all avoidable.”

     Ophelia waved her hand, easily accepting all of Luna’s requests. “I know a place that’ll suit your needs.” Torn between a smile and a grimace, the woman rubbed the back of her neck, obviously uncomfortable. “It’ll be better than here, at any rate. The middle of town is hardly the ideal spot for sensitive conversations.”

     After lifting Red onto her shoulders, Ophelia gestured for Luna to follow behind them. Several corners passed them by, the large purple buildings of Saffron looming over them, watching with squinty window eyes. Eventually Ophelia stopped in front of a building which was very obviously not a coffee shop. She turned around to face Luna.

     “No one will bother us in here,” she said to her. “Plus, your... friend... should be able to fit through all the doors. They’re made with Arcanine in mind, so they’re pretty big-- even the backdoor is big. It doesn’t really look like a backdoor at all.” 

     Motioning toward the stairs, Ophelia pressed the blue button next to the door after climbing them. The pager beeped twice before someone on the other line picked up.

     “Saffron PD, how may we help y-- ...Ophelia? Is that you? Y’know, it’d be helpful if you called in advance sometimes. Sure, you can come right on in. I’ll open the door for you.”

     The lock clicked and then the doors opened. Ophelia shot a glance at Luna before walking inside. “You can tell me more about this teacher business on the way to the conference room, alright? Let’s go.”

[firetruth-blog]

luna.

     Luna laughed nervously as Ophelia commented on her outfit. It was tacky and outdated, sure, but it was what most of the psychics back at Mossdeep wore. Shaking it off quickly, she gave her an awkward smile.

     “I’m sure!” She made a quick mental note that Ophelia hadn’t really been too openly friendly, at least by Hoenn standards. Returning back to her default smile, she knelt down to get down to Red’s level.

     Because I’m just like you! I come from a place where there’s lots of people who can do this! Her smile brightened, seeing his excitement. She had met a few psychics in her travels who had grown up alone, and were starving for similar people to talk to.

     “Your son’s a sweetheart, ma’am. Has he displayed any level of telekinesis, too? I hope he hasn’t broken anything by accident. What’s his teacher like?”

     Luna, having grown up in a community of psychics, was used to the concept of the older people teaching the younger responsibility with their powers, and properly control them. She’d never met a Kanto psychic before, however.

     Red listened without comment while Luna spoke, until suddenly she was done, and he was grinning mischievously. His eyes began to glow a feverish yellow. The only thing that stopped him from doing anything with it was Ophelia’s hand on his shoulder. She frowned at him in disapproval. 

     “Hold it right there, young man. This is no time for shenanigans.” After giving Red’s shoulder a squeeze, Ophelia offered Luna an apologetic look. “He’s a good kid, but he’s got a rebellious streak, too. It isn’t easy raising someone who can throw you across the room without lifting a finger, I’ll tell you that much. Does that answer your question?”

     Pouting, Red tugged on his mother’s sleeve. I said I was sorry, he muttered. It was an accident. I didn’t mean to.

     Ophelia ruffled her son’s hair. “I know,” she said. “I’m just kidding.” After straightening up, she turned her attention back to Luna. A troubled frown pulled at the corners of her lips. “He doesn’t have a teacher. The only one capable of dealing with his level of power is Sabrina, and she’s out of the question.” Her expression turned dark. “I might not be a part of the force anymore, but if she ever came near him, I’d take her out in an instant.”

     The street was quiet. Most of the passersby had thinned out since the start of Ophelia and Luna’s conversation, however a few remained, lingering, listening in on what they could.

     “Let’s grab a coffee,” Ophelia said suddenly. “My treat.”

[firetruth-blog]

luna.

     Luna tilted her head slightly at the mention of Sabrina. She knew who she was, of course, she made it a point to know of all the big name psychics in the world. She looked over to Xavius for answers, who just made noncommital noises. Turning back to Ophelia, she frowned.

     “I’m… sorry? What does Sabrina have to do with this? Did she do something?” She stopped to try thinking of what it could possibly be, when she turned her thoughts to the voice in her head. So she was right, it was the untrained boy.

     “I guess I should introduce myself! My name is Luna Caro, I come from Hoenn! I’m looking into info about the connection between psychic types and psychic people! I could feel your son’s powers reaching out, perhaps accidentally, and wanted to check it out!”

     She smiled sweetly at Red, before using her own telepathy. I’m sorry if I scared you! I don’t mean to. Looking back to Ophelia, she continued.

     “I don’t really have any connections with anyone in Kanto, so I’m sorry if my kind has a bad rep here.”

     Ophelia watched Luna closely. Years of being in the Kanto Police Department had made it easy for her to tell whenever someone was lying, but this girl just looked genuinely confused. So either she was a really good actor or she was telling the truth.

     “From... Hoenn?” Now that she could get a closer look, Ophelia had to admit that this girl looked like a tourist. It was probably the outfit. “Huh. Well, I guess that explains your accent. And your shorts.” Scrunching up her nose, the woman muttered, “I haven’t seen anyone wear those in at least ten years. Not around here, anyway.”

     Snorting, Ophelia shifted Red to her left arm and then offered Luna her right for a handshake. “You can call me Miss Bellerose,” she said primly. “Let me offer you some free advice: around here, it’s a bad idea to approach random strangers. I don’t know what it’s like down there in Hoenn, but up here in Kanto, not everyone is as friendly as I am.”

     When Luna quieted, Red’s eyes widened. How’d you do that? He squirmed in his mother’s arms until she let him down. Hey! Sticking an accusatory finger in Luna’s face, he continued, You talked to me! Not at me, like everybody else.

[firetruth-blog]

luna.

     Luna stretched, groaning slightly as she did. She had just caught a long ride on Xavius’ back as the Metang flew her all the way from Vermillion to Saffron. Thanking her partner, she moved to recall them, before getting stopped. They wished to remain out, and she wasn’t going to force them into their ball. Letting Chingling out for some fresh air, she began to walk through the town.

     She looked at a scrap of newspaper as they went, with Chingling reading it from her shoulder. It told of a police raid on the Rocket headquarters in this very city three years ago. While this normally would not have interested her, she heard tell of a Pokemon named Mewtwo being created nearby. A man-made psychic type… It could provide her with some answers.

     Absently dodging around other pedestrians to Chingling’s chimes, she paused. There was a strange feeling in the back of her mind. Normally, one might brush it off, but it was clearly someone’s powers acting up. Nodding to her Metang, she hopped back onto them, and flew over to where the feeling came from, seeing a lady with her child. Once they arrived, she hopped off their back, landing directly in front of the lady.

     “Ah, uh, would you mind terribly answering a question for me? I have a nagging feeling, because of a feeling I got a few blocks down, that one of you may have untrained psychic powers. Is that right?”

     Ophelia held her son’s hand while they walked through the crowded streets of Saffron. He appeared to be doing fine, chewing on the chocolate bar she had given him with vigor, but she knew him better than that. He was nervous; his eyes darted every which way while his shoulders remained rigid, his grip on her pinkie unusually tense.

     Lifting the small boy into her arms, Ophelia asked him, “Are you sure about this?” But he wasn’t spineless, and so he nodded, looking off into the distance toward Silph Co. Ophelia sighed. “Alright, big man. We’ll follow through. Just know that if you change your mind, I won’t be mad, okay? We can always visit Silph next year.”

     The two of them pressed forward. Red wrapped his arms around his mother’s neck and stared straight ahead in silence. Until, of course, Luna appeared, and he snapped away from her. He buried his face in Ophelia’s neck.

     Go away.

     Narrowing her eyes, Ophelia turned her body away from Luna while keeping her eyes locked on the mysterious girl’s face. “What’s it to you?” she said coldly. “We’re not here to play with Sabrina’s goons, if that’s what you’re implying.” 

     Red peeked at Luna. 

     You’re weird looking. Why don’t you just mind your own business, weird lady?