Something hadn't been right the last couple of days. Or, in correction- someone. Clarice saw multiple strangers on a daily basis, each with their own type of aura. Some were denser, others lighter; no two the same.
Except, all of a sudden a single aura was being shared by more than a handful of people. It was a phenomenon unheard of, impossible even. While Clarice often claimed almost anything was possible, this wasn't anywhere near. An impossible feat happening right before her eyes and not a single reason as to why came to mind.
It was frustrating as well fascinating.
Aura reading was a natural talent, something that couldn't exactly be turned off. They were balls of light giving off warmth, or a coldness depending on the person. Clarice had felt her share of cold people in the region, though this strange aura was lukewarm.
Strange, indeed. Not many aura's were in-between and if she could just figure each of the people containing it out, Clarice would be a little more at peace.
Spirits were absent of any aura, which ruled out the possibility of these people simply being ghosts playing tricks. I'd know right away if they were my friends... This isn't normal, none of it is.
Every so often one of these people would show up in the same town or city Clarice herself was in, following her. The aura, the exact same aura as the last two people Clarice came across seemed to be following her. Sometimes they would introduce themselves, and each time, as hard as the hex maniac tried, she couldn't detect anything wrong (aside the obvious).
This time was different, though. This time, Clarice had sought another out instead of being found by them. She was going to follow them this time, figure out why the impossible was somehow possible.
"Just next time…a warning, si vous plait. I am…not so good with ah- ..right."
As if it weren’t obvious enough in the dim lighting, the short, unexpected dash had left him a little bit winded, barely having had enough time to recall his Xatu much less braced himself to be dragged. Such was the drawback that came to pass when one spent so long focusing on the mind: even as a traveler, the rest of him still physically had some catching up to do.
Letting out a long, steady sigh, the psychic smiled weakly to indicate no harm done, pressing his back against the wall and allowing himself to slide down beside her. That was…something.
Guilliame's question hadn't been as bold as it could of; Clarice felt almost relived upon it. Not a normal question to be asked so directly, but concerning it was just the two of them and they were certainly not normal―
"I am."
"Not nearly as evil as the one chasing me, but a witch nonetheless. My name is Clarice, Ayers."
The ravenette seemed trustful enough, for Clarice to give him her full name. Others didn't come close at times. Knowing one's last name was a powerful thing and it ment something for Guilliame to give her his, thus, returning the favor. Perhaps not on his end, but powerful otherwise.
His stare was beginning to be too much, causing Clarice to look up at Xatu, not fully realizing the Pokemon had been with him until now. An embarrassed flush and Clarice let out a startled laugh. "Oh, I'm sorry. That was unexpected, wasn't it? I'm glad you aren't hurt, either."
Not waiting for Xatu to answer (she didn't expect it to), Clarice leaned back against the door with her head tilted upwards. There was a pregnant pause, though hardly awkward. They were already comfortable in eachother's presence, at least to sit next to one another.
"Perhaps we have met," came a thoughtful, late reaction to his answer. "You've got something special about you, oui? Though, I'm no psychic.. I have no idea."
Morty :: Stairs To The Attic (starter)
Darlene :: Compliment Each Other Like Colors (starter)
Petrel :: Chasing Silhouettes (starter)
w a i t i n g o n ;
Serena :: The Last Something That Ment Anything
Silver :: Close Encounters
Guilliame :: Skeptics And True Believers
Falkner :: In The Dark Of The Night
&plotting with Sycamore and Siebold.
Just need to work on the starters!! I'll take one more to make it an even 10 if anyone is willing OTL
With a small, placid smile, he leaned back against the gnarled branches of the tree, violet eyes closing as a warm breeze ran lightly through his hair. It smelled sweet, of distant flower fields and the heavy moisture of the bog. Guillaume had traveled much in the last few months: across Kalos, into Kanto, and back again, but of course, nothing settled with him quite like Laverre could.
Perhaps it was just an ease on his sense of homesickness, but there always felt like there was a different something here he had yet to be able to find somewhere else. It was an aura that simply clicked, already so in tune with it to begin with.
Even his pokemon were enjoying themselves, it seemed. Vision especially, who now perched on the branch facing the lowering sun, perfectly still, but in a similar state of peace.
That was, until the wind changed, growing cold and almost…electrified. Threatening. And it wasn’t alone.
His voice was gentle, calming, even— Clarice instantly knew he didn't mean any harm. Yet, there was something different in his aura; it was drastically similar to her own. She questioned it for a moment before setting it aside, instead making a move towards him.
Despite his words being true, Clarice wasn't going to risk anything. She took hold of his hand, grasping it tightly while heading towards Spooky House. Her pace was quick, hurrying as if the hex maniac was still trailing behind. In any normal circumstance she'd play it off with a smile, but this wasn't any ordinary situation.
Witches weren't to be taken lightly, this applying to her as well, but she'd never chase someone with the intent of harming them.
Not so openly, at least.
Clarice dragged the young man inside with her, slamming the door shut the instant they stepped through the doorway. It was then her legs finally gave out, and Clarice slumped to the floor, muttering something that could barely be heard.
A small charm spread through Spooky House like an invisible dome, a barrier that wouldn't just conceal their presence, but prevent the witch from even coming near. The previous charm to hide Clarice's aura was lifted, as mixing two similar spells was draining as well useless.
Glancing up at the stranger she head nearly forgotten, Clarice met his eyes again. Hnn... He's not a normal stranger, is he? Something is off..
Chuckling nervously, Clarice waited for her breathing to settle before speaking to him. "Ha, I'm sorry about that.. It's out of character for me to sweep up a stranger, but I didn't have much of a choice."
The throbbing in her ankle became more noticeable as the adrenaline subsided. A slight shift had Clarice wincing, but she tried not to draw attention if he didn't know already.
"Ahh, I'm pretty dirty, too, aren't I? My home is just up ahead," she paused, not noticing how familiar he looked, even in the dim light, "and... Yours is too, right? We've crossed paths before."
Silver took another quick glance around the room to see if the girl was talking to anyone in particular, but there wasn’t exactly anywhere else for someone to be. Her voice was small and trailed off, which meant she was talking to… herself maybe? That didn’t matter though, it was the subject of her words that he paid more attention to. Whoever this girl was, she already knew him from somewhere. Where exactly, he couldn’t begin to guess. But he certainly didn’t know who she was.
Even more strange was that she had confused him with Red. Which meant she wasn’t someone he had battled or run across in the past when he was… less of a social person. It wasn’t likely she was sent by someone from Team Rocket, there was no way the little detail of who he actually was would be glossed over so much that she wouldn’t know. That didn’t leave a whole lot of clues to go on though… Who was this girl?
Whoever she was, she recovered quickly and asked him an innocent enough question. But Silver’s guard was already up. Whoever this girl was, she already knew more than she should. And that just didn’t sit right with Silver.
“I don’t know who you are or how you know those names, but there’s one thing you obviously don’t know. I am not Red. And frankly, I’m not sure how you could make such a mistake. But if you’re looking for someone named Silver, you’ve certainly found him.” Silver was never one to back down from any confrontation, and he’d much rather just get to the bottom of this mystery than play a game of persian and pikachu with this girl. “The question now is: who are you, and what do you want from me?”
Did I miss something? His name is Silver? An external response wasn't given immediately. Instead Clarice muled over the riddle inside her head, trying to apply what detail she now had. Silver R, red scar-... His name is Silver, but who is this Red he's talking about? I'm sure they ment the color, not an actual person..
Realizing she had been staring, Clarice snapped out of her thoughts once again. It seemed she had accidentally given the wrong impression on the stranger, having of insulted him somehow. How would she explain this to him? Her occupation wasn't something to admit carelessly and not many people liked the idea of spirits talking, if they believed her in the first place.
There was no telling what Silver's reaction would be. Still, she had to say something; reassure she didn't mean any harm.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I was talking about your hair,"
"Its a lovely shade of red! I thought the staff told me I'd be getting a roommate with silver hair, but I guess they ment your name. My mistake!"
The lie came out smoothly, though Clarice was just assuming that's why a stranger was now in her room. He had a key card, too, supporting her theory though it wasn't something to be thrilled about. A roommate was the last thing Clarice needed, especially in such a cramped room.
Maybe directing the subject a different direction would clear the sudden tension in the air, "although, I don't understand why they'd put two people together at the very last minute, especially a young man and woman. But if that's the way they want to do things, I can't complain about it." To them, at least. Why would they guide me to meet this boy? I'll find out eventually, I'm sure, but this is getting stressful...
Clarice grimaced internally, realizing that's exactly what happened. She was going to have a word with the staff once the ship docked. Though she knew it was just a spur of the moment and she wouldn't want to later.
A smile graced her lips as she stood, bowing politely. "I don't know who this Red is, but my name is Clarice. It's nice to meet you, Silver!"
His day started smoothly, just as any other day. A nice peaceful breakfast, followed by spending some time in his garden before he had to head off to the Gym. Surprisingly, there was a decent lack of challengers. He had won both of the battles, which was a bit disappointing to the leader. While he enjoyed winning, he also enjoyed a good challenge now and then.
The day took a turn. For better or worse was yet to be decided. Falkner’s adviser had entered, alerting him that there were disturbances at Sprout Tower. Ghastly disturbances. It wasn’t too uncommon for ghosts to be seen within Sprout Tower, so Falkner initially wasn’t concerned. But upon being told the ghosts were causing disturbances, that all changed.
The further she ventured inside, the more Clarice felt it difficult to breath. To any other person the air would have been fine, but with how thick of an aura each and every ghost presented, someone with supernatural senses would have a hard time.
Clarice was definitely having a hard time.
But despite that, it didn't change the determination coursing through her veins. Each step further up the stairs was more anticipating that the last, the creaking of old panels a perfect sound effect for the tension. Clarice already started opening channels, mentally allowing for anything that wanted to talk to her.
Then, upon entering the third floor, she spoke aloud, "anyone who wishes to contact me, please step forward. Make a sound, anything- I'll help you."
Silence, to be expected since never has there been a time spirits reacted immediately. They were going to inspect her first, hidden from view and she was fine with that. Both parties knew what she was capable of, though whether or not they'd trust her was up to them.
"Tell me why you're here."
Still, nothing. Clarice took a deep breath, crossing her legs underneath her as she sat, facing the open room. This place is suffocating. I've never felt this before. I wonder how Sprout Tower became this way?
A low hiss interrupted her thoughts. Clarice surveyed the area, coming upon a dark shadow in the opposite corner. She smiled at the apparition, coaxing it as if it were a frightened child. "It's alright. I'm here to release your souls from this world. You're all trapped here, aren't you?"
The answer she expected wasn't received. Instead the shadow remained still, watching her with wide, white eyes. Clarice knew it was a Gastly, considering all ghosts appearing in Sprout Tower took the form of one. Whether or not it was an actual Gastly, the pinkette wouldn't know unless it came closer.
Another appeared above, and she acknowledged it, displaying the same warm smile. No sudden movements..
"That's it, don't worry. Can you speak to me? I'll hear you, I promise-"
"Excuse me,"
The ghosts were gone in a blink of an eye. Clarice became alert, now on her feet facing a young man who had appeared from the stairs just as she had.
"Might I inquire why you are up here?"
"I-," a pause. She wasn't prepared to get caught like this. A part of her said to try and sweet talk her way out of getting into trouble, but the other wanted to protect the ghosts inhabiting Sprout Tower. They needed help, and if they were to see this man a threat, it'd end badly for all parties. It didn't take long for her decision.
"You need to leave, sir," she told him firmly, hand resting on a Poke Ball. While normally conflict was something the hex maniac tried to avoid, this was exceptional. She had to protect those who were crying out for help.
Clarice hummed after a few moments, ”I love how different they are from other Pokemon types. They’re so mysterious. A lot of people are afraid of them, but they aren’t bad at all!”
theartofmadeline
annaxmalina
pixelskylines
jacobvanloon
ellievsbear
stormborns
dededos
origamiaround
