victory_road | [closed] March Catch All

They have a trail.

Dimitri can't help but feel so relieved by that, he wants to collapse to the ground from the force of such an emotion. But it's true. They have a lead, a stop where they saw a young woman with a Corsola who stopped her challenge of a battle when she saw how frantic they were, and told them of how a child had gone zooming past her on their Pokemon.

The description had matched Chip perfectly... but they can't go rushing off. It's too dark now, even with their Pokemon's speed, and so Dimitri and Claude start to lower their Pokemon down to earth again. Dimitri isn't really thinking much about any trouble. He'll just get Dean out, start a fire, ask Claude to speak to him a little so that he can go to sleep while Shuck stands guard -

As the gusts of wind from Elshot's wings shakes the trees, some dark shop drops out and explodes.

Elshot still hasn't properly landed yet, but that doesn't matter to Dimitri's sudden surge of fight-or-flight. If there's any good news, it's that he doesn't have far to fall when he leaps off of Elshot's back, managing to hit the ground without any issue or too much stumbling. It's the furthest thing from his mind, honestly, as evident by the wild look in his eye.

His Pidgeot is just as startled - both by the explosion, and his trainer's sudden leap. He lands clumsily, spreading out his wings and flapping them as a threat to accompany his aggressive call.

A. 03.08
[The last time Sylvain had made it to the beach, they had been at war. Dedriu had been under siege, and they'd all been scrambling to protect it and save its leader. In all honesty, he hardly remembered the fight -- he hardly remembered many fights in specific details. But he could recall the seaspray. It had smelled good, at least when he could find some place without the smell of smoke and decay. The water had sparkled beneath the warm sun, looking almost green -- outside of the places where it wasn't thick and red with blood.

Olivine's beach is nothing like that. The sun was hardly visible behind the thick veil of clouds. Sylvain has to wear his jacket out -- between the water off the waves and the temperature in the air, it feels almost as cold as Gautier tended to. The water is murky and grey.

But the seaspray was still nice, and he was certain that it would only get better as winter gave way to spring, and spring to summer. And while he was trying to take Jane's advice and focus on one step at a time, he can't help but look forward to it. For the first time in weeks, months perhaps, he felt faintly optimistic.]

B. 03.09
[Realistically, it was too cold to go out into the water. Even if it was slightly warmer than the day prior, Sylvain was still wearing a jacket with his shorts. But as Claude had said time and time again, Faerghans were born with ice in their veins. And he'd been stupid enough to jump in colder water than this.

Not that's he's immediately plunging in. Rather, he has a towel laid out on the beach, and a rather confused looking Pyroar nosing at the sand. Beside him, Inda is hard at work building a sand castle, or at least whatever she seems to consider one.

Slipping off his jacket, he puts it over the Steenee's teeny shoulders. It practically overwhelms her, but she seems to appreciate it anyway. She waits patiently while Sylvain rolls up the sleeves for her, then gets back to work on her sand castle.

Content that Inda was comfortable for the time being, Sylvain turns back to the sea. Without the jacket, his chest is now bare, and he can feel just how damn cold it really is. He doesn't care. He kicks off his shoes and breaks into a sprint, splashing through the water up to his thighs before the sand and rock beneath the surface slow his progress. His teeth are already starting to chatter, but he keeps on until a wave dunks him fully under.

When the surf finally pushes him back to shore, he's laughing.]

Felix still hasn't managed to feel anything less than exhausted by the time they get to Olivine. It isn't that he hasn't been sleeping, it's just that when he's awake, a cloud still seems to hang over everything, and the last few months have been such an intense emotional whirlwind of one kind or another that some nights, he longs for war again. War has plenty of its own stressors, of course, but at least things are simple. There's just Felix and his sword and the enemy, and waking comes as easily as sleeping because there are things to do and battles to fight, and his purpose is clear. There's no room for rumination on feelings when you're just working to survive.

Here, he can't go a day without some strong emotional reaction to something, and it's wearing him out. Sometimes, in his lowest moments, he wishes he could just stop caring. Like he used to wish every day, back at the academy. His life would be so much easier if he could turn his heart off. He never knows what to do with any of this, and nothing he says or does ever seems to make things truly better for anyone.

Certainly not Sylvain.

So when he runs into Dimitri on his way out of the inn on the night they arrive in Olivine, he almost turns around and walks away. Dimitri of all people isn't someone he can talk to without feeling things. Unfortunately, Dimitri notices him before he can leave. And Felix won't be that cruel to him--not anymore.

"...hi."

[Post top levels for shenanigans as you see fit.]

Hello, everyone. Now that I believe we have all recovered from our vaccinations and have had some time to settle in Olivine, I would like to bring up something that I know has come up amongst a few of us.

Would others in the group be interested in renting a property here in this city?

There are benefits to having somewhere we can return to whenever something happens. Additionally, we are all accumulating quite a few things, so it would be good to have somewhere we can store them. Some of us might also not be interested in constant travel, so it would be beneficial there as well.

Who else is interested in this idea? What things would you like from such a property? Is there any way you would like to accomplish this task, or that you know how to do?

These are the questions I have for everyone.

With all that’s happened recently, there’s no doubt in Grant’s mind that Chip is going to be in desperate need of some kind of reassurance, probably from multiple sources. The most he can do as far as the others is ask them to make sure to talk to them, if they don’t do so of their own volition anyway - which wouldn’t surprise him. Words really can’t express his appreciation for how many of the others have worked to get along with Chip, even if some don’t seem all that confident in their relationships with them.

In his own case, though… well, spending some time with his kid isn’t exactly a daunting task. So, almost as soon as they’ve got their lodgings for their time in Olivine sorted out, he picks up some supplies and arranges for himself and Chip to take a day to head out to the beach - just the two of them, and whatever Pokemon they opt to bring along.

It’s still too cool out for swimming, of course, but there’s still the sand and the scurrying Water Pokemon and the smell of the ocean. Socks and the Breloom who Grant is still struggling to name go darting off ahead almost immediately, largely ignoring Grant’s calls for them to stay nearby. “--Alright, just stay where I can see you guys! They’ll come back for lunch, at least, that’s for sure.”

He honestly can’t even sound too mad, he already knew he was bringing a pair of goofuses along.

Dimitri likes getting his training done early in the morning, both for himself so that he stays in shape and ready for whatever may happen, and also for his Paliens. It isn't fair to them to just keep them locked away in their Pokeballs for so long, although they don't seem to mind too much. Then again, Dimitri has also taken care to make sure that they all stretch their legs at least a little.

Morning is the best time for all of them. It's before Dimitri goes to his shift for the inn, where he is steadily learning more about things like plumbing, and electrics. Besides, by working themselves up in the morning, it means that breakfast will taste all the better.

So he's doing some practice runs with some of his team down near the beach, not that far from their chosen inn - although he supposes that's a given. It is an oceanside town, so everywhere is not that far from the beach. Karimala and Grindy do the best in the surf, thriving where they have access to water, but it's Fraldariend whose progress he's especially interested in. With Dean seeming to have reached his peak, he's helping the radiant little pony out as he does his best to fight back against some of the Pokemon local to the beach. He's just finished one battle, with Dimitri going up to praise him for a job well done-

When he starts to glow.

Some ten minutes later, and Dimitri is hurrying back to find Annette. Delighted with his change of size, Fraldariend is galloping behind him in full Rapidash splendor. Despite his speed, however, he hardly seems to be making any sound at all.

This is what happens when you store psychic power in your hoof fur.

Once they’re basically settled in Olivine, and nobody is suffering the consequences of getting vaccinated for the first time ever anymore… Grant and Chip have something to talk about. Something that Grant actually goes to the effort of getting everyone together for, because this isn’t a talk that he wants Chip to have to deal with more than once. They’re already clinging to him before it’s even gotten started, curled up in his lap while he sits on the floor, as if they're trying to disappear into his torso. Chip's Furret, Patty, has coiled herself around Grant in turn, sitting with her paws on Grant's leg so she can lean against Chip.

“So, uh-- we can try and make this pretty quick, since I know some of you probably don’t want to sit through another hour-long group meeting, but it is… important. Chip and I need to make sure you all know something about them, though I know it may seem sudden to those of you who don't know them well yet. It’s a bit of a sensitive topic, especially back home - but I trust that it won’t change how any of you feel about them.”

His tone is still gentle and even as he says that, trying as he is to make sure his influence can keep Chip calm for this, but… also, make no mistake, that’s almost as much an instruction and warning as it is a genuine statement of trust. Patty isn't quite as subtle, herself, casting a warning glare around the room.

If Grant weren’t confident that it was safe to tell everyone here the truth of Chip’s lineage, this conversation wouldn’t be happening - but, for their sake, he can’t afford to let his guard down completely, even now.

He looks down at Chip, giving their shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Do you want to tell them?"

They try, without a doubt - but all they can seem to get out is a quiet, shaking "I-- I'm--" before they clam up again, clinging to Grant's shirt all the tighter. He whispers a brief reassurance to them before looking up at the others, giving Patty space to lean over further and comfort them.

"...Chip is part demon. They were... treated very badly over this back in our world, and we're telling you now because the effects of those experiences are a big part of why they ran away. It seems they became afraid that the recent... misfortune among the group was a product of their presence, and that the rest of us 'knew'. That you all knew of their heritage.

"What we need you to understand is... first of all, that this shouldn't change any of your view of who they are. It's just a part of their history, one that's impacted their life so far, but most of you have already seen the consequences of that impact in some capacity. Second, in the instance of them running away, and if they've seemed skittish with you before, it may not have been anything any of you did. It's not that they consider you the kinds of people to harm an innocent child, it's their view of themself that's been... affected. We would have told you sooner, but, like I said, this is hugely sensitive and personal information. Chip has long had reason to hide it, when they can, and it wouldn't have been fair to them for me to talk about it without their knowledge. Which is also why nobody else should be hearing about this unless it's from Chip, or with their express permission."

the first of march - claude and dimitri get to deal with an exploding shithead pokemon

March 2 - Child Found

Olivine Time

Felix & Dimitri | March 8, evening

March 9 - 12 : Medieval fantasy idiots and a wolf boy get their shots