Action | OTA (mostly)

[bestswordmaster]

Who: Felix and anyone
Where: Anywhere in Johto or Saffron City and its surrounding routes
When: Early August
Summary: Felix tries to figure out how to deal with his husband going home while he wanders around aimlessly.
Rating: Some sparring, maybe some fight club-style violence.
Log:

A. Meandering Sword (OTA)

Felix has no particular destination. When he runs across trainers who challenge him, he battles them, nearly wordlessly. He and his Pokemon battle efficiently and without mercy. He rarely speaks to anyone unless he must. He doesn't stay in one place for longer than a day. Sometimes he warps elsewhere, sometimes he flies or rides or walks along the routes.

He doesn't need money, but he does need something to keep himself occupied. So he keeps an ear out for challenges he and his team of mostly level 100 Pokemon can take on, whether it's other experienced trainers looking for opponents, catching a powerful Pokemon for someone in exchange for items, or whatever else people might need a trainer like him to do. He stops by the Fight Club in Goldenrod at least once, possibly several times.

Find him anywhere you like. He's not feeling social, but he won't shun people he knows or jobs offered.


B. Back to the Grind (closed to Geralt)

The day after Sylvain vanishes, Felix messages Geralt out of the blue to ask where he is right now. Upon learning that he's at the Blackthorn hot springs, Felix doesn't bother to respond to the message; he just heads to the nearest Pokemon center and warps to Blackthorn, then makes his way there.

When he finds Geralt, all he says is, "Spar with me."

Comments

Route 34 south of Goldenrod

[amaure]

When he comes across Felix freshly defeating another trainer, he cannot help the subtle look of surprise that crosses his features. It's not that he doesn't expect to see the boys he has made a habit of hassling on the network in person, it's bound to happen eventually, but there's something grim about the air surrounding Felix that feels out of place.

Even when the boy seems fit to snarl and snap at anyone who dares acknowledge his existence, there isn't this burdening weight looming about him. Nay, that battle there was not one for sport, nor earnings, there is something more behind it, and for all Emet-Selch is a man once known for his astounding empathy, this is a mystery he cannot well guess the answer to.

Well, that's a lie, he could indeed take a few guesses, he might even be right, but where would the fun be in that? This is a mystery he rather dig up the clues for, while getting a better read on Felix that the network otherwise denies him.

Thus does he use his mow Rotom to approach, like some lawn themed segue in how he rides it, his expression about as genuine in its curiosity as it ever is in anything.

"My, my... They barely stood a chance! I cannot say I am surprised that you well know how to crush your opposition--I do suppose that fighting spirit of yours needs a more fruitful outlet."

An outlet that isn't losing arguments on the network, is what he doesn't say.

His voice is a high and nasally tone, the one typically used when he's pretending to be friendly. Or, maybe that's just how he sounds when he is being friendly, hard to tell with him.

All the same, Felix is offered a smile, as if they were old friends, despite being none of the sort.

"For such a victory, I must say you look rather sour. What ever could be the matter?"

[bestswordmaster]

Felix glances over, not recognizing the voice, but he knows the man’s face well enough. When he sees Emet on whatever the hell that is he’s riding, his expression doesn’t even change.

He just turns around and walks away.

[amaure]

As if it were ever so simple to elude the likes of Emet-Selch. Especially not when he needs not exert even the slightest of effort to keep up! Felix may turn to walk away, but the swiftness of Holeris allows him to cut in front of him within moments. He towers before him, already at an impressive height of 6'4 (and a half), but standing on the Rotom's carriage only adds to that height.

"Come now, I know you are not a man known for his words, but certainly you could spare a few for me when I am so generously extending an olive branch."

Poisoned though that branch may be, the gesture is what truly matters, right?

[bestswordmaster]

Felix stops and slowly raises his eyes to look up at Emet with--not outright hostility, perhaps strangely, but a certain grim implacability.

"Get out of my way."

[amaure]

"Oh, you've convinced me, sir. Yes, indeed! Such a command is all that was required to repel me from your path." The sarcasm in his tone is accompanied by a playfully high register, as if his mockery is meant more in jest than aught outrightly offensive.

"Nay, only a fool would continue to pursue your company after such a chilling look, though I must admit there is a concerning lack of spirit behind it. An absence which does not inspire much, I'm afraid." Watching Felix closely as he speaks, he then tilts his head ever so slightly to the side. His arms crossing over his chest as he looks contemplative.

"It is clear you seek not company of any sort, not even that of your dear friends. There are only so many explanations as to why, but which one might it be, I wonder..."

Now he steps off from his Rotom-chariot, letting the little beast of a ghost peel off as it kicks up dust in so doing. It's not gone for long, seeing as it chooses now to make donuts around them, like some sort of daredevil-powered fence.

Emet-Selch doesn't look displeased by such a choice, but he certainly isn't stopping it nor outright encouraging it, either.

"How about this: since you seem inclined to battle, shall we indulge in one ourselves, hm? If you win I shall leave you well enough alone. But if I win, you will tell me what ever it could be that silences the otherwise fiery man before me."

He grins, eyebrows raising, "well, what say you?"

Fuck getting therapy, hit somebody with a sword

[lovelybottom]

Geralt receives Felix's message while he's in the hot springs, though that doesn't mean much because of the fact that he's been spending an inordinate amount of time soaking since they arrived. When Felix shows up, he's clearly not in the mood for a soak-- he wants a spar, and, well, Geralt sees little reason to deny him. There's something in his demeanor, as well, something too tight and tense.

"All right," he replies, and hauls himself out of the spring. He dries off and dresses, though he unfortunately doesn't carry his training sword around with him when he goes for a soak.

"My sword's back in the room. Find a place and I'll meet you there."

It's only a short trip back to the room to fetch his sword, and then he makes his way to whatever open area Felix deemed suitable for their spar. Somewhere that no one would be alarmed about two men trying to beat the shit out of each other with wooden swords.

"Same as usual?"

Their standard fight-to-a-yield kind of spar.

see, geralt knows what's up

[bestswordmaster]

Felix just nods and walks off to find somewhere to wait. They end up facing off in a little clearing mostly surrounded by pines, the better to decrease the chances of someone stumbling upon their spar and getting bent out of shape about it.

When Geralt comes back, Felix doesn't make any of his usual impatient comments - no 'finally' or 'hurry up' or anything. At the question, he just grunts his assent and assumes his ready stance, then launches into the fight without preamble, and without the challenge of his anticipatory smirk that usually accompanies their training.

It won't take long for Geralt to notice something off about the way Felix is fighting. He's not sloppy, not distracted, but he is more aggressive than usual. He fights with more single-minded focus, as though the act of training is the only thing he has--or will allow himself to have--on his mind.

[lovelybottom]

Felix is uncharacteristically silent when Geralt makes his way to that secluded little woodland spot. Normally, he'd be all bluster and impatience, as though every second that they aren't fighting is an insult to him. But Felix, not pushing and pushing? Odd. Puts him a little on his guard.

Which is well enough, because he barely settles into his stance before Felix is coming at him, hard and fast. Fiercer than he would usually start a bout off with; Geralt keeps pace with him, matches him step for step, but stays defensive rather than pushing back. Part of it is to let Felix burn off a little of whatever is driving him like this, and part is to see how long he'll be able to keep it up. He wouldn't be the first man to go into a fight full of piss and vinegar only to find out that he can't carry that energy all the way through on spite alone.

His form is still good, but Felix is throwing a lot of his (lighter) weight behind each strike. Geralt takes it for a while, blocking the strikes as they come, until one thrust that he side-steps and lets Felix's momentum carry him through. He pivots and brings the flat of his training sword in a slap against the back of his calf, not far from where, once upon a time, he'd left a cut.

[bestswordmaster]

Fortunately(?) for Felix, it isn't just spite; he's had to last much, much longer than this while giving it his all in battle to survive, and this is far from the first time he's used training as an outlet for strong emotions.

But he does notice that Geralt isn't fighting back, and that frustrates him. For a few minutes, his strategy shifts in an attempt to provoke the witcher into going on the offensive, but after this frankly condescending hit, Felix stops and turns to glare up at him.

"You're holding back. Stop it."

[lovelybottom]

Geralt weathers Felix's glare easily; like water off a duck's back.

"You're being aggressive."

It's not accusatory, just an observation. He had tried to goad Geralt into the offensive, and was irritated when he didn't take the bait. While Felix always fights hard, he usually doesn't fight quite like this, and the difference is noticeable.

"Are you here to spar or are you here to exhaust yourself?"

Saffron City limits, route 7 side

[paladinlost]

When Cecil finally exits Saffron City with his groceries, intent on renewing the Lunar Gym's stockpile of leftovers before nightfall, he does not expect to see a familiar face near the city gates, battling some local trainer who's obviously out of his league. Stopping to watch may not be the most practical use of his time, but it is certainly more entertaining that stirring soup every so often.

That said, there is something... odd, about Felix's battle technique today. Perhaps it's his silence, his mercilessness, his apparent lack of enjoyment. Whatever the source, it's enough to convince Cecil to stay until the inevitable victory, and to approach slowly once the loser leaves.

"...A very efficient victory. No move wasted, no opportunity discarded."

[bestswordmaster]

The mint-cream Alcremie who dealt the final blow that ended the battle turns toward the newcomer before Felix does, as he busies himself for a moment fishing a berry out of his bag and tossing it to her with a curt nod. She catches it easily and munches with a respectful nod back. He's been spending a lot of time training with her ever since Lysithea left; if she ever comes back, Felix wants to be able to show her plenty of progress with Kendal.

If she ever comes back. How often do people come back once they've left? Is it common? Or is Dedue an anomaly?

He finally runs out of excuses to put off turning around, and he gives Cecil a similar nod of greeting.

"Cecil. Thank you."

[paladinlost]

"You're welcome. And of course, this young lady did just as well, striking precisely as expected of her. It's obvious that you work very well together."

Even as he speaks, he carefully reaches into one of his bags, takes out an individually wrapped chocolate cupcake, and crouches to offer it to the young lady in question. Such great efforts must be rewarded after all.

"Though I visit Saffron often, I'd yet to see you here. You've recently arrived in town, then?"

[bestswordmaster]

Felix blinks, not having expected the continuing compliments, but Kendal preens a bit and happily accepts the cupcake. Felix would normally roll his eyes and make some comment about spoiling the Alcremie with sweets the same way Lysithea always did, but his heart's not in it today, so he just watches her unwrap the cupcake and savor the chocolate, not looking up at Cecil when he responds with a nod.

"I have. We completed the Johto league gyms and came here on that...train thing." A pause. "As for Saffron, I doubt I'll stay long."

[paladinlost]

"Ah, the train. A most impressive vehicle, even if the celebration of its reopening was sadly tainted. You've no such technology in your world either, then?"

At least, that's what he assumes from the way Felix worded it. A great portion of his attention is dedicated to that adorable little Alcremie, but he is very much listening.

"Truly? What a shame. You could spend weeks upon weeks in Saffron, yet never do the same activity twice. Still, I suppose that means very little, if the purpose of your visit is more targeted and defined."

Ilex Forest

[instrumentally]

Ilex Forest is vast and dark. Difficult to navigate, at times. Brambles catch on you as you walk. Sometimes she sees odd shapes and lights in the night, when she goes wandering. But it is near enough to Azalea Town, and so she sometimes finds herself in it. Gathers berries for her pokemon. Trains them, too.

It is odd, though, to find someone else here. Odder still, that it is a man she has seen training his pokemon before. He walks with purpose. What that purpose is, she does not know. Where he is going, she does not know. But she watches him as he passes near, all the same. As if by watching, she may understand.

"You are training again?" she asks. What kind of training, she will soon know.

[bestswordmaster]

Ilex Forest is not a place Felix ever would have thought he'd be trudging through like this again. Any other time, he'd be flying over it or warping to avoid it altogether. There's no point in coming here; he's already caught all the creatures he'd want from the wild here, and the rest of them aren't strong enough to bother fighting. The local trainers who tend to wander around here, too, are too weak to care about.

But he's here because this is where Inda first hatched. He's here torturing himself again with memories because he doesn't know what else to do with himself. Inda herself is a Tsareena now, having come so far since that afternoon under the dappled sunlight here, and she walks beside him with her hand in his, thinking the same thoughts.

The voice jars them both out of their reverie, glancing over to see Rei there.

"...you. I remember you." At least he won't have to endure small talk, with her. "Do we look like we're training to you?"

[instrumentally]

"No. But looks can be deceiving."

Walking through the forest at night can often prove this principle.

She is quiet for a time. Nincada chirp nearby. Glowing lights appear and disappear through the brush. He is not alone, but seems lonely.

"Do you require assistance finding the path back out?"

[bestswordmaster]

"In this case, they're not. We're just walking."

An old instinct rises up from the depths of his mind, one that says he should tell this girl to get lost. He doesn't, partially because she would probably take it completely literally and partially because unlike most people who intrude upon his solitude, she's quiet and doesn't say a lot of pointless, meaningless things. Her presence is, surprisingly, not irritating.

"No. We've been here before."

[instrumentally]

"I see."

The quiet returns. The stars and moon shine from above, bathing the forest with a dim reflected light. It is summer and the air is hot and humid, except for when a breeze brings coolness along with it.

"It is a good night for walking."

Serene.

Saffron, Backdated to the 5th

[zukeini]

[Zuke didn't know what to do. After exploding his feelings to Dimitri...he had to try to live life as normal until whatever would happen would happen. He played his part and now would ache as he tried to keep up his optimistic yet realistic spirit.

He didn't have to say "yes". And he didn't say "no" either.

He said this to himself numerous times as he would roll in whatever bed he would be sleeping in through the days. Head in his hands at his own embarrassing humiliation. He would be a mixture of feeling like he blew it and-

It was a day like any other. Zuke had intended to meet Jaskier here to gaze at the concert halls when he could've swore he saw someone in the corner of his eye as he waited on a park bench with Yuna the Galarian Zigzagoon on his lap.]

[bestswordmaster]

['Try to live life as normal' is something Felix can't even conceive of doing right now. 'Normal' is when Sylvain is by his side. That's always been the case. It was supposed to always be the case. They haven't gone more than a month or two without seeing each other in their entire lives, and for the past six years it's been a few weeks at most.

His wandering has taken him to this park, which he notes would be pretty good for training if people wouldn't lose their minds over a little swordplay. It's absurd. It hasn't annoyed him quite this much in a while. In the end, it's just as he thought: he has no purpose, no place, in a world at peace. Sylvain had given him one, but it's gone now.

So by the time Zuke spots Felix walking through the park with a shiny Tsareena holding his hand and a Liepard by his side, his face wears a dull, irritated scowl.]

[zukeini]

[...Something was wrong. Noticing Felix was coming, despite everything, he was so willing to greet his friend in his non-aggressive fashion. Felix wasn't touchy, or heavily personable, but he was sincerely Felix. If Felix was in a good mood, Felix would at least be in the moment and focused. That piercing look was gone, and was replaced by this empty and sour look. Dimitri told him that Felix doesn't respond emotionally, especially with a crowd. And Zuke knew that about him. It was just going to be especially true now.

He knew today wasn't going to be a day that was normal, but in this way that was going to be an open statement.

He hesitated a moment before trying to find a way to reach him. How to go about this without being so overbearingly chummy. He got it.]

Yo, Felix.

[He made a jog to catch up to him and his Pokémon.]

Got something to ask of you.

[bestswordmaster]

[Ah. More company. Felix is not in the mood, but he tries to rein in his annoyance as he stops and turns to look.]

Zuke. What is it?

[zukeini]

[That tone and shift, something is definitely wrong. Zuke could feel it in his soul. Maybe he should just not bother him. Maybe-

No.

Felix was his friend.

There had to be something. So he continued.]

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and all of this Rocket stuff has been getting serious. And I’m getting stale.

I wanna make sure my moves are sharp.