((Yay, I'm glad I did good! I find when you start the story off with a bang, you get hooked faster and want to write more. So the more action, the better! And don't worry about length, when it comes to dialogue it'll always get shorter.))
When the man finally spoke, Alister relaxed slightly at his calm tone. He could finally see the man properly, now that he was facing in the direction of Waxy's light, and he felt his eyes go large as he took in the man's spotless armor. It was intricately designed, and even in the semi-darkness he could see that it had bits of colour here and there. There also looked to be some sort of cape and fur-lined hood hanging from his shoulders as well. Who was this guy? The way he was dressed...is he some sort of royalty? As Alister was inspecting the man, Waxy saw that the man was also inspecting Ali in turn, so she narrowed her eyes at him and squeaked slightly. Alister gave her a gentle poke that told her to knock it off, but she just 'harrumphed' as her flame grew slightly larger.
When his sword started moving on its own accord, Alister couldn't help but feel really excited. So it was a Pokemon! 'I've never seen one like that before...', he mused, biting his tongue before he launched a volley of questions at the near-stranger. The sword-Pokemon's purple eye - 'Is that an eye?' - looked at them all, the shield he carried also becoming one with the Pokemon. So it's not just a sword, it's a sword and shield Pokemon! So cool! And powerful, if that fight was anything to go by...
Bronze had retreated to hide partially behind Alister as the sword Pokemon and his wielder turned their full focus on the group, now feeling shy. Chomps wasn't moving in the bag anymore either, so it was safe to assume he had fallen asleep again, which was good because he'd want to jump on these two if he saw them.
"Oh! Ah, I was actually heading to Solaceon town before this all happened...", Alister said quietly, looking around and just now realizing how close they were to the main dirt road. If he looked farther ahead, he could just make out the lights of the town in the distance. That fight had ran him all around! He was tired enough to prove it, that was for sure.
He grabbed the straps of his bag to stop his hands from shaking as the adrenaline faded, looking up at the man in surprise when he offered to accompany him to the next town. Alister was planning on just leaving after giving his thanks, but now when he looked down the dark road, the thought of walking down it alone made fear curl itself up in his stomach. That Scyther attack won't leaving him for a while, will it?
"Um", he quickly looked back to the two, glancing between the sword and the man before settling on the latter, "If you're heading that way, that'd be much appreciated, but I don't want to trouble you. I know the way, I've been down this way more than once...only this time, there were Scythers...".
((I had no idea how to end that, so hope it's fine!))
((Yay, I'm glad I did good! I find when you start the story off with a bang, you get hooked faster and want to write more. So the more action, the better! And don't worry about length, when it comes to dialogue it'll always get shorter.))
When the man finally spoke, Alister relaxed slightly at his calm tone. He could finally see the man properly, now that he was facing in the direction of Waxy's light, and he felt his eyes go large as he took in the man's spotless armor. It was intricately designed, and even in the semi-darkness he could see that it had bits of colour here and there. There also looked to be some sort of cape and fur-lined hood hanging from his shoulders as well. Who was this guy? The way he was dressed...is he some sort of royalty? As Alister was inspecting the man, Waxy saw that the man was also inspecting Ali in turn, so she narrowed her eyes at him and squeaked slightly. Alister gave her a gentle poke that told her to knock it off, but she just 'harrumphed' as her flame grew slightly larger.
When his sword started moving on its own accord, Alister couldn't help but feel really excited. So it was a Pokemon! 'I've never seen one like that before...', he mused, biting his tongue before he launched a volley of questions at the near-stranger. The sword-Pokemon's purple eye - 'Is that an eye?' - looked at them all, the shield he carried also becoming one with the Pokemon. So it's not just a sword, it's a sword and shield Pokemon! So cool! And powerful, if that fight was anything to go by...
Bronze had retreated to hide partially behind Alister as the sword Pokemon and his wielder turned their full focus on the group, now feeling shy. Chomps wasn't moving in the bag anymore either, so it was safe to assume he had fallen asleep again, which was good because he'd want to jump on these two if he saw them.
"Oh! Ah, I was actually heading to Solaceon town before this all happened...", Alister said quietly, looking around and just now realizing how close they were to the main dirt road. If he looked farther ahead, he could just make out the lights of the town in the distance. That fight had ran him all around! He was tired enough to prove it, that was for sure.
He grabbed the straps of his bag to stop his hands from shaking as the adrenaline faded, looking up at the man in surprise when he offered to accompany him to the next town. Alister was planning on just leaving after giving his thanks, but now when he looked down the dark road, the thought of walking down it alone made fear curl itself up in his stomach. That Scyther attack won't leaving him for a while, will it?
"Um", he quickly looked back to the two, glancing between the sword and the man before settling on the latter, "If you're heading that way, that'd be much appreciated, but I don't want to trouble you. I know the way, I've been down this way more than once...only this time, there were Scythers...".
((I had no idea how to end that, so hope it's fine!))
((It'll do o/ Hopefully those two don't get ambushed again, haha... poor Sefirot's sleep schedule.))
"It's of no issue. After being woken up by the Scythers, I don't think I'd want to try my chances at camping out." He responded, trying to not loom over the boy next to him, but it was incredibly hard given their height disparity. He stood almost a head-and-a-half taller than him...
Town didn't seem far anyways. He had already spotted the faint lights in the distance, and it would hopefully be easy sailing from there on out. Archon made an eerie, metallic noise, nudging against him. The position of the 'pupil' within the gemstone eye had changed, and Sefirot sighed upon seeing it. "You're tired? Okay, we'll head to town, then." The Pokemon seemed satisfied at this, and relaxed itself, floating loyally besides its owner's side.
His long cloak fluttered behind him as he turned to face the direction of Solaceon. If even his partner wanted some quality, undisturbed rest, then he would go along with it. It would absolutely not do to derive his only Pokemon of proper care. And frankly, it went beyond that - Archon was not just a Pokemon to him. The sword and shield represented innumerable things, and being his weaponry was just one of the convenient side effects.
"My name is Sefirot. What might be yours?" He then looks to the young boy, wanting to have something to address him by. Sefirot very much deliberately chose to not add anything extra to his introduction, simply because he no longer had the right to use his old title, now that he had willingly left the responsibilities it entailed.
It was the past. He should dwell on it no longer, even if he still held the memory of it very close to his heart. But the past was all it was. He closes his eyes briefly to clear his mind, waiting for the boy's affirmation before starting to walk.
((It'll do o/ Hopefully those two don't get ambushed again, haha... poor Sefirot's sleep schedule.))
"It's of no issue. After being woken up by the Scythers, I don't think I'd want to try my chances at camping out." He responded, trying to not loom over the boy next to him, but it was incredibly hard given their height disparity. He stood almost a head-and-a-half taller than him...
Town didn't seem far anyways. He had already spotted the faint lights in the distance, and it would hopefully be easy sailing from there on out. Archon made an eerie, metallic noise, nudging against him. The position of the 'pupil' within the gemstone eye had changed, and Sefirot sighed upon seeing it. "You're tired? Okay, we'll head to town, then." The Pokemon seemed satisfied at this, and relaxed itself, floating loyally besides its owner's side.
His long cloak fluttered behind him as he turned to face the direction of Solaceon. If even his partner wanted some quality, undisturbed rest, then he would go along with it. It would absolutely not do to derive his only Pokemon of proper care. And frankly, it went beyond that - Archon was not just a Pokemon to him. The sword and shield represented innumerable things, and being his weaponry was just one of the convenient side effects.
"My name is Sefirot. What might be yours?" He then looks to the young boy, wanting to have something to address him by. Sefirot very much deliberately chose to not add anything extra to his introduction, simply because he no longer had the right to use his old title, now that he had willingly left the responsibilities it entailed.
It was the past. He should dwell on it no longer, even if he still held the memory of it very close to his heart. But the past was all it was. He closes his eyes briefly to clear his mind, waiting for the boy's affirmation before starting to walk.
((Haha, well, if you want them to be ambushed, that could be arranged... ;) I live for drama and making my characters suffer And yeah, that guy's sleep schedule is done for. Alister tries to have a sleep schedule, but really it's more like 'if I feel tired, I nap'. Also, if I ever call my genderless Pokemon by gender pronouns, I hope that's okay. I keep forgetting...))
The relief Alister felt when the man said it would be no problem to take him to the new town surprised him. He had barely met this person a few minutes ago, but already felt safer if he walked by him down the dark road. He looked up at the man with a grateful smile, having to crane his neck up a bit. Boy, this guy was tall! 'Or I'm just short', a thought echoed in his mind, Alister knowing full well how he had a slight height deficiency.
The sword made a weird noise suddenly, moving around if its own accord. Alister immediately glued his eyes on it, so curious as to what it was - it was a Pokemon, sure, but what kind? What type? Where was it from? And if his Pokemon was from somewhere far away, maybe he was too? He pried his eyes away from the sword so he wouldn't be staring rudely at it, but a child-like wonder made him think of all the knights and kings from fairy tales, and how this man reminded him of what the characters would look like in those stories.
As the man was talking with his Pokemon, Alister felt his bag squirm slightly and give a small squeak. Reaching his hand over the back of it, he lightly patted the flap on top of Chompers' head, which seemed to calm him down and lull him back to sleep. He felt sort of bad for not letting him meet this new person, but he was sure a man looking like this would not want a baby Pokemon jumping at his ankles. At the very least, to ease his conscience, he would hopefully soon find somewhere comfortable enough to lie the little guy down for the night. The bag was good for travailing, but even Chompers got sick of the small space once in a while.
"Oh!", Ali excliamed after the man introduced himself and asked for his name, "Sorry, should have said earlier. My name's Alister. Alister Fitzalan. Nice to meet you, Sefirot sir." He started extending his hand to shake since those manners were engraved into him, but sort of stopped halfway and let his hand hang there, since he wasn't sure if this man would be offended if he offered to shake hands. It's happened before. He also repeated the man's name over and over in his head, hoping it would stick and he wouldn't forget it. It was a bad habit of his to remember faces, but not the names. He didn't want to have to ask for this man's name again, that would just be embarrassing.
With his other hand, he gestured to his Pokemon, "And this is Waxy - the candle-looking one, aaannd...". He looked around his bag and saw that Bronze was hiding from view. Ali moved out of the way slightly so they were visible for a few moments, before the disk-like Pokemon dove back behind him, just barely peeking out. "That, that is Bronze. They're quite shy, they don't mean anything by it. And in the bag is Chompers, but he's sleeping right now."
Hoping that introduction would suffice, he waited for the man to say something, unsure if he should just start walking or let him take the lead.
((Hope it's all good!!))
((Haha, well, if you want them to be ambushed, that could be arranged... ;) I live for drama and making my characters suffer And yeah, that guy's sleep schedule is done for. Alister tries to have a sleep schedule, but really it's more like 'if I feel tired, I nap'. Also, if I ever call my genderless Pokemon by gender pronouns, I hope that's okay. I keep forgetting...))
The relief Alister felt when the man said it would be no problem to take him to the new town surprised him. He had barely met this person a few minutes ago, but already felt safer if he walked by him down the dark road. He looked up at the man with a grateful smile, having to crane his neck up a bit. Boy, this guy was tall! 'Or I'm just short', a thought echoed in his mind, Alister knowing full well how he had a slight height deficiency.
The sword made a weird noise suddenly, moving around if its own accord. Alister immediately glued his eyes on it, so curious as to what it was - it was a Pokemon, sure, but what kind? What type? Where was it from? And if his Pokemon was from somewhere far away, maybe he was too? He pried his eyes away from the sword so he wouldn't be staring rudely at it, but a child-like wonder made him think of all the knights and kings from fairy tales, and how this man reminded him of what the characters would look like in those stories.
As the man was talking with his Pokemon, Alister felt his bag squirm slightly and give a small squeak. Reaching his hand over the back of it, he lightly patted the flap on top of Chompers' head, which seemed to calm him down and lull him back to sleep. He felt sort of bad for not letting him meet this new person, but he was sure a man looking like this would not want a baby Pokemon jumping at his ankles. At the very least, to ease his conscience, he would hopefully soon find somewhere comfortable enough to lie the little guy down for the night. The bag was good for travailing, but even Chompers got sick of the small space once in a while.
"Oh!", Ali excliamed after the man introduced himself and asked for his name, "Sorry, should have said earlier. My name's Alister. Alister Fitzalan. Nice to meet you, Sefirot sir." He started extending his hand to shake since those manners were engraved into him, but sort of stopped halfway and let his hand hang there, since he wasn't sure if this man would be offended if he offered to shake hands. It's happened before. He also repeated the man's name over and over in his head, hoping it would stick and he wouldn't forget it. It was a bad habit of his to remember faces, but not the names. He didn't want to have to ask for this man's name again, that would just be embarrassing.
With his other hand, he gestured to his Pokemon, "And this is Waxy - the candle-looking one, aaannd...". He looked around his bag and saw that Bronze was hiding from view. Ali moved out of the way slightly so they were visible for a few moments, before the disk-like Pokemon dove back behind him, just barely peeking out. "That, that is Bronze. They're quite shy, they don't mean anything by it. And in the bag is Chompers, but he's sleeping right now."
Hoping that introduction would suffice, he waited for the man to say something, unsure if he should just start walking or let him take the lead.
((Hope it's all good!!))
((I live for that too, but they'll drop dead from exhaustion if they can't at least get some sleep, so we'll cut them some slack... For now. ;) and honestly, I barely notice, so... Light timeskip?))
"The honor is mine, to meet you and all your companions." Sefirot says, beginning to walk at a decent pace towards town, his blade floating after him. "This one right here..." He gestures to the floating Pokemon, who seems to have become uninterested in anything except rest. "Is my partner and dear friend, Archon. An Aegislash, though he wasn't always this way." He mused, thinking about when Archon was still a Doublade.
Seriously, how did that blade grow three heads in length and put on at least a few dozen extra pounds? That question baffled him to this day, as useful as the dual nature of Aegislash was, it also meant a lot of interesting inconveniences. Such as no longer being able to 'sheath' the Pokemon on the strap-holder he used to wear for such a purpose. Now, Archon had no choice but to float after him, not to mention having to expend energy to aid him in wielding, since he had become far too heavy for Sefirot to swing without assistance.
His coat trailed behind him with a slight flitter as he strut down the path, thinking about the past that was still long-behind him. And before long, his thoughts had entirely consumed his conscience. Indeed, he could not deny it if he tried, for it had become such a large part of him. Yet, some days, he wished that he would forget it, and be released from the burden it entailed...
The memory of when he received the unfortunate news was still all-too-clear. And he remembered wishing that it had been nothing but a highly unpleasant dream. Only if that was true. Sighing, he watched as his breath disappear in a misty burst, vanishing into the frigid night air. Solaceon was not far now, they would reach it in less than half an hour.
Sefirot glances back, looking behind him to see Alister. "We're about here." He speaks, coming to a stop.
((I live for that too, but they'll drop dead from exhaustion if they can't at least get some sleep, so we'll cut them some slack... For now. ;) and honestly, I barely notice, so... Light timeskip?))
"The honor is mine, to meet you and all your companions." Sefirot says, beginning to walk at a decent pace towards town, his blade floating after him. "This one right here..." He gestures to the floating Pokemon, who seems to have become uninterested in anything except rest. "Is my partner and dear friend, Archon. An Aegislash, though he wasn't always this way." He mused, thinking about when Archon was still a Doublade.
Seriously, how did that blade grow three heads in length and put on at least a few dozen extra pounds? That question baffled him to this day, as useful as the dual nature of Aegislash was, it also meant a lot of interesting inconveniences. Such as no longer being able to 'sheath' the Pokemon on the strap-holder he used to wear for such a purpose. Now, Archon had no choice but to float after him, not to mention having to expend energy to aid him in wielding, since he had become far too heavy for Sefirot to swing without assistance.
His coat trailed behind him with a slight flitter as he strut down the path, thinking about the past that was still long-behind him. And before long, his thoughts had entirely consumed his conscience. Indeed, he could not deny it if he tried, for it had become such a large part of him. Yet, some days, he wished that he would forget it, and be released from the burden it entailed...
The memory of when he received the unfortunate news was still all-too-clear. And he remembered wishing that it had been nothing but a highly unpleasant dream. Only if that was true. Sighing, he watched as his breath disappear in a misty burst, vanishing into the frigid night air. Solaceon was not far now, they would reach it in less than half an hour.
Sefirot glances back, looking behind him to see Alister. "We're about here." He speaks, coming to a stop.
((That is true, we need to have them alive to suffer... That sounds really bad And okie, good. :) And sure, if you want! Maybe they should chat a bit though? :o))
"Oh, hello Archon...", Alister mumbled, watching curiously as the Pokemon - an Aegislash did he call it? - bobbed up and down as it floated beside his companion. He had never heard of such a Pokemon, so it was now clear that either this Pokemon came from some far-away place like Waxy did, or both Archon and Sefirot were from some foreign place. Or, maybe he hadn't met all the Pokemon in Sinnoh yet? Although he was pretty sure he had, or he had at least heard of them...
They walked in silence for a while, Alister suddenly feeling shy with such an imposing, yet seemingly kind, man walking with him. He also wasn't sure what to say, all the questions he wanted to ask quite personal, like 'where's your Pokemon from', 'what region are you from', 'what moves does it know', 'are you a knight', and 'are you some sort of royalty'. Not the best first things to ask a man you met a few minutes ago. Silence was fine, but Alister had to fight to stay awake and not stumble as he walked - his twisted ankle from earlier that night was causing dull pain to twist around his leg every time he took a step, but he was sure it would be gone by morning. He knew Waxy was concerned for his well being, but she still squeaked in his ear once in a while to keep him awake and alert...well, as alert as he could be.
When Sefirot finally spoke, Alister nearly jumped after such a long time in silence. Looking up from where he was staring at the ground as they walked, he could see that the lights had grown closer, but were still about a 15-20 minute walk. And thank Arceus for that, the group of them was ready to just lie down on the ground and sleep, which was honestly probably what they'll end up doing anyways.
"Oh, okay", Alister turned with hooded eyes to peer at the man, unsure why he stopped walking. Maybe he didn't want to walk the rest of the way with him? It made sense, it was a long way to go if it was out of your way...but he did say he didn't want to camp out either.
The cold night air nipped at his ears and fingers, the jacket he wore not quite good enough, but it'll do. He lightly dug the toe of his bad foot against the dirt, trying to figure out what to say. Finally gathering up his courage, he said quietly, "If you don't want to go any farther, I can continue alone. You - You probably have more important things to do anyhow."
((Hope it sounds like Alister's a 12 year old! It's hard to get his reactions and characterization right, but I've dug into my inner 12-year-old, so I hope it sounds realistic to you!))
((That is true, we need to have them alive to suffer... That sounds really bad And okie, good. :) And sure, if you want! Maybe they should chat a bit though? :o))
"Oh, hello Archon...", Alister mumbled, watching curiously as the Pokemon - an Aegislash did he call it? - bobbed up and down as it floated beside his companion. He had never heard of such a Pokemon, so it was now clear that either this Pokemon came from some far-away place like Waxy did, or both Archon and Sefirot were from some foreign place. Or, maybe he hadn't met all the Pokemon in Sinnoh yet? Although he was pretty sure he had, or he had at least heard of them...
They walked in silence for a while, Alister suddenly feeling shy with such an imposing, yet seemingly kind, man walking with him. He also wasn't sure what to say, all the questions he wanted to ask quite personal, like 'where's your Pokemon from', 'what region are you from', 'what moves does it know', 'are you a knight', and 'are you some sort of royalty'. Not the best first things to ask a man you met a few minutes ago. Silence was fine, but Alister had to fight to stay awake and not stumble as he walked - his twisted ankle from earlier that night was causing dull pain to twist around his leg every time he took a step, but he was sure it would be gone by morning. He knew Waxy was concerned for his well being, but she still squeaked in his ear once in a while to keep him awake and alert...well, as alert as he could be.
When Sefirot finally spoke, Alister nearly jumped after such a long time in silence. Looking up from where he was staring at the ground as they walked, he could see that the lights had grown closer, but were still about a 15-20 minute walk. And thank Arceus for that, the group of them was ready to just lie down on the ground and sleep, which was honestly probably what they'll end up doing anyways.
"Oh, okay", Alister turned with hooded eyes to peer at the man, unsure why he stopped walking. Maybe he didn't want to walk the rest of the way with him? It made sense, it was a long way to go if it was out of your way...but he did say he didn't want to camp out either.
The cold night air nipped at his ears and fingers, the jacket he wore not quite good enough, but it'll do. He lightly dug the toe of his bad foot against the dirt, trying to figure out what to say. Finally gathering up his courage, he said quietly, "If you don't want to go any farther, I can continue alone. You - You probably have more important things to do anyhow."
((Hope it sounds like Alister's a 12 year old! It's hard to get his reactions and characterization right, but I've dug into my inner 12-year-old, so I hope it sounds realistic to you!))
((He totally sounds 12, don't worry about it! Also I personally imagined it as a 5-10 minute walk, so... And they should talk indeed... So...))
Archon responds in a metallic clanging, unintelligible to humans, but it was a clear indication that it realized that its name had been called. There wasn't much doubt that the Pokemon was very used to the presence of humans. It almost seemed to turn and gaze at Alister, its single, orb-like eye looking at him, as though awaiting.
Sefirot looks up and approximates the distance in his head. Perhaps it was still a bit too far, especially given who he was with. "Apologies. We can head all the way to town, I was just... A bit caught up in my thoughts. Are you alright?" He clears his throat as though to steady his composure, even though it hardly changed.
"...Let us continue on." He begins his casual stride once more, his pace just like it had been before. But his thoughts only stayed on reality for so long before they began to disperse back into the ether of his old memories. Memories that he would cherish, but still held so much anguish for him...
Archon seemed to sense this somehow, and drifted closer to Sefirot's side. Its ribbon-like arms unfurled, and one of them continued carrying the shield while the other touched against Sefirot's left shoulder, causing him to pause briefly and look to his Pokemon, which gazed up at him in return. The knight was wordless for a moment, before he smiled and ran a hand down the fuller of the sword, drawing a higher-pitched clink.
"Thank you, Archon." He says before letting the Pokemon be. The Aegislash returned to its defensive form, crossing its tassels behind the shield; before continuing to loyally follow after its owner.
((He totally sounds 12, don't worry about it! Also I personally imagined it as a 5-10 minute walk, so... And they should talk indeed... So...))
Archon responds in a metallic clanging, unintelligible to humans, but it was a clear indication that it realized that its name had been called. There wasn't much doubt that the Pokemon was very used to the presence of humans. It almost seemed to turn and gaze at Alister, its single, orb-like eye looking at him, as though awaiting.
Sefirot looks up and approximates the distance in his head. Perhaps it was still a bit too far, especially given who he was with. "Apologies. We can head all the way to town, I was just... A bit caught up in my thoughts. Are you alright?" He clears his throat as though to steady his composure, even though it hardly changed.
"...Let us continue on." He begins his casual stride once more, his pace just like it had been before. But his thoughts only stayed on reality for so long before they began to disperse back into the ether of his old memories. Memories that he would cherish, but still held so much anguish for him...
Archon seemed to sense this somehow, and drifted closer to Sefirot's side. Its ribbon-like arms unfurled, and one of them continued carrying the shield while the other touched against Sefirot's left shoulder, causing him to pause briefly and look to his Pokemon, which gazed up at him in return. The knight was wordless for a moment, before he smiled and ran a hand down the fuller of the sword, drawing a higher-pitched clink.
"Thank you, Archon." He says before letting the Pokemon be. The Aegislash returned to its defensive form, crossing its tassels behind the shield; before continuing to loyally follow after its owner.
((Okay, good! I'm happy then, I was worried about that. And that's fine, I was just making a guess. :) I'm feeling pretty sick right now as well, so I'm sorry if my responses are lacking in any way!))
"Y-yeah, I'm okay", Alister tried to stand taller and appear more wide-eyed, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, "Just tired." Sefirot didn't seem to question it and they started walking once more, slowly but surely making their way to town. The boy wondered what the man was thinking about if he stopped moving completely just because he got caught up in his thoughts. He only grew more curious when Archon seemed to give him a little hug. He hoped the thoughts weren't bad ones, but with how the world was right now...it's not hard to believe many awful things.
They were nearing town, which meant that they would probably part ways and never see each other again, and Alister was dying to know some things about these two strange beings. He gripped the straps of his bag, trying to gain the confidence to speak up. Waxy squeaked and crackled softly in his ear, trying to encourage him. It was like she was trying to say 'you got one shot to get answers, don't let it pass you by!', through her warm flame and confident crackles.
Alister finally took a deep breath, licking his lips, before saying, "Um, sir? Um, I was just wondering, I've never seen a Pokemon like Archon before, and I've seen a lot in Sinnoh, so I was just wondering if his Pokemon species is native to Sinnoh, or is it from somewhere else? Sorry if I'm being nosy, I'm just...really curious." He looked up through his bangs hopefully, wondering if the man even heard him. That Pokemon was just so cool though - imagine wielding it like a sword like he does! That's so cool! Exactly like a knight, with a shining sword that slays dragon-types and saves the day.
Alister fiddled with his jacket cuffs nervously as he waited for a reply, Bronze peeking out from behind him, intrigued as well.
((A little shorter, but with dialog it's hard to add any more. Hope it's alright!))
((Okay, good! I'm happy then, I was worried about that. And that's fine, I was just making a guess. :) I'm feeling pretty sick right now as well, so I'm sorry if my responses are lacking in any way!))
"Y-yeah, I'm okay", Alister tried to stand taller and appear more wide-eyed, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, "Just tired." Sefirot didn't seem to question it and they started walking once more, slowly but surely making their way to town. The boy wondered what the man was thinking about if he stopped moving completely just because he got caught up in his thoughts. He only grew more curious when Archon seemed to give him a little hug. He hoped the thoughts weren't bad ones, but with how the world was right now...it's not hard to believe many awful things.
They were nearing town, which meant that they would probably part ways and never see each other again, and Alister was dying to know some things about these two strange beings. He gripped the straps of his bag, trying to gain the confidence to speak up. Waxy squeaked and crackled softly in his ear, trying to encourage him. It was like she was trying to say 'you got one shot to get answers, don't let it pass you by!', through her warm flame and confident crackles.
Alister finally took a deep breath, licking his lips, before saying, "Um, sir? Um, I was just wondering, I've never seen a Pokemon like Archon before, and I've seen a lot in Sinnoh, so I was just wondering if his Pokemon species is native to Sinnoh, or is it from somewhere else? Sorry if I'm being nosy, I'm just...really curious." He looked up through his bangs hopefully, wondering if the man even heard him. That Pokemon was just so cool though - imagine wielding it like a sword like he does! That's so cool! Exactly like a knight, with a shining sword that slays dragon-types and saves the day.
Alister fiddled with his jacket cuffs nervously as he waited for a reply, Bronze peeking out from behind him, intrigued as well.
((A little shorter, but with dialog it's hard to add any more. Hope it's alright!))
((Yeah I feel you, totally fine! Please take care of yourself also ;;' Here is some fun philosophy to make up for earlier short posts btw, hope you like it~ And it also sheds some light on why Sefirot denies the Aegislash superstition... And headcanons.))
They stopped at town, and he was already contemplating which inn or place would still be open at this time. Not sleeping on in a tree for once would be a definite upside, he could allow himself a bit of luxury every now and then. But even back when he was in service, he never indulged in the more comfortable conditions that were available to him, always fearing that it would dull his senses and endurance.
"Archon is not native to Sinnoh, you are correct." He turns to Alister, having heard his question but not having realized the boy's nervousness. "Aegislash evolve from Doublade upon contact with a dusk stone. And Doublade can only come from an evolving Honedge, and Honedge are not present in this region. Thus, this means there are naturally no Aegislash to speak of."
Sefirot affords a pat on his floating sword as he speaks. "It seems that they come from even older regions, especially places with the bloodiest history. In fact, a myth surrounding Honedge is that it comes from the spirits of deceased warriors possessing their old weapons, especially given how they tend to be found near old battlefields and memorials."
It was a bit of a morbid thought, that. Sefirot thinks about the legend, decreeing that it at least had some merit as an idea. After all, living beings were not swords, and swords did not just become living, sentient things.
Especially not Pokemon with such illustrious legends. Honedge's final form, Aegislash, gave rise to one of the most iconic stories of all times. The story of its leading figure traversed lands, and of course he at least knew of it - the brave knight and his shining sword, who became the hero to save the world. But the recalling of the story brought something else to the forefront of his mind.
'The mark of a king..! Surely you are...'
Old words echoed in his brain, and he almost violently shoved the memory away. Even more prevalent than the stories behind Honedge's supposed origins was the idea that Aegislash's presence and acknowledgement denoted a future ruler... He was not some once-and-forever king, and never would be.
He was not fitting to wear a crown. He could never resign himself to be elevated as such, to be exalted to a place beyond others; as though to transcend humanity and mortality. He couldn't bear the idea of that being imposed on anyone. And not to mention, if he did live that way, so far from everyone else, how could he hope to lead them? They would only be left alone and troubled by such an authority figure. Even if he had a peerless army and immense skill beyond comprehension... He would only save them. He would never lead them.
Besides, it wasn't like he really had the makings of a proper leader. So what if he had ideals and lived by them? Systems did not simply work off concepts. Honor is merely a tenant, after all. And he cannot create what he himself doesn't fully comprehend, a system that relies on others being good to function is not a good system. He had witnessed that firsthand. Ambition only ever led to power, and power to downfall. Choosing the sword over all only ends in trage-
He cuts his own train of thought, no longer wanting to linger on that idea. Only if he could expel it from his head for good, and have it stay out.
Thinking about that moment of hopeless brought nothing but the poisoning taste of iron in his mouth, and a venom that creeped on his heart. Thus, he forced his thoughts to move to something else.
The subjectiveness of virtue, no matter how hard he rejected that idea. Even if he set a shining example, unmatched in radiance and undeniable in goodness, he could never impose it on others. If all others are to follow the king unquestionably, it would be asking them to abandon their humanity, regardless of how they felt. But even if their wills were entirely his own, they would not be subjects. They would merely be puppets. He would be a king that ruled nothing but a hall of dead mirrors.
Even if he held enough authority and power that he became the new standard of right and wrong, a ruler who decreed as such was the definition of a tyrant. Yes, it was simple, but the very idea horrified and disgusted him. How many times has the notion of power corrupting been proven right? So many of history's darker eras owed themselves to the saying.
Thus, was the utopian king of fairytales even humanely achievable? Was even the idea comprehensible, able to be grasped and understood? If it was, was it that nobody has achieved such a thing yet? Not that he discouraged the attempt, it was most definitely a noble ideal that he himself once pledged himself to...
Contradictions such as these had deeply wracked his mind for so long. And he had realized that his beloved king was never the golden idol that he had worshipped in his idealism, because such a just and righteous figure could never exist in reality. He had merely believed in his then-unwavering faith.
If he became a monarch as the legend decreed, there could be nothing coming from it but a sad, forlorn tragedy. And he did not want to become such a tale. It was already aggravating enough that he had a part in it.
((Is it because Sefirot believes the legend is untrue or is it because he denies it for personal reasons? I'll leave that for you to decide c; It'd be a fun and total catch 22 if his fate was sealed the moment he evolved Doublade, though...))
((Yeah I feel you, totally fine! Please take care of yourself also ;;' Here is some fun philosophy to make up for earlier short posts btw, hope you like it~ And it also sheds some light on why Sefirot denies the Aegislash superstition... And headcanons.))
They stopped at town, and he was already contemplating which inn or place would still be open at this time. Not sleeping on in a tree for once would be a definite upside, he could allow himself a bit of luxury every now and then. But even back when he was in service, he never indulged in the more comfortable conditions that were available to him, always fearing that it would dull his senses and endurance.
"Archon is not native to Sinnoh, you are correct." He turns to Alister, having heard his question but not having realized the boy's nervousness. "Aegislash evolve from Doublade upon contact with a dusk stone. And Doublade can only come from an evolving Honedge, and Honedge are not present in this region. Thus, this means there are naturally no Aegislash to speak of."
Sefirot affords a pat on his floating sword as he speaks. "It seems that they come from even older regions, especially places with the bloodiest history. In fact, a myth surrounding Honedge is that it comes from the spirits of deceased warriors possessing their old weapons, especially given how they tend to be found near old battlefields and memorials."
It was a bit of a morbid thought, that. Sefirot thinks about the legend, decreeing that it at least had some merit as an idea. After all, living beings were not swords, and swords did not just become living, sentient things.
Especially not Pokemon with such illustrious legends. Honedge's final form, Aegislash, gave rise to one of the most iconic stories of all times. The story of its leading figure traversed lands, and of course he at least knew of it - the brave knight and his shining sword, who became the hero to save the world. But the recalling of the story brought something else to the forefront of his mind.
'The mark of a king..! Surely you are...'
Old words echoed in his brain, and he almost violently shoved the memory away. Even more prevalent than the stories behind Honedge's supposed origins was the idea that Aegislash's presence and acknowledgement denoted a future ruler... He was not some once-and-forever king, and never would be.
He was not fitting to wear a crown. He could never resign himself to be elevated as such, to be exalted to a place beyond others; as though to transcend humanity and mortality. He couldn't bear the idea of that being imposed on anyone. And not to mention, if he did live that way, so far from everyone else, how could he hope to lead them? They would only be left alone and troubled by such an authority figure. Even if he had a peerless army and immense skill beyond comprehension... He would only save them. He would never lead them.
Besides, it wasn't like he really had the makings of a proper leader. So what if he had ideals and lived by them? Systems did not simply work off concepts. Honor is merely a tenant, after all. And he cannot create what he himself doesn't fully comprehend, a system that relies on others being good to function is not a good system. He had witnessed that firsthand. Ambition only ever led to power, and power to downfall. Choosing the sword over all only ends in trage-
He cuts his own train of thought, no longer wanting to linger on that idea. Only if he could expel it from his head for good, and have it stay out.
Thinking about that moment of hopeless brought nothing but the poisoning taste of iron in his mouth, and a venom that creeped on his heart. Thus, he forced his thoughts to move to something else.
The subjectiveness of virtue, no matter how hard he rejected that idea. Even if he set a shining example, unmatched in radiance and undeniable in goodness, he could never impose it on others. If all others are to follow the king unquestionably, it would be asking them to abandon their humanity, regardless of how they felt. But even if their wills were entirely his own, they would not be subjects. They would merely be puppets. He would be a king that ruled nothing but a hall of dead mirrors.
Even if he held enough authority and power that he became the new standard of right and wrong, a ruler who decreed as such was the definition of a tyrant. Yes, it was simple, but the very idea horrified and disgusted him. How many times has the notion of power corrupting been proven right? So many of history's darker eras owed themselves to the saying.
Thus, was the utopian king of fairytales even humanely achievable? Was even the idea comprehensible, able to be grasped and understood? If it was, was it that nobody has achieved such a thing yet? Not that he discouraged the attempt, it was most definitely a noble ideal that he himself once pledged himself to...
Contradictions such as these had deeply wracked his mind for so long. And he had realized that his beloved king was never the golden idol that he had worshipped in his idealism, because such a just and righteous figure could never exist in reality. He had merely believed in his then-unwavering faith.
If he became a monarch as the legend decreed, there could be nothing coming from it but a sad, forlorn tragedy. And he did not want to become such a tale. It was already aggravating enough that he had a part in it.
((Is it because Sefirot believes the legend is untrue or is it because he denies it for personal reasons? I'll leave that for you to decide c; It'd be a fun and total catch 22 if his fate was sealed the moment he evolved Doublade, though...))
((I'm slowly getting better, it's just this cold/flu that keeps coming back for more. Thought I shook it a few weeks ago, but I guess not. ^^; And niccce lore/backstory there! Alister can't really react to it at all since it all happened in Sef's head, but I love it! It's still quite confusing, but in a mysterious way. He seems just as confused as me though, poor guy. I think he'd make a great king personally! :D Also, maybe instead of Pokemon Centers, there's Inns? That way there's always somewhere to go in each town.))
They arrived at town faster than Alister thought they would, the lanterns that lit up the perimeter of the town passing them by. A small sign appeared in their peripheral, Waxy making her flame larger slightly so they could make it out easier. It said: 'Solaceon Town - Worry Free!' They had finally made it! Sleep, yay!
Alister turned his head towards Sefirot when the man spoke, listening intently to his answer to the boy's question. "Oh, cool, so it has three evolution stages? And you have to use a stone to achieve the last one...he must be a powerful Pokemon!" He was practically grinning from ear to ear, eyes sparkling in the fire light as he gazed at this interesting sword-Pokemon. "I wonder what region it's native to - I know about a few, like Kanto and Kalos, but I know there are more..."
As he counted other regions silently on his fingers, he listened to what else the man had to say. Suddenly excited at the idea of seeing something he's never seen before, he had much more confidence than a few moments ago. Even Aegislash's myths sounded like the fantasy stories he's occasionally read. "So...Archon could maybe be a warrior who's been reincarnated as a Pokemon? That's kinda weird to think about, but...also really cool! Wait, so did you find him near a big battle then?"
As Alister was talking, he didn't see the pensive look on Sefirot's face. He only saw it once he finished talking, looking up from Archon to look at the man, only to be met with a stormy expression on Sefirot's face as he stared off at something in the dark. Glancing at the place he was looking, and seeing there was nothing there, he suddenly became nervous again, worried he said something wrong and that the look was directed at him.
"Um, sorry, I didn't mean to ask so much. Ah, thank you for coming with me to Solaceon, um, I can just go now", he stammered slightly, fiddling with his jacket cuffs again as he shifted his weight awkwardly from foot to foot. Wincing a little as he placed too much weight on his bad ankle, he stopped moving and decided that was a stupid thing to do. It was only then that he realized Waxy was quite warm beside him, almost hot, and glaring at the man.
((Waxy's a bit...over-protective. :P I hope it's all good! I know they need to stay together for story to progress, but it's in character for Ali to want to scamper off. D: Any ideas on how to keep the nerds together?))
((I'm slowly getting better, it's just this cold/flu that keeps coming back for more. Thought I shook it a few weeks ago, but I guess not. ^^; And niccce lore/backstory there! Alister can't really react to it at all since it all happened in Sef's head, but I love it! It's still quite confusing, but in a mysterious way. He seems just as confused as me though, poor guy. I think he'd make a great king personally! :D Also, maybe instead of Pokemon Centers, there's Inns? That way there's always somewhere to go in each town.))
They arrived at town faster than Alister thought they would, the lanterns that lit up the perimeter of the town passing them by. A small sign appeared in their peripheral, Waxy making her flame larger slightly so they could make it out easier. It said: 'Solaceon Town - Worry Free!' They had finally made it! Sleep, yay!
Alister turned his head towards Sefirot when the man spoke, listening intently to his answer to the boy's question. "Oh, cool, so it has three evolution stages? And you have to use a stone to achieve the last one...he must be a powerful Pokemon!" He was practically grinning from ear to ear, eyes sparkling in the fire light as he gazed at this interesting sword-Pokemon. "I wonder what region it's native to - I know about a few, like Kanto and Kalos, but I know there are more..."
As he counted other regions silently on his fingers, he listened to what else the man had to say. Suddenly excited at the idea of seeing something he's never seen before, he had much more confidence than a few moments ago. Even Aegislash's myths sounded like the fantasy stories he's occasionally read. "So...Archon could maybe be a warrior who's been reincarnated as a Pokemon? That's kinda weird to think about, but...also really cool! Wait, so did you find him near a big battle then?"
As Alister was talking, he didn't see the pensive look on Sefirot's face. He only saw it once he finished talking, looking up from Archon to look at the man, only to be met with a stormy expression on Sefirot's face as he stared off at something in the dark. Glancing at the place he was looking, and seeing there was nothing there, he suddenly became nervous again, worried he said something wrong and that the look was directed at him.
"Um, sorry, I didn't mean to ask so much. Ah, thank you for coming with me to Solaceon, um, I can just go now", he stammered slightly, fiddling with his jacket cuffs again as he shifted his weight awkwardly from foot to foot. Wincing a little as he placed too much weight on his bad ankle, he stopped moving and decided that was a stupid thing to do. It was only then that he realized Waxy was quite warm beside him, almost hot, and glaring at the man.
((Waxy's a bit...over-protective. :P I hope it's all good! I know they need to stay together for story to progress, but it's in character for Ali to want to scamper off. D: Any ideas on how to keep the nerds together?))
((I feel you on that sickness thing.. I'm glad you enjoyed it! He's basically debating the morality of kingship with himself, and is very much troubled by the conclusions he's gotten. And inns do make sense, so let's just.. Run with that. As for how they're gonna stay together... uhh, uhh... Crud. ))
"Ah.." Alister's voice called Sefirot out of his mental wasteland, and he blinked repeatedly as to try and readjust himself back to reality. "Don't worry about it, it's only proper for me to answer questions that you have, and there's nothing wrong about what you said." It was impolite of him to withhold anything that he had no reason to lie about, and honesty to the highest reasonable degree was an important part of the knight's code.
"Yes, Honedge has three evolutionary stages. It evolves into Doublade, and then into Aegislash." He nods to affirm Alister's words. "Aegislash are known to be very powerful on their own, but.." As he speaks, Archon immediately clings to Sefirot's shoulder, almost seeming to give off a louder series of noises, as though seeking attention.
"They're typically independent and choosy of their owners, though Archon is... Attached, you could say." The knight chuckles as he uses his free hand to pat the Pokemon's cold, smooth surface, causing it to settle back into silence. "As for his origin... That's how the legend goes, but I can't say if it's true or not. But most stories have at least a hint of truth in them."
He thinks about his first meeting with Archon. When he was a young boy, playing in the forests that bordered his town, he had stumbled into a small grotto, in which he had found the poor dented blade, lying motionless and too weak to even float or cry for some sort of help. At that moment, his compassion overwhelmed rationality, and he took the creature home to nurse back to health in secret.
So while it was unexciting, how he had met Archon was still a decent-enough story to tell. "I didn't find him on a battlefield, I would be too young at the time." Sefirot finally answers. "He was a Honedge when he was first found by me, and he imprinted on me a bit too much by the time I managed to help it heal off injuries it sustained."
His golden eyes moved over to Alister's Litwick, which seemed to be... Staring at him? Was there a reason the Pokemon suddenly took offense to his presence? Well... Hopefully it wasn't anything too bad, because there wasn't anything he recalled himself doing that would draw its ire.
((I feel you on that sickness thing.. I'm glad you enjoyed it! He's basically debating the morality of kingship with himself, and is very much troubled by the conclusions he's gotten. And inns do make sense, so let's just.. Run with that. As for how they're gonna stay together... uhh, uhh... Crud. ))
"Ah.." Alister's voice called Sefirot out of his mental wasteland, and he blinked repeatedly as to try and readjust himself back to reality. "Don't worry about it, it's only proper for me to answer questions that you have, and there's nothing wrong about what you said." It was impolite of him to withhold anything that he had no reason to lie about, and honesty to the highest reasonable degree was an important part of the knight's code.
"Yes, Honedge has three evolutionary stages. It evolves into Doublade, and then into Aegislash." He nods to affirm Alister's words. "Aegislash are known to be very powerful on their own, but.." As he speaks, Archon immediately clings to Sefirot's shoulder, almost seeming to give off a louder series of noises, as though seeking attention.
"They're typically independent and choosy of their owners, though Archon is... Attached, you could say." The knight chuckles as he uses his free hand to pat the Pokemon's cold, smooth surface, causing it to settle back into silence. "As for his origin... That's how the legend goes, but I can't say if it's true or not. But most stories have at least a hint of truth in them."
He thinks about his first meeting with Archon. When he was a young boy, playing in the forests that bordered his town, he had stumbled into a small grotto, in which he had found the poor dented blade, lying motionless and too weak to even float or cry for some sort of help. At that moment, his compassion overwhelmed rationality, and he took the creature home to nurse back to health in secret.
So while it was unexciting, how he had met Archon was still a decent-enough story to tell. "I didn't find him on a battlefield, I would be too young at the time." Sefirot finally answers. "He was a Honedge when he was first found by me, and he imprinted on me a bit too much by the time I managed to help it heal off injuries it sustained."
His golden eyes moved over to Alister's Litwick, which seemed to be... Staring at him? Was there a reason the Pokemon suddenly took offense to his presence? Well... Hopefully it wasn't anything too bad, because there wasn't anything he recalled himself doing that would draw its ire.
