Frontier Town Civic Courtyard

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven brought a claw to his chin. "I'm not sure. The story of the Sun's sacrifice that the Day Captain shared didn't sound like it was about victory or grand adventures."

His eyes furrowed as he tried to recall her tale.

"They said that a great darkness rose from the earth, covering the sky and blotting out the sun. In the absence of its light and warmth, the figure they revere as the Sun rose into the sky and set herself ablaze as a surrogate."

"The Wardens keep watch over the Ward in honor of her sacrifice, where it's believed she's slumbered ever since."

At this, Steven's expression fell slightly, and he shared a worried look with the group. "I hope the Sun hasn't shared the fate of the Oasis's Saint. Long gone, with only a Relic left to mark her passing. Maybe it's worth another visit to the Ward to learn more."

 

[Chibi Pika]

"Like, the shrine in memorial for Zapdos, right? Or the Timeless Oasis – no sign of Celebi, and apparently any time a Relic turns up, it supposedly means the corresponding Saint is long-passed."

Ralsen nodded. "Indeed. The relics are of particular interest, which is why I can only hope that I manage to come across a divine dungeon for myself one day."

"The Timeless Oasis was... weird," Koa admitted. "Time there behaved strange, and it was like the dungeon really was testing us. Pretty strange compared to what I'm used to. But now that its all over, I'd still want to visit another Divine Dungeon if I could... Although its still so strange to hear that saints here can go missing or even die like that." He shook his head.

Ralsen listened to Koa's account with eyes alert and attention rapt. "Fascinating..." He retrieved a journal from his bag and hastily scrawled a few notes. "I'm not much of a dungeon diver, but the trip to the heart of Templefall was illuminating. To visit a Divine Dungeon..." He paused, holding the end of his pencil to his chin. "Were you able to reach its heart?"

At this, Steven's expression fell slightly, and he shared a worried look with the group. "I hope the Sun hasn't shared the fate of the Oasis's Saint. Long gone, with only a Relic left to mark her passing. Maybe it's worth another visit to the Ward to learn more."

Ralsen continued to take notes as Steven shared what he'd heard from Fort Sunward. "I expect they'd probably know better than anyone what the Sun's fate was, if they're the keepers of her legacy." He let out a sigh, shutting his journal. "If I weren't needing to return to the university, I'd join you. But I've been on this expedition long enough, and I do need to return their camera and develop my photos. It just means that you'll need to share what you've learned when we next meet," he added, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

 

[Jackie Cat]

"I'd still want to visit another Divine Dungeon if I could... Although its still so strange to hear that saints here can go missing or even die like that."

Laura gave the Electrike a puzzled look. She'd just assumed that if, say, a Saint was injured badly enough, then of course they'd die. What were legendaries like on his world...?

"Uh, right, yeah..." She wracked her brain for any divine dungeons they could try and hit up. Obviously none were exactly widely known to the public... Probably for good reason.

She listened to the exchange for a while, until the topic of Sunward came up. She'd not been there before, but hadn't Steven?

"We should probably go ask the Wardens, at the very least," she remarked, hesitant. "If they're a solar cult, well... Victini is strongly associated with the sun. Steven, you said the 'Sun' was a mythic hero of some kind? That makes me think the two were companions."

 

[Tetra]

"We did reach the heart," Koa nodded. "It was..." Hm. Well, in any other situation he would have been enraptured. He wished that he hadn't been too sick to his stomach then. And hadn't trying to fend off a pack of Cipher goons at the time. The memory was mostly uncomfortable, tainted by the miserable knowledge of everything with Alex.

"Beautiful, I guess. Hard to appreciate at the time. Trees as tall as the sky, and an even larger one at the center. But sad... I wonder why Celebi couldn't find anyone to replace it..." Replacing a legend was a huge decision, but was there truly no one in the entire world capable?

The myth Steven spoke of almost sounded vaguely like something from his world. A sun pokemon....? Maybe a Solgaleo? The idea of Victini being tied to a Solgaleo was strange, but not the weirdest thing ever he supposed. "I've never heard of a myth exactly like that about the Sun, but I'd love to go with you if you visit them again, and hear more about it."

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven regarded Laura and her theory with curiosity, though when he spoke there was some hesitation. "I don't know who she was before she was the Sun," he said. "And I'm not sure those who tell of her legend do either. They said it happened near the dawn of civilization in the Soja, many generations ago."

Next he tipped his body towards Koa, bringing a claw to tap on his chin. "It's an unusual myth for me as well, though it's no surprise; this world is very different from ours."

"I wouldn't mind going back there again. I've only ever spent time at the Fort where the Wardens stand watch. The Day Captain there is kind. And strong. Perhaps there's more to learn from her, or maybe those who live in the settlement could offer more. I spent most of my time asking Aurelia for training help, not about her faith."

He smiled at Ralsen. "A shame you won't be able to join us in Sunward. Next time, though. The sunsets are worth borrowing your university's camera again, I can assure you."

 

[Chibi Pika]

"Beautiful, I guess. Hard to appreciate at the time. Trees as tall as the sky, and an even larger one at the center. But sad... I wonder why Celebi couldn't find anyone to replace it..." Replacing a legend was a huge decision, but was there truly no one in the entire world capable?

Ralsen nodded somberly. "None of us can truly know what goes through the mind of a Saint at the end of such a long life. Perhaps there's more to it than whether or not they can find someone..." His voice trailed off, like he had more thoughts, but didn't say anything more.

He smiled at Ralsen. "A shame you won't be able to join us in Sunward. Next time, though. The sunsets are worth borrowing your university's camera again, I can assure you."

The Grovyle smiled. "I'll look forward to it, then," he said, holding out a claw.

 

[Jackie Cat]

Laura took Ralsen's hand on reflex, used to shaking paws in her day job – and forgetting that Steven (if not Koa) could shake.

"I'd be interested in going there myself, so I'll let you know what I learn if we meet again," she remarked.

Again. She'd seen Ralsen... three times now. He felt significant, somehow. Maybe just because there weren't all that many scholarly types in the Soja'...? She had the strangest feeling it wouldn't be the last time.

"I wonder why Celebi couldn't find anyone to replace it..."

Did Celebi get a chance to find someone, or just pass away unexpectedly? Did Celebi want to find a successor...?

Laura furrowed her brow. "And, uh... if you learn anything more about legendaries – and why they're so absent – then maybe you could let us know? We're mostly staying at the Haus, and the maus know who we are, if you wanna send a letter."

 

[Tetra]

"Perhaps. Maybe one day I can ask how successors are chosen..." Koa mused out loud. Luz was trying to convince Sierra to take up the mantle, wasn't she? What made a pokemon worthy to carry on that duty...

"But as Laura said feel free to let us know if you find anything interesting. If we find something else we can pass it on. Any plans where you're headed next? After you get your photos?"

 

[Chibi Pika]

"I'll have to see where the winds takes me," Ralsen said with a faint smile. "But in the meantime, I suspect it would be good to keep a line of contact open." He opened his journal one last time to write something down before tearing out the page and handing it to Laura:

Anbara College of Societal Philosophy
Magna City, Landsverd

"Best of luck with your pursuits," the Grovyle added, giving a small wave before shouldering his bag and heading off.

<><><>​

 

[Sinderella]

Recovering from the bullshit that was that stupid Comb took a few days. Perhaps longer. Even sitting on her favorite bench in the courtyard, staring blankly at her songbook, she still didn’t feel great. That lingering knot in her chest had been momentarily numbed during the celebration of her boss winning the fucking election, but as with all emotional turmoil, it wasn’t long before it was eating at her again.

At least she had the entertainment schedule to keep her busy. With Greasewood heading off to literally run the town, she had to be more on top of things than ever while Sun Stone’s management moved hands. The timing of it couldn’t have been much better, even if she was having trouble focusing on it at the current moment.

As she tapped her pen aggressively against the cover of her book, she tried to at least enjoy the subtle breeze rustling through the trees overhead…

[ @canisaries ]

 

[canisaries]

Andre spotted the familiar mawile on a bench. He looked around - no one else in the immediate vicinity. He took a deep breath in and let it out. Okay.

Andre had told Ridley that he'd told Dave, but Ridley had still wanted him to tell more Wayfarers. Keeping in the vein of people he had spoken to maybe once or twice and had a positive albeit passive relationship with, Andre had chosen Odette to be his next confidant.

Odette might have actually been the best pick, in retrospect. Andre remembered her talking about her own battle against the scum of society when they'd first spoken, and she had said something about wanting to run abusers over with her motorcycle. It had probably been a joke, but it could have had a nugget of truth to it, too.

Well, Andre would soon find out. He walked over to the mawile and cleared his throat. "Odette?" he began. "Could I have a word with you?"

 

[Sinderella]

The sound of a throat clearing yanked her out of her page, and she flicked her eyes up to meet Andre’s. The sight of him prompted her to straighten her posture (she hadn’t realized she was slumping, good gods), and she slowly flipped her book shut.

“Oh, hey,” she greeted, giving him a quick once over. It’d been a minute since they last spoke, so she was admittedly curious about what he could possibly need to talk to her about. Whatever it was, she hoped it’d be a decent distraction from her own head. “Sure, I’ve got time. What’s up?”

 

[canisaries]

"Well..." Andre glanced elsewhere. Maybe it was good to cushion this with something else, first.

"First off, congrats to your boss for winning the election. That was great to see," he said. Then, after a pause, he continued. "The reason I sought you out wasn't to say that, though. Thing is..." He cleared his throat again. "Back at the Comb, I was paired with Ridley, and the cave... showed him a certain aspect of me that I have kept hidden. He was upset by this, and now he's making me tell some people. I already told Dave." He could leave out the part where Dave didn't take it well. "Can I tell you, too?"

 

[Sinderella]

She nodded, feeling a grin poking at the corners of her lips. “I agree,” she said. “If he’s as good a mayor as he was a boss, then this little town’s in great hands.”

Though, she had a sneaking feeling that wasn’t what he was here to talk about, and her suspicions were confirmed without her having to press, thankfully. However, at the mention of the Comb, her expression visibly soured. It practically rotted when she heard the “predicament” Andre was in. What in the actual fuck?

“Wait, wait,” she said, raising her hands. “Ridley saw something about you that he didn’t like and is making you tell other people about it? And you’re fucking humoring him? You didn’t lay him the fuck out for even suggesting something like that?”

Gods, had Kimiko told her she didn’t like what she saw and wanted her to go out and tell others about it, Odette would have laughed in her face. Maybe even used her as target practice for Fiery Wrath. But Kimiko would never, and while she didn’t know Ridley very well, she had a very hard time understanding why he’d do such a thing to Andre.

Unless…it was some form of blackmail; though what could Ridley have seen or known that would have required such an approach?

Slitting her eyes, she crossed her legs and leaned against her backrest. That knot in her chest doubled up, but she opted to ignore it. Andre had already told Dave, so clearly he was committed to Ridley’s whim for some odd reason.

“Well, if you’re so dead set on it that you walked all the way out here, and if it’ll settle whatever score you have, then…sure. I’m listening.”

 

[canisaries]

"Well, it's not that I'm just giving in - if I don't tell people, Ridley says he will, and he's definitely gonna make it sound worse than I would," Andre explained. "But, yeah. If you're listening..."

He scratched his chin with a hoof. "When we had our first conversation, you told me about all kinds of stuff you did back in your homeworld, right? Exposing drug rings and gangs and so on. Generally making the world a better place. I think that's really grand. So... I kinda do something similar back in my own world. But when people find out what I do, they tend to think that I... take it too far."

He watched Odette for her response.

 

[Sinderella]

Odette knit her brows, her lips curling into a pensive frown. Ridley would make it sound worse? What the fuck had he seen?

She did vividly remember that first conversation they had. How much he’d beamed about her vague retellings of what she’d gotten up to back in her home world. He just seemed like a dedicated do-gooder at the time, but he…took it too far? What the fuck did that even mean?

The knot tightened, but she responded anyway.

“So…” she said tentatively. “You’re, what…some sort of diehard vigilante?”

 

[canisaries]

Andre swallowed. "Maybe I should just explain what I do. My process is, that I, uh, go to a bar - a gay bar - and watch people until I find someone who seems like an asshole. I don't do what I do because they're just assholes, though, no, I... well, anyway, I watch them until they're ready to leave, then slip outside and wait for them to show up. Then I chat them up. As we talk, I gauge them, using both what they say and what I can read from their aura to determine if they really mean the things they say. If they want to continue the night with me, I take them back to my apartment. I get them drunk, if they're not already, and gradually start pretending to be an asshole myself, someone abusive, depending on which ways they seem to lean, and try to get them to bring up any abuse they themselves might have committed as a brag. If they don't admit to anything, then by the time they start asking about sex, I'll just one-eighty and tell them what a piece of shit they are, or fake a migraine, whichever suits the situation best. And they'll leave. But if they do admit to something..."

Right about there was where Dave would have expected Andre to report it to the police. Odette might expect that, too. When he thought about it carelessly enough, going to the police did seem like the most reasonable course of action. But Andre knew better. Still, he dreaded Odette's reaction. He decided to take a smaller step.

"Well, what's your guess?" he said. "What do I do in that situation?"

 

[Sinderella]

The longer Andre spoke, Odette could practically feel the concern etching its way onto her face. Multiple questions and comments bubbled up to the tip of her tongue, ranging from, “Andre, I think you’re having a psychotic break” to, “Where the hell are you going with this?” But, she couldn’t settle on any one response, and was just left there staring dumbly while he rambled. It was only when he prompted her with a question that she got her mouth to work.

“…let me get this straight,” she said slowly. “You…poach gay bars for people who have the…potential to be ‘assholes,’ as you say, then lure them back to your place, get them inebriated if they aren’t already, and…bait them into doing something problematic?”

It sounded asinine when she said it like that. But that felt like a solid abridged version of what he’d just explained to her. That constrictor knot in her chest grew teeth and started going to town on her heart, which she was starting to hear beating against her eardrum.

“For clarification…what exactly do you mean when you say ‘asshole’?”

 

[canisaries]

"No, no, no," Andre said. "I don't bait them into doing problematic things. I bait them into confessing about problematic things they've already done. And my aura sense allows me to tell when people are lying, so I know if they're just making shit up or exaggerating to sound cool or badass. I can also tell if they feel regret or not. And by 'asshole' I mean people who deliberately act without regard for other peoples' feelings and wellbeing. You know, assholes. But just being an asshole isn't enough. They also need to have committed actual abuse, and be unrepentant about it. Anything less than that, and I let them go with a stern talking-to, if even that. But if they are real abusers, and I can tell they would do it again, then..."

He paused, then sighed. It was probably just better to come out with it. He looked into Odette's eyes. "Well, I kill them."

 

[Sinderella]

She’d wanted Andre to say exactly what he meant; make it clear that he was on the same wavelength as her. Assholes; meaning abusers, murderers, rapists like him. But the runaround answer she’d got would have to do. Someone who ‘committed actual abuse’ couldn’t be anything less than what she was thinking.

While Andre’s approach gave her pause, she started to wonder what she would do if she really were placed in that situation with someone like Deschamps. Or Dorien. Finding out what that professor did, and was going to do to more innocent students. Learning what that brainwashed cult fiend thought love was, and what he planned to do to his so-called “soul mate.” Her arm tingled with phantom pains of her burns, and she was racked with a full body chill as she recalled how it felt to be utterly violated in such a cruel way.

“I’d kil—” she started to say. She needn’t have bothered, as Andre finished her thought before she could speak it.

That is not what she thought he was going to say.

Now she was the deerling in headlights.

Her vision swam. She felt the bile rise in her throat all while her tongue shriveled into sandpaper. Thoughts of all breeds, ranging from self-assuring to utterly distraught crashed down upon her with the might of Giratina, and she stood up and started to pace before she had a chance to sink to the ground.

So…Andre weeded out people like Deschamps and Dorien. Like those Enigma fuckheads. He took them to his place. He made them admit to their crimes. And he fucking killed them. Like an actual serial killer.

“What the fuck…what the fuck…”

The thought should have horrified her. She should have been outraged that he thought he could get away with something like that. She should have been disturbed that he could talk about it so fucking casually.

“…what the fuck…”

And yet, all she could think about was how she knew she’d kill anyone like that if the opportunity presented himself. All she could feel was her stomach aching for the timeline where somebody like Andre had gotten ahold of Deschamps before he got that fucking teaching job at Fleurrh University of the Arts.

“Why…why are you—”

Anger simmered her blood. Before she knew it, she reeled around on her toes and bounded up to Andre, grabbing him by his vest and pinning him against a tree. Vitriol fueled the fire in her eye, while a wrathful magenta colored her cheeks.

“Why are you fucking telling me this? What did the Combs show you? Did you think because of what I did I was just going to empathize with you over this?”