Destiny Village ~ Parfait Way

[Namohysip]

The pinpricks of light disappeared and suddenly everything had gone completely silent. The very wind stopped, and whatever idle sounds had been coming from outside had stopped too. Clouds of spectral darkness surrounded Cynthian, even darker than the room itself, and enveloped him in an instant.

An instant later, Cynthian was standing outside, the door closed behind him.

 

[Adamhuarts]

Cynthian stood dazed for a few seconds as his mind tried to process what had just happened. He looked back at the closed door and then turned back to the street ahead. She could've just opened the door for him, but it seemed Leg had her own way of showing people out of her home.

Cynthian chuckled to himself and then went along on his way. In his heart, he looked forward to visiting Leg again.


<><><><>

 

[Cresselia92]

The afternoon was fresh that quiet day, with the sky covered in cumulonimbus clouds that shielded the ground from the scorching sun. A presage of rain or snow to come, unless the clouds were blown away by the winds or some legend.

That was ideal time for a certain Vulpix to explore the area where the God Squad lived, as the risk of overheating was reduced to a minimum. With a notepad in his rightmost tail and a pen in his leftmost tail, he took curious looks at the houses, trying to see if he could find any sign of their mysterious “allies”.

“Hmm… how bizarre. Is nobody home?”

Left, nobody. Right, nobody. …Upwards, still nobody.

“Golly! There goes my chance to interview the God Squad and invite them to the festival…”

He sighed in disappointment and looked at his notes. The pages dedicated to them were mostly blank, with only two words under Maple’s profile: ‘frightening lady’.

He raised a non-existent eyebrow. “Well, I sure cannot work with only this, can I?” He sat on his haunches and started chewing the tip of his pen. “Hmm… What to do, what to do, what to do?”

He was so deep into his mindspace that he didn’t realize that he had missed someone walking around…

 

[TheGOAT]

Was this where Karat lived? Had to be.

Astrid wasn’t totally sure why she was looking for him so soon, anyway. Bored and free to leave the infirmary after nearly twenty-four hours spent sitting around, she’d set out to do what she did best: explore. But she needed a destination, and with little else going on for her in this world besides the overarching threat, she was made to settle.

Destiny Village was no mystery dungeon—those were rare in her world, and she’d yet to run into one here—but it did not take long for her imagination to change that. The streets became a maze; passerby became wild Pokémon that she, thankfully, did not have to hide from. But in her head she did just that, projecting images of taking cover behind trash cans with her mind’s eye as dangerous creatures passed by. It made her feel like an ambitious child again, sparkling eyes and all. Briefly, very briefly, she was brought back to Mt. Freeze…

She stuffed her imagination into the deepest corner of her brain and trudged forward without a word.

Cynthian’s anklet (which, she still had to remind herself was hers now) klinked with each lazy step. Klink klink klink—

“Oh, hello there.” Astrid stopped and perked her ears towards her almost-mirror image, whom she’d almost walked into before recognizing. “You’re Icetales, right? I’m Astrid!”

 

[Cresselia92]

Oh? That new presence… their voice sounded very familiar. Where…?

Dragged out of his mindspace, Icetales turned to see… whoa! An ice Vulpix! Was that one of his mind tricks, or…?!

…Ah. No. It wasn’t. The azure fur of her mane said it all. She was the other Vulpix of their cortège, right. The one who passed out after drinking too much alcohol last time he talked to her and who recently exploded to defeat those possessed Shaymin.

…Right…

Well, it was a nice surprise, nonetheless. He had spent entire years without seeing another ice Vulpix in his homeworld, so it was nice to get the chance to interact with one of his species in that brave new world.

He took a quick breath and regained a dignified stance, his pensive expression replaced by an eager grin and his tails wagging and spreading snowflakes. Once she was close enough, he bowed with respect.

“Ah, Miss Astrid! Fancy meeting thee in such… um, well…” He glanced at the sky, reminding himself that the day was far from ‘lovely’. “…Unique location. Heh.”

He stood back up and beamed a friendly smile. “So, how art thou feeling, Miss? I recall thou had pulled all thy cards during our last fight. Regained all thy strength?”

 

[TheGOAT]

Astrid giggled. How polite, this fellow was. “Ahaha, yeah. I… yeah.” She flashed a hearty smile his way, hoping to distract from the fact that her voice was still a bit raspy. “I’m feeling sore, but sitting around in the infirmary wasn’t doing me any good. I’m ready to get back to work as soon as possible.”

Icetales’ pensive gaze at the clouds was not lost on her; hers followed, and indeed, there were better days to be strolling around Destiny Village. But that was okay. She was already a walking snowcone.

Besides. Nice, cloudy days like this were few and far between where she was from.

“What’cha doin’ all the way out here?” she said, perhaps a bit too casually to someone she’d only just met. “Apologies if I’m prying. I’m taking the afternoon to explore the Village and I happened to see you in the distance. Figured I’d come say hi.”

There was barely any time for him to answer before her attention was coaxed to the residencies at their side. Were these houses belonging to the God Squad? She furrowed her brow, squinting at the addresses, the decor…

 

[Cresselia92]

“Ah, good to hear that thou art in better shape, Miss,” he responded with relief radiating from his voice, before chuckling. “Thou ought to beware of those detonations, however, or folks might start believing thou art a fire Vulpix in disguise. But I digress.”

“As of what I am doing here… well…”

He strode toward one of the nearby houses, before standing on his hind legs and spreading his tails on the grass to keep his balance. His gaze lingered into the dark house that was Leg’s residence and his ears flicked, but pouted when he didn’t see nor hear any sign of life.

A part of him believed that it probably was a good thing, especially if all members of the God Squad were like Maple. Waking potential daemons was probably something that should have been avoided.

However, he couldn’t keep his curiosity in check anymore. There was so much they still didn’t know about them, and that notion was constantly gnawing his mind.

Were they friends… or fiends? Maple was leaning very heavily toward the latter, but he needed substantial evidence before giving final judgment.

“I am… investigating, shall we say. About the God Squad, to be precise,” he said, returning on all four paws and turning back to the vixen. “I would like to confer with them to better understand what they are up to. Why do they keep themselves so secretive when around us? Are they hiding something? And if yes, what is it?”

He walked closer to Astrid, before showing a small smile. “Oh! And I also wanted to invite them to the festival I am organizing, while I am at it.”

 

[TheGOAT]

“Thou ought to beware of those detonations, however, or folks might start believing thou art a fire Vulpix in disguise. But I digress.”

“Noted,” Astrid giggled.

“I am… investigating, shall we say. About the God Squad, to be precise,” he said, returning on all four paws and turning back to the vixen. “I would like to confer with them to better understand what they are up to. Why do they keep themselves so secretive when around us? Are they hiding something? And if yes, what is it?”

He walked closer to Astrid, before showing a small smile. “Oh! And I also wanted to invite them to the festival I am organizing, while I am at it.”

“Hiding something…”

Subconsciously, Astrid ran a paw through the fluff on her head. “They’re definitely strange, and I bet they think the same of us. I-I have to admit, I’d be hesitant to trust us in their position…”

A shrug. “Still. They kinda need us. I’d like to get to know them better sometime.”

 

[Cresselia92]

“Hmm. I guess trust is a two-way path, is it not? But I concur, I sure desire to learn more about them, too.”

He shook his entire body and stretched his tails, before humming in delight. The fresher air of the new island was a much welcome change for him. It reminded him of home, for better and for worse.

“Anyway, it does not seem that our allies are home, so dost thou fancy a jaunty stroll through this new village with yours truly?” He wagged his tails and showed an eager grin. “I would be most thrilled to get to know thee better, Miss. it has been a long time since I had conversed with a fellow ice Vulpix, and it would be plenty educative to learn about our respective customs and lives from our respective worlds.”

He motioned toward the nearby path with a paw. “Would thou be so kind to honor my humble request?”

 

[TheGOAT]

It’s been a while since I’ve spoken to an ice Vulpix too…

“…Yeah, I’d like that,” she reflexively answered. The path Icetales had gestured to led further into town, where more buildings awaited. A single outlier stuck out among them, unmistakable from the rest: a tower, where she immediately assumed Arceus lived.

What it would be like to meet an actual god… a real Arceus.

One that sends… face texts?

No. This journey was confusing enough already. “How about we head towards the marketplace?”

 

[Cresselia92]

"Ah, I am not opposed to that. We can go there, yes."

Icetales took out his phone from his bag... and started pawing it, staring at like as if it was some alien device. Which, technically speaking, it was.

"Um... Miss, dost thou know how these devices work? I recall something about these little items having an integrated map application -- whatever that means -- and I reckon we could use that... function?" He frowned and clawed at the phone, before lowering himself toward the floor to look better at the screen. "Curses! Why must they craft such paw-unfriendly traps? How do they even wor--?"

And then, the phone made a loud noise, enough to pierce any fox's ears. Icetales hissed and rubbed his ears, before pressing the buttons once more. Somehow, he managed to get the device to stop, but the screen became black for some reason and refused to turn back on.

"...Err, um. How about we just ask for directions to someone?" He laughed sheepishly.

 

[TheGOAT]

Astrid blinked and pointed with her paw. “It’s that way, I think. I saw a sign back—”

A cursory glance behind her revealed more roads, not unlike the ones running the opposite direction. This was a subdivision, no? It was rare that she would find herself in the richest part of Lively Town, but on the off chance that she was patrolling there, it would baffle her how similar it looked house to house. Almost mystery dungeon-like.

“—there. I… think.”

She was lost. She wasn’t used to those blasted portals yet, and couldn’t remember exactly which part of the city she’d entered from.

Oh well. Being lost was part of the job. “Let’s keep walking this way. I wanna find some good shops and scope out what kind of supplies they have here. Oh! And the food. Can’t wait to taste the food.”

 

[Cresselia92]

Astrid blinked and pointed with her paw. “It’s that way, I think. I saw a sign back—”

[…]

“—there. I… think.”

Icetales stared blankly at the other Vulpix, resisting the urge of huffing his annoyance. So, even the vixen was as lost as he was, huh. Well, wasn’t that a splendid news!

So, the sensitive option was to contact Diyem telepathically so that he could ask to one of their comrades to send backup. Perhaps Mable herself could fetch them with one of her portals?

…

Right. Mable…

…

…On second thought, there wasn’t really any rush in being “rescued”, was there? They were fine, there weren’t threats or daemons around (yet), and the day was fresh. They could have afforded to stay “lost” for a little longer, no?

“Let’s keep walking this way. I wanna find some good shops and scope out what kind of supplies they have here. Oh! And the food. Can’t wait to taste the food.”

Icetales grinned. “Now we’re speaking the same language! I’ve been desirous of tasting some local specialties as well, so we could… see where thy path leads, no? As an old saying goes, ‘All roads take to Borealis’.”

He puffed up his chest with confidence. “So, let us go, Miss Astrid, and behold with our own eyes where the stars shall take us.”

Without second ado, Icetales strode down the path, making sure that the other Vulpix was walking by his side. He exhaled a soft gust from his mouth, reveling on the self-made breeze while checking out the various houses.

That location made him feel almost… like at home. High society was something he had known since his kit days, and it was lovely to feel in a more familiar setting. Though, he wondered if his comrade felt the same way.

Well, it was time to start a conversation!

“So! Miss Astrid, I have this query for thee,” he started, glancing at her. “How art thee feeling about this heroic business and our comrades? I admit there is still so much I do not know about plenty of them, and I would like to hear thy opinion and thoughts about our cortège. If thou dost not mind sharing, of course.”

 

[TheGOAT]

Many of the fancier words this fellow used bounced right off of Astrid. He sounded like Chief Ampharos when he was excited for a mission, naïve to the fact that he would certainly veer away from the group and get lost. Astrid had to admit, Icetales talked differently from the others in their group. Was he innately naïve too, by chance? It sure didn’t seem like it; he was here to investigate the God Squad, after all.

Of course, none of it bothered her. She was used to it, and happened to have a soft spot for corny lines.

“Umm.” A handful of her allies, however, she wasn’t so sure about. Perhaps, she concluded, it would be best to focus on the positives. “I… like quite a few of them! I think Diyem picked some really good Pokémon. Er, I guess he didn’t really pick us, but yeah. We’re a really strong group! I think we’ve got a good shot at saving this world!” Whatever that entailed.

She paused before quickly continuing. “I think we might need some way to get closer, though. I haven’t even met everyone yet—I, geez, I just met you, didn’t I? And you seem really decent, too. There’s a lot of us, and we’ve been pretty dissociated, and…” And then it clicked. “…I think your festival idea could fix that.”

 

[Cresselia92]

She paused before quickly continuing. “I think we might need some way to get closer, though. I haven’t even met everyone yet—I, geez, I just met you, didn’t I? And you seem really decent, too. There’s a lot of us, and we’ve been pretty dissociated, and…”

Icetales limited himself to just nod a few times as she spoke, gathering what she was saying will thinking about his own thoughts and reservations. He chuckled softly when she stumbled during her speech and showed a content gaze when she considered him 'really decent'.

A good first impression... that made him happy for sure.

“…I think your festival idea could fix that.”

"Oh, I sure hope so, Miss Astrid. That is my main motivation and drive. We all are roped into this entire world-saving business, and I earnestly believe that if we all learned how to be a tight-knit cortege and covered each other's back, then we shall go very far and increase our chances of success," he commented with a determined tone, his tails waving in a slow and smooth motion. "I am a firm believer in the power of unity. I truly wish to believe in all of us, and for us to get to know and understand each other, so that we will be able to smite any foul energy and fiend who is plotting this world's destruction!"

He beamed a bright smile for a few seconds, but it soon dulled. "Howbeit... that is not everything. I... well..." He looked at the floor and pawed at a random pebble. "I... also desire to bring some joy and comfort to our comrades, thou see? Many of them have... such rough lives in their homeworlds, and I wish they got to... well, to have a small corner of happiness, for once in their lives." He laughed hollowly. "Perhaps it is my most hopeful self talking, but... I want to believe..."

He closed his eyes and retreated into the recesses of his mind. I want to believe I can do something right for once in my entire existence...

Then, he registered the awkward silence between them and coughed, giving some time to his brain to shift gears. "Um, anyway!" He narrowed slightly his eyes, before an idea suddenly popped up in his mind. "Ah! Indeed! Miss Astrid, there is a little something I had been pondering about, regarding that festival."

He grinned. "Thou see, I know how they work in my world, but would not be truly dazzling if I incorporated elements from all our worlds? Like, turning that festival into some intergalactic party for all of us?" His eyes started shining like the stars in the firmament. "I reckon that would be delightful! Everyone would get to experience the various cultures and we would get to know each other better! As such," he leaned a bit forward, producing a paper and a pen in his external tails, "would thee be so kind as to tell me some swift trivia about festivals and parties in thy world?"

 

[TheGOAT]

“Aha, um.” Good question. “I’ve been to parties but never anything, I dunno, big. I don’t really have a good reference point, but… mm. The town I’m from would hold festivities on the beachfront on the first Friday of every month. Shops would stay open well into the night, Pokémon would be out and about getting food, meeting new folks. And, y’know, ‘fun’ stuff.”

Astrid shrugged. This wasn’t really her forté. “I honestly prefer spending time with smaller groups of friends, so I can’t offer much more than that. I will say, though… do you plan to ask everyone on the team what their worlds are like?”

Shifting her feet, she continued, “I get the feeling that many of our worlds—or, our worlds’ parties—are gonna be similar enough to where you can only do so much to differentiate them, you know? Like, a party is just… a party. It’s just somewhere you go to have fun with people you care about, and to make new friends, and dance, and stuff. In a place like this where we’re all far from our homes, the best way to experience each others’ cultures would be through conversation.”

 

[Cresselia92]

“Hmm… fair, very fair.” Icetales drummed the pen on his nose and stared at the blank paper. Sure, he couldn’t exactly claim that the information was substantial, but at least he didn’t have to tweak anything about his plans.

“Well, I would prefer to gather as much information as I can reasonably get, if that is possible. Where I come from, the same symbol can have two different meanings. For example,” he started tracing an imaginary snowflake with his leftmost tail, “snow-patterned decorations are plenty common in Borealis and are a sign of power, but in Solaris they are a symbol of scorn and rebellion.” He frowned. “I would not desire to send the wrong message and impression, thou see? And I wish for folks to feel at ease.”

He paused for a few seconds, before titling his head and glancing at the other Vulpix. “…Or perhaps I am worrying a tad too much?”

 

[TheGOAT]

Her head cocked sideways. “It’s worth considering… for the locals, maybe. I get the feeling most of our team wouldn’t be too bothered by—”

She went mute. Should she finish that sentence? The friends she’d made so far were great, but were they truly an accurate reflection of Team Spectrum as a whole? No, unfortunately. She could only give the team’s more volatile members so much benefit of the doubt.

“—mm. Nevermind, actually. It’s a fair concern. And if it helps, I get where you’re coming from. Part of my job back home involves visiting different societies, many of which are relatively cut off from the developed world. There are steps that must always be taken to approach and understand those cultures without accidentally offending them. Some scenarios are more delicate than others, but given everything that’s happened in Cibus so far…”

Further elaboration was possible, but something else had been gliding its way through her mind for the past minute or two. Eyeing the pen and paper in Icetales’ grasp, she clicked her tongue. “Hey, would you like some help setting things up? I have some ideas for party games we can all play to get to know each other better.” She flicked her ear sheepishly. “I-if you want.”

 

[Cresselia92]

“—mm. Nevermind, actually. It’s a fair concern. And if it helps, I get where you’re coming from. Part of my job back home involves visiting different societies, many of which are relatively cut off from the developed world. There are steps that must always be taken to approach and understand those cultures without accidentally offending them. Some scenarios are more delicate than others, but given everything that’s happened in Cibus so far…”

“Yes. Yes. Precisely that. Thou art getting what I am trying to convey.”

He smiled faintly. “My job involves plenty of that, actually. It is plenty nerve-racking having to tend to the needs of a clan of Serperior-liners — and their customs and diets are vastly different from Ninetales-liners, I can say this much — but when thou add other species with other diets and other customs and traditions to the equation… well, let us that even the tiniest mistake can result in a catastrophic tussle.” He shrugged. “Howbeit I am accustomed to that reality by now.”

Eyeing the pen and paper in Icetales’ grasp, she clicked her tongue. “Hey, would you like some help setting things up? I have some ideas for party games we can all play to get to know each other better.” She flicked her ear sheepishly. “I-if you want.”

Ictelas nodded and beamed a friendly grin. “By all means, miss! I never say no to suggestions to make this festival even better.” With a swift motion, he brought his pen on the paper, ready to write. “What did thou have in mind?”

 

[TheGOAT]

They weren’t a bunch of children. Games that she played with her brothers long ago wouldn’t work here. Besides that, the only reference point she truly had were the infrequent socials that she attended with her peers. But true to its name, the Expedition Society was not entirely synchronized with Lively Town’s broader society, nor with the cultural elements written into its concrete streets and covert alleyways. The workaholics at the Society were not boring people—quite the opposite—but attending parties usually wasn’t how they spent their time off. Not even on most holidays when the rest of the town was doing it.

Most of their parties were contained within their own bubble, reduced to select numbers and giving Astrid the tight-knit community she was grateful for every day. That aside, outside of the Society, she had been to… four Lively Town parties? Five? No. Four and a half. One was more of a kickback, really, and that was being generous. She was usually neutral about it, but teammates seemed to enjoy them, at least…

Anyway—Icetales was expecting an answer. “Well, a fun go-to is truth or dare. It’s simple and easy and usually brings people closer together. I figure if we’re all gonna be a team for a while longer, we can build trust however we can.”

Which is why I’m leaving out One Night Lycanroc. Astrid shuddered. That game only destroys trust.

“Uhhm, besides that, I could find some board games at the store?” She didn’t know where a store was. “…or, er, maybe we could invest in some karaoke?”