Destiny Village ~ Library

[Flyg0n]

“Ah! Yes. Trainers was the term. Trainers that use spheres named Pokéballs.” He glanced at Koamaru. “Art thou from one of those worlds, too?”

Koa wagged his tail and nodded. "Yep! Back home I was a trainer from somewhere called the Sinnoh region." It was so strange to think whole worlds existed without humans or trainers. Without 'two forces working together for a common goal, growing together,' like Rowan would have said. He wondered how Pokemon here would feel about working with a trainer. Back home, Pokemon sought out the companionship, but what if a Pokemon from here traveled to his world?

It was kind of mind-numbing to think about.

“I live in a world where we have castles and fortresses, as well as kings and knights,” started explaining Icetales, flipping through some pages. The pictures were a tad more cutesy than how his world looked like, but it should have sufficed. “My home… was in the royal manor of Borealis, the empire of winter. Ice-types and Rock-types are among the most common species, and our primary resource are the crystal mines — useful to extract shards, which can be used for multiple purposes like… enhancing someone’s magical power or as energy supply for machines.”

Icetales looked at Koamaru. “In comparison to this world, we are far more archaic. There is no such thing as ‘technology’ where I come from, and even something as simple as a badge utterly boggles my mind.” He chuckled, somewhat amused. “So, I reckon thou might see me as some kind of old-fashioned relic, in a sense. Not that I mind that too much, however.

Koa perked up. "So you have real magic and everything? That's awesome. Back home, stuff like that only existed in storybooks." He frowned, pondering. "The no technology thing would be kind of hard to get used to I guess."

“What about thee? How is thy world?”

"Well, I guess you already know about trainers." His eyes shone with excitement as he continued. "We team up with Pokemon to get stronger, be friends, and fight together. It's sick! There's gyms you can battle in to earn badges and prove how strong you and your team are. Pokemon live with humans and we do all kinds of things together!"

He looked down to study the picture of the castle again. It was hard to imagine getting by without a team by his side. "What's it like, living in a kingdom like that?"

 

[Cresselia92]

Koa wagged his tail and nodded. "Yep! Back home I was a trainer from somewhere called the Sinnoh region."

(…)

"Well, I guess you already know about trainers." His eyes shone with excitement as he continued. "We team up with Pokemon to get stronger, be friends, and fight together. It's sick! There's gyms you can battle in to earn badges and prove how strong you and your team are. Pokemon live with humans and we do all kinds of things together!"

Icetales listened closely to what Koamaru was saying and smiled brightly, finding his enthusiasm infectious. Sure, he didn’t get many of the things he was saying (Badges? They collected the same badges they used to communicate with each other? For what purpose?), and the concept of Pokémon just following humans as they were ‘hired’ with Pokéballs sounded so bizarre and outlandish.

And yet, that former human didn’t sound like a bad person. In many aspects, he was very similar to Shiron, and both were very quick to reinforce the fact that humans and Pokémon coexisted and helped each other.

Unity. What a lovely concept.

“Do all kinds of things…” mused Icetales, clearly intrigued. While he had yet to understand how everything worked, by the way Koamaru talked about that it sounded so utterly fascinating.

“Golly! I so much desire to behold a human world and to get to see all those lovely things and see Pokémon and humans living together.” The Ninetales wagged his tails, while his eyes glowed like diamonds. “By heavens, even the idea of seeing how a human looks like sounds so thrilling!”

Not too far from them, Keo’Keo glanced at them… then he simply looked away and scratched his ear with a hind paw.

Nothing concerning, only enthusiasm. That was good. Very good.

Koa perked up. "So you have real magic and everything? That's awesome. Back home, stuff like that only existed in storybooks." He frowned, pondering. "The no technology thing would be kind of hard to get used to I guess."

Oh? Magic didn’t exist in his world? The concept alone baffled Icetales immensely.

“Thou have no magic in thy world? Huh. What a foreign concept for yours truly.” He tilted his head. “I do not know what is the true extent of technology in thy world, but it is not all bad news where I come from. Folks live there perfectly and the shard-powered machines help a lot.

“Anyway! Back to the topic about magic…” Icetales puffed his chest and beamed a happy grin. “It is as real as the flesh of my body! In fact, I descend from a family of sorcerers and sorceresses, and we are the latest descendants of the Light of Hope.”

The Ninetales quickly deduced that Koamaru would not have any idea of who the Light was, so he was quick to fill him in.

“She was a heroine in my world, who vanquished the darkness with her supreme light sorcery alongside the other Lights. It is quite the long tale and I am currently working on some notes to write down that legend. I just… did not have as much time as I wished.”

He looked down to study the picture of the castle again. It was hard to imagine getting by without a team by his side. "What's it like, living in a kingdom like that?"

Icetales stared at the picture of the castle. “Well! First of all, the various kingdoms and empires have their own rules and dynasties that govern them, which is a massive thorn on the flank for travelers and merchants as they have to adapt to different traditions and weathers.”

The Ninetales laughed, before sighing softly. By goodness, thinking about home brought a wave of nostalgia to his spirit, despite having foul memories tied to Borealis.

“Solaris is a kingdom mostly governed by Fire-types and Grass-types, and I have moved there in recent times. It is such a lively place, brimming with grassy fields and fresh water. Also the beaches! Ha, I might be an Ice-type, but even I cannot resist the beauty of a clean beach.

“Still, hmm… I wager that it is not anything unique nor bizarre? There are the royal taxes to pay, I reckon, but those are to ensure that the kingdom is safe from invasions and attacks.” His ears drooped. “And that is, well, essential, due to some events that happened millennia ago…”

 

[Flyg0n]

Icetales world sounded so interesting. He was vaguely reminded of the history of Kalos, with castles and lords and their hierarchy, though his world history lessons were foggy at best.

“Thou have no magic in thy world? Huh. What a foreign concept for yours truly.”

"Yeah no magic, although..." He pondered on how the ancient history books described Pokemon. "I guess a long time ago, people would call Pokemon magic creatures. But nowadays they talk about..." what was it Rowan would reference? "Aura, I guess? So maybe it's just magic with a name?"

He sighed and unconsciously scratched himself with his hindleg. "I don't know, I was never much for trying to understand all the science behind that. I liked learning about Legendaries more."

“She was a heroine in my world, who vanquished the darkness with her supreme light sorcery alongside the other Lights. It is quite the long tale and I am currently working on some notes to write down that legend. I just… did not have as much time as I wished.”

A Heroine of Light. "So you're... you're descended from a hero?" Even to be distant descendants of a hero seemed so much cooler than-. Well, it was cool. Although Icetales also spoke of his inner darkness, and his Shadow stood right there. He bore such a difficult legacy. Yet he was so nice and cheerful. So at peace with having a Shadow following him everywhere. So... cool.

Ha, I might be an Ice-type, but even I cannot resist the beauty of a clean beach.

So Icetales enjoyed the beach as well? "Oh, there's a lot of really cool beaches back home too. My cousin used to take me there sometimes, but it's pretty cold most times of the year."

 

[Cresselia92]

"Yeah no magic, although..." He pondered on how the ancient history books described Pokemon. "I guess a long time ago, people would call Pokemon magic creatures. But nowadays they talk about..." what was it Rowan would reference? "Aura, I guess? So maybe it's just magic with a name?"

Aura… ah, yes. The kind of magic that Lady Mienshao wields with such expertise in his homeworld. So, do all ‘mons in Koamaru’s world use that same energy?

That sounded… limited. Unless as he said aura was simply sorcery with another name, but there was no way to be sure. As the Electrike pondered more about stuff, Icetales produced a bottle of icy tea and a few disposable cups. He was so much thirsty.

He sighed and unconsciously scratched himself with his hindleg. "I don't know, I was never much for trying to understand all the science behind that. I liked learning about Legendaries more."

Icetales nodded in understanding. “Hm. This explains why thou decided to stop by the section dedicated to the legends of Cibus, then.” He poured some of his icy tea into a cup. “Well, I am very intrigued by legends, too. Out of everyone, I have been desiring to meet Sir Jirachi, back at home. Never got the chance, and alas! I have yet to meet the Jirachi of this world, too…”

The Ninetales extended one of his cups toward Koamaru. “Fancy some fresh tea? I also have some water, if thou prefer something simple.”

"So you're... you're descended from a hero?"

Icetales brought the cup of tea to his mouth with one of his tails and licked, letting the refreshing minty flavor bring some coolness to his mind.

“Well… it is a very far descent and my lineage has been diluted since then, but… yes. As a member of one of the blessed species, I have heroic blood… or, well, this is what my ancestors claimed.”

Granted, he didn’t quite feel blessed nor heroic. All in all, he was just a fox that was trying hard to help a world that wasn’t his own, alongside his comrades. He had yet to truly prove worthy to be a Light, or even just a beacon of hope.

Hm. He wondered if he would have ever accomplished that.

“Granted, that is not something I tend to flaunt. Being heroes bring plenty of troubles and make thee a blaring target. So, even if thou hast what it takes to be a hero, it is better to perform thy missions and accomplishments without much fanfare.”

He shrugged. “Besides, heroic business is about self-gratification and desire to do the right thing, not to get free publicity or glory. At least, this is what I believe.”

"Oh, there's a lot of really cool beaches back home too. My cousin used to take me there sometimes, but it's pretty cold most times of the year."

“I fancy a cold beach,” commented Icetales, grinning. “It is so much easier for me to withstand. Also, the sensation of the water chilling my tails… golly, I feel the shivers only by pondering about that!”

Beaches… oh! That could have been an interesting place to explore.

“Dost thou know what? How about going to the beach as soon as we have some more free time, yes? I know a good place where we could spend a lovely day under a warm sun and some fresh water.” He smiled and wagged his tails. “Does that idea fancy thee?”

 

[Flyg0n]

“Well, I am very intrigued by legends, too. Out of everyone, I have been desiring to meet Sir Jirachi, back at home. Never got the chance, and alas! I have yet to meet the Jirachi of this world, too…”

The Ninetales extended one of his cups toward Koamaru. “Fancy some fresh tea? I also have some water, if thou prefer something simple.”

Koa blinked in surprise as Icetales produced tea and cups. As weird as it was for Icetales to produce some tea, he suddenly realized he was also quite thirsty. He gratefully accepted one of the cups, sliding it towards himself with one paw before putting his muzzle into it and lapping it up. He'd never been much for tea, but this tasted delicious anyway. Light, minty, and surprisingly tasty.

"Wow, this tastes really good!" He licked his lips. "You want to meet Jirachi?"

He drank some more tea to collect his thoughts.

"I want to meet Giratina, Dialga and Palkia one day." His voice lowered and he spoke a little quieter, more serious. He paused and swallowed, studying his cup of tea intensely. "Not the ones here though. The ones back home, from my world. Even if it's just for a moment..."

He shrugged. “Besides, heroic business is about self-gratification and desire to do the right thing, not to get free publicity or glory. At least, this is what I believe.”

Koa nodded in agreement. "You're not a hero if you go around bragging or trying to get people to like you. Real heroes stand up for others and try to make the world better because it's something they believe in." He spoke in a growl, though not one of anger, but conviction. "Everyone has a responsibility to try and make the world better. Even if it's with simple things, like being a good trainer or a good friend."

“Dost thou know what? How about going to the beach as soon as we have some more free time, yes? I know a good place where we could spend a lovely day under a warm sun and some fresh water.” He smiled and wagged his tails. “Does that idea fancy thee?”

At that suggestion, his mood brightened considerably. He wondered what beaches here were like. If they were at all like anything else in this world, they were probably awesome. It'd be nice to get away again, to someplace familiar, and hang around Icetales. The Ninetales seemed agreeable and pleasant to be around. He could see himself becoming friends, maybe even being able to tell him more but- putting aside that notion, he could still see a friend in Icetales.

"Yeah, that sounds fun! I'd like that." He grinned, tiny sparks popping off his fur from excitement.

 

[Cresselia92]

"Wow, this tastes really good!" He licked his lips. "You want to meet Jirachi?"

Icetales beamed an earnest smile. “My, much appreciated! That is my special blend of tea, made with the finest herbs I could find. I am glad thou enjoy it.”

He took another sip of his tea, before picking a book with one of his free tails — a grey cover with star patterns, perhaps something about astronomy. “And yes. Sir Jirachi is someone akin to a celebrity, in a sense. A guardian who kept the world safe from otherworldly creatures, thanks to his affinity to the cosmos.”

There was a brief pause after that, with the Ninetales looking pensive for a few seconds. Even the Shadow seemed to have sensed something and turned around, but the real fox shook his head. Whatever it was, he had dropped the thought very quickly.

“I do not know if the Jirachi of this world has similar abilities, but I desire to meet him, nonetheless. I wager it would be a very instructive experience.”

"I want to meet Giratina, Dialga and Palkia one day." His voice lowered and he spoke a little quieter, more serious. He paused and swallowed, studying his cup of tea intensely. "Not the ones here though. The ones back home, from my world. Even if it's just for a moment..."

That comment piqued Icetales’s interest, and the fox tilted his head.

“Oh? Thou desire to meet the lords of the laws of nature themselves? Quite the dream thou have there, which might sound impossible, even…”

Then, Icetales flashed a confident grin. “And that is all the more reason to pursue it. The so-called impossible dreams are the ones that truly bring out the best of thyself, that allows thee to aim high and teach thee to never give up.” He narrowed his eyes, but there was a strong veil of reassurance shining in his pupils. “As such, do not let go of thy dream. I shall be giving mine own moral support, even from across dimensions.”

Koa nodded in agreement. "You're not a hero if you go around bragging or trying to get people to like you. Real heroes stand up for others and try to make the world better because it's something they believe in." He spoke in a growl, though not one of anger, but conviction. "Everyone has a responsibility to try and make the world better. Even if it's with simple things, like being a good trainer or a good friend."

“Ah, sacrosanct words, my good sir. All of us should aim to make our worlds better, for the sake of everyone.” Icetales nodded and puffed up his chest, while his tails waved in hypnotic patterns. “And this is precisely why I am offering my service to this world, so that the inhabitants shall be safe and happy. I reckon thou art motivated with similar feelings, yes? Because thou have faith and wish for things to improve?”

"Yeah, that sounds fun! I'd like that." He grinned, tiny sparks popping off his fur from excitement.

Icetales chuckled softly, amused by Koamaru’s excitement. How wonderful it was to see the joy into a youth’s eyes and spirit.

“Then, I shall promise thee that we will go to the beach, as soon as the situation settles somewhat. After all, duty’s first.” He winked reassuringly. “I could even teach thee how to get accustomed to thy new body. Between quadruped and quadruped, thou see.”

 

[Flyg0n]

“Oh? Thou desire to meet the lords of the laws of nature themselves? Quite the dream thou have there, which might sound impossible, even…”

Then, Icetales flashed a confident grin. “And that is all the more reason to pursue it. The so-called impossible dreams are the ones that truly bring out the best of thyself, that allows thee to aim high and teach thee to never give up.” He narrowed his eyes, but there was a strong veil of reassurance shining in his pupils. “As such, do not let go of thy dream. I shall be giving mine own moral support, even from across dimensions.”

Koa tensed ever so slightly as Icetales started to speak. This was usually around the time people would give him a pitying smile and say 'oh.... thats nice'. A word he hated.

Instead, Icetales commended him. For a brief moment, he was too stunned to speak. Icetales had spoken with such conviction, not like the times someone seemed to be just humoring him. "Thanks," he murmured. His voice was reserved, but his eyes showed the excitement and happiness he felt at the belief.

I reckon thou art motivated with similar feelings, yes? Because thou have faith and wish for things to improve?”

"Yeah, I do! I hate seeing anyone in trouble like that. And... I guess I figured maybe I could make a difference. Even if it's a small one." He paused. "Guess we share that."

“I could even teach thee how to get accustomed to thy new body. Between quadruped and quadruped, thou see.”

At Icetales final suggestion, Koa nodded. "That would be cool. We'll have to do that sometime, once things calm down I guess."

He paused, gathering his thoughts as he took another sip of tea. He hadn't expected to find such a kindred spirit so early on. This strange Ninetales was cool. Really cool. His gaze drifted to a clock nearby. It was getting late, he realized, if he wanted a chance to check out the collosseum he'd have to go soon, as disappointed as that made him feel.

"I have to go soon but..." he paused, contemplating his next words. "It's nice to meet someone else who likes books," he said finally.

 

[Cresselia92]

That happiness that radiated from those eyes; the cheerfulness of a soul who appreciated some support; the enthusiasm of a youth with a distant but beautiful dream and of hanging out with Icetales at some point…

All of that was like a panacea for the noble fox, who stayed silent as the former human assimilated his encouragement and reaffirmed his belief to do his best and help the world become a better place.

Bless him. That brave new world needed bright spirits, and a new star had just joined the firmament.

And then, Koamaru had to leave. Oh. What a pity, the Ninetales was greatly enjoying the company, but alas. Most good things had an end.

“Then I shall not hold thee up any longer. If thou have business to attend to, by all means,” said Icetales reassuringly, before tapping the book about the dark arts. “I shall stay here and study a few of these books. There is plenty I need to do, too.”

He beamed a smile. “And it is the same for me! I am most delighted to have met another fellow who is into book — we are a rare breed.” A soft chuckle, and he pawed at the air, as a sign of salutation. “Might the stars guide thy path. Take care, good sir.”

Keo’Keo stared at Koamaru, then nodded. “We shall see thee around…”

 

[Flyg0n]

Koa left the library in good spirits. It felt good to know that whatever happened, some pokemon truly believed in him. That his dreams weren't foolish. And that perhaps, he had a friend in this confusing world.

With those thoughts, he returned the books he'd taken and set his mind on his next goal: Training.

<><><><><><><>​

 

[Cresselia92]

It was a quiet afternoon at the library, with warm sunbeams filtering through some windows, and Icetales took some time for himself while he waited to get information about his new housing.

With a bottle full of minty tea by his side and Keo’Keo standing on the other side like a loyal bodyguard, the real fox did one of the things he could do best — multitasking.

On one pile of notes, he was working on some plans to hunt down the spies — which Keo'Keo seemed to appreciate, all too eager to get to hunting things. On another pile, there was some brief research about some of the important myths and locations in Cibus — including the Worldcore, where Sword was currently trapped. Lastly, in a few small notes, there were some to-do lists, which were about plans with his… most important treasures in that world.

After many minutes of uneventful silence, Keo’Keo stretched his muscles and yawned. His mane sputtered some violet flames.

"So, if what that Shield fellow is true, then the theory that Sir S'more is up for no good has just gained strength. Someone strong against all Regi who can melt in the shadows…" he mused, staring at the small sketch of the Marshadow in one of Icetales' notes. He growled at the figure and pawed at the paper. "Ha! I cannot wait to sink my fangs on that—!"

"There shall be no fang sinking. I must remind thee, oh darkness mine, that our comrades didn’t report any suspicious behavior from Sir S’more that would warrant such barbaric treatment," interrupted Icetales, still staring at his book: How to Hunt: Lessons for Quadrupeds. "So dost not entertain the idea."

"Pah!"

Keo'Keo began pacing back and forth behind Icetales, hissing loudly and his tails swishing. The flames changed color once more and turned purplish red — nervousness.

"I am tired of just... waiting for thee to scribble notes and read!" He stopped pacing and stared at his host. "We must strike first, before they have any chance of striking us!"

Icetales closed his book, both unamused and annoyed. "I understand thy tension, but we must keep our mind fresh and sharp. One misstep, and who knows what those spies could pull off. I wager that they could even take advantage of the confusion to do their dirty business." He glanced at his Shadow. "Rush has never helped anyone."

"Grrr..." Keo'Keo looked away, before staring warily at some books and swiveling his ears. Did he detect something? "…Art thou sure we are truly alone?"

Icetales swiveled his own ears, taking his time to listen carefully, before quietly dismissing the notion and looking at some of his notes. Surely his inner self was just being paranoiac…

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa padded lightly through the shelves, her vague wandering almost purely a chance to let her mind settle on the question of what she was even looking for. She'd meant to spend time in the library for pleasure since moving to Destiny Village, but matters had become so serious that all she'd done was study, study, study. Now that she was forcing herself to take some well-deserved time for herself, she had scarce idea what she wanted.

As she went, she heard bickering between a familiar voice, and a new one. She followed the sound, and came across her ninetales friend . . . and a dark doppelganger.

"Icetales. And yer Shadow? Is everythin' alright, partner?"

Brisa didn't extend her claws just yet, but her muscles tensed and a shiver ran down her back as she prepared to burst into explosive combat. If, that was, Icetales should turn out to be Shadowed. He didn't seem distressed...

 

[Cresselia92]

Ah, so they weren’t truly alone! Upon noticing Brisa looking in their direction, Keo’Keo stared back at her and raised his tails in a silent warning. He could sense some small tension between them, which did nothing more than make him even more protective toward Icetales.

And in that moment, the real fox registered a voice that sounded vaguely familiar. Perhaps a bit deeper…

“…Hm?”

…and then, he looked up from his papers. It took him a while to recognize the Luxray, as he had only seen glances of her since she returned among the living, but the color of her pelt was unmistakable. In an instant, his mood brightened.

“Ha! Brisa? It is thou?”

Keo’Keo stared back and forth between his host and Brisa, analyzing the situation. Icetales was fine. Yes, they were… fine.

“We are swell…” he commented at last, before sitting roughly on the floor, still staring.

The real Ninetales noticed the tension on Brisa’s posture and her focus on his Shadow, and his eyes widened subtly. Did she think that Keo’Keo was… a threat?

“Yes, it is as my Shadow says. I am feeling fine. Worry not about yours truly, nor… him,” he said with a reassuring voice, waving his paw dismissively. “We are stable.”

‘For now…’

Brisa… Yes, one of the few folks he couldn’t interact with when he ventured to the Voidlands.

All he found out was that she had some kind of… confrontation, or something like that. He couldn’t even figure out what actually happened that he was forced to abandon the Voidlands. And then, when Starr asked about her…

His heart squeezed.

“…What about thee, though? Art thou swell?” Icetales leaned closer, frowning in concern. “No nightmares or anything like that?”

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa nodded by way of greeting, relaxed her posture, and observed closely as the two foxes spoke. Icetales wasn't exactly relaxed, but he was more or less at ease. That was good enoguh for her. So that meant this Shadow was like Wishkeeper and Sombra, then? What had the Voidlands done to Icetales? ...had he been suffering bad dreams?

"Nightmares? Nah. Been sleepin' better'n I have in ages. Why d'you ask?"

She took a seat near him, marvelling quietly at how she once again had more bulk than him. She didn't much mind that!

 

[Cresselia92]

Icetales narrowed his eyes, trying to look for any potential contrasting telltale. However, he found nothing, and even Keo’Keo seemed surprised.

Was she really feeling alright? Just like that? No mental scars or anything like that?

That was a concept he couldn’t grasp. Just… how?

“Just making sure. This is all.”

However, Keo’Keo decided to tell how his host truly felt, deep down.

“To be exact, we were and still are awfully concerned about you all former deads.”

Icetales winced and looked down. In a very rare occurrence, he couldn’t find any word to say, his mind in disarray as he tried to make a sense out of everything.

“We have been in hell once. When we have been rescued from it, we were broken beyond belief,” continued Keo’Keo with absolute frankness, trying to help Brisa understand why they were so concerned about their sake. “And… we do not want you all to be broken, like we used to be. That is nothing we would desire to anyone.”

Keo’Keo paused to let the words sink in, or to see if his host had anything to say. Nothing, all Icetales did was to nod slightly. The Shadow shrugged.

“But if thou art feeling swell, then we are happy.”

However, the Shadow’s flames started burning with a faint red light, mirroring his host’s state of mind. There was something bothering him for sure, even if even he didn’t know what.

Though, knowing that Brisa felt better despite everything, reassured both foxes somewhat.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Bless this fella. Brisa couldn't help but return his concern with a smile.

"Broken, huh? Pal, bein' dead helped fix me. I was broken before, not after."

She shifted in her seat, to lean her chin on one paw.

"Y'know, before the fight with Joule, I hardly ever did anythin' fer my own sake, 'less I could justify it as useful to the team. It made me goddamn miserable, it left me exhausted, it damn well made me less effective by all account. While I was in the Voidlands, I realised I was killin' myself all this time. After I finally stopped crushin' my own feelings, I understood I had to take time fer myself. Now I'm finally enjoyin' life from time to time. Like now—I'm here lookin' fer some light readin', 'cause I ain't read a good story in months. Don't matter none if it's useful to anyone."

 

[Cresselia92]

Being dead fixed her? Now that was something that Icetales couldn’t get at all.

And yet, for some reason he couldn’t fathom, that worked? Both Cynthian and Brisa actually benefited from being dead. They were… literally reborn anew.

Where was the connection?

‘If what does not kill thee makes thee stronger, then I suppose what does kill thee makes thee a new folk…’

Well, the only way to test that theory would be to die for real. Not that he wanted to test that on his own skin, but he wondered if that would have destroyed his demons at last…

He snapped back to reality when Keo’Keo tapped him, a glare on his face. ‘Dost not get funny ideas,’ he was implicitly saying. An image of Celeste flashed in his mind and he shook his head.

What a preposterous idea!

“Um… Well, it is good that thou have found thy inner peace and some time for thyself, then,” said Icetales as he focused again on Brisa. “I reckon many folks desperately need them.”

Now I'm finally enjoyin' life from time to time. Like now—I'm here lookin' fer some light readin', 'cause I ain't read a good story in months. Don't matter none if it's useful to anyone."

Ah. Now that was something Icetales could relate to. ‘Duty first’ has always been a mantra he followed since he was just a pup, and far too often that resulted in him collapsing from exhaustion and burnout.

Hm. That hadn’t happened as much in recent times.

“Yes, I understand thee. My nature has always been to serve others and help them feel better, so I know well how detrimental it is to just… serve others, yes.” He nodded. “Anyway, if there is something thou wish to read, well… ask away. I visit this library almost daily, so I could help thee fetch something compatible with thy tastes.”

There was a dark growl — Keo’Keo wasn’t amused.

“Pah! What joy. More fans of books.” The Shadow rolled his eyes and glanced at Icetales. “I shall leave this to thee. My focus shall be thinking on ways to hunt down those spies.”

A devilish smirk appeared on his face, with the spectral fox looking a tad too eager. Then, he glanced at the notes about S’more. His flames glowed blue — both foxes were relaxed, even if in differing amounts.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa nodded sadly at Icetales' admission about his service. "I dunno about my nature, but I was certainly raised t'feel a moral duty to always help others. It was good to realise . . . I matter too."

Interesting that Icetales' Shadow was more keen than him to hunt spies. Did the fella harbour hidden feelings about that? Ah, it could wait. She was explicitly here for leisure's sake. If she turned this into more work, Starr might actually kill her.

"I guess I want..." Wait, could she tell Icetales what she was after? ...Yeah, he was trustworthy. "Somethin' romantic. I dog-eared a buncha romance novellas back home, 'cause the selection in town was pretty limited. This library is enormous, though, so surely there's somethin' better."

 

[Cresselia92]

“Romance, hm…”

Icetales tilted his head, a thoughtful expression on his face, and glanced around the library.

“Ah, yes. I recall seeing some titles about love and all those noble sentiments. Mostly plays and, um,” he scratched his ear with a forepaw in mild embarrassment, “some books that have figures and texts called ‘comics.’ Sir Owen knows more about them, from what I have gathered.”

After peering at the shelves for a few more seconds to remind himself the location of the various books, he turned back to Brisa.

Golly! Evolution had truly done wonders to her physique, huh?

“But romance is a broad genre. Dost thou prefer something hopeful and heartwarming, or something tragic?”

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Love was a 'noble sentiment', was it? Oh, boy. This fella probably had a 62-point courtship plan. What would he think of Brisa's courting style? Not that she . . . really had one. Besides her interminable quiet pining, the stuff with Astrid hadn't been premiditated at all, and she hadn't actually tried flirting deliberately with anyone since Cathy... And with Cathy, she'd... Well. She'd gone straight for throat-clamps, hadn't she?

Brisa's ears burned a little. "Somethin' a lil' racy, I guess. Y'know. Excitin'. Probably not yer thing, I know. ...Honestly as long as it ain't got an unhappy endin' and the characters ain't fuckin' useless, I'll take it. And uh."

She stopped holding eye contact, and swished her tail.

"If we're talkin' about the ideal read, it's gotta have a gal who gets with a gal. Or more'n one gal, even."

 

[Cresselia92]

Icetales narrowed his eyes. Racy... exciting... about gals with other gals...

"Hmm... I must confess that I am not much knowledgeable in that kind of romance, but I shall see what we can arrange."

Without another word, he beckoned Brisa to follow him and led the Luxray into another area of the library, not too far from his notes and Keo’Keo (even though he could feel their connection straining, but not breaking).

Once he reached the destination, he checked the various titles. The Ninetales had to suppress a huff — some folks had put the books in the wrong order.

"So, no tragedy. I am not into that kind of play, either. They always leave mine own mouth all bitter and salty."

Dutifully, his eyes darted from a series of books to another, and he ran his tails on the various rows. Finding a missing book was a task worthy of a majordomo with nine tails!

"Howbeit! I recall seeing something feisty in nature, and... ha!"

There it was, just what he was looking for: a mid-sized book depicting a couple of Pokémon with mimetic patterns. Though, he couldn’t quite recognize the species due to being depicted in an almost abstract style. He skimmed through the pages to refresh his memory, before nodding to himself.

"Yes. This might be of thy tastes. I did not go far, but this is a tale about two tribes who are in conflict, and the daughters of the two chiefs... huh, I think they fight each other but then elope? Plenty of action and combats."

He glanced back at Brisa and extended the book with his leftmost tail.

"Fancy a peek?"