Pokémon Wishing Stars: Prophecies Give us Choice

[Gaxatwirl]

After a message from the champion, Mister Tyke and Silk call off the battle, leaving the cave. Silk is the first to go, giving Mini to me,
sending out Nightfall and flying off. She says a lot of things in the air, but she's too far to hear.

Mister Tyke gives us both a gracious bow, but I saw his envious look at the Hydreigon as she flew off. Before he hurries back to his restaurant, Fee asks him about Mini.

"Ah, yes. I was going to take her to the Pokémon Centre." He drops her Poké ball on my hands, bowing yet again like it's a signature catchphrase, and then rushing off. "I trust you to handle her for the time being."

"Hi Mini.", I greet, trying to see if she'll respond to the nickname. I never called her Mini, partly because she's not my Pokémon, but also because there was never a moment where calling her Mini would have made sense. Except for when Silk and I were walking around, looking like irresponsible trainers.

"Mini?" Surprisingly, 'Mini' is something she can say. Minccino does have the letters to make Mini, but Pokémon weirdly only say their names. And make some odd sounds. Bounsweet is the biggest offender of odd sounds. Describing what she does is impossible.

"Do you like Mini as a name?"

"Cincin!" She wiggles her tail excitedly. I place her on top of my head, but it seems she doesn't like heights. Her tail wraps around my eyes as her little nubs lock on my hair. Instead of taking her off my head, I steady her by placing both hands on waist.

It takes her a while, but once she feels safe, her tail raises. "Aww. That's so cute.", Fee comments.

We take her firstly to the Pokémon Centre. Thanks to the fact that we have her Poké ball with us, the lady is able to simply use the machine to heal her up quickly. Luckily, there isn't anything going on with her that would permanently affect her capabilities.

"She'll be good to go within the hour.", the lady says. "Thanks again for bringing all those Pokémon from earlier."

"Just doing my job.", I say, as if I'm a cop.

Fee and I sit down by a bench in the Pokémon Centre and make logistical talk. Which, to some, may sound like small talk. But it's pretty important.

Due to the conditions of the 'deal' I made with Mister Tyke, I unfortunately have no cash and didn't gain any cash from this journey. I mean, I was blessed with ₽100 000 for unknown reasons, given free clothes and 2 free meals, but I don't have cash right now.

Okay, not completely true. I have my personal cash. Within the week that I've done my job, I've amounted ₽6000. I didn't buy any trainer gear, because that would be suspicious, but I did stockpile on some basic needs items and some handy niches. I got a couple of escape ropes and some repels, for just in case I'm in trouble. Dare I state the obvious and say I also ate food, and rented a small place?

In any case, together, we have ₽6000. It's not bad cash, but when you're in Pearl town, it's a different story entirely. So we come to the agreement that we should head off to Celestite town, where I can actually do my job. We also decide that we need to give Professor Zin a call, and we should take the bus to Celestite town. I just hope that the bus fees in Pearl town aren't insane.

"Life in Pearl town is expensive.", Fee complains, despite not contributing any money. "I can feel your judgement."

"Sure. But I didn't say anything yet." And there's also his emotion hacker. Judgement isn't an emotion, I imagine. It's more like a natural reaction when you feel like someone's doing or saying something unjustified. But, I also know, from Fee, that there's not enough words to describe every emotion we feel. So, perhaps only he understands what judgement as an emotion is. You know, judgemental.

"Pearl town… 2nd​ capital. Of Unusium, a while back."

Casually worn in contrast to most of the people in this town, the human is fully dressed in black. A black jacket that also multitasks as a robe and a cape, with a purple splash mark uniquely designed to be like corruption seeping all around. My eyes focus deeply on the splash mark, because it looks like it pulsates slightly. When my eyes lose even the slightest focus, it seems as still as it should be. He has straight red hair that is tied loosely in a ponytail, fluffing out down until his lower back.

"You. Helped Pokémon." He speaks in a slow, hushed manner that feels natural to him. He looks to be rather young, between a young adult and a late teen. Though, I would guess him to be 20 right now. He is thin. His clothes fold over and over and over again from the size toppling that of his own. Yet, he seems more comfortable in it than most people in clothes tailored for them.

"Earlier today.", I reply. He smiles weakly, but sincerely. He looks like the kind of person who's been through a lot. His eyes don't speak much. They lay almost closed at all times, making it difficult to tell if he is present or not. Yet, he has this aura that tells me, he is here.

"Very. Good. Thank you."

"Was one of them yours?"

"Basol. My Absol. Young. Helped me lots."

Ah. So they did have a trainer. Absol. Many people are scared of Absol, because they are a sign of danger incoming. Seeing an Absol, is like seeing the end of something you cherish. And you won't know what until it's too late. But, Basol used their power, at the end, to save the Pokémon around them. If we weren't so scared of Absol, perhaps we could use them as a way to avoid fate?

Before I apologize, he shakes his head. He tells us that he knows Basol did not make it. The police, at least, made sure he knew what happened to his Pokémon. As he explains, slowly, his voice starts sounding familiar. Not a familiar voice, but a well known voice.

"Sorry. I've been. Talking."

He feels bad for being a chatterbox? Fee waves nonchalantly. "Think nothing of it. You sound like you have a lot to say."

The man smiles and nods. He looks over at Fee and then back to me, but his eyes linger on Fee. As if he said something that sounded right, but felt off. He seems to pay the thought no mind, or whatever other thought he had, and continues telling us about Basol.

Basol was the last Pokémon he caught. When something went wrong, Basol was there. His family blamed Basol for it, but he wanted to protect him. So, he ran. With Basol. For a long while. But he couldn't escape from his brother or father. Especially his father. The man did anything to track him and capture him.

Sensing the danger. The man knowing how his father is. They made a difficult choice together. And separated. But the man kept the Poké ball. In hopes. One day, he would be with Basol again.

"But Basol. Helped others. So I can't be sad." He closes his eyes for an eternity, opening them only when it feels like he isn't here anymore. He reaches into his bag for a moment and, with a seemingly perfect understanding of where everything goes, he pulls out a parchment.

He extends it to Fee. "Have it."
Opening the parchment, he sees the first addition of the Prophecy. The one everyone knows about. When he pages over, the rest of the pages seem blank. He looks up to the man, who doesn't react to the confusion. Maybe taking that as a hint, he continues paging, and maybe after 10 pages, the 2nd​ addition of the Prophecy is there. Still, the man doesn't react.

"Thank you."

The man smiles. "I'm sure. It will be helpful. It reveals. In the darkest hour. The cycle is key. To know when light fades."

He bids us farewell, leaving us with some kind of encryption to solve. Just based on the layout of the parchment, one might be able to assume that there's 'verses' between the prophecies, foretelling something else, or explaining the prophecy in greater details. Maybe there's a reason he gave it to Fee?

Fee shrugs before I ask. We retrieve Mini as the hour passes, and begin heading back to the hotel. I keep Mini on the top of my head (and fortunately Treat stays comfortably in the Poké ball). Arriving back at the hotel, no one bothers me about Mini. She even takes the time to rub tails with the other Minccino, but it seems Mister Tyke got some special permission to keep her temporarily. Giving me Mini (in an indirect manner) means she's still under his guidance.

Most important part is that we return to our room. I immediately drop onto the bed, resting my eyes for a short amount of time. Just before I slip into the unconscious world, a gentle tickle from Mini keeps me awake. Unfortunately, I don't laugh.

"You should at least shower before going to sleep.", Fee says.

"Drop your bag so I can read one of your books.", I 'respond', waving my hands as if beckoning him to come closer.

He does drop his bag. He heads into the bathroom, looking over his shoulders briefly just before the door closes. From his gaze, I catch the sense that he is still confused, but when he opens his mouth, he simply chuckles to himself. The door closes behind him.

 

[Gaxatwirl]

It felt like I fell asleep on the clouds. Absolute bliss. Pure comfort. The embodiment of all my good luck culminating to make such a peaceful night, that the day before almost felt worth it.

Key word: Almost.

Waking up, my hand still being held captive by the adorable sea lion, as if she is holding onto her favourite toy tightly or a special gift she cannot afford to let go, I open my eyes and try to get some kind of recollection of why I feel so off. I'm not tipsy, I think. Just a little fuzzy. A bit of a headache. And I'm illegally hungry.

Without moving my captive hand, I get up, scanning around the room with hazy eyes. Still the same. Teeviy is curled up next to Fee, and Fee is sleeping very professionally-like. On back, with head resting on the pillow, and fully covered in blankets and not occupying an inch of space on my side of the bed.

I don't move much in my sleep, and I've been known to be a very 'graceful' sleeper, but Fee is just a different animal. He isn't even sleeping like a mummy (which is something I apparently do). Just the picture perfect comfort.

Mini is still resting with her tail gently placed on the edge of Teeviy's tail. I've seen the Minccino compare their tails, seemingly taking pride in having softer tails than their relatives, but I think Mini shows most of her appreciation and motives through her tail.

Debating between lying in bed for an unspecified amount of time, just being stuck in my thoughts, or actually getting up and preparing for the journey, I paralyse in bed. Not exactly thinking. That is, until I notice that I'm not exactly thinking. Then all I can do is think.

Think about the past 3 weeks. Not even. Less than 3 weeks after the ban, everything just kept happening and happening. To be fair, due to the prophecy, a lot was bound to happen this year and next year. Nothing might happen next year, depending on when the world is supposed to end.

The prophecy. A strange feeling is telling me that it's about to be a whole complicated mess.

Treat awakes groggily, pushing lightly against my hand as she shuffles on the bed. I notice a small puddle beneath her as she moves, and I only hope it isn't an indicator of potty-training being required. She's water type. They just do those kind of things. Right?

I pinch her nose as I get out of bed (unfortunately no clown sound), and she bwarks softly in return. For a Pokémon, she sure doesn't like saying her name. Which makes more sense to me. Imagine every human just randomly cried out 'human', or an Orc would say 'Orc-orc'. Trauma right there.

I rob her from the comfort of the bed, walking to the bathroom and placing her in the tub. She runs the bathroom tap by slapping it with her tail, seemingly trying to create faster bubbles from the flowing water. Is this her desire to train or is it just fun for her to do?

Nonetheless, I do my bathroom duties, folding my expensive dress neatly and, with great awareness of how I'm going to place the rest of my items, place the dress in my bag. I also place my other boots in there, the gloves and the lace headband, making a slight mix-match of the 2 clothes (currently wearing my original, plain black dress with the newly acquired white boots). Of course, there's still my shirt, my shorts and my skirt, but I don't feel like freezing.

I passively check my hair, and to the surprise of no-one, it didn't magically maintain its braiding. I'll need the assistance of Silk in order to have the nice hairstyle again. I also need the assistance of Silk in order to become a Pokémon trainer, and I also need to return Mister Tyke's Minccino. Then, it's the return to Celestite town and the return to my job. I can finally get paid again.

Technically I shouldn't be getting paid, and I didn't have any of the qualifications to actually get the job. My situation was a little unique in that manner. In my 'resume', it had some technical truths, and a bit of stretches for the imagination. The big selling point is that I 'assisted' Professor Zin part time.

It's not a lie. I did help out Professor Zin numerous times in the past. Especially after becoming friends with Fee. I would help out with some Pokémon research, seeing how certain Pokémon interacted with children, how strong a Pokémon attack is against the Spell Protect (within reason), and even experimenting with older models of the Pokédex.

But I wouldn't say I actually worked as his assistant. Ever. Sometimes I was a niche help or I could do something pretty well. The only times I really helped was with my Identify Spell, which the Professor recommended I keep the description of Identify as vague as possible when telling other people about it. It's seriously good, and there's no Spell that I know of that comes close to the analytical capabilities of my variation of Identify.

Strangely, I never learnt the Spell. It's just one that I knew. I saw the name in the old Spell book I found, but it took me no time to learn how to cast it. I just tried the incantation (which strengthen the effect of spells. While it is usually spoken words, the thought of the spell is an important part in the casting process) and the somatic (usually known as specific body movement. Identify requires you to close your eyes, breathe, and then open them in an exaggerated manner), and I didn't even have materials (which is usually to lengthen the duration of the spell, and not for the actual casting of it. Also used when up-casting the spell, for safety, or when you don't have enough energy for the spell).

Then there's my education. Listed as 'taught by Professor Zin' is borderline cheating. I was taught by him, but not much and not often. Still, it's a somewhat valid source that shows that I'm not entirely incompetent. Then there's also the fact that academies are still somewhat of a luxury status.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think schools are job-training and more practical while academies are career-guiding and more theoretical. There's only 4 academies across all of Dynacriep, which is not bad, considering how small the region is, but it still shows the luxury of it. Dynacriep, also holding the most popular Pokémon entertainment, is an economic boon I'm sure none of the surrounding regions were expecting.

That's what got me the job. In training. Because, though being a Pokémon Professor's assistance is not bad, it isn't exactly aligned with detective and investigative work. So while training with them, I get paid in a job-to-job instead of by wages or by salaries, so I can survive.

A trade I'll take any day. And, surprisingly, my job is interesting. Doing detective work sometimes means going through hundreds of hundreds of articles, searching meticulously for small details, or doing other mentally under-stimulating tasks. But I haven't been assigned to one of those yet, and I apparently won't for a long time. When the papers hit the desk, I might struggle to actually do my job.

"Bwark!"

The water streamlines only about a couple of centimetres as a bubble beam is shot out. Treat flops down and lies on her stomach in exhaustion. I turn the tap off and pass her a towel. Before it lands on her, though, she slaps it with her tail, causing it to briefly stay in the air longer before still covering her entire body. She waddles around with the towel in the tub.

I dry her and put the towel back where it belongs. She soaks my hair the moment I place her on my head, and I have to spend some time drying it again. Only Mini will be allowed on my head from now on. Placing her back on the floor, I finish off by parting the curtains and allowing some sunlight to come through.

It's weak sunlight, faded still because there's too much time being spent on the other side of the planet and not here. An overcast grey and white filter the sky, making the suggestion of the cold days even more apparent. Looking down to the floor, I see now that the street is blanketed in a thin layer of white. Footprints can be seen, though only enough that you'd need your toes and fingers to count them, and them maybe use your toes and fingers again to reach how much of them there are in a couple of blocks.

I leave the bathroom and stand by the edge of the balcony, holding Treat closely to my chest. Seeing the nightlife fade and the astounding realism on the street face, though not dragged to depression, but to a calm that is never appreciated, I remember that today is the last day I'm here. I didn't prosper. I survived.

It takes maybe an hour or more before Fee wakes up. Teeviy and Mini are soon to rouse as well. We pack our things, allow our Pokémon to eat their food, grab some snacks from the fridge to eat, and tidy up the room a little bit. Checking for our items one last time, we make away and head to the reception.

We hand over the keys, bid the receptionists and other Minccino farewell, and head off onto the streets. My day to day work is about to begin.

 

[Gaxatwirl]

Mini is the only Pokémon now allowed to stay on my head. Even when Treat bwarks and blows bubbles at my hair, I don't put her on my head.

I mean, besides the fact that Type: Null would crush me under their weight, and Treat is always making my hair go from mopey to a literal mop, Mini also brushes my hair. She grabs part of my hair, brushes it, and then continues as far as she can without falling off. I'm not sure if she holds some of my hair as a safety cord, but I won't have to wonder about that much longer.

We appear in front of Blessed Luxuries. Closed, but staff members are moving around. Not hectically, but with purpose that we usually don't show because most of our days are empty, even with all the meaning they carried. The excitement. The anticipation. Maybe some realizations that shouldn't have been made. Or were made too soon or too late.

I should just be glad that I got to be with Mini for a bit longer.

Fee tilts his head towards the doors as he points with his thumb. I step forward, and what should be a seamless transition from the colder outside to the warmer indoors is jitters. The doors slowly swing open, my hand still being on it when the eyes of all the staff shift briskly to my direction. I pause, as if I immediately failed to sneak in.

"Mi-nccino belongs to Mister Tyke." I point towards the girl on top of my head. I feel a slight tug that pulls back.

They look towards each other before one of them is able to produce a piece of paper from their pocket. A gentleman elf with slicked back blond hair similar to that of Mister Tyke's that helped Fee dress up. He's eyes scan the both of us, but then lock onto Mini.

"Mini?"

His head tilts slightly as he moves back briefly. Handing me the letter, he gives a bow, much like Mister Tyke, but to a much deeper degree. He keeps his back bent for too long, to the point where I feel like he is waiting for us to say 'rise' or 'you can stop now'.

I walk closer to Fee and open up the letter. After a bit of internal reading, Fee waves his hand up as if feeling the weight of something. I shake my head. He opens his mouth while pointing to it, and then lips out nothing. I shrug, looking at the elf who is still bowing.

Passing Fee the note, he clears his voice. "Greetings miss Elcea. Mr Fetrea too. If you are getting this message, then the next we meet will likely be far. I used Transcribe Text in order to send this letter. The league has been given the opportunity to officially issue out trainer cards or trainer-to-be cards.

This letter has a trainer-to-be card, and while I was previously assigned to give Fetrea mines, I will have to pass it to Elcea. Please sign it and head to Celestite town. You'll get more details there."

I circle the bottom of the message, but Fee shakes his head. Before I continue to emphasis the very obvious sentences he isn't reading, the elf clears his throat. Fee catches this, but neither of us know what he means by that. I take the letter from Fee.

We dismiss ourselves, mostly because our presence is very much not needed. The waiters and waitresses give the look of being very polite, ignoring our presence in order to continue setting up, or being pleasantly surprised by us being here. But they're the exceptions. Lost children are generally not very nice to be around. As both the lost child and the person around the lost, I know.

"You just get to keep Mini?", Fee asks.

The letter had additional text, but it seems some camouflage was put on in order to stop other people from reading the message. Whether Fee isn't supposed to know the hidden text as well isn't specified. And something tells me Fee knows now about the hidden message.

"I need to work a lot for her.", I say, taking her off my head. "But for now, we'll be able to compete in battles together. Are you ready to strut your stuff, Mini?"

"Min-min!"

"Bwark bwark!"

"You too Treat. Together, we're trainers in training."

Fee smiles, pointing towards the letter. "Take out your trainer card. I wanna see it."

I feel around the letter, noticing something strapped onto the back, with sellotape keeping it attached to the letter. Imagine using magic to conceal parts of the text but not the actual trainer card.

I slide it out, taking a long look at the card. It's about the size of any other license, made of some kind of metal or hard plastic, and has a shine to it that's impossible to ignore. It's orange, with a blue-purple frame going around it. The blue-purple gradient frame is shaped like round sweets, but I know better than biting the edges of my card. The card is also subtly citrus, which is a unique, but nice, smell for it.

There's no picture of me, but there's a rounded frame to the side suggesting the image of the 'trainer' in possession of it. It doesn't have my name either, nor my current cash or any other personal details. My title here, though, is Rookie. Standard, but I don't think that has been a trainer class before. Much better than 'trainer-to-be'. It also has space for the stickers of the passes. The minor league pass and the major league pass. Mines are obviously blank.

Then there's 18 slots for the different badges. We only have 14 gym leaders per season, but because the gym leaders can shuffle based on performance (especially during the tourney), each slot is allocated to a gym leader's specific badge. The badges are alphabetically placed according to the type. So Bug is the 1st​ type, with the badge being the Morphing badge.

"I'm sure it'll look better when it has all your details."

I nod, pocketing it. Wondering around town is pretty easy, with the streets being the most cleared it has been in a while. Of course, there's still the early elves and sometimes earlier humans who walk around with more purpose than Fee and I can manage. Fee managed to repair his jersey, but even with his not bloodied sleeves, the chill still gets to him.

We make effort to direct ourselves south of the town, and eventually we know we are heading the right way. Through the pleasure district, into the residential district where I purposely take a street that I haven't been in before, and eventually we get into the industrial district. If you are wondering why business takes place at the edge of town, I can't tell you.

The buildings harmoniously morph to be taller and more squarish as we get closer and closer to the edge. A 30 minute walk has never felt so easy to accomplish, and through the times of pretending to be paying attention to where we're going, to Fee pointing out specific landmarks he thought could help, we eventually happened upon a bus stop that seems to lead out of town.

A few people stand near the bus stop in anticipation. At 1st​ I want to leave because I see people dressed in suits and assumed they are going to work, and while some could, this is the 'casual' attire of Pearl town. Everything here has to have some level of grace, and each person must carry their own poise. Unfortunately, I don't carry poise, and Fee doesn't have grace unless asleep.

Having nothing to do but wait, my eyes indiscriminately land onto each person waiting for the bus. A gnomish elf, I guess, with a blue jacket and a simple tie. Wearing blue jeans and a yellow golf-shirt, they get about as close as it gets to casual clothes. They have a golden watch and keeping looking down at it. When their eyes land on someone looking at them, they seem to drop eye-contact quickly.

They have straight hair that curtains to one side, covering one of their eyes. It's neither long nor short, reaching the end of their neck. It also has this gradient effect, changing from blackish to a streak of blondish white. Surprisingly, it looks natural on them. When they look up to me for the 3rd​ time, I realize I may have been staring too long. I give a wave, with my blank face being oh-so-inviting. They avert their eyes.

Fee closes the gap between us, now looking my direction. "Is she someone you're worried about?"

I shake my head. But as I do, I do catch their blond hair to be weirdly concerning. And they also look hesitant. Fee doesn't seem to be getting a bad vibe from them, but we also have a decent amount of distance between everyone here. Some are seated, while others stand close to the bus sign as if reserving a seat.

The bus arrives without further delay. I return Treat and Mini into their Poké balls, and after Fee, enter into the bus, seating as close to the front as possible. I wouldn't seat in the front, but because Fee chose the seat first, I have to look like a good school kid now.

Back to Celestite town. It's time to be a Pokémon trainer. It's time to be what I want to be.

 

[Gaxatwirl]

The 1st​ thing that really clicked after coming back to the office is that I missed this place.

The building is simple, really. Very akin to a police station with only a few differences. Still sharing the typically green-top for easy identification, it just also gives off a more friendly vibe. Which, I suppose, makes sense. We take smaller, simpler requests, and the really serious ones that don't require much detective work goes straight to the police.

It's tiled from start to end, which East tells me is better flooring for evidence to not be lost. There's only 1 camera, at the corner, and a couple of book shelves that line the walls. The windows have no curtains or blinds to cover them, except the big window that most people peek into before entering inside. When they do peek, they might first see the bowl of free sweets standing on a podium near the bathrooms.

The walls contain maps of the different areas, and then one huge map. There's no particular map of the town anywhere else, so some people visit just to know roughly where they are. It also helps if you don't have a Pokédex or map index, because we essentially have a map to every location.

The lights, emitting from lanterns and circular ceiling lights, emit a calming blue. Supposedly, it helps subtly with keeping the people safe, even after a stressful situation had just occurred. The Police Stations do the same, and they also have rooms specialized to do the exact opposite.

For example, interrogation rooms. I've seen them done a bit different in terms of lighting, but a darker room with white walls and white tiles is standard. Here, we don't really use them unless we have a petty-crime suspect. East tells me that they will keep a potential suspect locked in here until the police arrive.

For real investigations, the police and investigators have to work well together. We'll slightly different from Detectives in that we aren't really supposed to be dealing with Humanoid suspects. When thievery of something important, forgery or something like murder is involved, we have to take a bigger step back.

We do have a Detective in the office, by the way. We report to him when we suspect that it's a more serious case than we first realized. That really can't happen unless the victims of the case somehow don't realize how dangerous or serious the situation has become.

"Rookie trainer, huh? You deserve it, after everything you did for Pearl town's residence." Our resident Detective, and leader of the investigative force for the branch of South-Western Dynacriep, is Eastional Lavender.

He hands me my trainer card, updated with all my information and a full body picture. I went with a simple pose, having an outstretched arm and a bent arm by my face that holds the Poké ball of Treat.

"Thank you sir."

"Since when do you bow?" Eastional, preferring East, is pale skinned, to the verge of white. It's almost as if no blood circulates through him. He has fuzzy straight hair that is dyed red, but most people won't see that underneath his hoodie. He likes to wear the hood even when indoors. His pants have a blue flame design that transition nicely from the red. Both the hood and the flames are tailored to his liking, and not usually the Executive Investigator outfits.

"Force of habit.", I reply, looking towards Fee. I point at East. "This is my boss, East. He's weird but great to be around."

"That's how you introduce your boss?", Fee asks, taking his time as he looks around the area. His eyes draw back to East, and he tries to hide his nerves with a smile. The smile does not do a good job.

"That's what I'm asking.", East teases, letting a sharp tooth show. "Anyhow, I have to thank you for doing the job of the police. You shouldn't have, but since Mister Tyke asked you too, there's no fault on you. I also heard you'll be continuing with the case, so I'll help you out."

Now that's surprising to hear. "Why is that?"

He laughs. "I'm your senior. No shot you're getting all the fun on your own."

"Isn't my blood enough?"

"That's more of a bonus."

Fee looks at both of us, confusion emitting from his eyes like warning lights. Before he can mutter anything, East claws his fingers together and shows his sharp teeth. Placing a finger on both, he reveals his purplish-red blood, and then licks both fingers. Somehow, the wounds close in a matter of seconds.

With a gaping mouth, fear ringed subtly in his voice, but just enough that East is likely to catch, Fee asks, "You're a Vampire?"

East leaps into the air, and small wings sprout from the back of his brown coat. They make his fall slower, but he doesn't fly, if he is able to. "Nah, Dhampir kid. Which, by the way, is way cooler."

He lands next to Fee, causing visible chills to run down his spine. East seems to be enjoying the little fright he offers just by existing. "It's fine to be scared, really.", he says, patting Fee on the shoulder. Getting really close to his neck, he begins whispering.

"All the folktales have a little truth to them."

"Stop messing with him."

East backs away from the now petrified Fee. It takes a good minute or 2 of trying to calm Fee down. With the help of Mini, he's able to release his tension and get back to a roughly normal state. Vampires are very popular folktale villains, along with goblins.

The difference is that while goblins are stupid and rough (by stereotypes), Vampires are cunning and deceptive, and have unnatural abilities that make them near impossible to kill. Regeneration, metamorphosis, invisibility, super strength. You name it.

"Sorry, sorry.", he falsely apologizes. "Just having some fun."

Fee scratches his head. "No, its fine. I shouldn't have reacted like that."

East smiles. "At least you know. I didn't choose to be a Dhampir. But then again, no one chooses to be alive."

Its weird that East can say all of that, which would be an sensitive subject for most people, with a fake smile upon his face that reveals more than if he was to be honest. His words strike Fee sharply. He mutters another 'sorry'.

"Don't worry kid. Ignorance does you dirty." East grabs my arm, feeling out where my veins are. He points close to my wrist, but I shake my head, telling him that I recently had a lot of blood lost. He sighs, but backs away.

"Still need blood, for starters. Usually I struggle with that one quite a bit. Only a few people are willing to 'donate' blood. My princess, her sister, and her knight in dark magic. Now Elcea as well."

He speaks rarely of his 'princess'. A girl who's apparently easy to be exiled from places due to how she looks. But, she's also cute, so he says. Hard to not notice her bubbly nature and her deceptive smile.

The princess' sister is also his greatest ally. He talks about her the most, though if he wasn't so trusting of me, I wouldn't have realized that. He actually speaks about her more than most people would realize. He respects her privacy though, keeping her name, like the others, anonymous, and describing her actions in far less details than the others.

The knight in dark magic is a strong kid that the princess has taken a big liking to. He was alone for a long time, so they are unsure as to how he got so strong. His magic seems aligned with his emotions, but he is nervous and shy at most times. He doesn't wear dark clothing, use dark magic, or have a dark personality, but East thinks there's a lot of dark potential in him.

"Dragonborns and Kobolds apparently came from a mating with older, primordial dragons and humans. But, because that must have been eons ago, they aren't attacked much. And, in any case, they can mate with each other and it's still Dragonborns or Kobolds being made.

Vampires and Dhampirs are a more recent thing. Maybe 1000 years, max." Dhampirs are especially rare. Vampires aren't a race that would be allowed to wander freely about, but supposedly there's a small collection of Vampires in Unusium. That's what East thinks as well.

"After stupid or genius humans mated with their bat friends, a race defying the law of strength came to be. Humans mating with said race made Dhampirs, but because Vampires are already under exile by existing, no matter what they do, Dhampirs are especially rare to come by, and have no rules against them. Thus, me."

He didn't have this whole speech with me. Not a lot of people even come to assume he's a Vampire, but have a sneaking suspicion that something is off about him. Maybe, because I brought Fee, he trusted that he could remove some bias from him. Or, perhaps, he simply felt like talking a lot today.

East lets out another smile. "And to be honest, I like me a lot."

 

[Gaxatwirl]

Sorry I disappeared last week. Nothing in particular was happening, I just despawned. I'll try to make that not happen again.