farawayplace | You heard of April Fools, get ready for-

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!event,
mingle post

You heard of April Fools, get ready for-

The reverse of that.

*image vaguely related

Silly white lies? No, none of that will be coming out of anyone's mouths today. Instead, anyone you meet and talk to you be shocked to realize you're incapable of lying. Staying silent may be an option--or is it? For whatever reason, it's really hard to keep your words in today.

You just might be spouting the first thing that comes out of your mind!

What another, peaceful day in Ultern it is!

...what do you mean that it's not? Well, things have been mostly peaceful for a while anyway. Some chaos is always in order! (Apologies to any Domeists in our midst).

(🌺You thought there'd be no April Fools event?! Surprise! It's true, this is reverse-April Fools. Please enjoy, and don't forget about the OOC plotting post!🌺)

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[Alice winces. She shakes her head and steps forward.]

No, I'm sorry. Even if they thought they were helping, it must have made things worse.

[She goes into her bag again, but this time for a Poké Ball, letting out a Sandslash with spines made of fire. Flamesplash looks up at them in worry, and Alice pets her, unharmed by the flames.]

Randomizers change things around. Pokémon, humans. There are more complex models now, made by other people who took my dad's research, but even the original was big enough to change appearances, distribution, moves, and abilities when it rewound time and rearranged the world. I think most of the people here assume that my Pokémon are regional forms they haven't seen. Not that the fact that we're randomized is really a secret, but I don't like getting into the why of it. I didn't think you'd all understand it.

...But thanks, X.

It's okay--I mean, it isn't, but both my friends, and Grace took care of me. Grace is one of my friend's Mom.

[He felt compelled to add. Peeking back up from Kanga, he looked as Alice began to pet her peculiar looking Sandslash. He wasn't used to seeing regional variants still, but Flamesplash admittedly made him think about it.]

...you're right that it would be hard to wrap our minds around it. Especially given that a lot of people wouldn't be familiar, but...since we're both here, I can try. It may take some time, given that there's still a lot I haven't experienced but I don't like seeing you upset. You've been nice to me and I like to think of you as a friend.

Edited (I forgot to change my icon before hitting send h) 2023-04-04 15:37 (UTC)

Thanks. I hope it's not too much trouble. Dome knows things have been enough of a mess already. I've told a good number of people about the Randomizer. Just not where it came from or why. I guess I wondered if it happened to anyone else. Glad it hasn't so far, given the instability inherent in the modifications even in the later models.

Though I would say I have a lot of things I could try to explain. Just let me know what you want to ask.

I don't think I'm that great at talking to others like some of my friends, but I can listen. I've done that a lot, in the past.

[He'll nod while Alice explained a little about the Randomizer.]

I think I get an idea what a Randomizer is given what you told me but it sounds like there's a limit to what it can do. So...is it okay if I ask? Do you know what your Dad is like? Do you hate him- ah, no. That's not it. How do you feel about him?

["Where do they go, Dad?"

"That's a secret. But don't worry, they're happy there."]

...I know he made a lot of people hate him. And by the end, when he knew he couldn't win, he tried to make me hate him, too.

["You'd better... oh, forget it. Goodbye, Alice."

The bomb beeping, then letting out nothing but smoke and falling harmlessly off of her.]

But I don't think I ever did. Don't get me wrong, he was a real b a start. He hurt a lot of people. A lot of them are my friends. But... I don't know. I should have hated him, but I never did.

I think I understand, at least a little bit. I mean, I don't really hate my own parents even if what they chose to runaway ran than face me.

[But...to have to face against your own parent, who you couldn't even hate...]

It had to have been scary knowing that he did all those things for your sake. I don't know what I would have done in your shoes...I might have never left my room altogether.

I made mistakes, too. In the end, even after we'd fought, I fell for what he had to say and let him use me. Someone else had to save the world from there. But... I guess it's hard to see outside of personal bias, even when you call yourself a scientist.

You're a kind person, you know that?

I'm sorry Alice. I know apologizing won't fix it, but I know what it's like to be hurt like that. I've let my own anger get in the way too, and getting others hurt.

[He's frowning at Alice's comment.]

Not really, or...I don't feel like I am. My friend, Tierno is far kinder than I am. I think it's just easier for me to understand others now, because I was able to go outside and meet a lot of people. People like Emma, who's been hurt for all of her life or someone like Ash who seems like he won't ever stop, no matter what goes his way. Also, you. You were nice to me too. Despite what you had to face, you could have just...not reached out to me. You could have just ignored me, but you sat down and spoke to me. Even gave me that meal once--even though it was hard to eat, but it made me happy that you thought about me anyway.

[Alice winces at the comment about her cooking. It's true... But she smiles anyway at the rest.]

Of course. You were there, and I didn't see why not. ...Sorry about the food. Cooking's never been my strong suit.

[Probably true of every TPP protag, given that it is a universal truth that if there is a cooking minigame, a host will fail it. Tulio's idea of a sandwich was one piece of lunch meat.]

I should be saying I'm sorry to you. It sounds like you've been through a lot back home, and not just your parents, huh...

[At the wince, he gave an apologetic look.]

It's okay, I don't think I could do any better myself. I never cooked before. My friend's Mom always did.

[X shook his head.]

It's okay, I wasn't alone in all of that. My friends and Pokemon were all there. What about you Alice? I...I hope that you didn't have to go through what you had, by yourself.

Oh, no! I had my Pokémon, and Camila, and I checked in with Teala at every stop, and -- well, I wouldn't call the Voices traditional company, but they were definitely there, at least for the journey part of it...

[At Alice's reassurance he felt relieved. It was good knowing Alice wasn't alone and he had questions like-]

Is Teala a friend of yours? And what do you mean by "Voices"?

She's... You know what, come to think of it, I'm not exactly sure what our relationship is? I know dating somebody would be exceedingly complicated, but some of the others manage it well enough.

[But the other question comes up, and Alice's immediate thought comes out.]

Oh, no. I mean, not that it's something bad! It's just that that's a whole other can of Orthworms, and I've already told you enough without having to burden you with the whole thing about how there's a disembodied hivemind from another world travelling through spacetime that possesses people and directs them to save wherever they are in exchange for leading them to glory? Usually becoming Champion, at least statistically. But then again, it would explain why I start acting strangely even now that they're gone, and you might be wondering about that, but then again again, maybe it's concerning? And I'd rather not be concerning.

Oh...I think I get it. That's a bit like how I feel about Y, I think. I'm not really sure, since we've been friends for so long...maybe "family" is closer to what I'm thinking about.

[X slowly shook his head.]

I...was curious because I thought maybe a Legendary Pokemon spoke to you before too, but that's different from what I was thinking. I don't know how I could handle having multiple voices speaking at me at once, instead of one clear one. So even with those "voices" are gone, are you saying there's still an after effect left in your mind? If you don't want to talk about that, that's fine too...

[He paused, looking over Alice for a moment.]

What's wrong with having someone concerned about you? I...I learned that it isn't a bad thing. It's because they care about you, and want you to be happy.

It's just that I have it easier than other people, I've always felt. And if I talked about my problems, I'd be selfish -- especially when it came to Dad. Everyone I met early on was someone he'd really hurt. So I suppose I just thought it was best to hold back.

[She thinks for a second about his other question.]

Yes, something like that. Residual commands. It's been a long time, and it's not like they're still here, but on occasion I'll still walk into a wall or fall off a ledge or my voice will sound weird -- I'm sure you've heard it just now. They say "the silence never returns," and that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it's true. You're never like you were after you've been a host.

Alice...

[Even if X was at times stoic, and seemingly calm he wasn't expressionless. There's a look of sympathy.]

It's not about having it easier or not. I think...I think that would just worry your friends more. They would want you to talk about what's bothering you. I know talking won't exactly change everything, but closing yourself off and looking away won't take away your pain.

[This was of course, spoken from experience. At Alice's further explanation about the "Voices" he gave a nod.]

I've noticed a few times, but I hadn't pointed it out. You were, are nice to me. ...but if it gets too much, what do you do? The voices I mean. I think I'd try anything for things to go quiet again, but maybe it's different if you're used to it.

[She relaxes and shakes her head gently.]

You wouldn't be the only one who's felt that way. Sometimes I miss them being around. Other times I wish I didn't still hear an echo here and there when I know they've moved on. In general, if it's too much, I try to just stop until it quiets down.

At least I don't have to listen to them all the time now, like when i was a host. I don't even know if they know what they're doing sometimes, even if you can't doubt their track record from observation. The legend is true -- they will direct their host to save their home -- town, region, world, what have you -- and they do, usually, lead the host to glory in return. The stories say they make them Champion, though that hasn't always been the case. But there's a lot of stumbling along the way.

Hm...if there's multiple of them, trying to control one person there's bound to be chaos then. We were lucky. We only had one voice who reached out to us--and it had been Xerneas, one of the Legendary Pokemon. Of course our time with Xerneas had been brief, and not long for it to have a lasting effect on us.

...anyway. Did they lead you to become a Champion as a "host"? Or did they work with you to stop your Dad...?

Cover? You spoke with Cover -- Xerneas? What was that like? --oh, right, I should answer your question first.

[She adjusts her hat and nods.]

All of the above. Though I was only Champion for a short while, and I wasn't the one who finally stopped him in the end.

[That'd been Ao or Four, whichever you counted. Both, like Alice, people who weren't supposed to exist in the old world. Maybe that was fitting.]

But we laid enough of a foundation that the next host could finish what we started, and managed to integrate ourselves into the world even when it went back to normal. Which took a great deal of effort, I won't lie -- of course, not that I could, all things considered...

Cover? Is that the name that was given to Xerneas? ...sorry I'm not trying to add more questions.

[He'll stop (or tries his best to, anyway) to listen to Alice's explanations. There's a nod from X, to indicate he understood what she said to him.]

I think I get it. It was a team effort for us to put a stop to Team Flare back in Kalos. I was just about to go back to a normal life too...before ending up here. I don't know how hard it will be for me...but maybe it won't be so bad if my friends are there.

[He'll sigh, and go back to the topic of Xerneas.]

Xerxer, Xerneas' voice was very clear. It was Xerxer that drew me back out to the world that I almost shut myself out from again. Xerxer told me to be courageous, to step forward and connect with others...I wonder if they knew I would end far away from Kalos, after everything was said and done.

It's the name we call it where I'm from. We believe that's just one of its forms. But that aside...

[She nods as X explains his own experiences.]

It's hard to say what they know. It has to have been hard, even if it was worth it to save everyone and to connect with all your friends. I wish I had all the answers, but that's science. A constant state of discovery. But I'm glad, X. It sounds like your friends were right to put their faith in you.

One of it's forms...?

[That made him think for a moment.]

I remember it took on a form of a tree when I first saw it, outside of Vaniville. It was recovering from using so much of their power against Yveltal but I assume that's not what you meant by Xerxer having more than one form.

[X lightly shook his head.]

That's okay. There's still a lot of things I don't know either. I would be lying if I said it hadn't been hard to put my trust in my friends again, or with my Pokemon but...I'm glad that they kept reaching out to me, and trusted me. That's why I was able to do the same and trust them too.

Thank you, X. I'm glad to have someone like you around. You're a good friend, you know that? Regardless of how intimidating it might be to reach out, I think it must have worked out well.

Thanks, Alice... remember you can reach out to me too.

[There's a bit of hesitation on his part, but really given what's going around he couldn't exactly keep his words in.]

We're friends too aren't we?

Of course! I'd certainly classify us that way. You've been nothing but friendly for some time, and I do like having you around. I'm glad to hear it from you.

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closedbond - 2023-04-21 18:40 (UTC) - Expand

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