eliteicisms

[eliteicisms]

  Why does it feel like his job is about to get tedious today?

[eliteicisms]

  ... Maybe he wasn't as prepared to answer this person's questions as he'd thought. He couldn't begin to say what region 'Altabury' was in ( if such a place even existed ). The idea of someone waking up in the forest a long ways from home is a particularly worrying notion on top of everything, but that statement alone clues Bede in on one important detail; this man was very likely not the kind of visitor he'd suspected.

  What a headache. At least the other's question brought to light a better idea of what an 'elda' was, though that in itself came with another slew of questions. Bede exhales quietly, nodding in agreement with at least one thing:

"A private place to speak isn't a half-bad idea. You've found yourself in Ballonlea, and I can only suspect by context that you won't have heard of it. I can fill you in on what I know, but I can't promise you that you'll like the answers. First things first, I suppose..."

  Bede casts a glance around in the direction of the town's humble assortment of eateries. It would be a simple thing to get a private booth at any one of them. He'd just have to hope that whoever this is isn't a picky eater.

"Come on, then. Restaurants are this way, and I can ensure we get a spot where we won't be eavesdropped on. I don't suppose you have any sort of food preference?"

Well that was . . . easier than expected. Perhaps despite their apparent past time, these elda were the passive sort. At the very least this meant the paripus may be on the fast track to getting home.

❝Good.❞ Though he relaxed his stance, one hand coming to rest on his hip, the paripus remained on guard as usual. ❝Fer starters, where the hell am I? All 've seen since I woke up 'n tha' forest are eldas, an' 'ere I though' you lot were s'posed ta be rare or some shite. But most importantly, how do I get back ta Altabury from here?❞

While he had many more questions, Fidelio felt this was at least a good starting point. Unfortunately he had to simply assume the other wasn't lying about his status, and that despite the deer in the headlights look he was receiving, he'd be knowledgeable enough to answer Fidelio's questions.

❝. . . An' maybe we could talk somewhere more private.❞ The paripus' tail flicked anxiously behind him. After all, the stranger had home field advantage. If he were to call for help, Fidelio would find himself more than a little outnumbered, and he still wasn't sure how well his igniter would work in this place.

❝. . . Maybe over a meal er somethin'.❞ It now dawned on him that he hadn't eaten since he'd awoken in this place, and being unfamiliar with the fauna, he wasn't exactly ready to take a risk of eating anything he'd found in the forest.

[eliteicisms]

  It hadn't necessarily been his intention to bother a shop that was on the cusp of closing up; ordinarily he'd avoid walking in within fifteen minutes before. However, there are times where exceptions must be made, and as a pair of young trainers run past the door without noticing him inside, Bede can at least appreciate that the lone worker didn't seem upset.

  Bede waits a couple seconds to ensure the pursuing trainers didn't double back around before addressing the person in front of him, prefacing his response with a small sigh.

"I hope you can pardon the intrusion. I had been meaning to give this place a look, though I'd hoped it would have been during reasonable hours."

  Though the gym leader's tone is tinged with irritation, it's clear that the sentiment is not directed at Oliver. Lowering himself into a chair, he casts a quick glance over at the display case. Right. If he's going to hide away in here, he may as well buy something ( after all that running, he's overdue for a pick-me-up anyways ).

"If you've got anything citrus flavored you haven't already packed away, that would do nicely. I don't intend to hold you up for long."

@eliteicisms

This time of year was always the worst for the pâtissier. On top of the usual bustle the city's gym brought in, orders for chocolates and custom pastries for the upcoming holiday were unending. Sure, Oliver loved his job, and he couldn't complain about the extra income, but he'd be up for the next week just trying to get everything done in time.

Not that he'd ever let any of that show of course.

It was with his usual smile that he waved out the final of the day's patrons out the door. The rose haired man was stuck closing the shop alone as Mally had . . . something going on tonight, he really couldn't recall. He was just grateful for his team who were already helping with the clean-up process. . . . Though some were definitely proving to be of more help than others.

He'd just been about to make his way around the counter and head for the door himself to lock up, when Oliver noticed a silhouette approaching the door. Fuck. So much for closing on time.

Returning the key's to his pocket, Oliver leaned against the glass of the display case, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as the familiar chime of a bell ushered in the latest arrival, one he'd seen many times on the screens that littered the walls of the shop.

❝Welcome to Sweet Mistakes~! It's always an honor to have our very own gym leader stop by.❞

As if to accentuate his greeting, the man's shiny floette twirled in the air above his shoulder in greeting.

❝Make yourself comfortable, and let me know what I can get for you~!❞

[eliteicisms]

✧ @profprincess ✧ approaches:

"Hey, Bede!" Oh no. She definitely wants something. "So it seems like the League forgot to send out the notice this year, but I need a couple gym leaders to volunteer to help me out with this year's Wild Area Survey. And I think as one of the newest gym leaders, it would be super great if you could lend a hand. You've got a pretty good team, you know? We could seriously use your help dealing with any troublesome wild pokémon that pop up."

  Had Bede been feeling just a smidge less patient today, he would have groaned at the professor's approach audibly. Fortunately for the both of them, he manages to keep his annoyance contained to his expression... an annoyance that eases some when he hears what it is that she actually wants.

  If there's one thing someone can do to secure Bede's assistance, it's to play to his ego, even if the compliment paid is something he'd argue he already knew. Any task that called for his strength was a chance to show how much stronger he's gotten, after all. The gym leader feigns hesitation, tapping a finger to his chin.

"You're quite sure you'd want me as a part of that team? I'm afraid that would leave any other gym leaders tagging along with very little to do."

[eliteicisms]

  Hold on, he has to decide if he's going to take offense to that.

[eliteicisms]

  As far as PR events went, Bede had to admit that school trips were much preferred over others. After all, when else would he get the chance to truly show off on league time? Battles were one time to shine, of course ( and he always did ), but there was a pride in showing the work he's done behind the scenes, as well. The gym's stadium truly hasn't looked better, if you ask him.

  Of course, with this particular event, it seemed there was yet another reason to be in a good mood. When a hand grabs onto his sleeve, he doesn't have to look down to confirm who he suspects it to be.

"You have the exclusive perk of being always welcome. In fact, It's good that you stuck around."

  His words are true, as they so often are, and in keeping with truth, it wasn't just Allister that had become fond of him. Should he have to comment publicly on the matter, Bede would chalk the two of them getting along up to a similarity in living with the types they specialized in. While not untrue, it wasn't the public's business to know that the gym leaders' similarities ran much deeper than that.

  Bede beckons Allister to follow as he makes his way to the door leading to the back of the stadium, though with the younger gym leader holding onto his sleeve, he likely would have ended up following anyway.

"There are some parts to the new gym mission that weren't shown when your class was touring. I think you in particular might appreciate them more than others."

@eliteicisms

For most children, school trips were an exciting chance to catch a glimpse of a potential future for them to pursue in one way or another. To meat and learn from esteemed trainers. For Allister though, it was exciting for an entirely different reason.

Trips like today's visit to Ballonlea's gym were a chance for the shy boy to see his colleagues shine. Not many of them would recognize him without his mask and uniform, especially considering he tended to blend in among the sea of children, and his quiet nature didn't exactly draw attention. Though that didn't bother him any.

Today's trip though, Allister did intend to treat a little differently. After convincing his teacher his guardian would be meeting him in the neighboring city, the boy remained behind as the rest of his class took their leave. Perhaps it wasn't entirely a lie, as he did plan to meet with someone here.

Be it due to their closer age than most of the other gym leaders, or their close proximity, the ghostly boy had taken a liking to the new fairy-type gym leader. He was a lot less scary than the previous one at least. Because of this, Allister decided to take the opportunity and try and spend some time with the fairy-type specialist.

Swaying his feet idly as he waited in the gym's lobby for the older male to appear, still maskless and adorning his school uniform, Allister hoped he wouldn't be putting the other out with his request.

He was always the one to seek out Bede after all, partially due to his own insistence. He wasn't sure how the other would react to the boy's current situation, and he'd kept the secret this long.

Upon spotting the fairy-type specialist, Allister slipped off of the bench and rushed over, grasping the sleeve of Bede's coat to catch his attention with a soft smile.

❝I-I . . . hope you don't mind . . . s-since I was . . . uhm . . . already h-here . . . I thought . . . uhm . . . we could . . . h-hang out . . . I-If you weren't . . . b-busy . . .❞

[eliteicisms]

  Well, that was one way to cause his smug little smile to falter ( he took some pride in looking his best, after all ). His eyes flick downwards quickly, half expecting her statement to be some sort of joke. When he actually spots something, his cheeks flush ever so slightly in embarrassment. Halfway down the right side of his coat sports a half-smeared flour pawprint, visible only for another small moment before Bede hastily swipes it off of himself.

"Remove that from your memory, if you would. Someone must have gotten into the baking mess before I cleaned it."

  He casts an accusatory glance over to his sylveon, who's expression betrays no feelings of guilt over the situation.

"..." She's staring still, before she realizes what she was going to say. "There's something on your coat."

That's it! She wasn't sure what it was, but she figured she'd point it out, you know?

"Maybe a stain? Did you run into anything? Or have food?"

The fact that Bede was complimenting himself seemed to go lost on her right this moment.

[eliteicisms]

  His sylveon counts as therapy enough, surely*. Why fix what isn't broken?

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  When one lives in Ballonlea long enough, it becomes a normal part of everyday life for something unusual to emerge from the forest every now an then. Typically, the 'something' was a pokemon or the odd displaced trainer. When Bede sees the stranger move to stand in his way, it becomes gradually clear that what came from the forest today was anything but typical.

  For a blissful moment, Bede is able to regard the situation with simple annoyance at what he believed to be a visiting trainer with a knack for costuming; a moment that comes to a crashing halt the moment the stranger's 'costume' tail moves in a way that couldn't be written off by the wind. Annoyance quickly becomes caution, and he nods slowly ( more out of precautionary politeness than understanding; He's got no clue what 'elda' is supposed to mean, if it even meant anything ).

"... In a manner of speaking, I am."

  Not an untrue statement; he was this town's gym leader, after all, and it wasn't all that unlikely he knew enough to answer whatever this person wanted to know.

"It's looking like that might be something mutual, questions. Fire away, then. I can wait my turn."

@eliteicisms

Ever since he'd awoken in this strange place, Fidelio wanted nothing more than to find his way back home, even as uncertain as his world's current situation had been when he'd left it. All that mattered was that Basilio and Lady Junah were still there and could need him still.

First thing was first though, Fidelio would need to figure out where he was, and try to understand the strange magla of this place that likely brought him here before he could use it to get home.

That was the thing though, nothing in this world made sense. The only race he had seen so far as he slunk through the forest and into a village were elda, and every one seemed to possess those strange orbs that summoned those creatures. Was this a village of summoners? Not to mention the village itself seemed rather strange, the focal point being a massive arena of sorts.

Fidelio had been watching the strange arena for some time now, many entering to challenge the same foe it seemed. Was this pink and blue clad elda the villages leader? Either way, the paripus decided this lead would be his best option to start.

Awaiting a chance to catch the man alone, Fidelio lie in wait outside the unusual structure for what felt like ages, until finally he spotted the elda he sought. Golden eyes stared him down for a moment, sizing him up before finally approaching. Now that he got a closer look, the elda seemed much younger than he'd anticipated.

❝Oi, Elda!❞ Fidelio called out, making sure to block the man's path to catch his attention. ❝You the leader 'f this village? I've got some questions fer ya.❞

[eliteicisms]

hobbies & skills. / bold what your muse can do. italicize for more or less. repost, don't reblog.

bake a cake from scratch | ride a horse | drive a submarine | speak a second language | dance | catch a fish | play an instrument | throw a punch | build a deck | ice skate | unclog a drain | program a computer | change a flat tire | fire a gun | sew | juggle | play poker | paint | fly a kite | sculpt | write poetry | change a diaper | sing | shoot a bow and arrow | ride a bike | swim | sail a boat | do a backflip | play chess | give cpr | pitch a tent | flirt | stitch a wound | read palms | use chopsticks | write in cursive/calligraphy | use an electric drill | braid hair | make a campfire | make a mixed drink | do sudoku puzzles | wrap a gift | give a good massage | jump-start a car | roll their tongue | magic tricks | yoga | tie a tie | skip a rock | shuffle a deck of cards | read morse code | pick a lock

[eliteicisms]

  Had it been just about anyone else with a finger so close to his face, they might have lost it. Fortunately for Gloria, the poke yields only a discontented sort of sneer that fades back into careful neutrality by the time the champion moves to be in clear view.

  He doesn't answer any of the initial teasing verbally; a hard stare serves as response enough to what he's certain couldn't be real questions. Who else could it have been? And him, slacking? Please. Gloria's true reasons for being here are much more welcome words to hear ( the boost to his ego helps in that regard ), and they even manage to wrestle a smirk out of the gym leader.

"Hm! The fact they want proof of that on paper shows how much they know; they may as well have sent you to an art gallery to write down descriptions of the paintings. What a waste of time..."

  Bede pauses, and the smirk grows somewhat more mischievous.

"... But that is the name of the game, isn't it? If you came all this way for a spell of malicious compliance, you should have led with that."

Gloria chuckles at his reaction as he stands frozen, not quite long enough that others would notice. But long enough for her to hang off him like a Grookey on a sunny branch and enough to be a sign to her. The sign of a nick to his cold facade just the smallest of cracks she's managed to poke away at. Enough to make her content.

"Dat's me. How'd yew guess?" She pokes at his cheek before finally letting him go. Only to side step him to stand in front of him grinning widely at him.

"Only top form? Not tip top? Now Bede Ah am surprised. Yew been slackin'?" She teases him further with a light laugh this time. It's nice to see her prickly friend again. It's been such a long time since she could actually visit. Even if she had to be here for work at least she got to see her friend.

"Fer real though. Ah wouldn't expect nothing less then a masterpiece from yew. It's de stiffs on the board we gotta show dat tuh." She sighs and holds up a clip board with several papers on it. "Ah gotta fill out dis stupid paper work dat says yew're hanglin' being a gym leader fine. Dunt know why dey pushed it off on me but Ah thought it'd be a good excuse tuh come annoy yew on the league's time."

[eliteicisms]

  Ree's response earns a small smile from the gym leader, equal parts pleased and amused at the lack of concern for where he ended up poking around. He'd be sure not to make them regret that indifference, of course ( he never had any intention to pester any local gods to begin with ), though at the mention of one particular thing to avoid, Bede finds that smile falling in concern.

  'Aether'... He's only vaguely aware of the name; some sort of pokemon conservation effort, if he remembers correctly. He's not certain why it is the group sparks the evident need for caution... but Bede has had enough experience with seedy companies keeping up a good front to suspect that there was some sort of underlying darkness that warranted it.

  The last thing he needed was getting involved with something like that a second time. Nodding curtly, Bede turns his focus to the initial question.

"... Noted. As far as pokemon go, I was interested in seeking out a vulpix. I understand that they vary quite dramatically from the ones I see back home. I also have interests in the popplio line, but I hear those are a good deal rarer to come across in the wild. I figure I would more easily come across one or two battling trainers, instead."

There’s only a lack of anger there because Ree knows Bede’s type. He wants a reaction, wants to feel superior. Ree’s spiteful enough that it overrides their temper, and that has to be good enough something.

“Yeah. We do have a lot of fairy types around,” they agree, leaning back in their wheelchair. Their aipom hops into their lap, chittering gleefully. “Are there any that you’re interested in particularly? I can send ya in the right direction, at the very least…”

Though, that second part… Ree frowns, thumb tapping against their wheelchair arm.

“Look, I’ll be frank with you. I figure you don’t care for the wishy washy craps adults are obsessed with.

I don’t really care about where you go or what you do. Like, you shouldn’t go disturbin’ the tapu or the trial sites, but I’d be a hypocrite if I told you that wasn’t allowed. Just … use common sense? Don’t fuck around with things if you don’t wanna find out. Ask the locals for their advice if you ain’t sure. One thing, though…

Don’t go near anything affiliated with Aether. That’s my one piece of advice.”

[eliteicisms]

✧ @shellbell ✧ points out:

❪ Your shoe's untied ❫ This didn't work on Rose, but will it work on Bede?

  The new boots he's currently breaking in are zip-up, not laced; he'd ensured as much when he commissioned the outfit from his sponsor ( Xerneas knows he had no intention of fumbling with a lace-up shoe before and after stepping on the pitch every battle ). Truly, there was no real way for him to unknowingly fall for a joke like this...

  ... But that isn't to say he couldn't indulge it. He's in a good mood, after all; why not have a little fun? Slowly, drawing the motion out as dramatically as possible, Bede turns his gaze down to his shoes.

"Gods... untied to the point of vanishing, no less. How very careless of me."

[eliteicisms]

✧ @touyatiredforthis ✧ comments:

"Huh... You don't play up the cutesy vibe like a lotta Fairy specialists I know do. I like that."

  The gym leader doesn't spare a glance over at the visitor right away, diligently seeing to it that the last few steps of his dance with Prim were concluded before he dared take his attention away from the fairy. It is only after they come to a standstill and the hatterene hums her approval of their practice that he speaks, though he doesn't bother trying to squint past the stage's lights to try and see who exactly it was he was speaking to.

"Certainly not. You'll find I'm not a fan of pretending to be anything that I'm not. Besides, it's hardly a good idea for me to spread that sort of misinformation around these parts. Someone's got to remind the masses that there is a reason dragons shy away from us."

[eliteicisms]

  Though he is oblivious to the thoughts occupying Rose's head, there is one glaring assumption that rings starkly false: an unchanged Bede would have already sprung to bite his outstretched hand with the anger it was due. The urge to follow through regardless is still tempting. This Bede, meanwhile, regards it with a moment of wary consideration.

  All the words are right, he notes. As to how true they were? Well, Bede never had been good at figuring that out when the person speaking them so often believed in their own falsehoods. But ultimately, it hardly matters to the gym leader if Rose is lying or not. There was gain in a decision like this either way, and this time Bede doesn't have all that much to lose. Bede's hand meets the ex-chairman's, just as both trainers knew it would.

"... Fine. But only the one chance."

  He finds no need to offer any more words than that. There's no way he would abide another slight, and while Bede is in no way confident that things will be different this time around, there's a subdued sort of hope that it could be. Time can only tell, and this time, Bede will be paying close, close attention...

' Ah, you know I don't dwell on the past, Bede, ' he retorted with the wave of a hand and a soft exhale passing his nostrils; a brief, gentle laugh not quiet aggravation.

"What now?" He wasn't sure what response he was going to get from the young man when he decided to make his peace, but couldn't say an open question was where it would lead them. The door had been left open for him- it wasn't open wide, ready to embrace him, but rather a small crack had been left where just enough light shone through informing him it wasn't locked.

' Well... That depends on how you want to proceed. '

An illusion of choice.

Every little gesture, every word he'd managed to spit out - choked back on - made it clear to Rose how he could navigate this conversation if he cherry picked the right words and strung them together in a pleasing manner to draw the blond closer.

Bede hadn't changed one bit. His core drive remained the same.

' When I came to reflect on my misjudgement the thought of having the opportunity to support you again never crossed my mind as something conceivable. I didn't come here expecting anything of you. I only knew I had to attempt to correct my mistakes. I couldn't leave you in the dark. '

' I wish I could have said something sooner, but... I'm sure you've seen it all— heard it all, whether it was the truth or utter nonsense spread in attempt to make things worse than they already were, ' he sighed, shaking his head. ' This is the first breather I've had in a long time and I had to use it to see you one more time. '

He held out his right hand. It was there for the taking. His attention. His approval. His forgiveness.

' There is nothing more I'd want than to offer my full support in your journey, should you give me the chance. '

[eliteicisms]

  Hmm. Not bad. He has to admit, Ree's bluntness and lack of obvious anger are somewhat impressive. Only slightly disappointed at being unable to garner a stronger reaction, Bede allows a monosyllabic chuckle and takes a moment to return the aipom's gesture ( it would hardly do to be rude to her, after all ).

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind. As far as occasions... I suppose you could consider this as something of a research trip. There are a number of fairy types native to Alola that cannot be found in Galar. My intention is to seek out some of these fairies out in the hope they would allow me to observe them for a time. I thought it wise to make myself known to the champion before I did any such thing."

  Bede's arms move to cross, violet eyes stealing a glance out of a nearby window. It isn't the only reason he'd gone out of his way to meet them, of course; any aspiring trainer worth their salt ought to seek out the sight of a region's strongest trainers if you asked him... but Ree needn't be told about the gym leader's attempt to size them up.

"Additionally... I thought it would be a good decision to clarify about rules to be followed. I am aware that there are likely places I should avoid or taboos I should keep in mind. I'd thought it convenient to consult you on the matter while I was here."

“Eh, everybody’s got at least one concern when it comes to me. Usually it’s how my face looks like raw meat, or that, yknow, a member of team skull managed to fight their way to the top. Might be the youngest champion in Alolan history, but I’m pretty sure I ain’t the youngest in the world.”

plus, it’s easy to be the youngest recorded champion of a region when there’s only been two (technically three?) champions.

“Anyway, pandering is stupid, but a hello first would have been nice. That’s just manners, man.”

This is … a gym leader, right? Ree’s met gym leaders before, though Alola lacks that sort of system. The trials are a separate thing from the league itself, and frankly, Ree wants to keep it that way.

Their aipom waves her tail at Bede. Trying to be friendly.

“So what’s the occasion, Mister Pink?”

[eliteicisms]

  Contrary to the trainer's tone, Bede isn't intending to wield this information as a weapon. After all, he knows better than to carelessly swing around something so double-edged. Instead, he hums contentedly at the other's lack of protest, as well as the words that follow. A hand moves to his chest, the flourish as much a greeting as it is a show of pride.

"If you do, then I would commend your tastes in rising talent. Bede, Galar's own major league fairy type gym leader. Seeing as I happen to be in the area, I supposed it would be appropriate to introduce myself before I got up to anything."

@eliteicisms approached! "Well, well, well. You're a face I recognize. A nasty thing the press can be, don't you agree?"

Were people still talking about that stuff? Seems like he made quite the impression.

"Uhh. Yep." He wasn't sure what to say, honestly. "...Wait, you look familiar too--"