#WhatIsToCome

[adriana-style]

The feeling that you do what makes you happy is priceless ⭐️Uczucie gdy robisz to co Cie uszczesliwia jest bezcenne ⭐️#precioustimes #passionforfashion #personalstylists #personalshoppers #howtostyle #fashionbloggersuk #36weekspregnant #mummytobe #denimlover #furlovers #casualoutfit #mycolours #goodmorningthursday #smileplease #positivethings #whatistocome #whatnext #outfitstyle #mypersonalstyle @riverisland @newlookfashion @misshirito (at Dunstable)

[thevaloroushearts-archive-blog]

All of a sudden, the very part of the hall that the siblings occupied grew dim. As they looked on in confusion, they noticed two silhouettes in front of faded purple lights that seemed to appear out of nowhere... both with eyes gleaming, beaming at them from their shadows...

“‘Tis the white knight and mint mage, the ones who came out on top at the stage...” whispered the top-hatted one in a delicate coquette-ish rhyme.

“A truly remarkable sight tonight, I would say...”

“And you two are now in luck as of today! For before we stand before you, so without delay...~!”

“We present ourselves to you!”

“‘Tis I, the Nebulous Illusionist, a trickster by trade! The caster of enchantments that leave you swayed! Now open your eyes, who is that you see? Why, ‘tis no one other than I--~”

“A flash of fire to spark the night, blessing the stage with dancing lights! Who is the one who could muster such fiery power? It is none other than he, the Marigold Mage, the one and only--!”

Alyx and Oriel merely stood there, at a loss for words from the flashy introductions that came out of nowhere. The calling out from earlier had their attention alone, but now it seems though they can’t take their eyes off them even if they tried. Was it because they were surprised? Impressed? Or just confused? It might've been the latter, as their eyes shifted toward each other before fixing them back on the magicians.

"Ahh, oh joyous, wondrous, beautiful day! We finally bear the fortune to meet the twins after a glorious fray~," the Gothitelle squealed as she jumped in place, clasping her hands together out of eagerness."

"Indeed we do, and by Tornadus' beard, you bear the might to shake kings, yes you do!" added on the shiny Mismagius, who gave a wink to the twins. Both of them seem to be quite the fans of the two, especially since before the Gallade and Gardevoir could even respond, they were presented a few gifts.

"Oh, uh... wow, I uh..." Alyx was surprised, and not in the bad way either. A little confused, as it's not common for him to receive flowers of all things, to him that would be more of a date gift, but hey, a present is a present, right?

"These look lovely..." Oriel was more eager to accept them, albeit humbly, as she held the gifted bouquet into her arms before her brother did, letting herself bask in the scent of the flora before eying the two. "You have our gratitude, er, Miss Cassie, and Mr. Velius. You seem quite excited to meet us, are you, er...?"

"Fans?" Alyx chuckled as he held his own flower gift under one arm, giving a smirk.

"Ohoho, you catch on quite quickly indeed my shining blade~! You are right, we admire you both and your trade~!" Cassie's face stretched into an elated grin.

"Even 'admirers' would be putting it quite lightly, my good sir! You're both quite the inspiration to us, I'll have you know!" chimed in Velius with a bob of his head. "Ever since your first show on the glowing screens~"

"Haha, well that's cool, I'm flattered, always happy to hear we please the audience," responded Alyx with a pleased grin. Hearing that he puts on a good show, especially with one of his family members (namely Oriel), is what made part of the fighting worth it. Meanwhile Oriel felt the same, albeit with a sheepish flattered blush.

"A-ah, you're too kind, sir... though I agree with my brother, i-it's just the usual routine for us..." Oriel rubbed her arm.

"SHUSH!," exclaimed Cassie as she raised a halting finger."Balderdash, my beautiful seabreeze sage~! Your displays are among all the rage! Ah, it makes me wish we could do more than offer you gifts, yet when it comes to ideas, I'm at the cliffs..." Cassie tapped her chin before raising said finger up, a big smirk popping up as she reached into her coat to pull out a deck of cards.

"Ooh, how about this, if you have a minute! Something exciting for this honored visit!"

"... Card-based fortune-telling...?" Alyx didn't know what to think, scratching the back of his head with a hesitant glance of disbelief. "That's uh..."

"Well, i-it's a free performance, I fail to see why not... in the end, it's just a game, correct?" Oriel debated with a soft smile, in order to have her brother comply. The Gardevoir faced Cassie with a bow of her head in agreement. "We'd be happy to partake. It could be interesting, perhaps even fun..."

"If that's the case, then very well~! Relax as I flip the cards with a spell~!"

Cassie wasted little time showing her graceful talents, flipping the cards with stylish, shimmering cycling flair as a means of shuffling the deck before finally drawing three cards, presenting them out to face the twins. Upon seeing them, however, Cassie seemed a bit shocked.

"Ooh..."

"What're you going on about," remarked Alyx with a quirked brow. "All I see is a picture of a Cubone, a Darkrai, and a Zweilous... what's the big deal?" he interrogated as he overlapped his arms.

"I'm sure there's a meaning to it, brother... care to elaborate for us, Cassie? Velius?"

"Allow me the honors, milady~" bowed the Mismagius as he held up his wand, pointing to the cards one at a time.

"The Cubone is a symbol of loneliness as well as separation. With it being the first card, it seems to remark how you two must've had a past of isolation, whether from each other, or perhaps others...?"

" ... Er... that's..." Oriel looked at her brother, who returned the glance to her. That... was peculiar, but they couldn't help but falter in order to stop themselves from becoming perturbed.

"Uh, didn't you say you'd be looking into our future? Didn't say anything about the past," the Gallade called out with a flat look.

"Fortune-reading is more than just the future, my good sir! But if it upsets you so, I shall carry on!" Velius cleared his throat and pointd to the middle one, the Darkrai.

"The Abyss Pokemon, Darkrai, symbolizes omens, whether you're enduring them, or have yet to face them yourself, might be coming your way in the near future," the Mismagius clarified, noticing the siblings' reactions. "Er, you alright, milady...?"

Oriel tried to hold back a gulp. Omens... She knew Darkrai was commonly known as the envoy of nightmares, which is what she has been dealing with lately... this was hitting a little too close to home for her. To shake her from her stare, Alyx gently patted her back before glancing back at the magicians.

"Uhh... riiiight. Why don't we just get to whatever the two-headed lizard means?"

"As you wish~" The wand's fire stone gestured to the Zweilous. "The card for the future, it represents potential turmoil between those that are dear to you... friends, family, lovers... if the two of you are not careful, there might be a divide amongst you, or perhaps even yourselves. That's what it means."

"I..." Oriel was already a little put off by how spot-on the first two cards were... this really did feel like a prod into her head, and the meaning behind the dark dragon didn't feel particularly surreal. Meanwhile Alyx gave a hefty sigh, feeling how uncomfortable her sister was. Thusly, the Gallade gave Cassie and Velius a flat look.

"So you really think that's gonna happen, huh?"

"Well, it's a possibility, but then again it IS fortune-telling, so perhaps it has set its course, or it could be a mere possibility. Regardless, i--" Velius was cut off by Alyx before being sarcastically responded to.

"I beg your pardon, sir...?" Velius tipped his head in confusion. "I DID say it was fortune telling, after all. Moreover, t'was little more than a free-showing, it could be nothing more than possibilities rather than certainties, I assure you."

"Hrmph, I guess so, but still..." Alyx pouted as he noticed Oriel still looking a little unenrved. She seemed to be relaxing now, but his side-stare did not go unnoticed by the showy enchanters. Cassie was quick to prance up and make the apology first.

"Errr... uh, okay, sure, thanks for the apology I guess? I guess I shouldn't have been so snarky, it just seems to be bugging my sis, that's all."

"Oh it is quite alright, your reaction is fair! She is your sibling, why wouldn't you care~? 'Tis admirable for you to show worry for your sister, you're a very good brother to her, mister~" Cassie giggled; if her mask didn't hide it, she would've winked at him. Alyx could only quirk a brow, while Velius floated over to Oriel with a sheepish look of his own.

"Anyway, uh..." Alyx interjected while rubbing the back of his head. "Was that it? Uh, anything else you two needed?"

"Hrm..." Cassie tapped her chin as she looked off up in the corner while leaning next to Velius. "Not that I can think of..." A soft nudge was adminsitered to the ghost.

"Ah, o-of course, yes, one more thing!" The shiny mage whipped out a pad and pen, smiling as he presented himself to the siblings.

"Huh?"

"You... you desire our signatures? Truly...?"

"Absolutely, milady! I'd love them! If it's alright with the two of you of course~!"

This was a nice return to flattery for the two of them. Feeling a blush coming on, the brother and sister suppressed it before happily taking the notepad and writing utensil, marking their own names into the paper before handing it back to Velius proudly.

"There ya have it bud."

"OH RAPTURE~!" Velius spun in the air excitedly as a fire burned in his eyes.

"Hah, what a ham..." Alyx smirked, before hearing his stomach rumble. Oh yeah... lunch.

"Uh, look, as fun as it's been with uh, you two, we're supposed to meet up with the rest of our team to grab a bite to eat, so... why don't we meet up some other time, huh?"

"Oh absolutely, do not let us keep you!" Velius nodded sharply, clutching the notepad to himself.

"Yes yes, please, go and on and nourish~! For now we shall let this memory flourish~" Agreed Cassie, while waving them off. "Ta-ta~!"

"Uh, yeah, sure, ta-ta to you too, bye," Alyx waved half-way before making his way over to the foodcourt. "C'mon sis!"

"Ah, o-one moment brother!" Oriel approached Cassie with clasped hands, smiling up at the taller Gothitelle.

"He doesn't seem to understand how your kind works... how you read futures with the stars and all. So forgive him for being skeptical, but your fortune-telling, your future-reading overall... it was, ah, remarkably accurate. I would like to call on your assistance should I have any other questions... is that fair to you, madame?" The Gardevoir pleaded with clasped hands, while Cassie sported another cheerful smile.

"My newly-found friend Oriel, you have my word! Just call by name, and I'll flock to you like a bird! Now go on, meet with your brother! There shall always be another time to meet up together~!"

"Ahh, m-my gratitude! Farewell," and with that, Oriel hurried off after Alyx, leaving the two magicians to talk amongst themselves.

"You're most welcome my friend~ I'm always willing to help 'til the end!"

"And how!" chortled the ghost. "You've done excellently to assist me with the courage to see them, I believe we've left quite an impression, did we not?"

"Oh how I agree! Their smiles were fulfilling to see! But if I may say..." Cassie smirked, leaning over to her friend.

"Now come, now that it's said and done, why don't we walk around? Surely there's a soul or two that are willing to talk abound~"

"Cassie," Cooper whined in his nerdier, true voice, rolling his eyes with a strained laugh.

"So sorry, 'tis habit after all~"

---

(( asks are now opened back up, and the cast has expanded! ))

[kingvin16]

Seal of Ownership

God has set his seal of ownership on us. set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 1:22 NIV All the glory, praises and honor be to the Heavenly Father in Jesus Christ's precious name ! Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, the subject verse brings before us the guarantee of the Almighty God. The guarantee is that we are not our own, but the Lord's. Indeed this verse talks about our ownership by the Living God. The Almighty God has set his Spirit in all of us as a seal of ownership. Truly brethren, presence of Lord the Holy Spirit is indeed marks God's ownership. Accept Jesus as Savior Now, it is more important to check ourselves whether we have God's seal of guarantee in us or not. The work of the Holy Spirit starts with the message of truth, which is the gospel. And by the gospel of our salvation we are equipped to yield to the Holy Spirit of the Lord. The absence of Holy Spirit itself is an indication that there is no place for the Lord and/or the person is yet to accept Jesus Christ. Those who turn to Jesus and accept Him as their Savior and get baptized shall surely receive this gift of Spirit. As the following verse says, when we hear the gospel of our salvation and believe in the Christ, we have the seal, the Holy Spirit of God. 'And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Read the full article

[metamorfaux]

Full moon in t minus so many minutes

[storiesfromme]

morning

The sun comes up and the world is silent. 

The people are sleeping and I’m roaming the empty street. 

Who knows what today will bring?

A new day, full of possibilities. Full of opportunities. 

I decide that today will be special. Just because I can.

Just because anything can happen. Because the day hasn’t yet begun. 

[conniemcpherson]

#daily #dailyverse #thankful #romans #verseoftheday #verse #bible #live #life #thankyouLord #blessed #whatistocome (at Tennessee)

[angelstarchristy]

The Icon amongst heritage. Well, technically the icon is also undergoing development; it's a mix of yesterday meeting modernization yet there's still that feeling of nostalgia in the air. The cloudy weather today fits the mood perfectly 😉☁️ #pastmeetspresent #icon #heritage #Penang #buildings #development #nostalgia #cloudy #Malaysia #scene #justlikeyesterday #whentomorrowcomes #fromthepast #Penangtoday #whatistocome #timeline #movingforward #remember #thefuture

[botanicblooms-blog]

#sneak #preview of #whatistocome at the #weekend ... (at Nottingham, United Kingdom)

[purityschaos]

Tarnished eroding ghoul masks. They look like they're decaying. Copia's mask looks a little different too. The creases or lines are more defined, skin darker, and the black under his eyes looks longer. The Plague is taken them. 🖤👻 (let me know who to credit for Ghouls. Copia pic credit goes to @hellblazer ) #ghost #ghostbc #TheBandGhost #tobiasforge #cardinalcopia #copiaiskillingme #copiasthighs #unholythot #hiseminence #thunderthighsratpackage #smothermewiththighs #unholythighs #killingmesoftlywithhisthighs #ratbastardismyfav #ratboy #bewitchedbythosethighs #ratbastard #idliketobecrushedbythosethighs #sitonmyfacecopia #illbeyourchair #nibblethejigglythighs #priestkink #worshippinghimright #namelessghouls #theplague #whatistocome https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu5QTq-AePy/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=8evamn7densn

[thevaloroushearts-archive-blog]

"WHOO HOO, ALRIGHT! YOU JUST SAW THAT SMACKDOWN, LADIES AND GENTS! THE WINNERS OF THIS MATCH ARE THE ONE AND ONLY KNIGHT-AND-MAGE TWIN TEAM, ALYYYYYX AND ORIEEEEEEEEELLLLLL~!!"

Uproarious cheers and applause echoed powerfully through the stadium upon bearing witness to the siblings' victory. Alyx put on a smirk and waved off the audience while wiping off a few beads of sweat, while Oriel raised a flattered and somewhat sheepish smile as she raised her hand to the crowd in gratitude. Once they had their fill of the spotlight and praise, the two of them made their way out of the ring and towards the exit back into the main lobby ring.

"Whew... great job out there sis, you never let me down," thanked the Gallade as he lightly shoulder-hugged his Gardevoir sister.

"Ah, n-neither do you, brother..." smiled Oriel, pushing a lock of hair out of her face before clearing her throat. "W-well, I suppose we should rendezvous with Lixue and Masou, they'll be expecting us out here soon while the next battle is underway... I'm feeling sort of famished, admittedly..."

"Heh, I know what ya mean, I never saw those Pokemon before. They really kept us on our toes... no pun intended," chuckled Alyx with a roll of his eyes. "C'mon, let's go meet up with them and see if we can get a bite to eat."

Little do they know that they were followed outside upon completing the match, and it wasn't a fan or admirer of any kind... rather, with the heavy scraping clawed footsteps, and the metallic rattling of armor resounding firmly with each step... t'was the Black Knight himself, Zarathos. The Champion called out to the two psychic fighters.

Both esper battlers froze in place before inchingly rotating around until their eyes locked on Zarathos. Instantly, the two of them gasped a bit, before looking at one another nervously.

"... The champ..." muttered Alyx,

"... wishes to converse with us...?" Oriel asked as anxiety ran through her nerves. The fraternal twins both took a deep breath before facing Zarathos, clearing their heads.

"E-er, very well... what is it you wish to talk about, Sir Zarathos...?"

"Formalities are unnecessary," Zarathos stated bluntly before  clasping his claws together. "... Your most recent bout was sufficient... however, that is not the matter I wish to bring to light with the two of you."

That alone had Alyx and Oriel quirking their brows. Did they just receive a... roundabout compliment from the champion? He did not seem to be the type to hand them out, at leas tnot to just anyone. Did the two of them really capture this massive black Bisharp's eye that much? Regardless, after eying one another, they turned their attention to Zarathos once more, curious on what he has to say, albeit both still on edge.

"Okay, so... what is it?" asked Alyx in a quietly tense manner in his voice.

While the two of them glanced at one another, Zarathos took this upclose opportunity to examine them. Their features, their colors, noting their names... clues were clicking into one another in his head, but so were doubts. He had to needle out information from them somehow.

He finally started off by asking the following.

"Tell me, knight and mage... who are your parental units?"

Alyx and Oriel just put on conflicted looks before facing each other yet again, eyes squinting from the awkwardness of the topic.

"We uh... don't exactly know, man," admitted the pale Gallade as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"That is true, we don't... all we've gathered as far as our origins go is that we originated from the small continent that was home to Ghalidor and Selucia... but we've only been living across the sea from it with an adoptive family for nearly twenty years before coming here on our own..." Oriel pondered aloud nervously, tapping her chin as she relayed the information.

"Twenty years..." Zarathos echoed aloud as well as mentally. Now things were piecing together for sure, slowly but surely.

<<Twenty years ago... was when word of wind that the Selucian hero's children went missing, allegedly dead, when the war extended to both kingdom territories... Ralts children, that belonged to her...>>

Another visual memory bubbled in Zarathos's mind... a memory of seeing said hero during a visit to Selucia in his earlier mercenary years. She had two children with her, and given what he's standing in front of now... it was truly becoming uncanny.

"Hmph, so you do not know then," he concluded lowly before holding out a hand in a beckoning, bargaining sort of fashion.

And that was when Alyx's mind launched synapses, his mind and memory going crazy. Time stood still after hearing that familiar name... but where did he hear it from?

"... Yemir..."

"Brother...?" Oriel asked, gently nudging Alyx in an attempt to knock him from his sudden stupor. With the white Gallade coming to, his eyes returned to their normal state, stepping forward towards Zarathos.

"... I've heard of her, actually..." he admitted, "... but not on my own. That one giant hungry Gallade, Yemir... she spoke of her, said she worked for her at one point, I think."

"Hrm, so the gigant ghoul has worked under Selucia as well, alongside their hero..." pondered Zarathos as he stroked his chin, not over Yemir's involvement, but from seeing Alyx's reaction. He was the one that beared the closer resemblance to this 'Xandras,' and seeing him look so adamant, that look in his eyes as if wanting to know more, seemed to help seal the deal.

"Yeah, apparently, she even said we shared looks in a way," Alyx continued before looking frustrated. "So yeah, I've heard that name. What're you getting at here? Are you suggesting something?"

Zarathos merely turned over and began to walk away, not even answering Alyx. This caused the albino blade to step forward again, calling out to the ebony edge.

"Hey! I was asking you something! Why aren't you answering me?"

And with those names, and leaving the siblings lingering in silence, Zarathos made his exit via a dark teleport. Needless to say, Alyx and Oriel looked yearning, especially the Gallade.

"Who does he think he is, asking us questions like these and just vanishing off like that," huffed the Gallade while folding his arms, bitterness crossing his pupils. "He's holding out on us or something, I know it..."

"Zarathos chose those questions in particular... and proposed them to us... but why?" Oriel tapped her chin. "He had a fire in his eyes... as if a lust for something greater... almost as if he was reminiscing...”

“Yeah, I know what ya mean...”

“Moreover, he called us... Alyxander and Orelia... I could understand the former, but the latter? I’ve never heard that form of my name... if it is so... Why did he call us that? What is he up to...?"

"I dunno, but... ugh, he's gone for now, so it looks like I can't bug him right now," sighed the white one before addressing his sister.

"Eh, he'll always be around the league, plus he said he'll answer other questions later. Right now, let's both go and get some--"

Aaand that was when Alyx's words were cut short from the sound of a tender yet excited feminine voice called out to them.

"O-oh? Who could that be...?"

"Nnngh, I guess our little interview time's not done yet..."

(( Special flashback guest appearance by Yemir of @gregnas-the-grouch ))

[me-the-fallen-chlild-blog]

This is something that I have started working on. I will be posting a new video tomorrow.

[thevaloroushearts-archive-blog]

-CLING!- -SHWING!- -SHREEEE--!-

The battle was well underway and packed with energy. The white Gallade and the Wirliquen slid and clashed blades with one another in a literal dance of swords, sparks lighting the air as they swapped blows. Alyx was powerful, but Clarette was quick and tricky; and enjoying every second of it.

Meanwhile Oriel went toe-to-toe with Alma. The sad banshee circled Oriel, face elongated and eyes alight in a haunting shadowy visage as they unleashed Ominous Wind on the the psychic fairy. Oriel anticipated this, loading up a Shadow Ball  to lob at her ghastly opponent. She could not get out of the way in time of the spectral howling sent her way, but she managed to weather it well, only skidding back.

“Nnh!”

Oriel stood her ground, now realizing she was back-to-back with her brother, as well as how the jester and banshee too stood together. She felt like this was the best opportunity for a team attack, a fusion move.

The siblings called to one another, nodding as Oriel went into position. While Alyx leaned back and loaded his left blade with a Psycho Cut, Oriel supported his arm with psychic as she fused her Moonblast with his esper edged. Within moments, the energy expanded and took on a new form; a massive sword filled with fairy essence. As beautiful as it was, it also looked very deadly.

The sight of such a fused move did not escape the crowd, especially not Zaratho's attention. The Bisharp's eyes dilated, as if something was ignited in his memory. Lifting his head off his hand, he edged closer from his seat to make sure he wasn't just seeing things.

" ... A combination of psychic energy and Moon Blast... the Sylph Sword...? ... not often they go together, especially in that particular shape..."

But there was more. While still holding up Alyx's arm, Oriel reared her arm back, loading up a ghastly fire. However, there was something different about it; it was identifiable as Will'o'Wisp, yet the colors and behavior... it wasn't dark nor corrupt; it was bright and elegantly waving... as if bearing the essence of righteous spirits...

The dark knight pondered... there was no mistaking that type of Will'o'Wisp, or rather, the Will'o'Wight, as it was called back in his homeland. This surely had his attention... the more he saw these two fight together, the combinations and moves they would execute as well as how they appeared, a sense of nostalgia surged through his mind...

Zarathos pondered aloud, not caring whether his neighboring audience members could hear him. He was too entranced by seeing this, remembering these moves in particular.

" ... As a matter of fact..." he mumbled, "... the siblings seem to feel familiar as well..."

In an instant, the Bisharp's mind raised a familiar visage back in his time of war. That one warrior... the true white knight of the past... As the image pieced itself together, the black knight mumbled to himself further, intrigued by this sense of what feels like may be a revelation...

His trip through his mind's memory hall was cut short, as Alyx and Oriel combined their moves together to deal a devastating blow to the opposite team. Sylph Sword and Will'o'Wight, executed together, caused a brilliant display.

It was like a light show, if light shows were also extremely dangerous. The entire stadium was cast a glorious rosy magenta glow, filling everyone with the warmth of the light. Several were impressed from the exhibition, as well as the raw, almost explosive power of the combined moves...

Caprice was entranced, fangirling internally as well as externally from the radiant carnage that just occurred.

"AHHHH, S-SO COOL~!" she squealed.

"And it seems with but a flash of light, we're nearing the end of the fight~" whispered the Gothitelle to her Mismagius companion, quite impressed from the battle thus far.

"I would have to agree, milady... I'm afraid I'll go blind if I keep my lenses on," joked the dressy wizard-looking phantom.

"WHOOHOO, GO BRO AND SIS, YOU CAN DO IT~!!" Whooped Lixue while circling her arms, giggling excitedly for her adopted siblings.

"Ssss... expect nothing less," muttered Masou. "They put on a decent show..."

Even the dark templar himself was on the edge of his seat... his interest locked on the siblings. That absolute POWER... the combination of moves, their teamwork, their... familiar sensations...

"... It could be mere coincidence, yet... it is worth investigating, once the match is over," he muttered quietly to himself. All he had to do was wait for the fight to be over, which may not be longer now...

[thevaloroushearts-archive-blog]

“You... ll ne...r see... th... n... i... my kingdom...”

Those were the last words that that the Gardevoir ears could make before seeing  the figure tower over her, raising their weapon to the heavens before swiping it down, aiming for the poor sylph’s face.

Oriel could only gasp and cringe before the dark world she envisioned was shattered, rising up and letting out a shriek from the sheer shock.

“WHOA!”

Alyx leapt back and raised his shoulders, startled from his sister snapping up away so suddenly. He took a moment to register the situation before seeing Oriel trying to regain her composure as quickly as possible, holding her head. A pounding headache it seems... her face had both fear and heavy concern smeared across her face.

Nervously, Alyx approached Oriel before sitting down next to her, looking at her with a worried glance.

“Oriel...?” the Gallade called warily. “... You... uh, you alright there?”

“N-nngh...” Oriel could only groan, mumbling the following to herself, “... why...? Why did this come back...? I thought Terminus cleared it...”

The white one had no idea what she was talking about, but even in his confusion and lack of context for the situation, he placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort the girl.

“Sis...?”

“I... I-I’m fine...” she sighed exhaustedly, holding her head. “ ... i-it was just a nightmare... that’s all...”

“ ... I’ll be fine, I promise, brother...” Oriel reassured, even as her palm remained on her head.

Alyx could only wince, not convinced in the least. “Well... I was coming to tell you that our match is coming up... I was looking for you, had no idea you came back to our room to nap. Were you really that tired?”

“E-er...” she stuttered, blinking her eyes before sighing defeatedly. “... Yes...”

“Mmh,” the Gallade quirked his brows, still holding onto her. “... you have to plan your naps better. Now c’mon, our match is coming up, we got a doubles today. You knew we did.”

“R-right...” the Gardevoir sighed, before rising up with her brother. “Let us proceed, shall we?”

“Yeah, for sure.”

As the siblings went down the halls, a blaring announcement was made in the intercom:

“ATTENTION, ALYX AND ORIEL! YOUR MATCH BEGINS IN THREE MINUTES! PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE FIGHTING RING IMMEDIATELY!”

“O-OH GOODNESS!!” Exclaimed the Gardevoir, before Alyx added in with an alarming reaction of his own.

“AW CRAP, WE GOTTA HUSTLE! C’MON!”

Needless to say the two of them bolted down the hall. Thankfully their sprinting could shave them some seconds, perhaps just enough to make it on time. On their way towards the entrance, they saw their manager Rhoslyn, and even SHE seemed to be stressed out over how close they were cutting it.

“THERE YOU TWO ARE!!” she yelled before scramblingly waving her claws towards the hall that leads to the arena.

“FASTER! THE NEW ANNOUNCER GIRL’S BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TWO ESPECIALLY!”

Thankfully they had half a minute before they had to step out into the steps of the ring, the collective sighs of the audience filling the air. Once the brother and sister had their fill of air from running so quickly, they pulled themselves together and stepped up to the ring, just in time to be announced.

The crowd was lively and there were lights everywhere. Everything was set for the upcoming battle, and as Rhoslyn mentioned, there was certainly a new face in the middle of it. Probably recently hired.

The audience roared with the Meloetta’s energy, which filled the mythical Psychic Pokemon with equal amounts of enthusiasm. She spun the mic around in her fingers cheerfully before clarifying who she was.

“SUH-WEET! THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKIN’ ABOUT, AW YEAH~! Alright everyone, the name’s Caprice, and here is match you’ve been waiting for tonight! Let’s greet the challengers huh~?”

Caprice swung her attention over to one side where the siblings stepped out onto the ring.

“ALYX! ORIEL! ALYX! ORIEL! ALYX, ORIEL!” Cheers filled the air for those two after the Meloetta introduced them. The girl beamed at the sight of them, so excited to announce for the siblings. She seems to be a fan of them herself. Soon she brought the crowd’s attention to the other side.

“Huh...” Alyx commented, stroking his chin at the opponents. “Wenshreek? Wirliquen?”

“I’ve never heard of such Pokemon... they must be new...” Oriel added on.

“Heh... all the more reason to get pumped. C’mon sis, let’s show ‘em what we’re made of.” Alyx flashed a grin at his sister.

“... Gladly,” affirmed Oriel before synchronizing her rhythm with her brother, her eyes alighting with determination.

Meanwhile, in the crowd, there were some Pokemon that seemed particularly eager for them as well, some magician-looking Pokemon...

And further in the back, there was the Black Knight himself, looking bored yet anticipating. It was rare or him to actually come to the audience seats... hearing how renowned these two were finally tugged at his curiosity.

He needed to see their prowess for himself, to gauge its worth. THEIR worth.

“M’KAY, ARE WE READY?!” Caprice pumped up the crowd once more. After reeceiving an uproarious “YES,” she threw down and yelled,

“THEN LET’S RUMBLLLLLLE~!!”

[thevaloroushearts-archive-blog]

It’s been a lively afternoon at the Altiel Battle League; with intense action pulling the audience members to the edge of their seats and filling the air with their thunderous cheers with every battle, it was a satisfying day of thrills and entertainment for all.

Oriel, Lixue, and Masou all soundly claimed victory in their grasps in their sequential battles. After nearly an hour following their individual results, each of the three Valorous Hearts members claimed their spoils for the day, quite satisfied with their earnings. The three Pokemon gathered together after each of them were finished to relish in their winnings, with Alyx not too far behind.

“Ah? Is... is there a particular reason you wish to see our paychecks, Alyx...?” inquired the Gardevoir with a quirk of her brow.

“You remember that time I beat that one Hitmonlee, right?” Alyx reminded with a folding of his arms

“Oh yeah, I remember that!  You were... upset about SOMETHING, right-- ... Ohh... you weren’t paid enough, that’s right.” The realization hit Lixue with a bob of her ears.

“Yeah, I just want to see how each of YOU did and see if there were any different pay amounts like there was with me.”

“Sssss... we all made the same amount, but if you insissssst.”

To reassure their fellow team member, the three presented their paychecks to Alyx, with the Gallade looking agitated from the result.

“ Just what...?” Oriel asked with a bit of intimidation from the look on his face. “I... I’m afraid the check does not elaborate what we did differently compared to you, but--”

Alyx just dipped his head and silently clenched his fist.

The white blade stomped his way over to the back hall where the management rooms and more restricted areas were, irritation crunching his face.

There better be a good reason as to why that happened, the albino battler thought to himself as he stepped his way down the path. He whipped his head around in hopes of searching for any of the bosses. About a minute or two of searching was fruitless, until he caught sight of one of the higher-ups in his sights.

“Yeah, actually!” the psychic brawler called out with relief as he raced up to her. Once he was within a few feet of her presence, Alyx folded his arms and glanced up at her. He was hoping to have found Rhoslyn, but she would definitely do for now.

“I uh, wanted to discuss something about the results from one of my battles,” he started as nonchalantly as he could before Katherine.

“Hm? And what would this entail, exactly? What ‘s the matter?” the light grey Mewtwo inquired, tucking the key in her pocket as she met his gesture with her own arms being overlapped.

“Y’see, after that one match with the Hitmonlee, I uh, noticed that my pay was really short. I only got 2K out of that fight, despite having a record of over 10 wins. I’m supposed to be getting 10K after reaching 10 wins, right?”

“Correct. So you’re concerned with your compensation, that is understandable. However, this would be more of a matter that you should rectify with your own superior, Rhoslyn, than any other member of management...”

Alyx just gave a disappointed squint, sighing as he kept his gaze up.

The Gallade was growing a little more agitated with having his need for help becoming further delayed even after finally finding a higher-up.

“Nngh, really?” he replied with a slight groaning tinge to his voice.

“Mmhm. If you’ll adjust your sight to my right...”

“Oh, uh, hey there,” Alyx greeted half-heartedly as he waved at the dressy, boisterous shiny Mismagius. “Name’s Alyx, cool to see ya.” Shortly after, he looked back at the Mewtwo.

“So in that case... when did Rhoslyn start interviewing someone? Since she started before you will, I wanna know how long I have to wait.”

“As recently as 10 minutes ago, I believe.”

The Gallade grunted. He knew interviews and the overall procedures to getting registered at the league take a large chunk of time, averaging to about an hour if not a little more. The white fighter folded his arms and complained in his head.

Alyx brushed the one bead of sweat off his face and took a deep breath before his cool could be lost. He felt justified for feeling upset, but he didn’t want to anger any of his bosses, especially not someone as powerful as Katherine. Recollected, he ran a hand through a shock of his messy hair as he looked up at the Mewtwo.

“Is there anyone else on duty that I could talk to at all? Surely not ALL of the higher-ups are doing interviews at the same time, right?”

“Hm, why not check the personnel office,” Katherine began with a more relaxed and helpful tone.”If I recall correctly, I do believe one of our management staff members is in there as we speak, having a word with one of our asset vendors over the phone. He should be able to assist you with this matter.”

“!” The personnel office! He forgot about that, as per one of his little bad tendencies. Thank goodness he was reminded.

As soon as Alyx departed to settle his own matters, the yellow ghost magician seemed to briefly change his tone as the experiment proceeded to re-open the door.

Meanwhile, the white Gallade soon found himself face to face with the door to the aforementioned room, where questions about schedules, vacations and compensations could be freely discussed. He peered inside the room’s window glass, wearing an indifferent expression upon seeing who exactly it was that was busy.

[thevaloroushearts-archive-blog]

The Ludicolo was swift to stow away his smartphone and quiet himself in the presence of a fighter like Alyx walking into the personnel office. With a dusting off his suit and a deep breath, Ramiro straightened himself out and welcomed the Gallade with a big smile and a rowdy friendly tone, pointing finger-guns at him.

The white blade gave an exasperated sigh of relief. Still a little agitated that he hit a few roadblocks, but now he felt like he could be at peace in discussing this matter. Alyx overlapped his arms and gave Ramiro a firm look, who in turn, kept himself quiet to hear him out.

”Lessee lessee ‘ere... August... 27th... 27th... m’kay m’kay... page 2...” the Ludicolo murmured, mostly to himself as he waited for the page to load. Once it did, Ramiro blinked at the error that was staring at him straight in the face.

”QEB?” Alyx asked, confused about what that meant.

”Quick Elimination Bonus, boy!” Ramiro exclaimed as he went over to the cabinet to rummage for his check. “Just extra dough ya earn when ya fill da requirement of beatin’ up dudes ‘n’ dudettes that’re due fer gettin’ da boot with bad records in a short amounta’ time.”

”Huh, I didn’t even know you offered those...”

”Heh, s’ya first time eliminatin’ someone, so guess I can’t peg ya for bein’ an empty noodle ‘bout somethin’ ya didn’t know.”

Ramiro just rolled his eyes as he shut the cabinet and offered the check to Alyx.

That was a relief, it was just a mistake on management’s end, but it was certainly salvageable. Alyx looked on at his missing check with a satisfied smile, eying the “10,000.00″ on the small box.

”Heh, I can bet. Tournaments are what places like these are all about and all.”

”Ain’t dat da truh!” Ramiro agreed with a hearty laugh. With a shift in looking left and right, the rotund kappa leaned close to fill Alyx in on a little juicy detail.

”Wait, is that allowed?” the white Gallade questioned as he rubbed the back of his head. “Y’know, to set up fighters with specific opponents?”

”Nah boy, dis is legit! We set up matches like these based on li’l polls dat we set up for da fans ‘n’ viewers, ‘n’ we try to fulfill ‘em to make sure dey get da most hype outta da tourney! ‘N’ since dis chick’s been workin’ here fer aboooout as long as youse, and with how alike ya two are... heh, well, ta put it simply for ya, get ready. ‘N’ put on a good show for ‘em, yeah?” Ramiro asked with a big bright smile.

And with that, Alyx headed out satisfied, gently closing the door behind himself, leaving the bigshot Ludicolo alone once more. Ramiro sighed proudly as he watched him go out.

Something stirred in Ramiro’s head... a small detail he felt would’ve been... crucial to note to Alyx.

” ... Eh, anyway... where was I? ... OH YEAH!”