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Nov 23, 2023 19:11:09 GMT
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Post by lichlord on Jan 21, 2020 4:02:14 GMT
"Hush. You are allowed to have emotions. And I'm here to help."
She smiles warmly back at Aima, trying to calm her.
"And maybe I needed it a little too, after what happened with that fight. I barely got out of it..."
She looks away and then looks back.
"But it's ok. I got through this and so will you. Tell me how I can help."
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May 31, 2023 21:25:23 GMT
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Post by Raven on Jan 21, 2020 5:04:03 GMT
Despite hiding most of her face behind her sleeve, Aima's eyes reflect a sad smile. "I'm not certain how much you can help, Miss Victoria. Miyako has always been brash and stubborn. She agreed, as did I, to take on this duty; though it was never explicitly stated, it was implied that we were to live here for the rest of...eternity, I suppose; or at least until our natural lives had run dry. Being blessed/hired by the Guardian of Time makes things a bit messy on occasions where one must consider 'time'." She sighs softly. "Of late, Miyako has become increasingly bored and frustrated with nothing to do but observe. Ours is a boring, thankless job, but surely necessary else why would we be here at all?" A thought seems to occur to her suddenly. "Tell me, Miss Victoria, what year is it on the outside?"
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Nov 23, 2023 19:11:09 GMT
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Post by lichlord on Jan 21, 2020 6:15:17 GMT
"Well I mean was it the mansion that I found? Did that have something to do with why you were both here?"
She seems put off by the question.
"Year? Well it's <insert year here>. Why?"
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Post by Raven on Jan 21, 2020 6:36:58 GMT
Aima shrugs slightly. "I do not know. As I said before, I was not aware of that place's existence. The 'Heart of the Forest' is usually an abstract term, or a geographical location. While the place you described could be considered a "geographical location", that is, "a place that exists", it ought not be the literal geographical center of the forest. The fact that such a location went beyond our notice means that either Miyako and I were lax in our duties (a fair possibility) or that something was obscuring it from us. I was unaware of there even being another section of traversable forest paths. It is most concerning." She explains, before her eyes widen slightly at the year mentioned. "Oh my. Has it truly been so long already? I suppose it must have, as you've no reason to lie about such a thing." She then explains that she has been here for just over a century, while Miyako was brought in roughly ten years later. There were supposedly others before them, but she does not know of their fate.
It's really only as Aima mentions her temporal age that Victoria truly begins to notice just how old this place really appears based on its design. Combined with the much more 'traditional' priestess uniform that both Aima and Miyako wear, and it definitely sells the "lost to time" story.
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Post by lichlord on Jan 21, 2020 7:01:27 GMT
She looks around and wide-eyed realizes how old Aima is.
She's been in here for that long?! I gotta say I don't blame her sister for maybe getting bored, but not going to mention that to the one who de-hypnotised me and helped me heal and is sad. That'd be a terrible idea.
"How have you been alive this long? Because of the 'Guardian of Time'? Did their hiring of you give you that? Or is it this place?"
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Post by Raven on Jan 21, 2020 7:18:28 GMT
"I assumed that the Guardian of Time, Celebi, was responsible. She was the one with whom I made the original agreement after all." Aima shrugs. "It may also be that this is a timeless place. Not immutable, as you have proven, but perhaps timeless nonetheless."
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Post by lichlord on Jan 21, 2020 7:36:29 GMT
"Is there a way to call Celebi to find out if you need to stay now? Like you said yourself, you've been here for so long and didn't know about the deeper forest... maybe what you said when we met is true? That some legendary has affected me somehow? And that only 'I' could get down there? Like those stories about a 'chosen one' or something? And that you and your sister were here to prevent anything from getting 'out'?"
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Post by Raven on Jan 21, 2020 7:51:06 GMT
She shakes her head. "While your story has as much merit as any other theory we could come up with, I have no way of contacting The Guardian directly. I feel that if She wished for us to know something, we would have been informed. Considering She is the Guardian of Time, I do not believe that She would have forgotten us." She sighs. "I suppose, if nothing else, I can pray for guidance from Her. Whether or not She will answer is another story, however. I'm certain there are many things more important to focus on than one, small, human's troubles." She goes on to explain that she does not believe Celebi to be apathetic, merely busy. Guarding the timeways is likely a full-time job.
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Post by lichlord on Jan 21, 2020 7:53:38 GMT
Victoria looks concerned.
"Well 'I' am concerned about one human's troubles..."
She looks off.
"...Well I guess that leaves your sister. Is there anything that would bring her back here? Did she say anything about what she was attempting or doing?"
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Post by Raven on Jan 21, 2020 8:15:50 GMT
She sighs softly again. She seems to be doing that a lot. Guess this really weighs on her, huh? "She told me only that she was 'sick and tired of doing nothing for no reason'. She all but challenged The Guardian to appear before her to demand answers of Her for...a great many things, as I recall. It was horribly disrespectful, and not the sort of behavior one ought to encourage." She puffs herself up a bit as she starts in on a rant about her sister's disrespect of both her position (which, again, she agreed to) and Celebi herself. She peters out only a minute or so later, though, returning to her despondency.
"Sorry... I do worry about her though. In truth, while I believe that the blessing of timelessness is upon us as well as this place, I fear what may happen if it is not. Even should the worst not come to pass, there is still the concern of just how much time has passed since we entered into service." She looks Victoria in the eyes suddenly. "If you would, please, Miss Victoria, I beg of you to find my sister and look after her. Do not try to force her to return, as it would only drive her further away. Instead I only pray that you accompany her on whatever journey she has planned for herself. If only to ensure she does not get herself into trouble."
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Post by lichlord on Jan 21, 2020 9:56:12 GMT
Victoria listens to the half-rant and the request. Based on her and her sisters last encounter, that'll be tough. But... she can try!
She nods and looks to Aima.
"I'll try my best. I don't think she liked me, but at least I can try and stick around her for you."
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Post by Raven on Jan 21, 2020 10:07:46 GMT
Aima's expression brightens almost immediately. "Thank you, Miss Victoria! I know my sister can be a handful, but at this point she is truly the only human family I have left. In the mean time, do please stay as long as you need to in order to rest and recover. I have plenty of natural medicines available."
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Post by lichlord on Jan 21, 2020 23:43:28 GMT
"I'll do what I can! But yeah I'm tired, and I'd like to hang out with you for a while anyway!"
She beams as best she can as she settles in to get healed and maybe have tea or something with Aima to keep her company for a while.
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Post by Raven on Jan 21, 2020 23:54:59 GMT
Aima does her best to be a good host (not that she ever expected to actually host guests here), making up some tea and whatever food she can put together with primarily berries and other fruits. After, she goes and takes a nap. Victoria has basically free reign of the shrine.
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Post by lichlord on Jan 22, 2020 0:04:08 GMT
As Aima takes her nap, Victoria looks around the Shrine. It might help if she had info on why the two were here and how they were living to be able to maybe understand Aima's sister a little better. Understand your target, as it were.
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Post by Raven on Jan 22, 2020 0:18:04 GMT
There are two "bedrooms" within the shrine. One of which Aima entered, so the other must be where Miyako slept. Inside of this room is...a mess. From the brief glance Victoria got into Aima's room, this is a rather stark contrast. Where Aima's room appeared clean, if a bit spartan, Miyako's room looks like scatterbrained scientist's workshop from any number of fictional sources. There are a handful of colored shards scattered about, along with papers detailing things that Victoria can't even begin to wrap her head around at first glance. (You may make a Tech Ed check to try and make sense of these if you like.) There are also various tools strewn about the room, some even "hidden" on the futon that lies on the floor.
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Post by lichlord on Jan 22, 2020 0:33:39 GMT
She's not very tech-minded, but she'll try to understand it all.
myj9uV2v2d6
Regardless, one thing is very clear. This is all more modern tech. For somebody who's been in this world for ninety years comparted to Aima's century... this all doesn't fit. So has she been getting out every so often and getting modern tech to expiriment with? Why the heck would a battle shrine maiden want that?2d6
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Post by Raven on Jan 22, 2020 0:55:41 GMT
What little sense Victoria can make of the papers seems to indicate they are designs of a sort. She recognizes some of the silhouettes. Chimecho. Bronzor. Exeggcute. Those are Miyako's Pokemon. There's another one that looks kinda like a human arm. This one makes the least sense. The technobabble written on it would likely be indecipherable to Victoria on a good day, but with it being written in some sort of personal shorthand, it is completely and utterly incomprehensible. What is clear, however, is that Miyako was doing something with her Pokemon. Perhaps that has something to do with that weird remote she showed during their one battle?
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Post by lichlord on Jan 22, 2020 1:16:51 GMT
"...huh. What the heck was she doing? Robots or something? Hmmm."
Coming in here at least helped a little. She heads back out to rest further (and nap herself) and wait for Aima as it's rude to just leave while she's napping.
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Post by Raven on Jan 22, 2020 1:19:15 GMT
Luckily, Victoria finds a spare futon and some blankets in what amounts to a closet. There also appears to be a dojo-like room that is empty where she can set it up. It's not like they have any other furniture to sleep on.
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