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Post by Zephias on Oct 16, 2017 5:07:23 GMT
Ethan leaned back on his seat with a bit of a smile.
"Eh, whatever works for you. I just want to learn more things. There's nothing quite as exciting, really. Especially with something this interesting"
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Post by MagisterSphinx on Oct 19, 2017 12:17:10 GMT
As Amanda watches Tiberius the Shuppet starts spinning and darting around, clearly showing off for the audience. Rio blushes a little at his antics and thanks Rio on his behalf for the compliment. When Ethan respond to Amanda she tilts her head as she listens, obviously fascinated by the conversation and missing the byplay between Hissho Alaric and Via.
Alaric gives Hissho a knowing look for a moment, both eyebrows raised before his smile becomes a more natural one. "Forgive me, I just thought you had the posture of a fighter. But a long life well lived can give some of the same instinct true." He responds before his eyes flick over to Via. "And that's a very interesting and useful philosophy. If you're too obvious about it you'll have trouble making friends, but you never know if some one is lying to you or if if a random twist of fate could bring disaster down upon you. Of course, I prefer to treat new situations and people as opportunities to learn more about the world than as potential enemies. It tends to open doors rather than close them" He says, apparently completely focused on Via and Hissho despite turning to look at the other three whenever they mention alchemy or anima.
When Ethan talks to her, Rio jerks back into a properly upright posture, rather than leaning forwards intently. "No, no it's fine. I don't know much about Tiberius and just listening to you guys tells me so much about what I should look up next, never mind the possibility you might find the answer here. I think I'm in the same boat as Amanda really - I've seen some unusual things but I'm no closer to a remotely sensible explanation despite everything."
Alaric turns from Hissho and Via to join in. "An interesting conundrum there Rio, but I'm afraid I couldn't begin to approach Ethan or Amanda's knowledge with my own paltry theories. But if all us are going to be travelling this region, I feel like it would behove us to keep in touch? There's lots of mysteries best solved with multiple angles and schools of thought and we all seem like very different people."
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Nov 23, 2023 19:11:09 GMT
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Post by lichlord on Oct 19, 2017 22:51:15 GMT
At least they aren't shutting Rio completely out, and she seems happy with their rants. At least she got something out of them. But once this Alaric brings up staying in touch, Amanda fidgits in her seat a bit. She's uncomfortable in talking even this much, but... well this 'is' what she came her for afterall. To get in touch with multiple people all knowledgable in different subjects to try and get something for her own goals out of the situation. Before Ul can do something to give out her answer for her, she volunteers it. Although in a mumbly quiet way.
"I guess we could stay in touch or whatever..."
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Post by JPThunda on Oct 20, 2017 4:35:27 GMT
Hissho sighed uncomfortably at Via and Alaric seeing through what he thought was a masterful deception. That didn't last long.
He focused his gaze on Via. "The young man makes a point--but to put it more directly, the fact that you treat everyone as a threat from the very outset shows you lack confidence," Hissho chided. "If you were confident in your abilities to handle any threat that came before you, you would not need to be so guarded. You would be able to respond without showing apparent hostility in the first place. That is the mark of a true master," Hissho said sagely, nodding along with his own words. "A true master is never defenseless, not because they are constantly guarded, but because they are able to react instinctively, and effectively, to any threat as it appears. That is what it means to have mastered one's self."
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Post by Zephias on Oct 20, 2017 6:44:44 GMT
Ethan gives Rio a pat on the back.
"S'fine, Rio. No one has all the answers, and finding them is more fun anyways"
He then finally turned to Alaric and Hissho's conversation, frowning a bit at both of them.
"I'd think mastering one's self would be being content to the point of not needing to be reactive. Your version of mastery seems to have a whole lot of waiting for the world to do things instead of being the one who does. There isn't enough time to stay and wait for the world to give answers pretty please, with a cherry on top"
He then shrugged in Alaric's general direction.
"Do we even know if we'll be travelling solo? Or who we'll partner with? You may well be stuck with us, Al, making the whole 'keeping in touch' thing as simple as talking over dinner"
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Post by JPThunda on Oct 20, 2017 21:49:16 GMT
Hissho chuckled. 'Ah, the naivete of youth...,' he thought to himself as he looked at Ethan through his mirrored sunglasses.
"That would be mastering the world, not yourself. You are never the only actor in the world, and you will not always be able to dictate the actions of others. There is quite a bit of difference between being able to respond to whatever the world sends your way, and waiting without action," he said, maintaining his sage tone.
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Post by lichlord on Oct 20, 2017 23:16:00 GMT
Amanda blinks a few times at Hissho. Does he know he's being a hardcore sage sterotype right now? Maybe not. Amanada's certainly not going to say anything out loud. She then hears Ethan bring up they might be forced together on their journey, and she fidgets some more. She's not fully willing to travel with anyone for an extended period, so all this is hitting every dislike in her mind.
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Post by Zephias on Oct 21, 2017 4:14:53 GMT
"And that, there, just sounds patronizing. I don't think you'd be here if you had all the answers, old man" Ethan shot back.
"Plus, your definition of 'mastering yourself' sounds incredibly boring. And mastering the world, really? When someone waves a hand and makes things fall up, I'll accept the claim of 'mastering' the world"
Ethan shrugged.
"For all the sage showboating, you sound like the one's that's lost to me"
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Post by JPThunda on Oct 23, 2017 3:40:33 GMT
"Not all those who wander are lost," Hissho said, repeating the age-old quote. "Perhaps it is boring, but then, as you grow old so much of the mystery and wonder of this world falls away. Santa Claus, the Easter Bunneary...all fall before the light of truth," he said. "I admit, I don't have all of the answers. There are some things well beyond the scope of my knowledge. That is why I am here. To learn."
Hissho focused on Ethan again. "As for your definition, well, you need look no further than Psychic-type pokemon to find someone who has 'mastered the world', then...but they, too, have their weaknesses, don't they?," he asked. "It seems to fall quite short of mastery, if you ask me. Any form of true mastery must be trifold--the physical, the mental, and the spiritual," he said, "at least, that's what this showboating old sage thinks."
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Post by Zephias on Oct 23, 2017 10:21:36 GMT
"Come on, don't tell me you don't know the difference between lifting something through telekinesis and falling upwards?" Ethan shot back. "I'm fairly certain my cousin Jake's already being introduced to gravity and physics, and he's eight"
He laid one arm across the table, then propped his chin on the other. His hazel eyes moved to Via for a second before turning back to Hissho.
"And the point stands. Don't be so patronizing, you've admitted to not having the answers. Hers are probably not yours, either, since you've not lived her life. Aren't people grand? We're so similar, yet so different at the same time"
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Post by lichlord on Oct 23, 2017 21:24:36 GMT
Oh look the uncomfortable passive aggressive conversation is back. Hooray. But it's an easy distraction for the others while Amanda sinks back into her chair, hoping that giving out numbers is removed off the table. Yay dodging questions!
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Post by haybalebarn on Oct 24, 2017 5:09:46 GMT
Via slouches back into her chair as the conversation between the wordier members of this disjointed gathering goes on, closing her eyes and softly breathing out. She cracks open an eye from time to time to focus in on whoever is talking, but eventually that effort grows too much for her as her breathing falls into a regular, relaxed pattern.
As a lull in the conversation eventually appears, she speaks up, not even bothering to open her eyes. "You all seem to think that I can't both think of someone as a threat and interact positively with them. Most of my closest friends back home I'd consider some of the most dangerous to me. Still were friends. Doesn't mean I wouldn't be ready to beat them to a pulp if they decided to sell me out. Considering someone a threat also means respecting them and their own power, their own ability, which includes their ability to do harm to yourself."
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Post by MagisterSphinx on Oct 25, 2017 9:04:36 GMT
Alaric smiles at Amanda as she agrees to trade contact information and raises an eyebrow as Hissho, Ethan and Via disagree about philosophy. He pulls out a business card and hands it to Amanda - it has his full name, phone number and email address in fancy silver text. "Here you go then. You'll always be able to get onto me with this, though I reserve the right to change my number whenever it seems advantageous or amusing." He says before turning back to Via. "Ah but there's a simple answer. Clearly the rest of us have known little hardship in our lives. Instead of enemies we have faced competitors or simple challenges. So we are unused to considering anyone a threat, let alone everyone." He then looks back at Ethan. "We are hardly children here. And even if we do end up travelling together we will hardly be handcuffed together - sharing our information will simply prevent us from being separated in such a scenario - I am only planning ahead."
Rio listens but remains quiet, seemingly too intimidated to talk.
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Post by JPThunda on Oct 26, 2017 15:54:46 GMT
"Are they so different? The outcome is the same, is it not? I will grant you, one shows greater mastery than the others, much like comparing an elevator to a staircase, but both fundamentally accomplish the task--mastery over gravity," Hissho said.
At the second comment, Hissho scoffed and laughed. "I've lived a long time sonny, and I've lost my patience for gentle-handling and kiddy-gloves when it comes to grown men and women these days. I'll speak as I like, and if you don't like it, you don't have to listen," he said flatly. Judging the conversation suitably concluded, he turns his attention to Via.
"An interesting perspective," Hissho says, "but how can you fully embrace and trust those same friends when you are constantly guarded against betrayal and attack, I wonder?," he asked.
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Post by haybalebarn on Oct 29, 2017 5:48:09 GMT
Via's shoulders shrug in her slouched position in her chair and she gives a very simple, "I make it work," before falling silent, apparently tired of the poking and prodding.
She opens her eyes and sits up, looking around for anyone seemingly out of place and professor's assistant-y, her left leg beginning to bounce up and down as she searches
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Post by Zephias on Oct 29, 2017 23:42:53 GMT
"Whatever works for you, mate" Ethan told Alaric with a bit of a gallic shrug. "I'm just wondering how much longer we'll have to wait"
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Post by MagisterSphinx on Nov 1, 2017 10:10:47 GMT
Ethan's question is immediately answered by the businessman, who looks rather grumpy.
"Not for very much longer. Or for much longer depending on what you were expecting." He says with a frown. "Meridia got "accosted" by another assistant of the Professor's in the city, so the pokemon the Professor picked out for you aren't here yet. The bright side is that she roped the other guy into finding the people who ran off, so that's taken care of. So I'll just do my spiel now and she can handle the other nonsense she gets so excitedt about." He pauses and looks at the six of you before sighing and straightening up, starting what sounds like a memorised and rehearsed speech.
"I am Albus Dubois and I am here today as a representative of Etoile Energy, the company that strives to make the world of tomorrow the world of today. Thanks to our partnership with the Pokemon Leagues of the regions of Kimiya and Kalos, we can bring you, the champions of tomorrow the devices of tomorrow. With these next generation pokedexes you'll have a head start on achieving your bright future." He says in a deadpan voice, holding out a a cheap cardboard bag.
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Post by Zephias on Nov 2, 2017 3:56:45 GMT
"...that's a rather mundane-looking box for the equipment. Isn't that usually seen as bad publicity?" Ethan snarked back. "Anyways, It's a pleasure, Albus"
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Post by lichlord on Nov 2, 2017 5:27:56 GMT
Amanda gets up wordlessly, and curiously looks inside to see if there are indeed dexes and hopes to get hers.
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Post by haybalebarn on Nov 2, 2017 5:37:49 GMT
As the businessman steps forwards, Via's eyes lock onto him, giving him a thorough look-over, seeing if she can spot anything out of the ordinary about him. After he's done with his little spiel, she walks over and takes one of the pokedexes for herself, then returns to her seat, beginning to familiarize herself with it. Perceptionaroony: ahuW0nVO3d63d6
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