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Mar 19, 2014 0:14:59 GMT -5
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Post by subtleAssiduities on Mar 19, 2014 0:14:59 GMT -5
"Not on your life," Note replied, poking her between the eyes before she stepped back. With a sigh he heaved himself to his feet and waded back into the shallow water. Chance followed him in without hesitation. It proved much harder to get the Espeon wet to the skin than Note anticipated; his fur was just so thick and long that the layers didn't want to let any water in. Nor did they want to take the shampoo. "El, you got anything stronger than this?" He asked, tossing the shampoo bottle to her. The soap hadn't loosened much of the grime, and it hadn't touched the smell.
As Chance ran off Don turned to his daughter with a bit of a smile. "[Hey, Chris,]" he replied, padding toward her. "[What have you been up to? Chance hasn't been giving you trouble, has he?]" Though his tone carried mirth, he did hope to get a meaningful answer out of the inquiry. Chance and Chris had always butted heads, but rather harmlessly. However, he wasn't fond of the way Chance had been looking at her, and he had also seen the young Pokémon's ignorance and bravado get him into trouble before. So he felt it war only his duty to check on his daughter.
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Post by Atticus on Mar 19, 2014 0:23:34 GMT -5
When she was finished giggling, she shook her head. "Sorry, that's all I have. If it's not working, I suppose we can just put a little air refresher around his neck," the girl teased, before beckoning Angelo over to receive his own lathering. The Umbreon's fur was very smooth and not nearly as thick, so getting the smell out of him was no problem.
["He-"] she started, but cut herself off abruptly, clamping her jaw shut. ["He's fine. Well... just dumb, I guess."] Glaring at the Espeon through the corner of her eye, she added, ["I guess evolution can't change everything, huh?"]
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Post by subtleAssiduities on Mar 19, 2014 9:23:15 GMT -5
"Aw damn," Note lamented, throwing up his fur-covered hands. "What are you, Chance, part Steel type?"
The Espeon made a face and shook himself off before climbing out of the water and shaking himself off again. The water added a lot of weight to his fur, and as hard as it was to get him wet, it was just as hard to get him dry. Chance resisted the urge to flop to the ground and roll around in the grass; green stains wouldn't really do him any good. He looked at Note expectantly, waiting to make sure that the blond didn't have anything else in mind before he was dismissed. When Note waved him off he turned and trotted off to find a sunny spot to sun himself.
"[It really can't,]" Donetello agreed, casting a glance in Chance's direction as he sprawled out a distance away from the water. Even from a distance the way his misshaped gem caught the light was impressive. For a moment he was thrown back to a time when he had known another Pokémon whose gem shined even brighter... but he quickly pulled himself out of the memory and returned to his daughter. "[ I highly doubt he means any harm. But you have my permission to put him in his place.]" He flashed her a smirk. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Chris wasn't waiting for his permission to do that anyway. He looked up as he heard a splash from the dock, startled for a second that Vivian would go so quickly back in the water. But when he saw her still sitting there and the last of Austin disappear below the surface, he relaxed a little.
"Mum, what are you looking at?"
Vivian's eyes stayed on the water as she replied to her son. "Just... something I saw in the water."
Austin tilted his head to the side, puzzled. "Not another water stone I hope!"
His joke was either unappreciated, or brushed off. He couldn't tell by her flat-toned response. "No. Not that."
"Well, then what?" He situated himself next to her, dangling his paws over the edge in the same fashion that she had done. "Maybe I could help you find it."
"Maybe you could," she replied, though inwardly she was a bit dubious.
"...So, what was it?"
She was hesitant to admit it aloud. The last thing she wanted was for her peers to think she was sick or seeing things, but she decided to take her chances with her son. "A vaporeon."
"A vaporeon? Really?" His tail wagged a bit, and he turned to search the water. "What did it look like?"
"It looked like a Vaporeon, Austin," she replied, a bit exasperated.
"Do you think it would just come right up to the dock to see you again?"
She was silent. That was her hope; she wasn't dumb enough to go back in searching for it at the strength she was at. But she also don't think her luck was that good.
Sensing her hesitation, Austin offered, "Maybe I could see if I could find it! You taught me how to swim, ma, I'm almost as good as you."
For the first time since she had begun her search she lifted her head to look at him. A small smile graced her lips; she couldn't hide her pride. "You could try," she said, her tone withholding some of that pride. "Just be careful. Don't dive to the bottom."
With an excited nod the Umbreon hopped to his feet, and with a skill that was surely practiced he neatly dove off the dock and plunged into the water.
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Post by Atticus on Mar 19, 2014 19:52:54 GMT -5
Once Angelo was finished with his bath, he shook out his fine, dusky fur and made his way over to the part of the shore where his family was idling. Vivian was too close to the water for his comfort, but he said nothing of it. ["What are you doing?"]
Chris smirked at her father's words, rolling her eyes harmlessly. The first time she had met Donatello, after his one year absence, their conversation had been something remotely similar. She was glad that despite the awkward rift between her mother and her father, things between her and her parents would remain the same no matter what. She was quite lucky, when she really sat herself down and appreciated it all. She had two parents who loved her despite her breed, and that was all she really needed. ["He deserves it, doesn't he?"] she added, with a twisted glint in her eye. The Houndyena could vividly recall the Espeon snapping at her in the ghettos, and it was entirely unappreciated. She'd get him back somehow and-- while it wasn't necessary --having her father's blessing on the matter felt a little bit more scandalous. She loved it.
Ellie cupped her hand around her eye and looked around the lake bed for the rest of the Pokémon who needed a good scrub. She noticed Chris beside her father and brought her fingers to her lips, whistling, and hoping that the hot-headed hybrid would obey.
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Post by subtleAssiduities on Mar 19, 2014 20:28:36 GMT -5
Vivian watched her son paddle through the water, intent on the mission at hand. "Relax, Angelo, I'm watching him," she replied nonchalantly. "He's... looking for something." She wasn't ready to admit what for quite yet.
Austin was a very good swimmer. Vivian had taught him the basics, but he had taken it upon himself to practice in her absence in an attempt to impress her. Though he couldn't hold his breath as long as she could, he had more stamina, and he was a little more aerodynamic. Still, he didn't go half the distance that his mother did, but stuck close to the dock, bobbing in and out of the water in search of a water-type -eon.
His search proving fruitless after the first several minutes, he resurfaced and put his paws on the dock next to his mother. "I don't see anything, Ma. Do you want me to keep looking?"
She tilted her head to the side. "You don't have to. Come on out."
The Umbreon paused, deliberating. He wanted to please, and if he got out he had a hunch that he would not be allowed to get back in. Besides, he was doing just fine; he wasn't tired yet. "I'm going to look again," he decided, smiling at her. "I'll be back."
"Be careful," Vivian said, watching as he pushed off the dock and disappeared back under the water.
"Just don't rough him up too bad. I don't want to deal with Vivian," Donetello said with a shrug. The more he talked with Chris, the more he wished Note and Ellie had become an item earlier. He and Brook seemed to be on better terms now, and he couldn't imagine anything better than having more opportunities to talk with his daughter. She was like looking into a mirror from the past: she was exactly like he was in his younger days except, thankfully, she hadn't been left to her own devices in a place where anarchy was the norm. He didn't think, if asked to, he could show how much he appreciated all that she was. He just thought she was absolutely perfect... even if she wasn't a houndoom or a mightyena. Then again, who could claim that their child was so literally one of a kind?
Ellie's whistle caught his attention, and he looked over his shoulder to make sure that it was not he who was being summoned. When he was sure that he was not he looked around to figure out who was still left to be bathed. Vivian hadn't been shampooed, but she was pretty clean now, and he had a feeling that with how sensitive she could be to touch, Note wouldn't bother. Austin hadn't been cleaned, but depending on how long of a swim he took he might not have to be shampooed either. That just left Chris.
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Post by Atticus on Mar 19, 2014 21:12:31 GMT -5
"Alright," the Umbreon said simply, laying down and crossing his forepaws. Vivian's hesitation was enough of a hint that he shouldn't ask just what their son was looking for. He could respect that. As long as Austin didn't stay down too long, or come back with a water stone, he would let his mate and son do their thing. Whatever that was.
~~
Chris shrugged dismissively before she heard the beckon. The horned Pokémon got to her paws and gave her father a final look before steadily taking off in the direction of her trainer.
Brooke watched the pair from her spot by the trunk, a contented smile on her ebony lips. The Mightyena was still headstrong, still in charge of Chase and Erol, as she had been back in the days of their Clan, but years in Eleanor's care tamed the wild beast inside of her. Her new, more mature view on the world left her regretting her foolishness when she was younger. Maybe if she had handled the situation with Donatello better, and her strange attraction to the Houndoom, they could have been a family today.
Ellie welcomed the black-and-ginger Houndyena with a returning look of surprise. Chris' new, evolved form would take a bit of getting used to, but only as much as it had taken with the last one. She had no problem with Chris' peculiar looks, only that she had no idea what the Pokémon had in store for her -- such as evolving. She had been skeptical. So could she breed? What attacks could she learn, what were her stats? Maybe she would take her to a professional some day, but she didn't really want word getting out on her mutant Dark/Fire Pokémon. TV programmes were always looking to make a quick buck, and halfbreed Pokémon would be sure to draw some attention...
No matter. All secrets would be revealed in time.
"Man, I can't get over her," the blonde said, cupping the canine's face much like she had Donatello's. "She's beautiful, huh?" The dog looked up at her with rounded, red-amber eyes, to which Ellie only smiled. "Okay, girl, let's get that stink off'a you."
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Post by subtleAssiduities on Mar 19, 2014 21:30:33 GMT -5
Austin had only just dove when a movement caught his eye. He turned, peering under the dock that his parents were on. His eyes narrowed in the darkness, and as they adjusted the form of a little blue -eon came into view.
With a jolt of excitement he resurfaced, took a gulp of air, and dove again, heading toward the vaporeon. It seemed startled to have been seemed, and with a start it backpeddled shyly away from him, drawing him further under the dock until they were both practically standing in the muddy bottom of the lake. Cornered, the vaporeon froze, and, realizing that it was frightened, Austin stopped. As he grew still he sunk, and his toes sunk into the soft mud. He blinked at the vaporeon and waved a paw amiably, hoping to coax it out of the corner, but the creature remained still, watching him nervously. He frowned, suddenly realizing that he was running out of air, and he pulled his paws form the mud and tried to backpeddle; the space was too small to turn around.
The vaporeon watched him with wide eyes, and as she saw the trouble he was having it glided forward, pressed its forehead to his chest, and pushed him back, until they both emerged at the end of the dock. Free of the cramped space and able to breathe again Austin backed up, his gaze fixed on the vaporeon that had helped him escape. Now that it was in the light and he could see it clearly, he could tell that it was a girl. A very pretty girl...
Vivian's ears perked up as Austin emerged from under the dock, gasping for breath. She sighed in relief; it had been too long as far as she was concerned. She opened her mouth to speak, but stayed silent as she saw a vaporeon rise to the surface in front of him. The creature's back was to her and Angelo; she didn't seem to notice them.
Note smiled. Though he seemed to be a bit more used to dealing with unique Pokémon than his girl was, Chris was still a surprise to him, even a little moreso than Vivian. At least her DNA splicing was in the same evolution chain. But Chris was something else. "She's a wonder alright," he agreed, smiling at the Houndyena fondly. He spared at glance back at Donetello, who had watched Chris go with a fond smile. Note couldn't help but wonder whether all the slightly off Pokémon that he ran into were just coincidences, or if he had just managed to put together a team with weird genes. It wasn't like he cared. As long as his Pokémon were strong and healthy, he could care less about what was "wrong" with them. Hell, his best Pokémon were the ones that didn't fit the norm. He certainly wasn't going to complain.
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Post by Atticus on Mar 19, 2014 21:44:50 GMT -5
As the seconds passed, Angelo grew worried yet again (and certainly exasperated) that his son wasn't resurfacing. He was no longer lying down -- his composure had shifted into that of one ready to spring. His muscles were bunched and his hindquarters were slightly raised, the fur along his neck and spine bristling. "Just what were you looking for?" he hissed at Vivian, but it was not malicious, only the tone of a frightened father.
He saw shadows in the water, and narrowed his eyes to try and make them out. Moments later, blue fur and scales emerged from the depths, wrapped around his dark-hued son. His first thought was that it was attacking him, and his mouth frothed with purple energy until he noticed that the movements were too gentle to be harmful. He ceased his powers and lifted his head, shoulders straightened and ears perked.
~~
Ellie ran her fingers through the hybrid's fur. It was thicker than when she was a puppy, and not nearly as smooth, but it was soft -- incredibly soft, even. Just from the looks of it, she expected the canine's pelt to be coarse and unpleasant to the touch, but it was quite the opposite. As a Pokémon with a love of battle, however, she wasn't sure how useful this soft coat would end up being. Her horns were also longer, but not enough to be useful either. Ellie supposed that was one of the flaws of being a mutant; her genes just didn't know what to do with themselves, or how to make themselves useful. She looked great, though.
When she was all cleaned up, strangely without a fight, she sent the hybrid on her way. "So," she said with a groan, stretching her back which was sore from bending over, "is that all? Is there anyone else?"
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Post by subtleAssiduities on Mar 19, 2014 21:52:38 GMT -5
Delighted, Austin let out a little giddy giggle. "Hi," he said, smiling widely at the vaporeon. "Nice to meet you."
She smiled back, but remained silent. His tail was wagging, and he had to work to keep it from propelling him into her. "Um... I found her!" He looked up at his mother, who was staring at the two in surprise. "I found her, mum."
With a start the vaporeon spun around, and upon seeing the two older Pokémon on the dock she gasped and ducked underwater. A moment later she was gone, materializing into the lake. Austin gave a start. "Oh, no! Come back!" he barked, looking around wildly. "Where did you go? What happened?"
"Vaporeons can turn into water," Vivian muttered, bemused. "Come out, Austin. You're starting to worry your father."
Disheartened, Austin paddled to the edge the shore of the lake and pulled himself out. Vivian hopped up and met him at the shore, and after shaking himself off he started a halfhearted babble.
"Did you see her? I told you I'd find her. She was under the dock, probably there the whole time. I didn't mean to scare her... she helped me get out from under there, I thought she'd stick around a while."
"Yeah, maybe she'll come back," Vivian muttered, combing his long bangs out of his face with her claws. "No more diving though."
"Well," said Note thoughtfully, "Chance is a lost cause. Vivian is probably fine. And... I don't know, has Austin been swimming?" He tried to spot the Umberon on the other side of the lake, but the dock blocked his view of him, so he couldn't find him.
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Post by Atticus on Mar 19, 2014 22:05:47 GMT -5
Angelo let out a relieved sigh as Austin began to gabble on, indicating that he was alright. That was all he could ask for. He was not nearly as concerned with the Vaporeon or its whereabouts as he was with Austin being alright. "Right, no more big bodies of water for either of you," he said sternly, though it was clearly in jest, and only because he knew there was no telling Vivian what to do.
~~
The light-haired girl looked around for the -eon when Note mentioned him, and saw him sopping by his mother and father. "It looks like he has, but I don't want to take any chances with that smell. When we get back to the ranch, they all better smell like daisies." She began to walk towards the trio, clearing her throat to get the Umbreon's attention. "Alright, Austin. I promise this'll only take a second."
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Tag Games
Mar 19, 2014 22:17:30 GMT -5
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Post by subtleAssiduities on Mar 19, 2014 22:17:30 GMT -5
"Do you think she'll come back at all?" Austin mused dreamily, looking out toward the water in disregard of his father's warning. It earned him an write roll and a cuff on the ear from Vivian.
Both their attention turned to Ellie as she approached. His eyes lit up and he bounced up to her. A bath meant he could get back in the water. So maybe he could see the vaporeon again.
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Post by Atticus on Mar 19, 2014 22:22:44 GMT -5
Angelo let out a huff at his son's comment and stepped aside when Ellie beckoned the young -eon into the water.
She squirt the shampoo into her hand and gave him the same treatment to the Umbreon as she did her others. As she ran the shampoo over his back and legs, she made note of how Austin was a cute mix of both his parents; Angelo's evolution, and Vivian's scruffy fur. His personality, however, was unlike either of his parents... though at times, she could make connections between Austin's behavior to when Angie was just an Eevee. It seemed like so long ago.
The girl noticed how excited the Dark Type was, and she had a hard time believing it was for a bath. "What's gotten you so hyped up, huh?" she smiled, giving the Pokémon a scratch behind the hear before beginning to splash off the soap.
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Tag Games
Mar 19, 2014 22:37:45 GMT -5
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Post by subtleAssiduities on Mar 19, 2014 22:37:45 GMT -5
"...Was it just me, out was he.... Infatuated with that vaporeon?" Vivian muttered, looking at Angelo as Austin and Ellie headed away. She has never seen Austin so eager to do anything but socialize, and never eager like he was about this vaporeon.
Tail wagging the whole time, Austin regarded Elle with a simple yip. He was impatient to get the soap off by going on a bit of a dive.
Note raises a brow at him. "What is he so excited about? Geez, babe, your Pokémon are weird. It must be something in the water at the ranch." With that he called over Vivian to see if the mutant was in need of a shampooing herself. A quick examination period that the smell had remained, though the grime seemed to be fine for the most part.
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Post by Atticus on Mar 19, 2014 22:46:47 GMT -5
Angelo's ear twitched at Vivian's comment. Infatuation was a strange thing, that the Umbreon could disclose with confidence. His and the hybrid's relationship progressed in a weird way -- he couldn't even give a date on when they had decided they wanted to be together like this. Unlike Delilah and Elliot, they didn't have a wedding, but Angelo considered Vivian his mate just as much as Delilah did Elliot. It was something they just... sort of eased into. Early on, Angelo prayed to Arceus that Austin would never feel obliged to come to him for girl advice. Just destroy furniture with them until they have a kid with you?
"That's what it looked like," he agreed with a sigh, blinking his blood-red eyes groggily, as if the idea exhausted him. "Can Vaporeon have Cute Charm, or is this the start to a cheesy, teenage romance novel?" Ellie had been big on those when she was younger. He actively dreaded story time in those years.
Ellie scratched the back of her neck, looking at the -eon quizzically. "I dunno'," she confessed nonchalantly, standing back up and giving the young Pokémon a pat on the back. "Alright, jump in." She took a few steps back towards note and cocked a brow at him, watching him inspect Vivian. She held out the shampoo a slight ways. "Do you need it?"
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Tag Games
Mar 19, 2014 23:17:25 GMT -5
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Post by subtleAssiduities on Mar 19, 2014 23:17:25 GMT -5
"I don't know if they can, and I don't know what that is," Vivian replied to Angelo before heading to her trainer. She hoped that whatever was going on was harmless. No one understood romance less than Vivian. It hasn't even ben on jet radar until she realized that having a child with Angelo was far from the worst thing that could have possibly happened. She loved get mate, but neither she, nor anyone else could explain why our how she had grown to live him. ' Love' was a four-letter wired to her anyway; though she had learned to express the feeling, she could not recall ever uttering it. It was too abstract a weird for her to use. And it made her feel vulnerable.
With a shake Austin splashed into the water and sloppily dove underneath. He paddled around until the soap was free from his fire, and then he began to search for the vaporeon again.To his delight, once his vision adjusted to the darkness he could see her crouched at the bottom of the lake not too far out, watching him curiously. It was too far down for him to dive, so he treaded water over the spot where she was, hoping that he would come to the surface.
"Yeah," Note replied, taking the bottle from the blonde. Vivian looked at him early as he coated the hands in the thick liquid. "This'll be quick," he promised, walking into the water up to his knees. Slowly, the mutant followed, but she immediately tensed as he began to lather. Though she allowed herself to be pet and she trusted Note, she could not every get fully post her dislike of hands being on her. Still, she remained aril as Note have the gentlest massage he had ever given, especially over her injured shoulder. But as he reached the black part if get lower bac she let out a yelp and spun around, clamping her jaws around his wrist. Both human and trainer froze; Vivian had reacted instinctively, and before she had bit down into the skin she had caught herself, leaving her bite tight but harmless. She lowered her ears apologetically, released him, and backed away. She was done. Whether she still stuck or not, she was done. And before Note could stop her she dove into the water, shaking the soap out of her fur.
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