solas_ion | ☘ 042; [video; action for goldenrod breeding center]

☘ 042; [video; action for goldenrod breeding center]

'Noble and famous indeed thou shalt be, but transitory and soon gone.'

[The backdrop to Lancer's reminiscence today seemed to be his room in the breeding center...and behind him was what appeared to be one hell of a hoarded cache of various bottles of alcohol. The half-empty one he was holding might have explained why his tone and phrasing were notably more serious than usual.]

Somebody said that to me when I was a little kid. Prophecies were kind of a big deal back then. But me, I was the kind of glory-seeking dumbass that didn't really care about consequences. Hell, I still don't. But here's the thing, y'know--I think that was wrong the whole time. Yeah, yeah, I got famous and whatever, and maybe thirty's not the ideal age for somebody to die at, but I outlived...everybody. Just about everybody that mattered, at least. My teacher, my kid, even my adoptive father got offed long before I did.

[Shrugging, Lancer poured himself drink number Who Knows and drained the glass in one quick motion before he continued.]

Here's what I'm getting at: I've been here a long time. Too long for most, but I have to say being stuck here in itself doesn't bother me. Still...every so often I catch myself thinking 'so how long until the rest of you disappear into thin goddamned air?' And I wonder if this is the epitome of my miserable luck, living out a normal life while everybody around me keeps coming and going without so much as a 'see you later, Lancer' or even a 'good riddance, stupid'.

Guess at this rate, I'm just gonna have to live with everyone else being the transitory ones. [He sighed, and the sound seemed irritated rather than punctuating the unhappiness that seemed to be in his words.] What a pain. I ain't even sure how people deal with this anymore...aside from drinking. I kind of got that one covered.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...Who was it, this time?

[Because no one ever breaches that sort of subject without losing someone.]

...Saber.

[Lancer figured he didn't need to say more than that.]

Ah.

[Not really, no.]

Is anyone keeping you company? Your Pokémon, hers, anyone else in the building?

Man, you make it sound like I need a caretaker or something. I'm far from stupid enough to drink myself to death, I assure you.

I'd never doubt that. I was merely wondering if a long distance drinking partner would be needed.

[He has a nice bottle of vodka and plenty of time to spare, after all.]

...Guess I can't really turn that one down, can I?

You could if you wished. I'd hardly take it personally.

[But he does move offscreen a few moments, long enough to grab that bottle and open it.]

How are the Breeding Center's Pokémon reacting to her absence?

Hard to say, really. She left her Marowak with me, seemed to be doing well enough.

That's good to hear. Some teams take it worse than others, whether they find themselves adopted or not.

I've taken care of Caliburn before--the first time she left who knows how long ago. I think it was still a Cubone back then. So I wouldn't worry about that one, at least.

So that's one fine, and... goodness knows how many that are still undetermined. Has anyone else mentioned finding her Pokémon in their PCs?

I haven't heard. I'm almost certain a good number were kickin' around the Breeding Center in some way or another, I'll have to check when I get over tomorrow's hangover.

But damn...I really screwed up this time.

How? No one could blame you for needing a drinking or six today, considering the circumstances.

[In fact, Cecil now takes a drink of his own.]

I had something I needed to say to her.

[Shrugging, Lancer poured another drink.]

Ain't any point in beating myself up, I guess.

Write it down for next time. That's always a possibility.

Not if she doesn't remember. That happens and there's really not gonna be any point to it.

And if she does remember? Would there be a point to it then?

I doubt it, but I'd probably try anyway.

Better to try and fail than to do nothing and regret it.

It doesn't seem like you're the only here who's been here for a long time, at least. You're not alone.

So what happens when people that've been here almost as long start disappearing?

[She's quiet for a few moments.]

It's hardest when people you've cared about who've been with you throughout all of this start to leave. [Her eyes drift off to the side, she can't really bring herself to look at him.]

I don't really know how to answer the question. Can't say I've been here all that long, it hasn't been a year quite yet. Usually I just... [She shrugs] I don't know? I give myself a good cry but...what good does that do? I feel better afterwards but then what? My life isn't going to stop here because they leave so I have to keep going.

What else can you do?

Can't do a whole hell of a lot, I have to agree with that. So I guess we're basically just outta luck on that one.

[She smiles a bit.]

Yep. At least you can drink. Although, I don't think I want to experience a hangover.

No, you really don't. It's usually worth it, but they're still a pain in the neck to deal with.

Usually worth it, huh? I wonder if my parents ever thought that way. [she laughs]

For some reason I didn't think this place had alcohol. Probably because I've always thought of pokémon as a children's game.

You just gotta look hard enough. Game or not, this isn't too different from anywhere else as far as basic things like that go.

I guess so, I never thought about it like that. But then again, there's a mall and all that so it really shouldn't be as surprising as it was to me.

Smashing things seems to work for me. Though... there isn't all that much I can smash, the way I am.

[Ilya's face is impassive, but there's a bit of a tremor in her voice.]

My Pokemon are happy enough to do it for me, though.

Somehow I gotta admit that doesn't surprise me too much.

I'm not smashing anything that belongs to anyone, if that helps.

[Well, that was abruptly defensive.]

Ain't my job to make sure you're stayin' out of trouble, kid. Don't bother defending yourself.

[She considers that for a moment, then gives a little snort.]

No, I suppose it wouldn't be. That was her job. Well, the job she took on even though no one asked it of her, anyway.

*you know, he has a sneaking suspicion as to what may have prompted this, considering just who he happens to know has recently left....*

Just how long have you been here...?

Who, me? Pretty sure I'm comin' up on three years or just about that.

*nods*

I see... I can hardly imagine how many you must have seen come and go within that time, then.

Eh, I was never really keeping count. Now that I think about it, it's probably a lot.

Do you have any idea what happens to people who are returned to their worlds?

*interpreting this question as meaning "do you know what will likely become of Saber" is, well, not inaccurate...*

[As a friend of Ib's, Mary has been living at the Breeding Center for a bit over a month now, so she's certainly seen Lancer around, at the very least. However, she hasn't thought to go to him in regards to Saber's disappearance; instead, the Servant will hear a pair of little feet padding loudly past his door many times throughout the day, sometimes passing three or four times within just minutes. Is it enough of an annoyance to check out the noise?]

(ooc: feel free to ignore this if it's too late! also feel free to just have Lancer ignore Mary if he isn't inclined to check out what the noise is, haha)

...?

[Lancer stuck his head out the door after the fourth or fifth time, wondering if he might've just been hearing things.]

Yo. Anybody out here?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

☘ 042; [video; action for goldenrod breeding center]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[Video]

[Video]

[Video]

[Video]

[Video]

[Video]

[Video]

[Video]

[Video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

Video

Video

Re: Video

Video; I AM THE LATEST TAGGER OOPS

*pats* it's okay~

action

action; sorry, i've been super slow lately!

pats it's okay~