[r] literary theory for villains

[2tsunz]

What a difference a few hours in an alternate time-warped dimension, implicit threats of violence and a few traumatizing moments could make! 24 hours ago Batin had been hanging out with a scourge lucario and sampling the Amberwell's fine, fine waters. Now he was hanging out with an even stronger scourge lucario and sampling Pomona's fine, fine wines.

He smiled broadly at the world in general as Minerva brought him a glass of wine.

< This is wine, > she said as she handed it to him. Batin thanked her, sipped from the glass and mentally amended his note: Minerva might have been stronger than Heron, but she definitely wasn't smarter.

king

[king]

alex sat back, watching the other get wine from a lucario. he propped his chin on his hand, glancing back down to his book. mina was quite a lovely woman, but her bookshelf left something to be desired.

[ can i get you something? ] there was a gothitelle standing before him, slightly bowed.

"no, thank you." the gothitelle went away, and alex went back to reading. while occasionally glancing up at batin. he had never seen the other before, and he was certainly more interesting than a book on cura village's history.

2tsunz

[2tsunz]

Batin looked over at Alex. There was a certain assumption to be made about anyone who was hanging out at Mina's in relative comfort, and he went ahead and made it.

"Haven't seen you before. One of the new guard?"

king

[king]

"or something."

2tsunz

[2tsunz]

"You guys don't seem to get out much. Camera shy?"

king

[king]

"we get out more than you'd think. we just don't cause a lot of noise out here."

2tsunz

[2tsunz]

"Youth. You might as well have some fun before EOS catches on and burns half your face off."

king

[king]

"i take more pleasure in other things. but i think there's a story there."

2tsunz

[2tsunz]

Youth. Minerva was going to need to bring him the wine bottle at this rate.

"I'm sure you don't want to hear an old man ramble about his war stories. I'd much rather be told about my grandchildren's adventures."

king

[king]

"sono di innamorato... uno qiorno..." alex smiled to himself. "i've yet to live as much as you. i'm sure you'd fron upon what i've been up to. let me hear the stories of old, from a person rather than a book."

2tsunz

[2tsunz]

"Which of my many sordid adventures should I even bother recounting?"

Batin thought for a moment.

"There was the time my scourge partner stepped in the Amberwell on a dare and died."

king

[king]

hm. he had ditched ismael at the amberwell... oops.

"that tends to happen when one steps into the amberwell. was it an accident or?"

2tsunz

[2tsunz]

"I'm sure he didn't want to die, but we were between a rock and a hard place. And Heron was always willing to risk it all for the sake of a good story. That was what I liked about him. But if he hadn't died--well the lovely Minerva wouldn't be my companion today." He waved at the Lucario and she looked over, swallowing a piece of cheese.

< I am Minerva, > she said to Alex. < An EOS researcher made me. >

That Minerva. Such a scamp.

king

[king]

"hello, minerva. a pleasure to meet you." sonata felt left out, slinking out of a shadow from the ground. "this is sonata. we... met."

sonata blinked. he couldn't remember either, really.

2tsunz

[2tsunz]

Batin frowned.

"That is an appalling excuse for a meet-cute," he said. "Surely you can make up something better."

king