This world is inhabited by creatures that we call pokemon. People and pokemon live together by supporting each other, but now the scourge threatens the safety of the entire region. Kohaku has become a dangerous place, where children stay at home and only brave souls go adventuring.
Welcome to KOHAKU. Come for the nightmares. Stay for the tea and crumpets.
The season is SUMMER. It is easy for survivors to forage for food from the land, as there are entire abandoned farms ready for harvest. On the downside, you can smell the corpses.
swarms
GRAND OPENING !
Welcome to KOHAKU REGION's grand opening! If you're interested in joining, come check out our grand opening giveaway!
ignatius waited in a corner of the breeder's guild. he had just narrowly escaped the clutches of some influential minister talking about the state of researchers and vaccines in light of the fallen amberwell, and ignatius didn't wish to waste his time explaining minor details to a person too dense for knowledge.
he also declined a dance along the way. he honestly didn't understand the need for such galas; it seemed like a reason to just get to know other people, and had he not felt pressured to join because of eos and also his background, he would not have attended.
sabina had regretted her agreement to go with ignatius to the gala the moment she had sent the message on her c-gear. in person it might have been easier to refuse, she suspected, but the impulsive, quick reward nature of instantaneous messaging made bad choices almost addictive.
she knew that, and she still had agreed. and once she'd agreed, she couldn't back out and leave him adrift. that would be unfair to ignatius, and she wouldn't do that for any reason. not even for the memory of all her attempts at playing the perfect debutante for her family and how badly they failed, not even recollection of all the suitors she had scattered to the four winds, both on purpose and on accident. she picked her way around the edge of the dance floor nervously, well aware of her own stark lack of grace in comparison to the flurries of orchestrated waltzes.
sabina rarely felt like a child--she had always been simply too smart to be regarded as one by most people she encountered, and her fondness for science over almost anything else had kept her out of situations, for the most part, where her emotional immaturity outstripped her intellectual prowess--but this entire gala was reminding her that she was one, in the eyes of the law.
she caught sight of ignatius' blonde hair a few dozen yards away and scurried over as quickly as she could.
"i hope i didn't keep you waiting," she managed to get out, dry-mouthed.
ignatius glanced up from his watch to look at the girl, and shook his head in response. a smile tugged at the edges of his lips, but it wasn't one of his usual ones. it was one that he wore to special functions like this; something behind his smile spoke of obligation and politeness, never genuine interest.
"i have patience," said ignatius, "especially for you." he glanced over at a couple or two who had been casting him glances; he contemplated the idea of going over to them to speak, but felt inclined to avoid the trouble. "not so much for those people over there."
the influential and powerful often expected others to fall their their knees before them. even though ignatius wasn't of a lower standing than they were, his family had long since grown infamous due to numerous deaths. he suspected that they would want to talk to him for no reason other than to ask how he was doing -- also to know if he was currently suffering from some sort of incurable disease.
he extended a hand to sabina.
"shall we move to the other side of the hall? i don't favor the way the crowd is, at the moment."
the couples were no doubt discussing many things by now. sabina's family was an illustrious one as well.
sabina followed his gaze to the couple, now fervently locked in conversation with each other, and flinched. she hadn't even considered people recognizing her here, on top of the usual shame that came with trying to navigate high society's functions. that was stupid and careless, to neglect all the variables, to assume that attending a gala outside of sol, unannounced, she might have a chance at not being sabina heron, failed heiress. she was quite sure she deserved whatever gossip they might be exchanging. her last such outing had been in sol, at a ball her father had managed to drag her to before she hared off to ceres for her work, and it had been a rather eventful night.
she took ignatius' hand.
"i have no complaints to relocating," she said. "lead on."
ignatius guided sabina to the opposite end of the hall, easily moving away from the crowd's eye and towards a less populated sector of the guild. there, the people seemed less business-class and more economy-class, if the place were equated to a plane. ignatius sampled some caviar on crackers, and noted that mercedes had pulled out all the stops to ensure the event's success.
he swept his gaze over the couples in their end of the hall, and noted that none of them showed recognition in their faces. that was good.
"i hope this is satisfactory," he said to sabina, "no one seems to recognize us -- in fact, they seem like the more common people of the gala, offense not intended." he didn't know what to feel about high society most of the time; they were sympathetic only when they had something to gain, empathetic only when they were trying to get into good graces, pathetic most of the time to protect their standing.
she still wasn't at ease, but he was right. as they moved into a portion of the crowd that obviously didn't recognize or care for the two of them, she felt herself settle down. breathing was easier.
she didn't take any of the caviar--fish made her sick--but only knotted her hands nervously as ignatius ate his.
"we certainly seem to be in the clear," she said. "i'm grateful. how are you?" she should probably compliment him, she realized belatedly. that was customary at such events, she thought. at least she had always been told by the men she was accompanied that she looked lovely, even if she knew (and they knew) she looked frightened out of her mind. she didn't look that way now, she prayed, but she was sure she still looked out of her depth.
ignatius raised an eyebrow at the compliment; yes, it was appropriate given the situation, but he hadn't expected sabina to say something along those lines. all the same, he smiled.
"you look lovely, sabina, but i suppose you have heard that one too many times," said ignatius, "perhaps i could find a more suitable word for you. you look calmer today." his smile widened slightly, but was hidden behind his glass of wine. "i suppose i'm fine. i can't say it's been an eventful week. i did get to dissect a scourge zangoose, though. it was most informative."
