One might think that, after all the traveling that Celes had done in the past several months, and all the anxiety she had endured whenever she needed to talk to yet another unknown face, or visit yet another unknown location, she would find some comfort in how spacious the Ecruteak Theater was. Unfortunately, while it was true that the Theater had more maneuvering room than the small dwelling she and Sorin had just left, she found this new area more unnerving because of how unnatural it was.
The ground was covered with a thin colored fabric, which felt foreign beneath her paws. It was not like grass or dirt, or even the wood that the previous home had been built by. Furthermore, the large room was dimly lit, putting the Flareon on-edge, as her eyes could not fully penetrate the gloom to spot potential threats lurking among the rows of seats. Even the center aisle felt unnerving, as chairs flanked the pathway, giving her similar vibes to a dark forest path, with shadows lurking on both sides.
Even the hectic and heavily occupied Goldenrod City felt less nerve-wracking than this mostly empty, dim chamber. If Celes didn't know better, she might have considered the possibility that she was claustrophobic. Having grown up in the wild, within a clan, confined areas made her nervous, and the presence of numerous unknown individuals made her feel trapped.
Even Sorin's presence was of little comfort. Having known the Altaria for only two days, she was not going to claim that she trusted him, although she couldn't fathom what his intentions would be for steering her wrong or deceiving her. There was only so long she could accept his actions as being selfless before becoming suspicious of what sort of benefit he was getting from their arrangement. As of right now, his visit with Kaito at the house was sufficient for Celes to feel that Sorin was still receiving some personal benefit from their endeavors, and that she didn't currently owe him a debt in that sense.
Both Sorin and Cecilia had expressed at some point in their acquaintanceship that Celes was a bit high-strung, if not outright paranoid. Not exactly assertions she could deny, but she didn't really care either way. The only criticism she felt had some value was the insistence that her tone was turning people off from assisting her. Sorin still seemed okay with coming to her defense when anyone brought that up, but it pained Celes for him to do that without her asking him to. It was like he was covering for her, hiding or downplaying her mistakes so that she wouldn't face the full consequences.
Karma, really. She had done similarly for Blaze, after she had evolved. She had sent him back to the clan first, so that the attention would be solely on her for being outside the clan boundaries, and freshly evolved at that. Why had she done that? At the time, she had justified it as something that siblings did for each other unconditionally. They looked out for each other, supported each other, loved one another.
However, none of that was really true. No matter how much Celes tried to convince herself otherwise, there remained that hidden grain of truth that irritated her heart like sand in a Shellder's mouth. She had snatched Blaze's hope for evolution out from under him, and then she covered his tracks so that he wouldn't even be blamed. He had been forced to go back to the place he hated with all his heart, and then get a free pass from the penalty that might finally have allowed him to be free of the place. To add further insult, his sister had gained status after evolving. It didn't matter what her intentions had been, for the aftermath of her actions had driven a spike between their bond.
She had told Sorin some of the story of how she had evolved, but had refrained from sharing much more than that. Even if he somehow had pieced things together to understand why she was so guilt-ridden about Blaze's departure, it didn't change anything. The past couldn't be undone, just like her evolution couldn't be undone. Just like Sorin's failure to warn his daughter of Inferna's true nature couldn't be undone. The best any of them could hope for was to repair things for the sake of the future.
And she couldn't do that unless she found Blaze again. That was her drive. That was her one true need, surpassing all other desires. It was for this goal that she reminded herself why she was here in the first place. As much as she disliked the atmosphere and environment that she found herself in, Sorin's efforts were yet to be proven completely worthless.
Sorin led the way down the center aisle of the theater, making his way purposefully towards the upraised platform at the back of the room. Various figures, both human and Pokemon, flitted around the front row of seats, or across the platform, and occasionally dipped behind the tall curtain of thick fabric that lined the entire rear of the stage, hinting at the fact that there was more space behind the curtain than met the eye.
Celes trailed a few paces behind the Altaria, glancing sideways down each set of seats as she passed each row, unconvinced that their unoccupied state meant that there was nothing laying in wait. It really wasn't that she was paranoid of getting ambushed or anything like that, but rather her instincts told her to be constantly aware of everything around her in unfamiliar locations.
Sorin hesitated, hovering in place for a second or two, his eyes squinting through the gloomy lighting. He murmured something to himself as his attention passed over each face, Pokemon and human alike. The cloud dragon had caught some of their attentions, but it didn't seem as though he was familiar to them, either. Celes was just relieved that they weren't staring at her instead. Last thing she needed was to become more self-conscious and paranoid beneath the weight of dozens of eyes upon her.
"Er, excuse me," Sorin said, addressing the nearest Pokemon, which happened to be a short rodent-like Pokemon with bright yellow fur, a tail shaped like a bolt of lightning, and vibrant red cheeks that seemed to spark with electricity every few moments. Being addressed like this caused the Pikachu to flinch badly, and it regarded Sorin with great apprehension.
"Um...y-yes?" the Electric-type stuttered, its voice high-pitched, but just vague enough for Celes to privately question whether it was a female, or merely a younger male. "We're still, um, setting up for uh, the rehearsal, so-"
"Easy, calm down," Sorin said, wincing a bit as the Pikachu's cheeks gave off a shower of sparks. "I'm just wondering if Noblesse is in today."
"N-noblesse?" the Pikachu stammered, its eyes darting around as if seeking some hole that it could crawl into and escape. "I...think so? Backstage, maybe...um, I can go check..."
"Do you have a role in this production?" Sorin asked, keeping his voice soothing and speaking as patiently as possible in an attempt to placate the obviously anxious mouse.
"Um, no, just lighting work," the Pikachu squeaked nervously. "I did audition, but I um..."
"Stage fright?" Sorin guessed gently. The Pikachu nodded sheepishly, and Sorin offered a soft smile. "It's okay. Least you made the attempt, so the next time should be easier, right?"
"I...guess so," the Pikachu said slowly, its eyes lighting up a little. Evidently, it had never occurred to it that this could be taken as a silver lining.
"It definitely will," Sorin said, smiling again. "Plus, you get some experience with the technical stuff, get to know the cast and crew of a production, that'll do loads for you down the road, trust me."
"Thanks," the Electric-type mumbled, its face glowing red, but a smile forming across its muzzle.
"All right, you can go ahead and check if Noblesse is here. Uh, if he is, tell him Sorin's here to see him quick."
"Okay!" the Pikachu said, and bolted away, climbing onto the stage platform and disappearing behind the curtain, nearly colliding with a human that was emerging from behind the sheet of fabric. Sorin chuckled and turned towards Celes, who was regarding him with a mixture of confusion and impatience.
"If I let her go when she was so nervous, there's almost no chance she'd come back. Noblesse is kind of a seasoned performer, so he'd be intimidating to a newcomer, even though he's rather down-to-earth, so she might not even approach him otherwise. And if he's not here, she'd be too nervous to tell me that," Sorin explained.
"And you figured all that out just from its- I mean, her, stutter?" Celes asked, hastily applying the feminine pronoun now that Sorin had clued her in to the gender of the other Pokemon.
"I like to observe people going about their everyday lives," Sorin reminded her with a shrug of his wings. "I've seen how people act when they're nervous, or shy, or just intimidated and not sure how to handle something. Some species are more prone to flight responses than others, but typically I've seen that they just need a little nudging or a confidence boost and they'll pull through. Show interest in someone and they perk right up, like a daisy in sun."
Celes frowned, but bit back the impulse to counter his statement. She couldn't really deny the effectiveness of such a tactic, but it reminded her unpleasantly of many of the clan interactions. Manipulative tactics to get someone to take notice of you, or to wrest some sort of favor from the exchange. Compliments and reassurances were subtle poisons in that regards. Make someone feel flattered, and they'd be more inclined to do something for you.
Not that voicing this thought would get them anywhere. What was there to object to? Sorin didn't seem to be outright lying or giving false promises or compliments, so she couldn't call him out for being manipulative. The only thing she objected to was the fact that Sorin only engaged the Pikachu in casual conversation because he knew it would be beneficial to do so, which WAS manipulative, but his agenda was innocent enough. Ugh, was it even normal to view all interactions under this lens? Celes hadn't really put that much thought into it previously, because outside the clan, she kept herself distant from others, pursuing her own goal exclusively. Now, ever since she met Sorin, she had been questioning this approach, and struggling with whether the principle of being manipulative was inherently wrong, or if the immorality was determined by the intent and outcome moreso than the actions.
Great. A philosophy debate for the ages.
Movement at the back of the stage called her attention away from the mental argument she was currently embroiled in, and a bipedal figure emerged from behind the curtain, pausing to allow the fluttering of the fabric to add a dramatic effect to his appearance.
The Pokemon stood at roughly the height of a small human, with a bright yellow body that rivaled the color of the Pikachu earlier. Its torso was white from the neck down, and the neck itself was decorated with three black stripes. It had somewhat stubby arms for such a tall Pokemon, and its tail shared the same tri-striped appearance of its neck and ears. The most noticeable feature, however, was the odd red orb embedded on its forehead, and another at the end of its tail.
"Sorin!" the yellow biped called out jovially, and it walked across the upraised platform towards them.
"Noblesse," Sorin echoed. Seeing Celes' confused expression from the corner of his eye, Sorin leaned over and murmured, "He's an Ampharos. Electric-type, if you're not familiar with them."
"Thanks," Celes muttered back, sizing up the yellow Pokemon, and pulling her tail closer to herself. Even at this distance, she could pick up faint vibes of static electricity in the air surrounding the Pokemon, and her fur was fluffy enough without being warped into embarrassing configurations by static.
"What, no hug?" Noblesse asked, his tone one of playful disappointment. "Feels like ages, Sorin."
"It's been a while," Sorin agreed, merely shaking his head in response to the former remark. "But you must be doing well with your performances. Think I heard the ratings for the last play-"
"Yes, yes, critically acclaimed, but no award nominations," Noblesse lamented with a wry smile. "I feel so snubbed."
"Oh...sorry," Sorin said, wincing, but Noblesse waved it off with a smirk.
"Even Rachel was outraged, but her friends wisely told her not to make statements or petitions decrying the issue, because it might bring backlash upon our career."
"Rachel?" Sorin repeated, before it clicked. "Oh, that's your uh...what's the term in this field?"
"Coordinator is acceptable," Noblesse replied promptly. "But enough about me, my friend. Who's the lovely cumulonimbus drifting at your wing?"
Celes rolled her eyes, whereas Sorin seemed confused for longer than he had reasonable right to be. The only justification she could come up with was that Sorin was used to people making cloud puns ABOUT him, rather than about those around him. She, on the other paw, had come to expect males comparing her tail to a cloud, both in appearance and actual softness, usually with an attempt to touch or brush against her tail. That was her one big complaint with being a Flareon - the fluffy body seemed to encourage unwelcome cuddles.
"Celes," she answered dully, before Sorin could reply. It wasn't likely that he'd introduce her, as he usually let her supply her name whenever someone asked, but him being slow on the uptake for the cloud pun was too painful for her to stay silent.
"Well met, Celes," the Ampharos said, tilting his body into a generous bow, and he flicked his gaze upwards to make eye contact with her. "My name is Noblesse. Spelled with an 'E' at the end; it's an uncomfortably common mistake, and I rather not have folks thinking that Arceus has shunned me."
"Uh...okay," Celes said, pausing uncomfortably. She really hadn't troubled herself with how someone's name might be spelled, because she knew next to nothing when it came to reading human words, and couldn't think of any situation where she might need to know the spelling. The clan hadn't really done any education on reading, other than how to make the letters associated with their names, but even that was more for the leaders' benefits, so that in situations where property or territory was to be divided, everyone would be able to correctly identify a written label designating it as such.
"So, what can I do for you?" Noblesse wondered pleasantly, clasping his paws together and glancing between Celes and Sorin with genuine interest. "I'd normally presume an autograph request, but Sorin doesn't seem the type. Though if your lovely lady is a fan of mine, you've got good taste," the Ampharos added with a playful wink in Sorin's direction.
"Wha-?" Sorin blinked, bewildered, and his face started to glow with a reddish tint. "Er, no, no, we're not...a couple."
"Really?" Noblesse wondered, sounding surprised, but his eyes were twinkling with mischief. "And here, I always thought you were a male after my own heart, Sorin. An elegantly noble dragon adorned with fluff...surely you see the appeal to a female that is equally soft?"
"Uh...I'm not sure how to respond to that," Sorin said awkwardly. Celes rolled her eyes again. The Ampharos' intention was obviously just to make them uncomfortable for his own amusement. Sorin's actual opinion on her attractiveness was irrelevant. On second thought, Noblesse might very well be trying to segue the conversation into a flirting attempt. From what she understood of the 'male after own heart' remark, the Ampharos was expressing that he thought Sorin would have similar tastes to himself, and it was not-so-subtly indicating that Noblesse found Celes attractive. If the conversation was going to head down that path, it was best to set the record straight promptly, so as not to encourage him.
"I'm not interested in relationships right now," Celes said curtly, fixing Noblesse with a stern look that would ideally communicate that her stance was unwavering. "I have other priorities to tend to in my life."
"Ah, waiting for the 'The One', then?" Noblesse asked with a friendly chuckle, and Celes noted that his stance had shifted slightly, so that the Electric-type was no longer subtly gravitating in her direction. That was enough of an indication that he had gotten the point.
"Sure," the Flareon responded tonelessly. She didn't exactly have the most idealistic vision of her romantic future. Even once the matter of locating Blaze was laid to rest, she doubted that she'd consider the notion of a potential love interest. She was too jaded about the intentions of others, which made it unlikely that she'd ever trust someone enough to open up and relax around them. And if she couldn't do that, then the prospects of a stable and healthy love life was as delusional as believing she could actually fix the clan's dysfunctional social system.
"Little jewel of advice for you, then," Noblesse said, leaning forward as if to share a closely guarded secret. In spite of herself, Celes perked her ear up inquisitively. Noblesse glanced from side to side, as if confirming that none of the humans or Pokemon nearby were trying to eavesdrop. "Don't expect 'The One' to seem like it from the beginning."
"What?" Celes asked, perplexed. Even Sorin frowned in confusion, so he didn't seem to understand the statement any more than she had.
Noblesse nodded, offering a grin. "I've done a lot of plays, read a lot of scripts, even seen a couple movies, blame Rachel for those, but a lot of the time, the guy who turns out to be the most compatible and true for you is the one you either overlook entirely...or the one you have the most belligerent tension with."
"Er, Noblesse? You realize that you're referencing works of FICTION, right?" Sorin interjected. "I wouldn't consider works of drama to be the best things to use as a basis for romantic advice."
"Perhaps not," the Ampharos conceded with a chuckle. "But I've seen examples of females who hold out for their true prince, the male that will sweep them off their feet and other cheesy imagery, and they overlook the pining affections of the simple, but honest and loving male in front of them. But I wouldn't recommend going after an utter jerk, either."
"I'm not interested in any relationships at all right now!" Celes snapped, growing impatient with the line of conversation. Noblesse blinked and raised his paws placatingly.
"Okay, okay...just saying," he said, his expression sobering, but a tiny smile lingered on his face. "So what can I do for you?"
"I've been helping her look for her brother," Sorin explained quickly, as if afraid that leaving Noblesse and Celes to their own devices for a few seconds would cause the conversation to divert its course again. "I've been asking most of my contacts and friends, and I figured there was a chance you knew something, since you travel around the region a lot."
"A brother, huh?" Noblesse mused, considering the features of Celes' face with a careful eye. The intensity of his focus actually made the Flareon rather uncomfortable, and she breathed a tiny sigh of relief when the Electric-type looked away. "Okay, member of the Eevee line, I'm guessing? Older or younger?"
"Uh, older. He was still an Eevee when he left the clan," Celes said quickly, but Noblesse held up a paw to interrupt her.
"Give me the time frame. When did you see him last?"
"Uh...couple months ago. Before winter, like...in the fall?" she guessed, wincing at how stupid the description sounded. She didn't know exactly when Blaze had left the clan...to make matters worse, it had actually taken her almost a week to realize that Blaze was absent from the clan, and then she had asked the other members if they had seen him.
"How old is he?"
"What?" Celes sputtered instinctively, but her mind quickly jumped back on track. "Um...he's three, going on four. He's got a summer birthday."
"And that makes you...two, going on three, with...an early fall birthday?"
"...yes. How do you know that?" Celes demanded. Noblesse smirked a little.
"You see a ton of different Pokemon of various species and ages in my line of work. So many different parts to audition for, and you start to get a knack for reading ages, and working with how they look during different stages of physical maturity, so they can be cast for older or younger character roles."
"Hm, I guess. How does that help you know if you saw him?" Celes asked dully, but once again, Noblesse raised a paw to interrupt her.
"I've got a phenomenal memory. Got to know lines, dance steps, battle techniques, names, faces, all that good stuff," Noblesse said brightly. Celes exchanged a skeptical look with Sorin, but the Altaria merely shrugged his wings.
"I know I'm just grasping at straws here," Celes sighed, shaking her head. "The odds of anyone coming across him and remembering him is next to-"
"Wait, wait!" Noblesse interjected, touching his paw to the Flareon's mouth to silence her. She recoiled from the touch and fixed him with a glare, mentally weighing over the consequences of attempting to bite him in retaliation. Noblesse regarded the Flareon's face carefully again, and then broke into a small grin. "Male Eevee, roughly three years old...Is his name Blaze?"
A hush fell over the entire theater, such that one could hear a pin drop, or even the dull pattering of raindrops on the roof overhead. Celes could only gape at Noblesse in numb shock and disbelief, the gears in her head frantically churning to recall whether anyone had mentioned Blaze's name in front of the Ampharos, but returned nothing.
"Gotcha," Noblesse murmured in satisfaction, the silence serving as the confirmation of his hunch. "Memory never lets me down."
"H-how did you know that?" Celes asked, but all the forcefulness was gone from her voice, replaced by a shaky weakness that made her feel small and helpless, like a kit.
"I have a memory for faces," Noblesse explained. "Flareon and Eevee look the most similar, and I can definitely see a resemblance between your face and his. Your eyes, too. Both of you have these large dark brown eyes."
"W-when did you see him? Where?" Celes demanded.
Noblesse chuckled softly. "Around the outskirts of Cherrygrove City, around December tenth, I believe. Probably foraging for food due to the approaching winter, because he was definitely hovering around the city, but the Rattata were giving him a hard time, I guess."
"Cherrygrove?" Sorin repeated, frowning. "What were you even doing all the way out there?"
"Preparing for a holiday production," Noblesse replied, but Celes noted that the response came almost too quickly, as if he had expected that question, and had the answer ready. "I watched him tangle with a pair of Rattata, and lose, and that's why I remember him so clearly."
"Why's that?" Celes asked, scowling. So help her, if Noblesse made some sort of comment about her brother being weak or stupid or anything along those lines...well, then Sorin would need to hold her back. She had endured seeing her brother get picked on enough at the clan without being able to do anything about it then.
"Bear in mind that I am an actor, and take part in many productions and performances," Noblesse said, seemingly oblivious to the unspoken danger, because his voice was completely casual. "I know when someone is pulling their punches and putting on a show of helplessness. This Eevee fought with gusto, but made a show of how much of an amateur weakling he was, and ultimately lost. The act was painfully transparent to me, so I approached him, and that's how I learned his name. He denied that he was faking, but you can't pull the wool over my eyes that easily. I used to be a Mareep, after all."
"What?" Celes wondered, bewildered.
"Never mind," Noblesse replied quickly.
"So then what? Did he say where he was going?" Celes asked, desperation leaking into her voice. She was so close, having received her first real clue since setting off on her months-long hunt to locate her brother.
"No, I was called away soon afterwards," Noblesse admitted with a shrug. "I made a suggestion of a friend he could call upon for the winter, since he obviously wasn't prepared for it, but I don't know if he followed through with that."
"A friend? Who?" Celes asked, her eyes widening. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest, a mixture of excitement and apprehension racing through her body.
For the first time, Noblesse hesitated, and his eyes flicked towards Sorin, and then at something beyond Celes' shoulder. His attention lingered at this point for far longer than just a casual distraction, prompting Celes to look over her shoulder to see what the holdup was about. To her surprise, she saw that two other Pokemon had come in through the door, and both of them were familiar faces. One of them was Cecilia, and the other was the Weavile she had met at the house earlier.
"Ha! Told you they'd be here!" Cecilia said brightly. Although she was too far away to see for sure, Celes suspected that the Weavile rolled her eyes at the comment, and she spoke too softly for the Flareon to catch what was said.
As the two newcomers approached, Celes noticed that both of them bore signs of being caught outside during the rain, as Lin's black fur glistened with raindrops, but she seemed untroubled by the fact, and Cecilia had hints of steam rising from the areas marking her flame vents.
"Good morning, ladies," Noblesse said, stepping past Celes and offering the new arrivals a generous smile. "I applaud your fashion sense," he added to Lin, giving the scarf an approving look, which she acknowledged with an indifferent bob of her head.
Sorin cocked his head in puzzlement.
"Why are you two here?" he wondered.
"Hi!" Cecilia chirped to Noblesse, before focusing on Sorin's question. "Oh, because Lin's really restless and is looking for someone to spar with. Know anyone worthwhile?"
"I can talk for myself, Cece," Lin noted, but she was smirking slightly. The Weavile flexed her paws restlessly, the vicious claws glinting in the dim lighting of the theater room.
Sorin frowned a little bit at the question. "Not off the top of my head," he said, shrugging his wings. "Kaito wants to recommend Ember, but I doubt she's in top form right now, after losing to Inferna. I don't even know where Adrian might be."
"Still waiting to know who this Inferna is, and why she's so feared among you guys," Lin commented, examining the claws of her left paw restlessly, before flicking one end of the blue scarf over her shoulder.
"Ah, Kuro's unrequited love interest," Noblesse chuckled. Attention shifted to the Ampharos so abruptly that it nearly made Celes strain her neck in the process, but Noblesse was either indifferent to the strange reaction, or delighted in the spotlight metaphorically returning to him.
"You know them?" Sorin asked, stunned. Noblesse chuckled at the reaction.
"But of course! Kuro shares my appreciation of the stage, and we did much of our stage training together. My field is such a narrow niche that I make a point to keep in touch with my peers. He intends to involve me in an upcoming project of his, but those details are under wraps yet. I'm betting he wants me to fight her - it fits with the other details he's shared with me."
"What details?" Lin asked seriously, but Noblesse simply grinned.
"My dear Weavile, you should know that an entertainer never gives away the secrets before the show. Kuro would be so upset with me if I spilled such juicy information for free. Lin, is it?"
"Yes. Who are you?" the Weavile demanded.
"Pardon my belated introduction, lovely lady. I am Noblesse," the Ampharos said, tilting his body into a bow, but Celes noticed that he seemed far warier towards Lin than when he done the bow to her and Sorin earlier. Probably something to do with Lin's restlessness bordering on hostility.
"You annoy me," Lin stated curtly.
"Forgive me," Noblesse said, touching his paw to his chest in a show of formal apology. "It is simply rare for me to see such a rare jewel of a female with such fine taste in apparel. Your scarf fits your profile like a glove, making me but a tinge envious of-"
"Flirting with me is a waste of time," Lin growled, flexing her claws.
"Ah, I forget. Your species court via battle, am I right?" Noblesse chuckled, and his eyes twinkled with mischief again. "And you came here seeking a spar? Just as well. I'm about to go on a lunch break, so how about I be your opponent? We will have to move venues, of course, because your ice and my electricity could do too much damage to the Theater."
"Fine with me, just point the way," Lin retorted.
"Hold on, we're not done with our business!" Celes protested, scowling at the Weavile and giving Noblesse an annoyed glare. "Who'd you recommend Blaze to? I need to ask them if they saw him!"
"Excuse me, lovely cirrus, I have to notify the crew of my impending absence," Noblesse said, offering Celes an apologetic smile, and without another word, he went back onto the stage, disappearing behind the curtain.
"That went well," Cecilia noted brightly, a sentiment that was evidently not shared by anyone else in the small group. Sorin glanced around at them and sighed.
"Anyone else getting an uncomfortable feeling about all of this?" he wondered. Lin gave a curt shrug, and Celes simply scowled, wordlessly communicating her frustration with being set aside in favor of Lin. Not like that was surprising. If someone stood to benefit more from one person than another, their attention invariably went to the one who had more to offer them. Celes would just have to wait until it was her turn again.
At the same time, she couldn't help but wonder whether Noblesse was deliberately trying to dodge the question. Saying a few words shouldn't take up too much time or effort, so either the answer was incredibly complicated, or he didn't want to tell her something.
And neither option made her feel better.
