HOME | DD

Description
It was her birthday, but she wasn't happy.

Adélaïde's footsteps disturbed the unbroken snow as her breath visibly swirled around the frosty air. Her hands were covered by long gloves and a hooded cloak obscured much of her face as she walked. She was tired. The constant raids she had been doing were not only taxing physically, but the things she had seen... What she had felt... Addie's expression was blank as she gazed around the garden. She wasn't even quite sure why she was out here; it's not as if there would be any flowers or greenery. But the cold was reassuring, in a way, and she kept moving.

Every year until she was ten, Adélaïde's birthday had been the day she looked forward to most every year. She would spend it in the company of Oscar and her mother, and though the family wasn't exactly well-off, the day was always made special. Her mother's homemade cakes were always gobbled down in record-time.

But then the accident had happened, and things were never quite the same. Her mother had been killed on her tenth birthday, in a most horrible fashion... Her birthday became a date Addie dreaded, weighed down by the heavy memories of the aftermath, grief, heartbreak...

Moving to her father's house in Camphrier Town had been a change, and although Kurai did his best to make sure she and Oscar were happy, it was never quite the same. Her father could have cared less about them, always "on business," or so the servants had said. Over time, Addie allowed cynicism and desire for material gain to shield her from facing her renewed sorrows. And it had worked. At least...until she arrived here.

Oscar was perpetually denying the situation they were in, and Addie had become to feel disheartened. The events of the last few days, foraying into the forest and putting her life on the line more than once...it was hard for her to deny that they were always in danger. Oscar had declined to assist with Jasper's request, and sometimes Adélaïde wondered what was propelling her to do just the opposite. Was it spite? Did she have something to prove? Did she genuinely believe that by helping, she might find a way out?

It was hard to say if she and her twin were drifting apart, but things felt...different. They had begun to dance around the topic of their situation at the château, avoiding bringing it up entirely most times. There was a bit of strain around the edges. Nothing obvious, but Addie could feel it. She knew Oscar could feel it, too. Though they shared a birthday, she hadn't seen him all morning. She didn't know where he was. She had started seeing less and less of him after the banquet.

The garden around her was still, most of the overgrown greenery died back in winter's chill. Addie dusted off a bench that had become covered with a light layer of snow. Maybe she could just sit for awhile. It was so cold, she could almost forget about everything.

Still and un-moving, Addie found herself drifting. Her thoughts became more and more disentangled the colder she grew, but it was a welcome respite to just think about nothing. She could forget about the danger, the emptiness, the sorrows.

She didn't know how much time had passed when her oversensitive new ears heard a small noise. Their twitch brought Addie out of her reverie, and she looked down to see a small set of eyes peering up at her. It was a Pokémon, one so white it had blended right in with the snow. Addie silently stared at it, unsure what it wanted. She had never been a trainer herself, even before arriving at the château. It wasn't something she had ever been interested in. She knew enough about them to get by, learning the basics taught in school. She had never attended trainer's school, however.

The Pokémon kept looking at her, as if it was waiting for something. Addie tried to wrack her brains. What was this thing again? It was...a type of Vulpix, wasn't it? An ice-type variant from another region, far away from Kalos.

It looked very young from what Addie could tell. She wasn't sure if its friendliness was due to the fact it hadn't yet learned self-preservation, or something else. Were wild Pokémon always this friendly?

"What? I don't have anything for you," Addie finally said, her shoulders shrugging lightly. She looked at the Vulpix, who merely tilted its head as if it didn't understand her. She knew that trainers and their team were supposedly able to communicate near-perfectly, but she had never gotten the opportunity to know a Pokémon that well. Did the understanding result from a shared bond?

Addie rolled her eyes. She patted the pockets of her layered cloak for emphasis. "Noth—"

She stopped short when she felt the shape of something under her open palm, nestled in the fabric of her outerwear. Reaching inside the folds and into the pockets, Addie extracted a half-crushed Poké Puff from either side of her cloak. "..." When the fuck did these get into her cloak...?

A moment later, Addie realized that this was the first time she had ever worn the cloak. Her room had seemingly generated it for her this morning, as if knowing she was planning on going out today... She had honestly thought little of it, having gotten somewhat used to the recurring magic act that was her wardrobe. Things seemed to come and go with little rhyme or reason, though thankfully the articles were (almost) always in her taste and style. But still, she didn't think anything she had ever received had food stuffed in the pockets...

She looked back to the Vulpix, who looked ecstatic at the Poké Puff's in Addie's grip. She had to admit, it was pretty cute.

"Okay, fine," Addie muttered. "You want to share a birthday treat?" she asked. "I don't have any candles, but..."

The Vulpix looked up at her, looking as if it wasn't understanding a word she was saying. "...Pix!"

"...Yeah, you're right," Addie said. "It's probably fine if there's no candle. And if it tastes like pocket lint." She extended a hand down to the Vulpix, offering a Poké Puff to the wild Pokémon. The Vulpix quickly hurried forward, closing the last few inches of space between them as it quickly snuffled up the sweet treat. Addie pulled her hand back, letting the Poké Puff rest in the snow as Vulpix ate it with careless abandon.

Addie watched the little Pokémon with a soft smile, feeling somewhat charmed by the sight. She slowly brought the other Poké Puff to her lips, taking a small bite. It tasted of strawberry and vanilla... and only slightly of pocket lint.

--------
Word Count: 1,140 words

Adélaïde Poundton © SacredLugia
Character for Chai-Chateau

Description
It was her birthday, but she wasn't happy.

Adélaïde's footsteps disturbed the unbroken snow as her breath visibly swirled around the frosty air. Her hands were covered by long gloves and a hooded cloak obscured much of her face as she walked. She was tired. The constant raids she had been doing were not only taxing physically, but the things she had seen... What she had felt... Addie's expression was blank as she gazed around the garden. She wasn't even quite sure why she was out here; it's not as if there would be any flowers or greenery. But the cold was reassuring, in a way, and she kept moving.

Every year until she was ten, Adélaïde's birthday had been the day she looked forward to most every year. She would spend it in the company of Oscar and her mother, and though the family wasn't exactly well-off, the day was always made special. Her mother's homemade cakes were always gobbled down in record-time.

But then the accident had happened, and things were never quite the same. Her mother had been killed on her tenth birthday, in a most horrible fashion... Her birthday became a date Addie dreaded, weighed down by the heavy memories of the aftermath, grief, heartbreak...

Moving to her father's house in Camphrier Town had been a change, and although Kurai did his best to make sure she and Oscar were happy, it was never quite the same. Her father could have cared less about them, always "on business," or so the servants had said. Over time, Addie allowed cynicism and desire for material gain to shield her from facing her renewed sorrows. And it had worked. At least...until she arrived here.

Oscar was perpetually denying the situation they were in, and Addie had become to feel disheartened. The events of the last few days, foraying into the forest and putting her life on the line more than once...it was hard for her to deny that they were always in danger. Oscar had declined to assist with Jasper's request, and sometimes Adélaïde wondered what was propelling her to do just the opposite. Was it spite? Did she have something to prove? Did she genuinely believe that by helping, she might find a way out?

It was hard to say if she and her twin were drifting apart, but things felt...different. They had begun to dance around the topic of their situation at the château, avoiding bringing it up entirely most times. There was a bit of strain around the edges. Nothing obvious, but Addie could feel it. She knew Oscar could feel it, too. Though they shared a birthday, she hadn't seen him all morning. She didn't know where he was. She had started seeing less and less of him after the banquet.

The garden around her was still, most of the overgrown greenery died back in winter's chill. Addie dusted off a bench that had become covered with a light layer of snow. Maybe she could just sit for awhile. It was so cold, she could almost forget about everything.

Still and un-moving, Addie found herself drifting. Her thoughts became more and more disentangled the colder she grew, but it was a welcome respite to just think about nothing. She could forget about the danger, the emptiness, the sorrows.

She didn't know how much time had passed when her oversensitive new ears heard a small noise. Their twitch brought Addie out of her reverie, and she looked down to see a small set of eyes peering up at her. It was a Pokémon, one so white it had blended right in with the snow. Addie silently stared at it, unsure what it wanted. She had never been a trainer herself, even before arriving at the château. It wasn't something she had ever been interested in. She knew enough about them to get by, learning the basics taught in school. She had never attended trainer's school, however.

The Pokémon kept looking at her, as if it was waiting for something. Addie tried to wrack her brains. What was this thing again? It was...a type of Vulpix, wasn't it? An ice-type variant from another region, far away from Kalos.

It looked very young from what Addie could tell. She wasn't sure if its friendliness was due to the fact it hadn't yet learned self-preservation, or something else. Were wild Pokémon always this friendly?

"What? I don't have anything for you," Addie finally said, her shoulders shrugging lightly. She looked at the Vulpix, who merely tilted its head as if it didn't understand her. She knew that trainers and their team were supposedly able to communicate near-perfectly, but she had never gotten the opportunity to know a Pokémon that well. Did the understanding result from a shared bond?

Addie rolled her eyes. She patted the pockets of her layered cloak for emphasis. "Noth—"

She stopped short when she felt the shape of something under her open palm, nestled in the fabric of her outerwear. Reaching inside the folds and into the pockets, Addie extracted a half-crushed Poké Puff from either side of her cloak. "..." When the fuck did these get into her cloak...?

A moment later, Addie realized that this was the first time she had ever worn the cloak. Her room had seemingly generated it for her this morning, as if knowing she was planning on going out today... She had honestly thought little of it, having gotten somewhat used to the recurring magic act that was her wardrobe. Things seemed to come and go with little rhyme or reason, though thankfully the articles were (almost) always in her taste and style. But still, she didn't think anything she had ever received had food stuffed in the pockets...

She looked back to the Vulpix, who looked ecstatic at the Poké Puff's in Addie's grip. She had to admit, it was pretty cute.

"Okay, fine," Addie muttered. "You want to share a birthday treat?" she asked. "I don't have any candles, but..."

The Vulpix looked up at her, looking as if it wasn't understanding a word she was saying. "...Pix!"

"...Yeah, you're right," Addie said. "It's probably fine if there's no candle. And if it tastes like pocket lint." She extended a hand down to the Vulpix, offering a Poké Puff to the wild Pokémon. The Vulpix quickly hurried forward, closing the last few inches of space between them as it quickly snuffled up the sweet treat. Addie pulled her hand back, letting the Poké Puff rest in the snow as Vulpix ate it with careless abandon.

Addie watched the little Pokémon with a soft smile, feeling somewhat charmed by the sight. She slowly brought the other Poké Puff to her lips, taking a small bite. It tasted of strawberry and vanilla... and only slightly of pocket lint.

--------
Word Count: 1,140 words

Adélaïde Poundton © SacredLugia
Character for Chai-Chateau