Education [Jay]

[Longcat Haz Long]

Up until this moment, Aidan had only been a visitor to the Era Region. He was nothing but a somewhat seasoned young trainer with no reason for where he was. The recent events that took place at the very spot he stood in, however, called to him. The clock tower was practically destroyed. Why? Aidan didn't know. He couldn't even speculate. He really knew nothing of Era's political and social issues. He wanted to know, though. He wanted to understand what in the world could be a reason for this destruction.

He stared at the destroyed tower or what was left of it. It was painful to see. Aidan always was sensitive to destruction of any form, as was Maple who stood in silence and sadness with him. A breeze rolled by further accenting the sadness Aidan felt. This world was nothing but pain, he felt...At least, he began to. Everything, no matter how much he wanted to believe all was good, was just sad and angry. Training was still innocent and fun for Aidan, but he saw where the corruption existed. How long would his joy last? And this? What about the pain this caused? Or how much anger the person or people responsible felt? They closed their eyes as they began to leave...

[Jay]

[atrb=style,height:168;width:494;border:0 black none;][atrb=style,border:5 #EBA947 groove,bTable][atrb=background,http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc64/Heart-of-Thorns/VC/jacktable2.png,bTable][cs=3]
[atrb=width,20][atrb=style,border:0 black none;]	[atrb=style,BORDER:0 BLACK NONE;height:202!important;width:320!important;color:5f3f5f;][scrolly:h(202),w(320),sy]Logan.... was gone. Logan had been gone... for some time now, but every time he stopped to think about it, Black Jack Spade felt that pain come back to him and ended up doing his best to ignore it or try and remind himself to move on. It rarely worked, but he tried. It rarely gave him peace, but he never gave up looking for something to soothe his soul. Today was a particularly hard day for Jack. He didn't have work to busy himself with, seeing as Third had gotten everything done relatively early, and it was far too early to go drinking. He could go visit Vengeance but he was tired of breaking down in front of her. She meant too much to him to see her in pain because he couldn't let go. He could go out West and -- and do what? Jack didn't have an exact answer, and with all this in mind, he ended up just wandering Central Capital, the hub of destruction and the last place he had seen Logan... 's body. You really need to stop tearing yourself up... Third sighed but was ignored by BJ. The voice knew that his host was hurting and was trying to be consoling, but consoling oneself was never easy. We should go pick up a few girls or something, BJ! Casanova giggled, but there was no reply to that either. Where a shout, a vulgar comment, a hateful 'Cas shut your fucking mouth', Ripper was gone. He had died with Logan, and that was possibly the only good that had come out of the entire incident. Footsteps continued to be heard and drew closer to the Clock Tower, a bit farther away from Jack's norm, but he didn't quite care at the moment. Looking up slowly, purple eyes blinked at the sight of -- was that a kid? What exactly was a ... kid doing there? "Hey what'cha lookin' at?" the purple haired man called doing his best to sound peppy which, honestly, was very hard. [/scrolly]	[atrb=style,width:154;border:0 black none;]
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[Longcat Haz Long]

Aidan turned around, almost leaving the ruins, only to see some Purple Haired dude. He wanted to remark on the odd color, but then again, the child's hair was green. What an unfair judgement, right? He scanned him briefly before speaking back dully. "Well..Nothing apparently. I heard this place was destroyed." he looked back at the wreckage while Maple subtly made his way in front of Aidan's legs. His senses told him not to trust this wanderer. Of course, he wouldn't tell Aidan out loud in case this person would understand him.

"It's sad, though...Isn't it?" Aidan said in an even more lifeless tone. He wasn't even looking at the ruins any more. He was staring off into space, lost in thoughts of what those affected by the deaths of the event may be feeling. Maple glanced up slightly. He was worried about his trainer. They both always stood for the utmost positive aspects of life. They spent time dwelling on the unfortunate and sometimes evil mishaps that life presented. His trainer was clearly becoming different. Still innocent, but darkness was stirring.

[Jay]

[atrb=style,height:168;width:494;border:0 black none;][atrb=style,border:5 #EBA947 groove,bTable][atrb=background,http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc64/Heart-of-Thorns/VC/jacktable2.png,bTable][cs=3]
[atrb=width,20][atrb=style,border:0 black none;]	[atrb=style,BORDER:0 BLACK NONE;height:202!important;width:320!important;color:5f3f5f;][scrolly:h(202),w(320),sy] Jack was completely silent as the boy explained why he was there. "Yeah..." he answered back dryly doing his best to try and keep peppy and slowly failing as the seconds ticked by. "Some guys or somethin' thought it was funny to kill a bunch of people and destroy shit..." the purple haired man sighed shaking his head a bit more. "........Stupid." It was Third's words for the people, but Jack had used it regardless. He hated whomever had done this, and though he had no idea of how to find them, Black Jack Spade would find them. He would make them pay for killing Logan, and as they begged for forgiveness, he would slit their throats. "Ya don't belong here do ya, kid?" it was an observation more than anything, but even this observation was somewhat ambiguous in meaning. However, Jack didn't realize this or he probably would have explained further. [/scrolly]	[atrb=style,width:154;border:0 black none;]
[atrb=style,border:0 black none;][atrb=height,27][cs=3]

[Longcat Haz Long]

Stupid it was indeed. Pointless. Meaningless. So many words rushed through Aidan's head so fast he didn't even bother trying to keep up with them. It was a sign that he was becoming numb to it all. If he hadn't had spoken, it would have been safe for Jack to assume Aidan wasn't even listening to his question. "I'm from Johto. I'm just a trainer." He said with a shred of cheerfulness in his voice with an unwavering blank expression.

"I'm not here for a particular reason, other than I travel everywhere. I'm just....kind of here. I didn't know things would be like this." he said, showing more and more surprise as he spoke. After a moment, he and Maple walked closer to Jack. The boy gave an innocent look. "Is this...normal? I mean, I know there's always bad things happening in the world, but maybe unusually bad things have been happening in Era that would cause this?" he asked. He wanted to believe this was a special case. It wouldn't have helped much, but it would at least give him an idea of the world he was growing up in. Would he have to deal with this in the future? Was chaos absolutely inevitable?

[Jay]

[atrb=style,height:168;width:494;border:0 black none;][atrb=style,border:5 #EBA947 groove,bTable][atrb=background,http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc64/Heart-of-Thorns/VC/jacktable2.png,bTable][cs=3]
[atrb=width,20][atrb=style,border:0 black none;]	[atrb=style,BORDER:0 BLACK NONE;height:202!important;width:320!important;color:5f3f5f;][scrolly:h(202),w(320),sy] As the kid explained, Jack's face remained a stable flat line of sorts. This kid was an outsider to Era. He had no native blood, yet he was here. He should have been at home and left Era to itself. Kids shouldn't come to this part of the world.... "Things like this.... happen a lot..." he answered back softly shaking his head. "Not on this scale but Era isn't safe, kid. I'd ... suggest you get out as fast as ya can," he sighed reaching up and rubbing the back of hi s head. Pft, not safe for a kid, but we can still make a lot of money~ Third chuckled but Jack didn't laugh at all. [/scrolly]	[atrb=style,width:154;border:0 black none;]
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[Longcat Haz Long]

The answer was as expected, though Aidan's face showed clear disappointment, almost as if he'd rather have been lied to. "But why is it so bad, though? This region is beautiful, the Pokemon are as friendly as can be, and....Why does it have to be like that?" he whined, stomping his foot on the ground in a typical child-like manner. He was going through that "it's not fair" moment at this point. Maple glanced up at the trainer. Even he knew it would be rather naive to believe that Era was...safe...But he never expected things to be this bad. However, he and Aidan had always done their part to fight against certain injustices, and this could be a great one to start. He hoped it would give Aidan the positive boost he needed again to make the world a better place.

However, Aidan was starting to understand why these feelings of pain were necessary. In his own mind, he started getting the idea that some people deserved to be hurt....Maybe these bombers needed it too...And anyone on the side of evil as well. Of course...Who was evil? "Tell me..." his expression much more calm. "Tell me more about Era's corruption." he asked.

((Sorry for the delay))

[Jay]

[atrb=style,height:168;width:494;border:0 black none;][atrb=style,border:5 #EBA947 groove,bTable][atrb=background,http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc64/Heart-of-Thorns/VC/jacktable2.png,bTable][cs=3]
[atrb=width,20][atrb=style,border:0 black none;]	[atrb=style,BORDER:0 BLACK NONE;height:202!important;width:320!important;color:5f3f5f;][scrolly:h(202),w(320),sy] Jack had to fight back the urge to crack a weak smile at Aiden's questions, and for a few seconds, he just stood there up until that sickly depression hit him again. Almost instantly as it had come, Jack's good mood had vanished again. "Not much to tell, kid.. we all just live to eat and eat to live," he replied raising his hands up and shrugging his shoulders. "The nobles want control or somethin', gangs want power, rebels want power... eh I'd just say everyone wants power. I'm... pretty content to just sit back and take their money..." Did you really say that out loud? Third growled irritated. Stopping a moment, Jack frowned a little. "Trade in certain things has skyrocketed," he expressed as though this would help explain his own situation. "And that's one thing that'll never change..." [/scrolly]	[atrb=style,width:154;border:0 black none;]
[atrb=style,border:0 black none;][atrb=height,27][cs=3]

[Longcat Haz Long]

It was making more sense at this point. Power. Everyone just wanted power. Aidan knew a bit about the Nobles and the Rebels, as well as a couple of gangs. He imagined the relationship between the two to be civil and secretive battle on a small scale. This was more like an expanding war between Seviper and Zangoose. And who was this guy? Some troublemaker in the middle of it all?

"Well....I at least half hoped you were different. All you do is steal? And how does that work out for you?"he asked sarcastically, though it was clear he wanted an actual answer judging by the way his arms were folded across his chest. At this point, Maple was glaring at Jack. He knew from the start he'd be trouble.

[Jay]

[atrb=style,height:168;width:494;border:0 black none;][atrb=style,border:5 #EBA947 groove,bTable][atrb=background,http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc64/Heart-of-Thorns/VC/jacktable2.png,bTable][cs=3]
[atrb=width,20][atrb=style,border:0 black none;]	[atrb=style,BORDER:0 BLACK NONE;height:202!important;width:320!important;color:5f3f5f;][scrolly:h(202),w(320),sy]Jack blinked as the boy replied that all he was content to do was steal. That... really wasn't the case, when it came down to it. Stealing only got you so far now a days especially since those worth stealing from had too many body guards and such running around. "Eh... not really," he replied slowly raising his arms up in a half shrug. "Like I said, I actually do a lot of trading here and there. People want stuff, and I get it for 'em," he stated flatly. "Mostly I just ship stuff in from the Orre and Arro," he continued as the thoughts of the southern and eastern countries came to mind. After a moment, he sighed and shrugged again. "So what do you do for a livin' kid? he asked after a moment. [/scrolly]	[atrb=style,width:154;border:0 black none;]
[atrb=style,border:0 black none;][atrb=height,27][cs=3]

[Longcat Haz Long]

Aidan heard and understood Jack, but he had a good feeling that what he was being told was only a surface description. There had to be more to it...but whatever. Aidan was more concerned with his next answer. He...didn't necessarily have a job...He just traveled. He felt his heart sink at the thought of that as much as it was lifted by that very thought. "I'm...just a trainer. I don't do anything else, really..." he said with a struggle to sound proud of the fact. "And my name is Aidan."

[Jay]

[atrb=style,height:168;width:494;border:0 black none;][atrb=style,border:5 #EBA947 groove,bTable][atrb=background,http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc64/Heart-of-Thorns/VC/jacktable2.png,bTable][cs=3]
[atrb=width,20][atrb=style,border:0 black none;]	[atrb=style,BORDER:0 BLACK NONE;height:202!important;width:320!important;color:5f3f5f;][scrolly:h(202),w(320),sy] As Aidan replied and gave his name, Jack blinked and turned his head to one side. So did he just battle and.... trained pokemon for a living? That was a pretty tough life in Era wasn't it? "Ah.. my name's Jack," he replied. "Hey ya know it'll only depress you more if you stay here, ya know..." he said biting back a weird rush of emotion that had suddenly come to him at the thought of Logan. Fuck. Would it just go away already? He died. Jack had seen a lot of people die before. Atticus had died. Cassi was gone. Vengeance was still around, but how long until she left him like Cassi did? You're... right... BJ... Third replied quietly after a moment. Casanova was dead quiet. Ripper was nowhere to be found, and the other voices in BJ's mind were not strong enough or stupid enough to try and say something least Jack try something suicidal. Shaking a little, Jack shook his head and forced a rather bad smile. [/scrolly]	[atrb=style,width:154;border:0 black none;]
[atrb=style,border:0 black none;][atrb=height,27][cs=3]

[Longcat Haz Long]

Aidan nodded to Jack's introduction and basically ignored the rest. He felt he needed to be sad. He needed to know that the world was cruel, at least to a degree. Maple caught his attention, though. <He seems very...Fidgety to me. There's something weird about him...> Aidan agreed with a slight nod, as if he'd keep it a secret....But that wouldn't be the case. "You seem very....strange. I mean, it's almost as if you're always busy....or something..." he said, trying his best to be as accurate as possible.

"So, you side with no one? I mean, it doesn't bother you at all who wins? I'd imagine it would matter a lot to someone like you." he told Jack. This person was in the business of trade, and politics played a huge role in that. Even with little knowledge of Era's government, which he would learn more of, he knew it had to have a big effect on Jack's...business...some how...

[Jay]

[atrb=style,height:168;width:494;border:0 black none;][atrb=style,border:5 #EBA947 groove,bTable][atrb=background,http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc64/Heart-of-Thorns/VC/jacktable2.png,bTable][cs=3]
[atrb=width,20][atrb=style,border:0 black none;]	[atrb=style,BORDER:0 BLACK NONE;height:202!important;width:320!important;color:5f3f5f;][scrolly:h(202),w(320),sy] Jack blinked and turned his head to one side as Aidan spoke. He seemed always busy? "Eh... there's a lot of work... tends to keep me edgy..." he replied. Or one of me ... I guess.. he mentally sighed. Third growled and grumbled something profane but settled with a 'right'. What was with all the questions? Were they playing Twenty Questions or something? "No," he sighed. "I'd... just like peace..." he frowned a little and shook his head as more thoughts of Logan threatened to overwhelm him. Damn it Lo' why did you have to go and die? Seriously..... [/scrolly]	[atrb=style,width:154;border:0 black none;]
[atrb=style,border:0 black none;][atrb=height,27][cs=3]

[Longcat Haz Long]

"This guy must be insane.." Aidan thought. At this point, it was whatever. They were at a destroyed clock tower. The hell? Aidan had to make this...Well, less depressing. "I guess you're not a trainer? I could show you some stuff! Maybe we can learn things from each other? Who knows, I may need to steal stuff some day." Aidan half joked. In truth, he did find it a little interesting. Maple looked up at Aidan with concern. He didn't like where this could go.

[Jay]

[atrb=style,height:168;width:494;border:0 black none;][atrb=style,border:5 #EBA947 groove,bTable][atrb=background,http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc64/Heart-of-Thorns/VC/jacktable2.png,bTable][cs=3]
[atrb=width,20][atrb=style,border:0 black none;]	[atrb=style,BORDER:0 BLACK NONE;height:202!important;width:320!important;color:5f3f5f;][scrolly:h(202),w(320),sy] Aiden's words caused a look of confusion to come to Jack's features before the purple haired man suddenly smirked and laughed. "I kinda train. Don't do much of it though," he replied a bit weaker than intended. "But I don't teach stealin'. ... I can teach you some trading if you want though..." he finished managing a surprisingly interested look. Yes, he'd keep his thoughts off... that subject. He'd keep his thoughts off Logan and it would... all be alright. [/scrolly]	[atrb=style,width:154;border:0 black none;]
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