Into the void~

Abyss followed as best as she could, but new languages were not learnt overnight. Quickly, she grew weary of memorizing new alphabets; she'd trained to bring down opponents much larger than herself, not use these claws to write! Regardless, it could not be contested that Luca's enthusiasm was contagious, and for the few hours that she flung herself whole-heartedly into the work, she'd made much progress. The young adult finally had to pause and yawn, staring at the rising sun. Oh. She hadn't made her nightly hunt.

He sighed when the sun started to rise. "I need to stop staying up all night, it's bad for my internal compass," Luca murmured. "Hey, Abyss. I kind of need to go sleep, but how about we meet here tomorrow night? Or maybe the day after if you don't want to do tomorrow."

Abyss contemplated for a moment. "...You write everyday?" She'd assumed, much like herself, when one achieved a certain degree of perfection in their field, they'd have more free time off. She lifted a paw to her mouth, licking it before inspecting her claws. They'd not dulled in the least; this was disconcerting. Regardless, returning the appendage to the ground to support her, she turned to Luca. "I'll meet you tomorrow night." Casting a wry glance at the sun, she grinned. "Well, more like tonight, you know." And with that, she picked herself up, preparing to leave the Murkrow.

"Okay! See you then!" he called before grabbing the tablet in his talons and flying into the air. It was obvious that the object was a bit too heavy, but he didn't seem bothered as he flew towards the nest he frequently slept in.

(So, time skip?)

Abyss had grumpily condescended to nibbling on a few berries that were too sour for her taste, leaving the sweet groves for other large pokemon that might rouse in the day. She was a hunter of the night, prime in her natural habitat, but in the daylight, she felt out of space, and retreating to a thickly forested area, retired for a nap.

((Sure ^_^))

---Timeskip, brought to you by birds and cat-dog-disaster things being friends---

When Luca returned with the slab that night, his feathers were messier than they had been but he seemed happier. He landed in the spot he had met Abyss previously, setting the tablet down and beginning to groom while he waited.

(Dat word choice xD Always thought Absol's were vulpines, but eh~)

Abyss padded up soon enough, fur gleaming white in the darkness. Her sharp eyes caught sight of Luca, and she made a beeline for him. She'd left her scarf behind, in the favour of carrying a large, wrapped-up leaf. For hours she'd pondered what to get Luca as a sort of a gift - would he like berries? Prey? Something shiny and pretty like a shell she'd picked up a few days ago? In the end, she'd finally decided.

Unwrapping the leaves, she carefully sifted through the fur she'd placed there to cushion her precious burden. Inside lay a shiny, clear glass orb, with patterns swirling through it. A marble, albeit a fairly large one. Surrounded by the pristine fur, the patterns stood out clearly, and the little light reflected off its smooth surface very well indeed. Tail wagging, Abyss sat expectantly, waiting for Luca to accept her gift.

It caught his eyes almost instantly. It was shiny, not to mention pretty. "Is this for me?" Luca asked, almost in disbelief.

Abyss's lips curled in a smile; he liked it! Well, atleast she hoped he did. Her tail wagged a little harder. "Yes, it is. Do you like it?" She'd wondered how she'd take disappointment in the case that her hours of mulling went into waste; she knew she wouldn't be able to hide it from flashing on her face, even if she could quell it into submission eventually.

He fluffed his feathers in both embarrassment and excitement. "Thank you, Abyss!" he grinned, brushing a bit of fur off with the foot he wore the ring on. This also happened to be the foot that he wrote with.

Just as the young Absol assumed could not hide her disappointment, there was no disguising the glee that was writ large on her face when she noted the signs of obvious joy in Luca. Thump, thump, thump went her tail against the rock floor. Taking note of the sound she was creating, she stopped instantly, but she was still grinning her head off. As Luca brushed some fur off, she couldn't help but idly notice the stark contrast between his black feathers and her white fur. She looked around, at the slab of wood, and turning back, once again noted the small details such as the foot which he wrote with, - the whole noticing details thing had become something of a hobby - and the ring he wore. An accessory. Once again her paw went to the Claw at her throat - now that she hadn't worn her scarf, it must be somewhat visible.

He noticed that she had been wagging her tail, and the positive energy made him even happier. Abyss had seemed a bit frightened the previous night, but now she was happy and exited. Luca also noticed her necklace out of the corner of his eye. The birdlike Pokemon turned his head to look at it curiously. "I feel like I've seen that in a book before," he told her, gesturing towards it.

"This?" She removed her paw to display the talisman better. "This is apparently a Razor Claw. It's said to double the holders power." Of course, she did not know of the true nature of the item. "Have you read something about it?" She tilted her head to display her curiosity.

(Note: Critical hits deal 1.5x damage, not 2x)

"It's supposed to be really strong and rare. I'm pretty sure nobody has seen it for a while, there's only a few," he explained, examining it with his sharp eyes.

Abyss was silent, craning her neck to view the Claw still hanging around her neck. Which pokemon did it come from? Whoever used to possess it, must have possessed mystical powers to imbue a claw with such strength.

He fluffed his feathers and smiled. "I guess you must be pretty special to have it, Abyss."

For a heartbeat, Abyss was silent. She turned her head aside with a whipping movement. "...Yes. Maybe." As special as one got.

(Derp, sorry for the short post ^^' Also, history incoming? :3)

((I don't mind ^_^))

"Anyway," the Murkrow grinned, "Were we on L or M when we stopped last night?"

(Thank ye~ ^w^' (Even though I ended up making this post late x3))

The topic change was abrupt; but Abyss wasn't arguing. "We were on L. Like your name." She pointed out; was that how she remembered which one they were on last? Regardless, running her paw through her fur to smoothen it out, she turned back to her work.

(Some plot here would be nice xD)

The night darkened, deepening into a dusky shade, peppered with radiant stars that appeared like sequins in the plain fabric of twilight. Abyss looked up from her work, stretching her aching neck. "Hey, Luca? Wanna go out for a while?"

He fluttered his wings lightly. "Actually, a walk -- er, I'll probably be flying -- sounds nice," the bird Pokemon laughed.

Abyss smiled at the mild joke - well, that was a start - and got to her feet. Being nocturnal, she pitied the ones who didn't see the beauty of a moonlight stroll, instead spending the best hours of the night in a deep slumber. The pristine white radiance filtering through the mottled leaves, dappling the ground with spots of luminous ethereality...ahh. At these times, she and the night felt as one, each moving as fluidly as the other, shadow against flame. A blaze of white, a streak of black. Her eyes closed, and her paws guided her deeper in the forest.

He flew beside her on silent wings, keeping pace easily. He imagined it may have looked like they were racing to an outsider, but that couldn't have been farther from the truth as Luca enjoyed the silence of nighttime alongside her.

(Argh, I have no ideas for plot xD A little help?)

Abyss was innately aware of the crunching sounds her paws were making against the ground, the brittle grass protesting as her claws sunk into the earth. This was the coldest time of the day - or night - where the dew turned to ice. She was glad of her thick fur, and turned to Luca. His raven-black feathers were blending in seamlessly with the dark luminance of night, but her sharp eyes could just pick him out as he lazily glided alongside her. She looked up, to the canopy above. The dew had heavily misted there, forming a glittering, sequined roof, glowing in the entirety of the little frozen pearls. So closely had they nestled, that they nearly formed a continuous sheet of ice. But not quite. "Hey, Luca. Watch this." She grinned, mischief brewing, before slamming the tree with her shoulder; being young, she was still fairly fragile as opposed to an adult, but it was a sturdy strike, and immediately a hailstorm began. The frozen pellets rained on the earth, creating a pattering sound, glittering even as they fell. Some broke, and littered the ground with broken starshine. They weren't the safest to step on - Abyss much preferred the soft pine needles - but they looked ethereal, as though the ground itself had parted to display its hidden treasures.

The flapping of his wings slowed a bit, not that it was easy to tell. His eyes were wide with awe, and he didn't dare speak and ruin the moment.

The Absol could see that her companion was awed; who wouldn't be? Sitting down comfortably, she licked a paw and dragged it down her face, reveling in the quiet moment, punctuated only by a belated dewdrop falling to the ground with a soft sound. Picking one up delicately with her claws, she sniffed it before chewing on it. It melted easily in her mouth, as expected, and tasted rather watery. She cringed, not venturing to try another.