Present Tense... The meal that was served at the long oaken table that sat in the center of the dining hall seemed almost inappropriate in comparison to the diner's surroundings. As the snow piled up outside the five tall arched windows along one wall, a warm fire blazed in one of may ancient stone fireplaces that warmed the Gym all through Winter's harshness. The white plaster walls joined the dark green of marble floor with the slightly vaulted ceiling and were mainly decorated with portraits of rural landscapes. The only other image being a nearly life sized portrait of Erika's GrandMother over the fireplace, the painting done soon after the founding of the Indigo League's third Gym when she was barely in her thirties. Miranda glanced up from the ornately decorated bowl she ate her thick stew from and set down one of the silver spoons that all dozen or so in attendance had been given to eat with. For a moment, she stared up at the portrait thoughtfully, chewing silently and ignoring the several quiet conversations that were going on around her. "I still think she looks a lot like you," the courier commented after a moment, regretting the uncomfortable feeling that had hung in their air since just after their arrival at the Gym. Erika nodded slowly, glancing at Misty who was chatting a little too loudly with the girl across the table from her. "You mentioned that last time you were here," the woman replied quietly, her eyes focusing for a moment on one of three silver candelabras that were set along the table to provide light, the Gym Leader's gaze staring thoughtfully into the tiny flames, "but yes, it's true." Samantha's eyes narrowed as she glanced at Erika, quickly pushing down any inappropriate comments. "The Chef's quite outdone himself, don't you think, my lady?" she inquired lightly, trying desperately to break the tension that hung over the room and made Erika more withdrawn that was normal. "Yes," the woman replied wistfully, stirring her stew with her spoon, "Troy really has undone himself this time." "D- did you say 'Troy'?" came Misty's suddenly agitated voice, her head turning to face Erika with narrowed sea-green eyes. Erika paused thoughtfully for a moment, smiling softly as she glanced up. "Ah yes," she replied with a nod, "I recall hearing about that unfortunate incident this Summer. My condolences to all concerned... It's really quite unfortunate how his second cousin thrice removed turned evil like that." "Oh yeah. I forgot," Misty muttered, bowing and shaking her head in dismay, "There's one of them in every town...." "So anyway," Samantha continued, giving both guests a warm smile, "how long are you guys in town for this time?" Miranda tapped her chin thoughtfully for a moment before reaching into the pocket of her polar-fleece lined jeans and yanking out a crumpled piece of folded paper. "Um, Zack, Annah and Joshua are supposed to be here in a few days at most. I'm hoping the storm doesn't slow them down too much, though." "Ooh, you guys must be transporting something really important if you're using that many couriers," Samantha chuckled, trying her best to keep the mood as light as possible. Miranda shrugged noncommittally. "We do this every year," she explained, "Sometimes the route changes a bit, but it's nothing new." "Well, there is one thing that's different," Misty added in a conspirative tone, her smile mischievous as she nudged Miranda. "Oh, yeah," the courier chuckled mirthfully, "Joshua's 'secret mission'. He must want to go out having one last big adventure." "And one last tall tale to tell." "But this time he'll have witnesses!" Erika sighed, absently taking a mouthful of stew, hardly tasting it as her mind wandered once more...
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