Remram
AchronumYou had me at 'time loop' @Queen Raidne
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Kinda-sorta realized I just liked Vertigo's comment when it clearly wasn't addressed at me, but eh, taking that back would be weird(er than commenting about it!). That aside, I'll be waiting on a post from you, @Alamantus, on the state of the door before I write a response for Pebs. Excited (and a bit apprehensive) to see where the hand through the door goes. Fingers crossed this stays all G-rated and easy on my heart.
//edit: Also, on a side note, do both of you use Discord?
//edit: Also, on a side note, do both of you use Discord?
Natsuko Rinha
Afternoon || Land of Lightning
Aside from slapping herself silly in her head, Natsuko was also having a hard time feeling bad for calling the white-robed man what she had. After all, he had been rude, and it seemed he’d trashed the place too. Besides, who in their right mind scaled the cliff in an all-white ensemble? If you asked her, he was just looking for some excuse to smudge up his overly perfect outfit, not only because she tended to dirty things before she even noticed it herself.
That said, Kazuhiko and Koharu clearly didn’t agree with her mental justifications. Judging from the tightness she could see in Kazuhiko’s jaw and the stance Koharu was adopting, her sword coming out from its sheath, Natsuko could guess that they held a few opinions about her actions in the previous few minutes, and she was almost glad they were in a situation when the two couldn’t gang up on her. Almost, because now that she’d opened her mouth, she had to deal with three swordsmen and a white-washed man who she was beginning to realize might be a bit out of their league.
There was a brief moment of stillness in the room as the two sides sized each other up, the swordsmen glancing between the team as the white-clad man smiled, shaking his head as he tsked and stepped back, crossing his arms. Koharu broke this silence by interjecting that the men had no technique, which took Natsuko off-guard since she hadn’t paid much attention to their stances—or, rather, hadn’t known what to pay attention to. With Koharu’s observations, Natsuko thought she could see some disorganization between then men's stances, each standing in their own way but none in a formation so clearly refined as Koharu’s. This brought a grin to her lips since it was a given that her teammates were pretty amazing people, and suddenly the man in white didn’t seem so daunting anymore, just a bit arrogant.
However, given that she was now the closest to the swordsmen and had no weapon at her disposal, Natsuko knew that she’d have to jump back to buy herself some time to prep. She hesitated, trying to figure out how to signal it to her teammates, but thankfully Kazuhiko took the burden off her shoulders, hurling three sparking kunai at the swordsmen and allowing Natsuko to jump back and dodge their retaliatory slashes, which were met by her teammate’s blades in one way or another as she quickly drew a kunai, stuck it in her mouth, and began signing her Wind Release. Thanking Minoru for his insistence that she should at least have one jutsu she could sign instantly, she was glad to see that Koharu and Kazuhiko were more than capable of fending off the three swordsmen for the moment. Again, Kazuhiko picked up her slack for her, kicking one swordsman’s feet out from under him and rolling away to dodge the other one’s sword, glancing at Natsuko as he did so.
Giving him a nod, Natsuko leapt forwards, thrusting her open palm into the swordsman closest to him. The wind she stirred up whipped around her, blasting the man back to send him crashing back into the stone bookshelf behind him, where he landed with a heavy thud. From beside her, Kazuhiko leapt at the man who he’d tripped before, his kunai again sparking with light as it made contact with the other man’s sword, prompting him to flinch back with an angry cry instead of dropping his sword.
The swordsman at the bookshelf rose to his feet, grunting as he hefted his sword again, and Natsuko grinned, jumping back and signing another of the same technique before she grabbed her kunai from between her teeth. From the way the man snarled, rushing at her, she could guess that he thought he knew what was coming, but she wasn’t so dumb as to think she’d achieve the same results from the same riff and tune. This time, she concentrated her wind around her kunai, hurling it at the man who clearly hadn’t been expecting it. With the gales boosting its speed, the kunai flew right past the man’s attempted parry, burying itself in his shoulder as he cried and sunk to his feet, grabbing at the knife. Natsuko took this chance to run over and aim a kick at his head that, aside from sending his head into the bookshelf beside him with a bang, appeared to knock him out cold.
A glance at the man in white showed that he was already heading for the exit, prompting a spike of annoyance from Natsuko.
“Hey radish face! Why don’t you turn around and fight?” she yelled.
A glance from Koharu had Natsuko meet her teammate’s eyes, which appeared to help the white-haired girl make a decision that she relayed to Natsuko with a cryptic message that had the brown-haired genin completely confused. A second later, though, the word ‘fly’ made full sense as ice sprouted up from the ground at Natsuko’s feet, raising her up so quickly she was practically thrown at the white-robed man, who was in the process of turning around to see what the fuss was about. Just as she met the man’s eyes, Natsuko managed to retrieve another kunai, and she thrust it at the side of his neck as she crashed into him. Her momentum sent them both into the floor behind him, his body taking the brunt of the impact and quite literally caving beneath Natsuko’s weight. Just as she was about to yell that no, she was definitely not that heavy, Natsuko realized that the man was, in fact, rippling beneath her, his eyes round in surprise, though the corners of his mouth still hooked up in amusement.
“Not bad. Not bad at all,” he said, then exploded into water, which pretty much soaked Natsuko and everything around her.
“Eww!”
Shooting to her feet, Natsuko rushed to shake herself off, then groaned when she found that she couldn’t.
“I got soaked by ninja guts,” she whined, holding her arms away from her body as she dripped water.
“Not guts, water. That was a clone,” Kazuhiko said, the clothes of the swordsman he’d taken down still trailing wisps of smoke behind him as he walked over.
“Right. I knew that,” Natsuko said, again attempting to shake off the water on her before giving up with a sigh. “Still, ew.”
Looking to Koharu, Natsuko grinned, giving the girl a thumbs up.
“Good call there, throwing me at him! I guess I really pack a punch—or a stab, in this case.”
She shrugged, then opened her arms.
“Celebratory hug, anyone? For a job well done. C’mon, do it for you ‘ol buddy Suko-chan, your adorable little Susu?”
Kazuhiko Taketori
Afternoon || Land of Lightning: Daimyo’s Residence
After regrouping with Minoru and once again explaining themselves and their situation, the three genin were able to take a breather and let Minoru handle the logistics of clean-up, seeing as there were still three swordsmen present, however indisposed. At this point, Natsuko was clearly pooped, remaining almost silent apart from some scattered clever remarks here and there, and Kazuhiko wasn’t feeling much livelier. He and Natsuko relied on their jutsu for battle, unlike Koharu, who had the option of using her sword instead, but it was only the difference between a spiritual strain and a physical one. That difference, though, probably didn’t make too much of an impact, especially considering that Koharu too had used her jutsu, this time in some sort of invented burst move. Add all of their expended energies onto the deficit from their long hike and Kazuhiko could almost begin to justify admitting that he was a bit tired. Almost.
With the swordsmen and the genin’s accounts of the fight taken in by the Kumogakure ninja, the team returned to the Daimyo’s residence to spend the night, where they were greeted by a very huffy Hachiro, who’d apparently expected them to stick around and keep him company for the rest of the day, given that they were staying at “his house.” Nevermind that he’d hardly been there his whole life or that he’d only arrived earlier that day because as far as Hachiro was concerned, he was in his element and his previous genin escorts were guests that ought to now pay him respects.
“That’s father’s garden, where mother will probably want to plant flowers in the future, and that’s the patio where I’ll be able to feed the koi every day,” he said as he led the team of genin through the property, his hands on Kazuhiko and Koharu’s arm. It was this forced proximity that had Kazuhiko hold his tongue, nodding along with a strained smile as he listened to introductions and descriptions of various landmarks and locations he likely wouldn’t see ever again, as far as he was concerned. While he’d had experience with tolerating the adults of Konohagakure, especially those in his family, Kazuhiko was at his wits end here. It’d been a long day of trekking and fighting, and as much as he hated to admit it, he was beginning to understand why Natsuko found the boy annoying. Could he not tell that they’d arrived back tired? And besides, as both one of their current hosts and their previous client, shouldn’t he be doting on them?
“You know what would be more interesting than all of this? Dinner!” Natsuko said loudly from where she trailed behind them, and—much to his surprise and slight horror—Kazuhiko found himself internally agreeing.
“Yeah, whatever, chubby!” Hachiro called back, not even bothering to turn around.
His word choice brought an exasperated smile to Kazuhiko’s face because, while it was funny in that it precisely needled Natsuko in being a completely unnecessary yet present fear of hers, Kazuhiko wished the boy would stop annoying his most troublesome teammate so much. Sooner or later, tensions were going to boil over, and someone would have to clean up Natsuko’s mess—or tolerate her taking out her frustration on them. From what he’d seen of Hachiro, Kazuhiko knew that the boy knew what he was doing, at least partially, and for that Kazuhiko didn’t feel that Hachiro could be considered innocent, young age or not.
“Perhaps we should check if dinner is ready,” he said, attempting a kind tone.
Hachiro whipped around to face him, his face awash with the sadness. “Not you too!”
His sudden change in demeanor took Kazuhiko aback, and the black-haired genin opened his mouth to say something to try and rectify the situation, but Hachiro let go of his arm with a laugh, skipping away.
“Dinner’s this way!”
@Sunflower
Eryn Montero
Wet Caverns || Day 3: Morning
The inside of the Wet Caverns was pretty much exactly what Eryn had been expecting. That is, it was cool, dark, wet, and had an abundance of—
“Dei, Ember that!” Eryn said, ducking as a Zubat narrowly missed her head.
Dei spat his Ember, singeing no less than two Zubat that were crowding in, and as soon as they fluttered off they were replaced by another three Zubat. Drawn to the Charmander like moths to a flame, the Zubat horde was illuminated by Dei’s fire, and Eryn was no short of horrified by their number. Would she find anything in this breeding ground of flying-type nuisances?
“Alright. Kylie, Eri, I’m going to return you two for now, since I can’t carry you all and I need Dei for light,” Eryn said, bending down to look into the water. “Tutu, you think you can manage some swimming?”
Tula wriggled.
“Right-o. In you go.”
Sliding Tula into the water, Eryn watched as the Magikarp disappeared under the surface briefly before resurfacing, staring up at Eryn.
“Awesome. C’mon back Kylie, Eri, upsy-daisy Dei, and—lemme get my shoes off—here we go!”
With her team safely in their Pokeballs and Dei in her arms, snorting smoke and flames to warn off any more adventurous Zubat, Eryn waded into the water, her backpack resting on her head and Dei perched on her shoulder. Balancing Dei’s weight between her arm and shoulder, she was happy to see that the Zubats seemed to be keeping somewhat of a distance, keeping Dei’s Embers in mind as they swerved the light he gave off. However, while most were smart enough to stay away, some still pushed closer, flapping obnoxiously close before veering away, their furs newly blackened.
Seeing a few drifting near the water, Eryn grinned. “Hey Tutu, wanna try taking down a Zubat or two?”
Tula, for her credit, seemed to be trying to be as communicative as she could, opening and closing her mouth as she submerged herself into the water. Zubat fluttered by, wings skimming the water to no more than some light disturbances under the surface as Tula performed some warm-up Splashes, but soon enough, Tula managed to land a hit on an unlucky Zubat taking too big of a risk for its own good.
“Good job, Tutu! Keep it up!” Eryn cheered, not caring that Tula probably wouldn’t hear her underwater. Now that Tula was taken care of, Eryn could continue heading into the watery cavern. The water had to flow somewhere, after all, and Eryn figured she might as well see where. Besides, she was near a lake, right?
@PlatinumSkink
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himiya
@Kuro Totally fine, no rush on my side (since I owe posts as well haha)
Eryn Montero
Pureplain City: Trainer’s School || Day 2: Night
“Whew, thank Arceus he’s nice, but he’s still pretty scary,” Eryn said, walking quickly away from Loke, the tiny boy who’d accepted her battle challenge with a smile and proceeded to whip out a Metang and introduce himself as one of the school ranking’s Elite Four. As she’d suspected, she was definitely not equipped to fight the top tiers of the rankings.
A little put off by the fact that a boy around a third of her age had a Pokemon so strong, Eryn was all too happy when another girl appeared, this time challenging her. At rank twenty-three, Leanne seemed around Eryn’s level, since rank thirties and below had been relatively manageable targets, but the girl’s attitude had Eryn wondering whether that was really true. Who’s to say the rankings weren’t increasing exponentially instead of linearly? Loke, for instance, was much stronger than she’d expected, and losing before bed wasn’t on her to-do list.
“Oops, sorry, you got me. Just wanted some quick cash before I left the city, and hey, those trainers accepted my challenge, right? And, speaking of,” Eryn said, glancing at Dei, “I don’t accept yours. Dei, Smokescreen!”
With Dei belching his smoke, Eryn grabbed him and made a run for it, returning her other Pokemon as she did. She hadn’t broken any laws, hadn’t violated any rules, and frankly didn’t want to deal with consequences she didn’t have to. So, away she went, dashing out the courtyard and weaving around the city to get to the Pokemon Center.
Pureplain City: Pokemon Center || Day 2: Night
“Ah, I’m so tired,” Eryn groaned, collapsing face-first onto the mattress. Turning, she looked at her Pokemon, who were clambering either onto the bed or onto the various pieces of furniture around the room, looking equally ready to crash despite being fully healed. She was equally pooped, after that run, and she wanted to pass right out.
“Ugh, need to check my messages before bed though. Phebes will kill me if I don’t respond soon.”
Pulling out her Pokedex, Eryn swiped open the messaging function, eagerly devouring the essay-like walls of text she’d received. Phoebe, a friend from high school who’d graduated to university with aspirations to become a Pokemon researcher, had been Eryn’s friend ever since the fateful day they’d sat next to each other at lunch in grade school. Currently under the tutelage of some fancy professor in Witchpeak City, Phoebe had promised to write often, and write she did. Her most recent messages meticulously detailed the unfavorable conditions around Mt. Allmass, featuring many complaints about the weather, her lack of access due to not having a flying Pokemon available to her, and the plight of trying to study the area without becoming too involved with Team Virtue. Steel-types were the highlight of their study, it seemed, and such types were difficult to find without heading into the mountain itself, which Phoebe was specifically barred from doing.
Her message amused Eryn, as her messages often did. Their interests were so different, yet they’d become such good friends. Yes they both loved Pokemon, and yes they both worked with them, but their interest and work with Pokemon were completely different: Eryn sought to train, travel, and battle with her own Pokemon, while Phoebe aspired to discover, write, and publish papers on Pokemon not necessarily her own. However, while their interests divided them physically, their shared appreciation for Pokemon united them mentally, which was why Eryn was able to summon up enough energy to write her own not-as-lengthy reply back. Along with sympathizing and wishing Phoebe well, she mentioned her own resident steel-type, Kylie, and teased that she might visit Phoebe in the not-so-distant future. Then, message sent, she rolled to the side of the bed, poised to turn off the lights.
Another glance over the room told her none of her Pokemon had moved much from where they’d landed after arriving. On the bed were Dei and Tula, the former curled up at the edge of the bed with one eye cracked open to watch Eryn move and the latter where Eryn had plopped her earlier, eyes open even in sleep due to a lack of eyelids. Kylie, on the other hand, was on the table, limbs splayed and stomach skywards on a surface that could only be comfortable for a steel-type, and Eri was curled on the armchair in the corner, ears angled towards Eryn even though his eyes were closed.
“Long day, ya’ll, but good job. Let’s work just as hard tomorrow.”
With that and a hearty yawn, Eryn flicked off the lights, mentally marking the end to another fruitful day.
Route 2 || Day 3: Morning
Okay, Eryn had been a little paranoid, but she’d slighted a trainer more than once yesterday and she hadn't exactly been up to dealing with it this morning. So, after leaving at an absolutely unpredictable time—with all three digits on the clock different—Eryn had sneaked her way onto Route 2, where she promptly relaxed, bouncing Tula in her arms as she trekked the rest of the way.
Having become rather familiar with the path’s landscape after travelling it so many times, she was almost in her element now, walking down the route. Last night had been offered a restful sleep, as was expected after a long day of training, and, if all went according to plan, she was finally moving on to the next town on the map: Lakewatch Town.
Thoughts of dragons and watery expanses filled Eryn’s mind, but soon enough she found herself in front of the opening of the Wet Caverns, and she peered into the semi-darkness with trace amounts of trepidation. She’d heard many a story of the frightful horrors that awaited travelers inside the caverns, and though she was sure most were just exaggerations, she didn’t like the chance that one might be true. Wet mazes and sudden cliffs as well as the rare beast in the murks and darks—tales of the cavern didn’t inspire a kind image.
Still, instead of fear, Eryn felt a bit excited about the entire ordeal. Here was her first cave journey, where she’d have to be careful about her resources and choices, where she had real concerns about getting lost and not making it through to the other side. Sure the Infested Woods had been creepy, but the Wet Caverns were challenging, almost like an unofficial rite of passage for trainers. Inside, she’d be able to prove her aptitude for adventuring, for exploration and discovery. Inside lay possibilities she would have to use everything at her disposal to take advantage of because hey, here be dragons.
“Well, hopefully we find something interesting inside,” Eryn said, looking down at Tula, then at her other Pokemon. “You all ready?”
Dei grinned, as did Kylie, and Eri nodded. Tula, well, Tula wriggled.
@PlatinumSkink
Ferris Talese
@Pezz570@HokumPocus
Though he didn’t find the conversation surrounding familiars particularly interesting, Ferris listened along, trying to pick out useful information from the inane banter. Octavio’s lynx was a proud animal, though ‘not very skilled,’ in the words of Octavio himself, which suggested a life without much conflict. But, given Octavio’s suaveness, Ferris was hesitant to believe such; many people got by with wit rather than strength, and Octavio struck Ferris as that type of person, given his smooth needling of the innkeeper. Then came Sil’s limited vocabulary, which she seemed almost purposely slow at fixing. Ferris cleared his throat at her attempted description of pain, a bit surprised at her strange associations. From her ‘innocent’ words, however, Ferris made the observation that she tended to wander off without Chres, making her a potential eavesdropper Ferris would have to keep an eye out for in the future. That and a nuisance, which she was proving herself to be every other sentence, and Ferris was almost grateful when the innkeeper finally announced the group’s arrival.
The area around them was robed in grime with a noticeable stench in the air, reminding Ferris of why he preferred to stay out of cities in general. Replacing his mask, he waited with the group, meeting the eyes of anyone willing to look at them, be it out of curiosity or otherwise. He’d done his part of avoiding gazes and trying to keep his head down, but that only tended to work in the brighter parts of the city; in the darker parts, where a lack of confidence might mark someone as an unassuming target, intimidation tactics worked much better.
When the innkeeper entered the house where, assumably, someone in The Watch was waiting, Chres spoke up with a question that Ferris couldn’t blame him for but was annoyed at anyway. The timing, frankly, wasn’t too great, and neither was their location if Ferris was going to start talking about his weaknesses. But, since they were on the clock and Ferris couldn’t fault anyone for wondering, least of all his future teammates, he forced himself to relax, taking a cursory glance around before he went into what really wasn’t that big of a deal anyway—or at least to him.
“Yeah, becoming one of the Crazed, I know. With me it’s paranoia, not insanity. Some little thoughts here and there, but I reason them out before they go anywhere. Can’t be too careful, with this brand of magic.”
Finished, he looked between Chres and Octavio, gauging their reactions. Considering that they hadn’t been too put off by his earlier claim of Augaision, Ferris wasn’t expecting a sudden change, but people were fickle. Ferris knew this.
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