[closed] while the snow falls all around me

[outbounds]

Who: Emmet, Laios, Ingo
What: Play Nice and Exploration: Blue, for now
When: various points in August
Where: Middle Forest, uncharted territory past the Southern Outpost at current
Warnings: Cold weather environmental hazards; to be added if they come up

play nice (for laios)

[ So the guilds are looking to expand! Makes sense. Makes sense if they're intending to scale up operations as the town expands past the immediate area that they've well and mapped out by now. If they are to continue on these tracks then of course they are going to need more members to avoid being spread too thin, possibly on a little more reliable of a basis than 'every other month when strange things start happening.'

That still doesn't mean they know who or what they're looking out for, exactly! What sort of roles the guilds need filled, if there's any specificity in traits or abilities they should be on the lookout for or if they just need to bolster numbers in general. At least that means they have free choice of where to head? ]

It's cleared up a lot here from how it used to be... [ Emmet notes, picking his way carefully across the earth. Every now and then he'll eye the ground a little dubiously, but whatever he's waiting for or expecting to happen never seems to. So, after each of these moments his ears just flick a little as if to dismiss them. ] But anyway. What sort of Pokémon do you want to run into, you think?

exploration: blue (for ingo)

[ Uncharted territory again! It's been a while since they last ventured forth into the unknown. This time ... they are probably more prepared for it? It's a scouting mission, once again, so there is no imminent peril or time pressure.

Being surrounded by trees is familiar enough. What isn't is the drop in temperatures, especially given the season. And soon enough the familiar sight of densely wooded forest begins to give way to thinner vegetation, the few trees remaining growing gnarled and stripped barren. Snow is starting to collect on the twisting branches.

Emmet's ears twitch a little as he tilts his head back to take a look up at the sky above. Snow, huh. Not hail, at least, and not storming, but... ]

Knew it was to be expected, but. I am Emmet. Suddenly I am glad for all this fur.

Comments

[offtracks]

Just do not make them wish to marry you!

[ It's a joke, really. ]

[outbounds]

Sounds like something you need to worry about more than me.

[ Mr. Popularity Contest winner. ]

[offtracks]

Why?

[ He doesn't get it! ]

[outbounds]

One: you said Pearl clan man. You are the one from Pearl.

Two: first place in a popularity contest one time.

I was third.

[ Beat. ]

... Also, people say opposites attract or something like that. Fire and ice sound like opposites to me.

[offtracks]

I think they would be far more likely to get along with you! Zoroark and Froslass like similar habitats!

[ Though, hey, ]

Are we not identical?

[outbounds]

Hmmm. You are generally easier to get along with.

[ Or something like that. Right now the narrator laments the fact that Emmet would probably not know of the concept of gap moe, because it'd be so easy to tease Ingo over. ]

[offtracks]

Ha!

[ ....oh wait, was that for real ]

You are far more approachable than I am!

[outbounds]

You can keep a conversation going.

[offtracks]

I have made children cry!

[ More than once! ]

[outbounds]

So have I.

[ Also more than once. ]

[offtracks]

How did you do that?

[outbounds]

Winning.

[ But to be clear, it was 'winning in the way he does, where he says he's sure he'll see the challenger again- and then also beat them again.' Because that's what he does.

Also all of whatever he was doing in the rain to upset Shoka? ]

[offtracks]

Ha! I have never had a proper battle against a child. But I am sure you can be encouraging about it!

[ The Shoka thing doesn't count because Ingo doesn't know about it! ]

[outbounds]

They already have to win 20 battles in a row to get to me. 48 on the super lines. Besides. I say that I expect them to not give up, and that I'll see them again?

[ Implying, you know, that he does think they'll get that far?

So he can win against them again. ]

[offtracks]

That seems fair enough! But children are still young - they may still get upset by losing, I suppose!

[ Not that he's a childcare expert or anything, necessarily. But at least when he's back at the Clan's stronghold, it's only natural for him to help with the children sometimes! ]

[outbounds]

And what do you do to make them cry, exactly.

[offtracks]

Look like this!

[ Gesturing towards himself ]

[outbounds]

I am Emmet. I did not know you looked like a spooky Typhlosion in Hisui.

[ Is he missing the point on purpose? Yes. ]

[offtracks]

[ Eyeroll ]

You know what I mean!

[outbounds]

Obviously I do not.

But be careful! How you explain. If you try to. You do not want to break any rules, after all.

[offtracks]

[ Ingo narrows his eyes. Well now he's going to! ]

My face can look very stern! And there are few people with eyes as light as ours in Hisui!

[ at least that's probably why people act like they glow in the dark, peoples' eyes don't actually do that ]

[outbounds]

Mmm. Okay. Sure. First impressions— fine! I do not agree with you but I get what you are saying. [ It's Emmet's turn to roll his eyes, though he takes a moment to focus on navigating a narrow foothold. ] But. A lot of people did respect you. Looked up to you! They liked you just fine the way you looked.

Or do I have to say 'first place in a random popularity contest' again.

[offtracks]

That does not mean anything! If it was truly random, then they must not have really known either of us in the first place - perhaps they just like black!

[ It has, in large part, become about trying to defend Emmet's honor. Why shouldn't people vote for him in the contest? Who even holds these?

The path is only getting narrower. Ingo pauses, uncertain. He's rather stockier...they don't want to entirely lose the light anyway. He peers up at the jagged crack of light from above. ]

Perhaps we ought to pull the reverser.

[outbounds]

[ Hey wait stop making this about his honor, Emmet thinks that the tendency of Ingo's perfectionism and drive to improve himself becoming a way to beat himself up when he ends up falling short of his own impossible standards should also be addressed!

But he only gets the chance to make a disagreeing sort of noise before Ingo changes the subject, and, well, this is a pretty immediately important topic. ]

... not much track left to run? [ Emmet takes a brief glance downwards to check on something in that case and— oh, wow, that was a mistake. Okay. Maybe do not do that again. ] Have we. Actually gotten any closer to the bottom?

[ How deep is this chasm? ]

[offtracks]

I am not certain...

[ Ingo seems a lot more okay with looking down! He's quite used to heights - though admittedly, the sheer darkness is unnerving. ]

I have never seen one that went even half as deep as we've already gone. [ He hopes they can still get out... ]