JJBA CLINIC EXPERIENCE

[seacub]

WHO: Anasui, Emporio, and YOU...Potentially all at once!
WHAT: Anasui is treating patients (and harassing visitors), Emporio is Recovering, and later there's BASEBALL
WHERE: The Clinic, and the Beach
WHEN: Late April/Early May
WARNINGS: References to the prior Heavy Quest

[YOUR DOCTOR, UNFORTUNATELY]

For someone who supposedly doesn't care about the well-being of others, Anasui volunteers at the clinic frequently. Most people know they can find him there if they can't find him in the library and you will see him there as usual.

However, over the last few days, he seems more pissed than usual. His already poor bedside manner seemed worse, and patients and visitors alike will notice Anasui irately clicking his tongue as he comes over to deliver medicine or do regular check ups. He may even mutter 'oh great. You again.' But if his grumbling about the teleporters is anything to go by, it may not be your fault.

"Fucking hell... Asking us to find what's different with newcomers? Why don't they fucking find what's wrong with their stupid teleporters?"

Occasionally, he'll slam cupboards closed or hiss as he's forced to visit a few patients. If you're coming to visit someone, you may see Anasui glaring at you unblinkingly as you walk in.

"What do you want?"

[CLINIC BUDDIES]

It's not exactly small news that Emporio's been admitted to the clinic.

...Again.

His team was, reportedly, carried in from beyond the cliffs by way of Robin and Agnes- they were unconscious, a scene not at all unlike the last heavy quest Emporio participated in, and ultimately they were handed over to Dr. Denne and the rest on stretchers. When, precisely, all three woke up is perhaps largely irrelevant.

What matters is that eventually Emporio does wake up, and proceeds to have a heck of a crisis of identity, before settling back against his cot to just try and muddle his way through the way he does most things. He's really not changed that much, if he thinks about it hard enough. This is still basically the same shape body, even if he has to keep blinking auras out of his eyes, and also figure out how to replace the bag he'd more or less used his old helmet for.

But while Emporio adjusts to this (and also to being bloody huge compared to prior), others will probably want to visit. And...unlike Anasui, who absolutely tracked him down before the boy awoke, it might have been easy to miss the kid.

If only because, as noted, he's a lot bigger now. ...Roughly five times bigger in fact.

It appears Emporio has evolved, and that might be causing a little confusion when it comes to locating his cot in the clinic.

[OH! THAT'S A BASEBALL!]

((Collaboratively written between Pyra and Usagi - tags can and likely will come from both!))

The air in the beach is tense. It's thick, heavy, and nearly choking as two giants (well, Pokemon larger than 5ft) stare each other down. Despite the ghost-type Marowak formerly known as Emporio the Cubone being literally five times bigger than he used to be, he still looks small next to Anasui, especially when the bird straightens his neck and puffs up his feathers. Anasui is bristling, and if the dark look in his eye is any indication, he's pissed off.

Emporio holds, in his hand, a long bone club. There's no flames on it- that would involve scratching it against the almost star-shaped mark on his brow- but rather, he holds it over his shoulder, the way a baseball would be positioned.

The marowak swallows. On the one hand, Anasui told him they were going to be playing baseball.

On the other, it really didn't feel like an offer so much as a threat, and he's not sure what to do about that.

Another swallow.

"...So....where are the baseballs..?"

Emporio's question is unfortunately unanswered- even if an audience has already gathered.

Anasui doesn't say anything. One moment, he's staring down Emporio, the next, he's moving. A grey and purple blob of shadow forms in his mouth and he shoots it straight at Emporio. Emporio gasps and ducks out of the way and Anasui snarls.

"Stay still or I'll make you." It'd be nice if there was context but it seems Emporio doesn't even have that. Anasui just charges up another shadow ball and fires it again. "Emporio!"

"YOU SAID THIS WAS BASEBALL-!!" is all the Marowak shouts in turn- and, for anyone watching, one wonders if they'll have to step in for that to actually happen.

Comments

clinic buddies!

[sharpjustice]

Mayaka arrives in the clinic a bit later in the day with a sling tied around her back. Since a few of her friends have wound up here recently, it took her some time to prepare get-well-soon meals for all of them. She decides to visit Emporio first, and asks the nurses where to find his bed. As she walks down the hall, she spots Anasui attending to his usual clinic duties, and decides not to bother him while he's busy.

Locating the ward is easy. However, as she walks into the room, the Sneasel freezes in place when she sees who's lying on the bed.

She shoots a stern glare this complete stranger.

"Hey! This is supposed to be Rio-chan's bed. Who are you?"

[seacub]

Emporio is admittedly fairly groggy still. Having to recover from some of the worst growing pains of his potential life can do that, not to mention that evolution didn't magically heal any bruises he'd already sustained.

It takes him a moment to spot Mayaka, honestly. He initially looks toward the other beds, assuming that...she must be looking at those, surely. He's right here.

(It doesn't quite occur to him, in his groggy state, that he looks very different. To be entirely fair, he's only spotted a glimpse of himself a few times, and it hasn't all sunk in.)

"Oh- uh..."

Mayaka is...looking at his bed, maybe? Hm.

"...Maybe they told you the wrong one? I'm right here after all..."

[sharpjustice]

Okay. Weird. She hears Emporio's voice. Coming from the stranger.

Mayaka steps up to the bed, eyeing the Marowak suspiciously. Even though he's much bigger than Emporio, the skull on his head looks eerily similar to the one she's seen Emporio carry around.

She tilts her head, looking directly into the Marowak's bleary eyes. The realisation creeps up on her slowly, almost reluctantly...

"R-Rio-chan?! It's you?!"

Then, she immediately backpedals into denial.

"I don't believe it! Do something to prove that you're Rio-chan!"

[seacub]

"...I- I just woke up like this, but of course it's me!?" He's at least recognized that something has changed- not the least because he's feeling a lot more boneheaded, hah hah.

But, having just recently woken up himself, and not being thoroughly certain as to just what to do to prove himself...well. The marowak flounders a little.

"P-prove!?! H- How! I'm literally supposed to be on bedrest, and I just grew at least twice my size-!" It's five times actually. "I haven't even tried really walking yet, what am I supposed to-"

Maybe Mayaka should cut him off. No one rambles like Emporio anyway.

Clinic Buddies!

[autumnrainrunaway]

"...Emporio!?"

Dolly had came in to visit Emporio after learning that everyone that got mixed up in the teleportation incident have been found and brought to the Clinic. There's a bag of chocolate chip cookies being held by the ribbon feeler as she entered the room.

What she didn't expect...the little guy was no longer a little guy anymore! Emporio, what did that awful teleporter do to you buddy!?

[seacub]

"Um...Yes?"

Emporio has taken to evolution rather well all told. Which, mostly just means he hasn't had time for it to really sink in. He's blinking at Dolly, he's comprehending that Dolly is there, but. Um.

"...Oh." Oh.

He blinks again.

"You....look really small."

It really hasn't sunk in.

[autumnrainrunaway]

PokePuberty really gave Emporio all the height ever...he's been condemned to playing basketball instead of baseball the poor lad.

"Well yeah, I suppose I would look really small..."

Oh..oh dear, he's still coming to terms with becoming super tall all of a sudden...

"But that's besides the point, I brought you some homemade cookies to enjoy."

The ribbon feeler goes to extend upwards towards Emporio with the promised bag of fresh baked cookies to enjoy...Emporio deserves some cookies to ease into the fact he's suddenly hogging all the height in the Bay.

[Doctor]

[wovensecrets]

It's not really her intention to get noticed by Anasui or anyone else as she makes her way around, slower and not without looking tired due to the sheer emotional headache, but unfortunately he happened to be in the room of one of the coma victims she had felt compelled to visit.

It was stupid. She shouldn't have this inclination but it was difficult to stay away, and worse, now he was calling attention to it.

"Hm? From you, nothing. I'll leave if it's a bad time to visit."

Besides, she wasn't sure what good being here would have done in the first place other than to make sure they were still being cared for.

[dripdrive]

Anasui always notes when people come into the same room as him. Back in prison, it was a survival instinct - you needed to know who was nearby and size them up, and occasionally make it very clear you're not taking any shit. Even though the Bay is significantly safer than the Green Dolphin Prison, Anasui hasn't kicked the habit and it sounds so much fiercer when he's worried.

But Anasui tones it back and raises an eyebrow when he recognises the voice. Hatenna... she's fine as far as Anasui's concerned but he's surprised to see her here. More often than not, she's trying to get out of the hospital like so many other Bay residents. Yet here she is, groggy but seemingly well enough. Anasui frowns thinly as he looks her way.

"No... It's fine. Stay. There's a lot of work to do, that's all," Anasui sighs. "More coma patients, more work making sure they don't die in their sleep. You know how it is." He's surprisingly not tired or exhausted but he is stressed, though not towards the work he's doing now.

"...Did someone you know land themselves here?"

[wovensecrets]

Being caught there when normally it's obvious she makes it a point not to be there is one thing. Actually having to explain her reasoning is another.

To her own perspective, her reasoning is obvious. To another, when she had certainly gone out of her way to not hide her annoyance with the building, perhaps it isn't. Still, explaining anything at all isn't on her favored list of things to do.

"Right."

Really it's a matter of knowing Anasui and his own actions toward others who were clearly in his care that helps shape her response. A little flicker of her hair strand in the direction of the bed with the red-leaved, sleeping skiddo.

"We had to bring Aegiomon here when we got back, so..." It shouldn't have been her responsibility, but she made it that way, so now there wasn't really any going back from it. She'd fallen into the trap of weakness, no matter how much she'd told herself otherwise. "It's just part of the responsibility."

OH! THAT'S A BASEBALL! (lmao)

[i_can_read]

Simon has kept the hell out of whatever is going on with teleporters and rescue missions. He's stayed out of the clinic, too--not for any good reason, really, other than 'he doesn't need to be there.' But taking up space there, making himself noticeable to people (Pokemon) who might try to suggest he do something he doesn't want to... he's trying to help without getting himself 'conscripted,' and having a presence anywhere like that seems like the opposite of what he wants, right now.

(Possibly forever, but he has a hard time envisioning that. The future is so.... overwhelming, just as a concept. 'Right now' is what he can handle, and he'll keep focusing on that until that changes. If it ever does.)

All of which is a lengthy overexplanation of the obvious: Simon has no idea that Emporio's appearance has changed. He has no idea of what happened to Emporio, or the fact that the giant asshole 'bird' (which does not look like a bird to Simon) is a doctor.

He's enshielded, anyway. He doesn't see anything happening until he hears the sound of the bastard's voice, and then Emporio's voice, and turns--still shielded--in the direction he hears the kid speaking from. His brain, belatedly, puts the two together, and the sound of panic, and immediately his shields drop.

It's not really a conscious decision. It's instinct--the needs to see what's happening is a simple human one, and what he sees is the giant gangly asshole lobbing black, rapidly-spinning orbs at a fleeing figure. A figure that... might or might not have anything to do with Emporio, but at that point, Simon no longer cares.

Because Simon doesn't like the Espathra. He never trusted him, and more than any other living thing since his death, he finds the giant thing to be not only alarming but actively dangerous in the way of the COI, or anyone else trying to kill or control him imminently. He never for a second doubted the guy's ability to hurt or kill someone else. And that, from Simon's perspective, is exactly what he's seeing.

Maybe if it was some other Pokemon, he'd decide it wasn't his business. Maybe if it was just some wild creature eating some other wild creature, he wouldn't care, or self-preservation would trump any kind of personal action. But it isn't. It isn't, it's that bastard motherfucker, and Simon sees red.

The rocks that form his protective barrier snap back up into place with a dull thack, and he drops, gravity doing the work for him as he plummets two metres or so to the earth.

He hasn't even touched it, however, before he begins to spin. Not roll, spin, rotating faster and faster in place before his protective stone layer makes contact with the ground, and as soon as it does, the rotation propels him--spinning at high speeds, rocketing along the sandy beach directly towards Anasui in a maximum velocity first-case use of Rollout.

[dripdrive]

Technically, Anasui is (was) a med student, not a doctor. He was arrested long before he got his medical degree, meaning that he's not a licensed professional nor has he taken the hippocratic oath. This is said only to highlight the fact that Anasui has no qualms with hurting people he's supposed to protect (though he has never made it a habit of doing so). And Anasui really, really thinks Emporio needs a good ass-kicking now.

"I said we'd play ball," Anasui snaps, stopping his ghostly barrage to speak. "We're practicing our moves, so get practicing. That will teach you to-"

Whatever Anasui was going to say is interrupted by the small, starry projectile. While ordinarily Anasui would have seen it coming, he had been so busy exposition-dumping that Simon's presence had gone completely unnoticed.

Thankfully, the first Rollout blow is always the weakest. Anasui scowls as he looks down at Simon, irritation literally radiating off him at the interruption.

"I don't have time for nonsense," Anasui says, before picking up Simon with his beak. With more strength than a Pokemon like Espathra has any right to have, he flings Simon like a frisbee towards Emporio. Think fast!

[seacub]

"This isn't exactly-"

He doesn't finish that statement, on account of ducking under a Shadow Ball. Maybe at some point he'll start aiming to actually hit these with the bone club, but for now he's too busy being incredibly insulted by the entire process.

It occurs to him however, after a moment or so to pull himself up off the ground and try running a bit more, that he doesn't hear anything coming after him, nor does he feel anything headed his way. And while he'd imagine those are instincts he needs to practice with, he was definitely catching those things pretty easy a few seconds ago, so...

"Huh-" Oh. That's...Simon, he's pretty sure, Simon definitely just tried to tackle-

"WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT-" The bone club is dropped immediately- while his first instinct is to hit a baseball, his instinct upon seeing the same familiar rock-friend he caught face first once before is, in fact, to catch the other.

And thank god for that, frankly.

"G-OOGH-"

Unsurprisingly, that's a lot easier at this size. "...What are you doing here..?" And yes, he's holding onto your shell Simon, so trying for another go at the espartha might be tricky.

Doctor, you're being TOO NOISY! (get him anasui)

[firstrateduelist]

When he does finally come around, Kaiba doesn't know how he ended up where he currently is. All he knows is that he's curled on his side in a bed that doesn't feel like his own, beneath a blanket that's almost too warm, with the biggest headache of his life.

And whoever was in the room was certainly not making it better with their ill-tempered cabinet door slamming behavior. That's what wakes him. That's what finally makes him lift his head shakily, before letting out a hissing growl and curling into himself on the bed once more.

His neck aches fiercely, as if he'd been struck--he has, and there's bandages wrapped around a fairly large and ugly gash where scales had been displaced there. His right side and leg also hurt

(cuts? strike injuries? he's not sure, but something feels bruised at his side, while his leg burned and refused to move very much at all)

but the sounds are what make him hiss and groan in displeasure more than anything else.

"Rrrrgh...loud," he complains hazily, scowling not because he's annoyed, but because opening his eyes against the light only worsens his headache.

Time to shape up Kaiba

[dripdrive]

To Anasui's credit, he does stop when he hears the patient groaning away, stirring into the waking world. Anasui turns his long neck over to Kaiba and then stalks over, immediately giving Kaiba a once-over with his eyes. Ah, this guy again.

"Good to know your ears work better than the rest of you," Anasui says, keeping back his irritation for the dragon's sake. While Anasui has his reservations about Kaiba, he has no real grievances with the teen: Anasui knows the incident with Emporio the first time wasn't his fault (Froslass on the other hand...), and Emporio has told him about how Kaiba tried to protect his smaller charges during the mission that landed Kaiba in the clinic. "If you're awake, try sit up so I can give you a checkup. You look like shit and I want to know how bad it is."

[firstrateduelist]

"You."

It's not accusatory, it's not even irritated. Kaiba just sounds tired. After slogging through bogs with surprise tar and then attacking enemies over and over until he was finally taken down, he could hardly be expected to be anything less. And for what? He'd attacked wild Pokemon that weren't entirely aggressive at first, due to the creeping paranoia instilled in the fog, and been whittled down to a panting, barely conscious opponent who folded like a house of cheap cards right when it mattered most.

Failure. Complete and utter failure.

He exhales, sharp and long, and doesn't immediately do as he's told.

"How long have I been here?"

The answer: About three days, but...he doesn't know that. The bridge between being in a fight and waking up is hazy for him, due to his using Outrage out of desperation.

doctor!

[sharpjustice]

After Anasui closes yet another cabinet too loudly, he'll turn and realise that Mayaka's standing nearby and looking up at him with an arched eyebrow.

She realises that his snappy 'What do you want', is just his way of saying hello.

"... You're being really loud," she says a matter-of-factly.

[dripdrive]

"You're not being helpful," Anasui echoes in the same tone as her. Frankly, he doesn't care he's being loud. He simply goes back to searching the cupboards.

"...I'm just looking for the Sitrus berry stash. Someone's moved it and I have to bring it to Dr. Denne to make a new batch of medicine."

[sharpjustice]

Mayaka's face immediately turns red in embarrassment. Congrats Anasui, you've made this teenager self-conscious.

"I-I was just going to say that those in the wards can't get a good rest if you're slamming things shut every other minute!"

She wanders over to help look for the missing berries, wanting to make herself useful after his comment.

"What's the system for storing things around here anyway?" asks the Sneasel who barely helps out at the clinic.

OH! THAT'S A BASEBALL!

[telewarped]

Shoka is on her way back to the Spire when she spots two figures on the beach—one familiar and one not—squaring each other up for a match. By her own admission, when she hears a fight, she always comes running—and this one is apparently starring Anasui, who in her mind is bound to make pretty much anything he's involved in extra entertaining—so she immediately makes her way down for a closer look.

Once she's there, perched on the nearby rocks to observe from a safe distance, she discovers two important things: 1.) whoever this other Pokémon is, they've really pissed Anasui off big time (much to her amusement), and 2.) this other Pokémon is speaking in a very familiar-sounding voice.

At first, she's too baffled to really make sense of it... but apparently not too baffled to commentate.

"Well, that looks like a ball to me!" she shouts out. "And you've got a bat, don't you? So hit it back, dummy!"

sHOKA!!!

[seacub]

"Th-That's not!!!"

Blindly, he swings the bone club around toward the attack. It...doesn't whiff it, or anything. But the hit can barely be called one- (13) And to that end, as the bone club grazes it, the ball just sort of explodes on contact.

"AUGH!!!"

He's not being hit by it or anything, but it's still uncanny!!

Beautiful XD (also sorry for the delay)

[dripdrive]

If Anasui was less pissed off, he would be smirking at Shoka's commentary. However, the large bird's scowl remains on his face as he paws the ground irately with his talons. He has enough respect for Emporio to wait for the wisps of the Shadow Ball to disappear before he speaks again.

"Shadow Ball is still a ball," Anasui says, eyes glowing to show he was ready to charge up another one. "If you're gonna play, be ready for the surprise pitch."

And Anasui launches the Shadow Ball. Hopefully, Emporio does hit it, otherwise poor Shoka is (unintentionally) in the firing line...

baseball

[holidaygirl1225]

A stray shadow blob flies toward her. No harm, no foul-- she's part Normal-type, after all. Only partially through murderous instinct, partially through a deep desire to play, she fires an Energy Ball back.

the power of baseball compells her....

[seacub]

On the one hand, ducking desperately under the shadow ball has...........worked! He has been bypassed entirely, and the shadow ball zooms harmlessly over his head toward...well. Probably the ocean, at this point. (2) There it goes...

......................................toward Noelle. That's. Well that's definitely fine actually it's probably just going right through her.

But, in doing that, and specifically in looking to see just what happened to the shadow ball, he turns his head up and sees another ball coming his way. Yelping audibly, he does the first thing he thinks of seeing that grassy orb zooming closer and closer to his face.

"A-AAAH!!!"

Which is to say, he swings that club like a champ. (20)

...

Doesn't quite make the satisfying 'crack' of a baseball though. More of a...'squminch'.

sorry for the delay!

[dripdrive]

Anasui had been a touch worried since he didn't want to hurt others - just the guy he was pissed off with- but seeing the blob harmlessly pass through Noelle fills him with relief. And then a sick sense of satisfaction as she fires an Energy Ball back. Anasui watches Emporio whack the green ball and nods.

"Perhaps she's right. Maybe a barrage of balls would be better for training," Anasui says, as if Noelle said anything. "So Emporio... start running," the man says, clicking his tongue as he fires another Shadow Ball.