June Catch-All

[hundredeyesoni]

Who: Akira and quest partners
What: Quests, more to be added over the month
When: Throughout June
Warnings: Fog effects and Pokemon battles likely. Will add as needed.

Comments

[ibalsamina]

[Lusamine despises the way Akira and Emporio look at her—studying, cautious, as if she's a ticking time bomb. It makes her flesh crawl and keeps her hackles raised. Surely she can't be the one reacting strangely! They are the strange ones, aren't they? Strangers, taking her here, acting as if nothing's wrong...

Still, to her credit, she listens to Emporio's words, straining to understand them.]

Yes... Yes, of course I remember you... Sweet Emporio. But... the woods? Why would I...? [She's still confused and disoriented, as if out of time, but simple, direct sentences seem to slowly but surely calm her. There is a mysterious creature they're looking for, Emporio says, and she wanted to help them. Yes, she thinks; that does sound like something she'd do, doesn't it?] Oh... That's—that's right... I wanted...

[To protect them. After all, they are such small, young-sounding Pokémon—helpless without her.

It's harder for her to detangle Akira and Guilmon's words, but Guilmon's confusion at least takes some attention away from her own, and she manages to grasp the meaning of carry on.]

Yes... We must continue on. We cannot allow that creature to continue running amok.

[Yes—that sounds like something Madam President Lusamine would naturally say, doesn't it?]

[seacub]

It's okay. You've still got friends here now...right?

[He's not affected by the fog, but it's not exactly hard to miss the sadness in Emporio's tone as he gently tries to calm Guilmon down. He can't even meet the Charmeleon's eyes while saying it- there's quite a lot of weight there, no fog needed.

He needs to do his best though, at least to keep these two in check.] Mm. We just have to keep moving.

Here- I can, uh...take your hand, and maybe yours..? [He's not so sure about what that will do when Lusamine is typically quadrupedal, but he'll try dammit.] I'm, um. Glad you remember me too at least! I know I haven't talked to either of you that much, but I guess others were talking about me..?

I didn't think I left that much of an impression, but I'm also not really used to interacting with so many people...

[Ahhh, well.] I wonder if the fog and the Pokemon we have to find are actually that well connected... ...Rather, they're connected for sure, but do they really have the same goals?

[guilmon]

Takato is Guilmon's Tamer...

[But again, Takato isn't here. The others speaking helps ground him more, even if he doesn't fully grasp everything they're saying.

He shakes his head a few times and scratches his cheek.]

Mmm... Guilmon can try to smell? But I don't know if the fog is the same as this big Pokémon. All of this is really weird...

[Sniff, sniff... Guilmon bristles.]

But there's something in here! Something big and smelly...

[hundredeyesoni]

[Spurred by Lusamine's agreement, the Slowking steps forward, oddly eager with anticipation for what kind of trick he might be shown this time around. Only.. whatever it may be, it isn't making itself apparent.

Looking back, then, he tilts his head at Emporio's question.]

Connected?

[It's not a bad theory at all. But,]

I'm not so sure about that. They both make the forest quite a fearsome place to be. Maybe they'd both prefer to keep adventurers like ourselves away from something, too. Even so, this could just be a Pokemon that thrives under these conditions. Blinded and disoriented travelers make for veery easy prey.

[So is its violent behaviour a result of being infected longer than most can survive? Or has some unknown factor allowed it to develop a resistance? There's just so much that he could ask, none of it easy to answer without facing that bear once more.

But as Guilmon announces of the discovery of a new scent, maybe that opportunity is getting closer!]

That might be it! Let's go see!

[Without any thought as to whether it's safe or if he'd only heard what he wanted, Akira continues on right away, with only the red glow of Shellder's now opened eyes to keep the group from becoming separated.]

[ibalsamina]

[Tamer? Lusamine squints, trying to make sense of it all through the fog in her brain... to no avail. Her memory and thoughts are scattered, and she can hardly think. The more she tries, the more estranged from her body she feels. Vexed, she huffs. She can pretend well enough that her mind is perfectly clear and sound, but it's still taxing, humiliating.

At the very least, Emporio redirects her attention by offering to hold her hand. That's humiliating, too (Why should she need to be led around by the hand by a child?), but if she recontextualizes it to herself as Emporio asking obliquely for comfort and trying to seem capable in front of the adults, she can allow it.]

Oh... How kind. If it isn't too much to ask...

[After politely brushing the dirt from her claws, she places one paw delicately in Emporio's own.

Truthfully, she needs that contact. Fortunately for both of them, she can walk on her hind legs when she wants to, but the feeling of disembodiment still lingers with her (her limbs are too short, the shapes of her claws strange and unwieldy), threatening to make her stumble if she doesn't find some way ground herself.

In reply to his words, she is quick to reassure,] Nonsense. You left quite an impression, in fact.

[She says it easily, without much thought—and the memory of why returns to her moments later, delayed but clear. She had been told about him, prior to meeting him at the Questboard, by a certain Espathra...

But that's a conversation for another time; Guilmon alerts them to something big and smelly, and Lusamine smells it, too, heavy on the air.

As Akira strides forward, she chides him automatically,] Careful now, doctor... What was that you just said about "easy prey"? [Then, as a hushed aside to Emporio and Guilmon:] A spirited one, isn't he?

[She's apparently returned to her senses enough to muster a bit of humor, at least.

As they continue onward, it will gradually become clear to them that it isn't just dark because of the fog; though they departed at dawn, it seems to suddenly, inexplicably be nighttime. Moonlight shimmers above, visible even through the mist and trees.]

[seacub]

Right, exactly. One intends to disorient or claim their victims, but the other just takes advantage. More like a parasite, than a partner.

[Emporio jumps at Guilmon's statement though, and quickly turns to the others for some guidance.] R-right- Or at least, it's probably another Pokemon of some kind...

[He seems...a little worried that Guilmon didn't take his offered hand, but oh well. Lusamine at least is, and he smiles quite warmly at her in turn.

Best keep recontexualizing, Lusamine.

And then again, maybe he does need a bit of comfort himself. He certainly holds on tight enough that it feels that way.]

Haha- Thanks? [He doesn't sound sure- of himself, more than anything- but to be fair, he has no idea what impression he left.

...and...speaking of impressions.] ...There he goes... [he says quietly, shaking his head.] ...it's like being back with Hermana...

[They carry on though. They walk onward, eyes wide to what's around them until abruptly what's around is darkness. The night. Moonlight-]

H...Huh?