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 Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 2:24 pm
To the untrained eye, the forest looked completely peaceful. Wind winded warily through the branches of the trees, creating a rather soothing noise. Birds sang from the trunks, adding to the atmosphere, so long as you couldn’t understand birdsong. Of course, the moment that you understood birdsong, the affect was lost, seeing as birds, like most creatures, were preoccupied with sex: “Hai thar, lovely. Wanna see me make my chest big and red?” and similar calls flittered through the air in the form of whistles and hoots. Stantlers browsed among the leaves, ears flickering and listening for any danger. Berries hung heavy on the bushes below and moss covered the ground, as thick and soft as any blanket. Well, some berries, anyway. Oddly enough, the berries seemed to vanish below a certain line. It was as if someone had very deliberately stopped those berries from growing…
Luminitia the mareep burst from the bushes, happily skipping about, as hyper as a ferret on amphetimines. The world was amazing! And look at everything! Oh, hey, there was something shiny over there! Bleating her delight, Lum rushed over to investigate a curious-looking berry, oblivious to the wary stantlers. Well, almost oblivious… she tried to make contact a few times, but the wild pokémon merely snorted at her, and avoided her.
That made her sad… her tail and ears drooped until she saw more berries! Yay! Tail wagging happily, Lum trotted over to snack on a few of the berries.
One of the wild pokémon lifted its head, ears pricked up for any danger. Something was coming… a houndoom burst out of the bushes, his voice booming in the forest, promising death to anything that didn’t run away. The stantlers decided not to see if Con was the type to keep promises and skedaddled out of there faster than a bat on a frying pan. As everyone knows, that’s pretty damn fast. Con’s tail wagged behind him, whiplike as it scythed through the air. He loved doing that, making someone else terrified of him. Besides, it was his instinct to chase after things and he had a marvelous voice.
“You’re mean, Con!” Lum piped up, not at all intimidated by the houndoom. She used to be, but she knew him better now. He was really very gentle and fuzzy, so long as you didn’t look up the definition of ‘fuzzy’.
Finally, the last of the trio made his way through the trees, half jogging to keep up with his enthusiastic pokémon. “Damnit, Con… you chased them away. They were so pretty…” Alastair murmured in between pants. Groping through his bag, he eventually found a waterbottle and took a grateful drink before offering his pokémon some water as well.
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:18 pm
Oh, the sweet and harmonious sex calls of bird life! What a soft and enchanting spell it was, intermingled with the quiet hoofsteps of wild Stantler, the gentle rustling of leaf-covered tree branches, the soft, almost motherly crooning of wind against the foliage...
... And the explosive noise of one wheezing boy and his disgruntled (or simply over-stimulated) Pokemon.
No one could sleep through such a racket, right? Surely, it just wasn't possible!
Except for Mal, of course.
Back rested against a patch of rather uncomfortable looking tree bark, the not-quite-trainer lay still, eyes firmly closed and legs crossed, lap left open to provide a resting spot for a small ball of fawn-colored fluff. The girl's appearance, curiously enough, seemed almost... unkempt, her braid (almost flame-colored now, obviously not having been dyed in weeks) disheveled and clothing roughened with torn thread and muddy patches.
It looked like she hadn't slept on a real bed in weeks-- which was actually an accurate analogy. As for why... well, that was a mystery, for now.
Sepia, aside, the rest of her brood, however, seemed awake and aware enough. Phinneas had curled himself tightly in Stellar's lap while the gleefuly Flaaffy played with his mohawk, while Saul gazed on in a glassy-eyed trance, absent-mindedly licking a forepaw and contemplating his beautiful coat. Such a nice day for stretching the legs outside one's pokeball, really!
Too bad Kabuki didn't understand the meaning of relaxation (or care to), for the Ninetales had already taken off into the wooded thicket, ears twitching and lip curled at the recognition of a faint, thunderous sound... and something whiny.
No doubt that was Alaister. No doubt at all.
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 4:01 pm
No surprise, it was Con who noticed the presence of others. Lifting his head up, he sniffed the wind for a moment, analyzing every single scent he found. If he had ears, they would have pricked up now. Since he didn’t have ears, the best he could do was wag his tail at the familiar---and welcome—scent. It had been a while since he’d last seen Kabuki and, as strange as it was, he was actually somewhat fond of the ninetales. Letting out another one of those long booming howls, the houndoom tore into the bushes and ran as fast as he could towards the source of the scent. While he failed as a herding-houndoom, he was top-notch at hunting and tracking things down, as he proved quickly.
“Kabs!” he said happily, once the familiar Ninetales was in sight, knowing full and well that Kabuki hated being called Kabs. But, it was either that or Kabbikins, and Con decided to be slightly less humiliating for today. After all, it was their first meeting in a while. Tongue lolling out and tail wagging behind him, Con looked more like a happy dog rather than a dangerous houndoom, for once. Oh, sure, his horns were still cracked and broken, the bony plates on his back had seen better days, but at least he was happy.
Lum wasn’t that far behind; after all, Alastair had told her to stay close to Con, ostensibly to protect the mareep from wild pokémon that might see a little herbivore as a meal. Admittedly, Lum would be less of a meal and more like a snack to most. She was still pretty small for a mareep, the runt of her season. It took her a little while longer to recognize Kabuki but, when she did, she let out a happy bleat. She didn’t like the Ninetales much---he was mean!---but, she did like the flaafy that had to be around here somewhere. Bleating out in hopes of finding Stellar, Lum ran around in a circle. This turned out to be a highly ineffective searching technique, but she tried it anyway.
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 4:14 pm
Sure enough, Kabuki located the source of that tremendous thunder, and immediately the recognition of a chalky, weathered looking canine sank into his thick skull. Standing against the deep greens and browns of the forest, such a ghostly looking Houndoom was impossible to miss and, regardless of whether or not he'd admit to it, he was happy for the company.
... Until the word slipped out of Con's mouth, that was.
Skidding to an awkward halt that nearly sent him crashing into a sapling (damn the mud under his paws), his orange muzzle twitched convulsively, face scrunching into a mixed look of disgruntlement and exasperation.
"Haven't I told you not to call me that, old man?!" he growled, deciding it best to temper any friendliness now that the latter had humiliated him so. He'd just pretend he wasn't starting to fluster.
"What are you doing out here, anyway?" he added, settling down on his haunches to play cool and conveniently change the subject. "Is that idiot human of yours with you today?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 4:54 pm
Con pretended to think, a thoughtful expression on his face. It was difficult for a houndoom to look thoughtful---especially since the default expression was ‘annoyed with the world in general’---but he managed it pretty well. “You know, you may have mentioned it… I must be going senile because I’m so ‘old’…” Hey, it was Kabuki’s own fault, since he was the one who kept calling him ‘old’. Technically, Con wasn’t even that old. He simply looked old, since his fur was grizzled and his hips didn’t work very well and… alright, so he was one of the oldest survivors of Inhinx, but that didn’t mean much. Many had died in the silver mines, and most of them fairly young.
“Yes, I believe he’s around here somewhere… he’s probably gotten thoroughly distracted by something shiny by this point. Just the other day, he was completely obsessed with a rock he had found. He thought it was a fossil, the moron.” No, Con had no illusions about the intelligence of his trainer. Well, alright… so Alastair wasn’t a complete idiot. He simply didn’t always think, which was pretty much the same thing. “And yours is around here too, I gather?”
It was rather… far from civilization, now that the houndoom thought about it. A tad unusual to meet other trainers out here.
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 5:08 pm
Hearing the glory of Alaister's rock-obsessions, Kabuki couldn't help but snort with amusement, whiskers twitching imperceptibly on the tip of his muzzle. "Hmph, that sounds like your idiot trainer, alright." Then, hearing Con's addition to the statement, he paused briefly-- almost seeming to contemplate the proper phrasing for such an obviously messy explanation.
"She's sleeping," he resolved at last, "out in the deep woods, a quarter mile or so back. We've been living in this territory for several days now, actually..."
And just why was that, again?
"I think she's been avoiding things in the city, the stupid fool," he noted rather casually, and once more heaved a snort-- this time sounding plainly disgruntled. "Something about a... reunion, I think. Hell if I know. Either way, I've been listening to that damn shinx's screaming for too long now, and I'm about to end the little rodent myself."
Oh, the joy and relief of getting to vent his troubles out on something that wasn't screaming and shrieking! Not that he'd admit to liking the company, of course.
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 5:21 pm
Avoiding an entire city just to avoid some sort of reunion? Con’s brow wrinkled in confusion as he tried to understand the logic behind that. Alright, so he felt that he knew a thing or two about human families. After all, Alastair’s family was… well, it was a family, which meant lots of loud noises, arguments, and fights. He could see why someone would want to avoid something like that… but avoiding entire cities? For days at a time? Either her family was even more rambunctious than Alastair’s, or she had a bigger one. Or… actually, more likely, she just had less patience for human interaction than Alastair did. Yes, that made sense.
“Your human is a moron,” Con informed Kabuki of the obvious before flopping down on the ground. His paws were neatly crossed before he relaxed his head on them, looking as regal as a deposed king. “As for the shinx, they taste terrible, you know. And they’ve got those little bits of fur that you can never get out from your teeth. Eating them doesn’t work in the long run. I’d sooner simply give him a sharp smack across the head. That usually shuts Lum up.”
At the sound of bushes rustling, Con lifted his head and looked over his shoulder. “Damnit. My idiot is coming.”
Indeed, it was Con’s idiot, Alastair. “There you are! Con, you know better th…” Alastair’s voice trailed off as he saw the Ninetales. This wasn’t typical territory for that type of pokémon… very weird… it took him a little while to recognize Kabuki and, when he did, his eyes lit up. “Kabuki? What a surprise! That means Mal is around here somewhere…” His own pokémon temporarily forgotten, Alastair started to tramp through the bushes, trying to figure out where Mal was.
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 5:32 pm
And there went Con, informing him that his human was a moron as if he wasn't aware of the fact already! Of course, Kabuki was well versed in Mal's ridiculous idiocy, and sadly growing used to it more and more as the weeks passed. Still, as far as humans went... her quiet demeanor and reserved kindness were easily handled, and even her more reclusive habits didn't bother him-- usually. This most recent withdrawal from society was starting to get on his nerves, dammit!
"Hitting him there would probably just give him more reason to scream," he grumbled, hating to admit defeat against something like a neurotic blue rat. "And I'd rather take a bite out of that stinking human you tote around than him--"
Speak of the devil, no sooner had Kabuki made the comment did another familiar figure come trudging into view. How dare the moronic Alaister fail to recognize him! Hmph! It wasn't as if such powerful nine tailed warriors were common in the area, let alone those with such unique markings!
... Well, he'd just jog the boy's memory with a little... physical stimulus!
And CHOMP went the long, viciously fanged and superheated jaws... right on his backside. That would serve him right for turning his back!
Not that the attack lasted long, as Kabuki almost immediately recoiled with a hiss of horror. "s**t, that tastes TERRIBLE! God, does he ROLL in filth?!"
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 6:00 pm
Alastair had forgotten more about Kabuki than just the pokémon’s appearance, apparently. He had also forgotten the semi-violent Ninetale’s propensity for biting people who he didn’t like. And he didn’t like Alastair either. That was a pretty important thing to remember. No big surprise, as he received that sharp bite on the a**, he screamed a little. “Gaaah! Goddamnit, Kabuki! Didn’t Mal ever teach you not to bite someone?!” his normal reaction would have been to give Kabuki a sharp slap on the snout, but… well, he figured that it would be stupid to put his hand too close to Kabuki’s mouth right now.
Hey, at least he learned something. Instead of turning his back on the Ninetales, Alastair kept his back to the trees and sidled out of the clearing, still glaring at Kabuki. Damned irritable creature… even Con was better than that.
Con felt as though he should have defended his ‘master’, perhaps challenged Kabuki to some sort of a battle. Instead, all he did was yawn and relax once more, smirking a little at the bite and reaction. “Oh, yes. It’s a horrible habit of his that’s proving to be most difficult to break. That’s why I always bite him on the leg. Keep that in mind for the future.” he paused for a moment, studying Kabuki in a vaguely interested manner, like an etymologist who had just found a rare type of bug. Finally, he made another comment with a wry smirk, “You know, you’re very cute when you’re angry.”
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 7:45 pm
... Well, Alaister had gotten a bit of revenge (albeit unknowingly) for his little pain in the a**, as the Ninetales continued to hack and spit in a desperate attempt to cleanse his fouled tongue. God, that flesh tasted worse than rotting meat! And the essence of it was clinging to his palate with a frightening tenacity, at that! He couldn't get it off!
The awful taste, however, was quickly and completely forgotten when Conri's remark registered, and the fox, suddenly stiff as a statue, paused briefly... only to turn pink, hiss, and splutter seconds later in flustered desperation.
"And just where the hell did THAT come from!?" The poor fox's dignity was in tatters now; he just couldn't steel himself, dammit! "'Cute' is not the kind of word I should hear from your mouth, dammit!"
And damn, there went his tails-- all frizzing up like a disgruntled kitty from rear to tip. Disgruntled, and without a clue as to how he might vent his rage, the Ninetales suddenly reeled around, growled... and, in a huff, began his dramatic storming-off into the trees.
Damn that rotten Con! To think that one stupid comment could get him so worked up... was just unforgivable!
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 8:10 pm
Now, Con honestly expected to be attacked for such a remark. It would be fitting with Kabuki’s typical anger-management issue and the houndoom had even prepared himself for such a reaction by tensing his muscles and preparing to zoom out of there quickly. What he hadn’t expected was for Kabuki to start spluttering and then fluff out like a Persian who had just realized that there was mud on the ground. All nine of his tails were puffy, like giant bottlebrushes.
Aww… how adorable! Needless to say, Con was not about to let go of such hilarity. Telling Lum that she had a berry on her tail was amusing and everything, but watching her run around until she got dizzy got boring really fast. This, on the other hand, promised hours of entertainment. Bounding up to his feet, Con worked into a fast trot until he caught up with Kabuki.
“I’m sorry, would ‘adorable’ be more suitable to your tastes? Or how about charming? Delightful? Pretty?” he named off several synonyms for cute, idly wondering how long he could do this until Kabuki got enraged enough to attack.
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 8:18 pm
... Alright, this 'walk away' tactic obviously wasn't going to work-- not with Conri having decided to make him the evening's entertainment, anyway! It seemed that the old, chalky houndoom was able to keep pace with Kabuki's fluid saunter... much to his woe and chagrin.
Dammit, this just couldn't end well.
"... L-Lay off it, old man!" he seethed hopelessly, compelled to pick up the pace and take off at an even swifter canter (if only so his red face wouldn't be seen). Flustered, bitter, and getting crankier by the second, his lips curled back in a snarl. "Shut up with the stupid words, dammit! I'm warning you!"
When evasion fails, try threatening! Surely, this one had to work!
... And if all else was lost, he could probably go full-throttle and out run the mocking snot of a canine, right?
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 8:37 pm
A threat probably would have worked. Kabuki was a powerful and easy-to-anger fire-type pokémon. To say he had a short temper was like saying a rabid mightyena was ‘slightly dangerous’ or that Con was ‘a little bitter’ about his past treatment by humans. Con had personally seen Kabs burn trees so hot that the sap inside the trunks would boil. So, really, a threat had absolutely every reason to work. But, all of these reasons were trumped by the one reason why it wouldn’t work…
Kabuki was cuuuute when he was angry! All fluffed up like that, he was about as intimidating as a newly-fluffed swablu, just barely out of the egg. Con merely snickered at Kabuki’s words, the threats washing over him easily. Alright, so there was one smaller reason why threats generally didn’t work very well against Con: what could Kabs do to him that hadn’t already been done?
“You’re right. I better be careful, lest you get even more adorably indignant at me. If that happens, there’s no telling how my old heart might react. I could very well go into a diabetic coma because of the cuteness.” Yes, he was being an a**, and he knew it. But it was too much fun to stop now. Besides, it was true. Kabs was adorable.
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 8:48 pm
Oh, for the love of... Did that a** of a canine ever SHUT UP?! Poor Kabuki was very quickly reaching his wit's end now, one brow ridge twitching visibly as the drippingly 'sweet' comment struck home. His dignity, once merely bruised, was now heavily wounded, bleeding like a stuck hog, and on its last desperate leg. God only knew if he'd be able to save it.
He was racing faster now, galloping through the underbrush with all nine frizzy tails flying behind him like a tangle of kite strings, fangs clenched and eyes narrowed (not to mention still twitching).
Then suddenly, without warning, he stopped dead in his tracks, reeled around, and practically ROARED in the larger pokemon's face.
"I. AM NOT. ADORABLE. CAN YOU GET THAT THROUGH YOUR DAMNED THICK SKULL, OLD MAN?!" And, without further ado, the Ninetales gave into his rage in a blind tackle square at his chest, face redder than a ripe sugar beet.
It... was going to be a very epic confrontation.
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 8:59 pm
Despite having a bad hip---or maybe it was his knees; all of his joints ached sometimes, so it was hard to tell one ache from another---Con still ran after Kabuki, the pure adrenaline keeping him going. Besides, this was fun! As a hunting animal, this was pretty much the highlight of his day. The sudden stop caught him off guard; dirt piled up on Con’s feet as he skidded to a stop. The twitching was horribly amusing though. As was the yelling. And… well, pretty much everything was cute. After all, Kabuki was extra fluffy. As it turned out, Kabuki’s quantity of fluff was directly proportional to his anger.
But, Kabuki’s anger was also directly proportional to his anger too. As was his likelihood of attack. Con honestly didn’t think he would seriously get attacked by this point and was thus taken by surprise by the Ninetales suddenly sitting on him. He blinked several times, looking up at Kabuki before an evil little thought popped into his mind. His eyes narrowed in a way that should have made the Ninetales wary…
And then he did the worst possible thing he ever could have done and leaned forward to give Kabuki a little lick on the cheek. Ha! Take that, Kabuki!
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