»» Question of Morals One step forward and two steps back (Flatsale entry)
Dang-blasted Spring. Honestly, with all the hubbub there usually was with the other pokémon about the season, in finding the perfect mate, in finding true love... it was enough to make the young eevee sick to his stomach. There were so many better things to be doing with one's time, and although Arashi had always known that Spring could bring out the worst of the mushy stuff in everyone else, it only managed to hit the eevee into being stir-crazy. All that sunshine, all that warm weather, it was enough to make Arashi want to do anything but stay cooped up at home.
Besides, Spring brought with it cleansing rains, and although rain wasn't always something to be pleased about, the pokémon also didn't seem to mind it quite so much as others. Once the rain left the premises, though, it would be bright and sunny, a premonition to the heatwave that tended to come with the Summer. Might as well make the most of one's time before then! After all, why wait? With such a thick and poofy coat, Summer had a tendency to make Arashi more miserable than energetic, anyway.
With an arrogant twitch of his tail, he took off away from the other pokémon in town, intent on getting as far away from all the hormones as possible. <<Hey!>> a poochyena called after the eevee, surprise quickly turned into irritation, <<I was talking to you, brat!>> But the eevee didn't even look back; he didn't want to listen to more of that drivel, and he didn't want to sit in place any longer for a conversation he had been tuning out anyway.
He was so annoyed with all of it, in fact, that he decided he wanted to spend the next few days out in the lush greenery that filled the countryside, just bordering the town. It's not like he had a trainer to worry about him, for the collar he wore around his neck proved to be quite the preventative to that extent; he considered it a very prized good luck charm.
He had been a very small eevee, perhaps just months old at the time. He could hardly remember, as it was both long ago to the pokémon and yet not long ago in the terms of years. Arashi was only a couple of years old as it was, but for an eevee, he was already an adult; childhood seemed like eons ago. He had found the well-worn collar in a partially-opened tin garbage can. It had obviously been used for a good stretch of time by another pokémon, but for whatever reason it had been tossed, Arashi grew a fondness for the glittering stone embedded to the chain of the collar. Maybe it hadn't proven itself to be very lucky to the previous owner, but it was quite the find for the tiny eevee just starting life out in the back alleys of town!
As soon as he put it on, he felt a surge of power course through his stubby extremities, from ear tips to nubby toes. It felt like it was too much for his little body to handle, however, so he fought back, biting at the leather strap that now hung loosely about his neck. That seemed to do the trick, and the pulsing glow that seemed to come from the electrified stone faded out. It hadn't occurred to him that he narrowly avoided evolution right then and there, only that he had overcome some sort of trial and passed, feeling empowered -- if a bit fatigued -- by the tribulation.
The collar had since grown to a comfortable snugness from that day, and helped Arashi on numerous occasions in avoiding capture by falsely claiming that he was already owned by someone. Luckily, nobody had thought to try to bring him back 'home,' as he always seemed to be wandering the streets. For all they knew, he had been owned by an entire neighborhood.
It also hadn't been the first time that Arashi took it upon himself to hike clear into the swamp to emerge on the other side. No, it was never a truly smart thing to do without a specific plan of action, and he knew it. His paws were now caked with mud and who-knew-what-else, but at least he had made it to the Mint Meadow. He still had plenty of energy to spare as the next day was just starting anew, Arashi having spent the night on the outskirts of the ********* Swamp under the protection of a rather gnarled and twisted, half-rooted tree. With triumphant laughter, a tail almost as big as the entirety of his body spinning in jubilation, he tore off down a decline into the tall grass. This would surely do the trick of getting the mess off his feet, if he kept active through the expanse, as though he were running across the surface of a giant brush.
A flash of silver nipped at the side of his vision, causing the eevee to spin around and skid to a halt, defenses back up as quickly as they had been removed. He braced himself, in case it was a pokémon who was itching for a fight, only to find nothing instead. Quirking his head sideways, he carefully continued pressing the matter, intent on finding whatever was out here. Or had this all been an effect from any swamp gases he had inhaled along the way?
Even though the other pokémon looked just like any mirage toxic fumes might produce, the silver-coated eevee was far from ethereal. Arashi had to make sure he hadn't just passed out, biting at a foreleg to verify that, yes, that hurt. He was awake. He couldn't figure out how such a pokémon could exist, though, never before having seen such a unique example such as the one that was before him. She looked just like an eevee, just like any of the eevees Arashi had ever seen, but she was definitely of the shiny variety. Not only that, but what had caught him so off-guard was the fact that she didn't have one, but two tails!
He rubbed at his eyes in disbelief, essentially getting mud on his face as much as it didn't get rid of the sight before him. The difference left Arashi feeling rather irritated; how could something like this eevee exist? He was feeling increasingly angry over the situation, not able to determine what he was really looking at, let alone not being able to identify what in particular was truly instigating the rage in the first place. It was as though he felt that she shouldn't exist, she was too much of a wildcard, too outwardly different. The fur at his back was rising as he let off with a nearly-silent growl, only to watch as the silver vixen hopped off.
Arashi froze in place, a sudden coldness clenching at him. Where... where was she going? In a tizzy, he hurried to follow her. Didn't she know he was watching her? Or was that why she took off?
The thunderstone-bestowed eevee halted in his footsteps, completely taken off-guard by his own contradictory thoughts. Wasn't he just ticked off at her a minute ago, just by the sight of her? Why wasn't he glad she was leaving? He could get on with his little romp through the grass and head back to town when he was sure everyone was done talking about spring fever and--
<<Oh gods...>> he swallowed. If he hadn't been amassed from head to toe in tanned fluff, he would have looked ghostly pale in the sunlight. No no no, that couldn't possibly have happened to-- He didn't do that sort of thing, he... He didn't even believe in love at first sight! It was such a stupid notion, not even worth spending efforts to swat away! What the heck was...?
Frazzled, he fell to the ground and ruffled the tufts of fur on the top of his head in exasperation. This was all wrong, so confusing, so... so unlike him! From the dusty floor he watched as the silver mutant glanced to and fro on the ground, as though searching for something. She had a pouch strapped to her ribcage, and as a passing thought, Arashi toyed with the idea of going up and helping her find whatever it was that she may have misplaced. That's... what she was doing, right? She was also getting dangerously close to the forest just on the other side of the expanse of plains here, so if he was going to help her, he'd better do it soon, lest he miss his chance...
Unfortunately, Arashi's mind instead opted to flash him a 'blue screen of death' as a change of pace. With a head full of cotton, the eevee grabbed the nearest visible pebble hidden under the stalks of yellowed blades of grass in his teeth and chucked it over to the double-tailed shiny, intent on hitting her with it. He waited to make sure she turned in his direction, but was unsure of whether the pebble actually made contact before spinning around and disappearing back into the grass with a mean-spirited cackle, <<Serves you right, weirdo!>>
He might as well had just threw his own heart right then, for it felt just as heavy as any stone. Arashi couldn't help but wonder, as he pounced through the grass back toward the direction of town, if he hadn't just shot down all chances he had with her, in that blind and foolish moment. Despite the defeat he felt in that instant, he was determined enough not to let it keep him down; this battle wasn't over, not if he could help it!
[[ Word Count: 1,628 ]]
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 7:02 pm
»» Roleplay #1
Link:My Friend, My Enemy Participants: Rei & Arashi Stages: Pokémon (Both) Status:Complete!
Premise: A random encounter, and the spoils of battle are food!
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 7:02 pm
»» Roleplay #2
Link:Going A Little Overboard Participants: Neptune & Arashi Stages: Pokémon (Both) Status:Ongoing
Premise: Drowned rats are only a minor cause for worry when it happens to be Summertime.
Revamped and moved to a different point in time, possibly completely dead.
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 7:05 pm
»» Terror of the Streets Sometimes the jigsaw pieces of life must be forced to fit
Arashi was frazzled. He had been in such a state of mind for the past few days, in fact, and this uncharacteristic change in personality caused a ripple effect of confusion over those that came into contact with the stray eevee on a daily basis. Sure, it wasn't unusual to see the little guy in an antisocial mood, but his own irrational uncertainty wasn't lost on anyone either. Someone with power, someone in such a makeshift position of leadership as Arashi had among the other strays of town needed more confidence. His grip, as the others saw it, was slipping. While they gave a few days' leeway on the matter, living on the streets left little time for patience.
It was time for a mutiny; a power grab. At least, an attempt at it. Nobody had much of any sort of camaraderie toward one another in the back alleys of the city, and even less loyalty. Few traveled in groups as pride was rampant, taking the notion of living in a dog-eat-dog world to the highest degree. It was only a matter of time before someone tried to take top spot, and with that one that tipped the boat, more would follow quickly on their heels.
While Arashi wasn't exactly the leader, as there were no leaders in this place, he wasn't among the many followers, the lackeys of the streets, either. He was a force to be reckoned with, and the air of confidence that he strongly emitted was enough to keep most from opposing his decisions and whims too forcefully. True, he was a bit of a bully on the roadways, but he was also a bit of a lone wolf that ended up keeping things from getting too wildly out-of-hand. After all, there were a few nimrods that wouldn't hesitate to turn the streets into an unlivable hellhole for the rest of them, but as long as Arashi and others like him were in town, it was much more difficult to snag that kind of control.
The eevee wasn't a keystone to this aspect, but he was one of the ones that helped. Knocking one like him down a peg only initiated eagerness to have the same done to all others in his position of order, no matter how futile the effort truly was. Yes, Arashi wouldn't hesitate to point out again that they were, indeed, nimrods.
<<Arashi! Ah... Arashi... th-they're at it again... they...>> a pup of a houndour called after the eevee, pausing to catch his breath after what seemed to be quite a long trek; the houndour's legs were still just stubby little things, after all. Arashi waited patiently for an explanation, confusing drawn across his dark eyes but altogether relieved to be distracted from any nagging thoughts. After a moment, the pup remembered how urgent his message was after a few puffs of deep inhalation, <<They just held a rally! I think they're gonna try van-- ah... vandy...>> The puppy frowned, forgetting the term.
<<Vandalize?>>
<<Yeah! They're gonna do that, one block over! That's what they were saying, at least. They're trying to recruit as many pokémon as possible for it. You need to do something!>>
<<Why me? There are plenty of others out there that wouldn't hesitate to do something about it,>> Arashi sighed. He was sick of dealing with the muscle-heads that attempted to rally others to their side with stupid stunts like that. Arashi may not have been much better than them when it came to actions, but he wasn't trying to gain a following with them; he just did it for the heck of it, for fun, as long as it wasn't needlessly dangerous for anyone involved.
The houndour was a bit frustrated with the lack of enthusiasm, but it was to be expected, at least lately. <<They were calling YOU on it, that's why! It's in your normal grounds, and they specifically said that it was because you were slipping, not in your right mind anymore, that they could easily take your spot, yadda yadda yadda,>> he explained, as though one part of the list would ring a bell.
And ring it did. Arashi's ears twitched and his frown deepened, <<Oh DID they now?>> If they wanted a war, they were getting a war.
[[ Word Count: 716 ]]
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Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 9:27 pm
»» Anticlimactic Counterattack Never say that things can't get worse
While the rally itself had been held nearly an hour ago, plans were not to be put into motion until the other strays gathered the needed supplies, allies, and courage to band together and get this accomplished. Arashi had to shake his head at such a fruitless attempt; anyone who went along with this was completely blind to the fact that those that started it off were nothing but a bunch of punks. Sure, Arashi himself could be a bit of a bully -- in fact, it wasn't stated rarely -- but he knew boundaries when he saw them, and he didn't go around harming others more than a few scrapes and bruises. There were limits, but the strays that were looking to take on his position, though however minor it may be of one, didn't think about the subtleties that came with the field. They just wanted to throw around their weight and be looked up to.
Although the idea was amusing in all its absurdity, it still managed to make Arashi feel rather miffed over the whole ordeal. Did they really manage to gather that many to their cause? Had Arashi been acting that out-of-character? Did he even deserve to fight to wrestle his title out of their hands if this is what they wanted, to kick him out?
He shook his head; it really didn't matter, all these questions. He wasn't faced with this crisis because he was defending a title, he was going through with it because he was defending his home. It was his way of life, and there was no chance someone was just going to come waltzing through his streets and forcing him to leave under the threat of bodily harm. That just didn't happen! It was the principle of the thing, and this was just playing dirty. He wasn't going to just let it happen. <<My, my, I really MUST have been out of it,>> he stated with another shake of his head, a determined smirk crossing his eyes once more: a classic Arashi expression.
First of all, he needed some backup. While he wasn't going to go all gangbusters on these idiots, he wasn't stupid. He was taking on a few pokémon, and it wouldn't do to get himself killed -- he just needed one to bail him out should he happen to faint or something. His backup wasn't meant to fight, but had to be able to defend themselves should things get messy in the retreat. Fortunately, there was a poochyena in town that was as much a second-in-command in that sense as well as a friend, even if views could differ considerably between the two.
Trace the poochyena, after being caught up with the situation, wasted little time in lending a paw. While nervous about the whole thing, he was deft at burying fear when required to, so Arashi felt much safer asking the other stray to back him up. When asked about the ones who held the rally, the pup of a houndour was unable to verify where the ones who ran it would be. <<They just said they'd meet back together at, um... 'oh-eight-hundred' tomorrow, whatever that means,>> relayed the puppy solemnly.
<<Arashi, it's just El Band o' Nimrods we're looking for. It's dinnertime, so they're probably be scoping out the tins. Chinese's not too far away, maybe they went there? They're lazy enough,>> Trace offered with a light snort.
The eevee bobbed his head once, thinking along the same lines. <<Sounds about right. Let's head out!>> Arashi barked, taking off with his friend in close pursuit.
Unfortunately, it did not appear that there was anybody scrounging for table scraps in the back alleys of the Chinese restaurant. They dug around and through the various (if improbable) hiding places, just to be sure, but there was nobody occupying such places save for a very irritable rattata. It did not seem as though the take-out had been tossed out with the trash yet, however, so the two young pokémon decided that it must be a waiting game. A creased frown emerged across Arashi's face at the thought, <<No, we should scope out the surrounding area. We can't assume that they'll come here, even if it IS sweet-and-spicy chicken night. I still don't think they'd have gone too far, though; not if they're hitting this place in the morning.>>
The duo stuck to the back alleys to search the streets of downtown Meteorite's Cradle, covered by the shadows they provided. Not that it helped the tanned eevee much on his own, but it concealed the fact that he had a second with him; poochyena's were almost a smattering shadow unto themselves. They only slowed in their search, perhaps five minutes after they left the back of the Chinese restaurant, once they caught wind of some familiar voices -- none-too-bright voices. The two of them skidded to a stop and dove behind a dumpster, the girth of the contraption easily obscuring them from view. <<That's them, alright. I can smell 'idiot' a mile away,>> Trace grumbled.
<<If that's a fact, it would have been nice to know that we were closing in ten minutes ago,>> Arashi scolded, rolling his eyes at the poor choice of joke material. Trace merely shrugged his coarse-furred shoulders.
It was then that Arashi's foot kicked at something that was partially hidden under a scrap of newspaper, sending it an inch or two further under the dumpster that the two of them were hiding behind. The eevee jumped, pulling his foot back before peering under the paper to get a better look at whatever it was. It seemed to be... glowing. Huh. <<Arashi, they're coming around the corner. Get ready!>> Trace called from the other side of the dumpster. However, the eevee was starting to feel a little woozy, somewhat dizzy, and...
Spinning around, Trace was just about to give the word to attack when he heard Arashi hit the asphalt. <<Arashi!>> he called, determination being momentarily overlapped by the underlying fear. Especially when the poochyena realized that that call was not a whisper.
[[ Word Count: 1,018 ]]
Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 7:56 pm
»» Riot Control And in a flash, nothing's the same
The gears of Arashi's mind took their time in deciding when to start moving once more. It felt like the eevee had been hit rather forcefully by a blunt object, and regaining the senses was more than a bit of a trial. The first sensation that dug its way past the thick haze of unconsciousness was the cold and grimy feel of the asphalt beneath him, familiar and comforting. He may have been a bit worried had it been concrete, which would have indicated a more well-traveled part of town closer to the streets. He was in a back part of the city.
It was then that he started picking up on the traces of conversation, not too far off. It was possible they were even standing around him, and at that thought, he tried to fight to wake up quicker. <<...how did... and you don't? But... the heck...>> the voice was unsure, and Arashi couldn't be sure as to who was saying it. It could have been more than one individual, for all he knew.
<<I told you, I DON'T KNOW!>> the voice snapped, panicky and aggravated. It was Trace, that much was obvious this time.
The stage whisper of a shout would have been enough to nudge the eevee into consciousness alone, but something else occurred once his mind barreled back into the here-and-now. While it wasn't an alien physical perception, it seemed to kick in with greater ferocity than times previous. It felt almost as though someone had wrapped part of an electric fence around his neck and turned on the power. It had only ever been this strong when he first found his collar, though edges of the surge could be tasted every now and then when he was at his most vulnerable or determined. Whatever it was trying to do, whatever it was trying to turn him in to, he wasn't ready for it! With a sharp yelp, he tried to claw at the collar that shielded a spot of weakness, only to find that his pawed digits were long enough to wrap around the leather strap and yank.
The realization jolted Arashi into forgetting about the pain altogether, and he shot upward -- much too high upward -- only to tumble into the wall at his back unsteadily. Wide-eyed, he attempted to visually take in what happening around him, but he was much too groggy and disoriented. "What the hell is going on!?" he cried, a foreign voice raspy from disuse. Glancing down, he started picking and prodding at features that didn't match: arms, fingers, toes... he was in a state of shock.
Trace winced at the sudden appearance of a panic-stricken friend. He was completely at a loss for how to explain this, for he knew next to nothing about what happened, either -- and he had been right there! How embarrassing. With a sigh, he fiddled with determining how he was going to go about explaining it, deciding to leave it up to Arashi, <<Well, where should I begin?>>
"From the beginning; where else, idiot?" he growled. The poochyena gave the boy a dissatisfied, blunt stare in response. While the pokémon could forgive the outburst, as it was understandable that Arashi was going through a rather major personal crisis at the moment, he also knew that the eevee... human?... was there at the beginning. There was no use explaining that much. The expression seemed to convey the message well enough, and Arashi grumbled an impatient sigh, "We... ah, we went looking for the... for the rally, yeah, I got that much. We... we heard them, though, didn't we? Coming down the alley? We were going to ambush them..." He was picking the threads of memory from his head as they came to him, one by one becoming clearer.
<<Do you remember anything after that, though?>>
It was difficult, as that was the part that had quickly dissipated the real world. Was this a nightmare or something? Wasn't one not supposed to feel pain in a sleep-state? Idly he pinched at an ear, a part of him that seemed to be retained from his normal appearance; he felt it, and was similarly convinced that it wasn't a dream. After a moment, he remembered, "There was something glowing under the dumpster we were hiding behind. I had bumped it before I passed out, but I couldn't make out what it was."
It was then that the puppy houndour bounced forward excitedly, his expression of reserved worry splitting open to reveal a huge grin, <<You mean like Spiderman? OhmaiGAWD, were you bitten by a radioactive spider!? Arashi, you might have super powers!>>
For a few seconds, all the houndour received by way of response were a couple of disbelieving and utterly confused stares. Arashi managed to break the silence with a pull at sarcasm, "The house on Fourth really doesn't like strays, so how many times do I have to tell you not to eat the spiked food they set out?"
Trace cracked a guffaw at that one, spouting a quick bark, <<Well, Arashi, at least we still know that's YOU in there! It didn't mess up your brain at all!>> The eevee-boy glowered at the poochyena, but the sentiment was lost between the bite pokémon's chuckles. Instead, he tossed a raspberry at Trace as though it were a good parry for the verbal jab. When the poochyena got hold of himself again, he shook his head, <<I didn't see anything glowing there, though. Think something was bewitched, maybe? Wonder if the glow transferred to you...>>
Arashi rolled his eyes. "You two watch too much second-hand television. Open windows are nothing but trouble," he griped.
The poochyena shrugged, <<Well, whatever it was, it wasn't there when we high-tailed it. I'm not in the habit of disbelief just because I can't prove it or wasn't witness to it.>>
The eevee child gave a mild smile at that, tinged with guilt, "Yeah, I know... and it's another reason I value you as a friend." He glanced to the floor again, frowned, and then bobbed his head back to Trace, "How did you get us out of there anyway? It'd be impossible to lug... this that far!" He held his arms out, indicating that he was referring to his own larger body.
<<You hadn't taken that shape for another couple hours after you fainted, so I had time,>> he explained, glad for it. It was then that Arashi noticed the vicious notches out of the poochyena's ear and his wrapped tail, hidden by the mane of his thick fur. Trace saw the wince and sighed, <<You can thank me later. Right now, we've got other matters that need taken care of first.>>
[[ Word Count: 1,124 ]]
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 9:03 pm
»» Back to Business Headfirst into a standstill
"So the rally's suppose to be held here in five minutes?" Arashi asked the poochyena seated next to him. They were both hidden behind a fruit stand that had yet to open for the morning, wares bare for the moment atop the unpolished wood of the cart. They were within a few yards' distance from the concrete railing that must have been used as a podium for the pokémon the day prior, and if they weren't careful, they could easily be spotted. Good thing they weren't planning on much of an element of surprise, Arashi was just uncomfortable about standing in the middle of everything looking the way he did.
And for good reason, too. Trace glanced up at the concentrating face of his friend as it was turned away and nodded, <<Yeah, guess they gotta be fashionably late. You know... Arashi... we really gotta find you some clothes. I mean, I don't see a problem with it, but the people around here would...>>
Arashi didn't even look at the grimace, batting at the air instead to signal that it wasn't even near priority at the moment. Truth be told, he was kind of relieved to not have that thick fur on him during the hot months of the summer: for once, he wasn't overheating. He knew where Trace was coming from, though, and realized it was important to think about if he were going to be staying where he was at. Ugh, he sure hoped no passerby thought it wise to send him to a child protection agency...
Before anything more was said on the matter, however, a familiar duo of dimwitted neighborhood terrorists rounded the corner down a couple blocks, headed straight for where the two of them were stationed. The pair of growlithe, pride smeared across their faces, were leading a small rag-tag band of smaller urban pokémon to where the starting point would be for their vandalism excursion. Some of them carried with them small buckets of paint and oil, a few of them carried unlit sparklers, there were more than a couple of mouthfuls of discarded newspaper pages and rolls of toilet paper, and one had a few colorful pellets in a scuffed plastic bag.
Despite the actions being pulled against him personally, Arashi wasn't all that phased. In fact, if given the opportunity, he probably would have helped -- it really did sound like the makings for a good time full of destruction of property. However, he was less than eager when they were in the name of the eevee's disgrace, or to ferry him out of town, whatever the idiots were hoping to cause. It didn't honestly make a ton of sense to the child, considering he didn't really have anywhere else to go. Instead of anxiety, Arashi watched the oncoming traffic with what closely resembled indifference. He just wasn't feeling the intimidation. "You got the plan down pat?" he whispered to Trace before taking a millisecond to glance down and make sure he was listening.
Trace smirked, <<Not a problem. I'm ready whenever they aren't.>>
Arashi felt a bit badly to be having to place the poochyena in harm's way yet again, so soon after the last encounter, but this time the eevee was positive to make sure there was no danger to his friend this time. Not while Arashi was here would a hair be touched on Trace's person.
When the group got to their starting position, one of the growlithes made a move to hop on the concrete railing -- just as anticipated -- which indicated that it was time to get their plan rolling. <<O-ho-ho, I wouldn't do that if I were you,>> Trace tsked as he wandered into view, as though he just strolled down the street to see them all there. Arashi was already easing into a grin at the act.
<<Well well, what's this? The little ant didn't get enough of the beatin' we gave it yesterday!>> the smaller of the growlithes spat with a toothy grin, inhalations resulting in a whistle between a gap in his teeth.
Trace wrinkled his nose and visibly cringed, <<Eew! Eew eew, no way am I your aunt; you BLIND? Just the thought of being distantly related to hicks like you... augh, man, you trying to make me gag?>> The poochyena wheezed, playing off the notion.
The growlithe rolled his eyes and snorted, apparently not one for a joke if he wasn't the one making it. <<Alright, guys. Looks like this party's gonna start with a little beat down. Surprise, surprise!>> the fire type grumbled, ending on a smirk. While a couple of the followers seemed a bit hesitant about confrontation of someone they viewed as Arashi's lackey, a few were biting at the bit to get in on the action.
The newly-grown poké-human feared he may not have enough control to react in time to the more hasty of the bunch, but he quickly tossed out a sand attack over the group, relieved to know that pokémon-style moves still worked in the state he was in. Caught unaware, they looked for the source of the attack, knowing full well that Trace hadn't the capabilities in his current arsenal. It gave Arashi a bit of cover should any humans pop out of nowhere as well, though it didn't look as though anybody was willing to take a detour down the street where all the ruckus had started. Pansies.
Through the gritty haze, one of the local eevees coughed an easily-misconstrued, <<What the hell is THAT!?>> Once each individual of the mob raised their heads to the indicated direction, though, there was no question as to what she meant by it.
It actually managed to make Arashi feel slightly self-conscious, but it was just a hint at the back of his mind. He was still a pokémon, even if nobody else felt that way. He didn't need approval, though he may unconsciously crave such a ridiculous thing. To fight the bubbling uncertainty, he masked it with energy enough to display that he was a force to be reckoned with. "You got that one right, screw-loose. There sure is going to be a beat down if you don't am-scray!" he hissed.
The older growlithe finally found voice enough to say something, pulling back from the railing with a scrutinizing -- if fearful -- frown, <<Holy crap! Arashi, is that YOU?>>
<<What in blazes happened!?>> an unfamiliar poochyena gaped.
Arashi's expression seemed to turn to one of fatigue, and disappointment. He wasn't sure why, or why he was even expecting anyone to understand it; he was just blindly grasping at straws. The sharp glower returned before melting into a glance more smug -- it didn't even look as forced as it was, "What happened was I gained the ability to get the upper hand, that's what! Don't underestimate it, either; I've got just as much skill as I did before, maybe more. So if you value who you are right now, and everything you've got, I'd beat it before this here kid gets particularly irritated." He wasn't sure if the looks they were giving him were out of awe or disgust, but it was a good bet it was somewhere in the middle of that range. He didn't like it. Stomping a foot made the flash mob scatter, some even running off in fear, "You wanna try me?"
<<Cool your jets, man!>> the younger growlithe stammered amidst a cocky exterior. Arashi couldn't deny a flustering rage at that, considering he was merely defending his home from a gang raid and takeover; the pokémon hadn't a right to speak to him in that manner!
The older of the brothers scampered up to the younger and yanked at his sibling's neck ruff, <<Pull back. We're not ready for this. It's unexpected, and can only get worse from here.>> There was reluctance, a hesitation, but the younger snarled in a loathsome manner and followed retreat behind the rest.
Arashi sighed, almost falling back on his haunches until he realized he couldn't do that out of sheer relief anymore. <<Haha, Arashi, you did it! Still have it in you! And no bloodshed, either! How 'bout that!>> Trace cheered, hitting the boy's leg with his own shoulder by way of awkward 'high five.'
But the eevee didn't feel all that celebratory at the moment. This whole thing was really draining on him, and he wasn't sure if it was due to who he was dealing with or if it was a case of depression. He couldn't rule either out. "Trace, let's just... let's just head home, I'm beat."
[[ Word Count: 1,140 ]]
Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 11:38 pm
»» Camouflage But who are we trying to be?
There was no doubt on the matter that dealing with a new arsenal of appendages was going to take some getting used to. It was a relief to note that they still worked in a similar fashion -- still hard-wired into his brain like his stubby paws had been -- but there were many aspects that were difficult to get the hang of in a time-conscious interval. Growing over three feet overnight gained with it a great difficulty in overcoming sudden and constant vertigo for a number of days. Arashi was never the most graceful of pokémon, and this fact came back to bite him in the tail. Not only was this a cause for worry for everyday life, but if he was going to be the speed demon he always claimed to be, he was going to have to work on his balance.
The eevee-turned-street urchin stared at the poochyena in front of him, louring, "Balancing things on my head is suppose to help with speed... how?" It seemed kind of ridiculous, to say the least, and he wasn't necessarily eager to be putting random, oddly-shaped objects in his dirty blonde hair. Despite apparent irritated obliviousness on the matter, he was already aware of how the act would help him out -- he was just intent on putting up a fuss with it. There were certain things that came to mind when one thought of balancing items on one's head, like...
<<Eheheh... Arashi, you learning to be a pretty, pretty ballerina?>> the puppy-houndour giggled from his seat on an unbroken cardboard box, wedged in the dumpster.
Yeah... things like that. The boy's eyes narrowed and his voice thinned to match, "You have a death wish, punk?"
Trace rolled his eyes, something that was becoming more and more a daily routine when acting as mediator with these two. <<Are you kidding me? Since when did what others think of you become such a big deal? You know better than that...>> the silver pokémon chided with a shake of his head. Arashi blinked, but glanced quickly away; it was obvious he was embarrassed over the catch in his behavior. He had been acting like that after something happened, hadn't he? He had gone out on his own, outside the barriers of the city, and came back more agitated than normal. His whole transformation wasn't helping in the recovery process of... whatever it was that had bothered him so badly, but it was gradually receding. Trace decided not to press on the matter, for it wasn't what he was here for, nor would it do anyone any good at the moment. If Arashi wanted to talk about it, Trace would probably be the first to hear about it anyway. He nudged at a remnant component he had retrieved from the husk of a car and grimaced a bit, <<Okay, some of these things you might not want to use... but I think the others are alright. I think whatever's in that paper bag is leaking...>>
The poochyena could, at least, pride himself on his capabilities of diffusing a situation. The tension died down, and he was able to convince Arashi to give it a try. He had to keep prodding the eevee-boy to practice on subsequent days, but after a while, the child turned it into habit.
So it was about then that it became clear that, although things were certainly different now, there were ways of adapting to life. Some things became harder to circumvent while others became much easier, even providing for an advantage. Arashi was beginning to get used to -- and somewhat enjoy -- the fact that many of his old rivals were reluctant to go up against him anymore because of the oddity of the entire situation. Height was sure to be beneficial in this respect as well, of course; who'd want to take on a giant of the pokémon world? Or at least of the pokémon gangs in the area; it would be a bit foolish, considering nobody knew what to expect in such a battle. It wasn't often that pokémon would go up against a human, after all.
The child winced at the thought when it came up. He liked the intimidation factor, sure, but he was not less than a pokémon. He wasn't human, and didn't want to be considered one! For the pokémon on the streets, the Gaians tended to be looked at as a foe more often than not. For some of them, they were the reason the pokémon were on the streets in the first place, and for those few they were looked at with greater resentment -- but the humans still never came under attack unless cornering his kin. Most of the street-dwelling pokémon made it more of a game when it came to the catchers, and the humans did tend to feed the lot of them... whether intentional or not. So while they weren't exactly the enemy, they were still at odds. When one of those individuals was suddenly placed on the other side of the fence in the eyes of their comrades... well, it didn't really leave a good taste in his mouth.
Unfortunately, there were some things that Arashi could not change. He had to learn from these people in order to blend in... and he hated that. Peering out from behind a familiar, empty fruit stand, the eevee-child seemed particularly frazzled about his next self-proclaimed mission. At his side, Trace glanced up to his friend, pinpointing a sense of defeat in his posture. With a toothy smile, he took a stab at cheering the child up, <<Arashi, you realize that you're gonna be the best undercover agent? Heh, we're actually going to have someone on the inside.>>
Arashi gave a half-hearted smirk at the sentiment, but it wasn't really a title he would have liked to be entrusted with. He was supposed to be the one that was always there for the others, not the spy in the shadows. Wasn't that the opposite of what a leader was suppose to do? Before Trace could attempt to enlighten the collared child, Arashi abruptly halted the conversation while the matter-at-hand came back into view. The boy ducked his head behind the wooden vendor and spun until his back against it, "Here he comes. I don't think anyone saw..."
Emerging around the stand from across the street scampered a ball of weaved cotton and short legs. With quick maneuvering, Trace was able to catch the tail end of the shirt around the houndour's head before the puppy plowed into the brick wall behind them. It took the small pokémon a moment to realize what was happening before his feet stopped moving, rolling onto his haunches and spinning around in the direction he supposed was facing his two associates, considering he couldn't exactly see them at the moment. His nub of a tail was tossed around under the fabric as he beamed proudly, <<Got them, I got them!>>
Quickly yanking the clothing from the houndour's small body, Arashi looked rather perturbed. "I shouldn't have let you do that. It should have been me who went in..." he growled softly, glad he hadn't managed to place another friend in immediate harm's way.
The small, spunky pokémon tilted his head in confusion, unsure of what the boy meant. Trace shook his head knowingly, <<It would have been worse if you went in. The way you are now, you're just a masquerading human to the rest of them. Not only that, but you're a bigger target. They have worse punishment for humans than they do pokémon-kind, and even if he was caught, we could have broken him out easier than we could had you been caught.>> Trace refused to look at Arashi after the comment, knowing it would have felt like a low blow to the child. Helplessness was never a welcome feeling, and the poochyena knew he wasn't helping with the stagnant emotion. Nevertheless, it needed to be said, <<Look... we're in this together. We're not going to abandon you just because you look a little differently. We're pals, so stop treating us as baggage.>> The bandaged pokémon stuck his tongue out at Arashi with the statement, trying to convey that his harsh language was to drill it into the eevee's thick skull, not to make him feel more self-pity.
Arashi's ears were pinned behind him at the realization, and despite knowing Trace's intentions at heart, couldn't help but feel he was becoming worse of a person as the days wore on. He was being too selfish, wasn't he? It was always a prominent point in the eevee's demeanor, one that drove him to such strength of leadership, but it was getting the better of him. "I... I didn't mean..." he attempted, finding it hard to apologize when one wasn't sure how to put it into words.
<<Besides, that was a blast!>> the houndour exclaimed excitedly, <<That was the first time I've ever felt I was really needed, and ahaha! Lookit that! I'm da BOMB!>> The puppy cackled, <<When's the next one and can I come along, too? Please please, pretty please?>>
Trace stared at the pup for a moment, unaware just how enthusiastic the houndour had been about being included in such simple operations. A bit longer of a pause and the poochyena realized something was missing from his mentally-formed reply, <<You know... we can't really have you joining in if we don't know your name, can we?>> Arashi perked, realizing he hadn't had the knowledge in reserve either... he was always just 'the houndour pup that probably shouldn't get involved in gang matters.' But he was already part of the team, wasn't he? He'd proven himself admirably, as a matter of fact.
<<Oh... of course! Man, it's the best name ever, and I never told you?>> the houndour looked perplexed, but laughed it off, <<It's Havoc!>>
"Is he..." Arashi asked, taken off-guard, "...Are you serious?" The houndour was hardly destructive, let alone cause for chaos!
<<The boy that used to take care of me named me. Thought it sounded tough, and that nobody would bother me with a name like that!>> Havoc stated, puffing out his chest. Arashi and Trace exchanged a glance, but the puppy continued, <<Suppose it wouldn't really work if nobody knows it, though...>>
<<You okay about that?>> Trace asked with concern, <<The, uh... human thing, that is.>> Did he have any right to pry, even if the pup had brought it up of his own volition?
<<Mmnh!>> the young houndour bobbed his head, unphased by the question, <<It's fine, wasn't his fault for the abandonment. I got over it. It's better out here anyway.>>
Arashi finished fastening the jeans around his waist, kicking his legs to get a feel for the fabric on his fur. Out with the heat-trapping undercoat of fur and in with the overcoat of clothing, huh? This sucked... but he didn't want to stick out too much if he could help it, and the uniform would help the general Gaian populace strike him off as some annoying kid, not necessarily something they should really be worried about. Maybe he'd teach them to worry later, but for now, he wanted to keep a low profile. Standing up, he refrained from putting the shirt on for now, "Well then, Havoc, we're gonna have to help you live up to that name, aren't we?" The pup's eyes lit up, all trace of any hinted remorse immediately evaporating. Nobody had to tell Arashi that Havoc looked up to him and Trace. Arashi was there for his allies.
"By the way..." the eevee-child grinned, "thanks for the camouflage."
[[ Word Count: 1,951 ]]
MoogerMint Crew
Sparkly Pants
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 11:39 pm
»» Roleplay #2
Link:Be Wary of the Lightning Sand Participants: Terra & Arashi Stages: Pokémon (Terra) & Child (Arashi) Status:Ongoing
Premise: Random kickable dirt clod this is not.
Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 11:40 pm
»» Two Sides to Every Street Ways of life are not consistent across the spectrum
Winter had been steadily making its way into the remnants of summer, something that was visibly obvious with the frequency to which the sun's rays had been blocked off by increasingly angry cloud cover. The few trees in the area were enflamed in warm colors, not yet ready to fully dispatch their leaves from limbs, but the cooler weather was tempting them to reconsider. It was the early part of autumn, yes, but the weather had been particularly strange lately so snow was not out of the question. Something about... what was it called, global warming? El Niño? Connie had heard a few options, but all he knew was that it was making it more and more uncomfortable to work outside without needing warmer gear.
Unfortunately, the cooler weather also brought fewer and fewer people to the city streets, making it more difficult to actually gain any customers for the job of his that was... quite honestly, probably more of a hobby. So he had to find work elsewhere, gaining a temporary job at a warehouse; the tauros physique definitely created an ease with the line of work.
There were things to watch out for that Connie hadn't been made aware of right away as well, especially when the warehouse was located in the downtown area. True, the teen had been staying in this section of the city since he had arrived, but that didn't make him an automatic expert on the functionality of the poorer part of town. Even if he identified with the social sect, he was still a child when it came to the knowledge of living there -- a rather naive child. "Now make sure nothing gets in when you're loading up the truck," Connie's supervisor relayed, "You know how people can be when the air starts turning, and I hear we're going to be getting a bit o' wind from the mountains."
Connie blinked, attempting to figure it out on his own before asking for clarification. A moment went by before he shook his head, "No, I... I haven't worked here before. What do you mean?"
"You from out of town, aren't you?" the man asked, though was still caught unaware that the teen hadn't become accustomed to the idea of the homeless and their desperation, "When it starts getting cold, those without a place to stay will try to find a building that they can hide in. Kinda like a stowaway on a ship, if you will. They don't belong in here. This place is hardly safe for 'em to live in anyway. There's a center a few blocks down, but I suppose some of 'em just have that ol' stubborn pride or what-have-you." He shrugged before motioning to the flatbed trolley that Connie already had his hands on, "Anyway, get going and don't let any unauthorized personnel in here. I don't expect 'em this early, but you can never be too careful."
Connie watched the man walk off, unsure if the teen really agreed with his supervisor's sentiment on the matter. It hadn't exactly been all that long ago that the tauros-boy had been under similar circumstances, though they weren't precisely the same. Stubborn pride... that was something he could identify with. It was hard to ask for help when you viewed yourself as being stronger than that. It was almost a sense of failure if one had to request aid.
Shaking his head, he started moving the trolley over to a stash of crates. He wasn't getting paid to be empathic about things out of his control, and if he didn't get this moved, he wasn't getting paid at all. Besides, he was bound to not have any such encounter today anyway.
Maybe.
<<...and then you run around the back...>> Connie paused as the voice reached his ears, <<...stay close, don't fall behind.>> That was... a pokémon, wasn't it? Not exactly the type of homeless individual he had been expecting -- not that he had been expecting any to show up in the first place.
He peered over his shoulder in the general direction the voice originated from, attempting to act inconspicuous despite the halt in his activity. He saw a few silhouettes sneak in through the front, slipping deftly in at the corner and quickly into the shadows. Smirking, Connie turned around to see them duck in behind some currently unmoved crates, "Now now, you don't belong back there." When they refused to budge, he inched closer, motioning for them to do the same, "Come on, come out."
<<Arashi, he knows we're back here...>> one of the pokémon said; from the dialect, it seemed to be a poochyena, <<What should we do?>>
There was a pause, and Connie couldn't hear any verbal answer from whoever this 'Arashi' was. He sighed, really not wanting to have this situation escalate; he only wanted to help, "I can always go back there and get you myself, if you want. I know you can understand me." He may have been more human now, but he knew he could still be understood by other pokémon. How else was he able to say goodbye to his blood relations when he left home?
There came the sudden sound of scampering on the concrete floor, and it didn't seem too happy. Connie braced himself a little, just in case the pokémon was more violent than normal, and... wait, wasn't that the sound of a bare human foot? Preparation from the encounter went out the window at the realization as he took a step back, bewildered. In a flash, the long-eared, fox-tailed child ran into view, skidded to a halt, and whipped a sand attack at the teen before the child even registered what he was up against. It didn't matter anyway, this was self-preservation.
<<Arashi!>> the poochyena coughed behind the makeshift barricade, <<No, you'll alert them to our location!>>
The child pokémon evinced scornful chagrin, pausing a moment to calculate the group's next course of action. There was little time to linger, and they needed to move fast. Calling over his shoulder, the poké-child reserved the energy needed to spin on a heel in favor of using it to sprint forward after barking out commands, "Arceus... move out! We'll take it a few blocks down, we might still be able to outrun-- ack!" Connie had snatched the boy by the collar of the shirt while he was distracted, lifting the child far enough from the ground that he could still fidget to touch the concrete without getting enough traction to run. "Get your balmy mitts off me, creep!" the child hissed. Instead of panicking at the unforeseen turn of events, the kid seemed to be getting more defensive; it was not a common trait for a child thrown onto the streets. How long had he been out here?
Despite the temptation to chuckle at his reaction, Connie could tell it was a bit of a dire situation. This was not the kind of 'homeless individual' that he was being told about; they weren't here for shelter, they were here for a very temporary safe haven. Not only that, but they... weren't exactly the kind of homeless humans he was told of. Loopholes could be a saving grace. Setting the thrashing child down, Connie nudged him back toward the crates without a word and went back to ferrying the cargo.
Arashi stood stunned for a moment, unsure of what he should be doing -- or trusting -- but his time was up. Fur bristling suddenly, he dove back behind the boxes in the hopes he hadn't made as foolish a decision as he felt like he did. If worse came to worst, he could always fight back... but that was the final alternative, and he wanted to prevent it from happening. Tension registered in how tightly he gripped the baguette between his fingers, Trace beside him teetering on his feet in anticipation.
"Sir!" a man called to Connie as he came running down the street. The tauros-teen coughed in response to the residual sand attack before waving at the nearing Gaian. Puffing, the man looked downright irate, "That little thief is in there, isn't he?"
Connie blinked, a bit on the confused side, "What do you mean? What thief?"
"He stole some of my produce! Where is the little brat hiding!?" he raged. When there was little response, the man elaborated, "It's some monster of a child, thinks he's part of the pokémon gangs around here. They're nothing but trouble, so if you're hiding him, it's best to cough him up!"
Connie jabbed a thumb behind himself, causing Arashi and Trace to jolt, "In there? No, there's nobody like that in there. I've been on watch."
"But... you're not just hiding the kid, are you? He needs help," obviously the man did not believe the teen. He obviously had no intention of really 'helping' Arashi or his friend, either.
"Maybe he ran down the street? I was in the back for a bit, so I might have missed it," Connie stated with a shrug. He was attempting to off-put the man from questioning further, but it didn't seem to be working as quickly as he would have liked. Trying to sound a bit exasperated, he gripped the trolley handle and started rolling it back toward the waiting truck, "Now if you don't mind, I've got work to do. You might miss him if he's still running."
The man narrowed his eyes, until he noticed a pile of sand bags in the back of the warehouse, already prepared for the upcoming unfavorable weather. Attributing this to what he perceived as a sand attack, his severe expression turned into alarm and he quickly withdrew down the street.
Arashi and Trace waited for a few more minutes, making sure the man wasn't going to return as soon as the two of them stepped into view. Trace waited for Arashi to make the first move, the eevee-child's ears bristled back as he watched the teen poké-human work. Once Connie neared their hiding spot, the child asked in a low, skeptical tone, "Why did you lie for us?"
"What do you mean?" Connie asked, acting puzzled. Eyebrows knit together before he opted to explain his motives, "I never lied. He asked for some kid that pretended he was a pokémon. You are not the kid he was looking for, since you're clearly a pokémon." He motioned with his hand, knocking a startled torrent of opposing emotion into the eevee.
Was this guy serious? Nobody ever referred to him as a full-fledged pokémon, not even Arashi himself did that anymore! "You touched in the head or something?" he growled defensively, "What makes you call this a pokémon!?" Funny how he pushed something so forcibly away that he had been silently begging to hear for months.
"Ouch," the tauros teasingly grumped, "You're going to hurt my feelings if you keep saying that." Connie didn't really mind it, but the kid was being too hard on himself. Did he even realize how much of an open book he was being at the moment? Maybe it was the lack of food... Speaking of which, "You know, you shouldn't get into the habit of stealing things like that. Try working to earn that meal. The guy you stole it from did, and I'm sure he works hard to feed himself, too."
"He's an a**; always has been. Treats most people like the lesser being, even his own customers. You should hear the things he says once they've left earshot," Arashi sniped. He flicked his tail in irritation before he actually responded to what Connie was referring to, "It's easier said than done. You've got your way of life, and I've got mine. We've grown up in different worlds, even I can see that." The child smirked, crossing his arms, "You had a trainer, didn't you?"
"Yeah... so?" Connie didn't know what he was getting at.
Arashi motioned toward the tauros-teen, "You're conditioned. You grew up with that way of thinking. My only priorities are survival and reputation, for my friends and myself." The eevee snorted, picking up the baguette and apples he lifted from the streetside vendor before strolling toward the entrance, "Now if you'll excuse us, we'll get out of your hair."
The child seemed more than a little miffed, though Connie couldn't pinpoint why. Maybe he was just a naturally ill-tempered kid -- the teen of volatile bloodlines wouldn't throw the idea out. He smiled brightly, "Heh, you make a good point. I'm still not used to contact with others out here, and there's a lot I can still learn, it seems. You're pretty smart for a kid."
"I was an adult before I changed into this," Arashi pointed out, but the venom in his voice was receding.
<<More like a young adult, Arashi. You were still a kid at heart,>> Trace corrected, preferring to think of the eevee this way.
Arashi's head was slightly lowered, his back already to the teenager with the transportation equipment. He wasn't really in the habit of saying this to strangers, but he felt he could make the exception this time. Dark eyes flicking briefly to the duo's benefactor, Arashi supplied a hurried, "Thank you," before taking off from the confines of the warehouse.
Trace lingered behind a moment longer, snickering at the tauros-boy, <<He's really not that bad, he's just learned to focus on priorities.>>
"Don't worry," Connie reassured nonchalantly, "He didn't seem like a bad kid at all. Got a temper, though." Glancing around to make sure they were still alone, the tall teenager offered, "If you guys ever need help like that again, don't hesitate to ask. I live nearby, and tend to work outside anyway."
Trace grinned, <<You know, you're a pretty okay guy. Arashi would probably be a bit too prideful, and we don't usually take these streets, but I'll keep that in mind. Thanks a lot. See you later, and good luck with your 'earning of a living' thing!>>
Watching the last of the group disappear from view, Connie mused about the facets of downtown city life he had apparently been blind to. While the horned teenager had been capable of carving a place in society despite financial and familial setbacks, he had been able to create a living through honest deeds. Was that merely because of the life he grew up in? Could he have just as easily ended up like the eevee had? It was an interesting thought, but he was pretty sure there was more to it...
"Hey, quit your dilly-dallying an' get back to work, kid!" Connie flinched, startled into resuming work with prompt diligence. Of all the timing his supervisor could have had...
[[ Word Count: 2,462 ]]
MoogerMint Crew
Sparkly Pants
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MoogerMint Crew
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Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 4:46 pm
»» Provocation of Improvement Anti-heroism incited by rivalry
<<So you've kept up on your practicing, right?>> the small poochyena needled from his seat on a crate, tail swaying from side to side warily.
Arashi looked unaffected. "Of course I have," he brushed the question off.
<<Even with all of Havoc's teasing?>>
The eevee-child made a slight face, but didn't swivel enough for Trace to see it, "I make sure that little brat isn't around before starting." The so-titled 'brat' stuck his tongue out at his fearless leader as he watched the child pace from the sidelines.
<<How long do you work on it? Do you give yourself enough space to practice?>> Trace could tell that he was beginning to irritate his friend, but the sternness in his voice conveyed that the poochyena was not trying to ruffle feathers. He only hoped that Arashi's temper hadn't gotten out of the boy's hands with everything that had been occurring lately.
Luckily, Arashi was striving for the same. He released the pent-up aggravation with a sharp sigh, "I tend to work in this same alley, so it should be more than enough room. For about half an hour at least, I would say." He stopped pacing, placing impatient hands at his flat hips and twitching a fidgety tail, "Interrogation over yet, Sergeant?"
<<Almost,>> Trace stated matter-of-factly, as though reading down a clipboard checklist, <<Notice any improvement yet? In your balance and speed?>>
Arashi laughed; he didn't even know where the tickle came from. "Well I suppose, I guess. I haven't really had all that much of a chance to test it out. Think I was any faster the other day, when we were almost caught by the grocer's cashier?" he asked between snickers, rubbing his nose.
It was true, it was a little hard to determine minute changes in speed and agility when one was under duress. Usually, it wasn't the first thing on one's mind when they were trying to escape from a bad situation. Trace smirked, <<Suppose you're right. Well, either way, think you're up to giving the move a shot? I think you've probably leveled up enough, personally.>>
"Just like you, to give your own opinion first," Arashi scoffed with a grin. Trace shrugged; he wasn't going to let his longtime friend feel self-conscious about being ego-driven, if that was his worry. "For sure, I've got it in me to learn it," he responded without delay, causing the poochyena to feel ridiculous for being cautious, "If that little she-devil thinks she can make a mockery of me, then I need to have plenty at my disposal to prove her wrong."
<<I thought you said she was spitting venom without a proper target,>> Trace raised an eyebrow.
The child blinked, "Well, her words didn't sting, yeah. However, she made a good point. My arsenal of moves is rather lacking if I'm going to prove anything in battle."
Arashi had insisted that the eevee he met before his transformation promise to finish the battle they had begun, should they ever meet again. Ending in a truce was just not enough -- a cease-fire was only meant to be a temporary alliance. While they did not end up being true enemies, per se, Rei was more than what one could ask for in a true rival. She wasn't even after the goal of overthrowing him in his own neighborhood, like so many of the other gangs of strays that vied for the position of 'equal': she was merely out to prove herself.
He actually liked that about her, despite her overbearing self-confidence. If things went well enough, he could show her that there was no single 'best,' but there were plenty of very good opponents all with different ways of thinking. A change of pace every once in a while was good for a person, especially when they were given the opportunity to see things in a different light. Granted, one had to be open-minded to be able to do that...
<<What's this about Arashi having a girlfriend?>> Havoc piped up, a single ear tilted over in confusion.
The eevee-child suddenly lost balance and stumbled at the comment. "WHAT!? Where did that come from!?" Arashi stormed. Pausing a moment, he blinked at the thought and, contrary to the anger that the others were sure would follow, he burst out laughing at the idea.
Havoc reeled back at the action, lip curling in surprise. After the initial shock subsided, the pup leaned over toward Trace and whispered, <<Uh oh, I think I broke him!>>
Without even needing to hear the remark, Arashi explained himself amidst the unbridled laughter, "Good gods no! She'd argue with a brick wall if she thought it had an adverse opinion to her, why would I want someone like that around me all the time? Especially when you two are bad enough?" His words may have been barbed, but his chuckling was enough to blunt them out of sheer preposterousness; it was rather convincing.
Havoc's stumpy tail was waving as normality was re-established, <<So what does the Brick Wall Whisperer have to do with Arashi being a ballerina?>>
As a first response, there was a quick thump to the houndour's skull-armed head in retaliation to the comment. The puppy had no time to react before the dulled noogie was scuffed into his scalp. "Didn't we have a talk about calling me that?" Arashi scolded, even keeled. It was hardly an answer.
Fortunately for the pup, Trace decided to thrust himself with the duty of explaining while Havoc was fending off the disciplinary fist, <<Arashi wants to best her at something. She's apparently got a lot of strength going for her. Arashi here, however, wants to take the more nimble route to counteract it. Apparently she teased him a lot, so he got irritated enough to try it out before she came seeking him out for a rematch. Or... something. That's all I caught.>>
"She had such a big mouth," he grumbled, striding back to where he had been pacing before (much to Havoc's relief). He quickly motioned to wave it off, "Enough about her. I wanted to be quicker on my feet regardless. It would help down here in the slums anyway, and easier to deal with those growlithe brothers. Not that it wasn't easy before, but whose to say they wouldn't be practicing something new, either."
<<You give them too much credit,>> the houndour giggled, perky again. They all knew better than to underestimate someone's capabilities, though; history did not need to keep repeating itself.
Trace stood fully upright on dainty paws and hopped off the crate, <<Well, seems that's settled. What's the next move we should aim for you to learn, Arashi?>>
The street kid frowned, giving the bandaged poochyena a scrutinizing look before assessing that he was probably being serious. "Um... the plan was Quick Attack. Remember?" he prodded cautiously.
<<If that wasn't Quick Attack you just used on Havoc, then maybe I need glasses.>>
* * * * *
Level: 12 --> 13 ARASHI has learned QUICK ATTACK
[[ Word Count: 1,160 ]]
Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 4:47 pm
»» Roleplay #3
Link:Toll at the Intersection Participants: Bastet, Lorne, Kenley, & Arashi Stages: Pokémon (Bastet & Lorne) & Child (Kenley & Arashi) Status:Complete!
Premise: A stroll through a forest has become a free-for-all, which is just the sort of party Arashi was looking for!
Premise: There's a good chance waterfalls were not meant to be used that way...
Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 9:24 pm
»» Roleplay #5
Link:Sparked Interest Participants: Eilam, Lucinda, Fluffernutter, Calanthia, Conrad, Karma, and Arashi Stages: Adult (Eilam), Teen (Conrad), Pokémon (Calanthia), & Child (Lucinda, Fluffernutter, Karma, & Arashi) Status:Complete!
Premise: Caught between a rock and a hard place... or at least a congregation and the authorities. The lesser of two evils might be a little shy of the obvious.
Premise: Pushing and pulling, it's not just a game to everyone.
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Roleplay: Under spoiler
MoogerMint It was likely the first time ever that Arashi had ever considered that maybe, just maybe, he might actually have missed the thick ruff of fur he used to sport around his neck. That blasted thing never seemed to ceased overheating the eevee when he had it, but at the first sign of frost he could tell that the weather was going to turn real bitter, real quick. It was a nagging idea, true, but that didn't change the fact that the frost hadn't been present so early in the month last year. "It's going to be a long Winter..." he sighed, glancing up to an overcast sky. Things were just fine now, but long-term...
He tried to shake the thoughts free. His walk was meant to clear his head, not make it easier to worry about things. So he'd have to steal something warmer to wear later, big deal. It's not like he hadn't done THAT before. At least it wouldn't be as obnoxious as Lucinda and Karma's game had been, even though it had been a good cover at the time. Why did people act like that, anyway? It seemed like when he was trying to be friendly, people were even more on their guard. Maybe he didn't play it right that time. It was likely that the fact that he wanted to get out of there shone through his actions. He wasn't an actor, after all.
He also hadn't been paying as close concentration on the road ahead as he could have been. Distracted thoughts led to a boy whose attention was locked elsewhere, and that attention was only snapped back to where it needed to be when his body rammed into another individual, sending Arashi stumbling back. His feet were quick enough to catch himself, but that didn't save him from the fact that he had accidentally run into some... other strange kid, apparently. After a moment to recollect himself, he shoved his hands in his pockets, as though trying to take up less space as he stepped around the boy with a light grumble.
Thaliawen While the eevee boy neared Brenny, the celebi was studying a window with his face pressed up to it. He wondered what Connie would like, or even if he would like anything here. Brenny knew he wouldn't be able to afford anything in the window scene, but he thought maybe he could make something similar, if not identical to something here. What did Connie like? He seemed to like the outdoors. And fishing. And he liked the drawings Brenny posted on his fridge so often. Maybe Brenny could draw him a picture! No, that wasn't good enough. He gave Connie pictures regularly. This was harder than he had imagined. He didn't want to ask the teenager directly, he knew Connie would say it was unneccesary. He didn't notice Arashi until the eevee boy bumped into him, and he bumped into the window he'd been pressed so closely against. He looked over, blinking and rubbing his nose with a hand. "Oh. I'm sorry, was I in your way?" He noticed the other boy didn't apologize, but that didn't matter. He had been the one in the way after all! And maybe this was a chance to make a new friend! He hadn't been able to meet many people since Winter started. He didn't like the cold weather. It made him feel slow and heavy. The chill seemed to penetrate every layer he piled on. He had stuck to remaining indoors for the most part, aside from his attempts to find the perfect gift. "Hi! I'm Brenny! What's your name? I'm shopping for presents for my Daddy! Are you shopping too? Oooh, maybe you're looking for a present for your daddy, too! I can't decide what mine would like best. I want to get him something really special! Want to help me pick? What do you think Daddy would like best?" The celebi didn't realize that it seemed Arashi was attempting to get around him. Nor that he had forgotten to mention that he would be making the gift.
MoogerMint The apology was nearly waved off by the distracted eevee-boy. All he really wanted was to be left alone, and maybe take a stroll along the... beach or something. If he didn't happen to run directly into anyone ELSE while he was at it. In fact, he continued to ignore the chatterbox of a grass-type, and intended to stick with the act until Brennen had asked if Arashi had been window shopping for a parental figure as well. It was just... way too far out of his grasp of understanding. He turned, wide-eyed and puzzled, to give the other boy attention proper. He gave stiff indication to his own choice in clothing, as though it were all he really needed to specify. He followed it with a growl in response, in case the green-haired kid was too sheltered to really get it, "I live on the streets, kid. I don't have a need to get 'presents' for 'daddy,' you daft?" What would the point of that even be? He didn't understand the need these people had with such materialistic things; most of it didn't even serve much of a purpose as it was. "I don't know what anyone would like 'best'..." he sighed, folding his hands behind his head, "Food, and a roof. Anything more than that is beyond me. Um... good luck, I suppose." He pivoted back around, hoping to lose this kid before it was too late. This 'Brenny' was much too talkative, and he seemed to assume more than Arashi felt comfortable with.
Thaliawen Brenny blinked. He had never met anyone who lived on the streets before. He wasn't sure what to make out of it. He couldn't imagine not having a home to keep him warm and safe, or food to sate his hunger. "Oh," he said. "What's daft?" He asked, catching onto the unfamiliar word. "You want a home best? I have a home! Oooh, you could come visit it! I don't think you could stay, but you could warm up and have a bath and stuff! Are you hungry?" Brenny was rarely in a situation where he felt sorry for the other person, but he certainly did feel bad for Arashi. "I can buy you something to eat! That can be my present to you! For christmas!" The celebi wrapped an arm around the eevee boy. "Come on. Daddy won't mind. Helping people is more important than present giving!"
MoogerMint Arashi's ears flinched ever so slightly at the question of what the word 'daft' meant. Ugh, he didn't have the patience for this... luckily, he seemed to be fairly decent about ignoring that which he didn't want to answer, such as when Brenny had asked for his name. He wrinkled his nose slightly, but shook his head in response to the other boy's following question, "I'm fine where I am in life. You asked what your dad might want, and I replied with all I knew that anyone would want. End of story." Those questions were just getting too personal; what did this strange bug... plant... poké-kid want from him anyway? "I don't need your hospitality. You're making me out to be some homeless bum, knock it off," he grumbled, tail flicking a bit in agitation. Once Brenny grabbed onto his arm, though, the eevee-boy was hasty about shaking his arm free and taking a couple of paces backward. It was a habit to keep his distance from strangers, lest they try to pull a fast one on him. He'd been backstabbed in the past, and his imagination continued to play with the nervousness about it in everyone else. "I'm not going with you! I don't know what you'd do to me. For all I know, you could be lying. Have you even heard of how many child abductions there are? Not to mention child services, or the pound, any of that," Arashi tried to explain his motives through the slight bristling of his fur. Maybe the kid would understand, and lay off.
Thaliawen "What's a bum?" Brenny wanted to know, blinking. "I'm sorry I made you feel bad! I didn't mean to! I've just never met anyone like you. I wanted to help. You really could come over! Really." He was baffled at the eevee boy's hostility. "I wouldn't hurt you!" He exclaimed. "I wouldn't!" Really, this boy was paranoid! "And I'm not lying! What's an abduction? And the pound?" He reached for Arashi's hand. "I won't do anything mean. I'm nice!"
MoogerMint There were more questions flying through the air than Arashi was sure there was understanding. Sighing, he shook his head, "It would take ages to explain all this to someone who honestly has absolutely no clue to how the world actually works outside whatever fairy tale you're living. You're sheltered. You're pampered. Quite honestly, with how many questions you're asking about things that most people know early on, I'd wager the people that actually know just won't tell you, to keep you... I dunno, innocent and carefree, I guess. A waste, really." He was being blunt about it, but not necessarily intending to cause emotional harm. Maybe he'd decide to ask his 'daddy' all these questions instead of the eevee... Regardless, he flashed a grin, though there was a notion that it was more out of teasing than anything else, "Do you know how many times I've heard someone say they just wanted to help, and it turns out they didn't really mean it? It's dangerous out here, go home." He flinched away from Brenny's reach again, waving him off, "The world is full of liars, Brenny, you should be more careful."
Thaliawen "I don't live in a fairy tale," Brenny protested immediately. He knew how the world worked! People had daddies who took care of them until they grew up, only some didn't. And sometimes daddies stopped wanting their children. Brenny had seen that happen first hand, with Tania. People had to have jobs to earn money, and sometimes one job wasn't enough. "What's sheltered?" He asked. He didn't think he was pampered. He hadn't met anyone he would really consider pampered. When he heard the word, he generally thought of princesses--or cats. "Carefree?" He echoed, frowning slightly. This kid knew nothing about him! He had worries. He opened his mouth to inform Arashi of this, when he seemed to think better of it and snapped his mouth shut. "But I like helping people. Me and Daddy like helping lots. At least come over for christmas cookies! I can make a lot of them!" The celebi boy paused, reaching for Arashi's hand again, "but you're not a liar, huh? I trust you! We're friends now!"
MoogerMint "Well you sure act like you do," Arashi retorted off-handedly, "It's a figure of speech anyway, in case you didn't know that either. Not a literal fairy tale. Though I dunno, you kind of look like a fairy..." Either way, the naivete and optimism that the celebi seemed immersed in indicated far more than the green-haired boy's words could. Actions spoke louder than words, after all. He scoffed at the questions, "I'm no tutor. You seem to know next to nothing, and I already told you that I wasn't going to waste hours of my time to answer questions that you could find the answer to anywhere else. This is grade school stuff, give me a break..." Even Arashi knew this stuff, and he was never a part of human society! "I told you, I don't need your hospitality. I do fine on my own. I don't feel comfortable in houses anyway," he reiterated, moving his hand away in step with Brenny's reach, "I can lie if it suits my purposes, but I have no need to right now. Just because someone says they're not doesn't mean they actually are, though, that's... kind of the DEFINITON of lying, you know?" He frowned; how was Brenny not understanding that? "Trust is earned, and that doesn't just happen in the span of five minutes. How have you lived so long if you still don't understand that..?" Arashi asked, completely baffled. The eevee could have sworn Brenny had never had anything bad happen explicitly to him before.
Thaliawen "I'm not a fairy," Brenny said. "I'm a celebi! And I hatched last winter. But I'm not a snowflake fairy. I don't even like snow!" He hesitated, before blowing a raspberry at Arashi. "I know all kinds of stuff!" He argued. He knew how to make other people happy. That was the most important thing to know, wasn't it? "But you seem so upset. That's not doing fine. Does being out here make you happy?" Maybe Arashi was like his sister. At the time he had met with her again, he had been upset with her refusal to acknowledge his question about coming to live with him. "Don't you get hungry or lonely? Or cold?"
MoogerMint "You're a..." Arashi blinked, momentarily disbelieving at first. He couldn't handle the absurdity of it all, and the feeling shot its way to the surface with an uncontrollable laugh. It was difficult to speak through the laughter, but after a moment, he managed to get ahold on it enough to say something in between bouts, "Arceus! You're the god of the forest, and you're THAT dense!? I don't believe this..!" He was being dismissive towards the other boy once more by the time he pulled himself past the snickers, turning himself around again in order to proceed off once he placed his two-cents forth, "It's what I've known all my life, so I wouldn't really prefer it any other way. I've got people to look after, and those looking out for me. I'm not upset, I just know the way people really think, that's all. You should learn to look to people's actions instead of relying on their words so much -- that's where you start understanding a person best." He thrust a thumb toward the housing complexes in the distance and shook his head, "All that shimmers is not gold. Why change something that's worked for so long? Why repair something that isn't broken? Why live under someone else's rule when I've got all of my freedom out here? Of course there are drawbacks, but there are going to be drawbacks with everything. Humans are too shallow, too materialistic, and they don't have their eyes on what really matters in life. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got places to go, and people to see." Maybe turning the tables would help, for that was a lot of questons he had just pelted at the celebi-boy, none of which Arashi anticipated a response to, merely to give an idea. Brenny's way of life was not the only life... why didn't the people who lived in the big city ever seem to recognize that?
Thaliawen Brenny was baffled by the sudden laughter, but the celebi boy seemed to realize he was being laughed at. He crossed his arms. "I'm not dense. I asked questions, and you refused to answer! I can't help that. Asking questions is how you learn, you know." He had never been called a god before, he wasn't sure if he liked that. If he were a god, shouldn't he be able to give Connie whatever they needed? A bigger home? More money, more free time? "You don't seem to know much about people," he argued. "Maybe bad people. But not nice people like me and Daddy. You don't know anything about me. I was alone and cold and hungry, and Daddy helped me. He took me home and shared his lunch with me. Because nice people do that. They care about other people! But you don't seem to have met many nice people." He made a face. "Why don't you give anyone a chance? I'm not mean, and I won't hurt you." He took a step forward and wrapped his arms around the eevee.
MoogerMint "I refuse to answer, you refuse to listen to why I won't answer... there's really nothing that can be done about that," Arashi scoffed with a shrug, "Ask someone that isn't going to get more and more annoyed with the ignorance, will you? It's another trait of the dense, to keep pestering someone with something that's obviously annoying them..." He stuck his tongue out at that one, almost as though he were trying to say that he wasn't really angry... even if he was getting that way. "Heh, you seem to put yourself on a pretty high pedestal. You think I should be just as ignorant and blindly trust you? That's how people get killed out here. It's called 'natural selection,'" he pointed out, waving a hand to signify that, no, he wasn't going to be explaining that one, either. Brenny's explanations of his past knocked a devilish smirk out of the eevee, "So you got used to the good life, and that's why you're so helpless. Most pokémon in the wild are learning how to do that for themselves as soon as they hatch, no wonder you were held back so far. You're coddled! You really are sheltered! You can't see any other side than you're own because that's all you want to see. Optimism only gets you so far, and I'd rather not be shafted again." Arashi bristled at Brenny's persistence, yanking his arm free of the celebi's grip in a particularly violent manner by attempting to push him back, away from the eevee-boy. "See!?" he growled venomously, "This is exactly what I mean! How obvious do I have to be, so that you'll see I don't want to be touched! I don't want to go home with you! I don't trust you if you don't listen to me! Maybe if you were more accepting of who people were instead of trying to force your way of life on them, it would be different. Learning is more than just asking questions." He was extremely tense now, nearly backed against the wall that Brenny had had his nose against before. The boy was half expecting the celebi to try to grab his arm again, and he braced himself for attack.
Thaliawen "I told you I'm not dense!" Brenny insisted. "What's nat--" he frowned. If Arashi wasn't going to explain terms, and then mock the celebi for failing to understand, he wasn't sure it was worth asking another question. "If I wanted to hurt you, I could have already. I'm not defenseless." He could throw out magical leaf, but he didn't want to hurt this boy. He wanted to befriend him, but Arashi was making it clear that he didn't want to. "I'm not helpless!" He exclaimed. "I can cook, and I do things to help other people. I just--" he did depend on Connie for emotional support, but he wasn't about to reveal that to the eevee boy. "Being pessimistic can be just as bad. You can miss out on good things, because you expect bad things. Like friends!" Was that what he was doing? Forcing Arashi to be like him? He had only meant to help! His expression seemed to cave in, and the boy rubbed at his eyes. "
MoogerMint Arashi watched the celebi-boy carefully, now on full-alert for anything else the boy tried to pull. He would have been more willing to explain his actions calmly if he had felt that his words -- outside of the insults and picking apart of unfamiliar words -- were not just falling on deaf ears. Words could always hide the truth, or fudge it, but actions were much more easy to decipher. No, he didn't truly deem Brenny a threat, for he didn't think the celebi could be convincing in that regard either, but habit out of necessity made his body move of its own accord. He wouldn't suppose this could be chocked up to 'tough love,' either, with how ignorant the celebi seemed to be with that which happened outside his own home; he could only identify what he knew by heart. "Why don't you stop saying 'you are' this and 'you're not' that, and try actually showing it? So far, you have failed to back up any claims you've made to me. For starters, in my experience, friends listen to the wants and needs of those their closest to. So far, you've listened to your own wants, and nothing else," he hissed from the wall, "I never called you a liar over anything you've said you were, but I'm not going to be an idiot and believe everything that's said, just because you said it. Do you know how 'innocent' thieves act on these streets? Drug addicts? The desperate? They aim for their goals, and they play others like a fool. It's not rare, and it isn't always in their best interest to be given what they want." He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. Why was he even trying to explain all this? Of course Brenny didn't know, and he was never going to learn at this rate. "Yeah yeah, I'm a jerk. Wasn't the first time I've been called that," he readjusted his shirt to preoccupy himself, noting that Brenny seemed upset. This conversation wasn't going to get much further... "Whatever. I've tried to teach you something, even if it wasn't as a dictionary reference. Thought it would be more useful to you," he played it off like it was no big deal, but he felt it was more of a waste of time than actually answering the questions outright. So much for practicality!
Thaliawen "You haven't told me what you want! You've just said what you don't want. But you said you live out here, and you must be cold..." The celebi, though upset, fretted. "I'm cold. So I invited you over! I would've given you cookies, too. To share with the friends you've got! If you won't let me help you..." the celebi was baffled by Arashi's reasoning. Why didn't he want help? "I'm trying to show I'm nice! See? But you made fun of me. Calling names isn't going to make people listen to you, you know! And you keep doing it! If you just--were civil!" He paused, eyes widening at the question. "But I'm not a thief. Or a drug addict. Or desperate. I like making people happy, that's all." And Arashi was the second person he had ever failed to make smile. Huh.
MoogerMint "But I have..." Arashi set his tone more even, "I said I didn't want things to change. Isn't that the same for you? So what if I get cold sometimes, there are worse things that can happen." Truthfully, he preferred 'too cold' to 'too hot' any day. Cookies sounded nice, to be honest, but he couldn't take the chance. Even if Brenny was nice, in the end, it didn't mean traveling so far into the heart of the city was going to be nice. It didn't help he was wanted by small businesses, but he also looked the part of the homeless child. Brenny was too trusting, but Arashi knew child protection services when he saw them. "Talk about the pot calling the kettle black," he laughed snidely, "I call you names, you call me names, but I'm the only one at fault. I see how it is, oh great and mighty celebi that can do no wrong. You're such a hypocrite!" He shoved his hands into his pockets again, taking the opportunity to start walking, "You keep telling me this, but desperate people would do the same thing. Try again, and call me when you learn to act your age. I'm barely older than you!" Of course, it was a figure of speech... electricity would have been a luxury in itself.
Thaliawen "You called me names first!" Brenny argued. "And I only called you one name! You agreed to it, even! But if you get too cold, I could bring you something to warm you up! Hot chocolate or anything!" The eevee was a jerk, but Brenny was sure he was a cold jerk. Even jerks needed hot chocolate or soup sometimes! "I do act my age!" He protested. Didn't he? "You're mean!" He turned around and ran. He'd be sure to tell Connie all about the mean eevee he'd met!
