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 Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 2:24 pm
Location: Kanto -- Celadon City
Hitsuzen glanced from the box of energy bars in his hand to the shelf, then back down at the box, frowning. The sticker and the shelf price didn't match up, and if it was the higher price, he might not have enough.
With a small sound of annoyance, he put the basket down and opened his wallet, counting the coins almost obsessively. He had to start keeping a checkbook or something -- he kept losing count -- but he was pretty sure that he wouldn't have enough.
That led to him checking the prices of the other things he'd picked up -- a pack of water bottles, a jar of peanut butter, a box of crackers, and vitamins. He went over all the prices once, then counted the coins, then went back over the prices. Definitely not enough, but that would leave him with barely enough to keep active. If he didn't eat enough, he couldn't dance well, and then everything would go out of whack.
Annoying. If only one of the people who'd passed him that day had decided to give him another quarter.
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 2:51 pm
Celadon City - It was a city of lights, of colour and of noise. Regardless of the time of day, the city remained a bustle of activity both in the public eye and beneath the surface. It was a hub for commerce and attracted trainer and businessman alike to its centre. In some circles it was a place where dreams came true, for others, like the Snivy, it was simply a means to an end. After all, it was no secret that the city was one of the best connected in the region and as such, it was best to conduct your business here. It should have come at no surprise that the Gijinka had selected this place as his home. As one who prided himself on his connections, there would have been no better place.
Alas, with his meetings for the evening over, Narcissus had finally afforded himself a moment to regather his composure and consider a more pleasurable activity for the evening. The previous evening he had tried his hand at the casino and this had proved rather profitable, but, one could only abuse the role of card shark every so often to ensure they avoided any suspicion. This in mind, he had already ruled out further legal gambling as a legitimate activity for tonight.
His musing had continued in this manner, his gaze slated above the crowd and his course otherwise set. For the duration of his musings he had been running on 'auto-pilot' and it was for this reason that he soon found that his body had, for some bizarre reason, deposited him in a convenience store. When he'd returned to 'earth', it was with a bemused expression that he had regarded his immediate surroundings - well, it wasn't his usual haunt.
Was he hungry?
Potentially - but he had never been one for the painfully sweet junk food these palces possessed.
Alas, it wasn't long before he had made the decision to leave and had it not been for one little flash of tail, he might very well have exited the store. He was by no means ordinary himself, but, he had been graced with a much more subtle tail. The gleam of fur, flared out from static and continual motion stood out a mile. It became apparent very quickly that whatever he had seen wasn't human, one might have been so bold as to say -
"Well, well, well..." the drawl trickled from his lips in a single, soft breath, his tongue resting delicately against the roof of his mouth. As a gambling 'man', he would have bet a significant amount of money on the assumption that this creature was just like him. Intrigued, he permitted himself to shadow the glimpse of fur and in doing so, was graced with a rather entertaining show.
First observation - it was obvious that the gijinka in question was completely broke. The obsessive manner in which he glanced back and forth between the coins in his hand and his basket made this perfectly clear. The second observation - he was largely unimpressed with the predicament he found himself in. The Snivy would never confess to not understanding what the appeal was when it came to such sweet foods, but when a creature couldn't have them, it always seemed to result in the same facial expression.
He schooled his features into a neutral expression and finally, after a further moment of observation, he revealed himself, resting comfortably against one of the shelving units in the aisle. His lips pursed and he regarded Hitsuzen critically for a few moments before nodding towards his hand.
"How much?" he asked, his voice raised just enough to be heard.
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 3:17 pm
Hitsuzen was absorbed in his tally. He'd never really had a head for math and money, since he preferred sound and motion, a natural inclination he was starting to regret. It served him well enough when he needed to dance for his dinner, but once it actually came to buying dinner, a sense of rhythm couldn't help much. He flicked his tail in clear annoyance, trying to decide what to put back.
The crackers and peanut butter, and the energy bars, were compact food -- not quite nutritious but good enough for him when he needed energy to keep dancing. Water -- well, no one could go without water for long, and Celadon City didn't even have public drinking fountains that he could use. It would probably be the vitamins, even though the supplements were probably the best nutrition he could get.
Maybe he'd make enough tomorrow to afford the vitamins, too. With how bare-bones his diet usually was, he really did need them, but going hungry was a much more immediate concern. It was times like these that he wondered whether Musharna's offer had really been as good as he'd thought at the time.
A flicker of movement to his side made him tip his head, narrowing his eyes slightly. He was on the brink of snapping back, but something didn't seem quite human about this person. Maybe it was the hair, or the bearing, but there was something. "Two dollars short," he answered finally, eyeing the man -- gijinka? -- warily. "Why?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 3:51 pm
He held his silence and his hands slowly slid in to the back of his jeans as he adjusted his position. Suffice to say, convenience store shelves were not the most comfortable furniture in the world. It was only when he was more comfortable that the gijinka finally brought himself back to the immediate topic of conversation and pursed his lips. Years ago he might have been surprised by this declaration, two dollars was absolutely nothing to him, but years on the scene had given him a very firm education.
It boiled down to one key fact - in this world you were either a winner, or a loser. The winners dominated society and were often the richest, as well as the most influential, while the losers were religated to the gutters. He'd seen enough of each in his life to tell the difference, though the recent influx of Gijinka had shifted the balance a touch. Unfortunately, there were very few gijinka in the world who appeared to have landed on their feet and every one of them seemed to struggle in that respect.
He was one of a rare few who apparently had any savvy!
"That's all?" he spoke in yet another breath and it would quickly become clear that the man was not one who raised his voice any louder than necessary. It was the duty of those around him to listen and if they didn't, then they simply missed out on what could be a valuable tidbit of information.
Again, the snivy shifted his position and it was with a soft sigh that he seemed to consider the options that lay before him. He could mock the gijinka, as seemed to be the case with certain individuals in these parts, or he could play the 'saint'. Truth be told, his immediate response and the decisions that followed were largely down to his mood - his meetings had proved fortuitous and as a result, he was in a much more benevolent mood.
Saint, it was.
"That's nothing," he concluded and finally removed one of his hands from his back pocket. A moment later, he'd swept it round and had flicked something towards Hitsuzen. If the Eevee caught it, he would find a number of notes, they wouldn't be large notes, but certainly enough to cover the meagre selection in his basket. Seemingly satisfied with his own actions, Narcissus then used his other elbow to thrust himself away from the shelving and back into a more upright position.
"You might want to consider something more nutritious though," he cast a glance towards the selection, his chin dipping as he nodded towards the energy bars. "They'll completely ruin your skin," he added, assuming that clarification might be required in the given circumstances. However, with his saintly actions now completed on an immediate level, the grass based gijinka appeared to have nothing further to say.
It was with a flurry of his green coat, and a flare of the peculiar palmite tail at its base, that he spun round and proceeded to walk away from Hitsuzen. His right hand lifted briefly in a wave of farewell, but, he still refrained from glancing over his shoulder. That being said, if Hitsuzen anticipated this was the last he would see of Narci then he was in for a surprise - the Snivy had other plans, he was simply going to wait outside to ambush the unfortunate dancer where it was more appropriate!
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 4:34 pm
Hitsuzen watched the green-haired man silently, remaining in his crouch. He didn't know why this gijinka, whatever he was, had decided to approach him, but from the other man's collected, almost disdainful demeanor, it didn't seem to be out of charity.
The silence wasn't a comfortable one for him, but the question was even less so -- he stiffened a little, ears tilting back, and started to scowl. In his head, a dozen justifications and protests rose up -- there wasn't much money in dancing on the streets, maybe, but it was what he liked to do, and he didn't enjoy having his lack of money pointed out. He was just opening his mouth to say as much when the gijinka spoke again.
He snatched it out of the air in one quick movement, with a grace that he seemed too rough around the edges to have, and he glanced at the bills with a slightly pinched expression.
So it was charity. It was a little annoying -- he didn't like accepting money for nothing, though people giving him coins for his dancing was a different matter -- but he was in no position to refuse it. He needed the food. He gave the other man a disgruntled look at the comment, but didn't have time to answer before he left.
The glimpse of tail was enough -- one of those, was his immediate thought. The one Snivy he'd met before hadn't been the friendliest creature.
Still, the money was something he couldn't afford to waste. The Snivy had given him enough that he could afford a few oranges and a box of prepared raw vegetables, too, which he couldn't always get when the pickings were lean. He paid the cashier, then retrieved his backpack at the entrance, packing everything away carefully. Once he was sure nothing would leak and damage his boombox -- small, compact, and wrapped in several plastic bags to protect it -- he zipped it up and hitched it to his shoulder, walking out of the grocery store.
He'd never even gotten the Snivy's name.
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 4:56 pm
"You know..." The voice, which should now have been familiar, cut through the sound of the bustling traffic with considerable ease. Needless to say, Narcissus hadn't gone very far and had deposited himself in a more comfortable location. With his upper back and shoulders pressed against the wall, he held himself in a slanted but still upright position and seemed to be much better suited to this location than the convenience store. Perhaps it was the shift in demeanor, but he certainly came across as more relaxed than he had been previously.
His hands remained pressed firmly into his pockets, and, in addition to this his coat had been drawn across him. No longer in the warm, albeit foreign, embrace of the convenience store heating, he had been required to heat himself up in a more conventional manner. Nevertheless, he had trailed off again and appeared to have taken a considerable amount of interest in the guttering above his head. It was perhaps, one of his more exasperating qualities but there was reason behind it - after all, why should he continue to talk if there was no guarantee that the individual would listen?
Better to raise his voice briefly first so that he might be able to test the waters.
"There are easier ways to make money," he said at last. His chin tilted down and to the side just a little, affording him a much better view of the Eevee. A solid and slow blink then followed as he allowed this very simple phrase to settle upon the smaller Gijinka's ears. "Just in case you were wondering; and interested," he added in a fashion that indicated the words had been voiced as an after-thought.
A moment or two passed and then he nodded just a touch towards the backpack on Hitsuzen's shoulders, the long tendrils of hair that had once been so obedient, sliding across his vision. "You're welcome, by the way. You should feel priviledged - generosity has never been Celadon City's strong point," he finished, electing not to notice that he might be rubbing an unnecessary amount of salt in potentially fresh wounds. An odd risk to take around a stranger, or so the majority would say, but, there was method to his madness even if it wasn't immediately apparent.
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 6:10 pm
The moment he heard that voice again, Hitsuzen's ears flicked to track the source, and he found himself tensing. It was as if, for some reason, he found this Snivy a threat. Or maybe he just knew the man was in in a more advantageous position, because he'd never liked that, either.
He turned his head sharply to watch the Snivy, stepping out of the flow of traffic and halting with one hand on his backpack's strap. His stance was wary, like he was ready to bolt into the crowd at any moment, but the tilt of his ears was oddly receptive -- he wanted to know what this gijinka wanted.
The phrase made him frown slightly, and he adjusted his backpack uncomfortably. The rest of the statement, however, made his ears go back in response, and he definitely seemed a little irritated by it.
Sure, he was almost starving most of the time, and saving up for the boombox had meant stretching food uncomfortably thin for a few weeks, but there was nothing like breaking. Battling didn't even come close.
"Do you think I do what I do for money?" he asked, his tone making it almost a genuine question -- but there was a barely-noticeable undercurrent of sarcasm to it.
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 12:20 am
"Based on the evidence presented, I would say that yes, whatever it is that you do, is in some respects, done for the money," Narci observed, rejecting the bait posed to him by the disgruntled Gijinka. He'd struck a nerve, that much was evident and, it quickly became apparent that Hitsuzen did not excel at hiding his emotions. He may have found a way to mask the tone of his voice, but those ears would be completely blow his cover - the Snivy was thankful for small favours, in that he had been graced with a much more subtle set of quirks. Suffice to say, that if the man had lack his rather exhuberant clothes, one would be required to look quite hard at him to take note of any oddity.
...Against his hair, the elven ears were not always the most visible of bodyparts.
"Though I would be so bold as to say that it is not done successfully," he added with a tilt of his head. He removed a hand from his pocket as this point and swept it upwards to comb his fingers through his hair. It served to push the rebellious strands back into position and left his vision clear. Once satisfied that it would stay that way, Narci slipped the hand back into position in his jacket and relaxed his shoulders once more. "However, with that in mind one would definitely have to pose an undeniably valid question -" he paused and lifted a brow, a touch scathing.
"What exactly have you been doing?" he enquired, his tone was conversational but there was a slightly cold quality as he made sure to convey that the Eevee's initial, presumptious manner, hadn't been appreciated. The Snivy was not a mind reader, nor had he seen the boy dance, so how could he have possibly known what the Eevee did!
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 1:08 am
As much as he hated to admit it, the Snivy had a valid point. Hitsuzen's frown deepened slightly, and he forced himself to take a moment to compose himself. Body language had been a vital part of communication when he'd been a Pokemon -- and the change hadn't been long ago enough for him to learn to control it. Every flick of his ears and aggravated twitch of his tail broadcast his annoyance, even if he kept his expression calm.
He had to struggle to keep from snapping back, shoulders tensing for a moment. Trust a more successful gijinka to rub his difficulties in his face. He was stung enough to answer honestly, rather than try and evade the question. "I bboy," he answered, shifting almost defensively. It wasn't the most glamorous or profitable living, but it was the best skill he could fall back on.
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 2:04 am
The boy danced? Narci afforded himself a moment of mild incredulity at this revelation. Busking of any sort was for humans, not for pokemon - pokemon had significantly higher levels of talents and capabilities. It was at times like these that the Snivy couldn't help but wonder if the Musharna had been selective in his approach to the pokemon in Entra, or if he had simply picked a random door and stepped through it. If all gijinka with the exception of himself were so unprepared and naive when it came to the way the world work then...
"You dance," he stated flatly and shook his head. On closer inspection, the taller Gijinka did take note of the muscle definition the eevee possessed and conceded that it was plausible, even if it was ridiculous to the snivy on a personal level. If there was one thing that Narcissus did not do, it was dance - he had no talent for it. Fast and agile, he could get where he needed to with great speed, but there was no grace involved in it whatsoever! "On the street," he added for his own benefit, the clarification necessary for his own internal discussion.
"No wonder you are completely broke," he mused, releasing a small 'pop' from his lips as he pursed and then released them. Mere moments later, he seemed to have come to some form of conclusion and it was without any further explanation that he pushed himself from the wall, straightened and tilted his chin towards Hitsuzen. It was with a slight 'knock' of his head to the left that he beckoned the Gijinka.
"Come with me," he ordered in a manner that clearly stated he was used to being obeyed. This done, the Snivy proceeded to walk down the street, ignoring the main broadway as he turned and headed down a more questionable back alley.
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 2:24 am
Hitsuzen watched him, apparently none too impressed with the incredulous reaction. He didn't respond to either statement -- if they weren't questions, they didn't need answers, and the Snivy had figured it out pretty well anyhow.
His eyes narrowed slightly at the Snivy's conclusion, and he shrugged a shoulder. "It's not about money." Or so he kept telling himself -- but paradoxically, on his most successful days, it always struck him that that wasn't really true. He changed his dances to impress the audience, and had to forego his own preferred songs and moves in order to make enough money to scrape by. But that was just practicality.
The order -- it was an order, he realized after a moment, not just a suggestion -- took him off-guard. He hesitated a moment, wondering whether he should just slip back into the crowd and get away from the other gijinka, or follow. Eventually, curiosity won out, and he started after the green-haired man, hitching his bag up to a more comfortable position. "What's your name?" he asked suddenly, halfway down the alley.
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 3:00 am
There were certainly benefits in having such a firm sense of awareness and self confidence - Narcissus had yet to meet an individual who systematically ignored his orders. Granted, these orders were never to the point that they would be considered questionnable or highly illegal, but, when the Snivy said 'jump', it wasn't unusual for another individual to ask 'how high'. Hitsuzen was proof of this, as his curiosity appeared to have won out over caution. It had been a calculated risk on the Snivy's part and it had paid off, he was pleased to see that the eevee had elected to follow suit.
Glancing over his shoulder, he checked to make sure the 'boy' was keeping up with him and, was satisfied to see that despite the backpack, he was making reasonable progress. It was only when Hitsuzen asked for his identity that he looked away again, delaying the answer for a short while as he navigated his way through the maze of backwater streets in the city. He'd lived here for years, as both a pokemon and a gijinka, and the navigation wasn't overly difficult, but when it came to names he did like to maintain a bit of mystique - keep them guessing for a short while, even if it only lasted a moment or two.
...After that? Well, let their imagination do the work!
"Narcissus," he replied at last and with that, swept to the right and into a shallow back street. A momentary pause and soon enough, he had come to a halt by a rather heavy looking door. Aged and weather beaten, at first glance it wasn't anything worthy of note, but hang around for a moment or two and a dull throb can be heard from inside. Faint but present, the pulse of music could be heard within. Narcissus turned to face the Eevee briefly, a cool smile on his lips and then he pushed the door open, using his back as the much needed weight to shove the stiffened hinges into motion.
"In Celadon City, the only way to make money, is to know where to go," he explained wistfully and headed inside, his brow raised in a silent challenge.
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 11:58 am
Hitsuzen waited, half expecting a fake name after that long pause. It wouldn't be unlikely -- the Snivy didn't seem like the type who willingly handed out so much as his name -- and yet the answer didn't ring false to him. So either this Narcissus was a good actor, or he was telling the truth. One way or another, he thought the name rather suited the Snivy so far.
He paused by the door, cocking his head as his ears picked up the sound of a distant beat, pounding so loudly that it could be heard through the walls. Almost unconsciously, he shifted slightly with the beat, picking it up in an instant.
"I don't need your help," he snapped at the Snivy, frowning after him -- sure, money was tight sometimes, but he was managing to scrape by just fine. It was stupid, stubborn pride speaking, maybe, but he didn't like doing accepting charity.
Still, the nightclub -- if he was right and that was what it was -- was a little tempting. The music was always loud enough in a club, even if he wouldn't make any money off dancing in them. It made him hesitate at the door.
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 3:06 pm
"Of course," Narcissus's tone was vague and his smile tainted by an unusual edge. "And that happens to be why I haven't given it," he continued in much the same manner. It was an odd statement to be sure, if this didn't classify as 'assistance' then there was clearly something amiss. However, the snivy had been genuine up until this point, so what exactly did he have to gain from his personal antics? Ever the enigma in that respect, it would take an hour or so longer before his intentions became apparent.
Nevertheless, the gijinka had no intention of lurking in the doorway and, with a last glance over his shoulder, he proceeded down the corridor and towards the stares. "If you aren't coming, then shut the door," he added without looking back, his hand raising to wave dismissively. He elected to continue on without the Eevee from this point and rather than wait as though he was some sort of expectant prophet, he descended the stairs.
His foot steps dulled with distance and then vanished completely, replaced momentarily by the increased volume of music as a door opened. As the door slammed shut, the sound faded once more. From this point onwards the Eevee was alone, Hitsuzen could turn on his heels and run, or he could pursue the Snivy for the sake of curiosity. Afterall - there had to be some reason for Narci's decision to lead him here, right?
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 9:38 pm
Hitsuzen's frown turned sharp, almost puzzled. If the money wasn't help, and leading him to some place (where, supposedly, he could make more money) wasn't help, he wasn't quite sure what was. "What do you--" He cut himself off and frowned sharply as the Snivy turned and went indoors. Even though he hadn't known the Snivy for more than an hour, he already seemed like a cunning, business-oriented type -- smart and good at seizing opportunities, maybe, but probably cutthroat, too.
He hesitated, shifting the backpack's straps and considering the more well-traveled streets to his right, free of Snivies with strange offers. Eventually, though, curiosity won out, and he pushed the door open to follow. Despite his earlier actions, the Snivy didn't seem like the sort to give anything away for free -- business-oriented types usually weren't -- so maybe there was a job he had in mind. It might be a double-edged offer, but if he hadn't heard it yet, he couldn't tell.
One way or another, he'd come all the way to Celadon City, so he might as well stop and check an offer out. It was certainly the most intriguing thing that had happened to him so far. He hurried down the hallway to try and catch up to Narcissus.
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