007. Video/Action for Ecruteak City

[ardent]

[Well, tonight will see another post from Ishimaru, and while the sun has long since dipped down beneath the horizon, the video is lit by an odd, bright purple light somewhere in front of him, and a dimmer red one that seems to be sort of sliding around slowly just out of view somewhere to his left; he's back in that white uniform, simply because it feels weird to him not to wear it, and while he's definitely outdoors, he seems to be rather high up - really, if the texture of the floor he's kneeling on is any indication, he seems to be on a roof somewhere.

Of course, if you're familiar with Ecruteak City, you'll likely recognize the view just barely visible behind him; he's up atop the Tin Tower today.

Either way, however, he seems in much higher spirits this time around; he's sort of smiling, even, though not quite - he's never really done happiness very well as far as facial expressions go, nor has he really done it very naturally - and his words are quick, rushed with excitement.]

Most of my studies deal in concrete fact - the paranormal, the theistic and the unexplained have never been anything that I've found useful, and so while I know a few of the more common myths from my own world, I've been willing to set them aside as just stories! But since coming here, I've met people who can say those stories are a reality - people who have spoken to ghosts, or been ghosts themselves; people who know of the existence of fairies and done magic themselves, or people from other worlds entirely. It's been interesting, if difficult to believe sometimes!

But it also makes me wonder how many of the myths here are true; I think a lot of it is like our creation mythology back home, just centered around Pokémon - people saw the animals here and attributed the creation of the world to their power, when that might not be the case. I think it warrants further study either way, though!

The place I'm at now...they say that one of the Legendary Pokémon used to call it home, but now it travels the world looking for trainers who are pure-hearted. I'm pretty sure that means I'll never see it, but I'd like to become the sort of person where it's at least a possibility someday.

[He'll be up there for some time longer, after the video cuts out and the feed goes dark; he's got his Litwick up there with him, and he's leaning up against one of the railings, looking out over the city skyline.

He also has a rather small Slugma up on the railing next to him; just...try not to knock it off if you join him, that'd make everyone kind of upset...]

Comments

[ardent]

I-I didn't mean that! I'm pretty sure it's not allowed, anyway!!

[nostabbing]

Oh, come on, I've got my harness in my bag. You can hold on to me and we'll be down in—

[She glances over the side, eyes narrowing slightly.]

...aaaaaabout three-point-four-nine seconds. That's practically nothing.

[ardent]

[This is a lot of information at once, hold on - ]

Why are you carrying something like that around with you in the first place?!

[nostabbing]

I always carry one. Unless I'm keeping it in my closet. I do that sometimes, too.

[ardent]

...All right, but why? I don't see why you'd need one on you in the first place!

[nostabbing]

...Oh, you mean like why do I— oh. It's for my spy stuff. You know, getting off buildings in a hurry and stuff.

[ardent]

...You're not doing that sort of thing here, though, are you?

[nostabbing]

You wear your uniform all the time even though you don't go to school, right?

[ardent]

...So it's habit, then?

[nostabbing]

Kinda. It's just...better to have it and maybe use it but maybe not than to not have it when I need it.

You should, though. Come with me. It's fun and I won't let you fall.

[ardent]

...I still don't think things like that are allowed...

[nostabbing]

[A shrug.]

They're probably not.

[Absently, she reaches up and gives her ponytail a yank to secure it.]

But do you really not want to?

[ardent]

...Alice-san, don't - I don't think it's a good idea!

[nostabbing]

No, I mean — it's not always the same thing, right? Something not being allowed and something being bad? Sometimes things aren't allowed but they're still good. Right?

[ardent]

Like what? Rules and laws exist for a reason!

[nostabbing]

...What if someone's in trouble but the law can't help them?

[ardent]

[...that...seems to strike him strangely, hold on.]

...I...

[...okay. Come on, Ishimaru, you can do this.]

How...how do you mean?

[nostabbing]

Like what if there are some bad guys who are doing something wrong, but that's not actually illegal because they've got great lawyers or found a loophole to exploit or something? Or what if people are getting hurt but they don't have the money to pay for help and even if they tried, some big corporation would just snuff them out anyway? Or what if somebody's running a scam that isn't breaking a single rule but it's taking advantage of people and making them lose their life savings?

[She gives him a steady look.]

I mean, yeah, I guess maybe you could change the law, but that'd take a long time, right? Maybe too long for the people who need help. So if somebody helped them...but had to go around the law to do it, is that bad or not?

[ardent]

[He shifts a bit; something about this isn't striking him as right, but he can't figure out what it is and it's...mnnngh.]

...Alice-san, why are you asking me about this?

[nostabbing]

Maybe...doing something somebody says you're not supposed to isn't always bad. Maybe it matters what you do, too. And if it's hurting somebody or not.

[ardent]

...Maybe.

[He twitches a bit, sharply.]

I...I don't know.

[nostabbing]

[Ouch. She doesn't like that twitch at all, and feels it sharply, too.]

I'll still like you no matter what you think. Even if you're not sure. That's okay, too.

[ardent]

It's not really something I know how to answer right now.

[nostabbing]

Can you let me know, when you do know?

[ardent]

[And for a moment he just kind of...stares, but then something clicks and the sense of "Oh" is practically visible.]

...That's what you do, isn't it? You do illegal things because you want to help people. That's what you meant when you told me you were good at being a bad guy, and you like doing bad things if it means that good people don't have to get hurt or become bad people themselves.

Is that right?