01x. Action for Ecruteak City - Fourth Wall Event

[ardent]

[It's been a little while since Ishimaru's been here, and he can be found in...well, the exact same place he was last time he made a broadcast from this area - several stories up, on top of the Tin Tower. However, there's a marked difference from the last time he was up here - whereas he was a bit excited and generally getting his enthusiasm for life fired up and raring to go back in September, he's currently standing stock still in the center of the roof, his expression the sort usually reserved for those who have just had either a religious experience or a really, really spectacular acid trip (that may or may not have culminated in a religious experience, because hey, who are we to judge how these things happen). At least he's...not quite crying, though wow does he look tempted.

He's holding something tightly in his hands - a pair of somethings, really, the first being a ridiculously vibrant feather that glitters in various colors when it catches the light; the second is a small gold pouch containing...something light, from the look of it, but it's difficult to say. Either way, he's seeming a bit overwhelmed.

...to the point that he hasn't...quite noticed the Eevee horde that's trooped up here after him just yet, um. He'll probably wonder where the hell those came from once he's done, but for now they are just kind of...wriggling excitedly and once in a while bouncing, like they're trying to start some sort of tiny, fluffy mosh pit.

...Dangans, man.]

Comments

[gummyfrogs]

[As it turns out, Ishimaru is actually not the only one having a religious experience of sorts today, because here is one Alec Hardison and this is assuredly an entire world that appears to be an actual game of Pokemon, and good god, mmm, he has got a Pikachu and a Pokedex and he is a man who is going to live the dream, baby, and the only particularly difficult moral crisis he's faced since setting foot here is whether to go for the standard Gotta Catch 'Em All method, or straight-up Nuzlocke this thing.

And let's be real, there is nothing that quite so closely resembles a choice NPC encounter than some little uniform kid experiencing the Beatific Vision atop the Tin Tower with no less than twentysome Eevees swarming around his feet.

Oh, yeah, if this doesn't get him something good, ain't nothin' will.]

Hey-yo, my man. Hey there, ha-hah, how you doin' today.

[SHOW HIM THE TEXT BOX, BABY.]

[ardent]

[...you know, it takes Ishimaru a moment to realize that that greeting (...it was a greeting, right, tell him that was a greeting) is being aimed at him in the first place; oh, he registers that someone's talking, he's not that deep in his appreciation of the sky here, but it takes him a second to connect the dots.

But then something seems to click inside his head and he jumps a little, and he turns around abruptly and goodness, hi, what are you doing here, and -

...and what is the fuzzball legion doing here, why in the world...]

Ah...hello there!

[Just. Let him find Eeveemaru - there you are, come here and let him pick you up and just kind of strap this pouch to you like this won't confuse you at all, and now we have twentysomeodd Eevees and one of them's rocking a little uniform jacket and a really fancy backpack and yes.

Hi.]

I'm doing fine - it's been a wonderful night, actually! Yourself?

[...he says, with no change from that usual severe expression he has going on. Yep.]

[gummyfrogs]

[O...kay, you know what, that is a man with an Eevee who looks just like him, um. That's a little creepy, but all right, all right, it's cool, encounter initiated, let's see what's up here.]

Just fine, just fine. Um. You have a lot of Eevees there — are those all yours? And look at this little guy right here, with the little uniform and the...you...thing...going. Are you doing something with all those?

[ardent]

Yes, I'm training them! Mostly for disciplinary purposes, because they have a tendency to swarm people who show up to the house...it's been slow going, but I think it's starting to take!

[When they're not all excited because OUTSIDE and TOWER and OMG GIANT PHOENIXDAD HI THERE PHOENIXDAD, anyway. Bouncebouncebounce.]

[gummyfrogs]

...Right, okay, so does that make you like the Kimono Girls' little, you know, redheaded stepchild Cousin Oliver or something?

[...Look, in his defense, this is Ecruteak City, and those are a lot of Eevees.]

[ardent]

[Well, that actually is a fair defense.]

...No...?

[gummyfrogs]

Okay, well, uh. Why don't you, you know, just do your thing, make your little speech, ask me to bring you a Weedle or a Bellsprout or whatever it is you're programmed to want, and I'll just go get that and we can be on both our ways. That sound cool?

[digitalorunknown]

[One of your Eevees seems to be purple.

He detaches from the throng shaking his head woozily, skittering away after one of the rabbit-things makes a daring leap for his tail. For a moment, he just stands there, ears flattened and gaze flicking around, but he soon regains his bearings.

He's practically silent in coming up next to Ishimaru - he comes up to about his knee, and since everything looks different from a shorter perspective, he takes a few seconds to just blink up at him.

...He's happy to see you again, but, uh...you're worrying him.

Dorumon waffles for a moment on the best, least startling way to get his attention and maybe find out if he's hurt or something. He decides to just...boop Ishimaru's leg with his nose and hope for the best.]

[ardent]

[Well, that gets him to start a little, but it's nothing too bad; just a general sense of wow hello there here I am, and here...something else is and it's a lot of somethings from the look of it, goodness where did the fuzzball legion even come from -

...and then there is something else that is most definitely not a fuzzball, and Ishimaru is not entirely sure what to do with it. So he just sort of braces one of his hands against his thigh and bends down to get a better look (because it's not like this can possibly result in a face full of fire in Johto or something).]

Ah...hello?

[...OKAY LOOK THESE THINGS UNDERSTAND HUMAN SPEECH CLEARLY THIS IS A RATIONAL RESPONSE]

[digitalorunknown]

[Dorumon's eyes go very big for a moment, and he appears to shiver a little, in the way that a small animal would when very energetic. The lack of recognition registers after half a second has passed and Ishimaru doesn't continue on, and he shuffles back an inch, feeling confused and a little hurt - but then he quickly realizes that oh wait yeah of course I look different and perks back up, turning tentatively hopeful eyes up at Ishimaru.]

I-it's me. [He shuffles again from foot to foot, this time more of a neutral fidget. His voice is the same as ever, just coming from a small dragonish thing instead of a human child.] Do you remember...?

[ardent]

[The voice takes a moment to register - it's familiar, of course, but Ishimaru has never been good with people, and placing names to voices alone has always been a bit of an exercise, especially if he hasn't heard the voice in question in a while. But he remembers it, and he remembers the odd twitchy body language as well, and there had been a discussion about how someone had previously been some sort of -

Ah.]

Dorumon-kun?!

[digitalorunknown]

[The hesitation makes him worry, but when Ishimaru says his name, Dorumon's ears shoot up and he grins widely. He tamps back the intensity of his happy reaction pretty fast, but he can't quite keep his smile down or his tail from swaying merrily of its own volition. He nods once, enthusiastically, then again to affirm it, backing up a pace so he's not staring up at quite so steep an angle.]

I'm happy to see you again. [His voice is wavering a little, wanting to be louder and more delighted but restrained by habit.] I didn't know I would.

[ardent]

[Ishimaru's volume, in the meantime, is clearly hampered by no such thing.]

It's good to see you again! How have you been - hopefully you've been well! I received your cat!

[ISHIMARU.]

[digitalorunknown]

[The response to all that is just a lot of excited nodding - yes, yes, good, wonderful, awesome. He stops, tilts his head a little, then goes "oh!"] Plot? Oh - that's good! I know she'll be fine with you. [But now that that's occurred to him, he has to know. He settles down, smile fading into a curious look.] What about my other Pokemon? [...and into a wide-eyed look of trepidation.] A-and Gora...

action;

[ghostytrainer]

[Zap! There's a flash of white light as John appears right on the edge of the tower roof. Instead of his normal t-shirt and jeans, he's wearing a set of what appears to be blue pajamas with an absolutely ridiculous hood. You just know he's tripped on that thing at least once.]

W-woah!! [There's a moment's flailing as John tries to maintain his balance and not go falling over the edge. Not that it really matters, since he can fly right now but instincts. What are you gonna do with them? Once he's standing firmly on the roof, he peers over the edge.] Well, I got the right city at least! Hehe. Maybe I can control this warp-- [He turns around, finally noticing that he's not alone up here. And...wow, that is a lot of Eevees.]

Uh...dude, you okay? [He floats over to Ishimaru, waving a hand in front of his face and carefully avoiding disturbing the Eevee horde.] Earth to Ishimaru, you still with us?

[ardent]

[He registers that somebody's talking, but he doesn't seem to get that it's anything that he should be paying attention to; people come and go from this place sometimes, right? Right. So it's just sort of business as usual today, when -

Oh...wow, that gets his attention sure enough - he flinches a little, as one tends to do when there's suddenly a hand waving in front of one's face, and he blinks a little at it, edging backward only for his heel to connect with something soft, getting an indignant squeak out of Eeveemaru, who's running around in the most crisply-starched mini-replica of Ishimaru's coat that an Eevee possibly can wear.]

Ah - John-kun, hello!

[He twitches a little before seeming to realize that he's hit something, and he glances down to where Eeveemaru is looking like he's fully expecting an apology, and he shifts the whatnot he's holding into one arm so he can pick up the little fuzzball with the other.

It's about the time that he's straightening up that a few things click at once - the most pressing things being that there are a lot of Eevees up here, and wow you certainly do appear to be floating there, John-kun, um.]

That's...

[...okay look clearly he's hallucinating that or something.]

...an interesting outfit you have.

[ #nailed it ]

[ghostytrainer]

I know, right? [He pulls his hood up to his cheeks, a blissful look on his face as he takes a deep breath. Yeah he...the fact that that wasn't a compliment went right over his head.] These are the world's most comfortable magic pajamas, you have no idea.

[He opens his eyes again, releasing his hood as he catches sight of Eeveemaru.]

Hehe okay so what has you going space cadet up here, huh? And...what's the story with mini-me there?

[ardent]

[Magic...pajamas...let's just focus on the questions.]

Ah - he's...

[...squirming, that's what he is. Easy, Eeveemaru. Yes, we are talking about you; no, he is not putting you down.]

My classmate made the outfit for him - I don't know if he intended to give him to me or not, but he seems intent on following me around now, so I guess I've adopted him!

And I saw something up here - something I've been wanting to see for a while. I was just appreciating having had that opportunity, that's all!

[ghostytrainer]

[Don't knock the magic jammies, Ishimaru. Don't knock them. You never have to clean them they just stay perma-laundry fresh and they grow as you grow.]

[Best pajamas.]

Oh, I see. What was it, if you don't mind my asking. [And then, as a sidenote to the Eevee:] You look very nice by the way. Very sharp and dashing.

[diamondo]

Oy, kyoudai!

[The shout comes from somewhere below and should Ishimaru look down, he'll find Mondo on top of a Steelix, waving at his best friend.]

What the fuck are you doing up there?

[He's grinning widely, looking the happiest he's been in... well, years. His good mood is only slightly dampened by the fact that he's managed to lose Daiya, but he's sure he'll locate his brother again sooner or later.]

[ardent]

[Well, that gets him to snap out of whatever's been transfixing him over there; he's quick to move over to the railing, leaning over and...trying not to knock any of the fuzzball legion off the edge of the building, good lord where did they come from.

He seems excited, at any rate.]

Ah, kyoudai! It's nothing to worry about, I just saw something - what are you doing?

[diamondo]

I'm looking for my brother! You haven't seen him, have you? Looks kinda like me, 'cept he's got dark hair and it's in a different style. He's wearing a coat like this, but it's white!

[The Steelix approaches the building so Mondo doesn't have to shout up at Ishimaru, but he's still too far down to actually join Ishimaru.]

And what did you see? There's been a lot of weird shit going on here lately!

[ardent]

Yes, I've noticed, it -

[...hang on. Hang on, hang on, hang on - ]

Your brother? He's...

[holy shit.]

Really?

[diamondo]

Yeah! Daiya's here!

[He's practically glowing with pride, in case it wasn't obvious.]

I can't wait for you guys to meet! I mean, sure, he'll probably wonder how we even became brothers in the first place, but it'll be great! You'll like him, I guarantee it!

[ardent]

[Ishimaru just laughs at that; sure, it's still a bit strange-sounding, but at least he's pleased.]

I'm so happy for you, kyoudai! I look forward to it!