16. Video

Feb. 6th, 2015 11:13 pm
ardent: (Default)
[It's been a while since Ishimaru's been seen on the network; the time he's had lately that hasn't been given to travel has instead been given to routine, to settling somewhere up inside his head where socializing is less important than getting things done, even though he isn't entirely sure what he's supposed to be getting done anymore. It's not the best pattern to be in, and if he must be there at all he knows somehow that it's better if it's temporary - doing this for too long leads to loneliness and that weird sense of distance when interacting with people, almost like he doesn't understand them anymore despite the fact that he sees some of them daily, and he'd really prefer to avoid that.

But at the same time, the holding pattern is familiar, though it seems that part of it - not quite knowing what he's supposed to be doing with himself anymore - has been on his mind more often than not lately.

Either way, he wasn't at work today - the weather has been horrible for two days - and so he's just sort of been studying at home all day; thankfully the Eevees haven't let that be all he does today, and once in a while they seem to send Eeveemaru to get up on the table and..."help" with whatever it is Ishimaru is trying to do until he gives in and plays with the horde a bit.

He's got Eeveemaru with him when the feed pops up, the little fuzzball up on his shoulder and looking into the 'Gear a bit too fascinatedly and wearing that little white uniform jacket, as always; Ishimaru's actually not matching him, instead wearing a black coat and a scarf he's had for a while, patterned after Ho-Oh's plumage. It's sort of a warm outfit, given that he's indoors, but it's comfortable and it's soft and the evening hours have brought some chill with them despite the heat in the house anyway.]


One of the things I've started to like about this world is how it gives so many new opportunities - not just for making friends and getting to raise Pokémon, either, though that's obviously important also! But there are a lot of challenges as well...you find out a lot about yourself when you're somewhere so far from home, I think. Some of it's good, some of it's not so good - but it's all a learning experience, and I'm glad that I've gotten to go through that here!

It's a little confusing at times, though; where I'm from, there's a lot of emphasis on being the best at what you do. You always have to keep up and never let yourself slip; you have to know what you're doing at all times, and if you don't, you need to act as though you do. It's a lot of pressure, but the thing is that it's constant, and it may sound a little weird, but once something that's constant like that goes away, you can find yourself missing it - or at least, I sort of do, I think, just because that sort of structure and pressure always let me know what I should be doing with myself. This world doesn't give us as much direction, and that's...strange...

[He trails off a bit, thinking.]

But something this place has taught me, though - and I think it's a good thing! - is that a lack of structure and direction doesn't have to mean that there's nothing that can be done - this world actually rewards hard work and steadfastness far more than the one I'm used to. With enough dedication, we should be able to achieve whatever we want here due to the way this place rewards it - we can make what we want of our time here, instead of working toward a definite goal with a narrow margin of success! It's a very freeing concept; I'm not used to it, but I think I like it, or at least the message behind it.

I still don't have a set direction that I've trained my sights in, but I think I'll find it one day, if I work at it hard enough; I hope the same becomes true for the rest of you as well! Decide what you want and work toward achieving it; you have the chance to do that here, even if you didn't wherever you come from!

I hope you've had a good and productive day; if not, I know tomorrow will be better! So just keep your heads up!

[Aaaand end feed. Sometimes talking things out does help in some ways; who knew?]
ardent: (A mob jumps to their feet)
[VIDEO]

[Ishimaru is outside again today, seeming to be taking advantage of the nice weather while it holds; at least he's looking at the camera today, and his gaze is shifting...a little less, maybe. He still seems a bit tired but at least he's calm; the view behind him is, once again, that square in Goldenrod near the Center.]

The place I came from put a lot of emphasis on punishment...both for what we did, and what we didn't do. Failure to act in a certain way, to do as we were told, was punished; failure to not act in the way that we were expected to was likewise punished. Rules and laws and "justice" were used to control us, not to guide or help us; instead of keeping us safe, they were used to tear us down.

No matter what we did, we were going to be wrong.

[His voice remains firm but calm through all that; he's not shouting, but he doesn't seem about to cry, either. Just...working through it, really.]

When situations are hard like that, and seem unwinnable, it's easy to forget what justice is intended for. It's meant to protect people, and most importantly, it's meant to give people hope - for themselves, and for the future!

So even if...even if you haven't always done what's right, even if you've made mistakes or taken punishment - if you choose to do right afterwards, the wrong you've done doesn't have to define you!

I think there comes a time when you deserve to be considered good again!

[...yep, there's the shouting.]

It's not going to be easy - it's something I'm still working on, too. But if we're willing to work hard and not lose hope, I think we'll all be all right, in the end! We just have to do our best.

I hope today is both good and productive for you, and if not, I know that tomorrow will be better!


[ACTION]

[Returning to Goldenrod City has been...strange.

It's not strange in the way that coming to a new place tends to be strange, or perhaps returning to an old place that's changed drastically in your absence; there's no lack of familiarity, and if anything the strangeness is caused by just the opposite - there's a weird sense of returning home to it, and Ishimaru isn't entirely sure what to do with that. He hasn't felt that way since before Hope's Peak; it's weird to experience it now, but it's not altogether unwelcome.

...granted, it's not something he has long to dwell on; he finishes the video and takes a while to just...collect himself, but eventually he heads back to the house. And as soon as he manages to get the front door opened there's a sudden sharp skittering of nails against the floor and the vibrations of twenty-odd Eevees hup-hup-hupping their way down the stairs, and he flinches a little and braces for the moment where the swarm hits -

And then there's a thud, and there is quite simply nothing.

...

... ... ...

Huh.

It takes him a moment to open his eyes, given that they'd slid closed while he was in the middle of preparing for impact; apparently the thud was the fuzzball legion all sitting in unison, and now they're just kind of parked on the floor and headtilting like confused pugs because grandpa's home and we sat and why is he just standing there.

He's clearly going to be spending some time playing with the fuzzballs today, because oh my god they did so well. c: ]
ardent: (And turning all against one)
[Well, it's been a while since Ishimaru's actually been around via video; he's had a rough go of it over the last few weeks and it shows - he looks incredibly tired and he still doesn't seem to have been eating very much, and he's still looking a little dead behind the eyes compared to the usual intensity.

But for the most part he looks reasonably put-together, and he's outside, and even if it's more than a bit overcast and admittedly cold as balls he doesn't seem to mind the cold; this may have something to do with the fact that he appears to have ditched the school uniform for today in favor of a rather thick black coat, and he's got a different scarf on than the usual red one he wears - this one isn't quite as long, but it's patterned after Ho-Oh's plumage. Something he got for Christmas, really; it's about time he wore it out somewhere. And he's...certainly somewhere; it looks like one of those parks near the Center.

His gaze flicks awkwardly to the side before he speaks; it takes him a moment to find words, but when he does he tries to keep them coming, and keep them steady, and dear god it's been a while since he's been this shouty at the network in general but it's clear that whatever he's been doing, it certainly hasn't been figuring out what an acceptable level of volume is.]


There...there have been a lot of people who have come up missing lately, I think, and there have been a lot of new arrivals as well! For those who are missing someone - friends of those sent home - I...I understand that it's often difficult to move past it, and that it's a lot to take in at once! For some of us, it's better that they're sent home because maybe they have important things to do or other people to take care of; for some it...it isn't, and that can make losing people hard, when you know that whatever they're going through is going to be bad for them...

[He trails off a bit; his eyes scan upward for a moment while he tries to gather his thoughts, though he seems to shake it off soon enough.]

But...please don't worry. If you want to discuss it, even if I don't know you, we can - you don't even have to give me your name or anything, if you don't want to! It can be over text if you'd like...

[...deep breaths, Ishimaru, you are fine.]

And for those who have just arrived - well, that's also a lot to take in at once, but for different reasons! I've been here for about ten months now, and I'm still getting used to how things are done. It's a learning process, but you'll get through it!

My name is Ishimaru Kiyotaka; I'm the Super High School Level Hall Monitor, from Hope's Peak Academy's 78th annual class. If that didn't mean anything to you, that's fine, but I think there are a lot of new arrivals for whom that does mean something - if I haven't spoken to you yet, please get in contact with me so I can do so.

[...Right. Right, um. Um. Um.

Almost done here. Almost.]


...Otherwise, everyone just try to keep your heads up and your gazes trained toward the horizon! I hope that today is a good and productive day for all of you, and if not, that tomorrow will be better - we all just have to remain strong, and not lose hope.

[End feed.

Ishimaru can still be found outside for a while after that's over, however; he still seems more than a bit aimless and like he's not entirely sure what he's even doing out there, and he seems to be zoning out quite a bit when he's not directly engaged in conversation or otherwise doing anything. But hey, "outside staring off into space" has to be at least vaguely better than "in the basement and staring off into space", right?]
ardent: (With a thousand lies and a good disguise)
[ACTION]

[His first thought upon waking up is that he doesn't know where he is.

His body tenses immediately on that bed in the basement, jolting sharply awake as though he's been startled by something, as though he's just been sleeping and he's had a hell of a nightmare; his eyes are wide, his gaze shifting around the room as though he's trying to get some idea of his surroundings and what's happening around him, and he might just look disoriented if it weren't for the fact that his gaze is so blatantly unfocused.

He's taking in everything without really seeing it; his breathing is quick to even out, however, and after a moment his body relaxes against that futon he sleeps on, and any fear that may have been present in him is gone entirely, seeming to take any genuine fight he may have had along with it.

After a moment he sits up, and if he isn't hindered immediately by anything or anyone he'll get up and start pacing the length of the basement, the motion aimless and ultimately pointless, just something to do because...well, it's something to do.

He hasn't lost that odd, disconnected look in his eyes; he's not registering anything very well, that much is obvious.]



[TEXT]

[A text will be hitting the network shortly after Ishimaru wakes up and any discussions with people in person have been carried out; it's short and uncharacteristically careless, and he isn't paying much attention to the device after it's out there, though he'll respond eventually to anyone who replies.]

i'm awake

and i'm sorry



[OOC: Canon-updating completed, for good or ill.]
ardent: (I'm sorry that you never made it)
[ANONYMOUS TEXT]

[The anon text on the network tonight is simple and to-the-point, hitting at about eleven at night; it seems that somebody isn't sleeping easily.]

Is there a way to stop hating someone?

If not, is there at least a way to stop being so angry about it all the time?





[ACTION]

[While he's not straying too far from the house he and his classmates have more or less taken over (with the assistance of a ridiculous amount of Eevees), Ishimaru can be found wandering around outside tonight; he's staying close to the breeding center and the like, but he's definitely seeming more restless than usual, his actions aimless. He's been having difficulty sleeping for almost a week now; it probably shows in his mannerisms and his speech - everything has been seeming less enthusiastic than usual - but he's been trying to keep up appearances, if nothing else.

At least he's not alone for the time being; he's got Eeveemaru with him - one of the members of the great furball legion from the house, all decked out in what looks like a little replica of Ishimaru's coat and armband (because if Togami thinks he's getting any aspect of this back - Eevee or outfit - he's got another thought coming to him, apparently). The thing is just kind of chilling on his shoulders for now, seeming a bit bewildered at being outside at a reasonably late hour but not too bothered otherwise; once in a while it bats at something not visible to anyone but there nonetheless - seems he's got Aiko with him as well, though the Misdreavus isn't visible for now.

It's late, and he's tired, but at least the night is nice, if a bit overcast. Maybe it'll rain soon, who knows. He just doesn't feel like being inside.]
ardent: (Another clever word)
[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...]
ardent: (Default)
[ACTION FOR GOLDENROD CITY]

[Well, if you're on the streets this evening in the general vicinity of the Radio Tower, you will likely come across a figure in what looks like a cross between a white gakuran and a military uniform (no, seriously, those boots cannot be school issue, can they?); he's got his arms folded tightly across his chest, almost as though he's cold despite being nothing of the sort, and he's staring rather intently upward.

Not at anything in particular. Just looking up at the sky.

However, if you're close enough (and you're probably close enough because he is pretty much the opposite of subtle), it'll be fairly obvious that he's probably not seeing much of anything despite the intensity of his gaze, given that he's got an impressive amount of tears going on. Like, "that should probably not be coming out of human eyes" levels of impressive. Holy shit. Tears. All over. Like he's seen the face of God or something.

Someone might want to poke him or make sure his brain hasn't just shorted out or something, he'll be here all night otherwise.]



[VIDEO]

[Hello, Johto! Sometime this evening you are being treated to some serious jittercam, courtesy of one of your newer arrivals (after he's come out of whatever trance he was in earlier because good lord almighty there is sky out here). It's not quite enough to make you seasick, but more than enough to make you wonder exactly how it is your life has come to this and who gave the complete amateur a camera before everything seems to even out. The video eventually seems to settle on a rather...uh, severe-looking kid with short, dark hair, red eyes and eyebrows that go forever, and whatever he's doing, he seems deeply annoyed with it, goodness. Who invited the spawn of Satan to the Poképarty...

And then he seems to figure out that he is, in fact, filming, and his response is so immediately joyful it'll give you whiplash if you are not properly strapped in. His grin is open and incredibly genuine, the expression entirely unguarded; he sets the device down on a table in front of him, as he appears to be outside still, and he immediately starts waving at it a bit - both through utter glee and trying to see if it actually is tracking properly.]


Ha ha ha - so it does work! This is excellent news, excellent! Now, if I can get it to -

[His voice is a bit odd - it's loud and enthusiastic, but it's strangely blunted, as though he hasn't...quite worked out how voice inflection works but dammit, he's trying. He reaches out while he talks, the conversation dissolving into rather pleased muttering to himself as he tries to turn off the 'Gear and promptly...uh, sends the video, good job.]


[VIDEO, TWO MINUTES AFTER THE FIRST]

[Well, Captain Eyebrows here seems to have gotten himself under a bit more control, though the amount of volume is still going to make people why he even bothered with a video - surely he can be heard in Kanto by now. He's clearly trying to sound authoritative; the effect is just...horribly shouty.]

My name is Ishimaru Kiyotaka, a student of the 78th annual class at Hope's Peak Academy! It's excellent to have a way to contact all of you, even if the situation that's brought it about is very weird indeed!

Whoever is responsible for this turn of events, I would like to both thank you for your generosity regarding the situation, and yet express my general confusion at what it is you expect me to do here! It would be appreciated if I could thank you in person - or...speak to you properly or knew who you were...hm.

[He...seems to have lost himself for a moment, hang on - ]

At any rate - if I've learned anything in my studies of others, it's that cooperation is the best way to ensure success! If you could introduce yourselves and tell me where it is you come from, I would be very grateful - let's make the most of this weird situation by working hard and working together!

[End feed!

...Ishimaru, please...]

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Kiyotaka Ishimaru (石丸 清多夏)

April 2020

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