-Paula throws up her arms-

Paula: They were literally "the former J-Teamers"! That was their whole fuckin' reputation! Of course they knew what they were up against, they were a part of the J-Team before they joined us for who knows how long! And apparently that's all that matters to fuckin' Aulstyne, too, rather than the fact that they're the most reckless, vengeful idiots we had!

-Beat-

Paula: Sorry. Fuckin'... look, it was bad. It was real fuckin' bad. I could do with something hard, not just this fuckin... room temperature water.

edited 30th Apr '18 8:45:07 PM by BittersweetNSour

 Stormchaser 

-To Basket-

Lucius and Scarlette are back with us, and that Iron base is destroyed, I'd consider this counterraid a success. Of course the war's hardly won yet.

Botuli: <I wanted to eat things outside of Alola... but I keep finding myself back in Alola.>

Addie: <...that's certainly a metric.>

<...The "like it or not" has interesting implications all around.>

Eric: -perhaps now looking and mentally feeling near enough to normal, audible human speech- ~Thanks! :D

~I'm actually, er...

-his outfit blurs, first to display a blue Pokémon Center cross, then to flow into a reasonably plausible red-and-white field Nurse's uniform...with a few details possibly just a bit Awesome, but Impractical on a physical outfit-

-his illusory hair also obtains streaks of red and white, apparently just because-

~Part-time emergency response? Maybe I should check on the rest of the evacuees?

Addie: <Yeah, healing's probably in short supply.>

Logan: -before he flies off with the Iron Ball- wAIT, hold up—

-to Brynhilde- ...do you know any better than I do how exactly the J-Team handles maybe-captured combatants?

Iron Grunt: Probably not by CRAMMING THEM INTO A SPHERE

Eric: ~Sorry, I can't lift you all otherwise!

edited 30th Apr '18 8:46:08 PM by Asterisk395

Basket: <Good to hear.>

<Two of their grunts had a Tropius. She was so tiny, I feel so old I turned 21 five days ago .-.>

Human Woman: ~Let me check just a sec...~

-she taps on a cell phone-

~AHA!~ ♥

~Somebody has already created gift registries for all three of those people!~

Ever Memito

Shizuo Heiwajima

Izaya Orihara

-a Pancham cheerfully taps away at their keyboard-

-these stores will let just about anyone set up a registry for somebody-

edited 30th Apr '18 8:59:02 PM by Tangent128

-a particular Iron Grunt enters by punching the water cooler-

Iron Grunt: Worthless! That's what all of you are, you scum! Can't do anything right! Anything! Ha ha, let's take hostages to show how "tough" we are! No one's impressed. If you actually cared, you'd just fucking kill them. You hear me? Just fucking kill them! But no, you're weak. Bunch of useless fucks.

-the Grunt grabs for their knife, before realizing they don't have it-

-they respond by punching the cooler again-

Iron Grunt: So do any of you actually ever do anything? Like, ever? Because this is just sad.

Pianis: Okay, there's something I don't get here.

Cinnamon: <What's that?>

Pianis: Last time I got kidnapped, it was like two months before the team came for a rescue. Now it's one day, if even that?

Cinnamon: <Oh yeah, I remember that! People said you were dead because you had some of my ice on you. I dunno why, personally I thought it was a great look.>

Pianis: Still doesn't make much sense.

Shaka takes another drag of the cigar.

Shaka: Then who's job is it? And why can't you get them to do little favours for you? Or are your only interactions with the extended pantheon the worm, your brother and lobbing sharp objects at his apotheosied boyfriend?

edited 30th Apr '18 8:59:41 PM by PippingFool

In Front of the Rubble

“A glass of water, a bathroom break, a friend, motivation to get out of bed in the morning,”

“Someone from my home world so I can know I’m not alone,” Roy added.

<A Razor Claw so I can evolve,> Rei added.

“And the knowledge that I can uphold my promise to Gudrunn Ginnung,” Colt finished.

They shake their head. "My formal introduction was yesterday. My assumption would be handing them over to the authorities, but I cannot say."

She pours herself some hot water into a mug and drops a teabag into it.

Then turns and stares at the Grunt.

"Calm yourself, unless you want one of us to do it for you."

Alonya: Reckless. That was it. They knew what was coming and still...

-Shakes her head-

Thank you for tellng us this, Paula. The importance isn't lost on us.

-she exits-

Yvan: Oh, I'm all about getting others to stop them. The thing is...I am death. I am destruction. But I am not fate.

-Paula just sorta... stares at the Grunt.-

-Then shakes her head and tosses the paper cup in the trash.-

Paula: Yeah. No problem. Maybe the next fuckin' surprise promotion is gonna be a bit more responsible.

-She sighs.-

Paula: ...I'm calling it a night. See ya around.

-She heads off as well.-

Iron Grunt: What are you gonna do, take me hostage? Lock me in one of your little cells? A lot of good that did, didn't it?

Channah: -blinks- ... (Lucius? Did I know he was there?) Hi Basket. -turns back to Colt- ... Uh. I can definitely hook you up with some water. -looks to Big Savings, who dutifully leaves- -to Roy- Where you from? You sound... familiar.

Big Savings: -returns and hands Colt a glass of dihydrogen monoxide- < F is for friends who do stuff together >

Iron Grunt: What, because I'm the only competent person in this organization?

 Stormchaser 

-To Basket-

Old? I'll be 27 just three months from now.

The sarcasm is nearly palpable.

"But no, because you appear to be suffering from a psychotic break in the aftermath of a failed mission."

Artoria: "Um, Shiki?"

Shiki: ~... Hm.~

She pushes the door open.

Shiki: ~... Why would you have a clothes store in a closet?~

Artoria: "... It's a magic clothes store."

Shiki: ~Strange.~

-the Grunt gives Natalie a cold glare, then punches the water cooler again and stomps off-

Shaka sighs.

Shaka: You know, in some cultures the concept of "time" and concept of "death are considered one in the same. The infamous "I have become death, destroyer of worlds" from the Bhagavad Gita has also been translated as "I am time, destroyer of worlds". There's something poetic in that, don't you think? The idea is that irrespective of what people do, their ultimate fate is the plaything of others - the divine - and thus there is no point to rejoice or mourn what that fate will be. And so, carrying out one's duty should be what people strive for, rather than fret about fate or their actions.

Shaka looks over to Yvan.

Shaka: Though, I guess since you and Dialga are separate entities that whole philosophy is hogwash, right?

Shaka looks up to the sky.

Shaka: Though, if fate is so unshakeable and predetermined, then Salvador and I being here is merely a fool's errand. And Tagg is just a dead man walking fated to be struck down by this timeline's Constantin's claws.

He looks back to Yvan.

Shaka: I should probably tell Salvador now that his own paramour feels his goals here are nothing more than pipe dreams. I'm sure he'd love to hear that.

Artoria: "Well, it seems to exist in an extradimensional space and some of the clothes they sell are... weird."

She takes off her scarf.

<Like so.>

She puts it back on.

Shiki: ~... Hm.~

She frowns, and walks over and grabs a red leather jacket off a rack, putting it on.

The Gallade is replaced with a woman only slightly taller than Artoria, wearing the jacket over a light blue kimono.

Artoria: "... Oh."

Archimedes nods to Artoria. <Yes. She is.>

Shiki: "... It's comfortable."

She looks in a mirror.

"And magic."

Eric: ~Right! Logan, can you—

Logan: Eheh, I'm technically off Area Ranger duty right now, so I can't actually...arrest anyone.

Eric: ~Oh. Right, I'll just pop over to somewhere that can handle this, check on the people who got out of the base, maybe fly over the rubble to check if anyone's still—

Iron Grunt: Oh my outdated metaphysical entity, just PICK SOMEPLACE TO DROP US OFF ALREADY

Eric: ~Okay, okay, geez! And RUDE!

Addie: <Thanks again for the hand, Erik!>

Erik: -satisfied sigh- ~Glad I got to help!

-with that, Eric bends an illusion of a blue-white Abra from the light hitting Addie, then vanishes with it^* <blip> and invisibly flies off, the gruntball soaring away in the direction of the Stormchaser-

Logan: -waits a moment, then emotionally decompresses slightly, leaning against a tree- ...oogh...

-to Brynhildr- ...Ah, I was introduced around...a month ago? With an anonymous tip.

It's a pleasure to meet you...even more with the I-just-got-unhostaged jitters. I'm Logan.

Addie: <And I'm Addie!>

-curiously- <What's your story? If you're up to sharing, that is. You seem like one of the folk who's lived an interesting life.>

Gloire trots out of... somewhere, up from the ground. <Gloire. Bonjour.>

Brynhilde looks at Addie. "I suppose I have a few... interesting stories, yes. Many, I suppose, thinking on it. I would suggest we board the ship before going into my life story, though. It may become... lengthy." -They grin.-

Artoria: "... I'll pay for it, just get your trainer to pay me back later."

Archemedes: <Good luck with that.>

Shiki: "... Thank you."

Squealer: <...Oh, huh!>

<What's a gift registry?>

In Front of the Rubble

“Look,” Colt stated before he grabbed the glass and chugged. “I embrace my desire to feel connected, but pure intention juxtaposted will set two lovers’ souls in motion. We both love media, but that’s the one thing we probably have in common.”

Behind him, Roy grabbed the glass and drank what may have been left. “Really, Colt? What’s your actual reason for not wanting to be friends with him?”

“Because I don’t know what I’m looking for in a friend and I’m turning down everyone who will not benefit a long-term hunt by proxy due to the fact that I can easily dismantle friendships, but not kindle them, so I’m trying to make as many friends as I can so I can painlessly drift apart from them and eventually keep a circle of friends I can be happy to call friends.”

<So you’re isolating what you see as the cream of the crop, which meets criteria you don’t have, to fulfill holes you never should have had, to rectify a turmoil you never knew you had?>

“Yes.” Colt responded bluntly, glad to see at least Rei was happy.

“And by the way,” Roy added as he returned the glass to Channah. “I’m from the Kingdom of Lycia, but the correct answer may also be ‘Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade’,” he explained.

edited 1st May '18 9:24:03 AM by AbsentCoder

-despite being worn-out to the point of leaning against a tree for support, they grin widely back at Brynhilde, seeming to sparkle slightly-

Logan: -pushing off, sweeping into a careful match of the bow- Logan Shockley, at yours, Ser Andevaran.

-and at the Rapidash- Gloire.

Addie: -hopping up to Logan's shoulder while it's closer to the ground, slightly unbalancing them, grinning as well- <Oh, I'd love to hear them! So, shall we?>

-Logan stands up, Addie beckoning in the direction of the ship-

Team Iron safehouse, past

-explosion-

Cleffa!Lila: <Aww, come on!>

Beldum!Eva: <We don't have a Latias!>

Cleffa!Lila: <Let's get out of here!>

-they fly out of a corner, dodging debris-

Rubble, now

Beldum!Eva: <That...was...EPIC! But I think I snagged a spike on the way out...and my head's kinda sore from busting that grate.>

Cleffa!Lila: <I think I can help there... Yaaaaaaa!>

-Lila uses heal pulse on Eva, then takes off her scarf and sits on the grass-

Lila: -huff puff-

-Eva shakes off her scarf-

Eva: Are you alright?

Lila: Yup! I'm just a bit exhausted. At least I didn't pass out like last time, so I must be doing something right. Oh yeah, seeing as we're in Alola, I'm gonna go surf over to Akala island. Anyone wanna come surfing with me?

Eva: Love to, but with my eye, -gestures to her bandaged eye- I don't think it would be a good idea.