Stormchaser, Mindescape

-there's always speculation, on her part- u_u

Zen: -to Misery- ~Fair enough.~

-to Ever's prone form- ~I'm impressed. I'll have to reevaluate conversation as a martial art form —certainly you seem adept at dismantling opponents in such a spar.~

-just...walking away- ~Remarkable technique behind that punch. Truly a fool's blow—I have much to learn even still.~

-and they're gone-

Stormchaser Medbay

-Kahlia gives Kai a nod.-

Kahlia: Y-yeah. Hopefully.

-At the same time, Alice smirks at Apple-A-Day.-

Alice: You'd be surprised. Depends on the company you keep. Though I'm guessing you keep to yourself, for the most part.

Ballonlea

-Shun lets out a breath he didn't realise he was holding as he emerges from hiding, looking curiously at Jade.-

Shun: ...Thank you. Did I hear that right? Are they expecting you to stay here with me for the purposes of espionage?

Wild Area, Giant's Cap

-Regrettably, Ferrum is not dashed against the rocks as he dismounts his Corviknight - the whims of the wind appear to have spared him, this time. Because that's all that was, right?-

Ferrum: Nitrogen, right? Heard about you. Not every day that a sheep flees the herd. Of course they find the sheep, like they always do, but hold on! This particular sheep decides she wants to be a sheepdog - or a wolf, even! Kinda adorable, when you think about it.

-He takes a step towards her, his grin just as friendly as her own.-

Ferrum: Just remember: you're already persona non grata. A reject and a failure. So, knowing what'll happen to you otherwise - maybe shut up and listen to the grown-up, hmm?

-He turns to Vana, eyebrow raised.-

Ferrum: Handlers are getting a little hit-happy these days, aren't they? Still, not like I'm complaining. Ambushing them after the battle sounds like a decent enough plan. One of you oughta lure them away as they leave the Gym, before they can get to the Center, so we can jump 'em there. You've already met them, so you can handle that, right, V?

Ballonleia

Jade: Y-yeah, that's what I told them. What I want them to think. If I go dark they'll probably assume I died, which honestly is probably the best-case scenario.

-Herr face kind of scrunches up at the last bit in a "it's true but I shouldn't say it" fashion-

Stormchaser Mindfray

Ever: -just lies there and feels like garbage for a bit-

Misery: <That happened.>

Ever: I think I'm the moral victor here.

Misery: <I wouldn't know.>

Ever: I'll go in once the swelling recedes.

Stormchaser, a bit later

Ever: —so yeah, she just punched me in the throat and left. I mean, how rude do you get?

PEFE!Every: -working with Cytosol to take some notes on Gossifleur- You probably shouldn't have gotten distracted.

Ever: Well, yes, thank you, I hadn't realized.

PEFE!Every: Is she a Vriska, then?

Ever: Oh, you don't even know what a Vriska is, don't act like you do, you just know it bothers me to be asked.

PEFE!Every: She sounds lonely.

Ever: She is lonely, that's the crux of my argum—

-...-

-...-

Ever: Are you blushing?

PEFE!Every: No. It's warm out and I'm used to colder temperatures from when I was abandoned in the PEFE HQ.

Ever: There's no way that's true. You lived with snakes and if it had been that cold they'd have died.

PEFE!Every: People also turn red in the cold.

Ever: Well, now you're just dodging the question.

PEFE!Every: -turning away hurriedly to examine a corkboard full of data-

Ever: Oh, for fuck's sake— She's not a good person!

PEFE!Every: Neither am I!

{Neener Neener, I've Got a Secret}, Safe House

-Neodymium is hanging out, still basking in the satisfaction of a completed mission-

-she has another Light Screen image up, this one a sketchy outline of Ferrum fighting Kai-

-she's lying under it, propped up on her elbows, and in front of her is a pad of paper and a purple pen and teal pen borrowed from the devastation left behind by Ferrum's tantrum-

-she's doing her best to copy the image down onto paper-

-Didit is sitting next to her, and a person in a labcoat is observing and occasionally taking notes-

Dr. Tran: I didn't know you liked art.

Neodymium: ~It's a new thing. I saw some art on a recon mission with Molybdenum.~

Dr. Tran: Moving on from cooking?

Neodymium: ~I'm not really that good at cooking. This is more fun, I think.~

Dr. Tran: You've changed media.

Neodymium: ~This is better, I think? It's hard but it's permanent, or at least permanent until I lose the paper.~

Dr. Tran: Permanence? Is that important to you?

-Didit tenses slightly-

Neodymium: ~Not really. But it's cool, right?~

-Didit relaxes-

{Still no}, Different Safe House

Adelinde: (reading aloud) I am the scourge of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you. Genghis Khan.

Lutetium: Kangaskhan?

Adelinde: Genghis. What did Dr. Powell teach you? He formed the largest contiguous empire in history, though it essentially collapsed after his death. What does this tell you?

Lutetium: It wasn't stable?

Adelinde: It was held together by him. A single man, flesh and blood, with no psychic abilities that we know of, holding an empire through the power of his own genius.

-she closes her book telekinetically, and gives Lutetium a look. She's still seated in front of Dr. Powell's computer, and has been for some time, going through old liquidation records. A Morelull is napping on the little tray table that the computer has been placed on, and a half-dozen Psycho Cut blades hover around, completing various tasks-

Adelinde: There is very little admirable within human society, but I'll admit, they really went off with poetry. Though this is in fact a synthesis of two separate quotes, one by Genghis Khan himself and one by a putative successor, Timur the Lame. But synthesis is important. Critical. Synthesis gave us...well, us!

Lutetium: ~Y—~

Adelinde: Speak.

Lutetium: I was just going to agree.

Adelinde: Mhm.

-she places the book onto a platform of psychic energy, sending it off to the shelf, and recovers another one-

Adelinde: We are a kind of poetry, you understand. Not literally— expressing a message in genetics is a function of fiction. But DNA is the language of flesh, the words in which we are written, and we are written better, with intent and attention. Our existence is allusion, we heighten the forms that came before us. We are progress, Lutetium, and— am I boring you?

Lutetium: -eyes glazing over, snaps back to attention- N-no.

Adelinde: Do you like poetry, Lutetium?

Lutetium: Uh—

Adelinde: Collect your thoughts and speak with confidence. Cut to the heart of the matter.

Lutetium: -finding this somewhat hard to do in close proximity to Adelinde's gamer rig- Two roads diverged—

Adelinde: Trivial. Literally trivial, as it happens, but no adverb ever rescued its antecedent from ignobility. Expand your horizons. That will be your homework for the time being, while I...

-long, irritated sigh. The Morelull cracks open an eye-

Adelinde: Study.

-she scoops the Morelull off the computer, setting him on her shoulder. He rather promptly returns to sleep-

Adelinde: I fear for our future, sometimes, Lutetium, I really do. Our Freshmen are running off to play house with ordinary humans. Our Templars are being outperformed by children— exceptional children, but test runs. Our alumni— our chosen, the handpicked of you lot whom we have elected to raise up, are...not demonstrating their dedication.

-...-

You'll pass your exams, Lutetium, if you stay by my side and listen to what I have to teach you. You won't be a failure. Are you willing to put in that work?

Lutetium: ...Yes, of course.

Adelinde: Good. Because if you don't, I will feed what's left of you to Lotophage.

Lotophage the Morelull: -opens eye again, curiously, and then goes back to sleep-

Castelia City - Last Night

Shaun: "Well, it's official. This book is now useless for me."

-Shaun slams his head into his desk, his copy of the Prax Obscura bouncing off the table. Shaun sighs and reaches down for it, only to hesitate.-

-Gut feelings are usually right, for Shaun.-

-Dread. Fear. Foreboding. Danger.-

-Death.-

-The room goes dark. Lights flicker and fade in an instant.-

Qrow: <Power's out.>

Shaun: "No shit. I'll be back."

Beowulf: <You shouldn't go alone.>

Shaun: "It's just a power outage, I'll be fine."

-Shaun pulls on a coat and slips out of his room, blinking as his eyes adjust to darkness. Obscura flows freely, his blue-gray eyes shining purple.-

Shaun: "Where're the breakers again...?"

-Shaun flinches as he turns his head and is struck by bright lights. He squints and approaches, hand out, until he hits a window.-

-The rest of the block...still has power?-

???: "Ah, there you are!"

-The hair on Shaun's neck and arms prickle up. He turns around and sees...-

-Himself. Slightly different outfit, hair braided, but himself. And the barely-discernible shape of a hood.-

Shaun: "..."

???: "Oh, I am ever so glad I found you finally! Tobias has been dogging my steps like a stray puppy."

-...-

Shaun: "Where are you from? We haven't met before."

???: "I come from the most pristine of the universes, of course! Our Grace has all of us fighting to maintain peace and order in the world! My name, friend, is Orpheus. I know who you are, of course."

-Vague memories of a cave in Alola filled with darkness and Calamity.-

Orpheus: "Hmm? Oh, of course, Jessica, I certainly am getting off track. You see, Shaun, I'm afraid I have some plans for you, if you don't mind."

-Ruminations on the ramifications of countless universes, countless Shauns.-

-Knowing that one of his selves is hunting him down.-

Shaun: "And if I do mind?"

-Orpheus taps his chin.-

Orpheus: "Well..."

-He leans forward, and two sets of lifeless eyes stare into Shaun's being.-

Orpheus: "I'll just have to take you!"

-Shaun dodges as a fist flies at him, Orpheus tripping and stumbling past Shaun. He momentarily debates running back to his apartment before he realizes the moonlight's still pouring in through the window...-

-Shards of glass glitter and shine as Shaun tackles Orpheus through the window.-

-Shaun's apartment is on the tenth floor.-

-Orpheus gnashes his teeth, trying to bite Shaun; Shaun lets go and kicks off of Orpheus, firing a hookshot back up at the shattered window. But the tail of a Drapion hooks onto his ankle and drags him back down, breath leaving his lungs as he hits the asphalt of the streets below.-

-That car's moving a little fast.-

Midna: <Move, idiot!>

-Shaun rolls out of the road and onto the sidewalk, jumping to his feet in a defensive stance. He doesn't see Orpheus anywhere - just a bunch of people enjoying the nightlife, not really bothered by the fact that a half-dressed twenty-something guy just fell 100 feet out of a window, locked in combat with his evil twin.-

-Shaun shakes his head. Unovans.-

-Something compels Shaun to look up, and he sees himself hanging from a lamppost.-

-By the Drapion tail extending from his rear, which is wrapped around the lamp. He grins from ear-to-ear, poison dripping off the pincers jutting out of his wrists.-

Orpheus: "Up here, Shaun!"

-Orpheus drops down and lands three-point, one arm out to the side.-

Orpheus: "Now that was rude of you! I simply wish to kill you! No need to make this hard on yourself!"

Shaun: "Well, I tend to be stubborn. Any particular reason you want me dead?"

-Orpheus drags a pincer across his cheek, thinking.-

Orpheus: "You're a threat to her, to us. You're on this world's J-Team. And we can't be having that, now can we?"

-Orpheus laughs and darts across the ground - faster than the eye can see. He strikes in flurry of blows, the pincers coming dangerously close to slicing into Shaun, who only avoids becoming murderized by blocking with Obscura-infused palms and rapidly backstepping.-

Orpheus: "And, truth be told, you interest me! I want to be the one to end you!"

Shaun: "Don't think Tobias'll appreciate it."

Orpheus: "Tobias simply doesn't understand! Let him tinker with his machines. I will enact her will on my own!"

-They repeat their movements - blocking each other's blows with hands and forearms, ducking and dodging and weaving. Almost like they know exactly where the strikes will land.-

-That backup's late. What are they doing, taking the stairs?-

-Shaun's starting to fall on the back foot. He might know how to counter punches and kicks, but the tail's throwing him off in more ways than one. And for some reason his own strikes seem to just bounce off of Orpheus.-

~Behind you~

-Shaun ducks as twin ice beams fly past him, freezing Orpheus's tail mid-blow. Shaun takes advantage of Orpheus being knocked off-balance by kicking him in the stomach and darting behind his fully-assembled team, Beowulf flanked by Midna and Tsuboi. Qrow is nowhere to be found.-

Orpheus: "Am I supposed to be scared? No matter. I'll be seeing you around, my dear! I have other business to attend too, for now. Keep in touch~"

-Without even looking, he stabs his tail up, clipping a mid-Fly Qrow's wing and sending the Corviknight careening into the street, only avoiding an untimely death at taxicab thanks to Beowulf telekinetically correcting his course. Orpheus smirks and leaps, both fists slamming into an apartment building and turning the wall into impassable rubble. Shaun tenses up to climb over the rubble but is stopped by a Gallade hand on his chest.-

Beowulf: <Don't. He's trying to bait us. It's what you would do.>

-Shaun stares hard at Beowulf, but relents and steps back, surveying the damage.-

Shaun: "Deposit won't cover this, huh?"

Qrow: <I think we're moving.>

Stormchaser

Ever: What brought you around?

Muninn: <It was a process, and I'm not sure you can force it.>

-Ever is lying on a couch somewhere, Muninn sitting on their chest and receiving pets-

Muninn: <Though dying did help. It's a fairly stark reminder that what you're doing isn't working out.>

Ever: Hmm. Yeah. But I'd really rather not kill her, you know? I feel like that's a failure state and anyway the idea of any more deaths is not thrilling to me.

Muninn: <Hm. A little late for that realization.>

Ever: Oh, shush. You know you deserved it.

Muninn: <...Yes.>

Ever: Hmph. Maybe Pef can seduce her and I won't have to worry about this any longer.

Muninn: <I don't think relying on Every to seduce anyone or anything is a good strategy.>

Ever: No...they'd make each other worse anyway.

Muninn: <Speaking of strategy, that reminds me.>

Ever: Hm? I'll deal with the League soon.

Muninn: <No, I wanted to know something about when you killed me.>

Ever: Yeah?

Muninn: <I was still technically your Pokemon. Why didn't you try recalling me? Did you realize I'd detonate the ball and blow off your hand, or?>

Ever:

Muninn: <?>

Ever:

-...-

Ever: -drags fingers down face-

Muninn: (sympathetically) <This is not your day, is it?>

Textspace

Wyndon Hotel

When Tommy opens the package he'll find a sealed jar containing something that looks like sparkly glue. The iridescent patterns in it constantly change colour in the light. There's a note.

Stormchaser Medbay

-Kai grins.-

Kai: Not dying is my specialty. Carmilla couldn't take me down, so really, who can? Ferrum's nothing. Give a guy a big hammer and he thinks he's Thor, but I'm a goddamn Frontier Brain. Kai the Radiant. Kai the Scintillating. Kai, the one who's gonna kick that wannabe Magneto's ass.

-They suppress a painful cough as they fold their hands behind their head, lounging confidently in their hospital bed.-

Stormchaser Hallways

-Mason blinks, and nods.-

Mason: Percy. That works.

-Scarlette's eyes fall to Percy's hiding her arm.-

Scarlette: You know, I'm the last person you've gotta hide an arm problem from. No judgment here.

-She flashes a peace sign with her prosthetic.-

Wild Area — Giant's Cap

Nitrogen: ...Awful lot of people knowing too much these days, huh? I'm starting to think this whole Freshman Class deal may be somewhat of an ill-thought-out move. Even my class didn't draw this much attention.

-She taps her foot.-

Nitrogen: Anyway, no use standing around here, is there? We've got a target to take care of, and a timeframe to do it.

Stormchaser Medbay

Brie: Don't forget "Kai the Very In Need of Rest, Which Her Girlfriends Are Here To Remind Her Of."

Apple-A-Day: (to Alice) Uh...yeah, mostly. I'm not...normally around this many people.

-they fold their arms-

Kinda don't have many friends or anything.

Stormchaser Hallway

Percy: Hm.

-she holds out her own arm, the fingers not quite curling into a peace sign of their own-

Percy: Make sure you know what you're getting into.

-and then moves it behind her back, adjusting her hat slightly with her other hand-

You're okay...bodyguarding, I guess? Can't promise the conversation will be so interesting.

"So, it's agreed then?" Silas commented.

"I've already got us on course for the area Captain, you may want to get your crew ready for negotiations," Bishop commented.

"Right, Gale, take whatever fresh supplies we have and get prepped to make a banquet if we need to host anybody," Silas said.

Roxy grinned, "I'll go get the Reporter team, we'll have them record this event for posterity, also get ready to prep a broadcast if needed."

~We can do that?~ Hacks asked.

The door shut with an energized hiss as Delta lead the two in. The area was big, Delta looked about, "Alright, Salem, Kitbash. Computer core should be-"

"Around here?" A voice came out.

Delta looked up, "Ah... there you are."

Zatara looked up, ~Is that them?~

"Yep. Lightwave."

Sitting atop a large tower of sorts was an individual in bright silver armor, green lines and pipes connecting the pieces, a helmet with a simple black visor staring at the group. Lightwave was here, "Hello Delta, so, you're the one being sent from collections?" they asked.

"Hey, only strike for the best."

Lightwave scoffed, "And those two, what are they, backup?"

Delta waved to Kitbash, "Computer core should be around here, get there and get the data. Salem ensure that nothing happens to him."

Lightwave snapped their fingers and a few grunts came out, "Not so easy."

"Now!" Delta commanded.

A freighter ship sat at the docks, a man sat upon a barrel next to a large cargo freighter. He rolled his neck a bit as he cleaned a blade, "Oi, careful with that shit, or else it's commin' outta your paycheque," he told a grunt.

Dominic Kincade, 42, a notable smuggler that had evaded capture for years. Here in this region he had immunity for some "Good Deeds" with the ruling parties, that and his more illicit activities had been kept under the radar thanks to some friends of his. Today was going to be a fun day, he had to hit the King's Ransom atop the hill to learn of his next job for some mutual friends.

Kincade's Knights were always ready to cause a bit of trouble, up walked a Shiny Bisharp, missing his left eye, "Ah. Razorblade, the cargo ready?"

Razorblade nodded and gave a thumbs up, "Ah that's a good lad!" Kincade said with a smile.

The water bubbled, Kincade looked over, and out of the sea rose an old [Russian] sub, Kincade stared in shock as a Hurricane Class sub docked at the port. Out of it stepped a man, he had to be in his 50s judging by the sight of him, he wore an old [Soviet] Captain uniform, a naval greatcoat drooped over his shoulders. He brushed his hair with a red prosthetic hand.

He was followed by a young blood woman who marched with intent, a heavy coat concealing some outfit underneath, Kincade had to guess a mistress of some sorts, things were getting interesting.

"Akira is fine, he's on assignment," Natalie said, tapping at her notes with a pen, "Of course that is not why you are here. Tell me, why did you set an appointment? What do you require?"

She smiled, "After all, one often sets an appointment with me when they require resources and funds."

[Where the Stormchaser is Parked], Woods

-as soon as Molybdenum flees Misery's proximity, the Imprison falls away-

Molybdenum: —

-she has quite a bit to think about!-

Molybdenum: {scoff, mocking pathetic attempts to test her resolve}

-the vast majority of it tricks, no doubt-^* (-they have never lied to her-)

Molybdenum: {snappy one-liner insulting their intelligence}

-she knows they pulled this before-

-with a much more powerful Psychic-^* (-dead and unburied, his corpse fed to their Pokémon-)

Molybdenum: {bold statement on the goal the School strives for}

-but she's different-^* (-is she?-)

-she's human-^* (-isn't she?-)

-she has a goal beyond planetary slaughter-^* (-does she?-)

Molybdenum: {Molybdenum settles to ponder her next move}

-the genetically-engineered super soldier dry heaving in the middle of the forest shuts down everything that hurts-

-her eyes flare an unusually bright purple—-

-...and she ragdolls-

 Mind Pearl Designation 42-{REDACTED} 

-and she begins putting her house in order-

Stormchaser Medbay

-As Kai lounges confidently in her bed and makes her boasts, Kahlia gazes at her with an adoring smile, which fades into something more melancholy at Brie's remark.-

Kahlia: ...Yeah. You're goddamn right. No way the bastards are gonna keep you down. But gotta listen to the wardens and get some rest, at least for now.

-Alice's smirk at Apple-A-Day turns into a warmer, more sincere smile.-

Alice: Well, you're here now, and by the sounds of it you might be staying aboard for a while. Maybe this might be a chance to change that.

Ballonlea

-Shun blinks, then awkwardly pats Jade on the shoulder.-

Shun: ...You're safe now, at least. We should head back to the Center. I can report your story to my superiors - leaving out identifying information at your discretion, of course - and we can see about getting you in touch with people who might be able ot help.

-He glances around before beginning to trek back towards town.-

Edited by Herbert40k on Aug 17th 2021 at 7:25:38 PM

[Venice], Harbor - July 7th

-And out of the sub comes another couple.-

-The man's pale skin and slicked-back long black hair look very out of place next to his partner, with her tanned skin and platnium blonde curls.-

-The man wears a brown bomber jacket over a black shirt, along with thick black pants and brown work boots. Under his jacket is a leather bandolier with a sheathed knife and a Dive Ball, and on his belt rests a shashka in its sheath. On the other side of his waist dangles a gas mask. He stands straight, hands clasped behind his back.-

-His partner wears a white crop-top jacket over a pink tanktop, tucked into short denim shorts, along with pink fishnets and black flats. The pink purse over her shoulder has a standard Poké Ball sticking out of it.-

Edited by SwiftSeraph on Aug 17th 2021 at 1:25:15 PM

[Venice], Harbor - July 7th

-enter Thalia duMort, wealthy heiress-turned-scoundrel—clad in a deceptively well-tailored stormcloud flapper dress, a Swanna-feather pin adorning her hair-

Thalia: -yeah, this is Thespi- This is who you've brought us to meet, Captain?

-and Pauline duMort, an aging beauty in a steel-gray suit, solid and genteel at her side-

Pauline: -hi, Pippy- Sugarplum, let the men speak.

Thalia: -sniff- I allow you on these expeditions to satisfy the board, Father. But you raise valid points twice a day.

-brown-skinned, silver-haired, pixie-cutted and beautiful both—the Pokéballs on their belts have seen better days but they wear them with terrible confidence-

-a Wingull pecks at Thalia's head and she shoos it away, flustered-

[Venice], elsewhere - July 7th

-someone is examining the mechanism at the heart of the city-

Not Megan: ...ooooh, this is fascinating.

-she's dressed in red-and-black leather, her face largely concealed behind large, star-shaped shades and a medically-approved atmospheric filter mask-

Balonleia

-Jade sighs-

Jade: ...All right. Coming. T-Thank you.

Great job, now he doesn't trust you. And they'll probably still find you.

You're doomed. Just like always.

-She follows Shun-

Stormchaser

-Coiland Iris are sibling bonding by playing Smash Bros when Odin and Owen approach-

Odin: You ask them first.

Owen: No YOU ask them first.

Odin: As your father I'm asking you to speak to them first.

Owen:' I'm an adult, dad, that doesn't work anymore.

Odin: Fine, fine. Excuse me, you two?

-Coil and Iris pause the game and turn to them-

Coil: Yeah?

Iris: What is it?

Odin: Er, when wee met you guys you were really invested in our little friend Neon and super weirded out by The School. Like, more than a normal person would be. What is up with that?

-Coil and Iris pause-

-Then stand up, electric-ish and water-y Aura charging in their hands with Pokeballs in the other as they glare at Odin and Owen-

Coil: Why are you asking?

Iris: Are you with Pokefutures?

Owen: Agh! We aren't involved in any criminal organizations anymore, we promise!

Coil: ANYMORE?!

Odin: It's complicated!

Iris: THAT DOESN'T HELP!

Edited by Umbramatic on Aug 17th 2021 at 4:18:17 AM

Crown Tundra, today

[Venice], elsewhere

Next to the person who is definitely Not Megan is someone who is definitely Not Daydre, getting their not-money's worth out of an Amulet they definitely didn't get from some guy named Merlin.

Not Daydre is dressed pretty simply, in a blue dress shirt and black slacks. Just in case the amulet face changing isn't enough they're also wearing a pair of aviators.

"It's pretty here, I can say that much... Not entirely sure how this stuff works, though."

Stormchaser

-Odin and Owen are still being confronted by Coil and Iris-

Owen: L-Look. me and dad don't have the most spotless records, but I can promise you this: We don't want to hurt you.

-Coul and Iris pause, then dissipate their weaponized Aura and lower their Pokeballs-

Iris: ...Fine.

Coil: ...We'll tell you.

Odin: ...What is it?

Iris: ...That kid, Neon. What he described about what happened to him, and The School. It... It's what happened to us, but with Pokefutures.

Coil: Attempts to lab grow kids with Pokemon powers resulted in... Me and Iris. W Ee don't know if there were any other survivors.

Owen: ...Oh.

Odin: From what I looked into of Pokefutures back in the day It's... Not surprising they would copy the School's homework.

Iris: It could go both ways too. We were originally in Galar to see if any of the dangerous scientists from the experiments that created us had infiltrated Macro Cosmos. But mabye we were looking in the wrong place.

Owen: Well we're willing to help!

Odin: And your secret is safe with us.

Coil: Thank you. We're gonna need all the help we can get. Starting with looking into more into this School.

Owen: Well there's Neon. And I'm looking for a dude named Mason who may or may not be around here... And a lady named Alonya who's DEFINITELY not here but I really wanna find...

Odin: And there's an airshipload of other Schoolkids here...

Iris: Great! We'll start with them.

Coil: And help you find this Alonya while we're at it.

Owen: Great, thanks!

Odin: We'll keep an eye out for Schoolkids and other leads.

-to Owen-

Are you sure this is a good idea?

Owen: Of course it is. We help them get their info and they help us find Alonya. Two Rookidee.

Odin: Fair enough.

Circhester Stadium, Gym Challenge Puzzle Room (Ice Floor)

-Ian chuckles, however, as a little bit of danger wouldn't stop him and Evelyn from having fun.-

Me: Then again, my father once said that if I had to cross thin ice, I ought to cross it in a dance!

-He looks to Evelyn and smiles as though to say "Shall we?". Evelyn looks back and smiles also, nodding in affirmation as she takes Ian's hand.-

-The two trainers channel their psychic energy through each other, causing them to levitate just a few inches off the ground, just enough to make it look like they were skating. They then proceed to glide over the ice floor in a dance similar to the one they had when they first fell in love. The two trainers look into each other's eyes as they spin each other around and rise above the floor in a beautiful dance.-

[Venice]'s Heart - July 7th

Not Megan: -hum- Oh, me neither. It's actually, like, conceptually related to some of the stuff I pulled off in the Wild Area, but Leagues beyond—see this conduit? It just—

-she indicates a pieces of brass that seems nearly identical to all the other pieces attached to it-

Not Megan: -starry-eyed, hushed- I've been pumping Aura into it the whole time we've been standing here—

(-she lifts a wrist behind the cover of her body to show them how the sleeve's unfurled into a toothy frill, trickling liquid glow into the works-)

Not Megan: —and you can see it conducting, but it hasn't so much as budged.

-she visibly suppresses the urge to spin around under the mechanism-

Not Megan: -wondering- Normally you can get some kind of response from this kind of thing with a little effort—I wonder what it took to power it, in its prime? I think I saw these conduits in the water when we were pulling into the city!

-she rambles a bit more on her estimated specifications of this thing—an ancient machine for putting the whole city into motion, water and metal bending around its gears-

Not Megan: -turning those star eyes to them- ...and yes, you are. c=

-giggle- I can say more than that much.

(-her soppy grin uncovers those incisors that've grown out since Vee futzed with her entire Auric-circulatory-)

-...and she contemplates Daydre and their whole ensemble, a bit more inquiring-

Not Megan: Pretty? Handsome?

-beam, warmly- You just look good. Happy.

The figure walked through the empty labs... Interpol had really cleaned out here. He sneered as he entered the security center and dug through the hard drives. The footage showed quite a bit, the sneer became a frown.

He brushed his messy hair aside, he stared, "Silas..." he muttered.

Tobias shut the recordings off, of course his counterpart had that nerdy armor now... that made things a little more difficult. Silas at this point was an experienced combatant, certainly Tobias had experiences with those, but actual beskar armor was another point entirely. His teleportation rig had limits, and if Silas spent anymore time developing his weapons...

Tobias would figure something out, he held up a gloved hand and squeezed it... there had to be something out there. He needed more information... the thing at the bottom of the lab belonged to his counterpart now.

He snapped his fingers and teleported out.

Tobias appeared, this place had made a good makeshift base for his time in this universe, her Grace needed forward scouts to make sure information was kept up to date.

He wrote out his findings and snapped his fingers, the letter teleporting out back to his universe... now Orpheus. Orpheus was around here... did he care that the Shaun of this universe would likely die to Orpheus?

No.

He cared that Orpheus was more akin to a feral animal than anything else, her Grace wanted him heeled... well Tobias would work on that in a bit. Enough peanut butter and chocolate would get that beast caged.

For now he turned on a monitor and watched video footage from a camera outside some pokemon center, he saw Silas and his mate walking by... Tobias had no clue why but he felt something watching her... what was her name?

Roxanne...

He had no idea what he was feeling, but it only made him upset. He shut down the footage, especially as Hacks walked in.

Lucky bastard...

Stormchaser Medbay

-Kai giggles, still grinning at Brie in particular.-

Kai: Okay, okay, fine. I'll rest. I can't wait to get up and moving, though, I'm in the difficult predicament where I can't easily lean over to kiss either of my girlfriends despite both of you being right here. It's so tragic.

Stormchaser Hallway

-Scarlette's eyes widen at the sight of Percy's arm.-

Scarlette: Oh. Oh wow that's cool. You weren't kidding about spooky, Mason.

Mason: Yeah. I mean, this is new, but she's always been able to do that with bones and stuff.

Scarlette: I love it.

-She grins.-

Scarlette: Anyway, yeah, I'm cool with bodyguarding. Been a while since I worked a proper security job.

Stormchaser Lobby Area

-Even though Mason is on the Stormchaser at the present moment, the whims of the Stormchaser's hallways don't seem to be intent to lay themselves out for Odin and Owen to find him. However, the halls do open up a path to someone else.-

-Particularly, a copper-haired ex-scoundrel lazily laying on a couch somewhere on the airship, playing Capumon.-

[Venice], near the sub

Following Thalia and Pauline is a bemused [Chinese] woman wearing a very formal long-sleeved yet still form-flattering maroon qipao. Her face was stern and inscrutable, and her hair was tied back in a ponytail, held in place by an ornate head pin. Following her was a drone with the projection of an ordinary looking gentleman with amber hair, seemingly [Caucasian] at first glance but with features that look mixed.

Stern lady: Pleased to meet your acquaintance. Constance Yang, representing the Shen Huo Group. My superiors are expanding their new operations in the peacekeeping industry and were hoping to negotiate with a few distinguished customers. My companion here said you were highly recommended. Likewise, my partner Mr. O'Meara, who couldn't be here with us at present.

Man in the hologram: How do you do!

Emerging behind them was an incineroar wearing a vest, shirt, and pants, carrying luggage.

Constance: I assume, Captain, that our accommodations in [Europe] would be less uncomfortable than your little relic. As fascinating as it is to showcase the old union's technological achievements, such a charming little relic deserves to live out its days in a museum.

O'Meara: We can design you a better one.

Tommy's Hotel Room, August 15

Tommy at the luminous jar in fascination.

Gimbal: What is it, kiddo?

Tommy: That's what I'd like to know. It's something from my friend Des. You'll like him. He's cool. He's got this cowboy thing going on.

He opens it and gives it a good sniff.

Tommy: Hmmm, that's new. I wonder what it's made of.

He takes a small dollop of the material out of the jar and places it close to his face. He stares at it and gives it another sniff, before opening his mouth.

Gimbal: You're not gonna lick it, are you?

Tommy, awkwardly: ...no.

Gimbal, angrily: Thomas Andrew Petersen if you actively try to poison yourself again on your birthday, I swear to Arceus—

Tommy: Alright! Alright! I'm not gonna. Sheesh.

Gimbal: Are you sure?

Tommy:Yes!

Gimbal: Wipe your finger and close the lid. Do it.

Tommy complies, or so it seems at first. He quickly tried to put it as close to his mouth as possible, confident in his somewhat superhuman reaction time to get past his mother's ghost.

Of course, her mother is a rotom, so she just shocks him before he has a chance to do so.

Tommy: What was that for!?

Gimbal: For continuing the bad habit of putting potentially dangerous chemicals in your mouth!

Tommy: I already sniffed it. It's probably not poisonous.

Gimbal: No. Bad Thomas! Now put that away, store it somewhere, and use a spectroanalyzer on a sample like a normal person! Arceus, where did I go wrong? How'd you get so oral retentive?

Edited by MasterJayAM on Oct 19th 2021 at 7:48:37 PM