ITT: We Have All Become Pokémon

What PJ sees, hanging from the ceiling by rope, is the body of a Braixen with a familiar scar on her chest. He may feel cold just looking at it. It's no question who she was. It's no question what she is now. It's no question what she did to end up like this.

There's a very hollow look to her now. All she does now is sway back and forth. This was recent. Very recent. She has a very cold look to her, like all life fled her body.

From the drawing room, hung Finley.

Good thing that turned out to be wrong... *Jani responds to Noriaki, though realizing* ...Jillian and Sushi notwithstanding...

*turning to Grigori, she adds* Right, you haven't heard of them I imagine. Both meat eaters, both ex-humans. Jillian...she's more or less a lost cause. Turns out she'd been that way for two whole years. Kind of a sociopath at that... *though her own naivete, or at least faith in humanity's good nature, causes her to add* ...as for Sushi, I'd like to think she could still be...redeemed. Maybe because she hasn't been here for long, maybe because she's a cat who eats... *noting present avian company, she backtracks slightly* ...err, traditional feline prey. *she blushes noticeably*

I gulp, trying to force my frustration down and grasp at any coherent sentences I can say. "Well, that was one part of it, yes… but what made you think that was a good idea by any means?!"

Killing people who kill senselessly? I don't know, guess I'm a genius or somethin'...

(The small stream of water splashes onto my arm. I look down at it, and despite what just happened my arm is relatively alright.)

Thanks, Marsh. I can always count on ya.

I see. I imagine that you've taken a shining to her.

(Lucille says back to Benji.)

"Okay, sure, some of them killed people, but you can't assume that about all of them! The actions of a few don't reflect the actions of the rest! You could've, and probably DID kill relatively innocent people!"

[I roll under the Dragon Pulse, spitting another Ember out at Goobert. I smile: this is really fun...I have to wonder what the other forms will entail...]

edited 19th Oct '17 2:02:04 PM by BlackMageAnolis

"Yes, that is rather troubling... Some in this realm wish to bring the world back to such a savage state."

Dore looks at Nyquil condescendingly.

Here's the deal, Buddy. The Bedsheets are gangsters. They rough up people and deal narcotics. They were supposed to stay non-violent, until they eventually decided it was easier to kill people. If they got in their way, they died. Their leaders were alright people, but the fact that they turned a blind eye and pretended that it didn't happen means they are just as big a problem.

Approaching closer, hovering about a foot or two above Nyquil, he states, And quite frankly, I don't like people like you thinking they know all about everything, because until you really do, you keep your damn mouth shut.

(Oh.)

(Oh fuck.)

(Oh fuck me that's not...)

(OH FUCK ME THAT'S TOTALLY HER)

PJ: "FINLEY!"

*My heart freezes for a moment as the dangling body before me registers in my mind. That's... fuck, Finley just... why would she... oh god, this is my fault, I let her do this, if I had kept talking to her, if I had followed her in, if I had... if I had done anything...*

*I instinctively rush toward her, my breathing heavy and my pulse pounding. Is there a chair I can climb up on? Is there a way for me to cut the rope? Fuck, there has to be something I can do. She can't be dead, right? This is just some elaborate and deeply disturbing prank, right?*

PJ: "This can't be... this isn't... shit, holy shit, Fin's... F... Fen-Fen..."

(NO THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING THERE'S GOTTA BE SOMETHING I CAN DO SHE CAN'T BE DEAD SHE CAN'T BE GONE I CAN FIX THIS I CAN SAVE HER I CAN THINK OF SOMETHING FUCK)

*My knees are weak, my hands are trembling, I'm shivering all over, I can't even think of where to begin. Maybe I can sever the rope with a jolt of electricity? Of course, provided that'll even work... and if it does, how would it help the matter at all? Cutting the rope wouldn't bring her back to life if she really is dead, all it'd do is make her body fall limply to the floor. I can't do anything, can I? It's just like every single other goddamn time I try to help anyone, it never fucking works. I didn't help her, I probably couldn't help her, and now I can't help her. Now she's...*

*She's...*

PJ: "Fuck..."

*She's dead. Isn't she?*

edited 19th Oct '17 2:07:23 PM by CaliburnAbsoluteEX

Noriaki's eyes open and gaze in the direction of where PJ screamed. He thought he heard something about... Finley?

He glances back to Jani and Grigori.

And then he low-altitude glides towards the source of the scream.

"They were supposed to stay non-violent… Wasn't that your job to control, you stupid insect?! Some pacifist YOU turned out to be!" My voice decreases in volume and becomes more low and gravelly. "And I'm fucking tired of you assuming everything about me… You keep saying that I think I know everything…! Jesus Christ, you sound like my dad… I'm sick of you being such a condescending prick!" I feel so worked up right now and it's definitely showing with how intensely I'm burning.

edited 19th Oct '17 2:10:39 PM by shrubBird

Ooof!! (I say, stumbling backwards a bit.) Good shot, Eliot!

(Marsha steps forward and uses Surf again.)

(Benji jumps. He realizes that Lucille is right.) Huh...I think...I think you're right...I think I am taking a shining to her! Wow...

(Dinah and Lucy arrive at the creek and see the rest of us sparring with Eliot.)

A Goodra? A Salazzle? (she says.) Oh, that's cool... (She sits down to watch.)

(Dinah smiles a bit upon seeing Lucy feel a bit better and sits down next to her.)

Dore stared into Nyquil's eyes. His Southern accent leaves the building, and a more natural accent. Andy's. So the barkeep ratted me out then? Perfect. Either way, I'm not a pacifist. All the hate of the world, all the selfishness. Acting like I had moral high ground just because I couldn't fight that well? That was fear. Pretentious fear. I took action. And I made sure those assholes payed for their indecencies. And I'm not going to apologize for that, Nyquil.

(I see Dinah come along with a Riolu. I aside to Marsha:)

Who's that?

Well, what are you waiting for? Admit your feelings to her. See where it goes, you know?

(Lucille says back to Benji.)

(Marsha looks up after using Surf.) Couldn't tell yas. Maybe Dinah made a new friend in town or somethin'? Hey, Del, you ain't doin' anythin' right now. Go see what's up!

Okay. (Delilah says, carefully getting up and walking over to Dinah and Lucy.) Hello, Dinah. Who's this?

This is Lucy, a Riolu Benji and I met in town today. (Dinah says. She leans over and whispers to Delilah.) She lost her parents in Dore's attack on the Bedsheets.

You don't have to be quiet about it, Ms. Dinah... (Lucy says.)

(Delilah is silent in shock for a moment.) Oh dear...I'm very sorry, Lucy...

(Lucy sighs and puts her face in her paws.)

You know what? Yeah! I'm gonna do it! (Benji says.) Hey, can that sandwich I ordered be to go, sir? I've got somethin' I need to do, just sayin'!

moving this to next post

edited 19th Oct '17 2:52:37 PM by Beverly

*Jani, too, rushes toward Finley's rooms...likely screwing up any stairs that might be in her way. Her thoughts race to last night's morbid conversation* (It happened, oh shit, it really happened...) *before she enters the room to find her fears confirmed*

No... *Jani's at a loss for words. She'd never been in such a situation before, and all she can think of at the moment is if there's anything she could have done in the interim*

NO!!!!!! *every bit of emotional hardening she may have gotten over the last two weeks of hell seem to melt away, as Jani is now in tears...looking up upon the lifeless, hanging Braixen...unable to even get her down...she can only utter weakly at this point*

...someone, please get her down...

"... PJ? Jani? What's wrong?" Comes a voice from the table.

It's... Finley. Walking up to the two concerned. She looks completely fine.

Looking back to where she was hung, nothing is there.

"Are you okay? Did something happen?" She looks incredibly worried.

Noriaki bumps in to the door frame, looking very panicked.

"Madam Finley, PJ! Is everything alright?!?"

He sees that everything seems... Fine? Although, he thought for a second as he came in he saw a rather disturbing scene before him.

edited 19th Oct '17 3:04:51 PM by Konkfan7

*rushing up to Finley and giving her a dirt-hug, the tears-streaming Jani asks* Wh-what the hell? If you were...but that was...an illusion, it was an illusion, wasn't it?

*shaking her head of the confusion, she looks up at the Braixen before continuing* First last night and now this...if somethin...no, it's no longer "if". Something's wrong, and I'm not leaving here until we talk about it.

Why would you scare us all like that?! Don't...don't you even realize how much we all care about you? *Jani asks, with a slightly stern-shifted tone mixed with all the other emotions prior swirling through her mind*

"Ill... scare..." The more Jani talks, the more confused Finley becomes.

"..."

She looks to PJ and Noriaki, hoping either of them have answers.

"What's happening?"

edited 19th Oct '17 3:07:20 PM by Beverly

(She's...)

*Finley's sudden presence is... uh... I don't even know what to think of it, I'm still having trouble processing the sight of her hanging. I turn to the rope, however, and she's... she's gone? Not even the rope she was hung from? What? What the fuck?*

PJ: "But you... but the..."

*I stand still for a moment, my gaze shifting rapidly between Finley and where her... corpse(?) was. A weak wheeze escapes my mouth. Then I run at her, leaping and latching onto her torso. I bury my head in her fur as I embrace her as tightly as I can.*

PJ: "FINLEY, HOLY FUCK THANK GOD YOU'RE OKAY! HOLY SHIT OH MY GOD I THOUGHT YOU WERE FUCKING... Hah... Hahah..."

*Finley's fur is slowly being dampened by my tears. I don't even know what to say, I'm just so overwhelmed. All I can tell is that relief is the strongest emotion I'm feeling right now.*

PJ: "You're okay, you're okay, you're okay, you're okay, you're okay..."

Noriaki regains his composure a bit, but still seems a bit choked up and emotional as he says, "It would seem as if an illusion was in play. I doubt by Madam Finley. I would first and foremost try to deduce by who, but..."

His voice seems to crack at the last word, before he goes over and joins the Finley hugpile. She may feels a few tears that couldn't be stifled.

edited 19th Oct '17 3:10:32 PM by Konkfan7

(I took note of the two individuals Jani named: Jillian and Sushi. The former she held with some form of contempt while the latter she believes to be misguided. I lowered my head and narrowed my eyes. No doubt these two are dangerous individuals, especially Jillian. I wondered if they were connected to that Crabominable.) If either one has a mark on them, no one will miss them after I    gut them and force their stomachs down...    No. No. I can't do that, I'm a professional, damnit, not a madman. An arrow to the head or a blade to the heart. That's it. Besides, maybe the contract won't come.

(That was when I heard the screaming I followed Jani and Noriaki into a room where Finley was hung. Or so we thought. Apparently she's still alive and the body had vanished. I walked on over and patted her on the head, concerned but still confused.)