lucetilogs | Mission: Burying the Past in Zompania

[ He hums, but his interest is a little elsewhere a while longer before it comes back to Zompania. Venusaur growls out a call to help with that, she and Snorlax already at another building. They're going to work on this, is that cool? Cool.

Okay. Hi Karis. ]

Do you know how to use a weapon?

[Red, what sort of question is that?] Of course. I deal primarily with firearms. [She'd throw in magic in that case too, but that should of been a given already.]

[ Well of course the magic is a given, but. Firearms, firearms -- oh, right. ]

Firearms is the guns, right? I know magic is a weapon, but...

[ But it wasn't exactly what he meant. ]

That's right, though I deal with pistols mainly. [She's used others, but feels far more comfortable with pistols than anything else.]

[ ... ] And pistols a firearm too? One without magic?

[ Firearms is still such a new thing to this boy...! ]

[He's getting it though!] You're correct on the first one. Pistols can still have magic, but must be infused with it while having the right parts to it. Most of the time though, they lack any arcane properties.

But do you use them with magic? [ There's a point to this, really! ] I know the shift hunters, the dog looking creatures, they're not really affected by magic, so just using it would be dangerous... at least, none of my pokémon do any damage to them if they attack them with certain attacks, and Pikachu can't really do anything to them at all.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It all depends on the situation really. There will be times where a bullet on it's own won't be enough, so I incorporate magic just to give it that little push to where it will be enough. Other times, it may help scare off the enemy. [But that rarely works, at least, from her experience.] If the situation at hand doesn't need magic, then don't use it. [Though she has a habit of breaking that guideline.]

[ Hmm... ]

Have you ever faced off against a shift hunter and used invisibility to try and get away?

I've...never tried that before actually. But I think that if a shift hunter is close enough, it would break you out of invisibility even after you cast it. [She wasn't sure if that was the case or not, but it was better to assume so and not take the risk of finding out.]

[ Makes sense, but it was worth asking anyway just in case. At least it wouldn't be as problematic as using Filial magic out there, where casting the spiritual power would bring out more of the beasts to a person's location.

Red had enough of that for one draft.

The air becomes louder as the pokémon work to take down the building, care given now to how they fall with Venusaur there to remind Snorlax to be more thoughtful. Red tangles his legs down into a cross-legged position as he decides to sit on the hard ground; there's some dust, but the pokémon are far away enough from them to not be shooting up his nose. Pikachu takes the space in his lap with his trainer's decision, his electricity no good on the buildings.

Unfortunately, being here in Zompania makes Red's mind wander more to the city than being in Luceti had, to the fighting. It was odd too, though; this was Zompania, wasn't it, but it was more empty and slow - no need to rush around, no constant surprises or tough moments - and for that it was like a totally different city. Blood and weapons were still scattered around, and the corpses that once laid in the streets were now waiting to be buried side by side far off, but it was still not the Zompania Red knew. That place was being laid to rest as well. ]

[The sound of the Pokemon at work drew Karis's attention, and her gaze would remain aimed in their direction.

It felt strange, to view the state of a place after a battle, one that felt like it lasted far longer than it truly did. It also left a bitter taste in her mouth. From all the previous battles she had been in, not once had she returned to see the condition in which those fields lay in, and thus, Zompania marks the first. If there ever was another draft like this one, and cleanup was needed, Karis would more than likely not go, not after this.]

Hopefully...this place will brighten up a little in the future. [This was said in attempt to possibly comfort herself, it didn't really help much, though her voice didn't hold much confidence, especially with how small it was at the moment.]

[ 'Brighten up'. What would brighten up about it, beyond a morning? That prompts Red to look over to Karis, though he's positioned in a way that he sees half of the inside of the suit. ]

Do you think they'll rebuild here again? [ His voice is softer than before. Do people do that? Ground down buildings and restart again in the same place? ]

There's always a possibility, then again, they could also leave the wildlife to take it over. Either way, it would be a lot better than this. [By far.]

However, I have heard that, sometimes, when certain events leave a place in ruins like this, it stays in ruins...it never recovers. [And she hopes from the bottom of her heart that Zompania recovers in some way shape or form.]

[ With all the graves that'll line up once they're done, would they want to turn into a place where people live again? But maybe it could turn into something more; when the monument goes up, it could be a place to be remembered.

But how close was Zompania to Luceti? How close was one place to another? You couldn't leave to go to one place to the next except in situation like these as far as Red knew.

Did Karis know differently? He wonders, but then remembers that she hasn't been around that much longer than himself. ]

Who lived here? [ Out of anywhere his thoughts could go, that comes to him. ] Did they always live here? Did they come from another world like us?

[ ... ] When all the fighting's over and people can go back, is there going to be anyone still here?

[ Red pats a hand to the ground beside him, fingers - suited fingers, but fingers all the same - dragging up the fragments of dirt up over them. He's not really asking Karis but - he needs to say it. He doesn't want to keep his thoughts inside.

But an answer would be nice. Maybe not from Karis, but someone. Someone who could see a better future, and more. What did he even see? Him, himself, here for this world.

Why does he think he could be a person to help? ]

[Even though he wasn't really asking her, she still honestly wished she had the answers to those questions, as Karis has asked herself the same ones a few times before.] I really wish I could say. Maybe though, we'll find out someday.

[Tired of standing, Karis finally plops down on the ground, hugging her legs while resting her chin on top of her knees.]

[ Pikachu still sits in Red's lap, unsure of the atmosphere above and around him but having already expected times like these in their agreement to come.

The building that Snorlax and Venusaur have been working at crumbles completely on one side, still the other needing to be brought down. Venusaur turns though, looking over to the sitting group, and says something to Snorlax that makes the pokémon stop as well. Venusaur begins to make her way over to them following a pause, and Snorlax does as well - after kicking in the bottom side of the structure and nearly bringing another building down on himself again. Oops.

Red watches as they come, quietly relieved for Snorlax's dodge there (or his luck or whatever you want to call it), a question in his throat that he's not certain he should ask. So he scrapes at the dirt, collecting the dust up loosely but not digging into the ground, until Venusaur stops before him - about to sit down, but Pikachu gets out of his lap and squeaks to her to do her usual thing, which makes her grunt in thanks to the mouse pokémon.

What her thing is, is to rest the edge of her head on Red's lap. She lowers, just the bottom of her mouth upon him, until the hands at the sides of her face - once the dirtied hand has been shaken of the dirt - tell her to come closer, and she does. She looks up to them, then closes her eyes, her flower fluttering like an unknown breeze is passing through.

They may have suits on, but they're suits that still allow them to breathe, and so with that comes the soothing properties of her flower to warm them. It's calming that follows the plant pokémon, just the usual amount one feels when in her presence; she could put them all at a total state of ease, but she won't. It's not her place to rid them of their worries without order. Not right now.

Snorlax sits nearby, forming a sort of crooked circle or the sort when he does. He flexes his paws, the sharp claws going in and out, stretching out the work from them. Sure, he can take a lot of punishment, but he can still feel it. It's not like he's ever punched buildings down before this either.

What a change this single human boy has made in his life. ]

Karis... [ Somewhere now, Red's found his voice. ] Did you... when they gave us the choice, did you think you couldn't do anything for anyone in Pagoda...?

[ He keeps his eyes down on Venusaur's face when he asks it. If only he could hold her right then like he used to... ]

[Although Karis did not quite recognize what Saur was doing, she welcomed it. The great weight that she had felt on her shoulders lifted with such a soothing sensation, although not entirely, not with Red asking such a question.

Karis had to take a moment to remember what her own thoughts were when the announcement had first gone up.] Well, I didn't think I couldn't do anything, but more so on what I could do would be very little in comparison to what I could do here. [Her abilities weren't exactly geared toward the type of rebuilding go in on Pagoda.]

[ He nods, silent. It would be nice as well, right then, if he could take off the hands of the suit. He could feel Saur's bumpy skin under his actual ones then and, anyway - as they were now, did they even feel like anything to her?

Red rests them still on her, one over her nose. ]

I didn't want to see them - all the people there. [ Comforting them somehow, telling them things would be -- okay? Better? ] I think... I wanted to see this place come down too.

[ Saying it out loud, it sounds stupid. Was it stupid? And with the seconds ticking since it's said, Red thinks it must make him sound destructive or cruel.

Or both. ] I've never wanted to see anywhere come down before, but [ a sigh ] I can't imagine anyone ever living here. I don't think I want to...

[ ... ] It'll be better to start over - here, at least. [ well, that is-- ] If it'll ever be safe for people.

[The feeling was mutual. Comforting those in Pagoda was not something Karis could ever do, truthfully, she was terrible when it comes to comfort, at least that's what was believed, as the only thing she could do were apologies and hugging, and the latter was only used in special occasions.

Red's wish to see Zompania come down didn't exactly sound destructive or cruel to Karis, especially after what happened here.]

Bury the past. Reach up for the future. [That was something an old crewmate of hers would always say. She nearly cracked a sad smile.]

[ There's something of a ghost of a smile on his own face in hearing those words and letting them sit in his head. Reach up for the future, huh. ]

...Sounds like something someone heroic would say. [ His voice sounds humoured somewhat, though he isn't making fun of her. But it's true, really, in Red's head; they're the kind of words of encouragement from one person to many, to one day make a difference.

Something like that. ]

[Heroic? Okay, now Karis is grinning, trying hard not to bust out into laughter.

She fails at keeping in her amusement and starts laughing hysterically.] OH ARCHMAGES! [She'll take a moment...

Once recovered, she shakes her head.] I got that little saying from one of my crewmates, and he looks like the very opposite of heroic. [Now she's laughing again, not as hard as before, but oh goodness this was hilarious.]

[ Okay, not Red was expecting to happen from him saying that. Not that he had thought hard about the consequences of it, merely speaking out his thoughts.

But he's looking at her the first time she loses herself to laughing, the pokémon with them doing much of the same. Red can spit out a small laugh himself though, hearing what she says, looking back towards the street they face. He waits until she's gotten out a few more giggles. ]

What does heroic look to you? [ hmm ] A cape and a cool face?

A determined face, a smile of confidence, an unmistakable fire lit in their eyes that tells you they're ready to take on the world, and some sort of...aura, I guess you could say, that they have, one that makes you feel like they'll have your back, even in the toughest of times. [Funny, how when she describes this, her captain immediately comes to mind.] That's what it looks like to me.

[ Did Red know anyone like that? After he had said what he'd said, the image of Lance came up, but -- well, maybe a guy like him would be that persn for people. He was the Champion of Kanto, after all...

But for him, personally? ... ]

People like that really exist?

[ Maybe he'd like to hear a little more. ]

Mission: Burying the Past in Zompania

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