pokespe | *propane nightmares synth in the BG because I don't want to think of a title*

Who: Akira and YOU
Where: Places around Mango City
When: After October 16, but before the event
What: Various prompts, mostly involving bodyswaps or the return of Raoul! Literally this is just a post-regain pre-Halloween toplevel, that I put on a new entry because the Part 2 log is all spooky and the Part 1 log is fucking huge.

I. EARTH WITHOUT ART…

[On display now, says the poster. Regionally renowned artist Ken Sugimori’s latest exhibit, CHALLENGER!! Celebrating the trials and tribulations of Cassava’s Gym Challenge! Prominently featured on the advertising plastered all over the Mango City Art Museum is Sugimori’s lovingly rendered painting of Gym Leader Mari, standing alone on a mountain peak with her arms spread wide, Skarmory feathers falling all around her.]

[Akira frowns at the poster, and shakes his head. ‘There’s no point,’ he thinks.]

[’Think for a moment,’ someone else thinks. ’How many of the relics in this building were stolen from the desert, I wonder?’]

[‘You’re just bored.’]

[’And so are you.’]

[‘I’d rather just go beat Mari myself.’]

[’Which you haven’t done yet. I would have thought you’d have taken her down by now!’]

[Akira scoffs out loud, well aware of why he hasn’t tried to face Mari yet.]

It’s not happening.

[To any normal observer, he’s having an unusually strong negative reaction to this poster. To anyone with an ability to read minds or see souls, something much stranger is happening — he’s having an internal conversation with another entity, a peculiar and not-quite-human thing named Raoul.]

II. …IS JUST AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[There is literally no reason for anyone to be at the graveyard this late at night. In a world where ghosts are not only a real thing but also a common phenomenon, basic sense tells you to maybe stay away from anywhere the veil between life and death is weakest.]

[Unless you’re looking for Pokémon. Which Akira is. This time though, he’s not alone! A strange… man? is sitting cross-legged on top of a mausoleum, kicking his spiked stiletto heel uncomfortably widely. This man looks like he’s ten feet tall, because he is, and looks like he has mechanical wings and no face, because he does. He’s also smoking a cigar, in a graveyard, like an asshole.]

’I should like to see what these Pokémon of yours can do. The ones you have right now, they’re… how do I put this? They’re young.’

[Akira pops his head up out of the grass.]

There are more Pokémon here than just mine, obviously. You haven’t met Gyarados.

[They go on like this for a while, Akira abruptly shutting up whenever he hears a noise. Maybe that noise is a Pokémon, maybe it's not.]

III. BAD BODY DOUBLE/WILDCARD

[One of Akira’s bonuses this month is to swap bodies with another person for a week! If you’d like that person to be your character for shenanigans, or you want to do something specific with Akira and/or Raoul and/or the Pokémon, let me know on Plurk at skysplitter or via Discord!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[W-what the hell... Akira steps back, crossing his arms defensively.]

Cut it out.

[Tsuntsun intensifies.]

Don't be ashamed of your admirable qualities laid bare~! 'Tis but only the truth as I see with mine eyes!

[He likes tsuns.]

[You can't just spring that on people... still, Akira forces himself to swallow his objections and take the compliment for what it is. Raoul is howling with laughter, and somehow focusing on that grounds him.]

Thank you.

[He still can't look Toki in the eye, though. 'What are you waiting for? Return the favour, you coward! The opportunity is ripe for the picking!' Sadly, unlike Raoul, Akira is not the suave master of romance.]

You're pretty bold.

[Toki giggles and looks away, a quick turn of his head in faux embarrassment.]

Oh, you think so?

[Then it's back to looking at Akira... boldly.]

And does that excite you?

[Hana-chan looks on in anticipation. Toki has taught her the importance of romance.]

[Akira mutters under his breath:]

Why do I ever listen to you...

[Then, at a normal volume:]

Probably not as much as it excites you.

[Toki's definitely not a bad looking guy, though. Akira can readily admit that.]

Edited 2020-10-22 02:22 (UTC)

[Akira's talking to himself again, which throws off Toki's flow of flirting and there's less crafted smoothness is his voice.]

I admit I wear my heart on my sleeve, and display my fervid excitement with no shame.

[He should very much be ashamed of himself for these direct statements, but he's not.]

Well, that's a good trait, sometimes. It means you're honest.

[Akira finally unfolds his arms; the lack of smoothness actually makes him feel less on edge. Too much attention always seems to make him antsy...]

I have a hard time with stuff like that.

[Both in the sense of wearing one's heart on their sleeve, and in the sense of flirting with people.]

[If Akira only knew the depths of his lies.]

It's really simple. As long as you've got self-confidence, people will think you're charming. You don't really have to put any effort into it.

[This sort of thing comes easy for Toki, because nothing is real and there aren't any actual feelings attached.]

Give it a try! Flirt with Hana-chan!

[Hana-chan tries to clap her paws together, but she misses.]

[Akira watches Hana-chan try and fail to bap her little pawsies together. She teeters from the impact and bonks her head on the wall of the museum.]

...I'm not doing that.

[Hana-chan wobbles back and clings to Toki, rubbing her head. She's okay.]

Ah, well, I can see there's a lack of appeal with dear Hana-chan. She's very unconventional.

Yeah. She's cute, but it would still be... weird.

[On one level: she's also, like, a Spinda, so there's that. On another level: Akira is doing a great job of deflecting the fact that he'd probably be super bad at flirting and he doesn't want Toki to see.]

[Toki has no issues flirting with Pokemon, hypothetically. He's yet to do it, but he's seen some pictures of Lilligants and he knows there's some lovely Pokemon out there.]

Is this your first time... flirting?

[He can't help but smirk a little.]

...No.

[That's a lie.]

[Toki claps his hands gleefully.]

It isn't!? Then you have to show me your technique~!

[He literally knew this was coming. He knew what the next question was going to be and he said it anyway.]

[Raoul is literally in tears, and offering no help at all. With that clamoring in the back of his mind, Akira's brow twitches, and he says again:]

......No.

[Toki proceeds to look devastated; a broken gasp escapes and he looks away.]

You wound me with your secrecy.

I told you before, I don't wear things on my sleeve.

[If secrecy wounds you you're going to have a rough time, Toki.]

Anyway~!

[Toki abruptly changes the subject, gesturing back at the poster of Mari like this entire exchange did not happen.]

If you're not challenging her, are you doing contest stuff? Because Hana-chan and I have room for more people in our group! We're going to dance~!

Contest? Uh, no... I never considered that.

[The battles always seemed like the natural thing for Akira to be doing. But at least it got him away from the topic of flirting so he's rolling with it.]

I'm going to challenge her eventually. It might not be right now, but it's going to happen.

I see, I see.

[He nods solemnly.]

You're afraid to challenge Mari-chan. It's okay, she's very intimidating.

I'm not afraid!

[Part of that passionate reaction is pride, for sure. But it doesn't seem like a lie, either.]

I mean that there's no point in challenging her right now because I don't think we're strong enough yet.

You'll never know until you try~!

[Toki never tries, but he thinks this is what people like to hear. Encouragement.]

Maybe.

[His initial thought is that this will not change his stance or plans at all. But doesn't Toki have a point? Is this the coward's way out?]

Everyone has to have a first win!

[He nods decisively. Not that Akira will win against Mari, or that this is his first win potentially. Toki's making a lot of assumptions.]

It's not my first win against anyone.

[Trying to protect his pride in front of Toki is a pointless endeavour but Akira hasn't realized that yet.]

But thank you, anyway.

(no subject)

yokeye - 2020-10-29 00:16 (UTC) - Expand