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DECEMBER LOG PT1

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→ OH THANK GOD

(click to expand - the boba shop survived!!)

Sandstorms quietly continue to blow across Melona's desert, tinged black with ash carried over from the west where the volcano still intermittently sputters and spits, its hiccups and coughs darkening the sky to the west. Occasionally, a clap of thunder can be heard even as far as Melona's dome, and a shadow can be seen within the ash clouds looming above the mountains. Whispered rumors travel throughout the region, carrying warnings that "The storm is alive," remembering the destruction wrought upon Toran and the volcanic eruption two months ago that had devastated Hami, the town to the northwest. For two months, the heat and the ash had choked the skies over the mountains of Hami, but eventually, the lava stops flowing. Eventually, the skies begin to clear. Eventually, the people of Melona become curious enough— concerned enough— aware enough that their life inside their bubble that blinded them to the plights of the world at large— to start sending small groups out to Hami to see what aid, if any, they might require. The gym leader himself wanted to head the expedition, worried about his friend and fellow gym leader in the neighboring town, but he got yelled at enough for leaving his post during the last month that he reluctantly agrees to remain at the gym. Because, apparently, challenging gyms is very very important to some people, never mind the world being in a crisis and the safety of both people and Pokemon being at stake.

Instead, the desert guides are the ones who lead the way to Hami, knowing the desert and the mountains and are able to carve the most direct path towards the town. Self-sufficient as the townspeople of Melona tend to be, they do not ask for volunteers to join them, but they do not turn down help either, whether from bleeding hearts who want to do everything they can to assist people in need, or those who just want to get to the next town for their badges and ribbons. Like the trek from Mango to Melona, travel to Hami also takes several days of camping, of riding upon Numel through the sand, of climbing mountains and scaling unstable cliffs because there is no well-worn path from the ground to the peak. And nestled in the middle of the mountains, where Hami is supposed to be...

Ash and cinders. A field of rubble. Skeletons of buildings jutting up out of the ground where they are half collapsed and half buried in the ground, flames licking what little wood and scraps of cloth remain and hungering to devoid the new souls that have stepped within their domain. Aside from the rescue team from Melona, there is not another soul in sight, no sound of everyday chatter in the distance nor husks of bodies left charred on the ground. In this town laid to ruin, a single building has been left relatively untouched by the flow of lava that had run through its streets and washed away all its people. The sign hanging above the front door, blackened at the edges, reads: "Hami Boba." Inside, a single worker in uniform can be seen slumped over the counter, who is startled so badly when the door opens that she falls off her stool and blanches as if she'd seen a ghost— which is exactly what she thought, because who else would be here in Hami after everything that had happened? The volcano had erupted two months ago, she explains, all of the sudden without warning and most of the townspeople were forced to leave. Others stayed behind, those with rock and ground Pokemon who weren't bothered by the heat, or those with water and ice Pokemon who were willing to tough it out to battle the lava and the flames in an effort to save their town. This war against nature lasted over a month, and nobody ever came to their aid... But eventually, it became clear that their greatest threat came from the sky, from the ash that fell upon the land like a woolen blanket and smothered all the air, driving the last of the resistance fighters out.

In the end, the only person left in the entire town was her. The boba shop was constructed with the nearby volcano in mind, and there is no lack of things to eat inside the shop when there was only herself to ration for, but the funny thing is... even though she was stuck indoors and was horrifyingly lonely, she could feel a cool breeze pass through the shop every once in a while, and the air remained fresh. It felt as if there were something watching over her, she explains shyly, and there must have been, because she held onto that hope all this time and her patience finally paid off. Her first customers in two months!! Would they like some boba? The store's specialty is Shuckle berry juice boba! The stamps are a little dried out, but you get a cute red Slugma stamp for visiting this shop.

→ WELCOME TO THE NEW HAMA

(click to expand - it's free to live out here)

So, there's that. There is no town, not really. No gym, no contest hall. But the Melona guides aren't satisfied with leaving it at that, so they stock up on all the Shuckle berry juice boba they can carry and continue their search for the town's residents. They offer up Abras to teleport anybody who doesn't want to continue back to Melona, and then split into small groups to spread out across the mountainside, winding around smoldering lava lakes and trudging through paths knee high in ash. Here and there, all across the mountain range, small campsites can be seen. Up on a ledge on the cliffside, a group of people can be seen foraging berries alongside some wild Mankey. Out in the open in a valley, another group of people are seen roasting meat and nuts over several wild Torkoals' backs. At the base of one of the mountains, another group of people and Machop are hard at work breaking large boulders into smaller pieces to build shelter. Rather than having relocated to a single area, the people of Hami seem to have scattered to live in the mountains, welcome enough to the Melona guides and those who accompany them but denying that they need any help or expressing any real desire to reform a central town. There is no need, after all. Everything they need to live on is provided by the land and the wild Pokemon who share not only their habitat, but where to find food and water, and keep them warm and safe through the night. The volcano still grumbles from time to time, the seas around them continue to churn with relentless whirlpools, and sandstorms rage in the east towards Melona. But right now, they're just trying to live day by day.

While there is no main town any longer, the people do come together from time to time in the valley to share resources and spread news, and once a week, they sit together under the stars and hold Pokemon Contests on a stage that is nothing more than a large, wide slab of rock. The gym leader, Tsubomi, specializes in both fire and fighting type Pokemon and honors battles wherever she is challenged. Because of the lack of a gym building, she might need to be tracked down, though she is easier to find than Konoha, often making set rounds from group to group, checking up on the townspeople spread across the mountains. Central to all the campsites are natural hot springs, and both people and wild Pokemon come here to submerge themselves in the steaming waters and rejuvenate after a long, hard day. When the first of the rescue team arrives at the hot springs, two familiar faces are seen: a girl with pink hair and a boy with blue hair. Nanami opens her eyes blearily and pats Minato on the face. He looks up at the group and goes, "Hey. What's up?"

→ AW NUTS...

(click to expand - you really should have done something about that volcano)

A couple nights into the month, a shooting star is spotted streaming across the sky and disappearing into the waters to the southwest.

The ground shakes.

In the dead of night, the sky is lit up with a spew of fire that bursts out of the volcano hundreds of meters in the air, black smoke billowing up into the air in thick clouds, the mountains hacking up ash and molten rock. Screams can be heard throughout the mountain range as lava rushes down the slopes, people trying to grab what little they have left for a second time— though many already have nothing left but their lives. Wild Pokemon flee from the mountains in herds, heading for the desert to face the sandstorms rather than being consumed by flame.

The ground shakes. It cracks.

Desert becomes beach as the sand spills into the water, the cusp between mountain and desert becoming a chasm driven deep into the water as the Hami mountains break away and start sinking into the sea.

→ MOD NOTES

⬥ For the sake of timelines, the Melona guides first head for Hami on December 3, the volcano erupts on December 5, and Hami subsequently becomes its own island on December 6. Destruction and evacuation can be played out however you want, but the boba shop remains standing in the end. The building is in impeccable condition. Not even the ash sticks to it.
⬥ Please make note of the new investigation form in the toplevel below, involving investigation style.
⬥ The second event log will go up on December 15.

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[Joss nearly has to fold in half to enter the tent after his turn to keep watch comes to an end. He's used to it, so going to bed late doesn't bother him so much... but he didn't expect someone else to still be up.

His eyes linger on the two children - is it just him or do they look familiar? - before moving to the strange loop of paper(?) in front of Hien's face. Some magical item? He's long since learned to roll with things he doesn't understand, but it doesn't mean he's not curious.

He gets closer to where Hien is, slowly and a little awkwardly to avoid his large frame bumping into anything. ~~He won't succeed but he doesn't know that yet.~~]

Hien. [A short nod as he whispers.] Can't sleep?

[ One of the kids cling onto the other kid while that kid clings onto Hien's pants leg. He mutters "daddy" in his sleep while clinging tighter, in which Hien just quietly pats his head. It'll be okay... ]

... Yeah.

[ He pats down on the space next to him where the kids aren't, so that Joss can sit. He doesn't have to stand or crawl anymore. Just sit. He can lie down too, since there's enough room for that, surprisingly. Also I remembered that Joss saw Hien's face without a mask because of Toki, so honestly... that tracks. ]

Done with your watch?

[Joss barely hears Hien's question, distracted by what the sleeping child said. He isn't very good at facial recognition, but he did indeed see Hien's face when Toki was (very unsuccessfully) masquerading as him, and... those kids do look like him. Wow. Somehow, he wouldn't have expected Hien to be a father.]

Um. Yes.

[But he can ask about it later, and after that long watch lying down sounds good. He gets closer... and slightly trips on his own feet because of the somewhat limited room and his own tiredness, his body threatening to fall on top of Hien. He manages to catch his balance just in time, but his head bumps against the reel.]

By the- Sorry.

[He's just going to carefully sit down now, touching his temple lightly. It's more of a reflex than a indication it hurts. On the film reel, the little square pictures change to a different scene...

me: I'm gonna type the actual scene in a pastebin to make the tag itself easier to parse. also me: accidentally hits "new", deleting all my progress and forcing me to retype everything. Also this is like 90% headcanon and may be at least partially (hehe) jossed but you know. Just RP things.]

[ The film reel is pretty tough on their own, though still able to be destroyed by external forces. However, they stand strong against the head bump and are largely unaffected. ]

You're fine--

[ That is, until the reel starts changing film rapidly to show Joss's memories. "Memories". There is no audio coming from them, but Joss can at least get visuals floating in those small square films. However, the memory comes in clear when Hien looks at the reel, audio and all. The one who wanted to sacrifice half is Hades. The memory's owner is called Azem. Or Hyakinthos...? The name "Azem" particularly stands out. He also notices the tone of his voice, which is different than Joss's own.

The memories don't give him a headache, but the revelations do. Hien holds his head a little.

]

[Joss initially doesn't realize something is going on... until he sees Hien's rapt attention for the film and his own eyes fall on the squares, the question of whether Hien was fine dying in his throat.

He gets closer, hands moving as if wanting to grab the reel, but ultimately doing nothing more than hovering in front of his chest. Even in such a small window, there is no mistaking it: he knows that mask, although he'd never seen it on a humanoid shape...]

Emet-Selch...?

[Without the sound, he'd be hard-pressed to say what the conversation is about, but he can't help but have a nagging sense of déjà-vu. How did Hien come across this... strange recording? Hythlodaeus? But then, wouldn't he have expected what he just saw in some way?

He glances at the still-sleeping children hugging Hien's leg, worried that the man's sudden agitation might wake them up. He gently squeezes his shoulder, before slowly getting back up.]

Outside.

[His throat is dry, and it feels as if he was just doused in cold water. He doesn't know why.]

[ The outside is cold and still probably blowing sand everywhere, but Hien decides it's much better than subjecting the kids to whatever they're going to be talking about, so Hien gently pries the kid's hands off his leg and gets up. The film reel still stays afloat, following wherever Hien goes. He leads Joss outside and when they're far enough from the tent, he speaks up first thing. ]

You're Azem?

[ His voice sounds like it's so much in disbelief to the point there might as well be more question marks bouncing off his head. ]

[Azem... Then the memory on that strange reel was- No. Impossible. How?

Joss sighs, and wearily drags a hand down his face.]

Not as such.

[He wishes he could leave it at that, but he knows Hien is going to need more.Joss is at least grateful he already told him some things about his world a few weeks back. Less explaining to do. He might have some knowledge from Hythlodaeus as well, considering he knows the name "Azem" at all...]

I told you about the Sundering. How the star and every soul upon it, save three, were split across thirteen-and-one reflections.

[He watches the wind blow across the dunes as he thinks of the most concise way to put it.]

Azem was sundered, as well.

Oh, so it's something like reincarnation...

[ Well. Hien doesn't find this awkward, but maybe Joss does. He can't tell. Either way, he looks back at the reel and then back at the man. ]

... Wait, you knew about this already?

Only learned about it recently. When I went home.

[He reaches for an inside pocket, and retrieves a palm-sized, orange crystal. As he looks at it, he pensively thumbs over its symbol.]

I do not know much about him. Only his role, and that he left before Zodiark's summoning.

[He won't ask Hien to dig this past life's memories out of him; it'd be weird, and he isn't sure he's ready to know. He already has trouble making peace with the fact his soul's original owner became a god in people's collective unconscious. That said, he can't say he isn't a little curious about this accidentally uncovered scene...]

... Emet-Selch. What did he say?

[ That looks so familiar... It's the constellation Hythlo tried to make when they went stargazing with Fai. That additional detail feels like a punch to the gut, but he tries to be calm about this. ]

... He called the memory holder by the names of Azem and Hyakinthos. I don't know anything about the latter and he was very firm about sacrificing half of the population to save the rest.

His true name... [It's... strange, to learn more details about this mysterious progenitor when Joss is in another world. Equally strange, the thought that Emet-Selch had used such a private name, in what looked to be an argument. The conversation must have been personal, on some level.] Azem was the name of his seat, much like Emet-Selch was Hades's...

[...]

What did... Azem say?

[ Hien thinks he isn't good at explaining things, and he doesn't like to, so he grabs the tail end of the reel and jumps up a little in order to touch the side of Joss's head with his two fingers.

The memory that filters in isn't painful nor is it headache inducing. Hien makes sure that the process goes smoothly by carefully sorting and organizing it into Joss's conscious memories instead of something that's so buried deep inside the recesses of his soul or something. ]

Edited 2020-12-05 23:48 (UTC)

[Joss quietly wonders what Hien is trying to do when he sees him grab the reel... and then it hits the side of his head, and he knows.

Although it isn't painful, something about the memory feels... wrong, intrusive. He remembers himself speak words in a language he shouldn't know, in a voice that isn't his own, with hands similar yet different enough to be offputting. He remembers a bitter farewell between two men who were closer than friends, and though he feels the determination in Azem's heart, the fact he knows the outcome makes it all the more heartrending.

Still, he can't help but find a measure of reassurance in the fact this past self shared his feelings on the matter of wanton sacrifice... as well as a measure of loss. Was Azem similar to him in other ways? If so, how much of his personality is his, and how much that of a long dead man?

He tries to shove the thought aside for now. His feelings on the matter have been complicated ever since he learned about the Fourteenth, and will need some time to untangle.]

I... see. He thought there was another way.

[His gaze falls to the crystal in his hand again. Emet-Selch had been insistent on carrying out the Zodiark plan, in that memory, and yet...

He clenches his fist. For all his differences with Emet-Selch, for all he had to kill him, Joss feels it only fair to tell Hien about another side of the man.]

During the Final Days... the Convocation created stones containing their knowledge and memories. One per member. Except Azem, who was considered a traitor.

[He opens his hand again, so that Hien can see the stone.]

This one was made by Hades. In secret.

[ Hien looks at the stone. Something that carries knowledge and memories has a lot of implications, especially for someone who was considered to be no longer around. The council deciding Azem was a traitor tracks with their beliefs clashing, and he knows that Azem and Hades were close (with Hythlo too). So Hades probably thought fondly of him despite him leaving. Relationships aren't that simple, after all. ]

... Do you want me to extract the information from this stone?

[Does he? Joss looks at the stone, unable to tear his gaze away. There are many things he doesn't know about Amaurot, the Convocation, Azem. But from his previous experience going home... he would not remember any of it on Hydaelyn, the only place it would truly matter. For his own peace of mind... it might be best if he didn't get more of Azem's memories. Not at this time. Not if it's not needed.

He shakes his head.]

I am not ready.

[Besides, the crystal is completely dormant after its trip to Cassava, much like his dragoon and dark knight soul stones were. Not that he knows that for sure, though he guesses it might be the case.]

[ Hien nods. Fair enough. That's why he asked in the first place. He's not sure if this would be awkward for Joss, who could have been Azem in a past life or something, who probably doesn't have a good relationship with Hades now and Hythlo being... well, Hythlo.

Either way, he won't bring it up. ]

... Just remember... you're your own self. Nobody else.

[ From someone who supposedly governs that. ]

[A hint of surprise shows on his face, but it quickly passes. Was he so transparent?

Not that he cares about hiding it from Hien, to be fair. He's a private person, but the topic has been broached already, and he would hardly be the worst person to confide in.]

Hmm. May that always be the case.

[ Good, because if Joss denied it, Hien would call him out. It's not a problem that should be swept under the rug if it'll eventually cause bigger problems down the line. But he thinks Joss doesn't want to talk about it any further, so, he just lightly pats his back. ]

Retaining your identity can be hard if you're struggling with multiples at a time all of a sudden. If you're having trouble, let me know. I'll help.

[Part of Joss wonders if there is anything Hien cannot do ~~other than gauge a threat~~... but he does appreciate the offer. He turns his head towards Hien and gives him a grateful nod.]

I'll keep it in mind.

[... Well. He does have an anecdote related to that.]

... Might've been useful a few years back.

[ Cassava is special because he can capitalize on his own strengths in being a pokemon nerd once upon a time, combined with actually gathering skills by using up the eons of time he had to himself when he wasn't too busy... He was pretty productive, though he's had major fuckups half the time anyway. He honestly doesn't really deserve the Overseer title, but he is what it is.

Hien looks up at Joss, slightly tilting his head. He doesn't say anything... he's silent because he doesn't want to force Joss into talking about something he wouldn't want to. ]

[This definitely isn't something he would bring up with anyone, or out of the blue. But what he's about to mention is a series of events he's made his peace with, by now, and he thinks Hien would understand.]

Had to seek refuge in my homeland, once. Politics. Not a good time of my life.

[Which he wouldn't mind expanding on if Hien wanted him to, but that would be an extremely long story, only a fraction of which would be relevant to his anecdote. He puts a hand back into the inside pocket he took the Azem stone from, storing it away and retrieving a different crystal.]

Found this stone on a corpse. Passed out. When I came to, the previous owner told me he'd train me in dark knight arts. Tired, bitter man. All about justice. Would get angry every time I did not stand up for myself.

[A pause. He doesn't have to keep it a surprise for half a dozen job quests, so he'll just get to the point.]

Actually a manifestation of my self-esteem. Born from the crystal's energy. Wearing the face of a dead man.

[He looks into the distance, his eyes half lidded by the act of remembering the lengths his psyche had to go through to make him realize he had worth.]

Where I come from... I am considered a hero. Over time, the pressure became too much. Brought forth a mentor who'd tell me to love myself.

[What happened to the fucked up esteem ghost? Stay tuned in to find out. Probably. That's likely already more words than Joss has said in two weeks.]

[ Oh, wow... Hien is grateful that Joss is taking the time to spill his backstory so that he could understand better, so he keeps quiet throughout all of it. The good thing about Joss saying less is that he gets right to the point of what he needs to know. Most other parts would be fluff.

But those events... Hien could easily put himself in the shoes of the mentor, the manifestation of one's self-esteem... it really tracks. He also supposes that in those worlds, heroes are only a step below gods in the way the normal people depend on them so much to the point they forget heroes can be just like them.

He doesn't want to ruin the momentum that Joss has to tell him all this, so he quietly nods, as if telling him to continue when he can. ]

All came to a head eventually. I... lost someone dear to me. Esteem went on a rampage. Wanted to force my hand. That's when I learned who he truly was.

[He shakes his head. This isn't a day he particularly likes to remember, but it was long ago now.]

I couldn't do what he wanted. Couldn't run away. Pressure or not... I love my world too much to abandon it. But I try to be kinder to myself, these days. We made our peace.

[ Hien has a much better opinion of Joss now (it wasn't bad before though), because he just said that he's gotten better after that. In all fairness, he knows how difficult it can be to resolve problems with self-identity and all that, which makes the feat much more impressive. ]

That's good to hear. I'm glad that you still made it through...

[ His voice is quiet. ]

I hope you'll keep that way of thinking for a long time.

[Joss notices how quiet Hien's voice suddenly is. His own voice gets softer as well.]

I try.

[He pensively watches the moonlight glint off the job crystal's facets, his thumb mindlessly tracing the edges. The fight with Esteem wasn't the only time the stone brought forth a buried aspect of his mind, and it isn't like he cares about hiding it from Hien, but between the lack of sleep, his retelling of some rather emotional events and the whole thing about Azem... he can't help but feel a little mentally drained. He pockets the crystal again.]

I ought to sleep. [He starts to move back towards the tent, but momentarily hesitates and stops.] More to the tale if you want to hear it. But another time.

[He doesn't really know why it's easier to tell Hien about these things. Maybe it's something about Hien's personality, or the fact he seems to know much about the workings of the mind. Maybe it's because this isn't his world, and so there are no political repercussions to him showing weakness outside of his usual circle of friends. Maybe he just wants Hien to understand him better as a person, since the man seems to legitimately care about his well-being.

Maybe a bit of all that, plus a touch of loneliness]

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selfconcept - 2020-12-08 12:21 (UTC) - Expand

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