shslasshat | First Silver Spoon - Joint Post, Video/Action for New Bark

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First Silver Spoon - Joint Post, Video/Action for New Bark

[The boy who appears on the other end of the feed is sitting outside, in New Bark Town, if the gently waving trees and the windmill in the background are anything to go by. He appears deep in thought. In contrast to this, a sharply-grinning face appears over his left shoulder, all teeth and claws and hard, cold, gemstone eyes. Since Sableye aren't native to New Bark Town, that must clearly be his starter.]

Out of one game and into another, then.

[Piercing green eyes meet the camera from behind white-framed glasses.]

I presume I'm far from the first person to come here. ...Perhaps, even, not the first from my world – since this obviously is not the world I come from. I may have catching up to do, but mark my words: Byakuya Togami does not lose. Anyone who stands in my way will fall. So remember my face, and don't waste your t—

[But then, abruptly, the feed goes wild and veers away from his face; hopefully nobody watching gets motion sickness, because if so, they might want to avert their eyes. But given the angle and direction of the camera shift, combined with the brief flash of the boy's astonished expression before it disappears completely from view, it seems that someone has just snatched the Gear right out of his hand.

Which would be an entirely accurate conclusion to draw, really. Suffice to say, the camera is now displaying a rather attractive shot of the tip of someone's boot and a fair expanse of slightly matted grass.]

Don't be so quick to sacrifice your anonymity with needless posturing. There's nothing to be gained from ceding that advantage — particularly not in a place where that name almost certainly means nothing to anyone.

[...Does somebody want to get this man some ice for that burn.]

[The aforementioned boy huffs in the background, his hand appearing on the camera as he tries to take it back like a nerd who's become the victim of a cruel game of keep-away.]

Have you even read the training manual? A place that asserts the goal of becoming "the very best, like no one ever was" is not a bastion of subtlety.

[Then, almost sulkier,]

When did you even get here?

[JUST WHEN HE THOUGHT HE WAS SAFE.

Eventually, though, his superior ~~height and reach~~ everything manage to get control of the Gear back, and amid the shuffle, the second voice speaks again.]

About twenty minutes ago. [A beat.] I've been looking around. Haven't you?

[Even when his gear is back in his own possession, he doesn't bother aiming it at his face. However, he will flash Johto a shot of the lovely, lavender-haired girl who so rudely interrupted his arrogant pontificating.]

I've been reading the materials provided about this place and the creatures who inhabit it. [A smug, punchable beat.] Haven't you?

I wanted to see what my own investigations turned up first. But it'd be useful to see how much of my evidence is corroborated by yours; turn that off and let's compare our findings instead.

[For the first time since the girl appeared, Togami actually pays attention to the gear, and he scowls at it before flicking the camera off as requested.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"At least one"?

[She casts a brief glance offscreen, and then shifts momentarily out of sight before returning with a Nincada in hand — and by "in hand" that's really more like "perched on her arm" because good lord Nincada are twenty inches long.]

This is the only one I have.

[It...doesn't look that fearsome, really. It's just kind of a big albino bug.]

...Right. Yes, of course - you only received one at the outset!

[...let's just...see what you have, good god.]

I have one of those, too, actually; it's not at a point where it's too useful yet - ah, but that it's the point. You're going to want to fight things with it, in the tall grass like I mentioned. It's barbaric, but they don't seem to mind; they get stronger when they defeat the Pokémon they fight! You can capture what you've defeated afterwards, if it interests you; you build up a set that you use to fight that way, and you can carry up to six. Beyond that is put into some sort of technology-based storage; Fujisaki-kun could probably tell you more about that than I could!

There's also a breeding center you can contact; they should give you something for free, if you find something there you like. But for the time being, at least you can raise that one.

[She kind of gives him a look (the nuance of which might be lost in the translation) that, for an apt master of the social arts, might read as something to the effect of what do you mean I'm supposed to stage random wilderness cockfights with this albino bug. The breeding center option sounds a little more promising, at least, but regardless of Ishimaru's promises that the Pokemon don't seem to mind, there's something that's not sitting well with her in the action chain of "arrive somewhere / receive possession of apparently oblivious bug / require bug to engage in violence for your own personal benefit".

Besides, it's kind of a cute bug. Just a big sweetheart, really. Assuming it has a heart in the first place, as opposed to a more rudimentary circulatory system more befitting a bug.]

What if it fails to fight them off?

[...Ah.

He doesn't understand the nuances behind that Look, no, but he can actually see where what she's asking about might be a concern.]

They don't die, Kirigiri-kun. They just faint; there's medicine you can buy to wake them up again.

I noticed that, also. It seems we're all on a budget.

[TOGAMI-KUN WITH THIRTY BUCKS TO HIS NAME: SILVER LINING]

[...

Schadenfreude: making the world a better place to be.]

There are places called Centers that will heal your Pokémon for free - they'll do it an unlimited number of times, as well, with no charge that I know of. They're only in the cities, though, and so not much help on the actual routes.

[...hmmm.]

There's a computer situated in all of those Centers, where you can access your personal storage boxes; check yours when you get to Cherrygrove.

Naegi-kun said he'd send us a care package by air. Assuming the supplies aren't too heavy, that would be an alternative option to consider.

[IF YOU WANT TO GIVE HIS SWELLOW A HEART ATTACK, YEAH, IT'S AN OPTION.

And besides - ]

Immediately after Cherrygrove is when you'll need them, believe me.

Do you want anyone to meet you there? Because that can be arranged!

It'd be inconvenient to come all that way for our sake, only to turn around and go back, wouldn't it?

In some ways I wish I could say it would be, but there isn't much that it would be inconveniencing!

[KIRIGIRI-KUN WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR LIVES

IS THIS HOW NORMAL PEOPLE LIVE BECAUSE IT'S AWFUL]

[Wait, hang on, is he...

is Ishimaru trying to...be...sociable...?

...]

It...would be nice to see you, too, Ishimaru-kun.

[Is that...what you were expecting from her?]

[...not...really but that was

uh

wow that's kind of]

...ah...y-yes, well...!

[KIRIGIRI ARE YOU

TRYING

TO SOCIALIZE

WHAT IS THIS]

[...wait that wasn't what

wait wait shit ABORT what just happened

gently caress]

...

[...]

Do what you want.

[what just happened indeed good lord

WHAT DID HE DO]

...Of course! I...that isn't to say that it wouldn't be nice to see you again, but -

[......]

...Really, I'm a bit surprised you'd want anything to do with any of us beyond gathering information of some sort!

[#TACT.]

That's the point of meeting up with you in the first place, isn't it? To exchange information we can't discuss over this feed?

Well, that too, yes!

Then that's what I want to do.

Is that the only reason?

[...

.........

.................]

To have so many of us together again...

[...]

It would be like being classmates again. The way we were in our first year.

[Supposedly. Not that she can remember it, but. She'd been one of the lucky ones who lasted long enough to see the pictures (and unlucky enough to have to contend firsthand with the horrific reality of what they'd really been doing all this time), and even if she can't remember it, they'd looked...happy.

Wasn't that what her f— the headmaster had wanted? For them all to be safe and happy, someplace that Despair couldn't reach them?

So isn't this, then, what he would've wanted for them?]

That's something I would...like.

...I want that, too. A-And I won't let anything happen to any of you, I swear it! Not while we're here.

[wow Ishimaru way to get choked up about this, hang on - OKAY WE'RE GOOD.]

It's good that you've joined us, Kirigiri-kun.

It's good that you've taken responsibility for us, Ishimaru-kun.

[— wait oh god please don't start crying OH GOD]

Are we still meeting for breakfasts?

[...Well, if he was considering crying, he's certainly not anymore, what with that question there.]

Of course. There's no excuse for disorganization, after all!

You'll have to excuse our tardiness for awhile, then. But that's nothing new.

[...that might have been a joke...]

Ah, but you've been keeping us waiting for quite some time already, Kirigiri-kun - I'll have to make a record of it, at least!

[IS THIS HOW WE DO CASUAL INTERACTIONS

HE DOESN'T KNOW BUT HE THINKS IT IS]