Kazuki
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You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 25, 2023 20:03:17 GMT 9
With a prologue of such melodrama and bombastic iambics, the hunger of the AUDIENCE takes root. They ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ as the opening performance is garnished with the movements of the pokemon—pumpkaboo, zubat, and the enchanting espeon—and fall obediently to hush as Blackthorne cedes the stage to the second lead.
Tap, tap, tap. Little clomping steps reveal the competitor. The audience, already silent, somehow become even quieter as they’re faced with a costumed Pignite. The pokemon tugs at his ruffled collar and takes a stand, looking so much tinier on the large stage, alone.
But he wasn’t really alone, was he?
Tap tap tap! comes a little past the stage, confident taps of a baton on the metal edge of a music rack. A pansear has perched on the rack, and despite his small stature, looks anything but meek. He’s wearing a little fitted suit, prim and pressed. His hands are outstretched with the wand on his left, forcing the NPC-POWERED ORCHESTRA under his command. He bows with a flourish, but not to the audience—his eyes are to his teammate, as if saying, I’ve got you.
Pignite swallows his nerves, and speaks as loudly, as bravely as he can.
<Behold, our Lord, how could we fault him thus?> His prose doesn’t come anywhere close to Blackthorne’s, shorter and more punctual, his movements stiffer, his expression limited by what he’s born with. <For he sings only of humble pleasures. Who has not yearned for love, for warmest light?> Yet the audience watches, captured by the novelty of a pokemon’s serenade, of his genuine melancholy and the gentle music that cradles it.
<But as Icarus and his waxen wings,> Pignite turns, arm outstretched to point to Blackthorne behind the curtains. <Our Lord, blind to the stars he was given,> the music drops into a dire melody, <Is fated to burn for seeking the sun.>
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
High above, something is scurrying across the catwalk. They are heavy steps, masked only by the orchestra below, and have to pause every so often to avoid notice.
The thing is, the game was already set the moment the curtains were drawn. Kazuki had signed up for a duel, had been all too eager for it, but what he’d gotten instead was a Broadway performance. Blackthorne had gone through one line before Kazuki decided ’Fuck this’ and switched out his team, knowing full damn well that he had no talent and certainly no stage experience. No prose either, as evidenced by the abysmal haiku that had earned Blackthorne’s ire (next to the assault). If he were to charge in as he usually did in the arena, the battle would be won in the first second, as if by divine karma—
—that is, if this wasn’t a Pokémon game.
He can hear his team working their asses off downstairs. He’d chosen Pansear for the monkey’s cunning and intelligence; he could trust him with supporting their actor. He didn't even come up with the orchestra idea. Pignite, he knew, has been secretly reading human poetry since finding out about his original trainer—perhaps in an effort to connect with him. Perhaps out of pettiness.
Regardless, he’s out of the limelight right now, assigning himself as a stagehand. The worst stagehand this theater would ever see.
Chuckling evilly, like the rat he is, Kazuki reaches out with burning fingertips.
A heavy sandbag comes falling down above Blackthorne’s head.
{Prompts} Kazuki (Black Belt) - attempt to crush your opponent
Pignite - make yourself the center of attention
Pansear - act without orders
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 24, 2023 5:29:40 GMT 9
Sprigatito pops out of Verai’s arms, eyes turned to swirls and head swaying in circles. He spits out a clump of red and black fluff before managing to speak. <Uhh… could I have a minute before we do it again...> When Verai lets him go, he flops on the ground, shaking himself before getting back up on his feet.
Kazuki barely had time to recover before he’s tackled, his sore spot bumping against the seat. Verai has his collar in his grip, and just as Kazuki grins, bracing for a punch or some choice words, the lady of the mansion calls down from a marble balustrade.
Kazuki scoffs, peeling Verai’s hands off him. “Well, you heard her. Better calm down.” He grins, leering at him. “Rage isn’t good for the baby, Ver.”
He jumps off the carriage. A butler has already come bustling out from the sprawling entrance steps, aghast. “Goodness! How on earth did you bring that here? No vehicles should have made it past the bridge!”
Oh, so there was a bridge. Kazuki tosses him the reins without looking at him. It slaps the poor man in the eyes. “Park this, would you?” he doesn’t wait for the butler to finish sputtering obscenities before heading up the steps.
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 24, 2023 3:54:22 GMT 9
Sprigatito smiles, cheeks squished between Verai’s warm hands. <Mwuh mwuh, Pwuwai!> He’s making fishy faces, pawing excitedly at Verai's knees at the prospect of wearing something new.
At the question about Sprigatito’s collar, Kazuki rolls his eyes at him. “Are you kidding me? It’s been impossible to make him take it off.” He’s still fiddling with the other’s collar, enjoying the feel of silk under his hand. His chin is propped up on his knuckles as he stares, deep in thought.
“… You should take your daughter to the festival,” he laments out loud, eyes half-lidded. “Shibazakura, right? Either in Takinoue or Higashimokoto. Both only last until early June. Would be a waste not to go."
He rolls back on his haunches and stands. From how restless the cats are becoming, it’s clear where the next destination is. “Well? We going to Briarbane or what?"
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 24, 2023 1:01:24 GMT 9
KAZUKI[tangent=Current Heart Level | Friendly][/tangent] |
“Yeah, it can mean that.” He seems a little taken aback by your compliment. “But I only chose it because it’s what a f— some pest calls me.” He snorts. “They said they preferred calling me by the name of a superior fighter.”
He raises a brow when you go on to explain your name. “Isn’t it? M’Foxy’s a hard name to forget.”
At the sudden offer of the Sewaddle, he blinks, looking between it and the endearing pigeon-toe stance you’ve taken. There appears to be no end to the surprises when it comes to you. He slowly takes the ball from your outstretched hands.
“… Good guess on the handwraps. I’ll take it.”
He pauses, staring at the air, before looking back at you. “Actually, let’s make it a trade. You found the dragon in the first place, and you stuck around until the end.”
He takes a pokeball from his pockets, offering it to you. It shines along with the metal on his hands. “I got this one from the Rookery recently. It’s uh… a flamingo. Literally, just a flamingo.” He chuckles. “It fights by dancing its opponent to death. Suits you pretty well, doesn’t it?”
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 23, 2023 23:50:31 GMT 9
KAZUKI[tangent=Current Heart Level | Acquaintance][/tangent] |
The man who approached you seems momentarily dumbstruck. Sharp green eyes take you in, clearly distracted by your beauty.
“What the hell?” He murmurs. “Is this some kind of an update…”
He waves a hand in the air, metal bracers and gloves clinking with the gesture. Curiously, he’s half-dressed, but you remember him wearing the same getup when you first met. His appearance doesn’t daunt you. His eyes meet yours again, still puzzled.
“It’s Kazuki. I remember you. You heel stomped the dragon.” He smirks. “Didn’t do shit, but it looked pretty sick.”
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 23, 2023 9:43:16 GMT 9
“Think you can clear this out?” Kazuki asks, arms crossed as he observes.
Combusken sniffs. <Please. As if that's even a question.> Looking over the army in training, she can only see half-hearted attempts. None of these warriors could even measure up to half the slicer she is. She jumps off the ground, accelerating by using the halfpipe of a nearby obstacle course, and launches for the nearest Watchog with her claws outstretched to cleave it on her trainer’s behalf.
COMBUSKEN USED AERIAL ACE! NEXT PROMPT #52: [Tower]hkCyrujs1d50 1d50
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 23, 2023 7:23:21 GMT 9
Kazuki had been in the middle of his search for more pokemon when the messages arrived. After the last fight — the disastrous training session — things between him and Verai had hit a rougher patch than usual. They had not talked about it. There wasn’t much of an opportunity to do so with Verai having to prioritize his armor and Kazuki having to do— what he plans on doing, as soon as possible.
Reading the messages, Kazuki can only conclude that the man intends to disembowel him.
He grumbles under his breath, before canceling the hunt and fast-traveling to the arena.
The battlefield loads up. A star-filled indigo sky stretches infinitely above, while the ground beneath his feet becomes a deep obsidian. Unease settles when he stares at the small fissures of strange energy littered across the field, finding familiarity in how they hum, the wisps that stretch out to the air around him. He steps away from the nearest one.
He finds him on one of the cliffs. Verai looks in the middle of meditation, sitting peacefully with two cats in his lap. His armor’s pristine, the surface littered with stars.
Kazuki’s mouth twitches the longer the silence goes, hitched into a frown. He scoffs and reaches for his pockets.
“You’re a real fucking masochist, aren't you, Ver? Let’s get this over with.”
Out from two PokéBalls comes Sprigatito and Combusken, both landing quickly on the ground. Both pokemon take a moment to behold the scenery, their eyes wide. <Purrai! Kitten! Kitty!> Sprigatito cheers, about to step forwards.
“Cat, Magical Leaf. Chick, Flamethrower.” There’s the snap of him pulling his wraps securely over his hands.
Sprigatito is taken aback, both by the speed and the monotony of the order. But a battle is a battle. He does as ordered, shutting one eye and sticking out his tongue as he lines up the iridescent leaves that manifest around him, Combusken by his side glowing as she builds up her fire. He releases the MAGICAL LEAF at the opposing trio, the leaves being set ablaze by the FLAMETHROWER his teammate unleashes at the same time.
When the plumes of fire and smoke fade, Kazuki has ducked off to the side, lunging for Verai with his fist glowing in a FIRE PUNCH.
{Prompts}
Kazuki (Player) - get a running start
Sprigatito - carefully line up a precision shot
Combusken - use a fire or electric-type move
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 23, 2023 6:34:45 GMT 9
The Basculin is eager to accept, even with the terrifying appearance of his opponent. Being raised in a battle-hungry family has taught him not to see even Gyarados as a threat, instead an opportunity to learn.
<I accept your challenge!> He hollers. <But what’s going on back there?> It’s a bit unusual to start a fight when the arena is already being used.
Gyarados blinks. He glances behind him to see the fight taking place and quickly diverts. <THEY’RE JUST—SPARRING.>
<They're throwing each other on the rocks.>
<JUST A SCRATCH!>
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 23, 2023 6:21:14 GMT 9
<CAREFUL AROUND THE ROCKS, YOU TWO,> Gyarados absentmindedly warns, turned away from the brawl to peek at the coral. Behind him, Buizel kickflips Kazuki’s head into a boulder sticking out of the waves. It isn’t quite the method for teaching a man to be more open about his attachments, but he had it coming.
Kazuki would be proud of the sheer brutality she’s learned to wield, were it not being used to clown on him.
<PARDON THE RUCKUS,> Gyarados nods respectfully at a nearby fish. <WOULD YOU CARE FOR A BATTLE?>
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 22, 2023 23:11:03 GMT 9
<WHY WON’T YOU JUST ADMIT IT! ADMIT YOU LOVE YOUR POKEMON!>
“OVER MY DEAD BODY!”
<THEN DROWN.>
Gyarados is watching Kazuki and Buizel fight in the water, the two basically taking turns drowning each other and trying to tear out eyeballs. He is no longer attempting to break it up. He’s just paying attention to the water around, as a clean-up crew for the unfortunate fish that get caught in the crossfire.
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 22, 2023 22:44:05 GMT 9
Buizel cackles violently, loud enough for it to be scathing even from a distance. She forces Gyarados to stop swimming away, making him hover over the sand so she can continue roasting her trainer. <A lone wolf? Seriously? Are you going to run off into the wild now, become a Mightyena?>
“I don’t even know what the fuck that is,” Kazuki growls. “But if it’s something that eats buizels for breakfast, then hell fucking yes.”
Buizel meets his glower, smacking the top of Gyarados’ head as if it were a table. <I can beat any canine you throw at me. Oh, wait!> She laughs, paw on her mouth like a fan. <You don’t even have one!>
Oh, it is on. Kazuki leaps causing both him and Buizel to fall off Gyarados and crash into the sea, right on top of an unfortunate magikarp.
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
|
Post by Kazuki on May 22, 2023 22:37:32 GMT 9
But Buizel is soft-hearted. Once Gyarados began panicking over not finding an opponent within the first five seconds she breaks, and begins gently patting his head. <You are such a big baby. It’s okay, I’ve got you.>
Gyarados sniffs, indignant at being called a baby after his magnificent transformation—but also really needing pets right now. <CAN WE STOP FIGHTING AND JUST WORK TOGETHER NOW? PLEASE.>
<Of course, we can. And we’ll get it done in a jiffy, because we’re a team!> Buizel then twists and yells. <UNLIKE SOME UNGRATEFUL SHITSTAINS COVERED IN DOODLES.>
Kazuki snarls at her from the shore. “Who needs a fucking team!” He yells back, looking ready to chuck his fishing rod. “Not me, bitch! I’m a lone wolf! AND THEY'RE CALLED TATS.”
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 22, 2023 22:19:50 GMT 9
The lack of a retort is a little surprising, but Kazuki, being who he is, simply takes this as permission to continue ogling. Sprigatito delights once Kitten bounces up to him, immediately rubbing his face all over her fur—and whining once he gets one of his large cheek fluffs caught on her ornate collar.
At the mention of Hokkaidō, Kazuki’s brain slams the breaks. It’s not readily apparent; his brows only rise, as if the mention of his current residence didn’t just give him whiplash. A festival. That’s what Ren had mentioned. They wanted to visit so they could snap photos and—update his page’s ‘reels’ or whatever the fuck. Kazuki had said no, but—
<Ow!> Sprigatito yelps, dragged forwards along with Kitten because of the tangle. He looks up at Verai with big cherry blossom eyes. <Can we? Can we have outfits, pleasepleaseplease?> He loves being waffle, but he wants to try other things too!
Kazuki kneels down beside Verai. “How did you get this?” He reaches out, tugging the fabric of Verai’s collar. “It’s a cosmetic, isn’t it?”
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 22, 2023 18:11:01 GMT 9
Gyarados is going to die. This is so awkward.
Kazuki accepted the magikarp he offered quite readily, confused as to why it’s fucking golden, but pleased. Buizel broke off from their trainer, opting to jump back on his head, and now they’re back to square one but worse.
<BUIZEL… PERHAPS… PERHAPS THIS IS OK—>
<Why’d you give him that magikarp?> Buizel grumbles. <It’s rare, like you. But he likes the gold on it better. What if he replaces you with it?>
Gyarados lets out a squeak that really has no place for his kind. <HE WOULDN’T! WE ALL EVOLVE OUR PATTERNS AWAY ANYWAYS.> But if the rumors were true, there should be an option for trainers to make their magikarp retain their juvenile coloring. <OH SWEET KYOGRE, HE WOULDN’T, RIGHT? PLEASE TELL ME HE WON’T.>
Buizel does not say anything, instead turning up her nose.
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 22, 2023 17:41:16 GMT 9
Buizel stammers, her ears pinned as her trainer yells back. <It’s just because she’s big and—>
“Tough. That is quite literally it; she kept her spot on the team because she proved she could beat pokemon a hundred times bigger than her. She’s a fighter.” Kazuki pinches the bridge of his nose. Is he going to have to cover this too? Call up another huddle, explain to everyone what a black belt is? What subclass benefits are? “Pansear just can’t cut it moving forwards. You’re going to learn how to deal with this, or it’s going to cost you your spot.”
Gyarados returns, still feeling nervous. The argument hasn’t stopped, but he’s already spotted a really fancy-looking magikarp to return with. Maybe if he fights it really quietly, and then he’ll just… nudge it to shore…
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