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 Apr 18, 2023 3:28:33 GMT 9
The Briarbane Settlement is an interesting place. As he enters the threshold, the town is gated by high desert cliffs, its silhouette not of the cement and metal behemoth he knows from his travels abroad. All the architecture is reminiscent of those old western towns.
Mudbray and Mudsdale slowly plod across the unpaved streets, kicking up plumes of dust as the carts they pull creak and clang with all sorts of supplies. The population is a sea of people dressed up as if preparing for a rodeo, which makes it hilarious when player characters come weaving in and out, breaking the uniformity like clowns.
The hypocrite strolls along, ignoring the looks he garners by being shirtless and looking like a walking case of vandalism. The dust itches his skin, but he canâÂÂt be bothered with anything more practical. Plus, it does help with the heat.
Beside him trots his own horseâÂÂmule, rather. Mudbray had popped out of her ball at the request of Sprigatito, who refused to return to his but had nearly been pancaked thrice in the few minutes they arrived. The kitten now sits on MudbrayâÂÂs back, watching the traffic with interest.
ENTERING THE TALL GRASS!
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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 Apr 18, 2023 2:10:40 GMT 9
<Wreeeee!> Thereâs a blur of green being flung around like a flag, and though itâs a sight that would incur a number of animal rights violations, Kazuki thinks the cat is actually enjoying himself.
The doduo continues to struggle, now bickering in between each attempt at attack. The cat is still on them and their twin isnât helping! Which is just so typical! Left, right, left, the other head is clearly imbecilic and has no sense of direction, and this is why mother loved them best.
Kazuki stares at the clock ticking at the corner of his UI, counting down the seconds.
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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 Apr 18, 2023 2:07:27 GMT 9
Kazuki watches as his cat dives for the bird screaming, crossing his arms as the tussle begins. The doduoâs heads flail wildly like giraffe necks as they try to reach behind them, but the cat is so small, their long beaks end up smashing into each other than doing anything productive.
Sprigatito holds on, sinking his teeth and claws into his prey. Itâs a bit tricky; the doduoâs fast, and with so many heads, thereâs a lot of movement and noise to keep trackâbut all he really has to pay attention to is touch!
âWrap it up!â Kazuki calls, wanting to head back to civilization already.
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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 Apr 18, 2023 2:04:10 GMT 9
They continue to argue, attracting the attention of another two-headed bird. It squawks, or squawks twice technically, before coming towards them in a flurry of stamping feet.
Kazuki huffs. âDoesnât seem like thereâs anything new on this route.â The gameâs generating the same encounters. âWeâll have to come back later.â
Sprigatito perks up, looking to the direction of their incoming opponent. He wiggles excitedly, ready to pounce even as he asks: <And that one?>
Better than nothing, Kazuki decides. âSic âem.â
Roaring in victory, Sprigatito charges towards the birdie, his jaws wide for a bite.
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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 Apr 18, 2023 1:54:20 GMT 9
They donât escape unscathed. A stray bolt manages to graze his arm as he dodges, electricity spasming through his muscles, alarming enough that he uses a burst of strength to throw his weight forwards.
They end up crashing, tumbling down a slope. Not a graceful fall, but not as disastrous as some of their previous reunions with gravity.
Kazuki opens his eyes and stares at grey clouds. Heâs lying down. Sprigatito is whining in his ears as if heâs already dead.
âWill you calm down?â Kazuki waves his hand, trying to shoo the cat away. Itâs annoying enough to get electrocuted and fall down a hill.
<Wh- What!> Sprigatito says, bewildered, offended, and worried out of his mind. <Youâre hurt! Again! Why do you always get hurt!> He shoves his fur in his trainerâs face, exuding as much of a healing scent as he can.
Kazuki chokes, trying to push him off. It smells like moth balls and rubbing alcohol. âGet that out of my face!â
<Smell me! Smell me and feel better!>
âGET OFF!â
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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 Apr 16, 2023 23:30:03 GMT 9
Itâs another floating magnet. The pokemon buzzes, its metal body glowing as it begins to charge.
From the looks of the scorch marks on the ground, it appears they just wandered into its home turf.
âThese things hate me,â Kazuki hisses, dodging left as a bolt of electricity comes to strike the spot he stands, leaving ash on the ground.
<Left!> Sprigatito chirps, piloting as his trainer evades the barrage of attacks, his paws on the manâs head and tugging it in the right direction as he belts instructions. <Right! Left! Down!>
âYouâre enjoying this,â Kazuki ducks, one shot narrowly hitting him in the face, Sprigatito quickly taking cover behind his head. This time the spark rebounds, surprising the Magnemite long enough for Kazuki to try and book it out of its territory.
Spawn reset
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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 Apr 16, 2023 23:13:17 GMT 9
<Do you know how to fight?> Sprigatito asks as they scale a small rock formation, trying to find a good vantage to scope out the area.
âCourse I do,â Kazuki snorts, holding a hand over his eyes to block out the flashes of light from the thundering skies. âItâs my job. Itâs what I live for.â Of course, he hasnât been able to fight in person lately, but thatâs entirely out of his control.
Sprigatito mulls this over as his trainer climbs back down. <Youâre kind of bad at it though!>
âOh? And why is that?â Kazuki asks, glad he had both hands preoccupied, else he mightâve chucked his starter halfway across the route.
<Remember when we got captured by bandits?>
Kazukiâs expression sours. âThe only reason they got the jump on me was âcause of the numbers. Iâm trained to fight one-on-one, not against groups.â
<But Purrai managed!>
âBecause that guy is a monster,â he says it as if itâs praise. âHe's good, but Iâll beat him, just you fucking watch.â
<Mm, okay!> Sprigatito says, and though he seems to mean it genuinely, it still brushes Kazuki the wrong way. Heâll have to prove him wrong.
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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 Apr 16, 2023 20:31:12 GMT 9
TRIGGER WARNING | LOVECRAFTIAN / COSMIC HORROR, UNREALITY
Kazuki clicks his tongue, eyes moving to the endless gloom past the playerâLacrimosa, as the floating name tag saysâand trying to spot a familiar silhouette. âAngry, huh?â Not unusual, though he wouldnât expect Verai to dive headfirst into a quarantined zone without reason.
The cat is more than enough reason.
He doesnât respond to the strangerâs offer to help, only walking ahead. He doesnât have time to spare if he wants to catch up to his target. (And, honestly, the stranger seems like a combination of Verai and the kid he got stuck with in terms of mannerisms. The ultimate goody-two-shoes. Unlikely to be a problem.)
Sprigatito puffs up at being called silly but brightens at Wysteriaâs introduction. <Iâm Sprigatito! I donât have a nickname, but I am nice! You seem nice, too!> He rolls over, standing up to walk alongside Wysteria as the trainers begin moving. He tries to ask a few questions, but all attempts at conversation die as they breach the zoneâs threshold.
It isnât⌠inhospitable. Barren, mostly. Kazuki keeps his gaze forwards, the act of staring at the sky causing his eyes to strain. Something off about the colors- they look iridescent. Oily. The darkness wisping around them is also difficult to look at, shifting like TV static. It causes his unease to climb yet isnât enough to deter him.
He doesnât know why. Even the cats, made for this environment, are losing their minds; Sprigatito retreats from the prospect of a new friend to cower by his ankles. The kitten's plea for retreat falls on deaf ears.
Kazuki moves, pulled by a string drawn from the abyss, knowing somewhere there is something he must find: a light beyond the tunnel, a precognitionâa promise.
At the back of his mind, he hears Lacrimosa speak in reverent tones, his voice distorted but intensified, as if every syllable is being recorded and played back in real-time. It joins the looping crunch of his soles treading dead earth.
The veil doesn't stir. It settles in space, presenting itself with open arms as a stage without curtains. Where Lacrimosa reaches to brush his fingers, the inky tendrils flow, magnetized to the arc of his avatarâs hand.
Kazuki wades through the tar-colored sea in relentless pursuit, the darkness coalescing around him. Its fringes drag across his skin in a sensation like gloved hands, slow and clinging- building bit by bit, until finally, he moves to take a step, and finds that he canât.
âIââ He looks down. Sprigatito meets his gaze, his little teeth sunk into the fabric of a pant leg, pulled until the fabric strains in an attempt to stop his trainer. The tracks in the dirt show how long he's been trying. The other cat, Wysteria, wails in fear as the sea writhes, unleashing an inhuman sound that shreds what remains of his fugue.
The fear that douses his heart is sobering. The darkness entangling him finally registers; revives memories that make him want to tear out of his skin. He tries to yank his leg free, but to no avail. âI canât- I canât- move!â He slams his fist against his thigh, feeling nothing. It's a total break of immersion. He knows now with visceral awareness what he is, can practically feel his thoughts being funneled through the headset clamped over his skull- each iota of self broken into intangible pixels.
He's breathing fast. He knows this because he's finally noticed the air. It doesn't smell of nature, dirt, or dust. It's cold and metallic, with a sharp, synthetic edge.
The darkness around them begins to curl inwards, the screeching drawing near, growing clearer. It screams, as high and shrill as blades dragging across steel.
SPRIGATITO || 100/150
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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 Apr 16, 2023 1:19:46 GMT 9
The look on Veraiâs face is enough to have Kazuki recover from his shock. He grumbles, dragging a hand down his face. âThis game can mimic the sensation of glass, how the hell was I supposed to know they wouldnât treat us to some Looney Tunes bullshit if I enabled that option?â Maybe if he read the instructions, butâwell.
They move on. The muscles in Kazukiâs face are turning sore with how long heâs worn the sourpuss look, watching Verai as he corrects him and soothes his cat at the same time. Sprigatito meets his gaze as the other manâs hand pets the little fluffs of green on his head. He looks perfectly content. Comfortable. A fitted puzzle.
âI know that,â Kazuki says, crossing his arms, stubborn as a mule. âNow, at least.â And heâs going to have to drag out the team later, have a huddle over these issues. When was the last time heâd even been on a team? âJust tell me to treat him better. I donât need the prose.â
<Be nice!> Sprigatito chirps, relishing in his newfound ability to talk back. <Purrai has a point!> And really, the other man seemed to understand his needs much better compared to his own trainer. Heâs even rubbing the perfect spot behind his ear, causing him to purr.
Kazuki is silent for a moment, green eyes narrowed. â⌠Do you want to be his pokemon?â A question said at last. Itâs laced with venom, as expected.
<I do,> Sprigatito says, with such ease and immediacy that it actually catches Kazuki off-guard, and Sprigatito finds the look on his face worth admitting such a painful truth. <Purrai knows how to care for me, and he never raises his voice, or say bad wordsâum, usually. But Purrai is Kittenâs trainer! I have my own. And sure, heâs super mean, and super dumbâ> âHey!â <âbut heâs my trainer.>
He has always held this dream, ever since he hatched from a little egg. To be the best partner pokemon to a trainer that fawns over him. Itâs too early to give up.
Sprigatito looks up to Verai, peeking at him from under his warm hand. <Can I go back to him now?>
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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 Apr 12, 2023 23:08:49 GMT 9
âMrghh,â blubbered Kazuki intelligently, the side of his face smushed against a wooden floor covered in strands of hay and the lingering scent of manure. His foot kicks in the direction of where it was hit, missing Veraiâs leg entirely. His eyelids twitch with a momentary attempt to awaken, only to squeeze as aftershocks of pain greet him. He ultimately relents to the phantom brain damage and settles. A thin line of red has dried from the impact point on his head down his neck.
Crashes and loud scrapes are heard from where Kitten makes her valiant attempt at retaliation. A familiar cry sounds at the force of the hits, Sprigatitoâs voice ringing outâ<Donât eat me! Iâm not tasty!>âas he squeals, waking up to an attack. He's been knocked on his back and is trying to defend himself by wildly flailing his paws over his head.
Someone chuckles above them. âHey, you. Youâre finally awake.â Having heard Verai through the muffle of the tarp, the bandit sitting by kicks him. âThought you could pull a fast one on us, huh? All âcause you beat Folarâ"
Whatever monologue he had prepared is interrupted by the fighting sacks in the corner of the wagon. Cursing under his breath, the bandit gets up, moving to grab the two sacks. âCut that out or by Kalos, Iâll toss both of you into the wheels!â
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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 Apr 10, 2023 18:40:45 GMT 9
<A bird!> Sprigatito squeaks, leaning forwards in the direction of a wild pokemon pecking the ground further along the path. Itâs refreshing from the usual cogs and magnets, but still not quite what Kazuki is looking for.
âWeâre skipping this one.â He begins walking away from it, though not before Sprigatito does an odd little dance on his shoulder, the kitten bobbing in the air.
<Weâre the bird now. Two heads!> He makes a little clicking noise, still watching the doduo with interest as they move away. He wonders how that thing makes any decisions on its own, only to see the heads peck each other as they fight over a stray bread crumb.
Spawn Reset
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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 Apr 10, 2023 18:29:01 GMT 9
Sparks briefly scorch the ground he steps on, but Kazuki manages to disappear down the route. He hears the ticking fade as the Klink leaves his immediate vicinity.
<Can we visit Kitten soon?> Sprigatito eventually pipes up as they resume a leisurely pace.
âYouâre real attached to that cat, huh?â Kazuki kicks a stone, watching it bounce across the dry field. âAnd youâre not close to anyone from the team like that?â
Sprigatito pouts. <âCause Kitten is my best friend! Um, Mudbray and Buizel are my friends, but theyâre being annoying lately.>
Kazuki snorts. âYou ran away and disappeared across the island. If theyâre being more annoying than usual, itâs because you scared the shit out of them.â
<Well! Thatâs not my fault!> Sprigatito wiggles, popping out from Kazukiâs grip and climbing up the manâs arm to perch on his shoulder. He tilts his nose up, looking a bit snooty. <They can feel bad, but they shouldnât baby me.>
The trainer chuckles quietly. âYou really are a brat.â He rolls his eyes, continuing on with the weight on his shoulder. âBut no one ever believes me when I say so.â
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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 Apr 10, 2023 3:08:06 GMT 9
âSee, Iâve been in charge of guarding these here sewers for ages, but Iâve never seen a Patrat outbreak this bad,â drawls the old man standing by the rusted gates leading to Briarbaneâs sewers. Heâs hunch-backed, holding up his sagging overalls with one hand, the other scratching a liver spot on his bald head. âTrusty Betsy Trubbish has been too under the weather to work, so Iâd appreciate it if you go-gettinâ trainers help deal with the pests.â
Kazuki stares at the old man and then at the gate, where a thick, shattered chain hangs loosely braided between the bars. Crumbling signs are still attached to the gate, warning away intruders with threats of disease and trespassing charges. âUh huh⌠say, old manââ
âChuck.â
âOld man Chuck, why do they even need a guard for the sewers?â He scrunches his nose. âFrom the smell of it, I doubt anything can survive in there. Even rats.â Itâs eye-watering, the stench.
âDonât doubt the Briar Rats, boy,â Chuck chuckles. âTheyâre made of sturdier stuff. They raise whole families in there, feastinâ on leftovers and junk.â He scratches his salt-and-pepper beard. âWell, that, and the cheese.â
Kazuki blinks. âCheese?â
âYep. Cheese. Briarbane specialty.â Chuck hums, unlocking the gateâs heavy padlocks with his ring of jing-jangling keys. âWe got catacombs for aging them and some sections kinda broke open a while back, ended up connecting to the sewers. Had to wall âem off else the health inspector would throw a fit.â
He throws the gates open. âNot important, though. Just get in there, clean up some vermin, and get back here before dinner so I can give out your rewards. Easy peasy.â
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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 Apr 10, 2023 1:13:10 GMT 9
Tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock goes an approaching rhythm behind him.
Sprigatitoâs next question is cut off as he spots something. <Oh! Oh! Hello there! Isnât that aâ>
âNope.â Kazuki does a clean 180, powerwalking as fast as he can. What the hell is up with these floating chunks of metal? They follow him wherever he went, grinding and ticking. Then again, he supposes the constant wave of electricity in the area is something of a feast for living machines.
Still damn annoying though.
Hearing the crackle of an oncoming zap, Kazuki books it, Sprigatito under his arm giggling as he bounces with each step the man takes.
Spawn Reset
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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 Apr 10, 2023 1:03:31 GMT 9
<How come we didnât fight the metal thingy?> Sprigatito asks, watching his paws dangle in the air. He finds that pretending to walk makes it seem like heâs still on the ground, except in his eyes, heâs just very, very tall.
âBecause UNOVR doesnât cover medical expenses, and I already take enough pills these days,â Kazuki answers, carrying his starter on his hip like a sack of flour.
<Why? Why don't they, and why do you have to take pills?> Sprigatito asks, looking up at his trainer. His tail gently waves, eyes shining with an eagerness to learn. The fact they can actually hold conversations now is a pure novelty, and he looks forward to knowing more about the man whoâs raising him.
âBecause life sucks, and then we die.â With that display of wisdom and excellent parenting, Kazuki walks, searching for wildlife.
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