ohmyarceus | NOVEMBER - DECEMBER TEST DRIVE MEME

Ah yes, it's your main duty to usher in mortals who died peaceful deaths, correct? "Natural Causes," as your twin would put it. You must be familiar with all the little things that can cause a mortal to die if they aren't careful.

[And there were so many of those things, Zag felt like he discovered a dozen new ones every day! He obligingly followed Than and stepped aside, out of the way of the rest of the customers.]

My knowledge of the surface is less than limited, it's close to nothing. I'm only ever able to walk the distance from the last threshold of father's abode to my mother's garden, and it's mere minutes there before I'm pulled back into the Styx.

As for my opinion of this realm... I've a very strong suspicion it's not the same surface that the shades in father's court speak of. It's difficult to give words to my misgivings, but something definitely doesn't match up. For example, the monster very clearly looming over your shoulder-- never heard of anything like that haunting the world of mortals.

Edited 2020-11-29 20:55 (UTC)

[Hah...yeah........]

I can't say you're wrong in that regard, but...well...if a Pokemon doesn't enjoy fighting or want to fight, no one forces them to. That sort of behavior is actually discouraged. But the fights are more a test of strength and the bonds Pokemon and their trainers have than anything else.

[Magic-based? That's certainly an idea to have.]

Anything that could sort of be considered magic is probably a Pokemon's abilities - or at least, it's the closest thing I can think of that might qualify. Technology is just technology.

[Coffee shops are nothing like taverns, lacking in everything that makes a tavern a worthwhile place to visit (wine, beer, spirits) but from his short stay in this world, Venti has found them a good place to earn a few coins by entertaining people with a song or two on his lyre.

So, unbeknowst to everybody in this shop, today there is not one but two gods in this Starmiebucks, though at least one of them knows to wear shoes.

(Venti has not yet opted to dress in clothing that fits in better with the mortals of this realm though; if anything, for a bard, standing out is a good thing!)

He's been watching the exchange between the poor barista and the confused newcomer with an amused smile from the chair he's been perched on, finally stepping in when he feels the poor counterworker has had enough to deal with for one day.]

I'm afraid they don't sell shoes in places like this, kind sir patron.

[To the first, he nods his affirmation. Little else to be said about it. Through his line of work, he's very familiar with what ways mortals meet their demise, and even if he doesn't collect the souls of those whom die in battle, he is still rather abundantly aware of that whole ordeal as well. After all, even violent deaths cannot happen if he is indisposed of.

Which is a point of worry for him with being here.

However, as Zagreus continues, talking enough for the both of them (something Thanatos barely minds), he silently contemplates these proposed suspicions. He does agree, this is nothing like the surface world he's familiar with. Well, perhaps not nothing like it, but fairly different.

Not to mention the time he was here for a brief few days, powers intact, told him more than he needed to know that this was not the realm he knows. The thought barely finishes in his head when Zag brings his attention to the Duskull hovering behind him. Sparing it a glance momentarily, he then looks back to Zagreus.]

...You're right. Spirits such as these do not escape the underworld, nor do they get left behind—I am not so careless, nor are the others with a similar duty. I do agree that we are not in the same realm. I don't mean to alarm you, but I have been here for a few days' time before—with my powers.

[Sparing a glance towards the barista as she comes over to deliver his coffee and the pastries, he thanks her, before offering one of them over to Zagreus.]

As far as I could detect, the underworld we are familiar with does not exist here.

So, you think we've somehow been completely cut off from the realm of the Underworld? Or-- perhaps we've been taken somewhere even further beyond that? Someplace beyond the view of Olympus?

[Zagreus placed his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand as he listened to Thanatos' conjecture, his muffin momentarily forgotten. It didn't seem so impossible an idea. It would explain why he hadn't yet been found by Hermes and dragged up to the mountain itself to meet his extended family. And-- if Than was suddenly without his powers in their own realm-- mortals would simply stop dying, that would cause a real fuss which didn't seem to be happening here.]

I think I can believe it. Perhaps, in his endless lust for creation, Lord Chaos went and made a couple of new existences, and we got mixed up in the mess?

Strange that you had your powers for a short while tho'. From the moment I arrived here, my feet have been as cold as any other's.

[Zagreus turned as he was addressed, and then looked down-- despite becoming mortal in every other sense of the word, and having lost his herculean strength and endless vigor, Zag was still tall and statuesque-- at the feminine chap with the lyre in hand. Thankfully, he had very little sense of ego or self-importance, and wasn't about to smite the lad where he stood for interrupting him.]

Then I'm in the wrong queue, aren't I? [With that realization, Zag stepped aside, and let the other customers go about their business.] I feel like I'm being sent on a bit of a chase, needing one thing in order to get another, but mortals do adore a good quest-- Would you happen to know where I could acquire some shoes then, lad?

Mortals, huh? You make it rather sound like you aren't one of them.

[One of them and not one of us, because Venti isn't strictly speaking mortal either. Well, not normally, at least.]

But yes, I would say I know a place or two. For a small fee, of course~ After all, mortals also love getting compensated for their actions.

Edited 2020-11-30 16:50 (UTC)

Ah-- Slip of the tongue, there. I'm currently as mortal as any other, but it's still a new experience for me. [Which also tells Venti that, yes, at one point Zag was something other than mortal. He didn't think it was a big deal, especially when the people here knew nothing of Olympus, so he didn't mind letting the cat out of the bag.] Fair enough. I can spare a coin or two for your trouble.

You'll have to tell me what that is like later.

[Says the wind-god.]

Maybe over the apple pastry you can buy me for helping you find some shoes. It sounds like the sort of thing songs can be written about.

Then I'd say we have a deal. [Zag was perfectly pleased with this outcome, always ready to make a new acquaintance.] I'd like to hear such a song on that lyre of yours. It seems the instrument is under-appreciated here, which is a bloody shame, don't you think?

It's true.

[Though, if nothing else, the novelty of his instrument has gotten Vente some pokebucks here and there.]

Perhaps that is why we were brought here? To teach these people to appraciate a true bard's instrument?

I'm familiar with the lyre, but only as an avid listener. A good friend of mine, a bard, as you say, can't be found without his, and since he plays in my father's court I hear it quite often.

[Taking a sip of his black coffee, seemingly unbothered by how hot it is (or merely living with his decision), he nods to Zagreus' questions. When he speaks, there's the lightest hint of strain to his voice.]

I do suppose it's possible, though Master Chaos has not been particularly active in such endeavors for a long, long time. Why would they make an otherwise godless existence?

[He pauses a moment, realizing how silly of a question that was, shaking his head briefly.]

...Nevermind, my grandparent never has been one for reason behind their work. As for the matter of my powers—I don't know? Everything seemed fairly unstable, and there were more than only mortals here, strange man-like beings with grey skin and brightly colored horns, among various others... Hermes was here too, but he seems gone, now.

[Admittedly, he supposes he'd rather Zagreus' company than Hermes, though Hermes might take things a little more seriously. He's hard worker, a professional, and Zagreus isn't exactly known for his work ethics, but he has a certain bias for the Underworld Prince, so...]

Did I ever tell you that I've meet Master Chaos personally? They also lend me their aid, along with the Olympians, although there's always a catch to the boons they give. I have to be careful in accepting them.

Really? Cousin Hermes? It must have been a short stay, if he hasn't found me yet. It's quite a talent of his... Or perhaps, he lost his godly powers as well, maybe mid-flight, and is now stranded someplace very far away.

[That obviously didn't sit well with Zagreus. His own mortality was was quite frightening when it first happened, it would have been an absolute nightmare if he were, say, stuck on the top of some lonely mountain, or perhaps in the middle of the ocean.]

Edited (pronoun check!) 2020-12-05 20:25 (UTC)

Hey, no need for formality with me. [Claude laughs.] I did say I was a duke for awhile, right? I'm not one now. Honestly, though, even if I was, I've never been a particularly formal kind of guy. That's also related to the culture I came from. We've always been more interested in personal merit and accomplishments than, say, the formality of nobility. Y'know, commanding respect by your deeds rather than your titles. If I happen to earn your respect at some point, then go ahead and treat me however you think is appropriate, but don't go bowing to me just because of a title I used to hold!

[He sets his Gear down, which certainly improves the video stability.] That said, I'm plenty scheming myself, so that might already be a mark against me in your book. But schemes don't have to be bad things, right? Not if they're aimed towards good ends. I mean, if you go about doing good all honorably and above board and fail, are you better off than if you'd played a sneaky, underhanded game to do good and actually achieved your goals? I've never considered that a moral high ground worth clinging to. Obviously you've got to have a few scruples rattling around, but some moral codes...well, they're so inflexible that they cripple themselves and any practical good they could actually do. [He folds his arms behind his head.] That's why I don't hesitate to call myself a schemer. Every ballad's got room for a clever trickster, doesn't it?

[Sturm, for his part, has disappeared briefly from the video, due to the fact that he'd been sitting on the floor and Claude's shift in the Gear's video angle had hidden him. As Claude is talking, however, Jaskier may notice the Toxel start to reappear on camera, as Sturm patiently climbs his way up Claude's clothes to his shoulder. Sturm's feet seem to be either strong in clinging, or perhaps have some reptilian/amphibian form of climbing assistance built in.

Claude, for his part, flicks his gaze toward Sturm once or twice during his ascent, but seems to accept being treated as a climbing wall readily enough. Once Sturm settles on his shoulder, the Toxel peers at the Gear screen; he seems like he wants to be included in Claude's conversation, or at least to look at what Claude is. Claude, chuckling, pets his head - with a gloved hand, Jaskier will note. No poisoning concerns at the moment.]

I don't know if I'd call Sturm shy, exactly. I don't know what I'd call him! He's just a weird little guy. I like him, though.

So the pokémon enjoy it, too? [Claude looks thoughtful.] I guess that's better than forced fighting...do they get hurt a lot?

[But then Jane distracts him from those thoughts with something more surprising, and he blinks.] Wait, are you saying there's no magic here?

[Malleus chuckles, and nods.]

you're welcome. Make sure you get some remedies before you go touching really cute pokémon.

Will do! Where's a good place to stock up? And are they expensive? I don't know much of anything about the economy here yet...I know I got some money from that weird woman who insisted she was my mom, along with the other supplies she shoved at me, but frankly it's unfamiliar currency and I don't know how far it's going to go.

There's a lot of healing items to use if they do get hurt, and then you have Pokemon like Dinah who know how to heal-

[Mm? Is that astounding to you, Claude?]

Um, yeah, as far as I'm aware? Magic is not a real thing here.

[She knows it is apparently a thing in other places, but here? Not so much. Very nebulous.]

Huh. It's definitely real where I'm from...but then we don't have anything even close to these kinds of technological advancements where I'm from. [He waves his Gear.] So I guess that's just a sign of how different this place is from home...

[He pauses.] I guess if there's no magic here at all...this must be a completely different world than mine, huh? The laws governing a world don't just change from place to place, so...

[Everything up until now could have been chalked up to being in some far-flung, unknown land within his own world, somewhere. Claude hadn't necessarily assumed it was so, although it had certainly seemed more plausible than 'a whole new world'. But if they were in the same world as Fodlan, there'd be no reason for magic to not exist here the same way it does everywhere else. Ergo...]

[The guy laughs and comments he doesn't believe in the formality of nobility - in fact, that's the culture he comes from. Jaskier is damn impressed he must admit, but he can't help but wonder how such a family survived and kept its power. Claude mentioned political bullshit after all, and that kind of culture doesn't always care about personal merits, no matter how romantic it sounds. Jaskier wants to believe in such a thing, it's one of the many things that makes him look up to Geralt in the first place, but as he told the witcher once upon a time... respect doesn't make history.

It's Jaskier's turn to chuckle, however, when he mentions this whole thing being a mark against him in Jaskier's book - something that couldn't be farther from the truth. What an interesting conclusion to reach, though. And what an interesting guy - intriguing. Jaskier has to wonder how much of his little speech is politics dressed up in pretty words, and how much it's true. Judging from the initial laughter, he decides to give him a chance - Jaskier is usually pretty good at reading people, and he doesn't think even nobles who pull off "I care about my people" speeches can act this well. There is some sincerity in his words... the fact he's easy on the eyes helps as well.

Jaskier's body language changes - he leans in, rests his chin on his hand and gives Claude a look over as smoothly as he can, still not knowing he doesn't need to hide such a thing in this world.]

You're quite correct, scheming doesn't always equal bad intentions. Sometimes it's the thief that steals from the rich in order to feed the poor that stars the most remembered songs, the ones that continue to be sung in taverns and festivals with honest mirth. But I'm sure you know what particular kind of scheming I was referring to - the one that values a bag of coin more than personal merit. [He offers his most charming smile then.] What shall I call you then if not "my lord"? I don't believe I caught your name.

[When Sturm appears on the screen again, Dahlia waves her little paw at him once more, saying something in their Pokémon language about their trainers being very comfortable to climb and sit on. She approves of Toxel's current choice of perching spot, good job!]

Oh, I totally understand what you mean about "weird but still like him". It's how I feel about Dahlia as well - about all the "monsters" I've seen so far, if I must be honest. I'd call it curious that they choose to label them "monsters" in the first place; I'd say they're more similar to extremely smart animals - with quite fantastical habilities, of course, but animals all the same, to be trained and bred and kept by your side. The monsters in my realm... they're nothing like this. Poisonous? Probable. [An obvious jab at Toxel's little issue.] Cute? Not a chance. Friendly? [He snorts.] Impossible. Makes me wonder about how the word originated here, to lack the connotations that all of us visitors seem to share.

That's the gist of things, yeah. None of us who get pulled into this place are from a world like it, so it's pretty much totally different.

A. Network

[Sorry to whoever's watching this video, it appears to be zooming along, held in the mouth of some creature as it runs. Occasionally, a flicker of a purple tail or feline ear comes on screen briefly. A swiftly approaching human voice chimes in from somewhere in the background.]

...back here, you little menace. I don't know what that thing is, but it's apparently mine, so give it back.

[The video stills, dropped onto the floor by the purple cat whose face peers into the camera for a moment, and then the whole thing goes dark as the cat clearly shoves the device under the bed.]

Really? Ugh.

[A slim hand passes over the screen and retrieves the device, holding it up to frown at the screen. This man can really frown. More of a scowl, honestly.]

What is this thing? And why am I supposed to care about it? ...I don't know why I'm asking you.

[That last bit is directed at the cat.]

B. Action - New Bark Town

No, I do not want breakfast, leave me alone. Whoever you are.

[This is really unsettling. Not only did he wake up in some strange bed, in some strange town, with way too many bright colors, but some strange woman is here offering him food and telling him to take this cat on some "adventure" or something. She acts like he's speaking gibberish when he demands to know where he is, where his sword is, and how he got here. Well, if she's not going to be of any use, then leaving is exactly what he'll do.]

Let's go, cat. And stop saying the word "purr," can't you just...purr, like a normal cat? What is going on.

[He stalks through town as though he expects to be attacked at any moment, despite the fact that no one here looks armed. After a few minutes, the cat runs off around a corner.]

What--oh come on.

[Felix runs after it, but by the time he gets there, it has already stolen something from someone and is running off with it. Who is this person? Maybe it's you!]

C. Something Else?

Something else!

[As it turns out, the person it's stolen from is... what looks to be an orange and black pig walking on two legs. A pig that was carrying a small packet, now stolen by a dickhead cat.]

[There's an alarmed squeal, and soon Felix is finding himself joined by this same pig as it runs after the Purrloin. In fact, the squealing continues, almost as if the pig is calling for someone.]

O...kay?

[Well, presumably this pig belongs to someone, so after facepalming in despair that any of this will make sense anytime soon, he chases after both pig and cat, intending to give whoever this thing belongs to a piece of his mind for letting their pet wander around (on two legs??) by itself.]

[Look, just because he's a hypocrite, doesn't mean he can't complain.]

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER TEST DRIVE MEME

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Felix Fraldarius | Fire Emblem (Azure Moon) | OTA

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