ohmyarceus | March - April Test Drive Meme

Haven't met anyone named that, but if your wife is an actual mermaid, at least that narrows down the places you need to look for her? If she's still a mermaid, that is. [After all, he's sure not still a duck now that he's here!] Although I'm not even sure people come here in groups like that, since I'm here and my brothers aren't.

Birds, huh? A few of the Pokemon I've seen are definitely bird-like... Lots of little gray ones and brown ones on the road past New Bark Town.

Oh, no, she's not actually a mermaid. Probably. We're both named after fairy tales. 'Otsuu' comes from a story about an injured crane rescued by a hunter. I don't know why, though, or their connection to us. [It's weird and she's pretty sure she doesn't have her Blood Maiden powers anymore here.] I see... That's too bad but not surprising.

I've seen those. Poppy and I started out near New Bark.

"Well, granted. Especially when she is younger than you. Is it always the same woman?" Because that would be strange, but perhaps not the strangest part of this whole ordeal.

"It will need to be some time in the future unless you fancy trail rations. Although, I do have wine." Not the nicest, but it was still wine.

That's a relief, at least. I have... well, I have somebody back home I would very much like to return to.

[Aziraphale couldn't help but smile a little bit, turning the little paper cup in his hands. Finally, they were free, and he had just been separated again? But it helped to know that at least Crowley wouldn't miss him.]

There's no way to influence that randomness, I suppose. A pity.

"That's what I'm told," he says with a shrug. "I don't know if anyone's documented their encounter with her so that we could compare."

"Perhaps we best save the lunch for a place where there are tables?" He doesn't want there to be any unfortunate accidents regarding the wine, either. "I've heard Violet has some restaurants, and some of them are bound to be better than a handful of nuts and fruit."

[ Predators recognize other predators, or at least that's what Risotto thinks is happening right now. He grows visibly more attentive as he registers this man's own attitude, the serious stare but the forthcoming answers. It's useful to be told all of this — no one else had so far. Risotto wonders if it's a manipulation tactic or simply a broader attempt to get team cooperation.

But for now, his need for answers means he has little choice but to engage. ]

Are there more otherworlders outside of our organization? [ They're outnumbered? Interesting.

And...when was the last time someone offered to shop for him? Of all the odd things that are going on... Risotto considers his choices and decides it sounds better than turning this uniform inside out in order to blend in while doing it himself. ]

...I'd appreciate it. [ He hates the idea of accepting help, so if he simply thinks of it only as a transactional affair with the organization itself, that's easier. ]

You seem comfortable talking to new recruits, for how rarely this happens.

[ It's been both the most tense and most frustratingly uneventful five minutes Risotto's spent fighting since arriving, and it's rapidly turning to simple boredom.

The only beneficial thing is the revelation that even though this man's Pokémon has a move that can hurt his Gastly doesn't mean it necessarily is affected by ghost type moves, so he switched to its sole dark type move and it worked...he's pretty sure... This is really going to take all day, isn't it?

Risotto is beginning to reconsider the merits of knocking the other man out and making a break for it when he's offered a much easier, less violent out than he'd expected. ]

...I would, yes.

I think we're either too evenly matched, or too incompatible. [ Tentative even though the other man is the one who offered, Risotto keeps his eyes firmly on the suspicious (fluffy, easily-distracted) Pidove while reaching out for his Gastly.

Of course, the damn thing is still convinced it has a chance and doesn't give up easily, so Risotto ends up having to rush up on it with its pokéball to put it away. ]

Then here. [From inside the picnic basket, she first sets out a small bowl of poffins for her Vulpix, and then reaches inside to hold up a sandwich.] Wouldn't food go better with your drink and abject misery?

[Risotto's attempt is exceedingly successful, as by the time he turns the handle, Doppio is still fumbling for the keys and the door slams back open before he can do anything about it.

He makes a noise that's something like a rubber duck being crushed.

What is he supposed to do? Does he grab a Pokéball or a weapon? Now would be a FANTASTIC time for the Boss to call, in fact, because between the instant, kneejerk terror of being face-to-face with a man who came awfully close to killing him and the distant but nonetheless present baseline irritation at having to see this jerkoff again, his limbs are essentially paralyzed. Some form of direction would be great.]

Wait-- Wait, wait, this isn't my room, I'm sharing it...!

[... So maybe that's why the first thing he remembers to do as he backs up is, uh... to present... that argument. What is it supposed to accomplish? Look, just bear with him, he's trying to find his footing.]

[Oh that's definitely what's happening right now. Steven's trying to get a read on Risotto, as well as establish himself as a reliable senior in the organization.

He smiles, seemingly unconcerned, although it doesn't quite extend to his eyes,]

Oh yes. A few dozen more--it fluctuates, because sometimes people are returned home, but I'd say at any given time there's fifty to a hundred people from other worlds in the Kanto and Johto regions. We have channels on our pokegears just for us--if you look, you should be able to find the one for otherworlders on Team Rocket and the one for otherworlders in general.

[He sets his coffee cup down and steeples his fingers in front of him.]

Today's your last day of training, right? They should probably be taking your group out into the city to have you steal from actual citizens for your assessment. And starting tomorrow you'll be allowed to leave the base whenever you wish. I'll make sure your street clothes are ready by the time they let you out of training--you can just pick the up at desk like you would any other package. I'll get your sizes from the quartermaster.

[He says it very casually. He's done this before, it's clear.]

And I suppose I am, although it's admittedly been a longer than usual gap between recruits. Last summer we were getting new people nearly every other week--it's a pity that most of them seem to have been relocated home.

[Like Beau, who came and went between Lanque and Risotto, but forgive Steven if he wanted to simplify things earlier.]

At any rate, someone needs to help the new ones get accustomed to how we do things here, so why not me? It makes things run much more smoothly when I do.

That does seem to be the case.

[Leonardo says, pleasantly enough. Leonardo doesn't exactly call Piccolo back to a pokeball, so much as the slightly clueless bird hops back to him and flutters up to rest on his shoulder. Still, the pigeon doesn't look worse for the wear, perhaps a few feathers out of place and a little bit confused. Then again, Piccolo seems very confused about many things, so perhaps this is just his natural state. The point is, the world's most... evenly matched, let's say, pokemon battle draws to a close, with a few twigs and leaves being the only casualties.

Well, and everyone's patience, but that hardly counts.]

I suppose there are worse ways to spend an afternoon.

are you REALLY married to the little mermaid?!?!?

[Maria is so excited by this idea. You don't know how excited she is.]

New Bark Town

Maria's used to being on her own, but usually it's because Mama went away somewhere and not because her mama handed Maria a bag and pushed her out the door. But that's exactly what just happened. It was very strange, because until that moment, Maria had been in the Golden Land with everyone and now she was somewhere else.

It was a very pretty somewhere else, however. And the music playing in the air was nice too, like an arcade game! Maria had been to an arcade once, when Mama was gone. She'd stopped in to look on her way home from the convenience store.

It's at this point, however, that Maria realizes that someone very important is missing. That the familiar, soft weight is nowhere in her bag.

"Sakutaro...?"

Maria looks everywhere, inside her bag and out, but she can't see her best friend anywhere. Not in any of his forms. She dashes back to the door and starts banging on it.

"Mama, Mama! Let me back in! I forgot Sakutaro!"

Route 29

Mama hadn't let her back in. No matter how much she cried and yelled, Mama hadn't let her. Maria wished she could be surprised, but she wasn't, really.

Maybe Sakutaro wasn't in Mama's house. Maria didn't really remember seeing him between waking up and being gently pushed out the door. Maybe he was still in the Golden Land, with Beato. Maria hoped he was.

"What do you think, Pinkle Purr?" she asks the funny kitten by her side. The little old granny lady had given Pinkle Purr to Maria on her way out of town. Maria had promised to bring her back when she was bigger.

Pinkle only mews. Maria sighs and reaches into her bag. "Let's play with this ball I found," she says, throwing it in front of her. There's a flash of light and--

Standing in front of Maria is the cutest little pink hat creature.

Maria gasps. "Uu! What are you?"

Network

[There's a little girl peering into the screen of the pokegear, the faces of a Hatenna and a Skitty flanking her on either side.]

Hello? Hello? Is this television? Are we on television?

[The little girl gasps.]

Uu! We are! We're on television!

Edited 2021-04-09 02:02 (UTC)

[... Hi, yes, hello, a small child in distress gets Trey's attention immediately.

He makes his way over, with a Scorbunny clinging to his shoulder.]

Hey, what's wrong?

[Maria looks up at the funny bunny man and bursts into tears all over again.] Mama won't let me back into the house and I forgot Sakutaro and I might never see him again.

[... Oh no.]

I'm afraid she's not very keen on letting anyone back in once they're out. I got pushed out the door here, too. [He pauses.] Where'd you see Sakutaro last?

[Maria thinks about this, sniffling.]

... in the Golden Land. That's where I was last before I came here.

Well, if that's the last place you saw him, maybe he's still there. I was somewhere else before coming here, too.

[As much as he wanted to understand Yuu better, this wasn't how he wanted to do that!]

... do you think so?

[It might not be bad if Sakutaro is in the Golden Land. Beato and Virgilia and Ronove and the Stakes and everyone would be able to take care of him.]

Yeah, I think so. And he'll be right there waiting for you when you go back to the Golden Land from... well, wherever this place is.

[He offers a gentle smile, and his Scorbunny nods and fistpumps a little.]

My name's Trey, what's yours?

Maria. Maria Ushiromiya.

[She wipes her eyes.] Uu. I hope you're right, Mr Trey.

Edited (uus are important) 2021-04-09 02:59 (UTC)

So you know the story! That's right. I asked to be her wife when we were kids and she preferred to be a wife so I became her prince. We're both from stories but also... not. We're not quite sure and neither are the others like us. She remembers the sea even if she's never seen it, for example.

[This reminds her of something, though...]

Someone once said they thought it was wonderful that Little Mermaid married, too. Guess we were lucky.

oh!!! that sounds exciting!!!

i didn't know that boys could be wives.

[Maria... is from 1986. Probably. Sort of. She has certain Assumptions.]

March - April Test Drive Meme

Network Post

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no worries!

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c

Maria Ushiromiya | Umineko: When They Cry | OTA (minor spoilers)

New Bark Town

Re: New Bark Town

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