Week 23.

[azumods]

WEEK 23 This isn't the first time that you've stood in the massive shadow of Mount Coronet, the peaks and crags of the mountain standing tall and resolute in the center of the region. At the top, supposedly, is the origin of all things - whatever Spear Pillar is, there are two things about it that are important to know. The first being that it isn't visible from here, and the second is that your Pokémon seem either unwilling or incapable of flying you to it. There's no way up the mountain but through, it seems; finding an entrance may be difficult, though there are certainly entrances to be found, and once one is located... Well, it seems the interior of the mountain is just as impressive as the exterior. The caverns in here are massive, the tops of them peaking out high overhead, and the cave system itself contains many ledges and structures high above you that will have to be accessed by climbing. Some areas have walkways and paths that seem almost built-in, but others...good luck getting up there if you aren't prepared to physically hoist yourself up there somehow. There's also the sound of running water in here, audible from the first chamber and getting louder the further you soldier on; it seems a few of the caverns have small rivers and pools containing fresh water. So at least you won't dehydrate anytime soon. CURRENT LOCATION: MOUNT CORONET ??? POKEMON AVAILABLE: CAVES NONE SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY [OOC: Welcome to week twenty-three of Azume; feel free to make as many top levels as you'd like and tag out to other characters! This post is for all of your interactions this week... at least until the weekend.]

Comments

[eudaimonikos]

[On one hand, Michael's normal clothes involve a lot of layers that keep him pretty warm despite how chilly it can get down in the caves. And his height makes it easier for him to surmount some of the lesser obstacles; he can just sort of hoist himself up over the shorter ledges. It's not his favorite thing, but it works.

On the other hand? Absolutely fuck climbing.

At the first tall ledge, Michael tries to climb up, struggles a bit, and drops back to the ground with a frustrated noise.]

Why are human bodies like this? Ugh...

[He brushes the dirt off his front, removes his suit jacket to shove it in his bag, and tries again. His form is that of somebody who has never had to do any real climbing with human limbs, ever in his life. Also why the fuck is he still wearing those fashionable shoes?]

What do you all do for this, extend your nails? [He inspects his fingernails.] They seem so weak.

[Later on, as the climbing grows worse, you can see him just zooming past everyone in Jane Doe's claws. You know, like a smug asshole!

In the evening, he settles down near everyone else and attempts to get comfortable. It's a losing battle. He grumbles a while as he moves his stuff around, before eventually lying back against his Milotic's coiled-up bulk.]

How long do you think we'll take to get up there?

Ledge

[takestheblame]

Humans aren't like cats.

[It'd be freaky if they could extend their nails, Michael. Kiryu isn't having trouble climbing, even though he has a suit instead of any clothing appropriate for climbing. Need a hand?]

[eudaimonikos]

You're like apes. But I guess most of them are also bad at climbing? I'm probably thinking of monkeys...

[Uh, yes, he needs a hand. At least he's gonna try to participate in getting himself up?]

[takestheblame]

Aren't they supposed to be good at that? They're shown on trees all the time. There must be a reason for that.

[Kiryu's knowledge of monkeys is limited to pop culture and their misleading depictions, hah.

Grab a hand, Michael, going to pull you up]

[eudaimonikos]

Ah, you're thinking of monkeys, too! Apes are things like chimpanzees and gorillas. Not so arboreal anymore.

[He'll just sort of scramble up!]

Ha! [His victorious smile quickly fades as he looks up at the next ledge.] We should have tried harder to get the Drifblim to bring us up.

[takestheblame]

...same difference. [It isn't, Kiryu!] Sorry, animals were never something I knew a lot about.

[Now he can say he learned something today. Thanks, Michael!]

Why did you need to have the body of an old person? [He supposes climbing would be easier if Michael was..."younger"]

[eudaimonikos]

Didn't need to, really. They're randomly assigned. Could've ended up with almost anything.

[He laces his fingers together and stretches his arms. That's important, isn't it, for not being totally sore tomorrow?]

In theory, we could all use physically perfect bodies. Young, able-bodied, no glasses...but that wouldn't really help us learn about your weaknesses, and that is the whole point. [He chuckles.] Man, the number of old white guys just like this down there - I actually kinda lucked out.

[takestheblame]

Your weaknesses are tall ledges and climbing.

[Stretch that old man body of yours, Michael, there's still a lot of climbing ahead of you]

And the common cold, too.

[Kiryu doubts Michael was feeling particularly lucky when he was dramatically whining about that weeks ago, hah]

[eudaimonikos]

We don't normally need to climb. But boy, I would've given so many people eternal sinus headaches back in the day, if I'd known.

[He rolls his shoulders, stretching.]

Humans find it easy to accept me as a trustworthy authority figure. I think it's the age? And the glasses and clothes, probably...it's been useful.

zoom zoom

[omissions]

[When Michael zooms past, Ari had his own Haunter, Stanley, floating behind and accompanying him on this climb. Stanley watches them zoom by, and then slowly turns to their trainer.]

... Wait, no, don't--[TOO LATE ARI, Stanley is reaching out to pick up Ari and try to zoom and catch up to Michael and Jane Doe. Is this a race?? Are we seeing who can get there first???]

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael looks over Jane's...well, she doesn't really have a shoulder, but he looks back and immediately starts trying to slap her on it.]

Go, go, go!

[With a confused and slightly alarmed Haunt?, she takes off!]

[omissions]

[Oh no you don't! Stanley lets out a cackle of amused laughter and attempts to pick up speed to chase after them. Ari, meanwhile, is holding on as best as he can for dear life because dear god, why is this happening--]

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael digs around in his bag for a second, and then throws a banana peel at Stanley! Why...why does he have that...]

[omissions]

Why do you even have tha--[And then Stanley is suddenly tilting to avoid the peel hitting them... it does however hit Ari smack in the face so he can't see, but Stanley can so he's still going!]

[eudaimonikos]

It was in my banana case!

[What does - Michael throws the rest of the banana]

[omissions]

[Stanley holds Ari high in the air... and opens his mouth to catch and eat the thrown banana. Take that, Michael.]

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael cackles delightedly. Man, does he have any other foodstuffs to toss...?

No, they're stuck in an endless fucking cave and he'll probably need it. Ah, well.]

Use Dark Pulse!

[They're not really in a battle, though...Jane Doe uses Dark Pulse? It's basically just a pulse of darkness not really aimed at anything; in this case, it's acting more like a smokescreen to hinder the other racer. This is Mario Kart now.]

Evening

[anythingforyou]

At the rate we're going, it's liable to take a few weeks in it's own right.

[Camilla's going to settle herself in a spot nearby--to her credit, she doesn't seem that worse for wear from all of this stuff, but she seems amused almost.]

But perhaps that isn't the most optimistic estimate.

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael lays an arm over his eyes and just. Groans loudly.]

Will you just break my neck so I can reincarnate in a rock climbing body?

[anythingforyou]

Is it really that arduous for you? Goodness gracious...

[Camilla chuckles, honestly, though it's more in an exasperated manner than anything.]

I can't exactly follow an order like that, regardless. Besides, with any luck, you'd simply become a lanky string bean...

[eudaimonikos]

I'm dying, Camilla.

[Read: it sucks, but he is also being a big dramatic baby and he knows it. He lifts his arm off his face, frowns, and takes off his glasses to start cleaning them with his pocket square.]

Like I'm not a string bean already? Look at these legs. [He is quite long.]

[anythingforyou]

[oh my god Michael]

Oh, Michael, certainly it can't be that hard. You do have Jane, after all.

[She's just exasperated at this point.]

I'm simply saying that reincarnation may not be the answer you seek. You'll wind up worse, at that rate.

[eudaimonikos]

[Oh, don't get mad, he was having fun whining!]

I could try making a new body myself, this time. I know all the mechanics now, I bet I could. Try a few different things, maybe.

[anythingforyou]

...You know, I do have to admit that I'm curious about what you would make for yourself. I'm guessing you'd be putting on some extra muscle, obviously?

[This is the most surreal conversation she may ever have but fuck it? Fuck it.]

[eudaimonikos]

Yeah. Not too much, though, I don't want to look like a body-builder. Wouldn't wanna be any shorter, though, so there's some room to work there.

[...]

Jake's about an inch or so taller than me, wouldn't you say? I want to be taller than him.