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

[gekkaju]

[While most others by now have probably been spending time exploring the caves, Atsushi is around the cliffs outside today, a little wary since the last time they had caves to explore he got himself and a couple others terribly lost...no, he's out here alone, which is unusual since usually he has Chazuke with him at all times...but Chazuke, unfortunately, is not good with heights. He's way more comfortable in his pokeball than anywhere else. He doesn't mind having a climbing buddy that can handle heights, though.

Later on while Atsushi walks, he starts to feel...a weird, distant sort of dread that he can't place. Like the feeling he got when he left the Agency, thinking things would be okay if he just disappeared, then. Tiny pebbles fall down the cliff side as he carefully makes his way, aware of a large drop-off somewhere that he could see from the mountain foot, but not exactly from here.

Out of nowhere, a shock of white catches Atsushi's eye and causes him to freeze with alarm, his eyes widening as he looks over to a cluster of rocks on the cliff-face above him. A Pokemon stands still, perched just above Atsushi's line of site, staring him directly in the eye in a way that roots him in place. Is this Pokemon going to attack, or...why is it just staring at him like that?]

Wh-

[All of a sudden, a loud crack sounds just ten feet ahead of where Atsushi was going to be, and he throws himself at the cliff-face and holds on as the ground rumbles, the sound of a massive rock slide echoing across the mountain as the whole side of the cliff ahead gives way. But Atsushi is okay, thanks to the strange Pokemon distracting him with her presence, who he hadn't noticed until right now had leaped down to his level, standing in front of him to prevent him from moving any further.]

Rock Slide

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael has, uh, zero fucking interest in going out on the cliffs. The caves are bad enough, and at least there's no risk of snow in them.

Jane Doe, on the other hand, is definitely here to phase through the rocks nearby with a concerned:]

Haaaaaaunter?

[gekkaju]

Jane?

[Atsushi sort of...shakily but carefully lowers his arms from where he'd been shielding his face, looking over when he recognizes the Pokemon's spooky voice. Meanwhile, the Absol stays where she is, not moving away, but also not coming any closer as rocks continue to fall, but in less frequency than before. She's clearly preventing them both from coming that way, though.]

I'm okay...t-there was a rock slide, looks like.

[eudaimonikos]

Ter!

[She gestures back towards the caves, with a sidelong glance at the Absol. Why are you out here with the rock slides, everybody else is inside where it's safe!]

[gekkaju]

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<small.[Atsushi nods, starting to slowly peel himself from the rock-face.]</small>

I wanted to get some fresh air, but...maybe not such a good idea, right now. I'll follow you.

[eudaimonikos]

[Yes! Please do!

...admittedly, Jane came directly through the rocks, so she's gonna have to look for an actual open path. Maybe Atsushi can direct her on this one.]

RIP apologies for the broken html

[gekkaju]

[Well, the best thing to do here is go straight back the way he came, right? So that's what he'll do, not noticing that as he starts to head back, the Absol leaps up onto the rocks above him, sort of...idly following, watching, as if to make sure he won't turn back around.]

[eudaimonikos]

[Jane Doe floats alongside Atsushi, since the narrow mountain paths don't really matter when you're a ghost. She casts a glance or two back at the Absol, but it doesn't seem like it means any harm, so...whatever.

Partway down the passage back into the caves, Michael's hanging around.]

Both of you? What are you doing outside?

[gekkaju]

Hey, Michael-san...I was just getting some fresh air, but I uh...wouldn't recommend it right now.

[He looks over at Jane Doe.]

There was a rock slide outside.

[eudaimonikos]

Uh, yeah. Outside sucks even worse than inside! Come back here before you fall off a mountain or something...

[He turns to stalk back inside.]

[gekkaju]

[Atsushi follows carefully, glancing back over his shoulder. The Absol is still out there, but it doesn't follow them inside the cave proper. It just watches from the entrance, eyes sharp.]

Michael-san...do you know what kind of Pokemon that is?

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael turns around.]

Oh...that's an Absol. Ignis has one of those. First Pokemon he woke up with, actually.

[gekkaju]

[Somehow that tracks. It's a Pokemon that he'd mesh well with he thinks, given the way this one is acting.]

It stopped me just before where the rock-slide happened. Like it knew it was about to happen, somehow.

[eudaimonikos]

I read something about them being able to predict natural disasters, once. [...] Makes you wonder if Hemera's just trying to save us all from Ignis!

[gekkaju]

[Atsushi's expression tightens a little.]

It's probably a good thing he's not around to hear you saying that...

[eudaimonikos]

[Breezily:] No, I'd say it to his face too.

[that's just their friendship apparently]