azume | Week 8.

Week 8.

WEEK 8

Snowpoint City remains as cold and unforgiving as ever, through no fault of its residents.

The city itself doesn't seem to see much change in the passing days; there's something you'll all become rather aware of on Sunday as the day goes on, and after so long with no incidents along those lines it's likely an unpleasant thing to deal with. There's also the fact that the changes to the world seem to be slowing; though the one alteration that's immediately obvious is a major one, it seems that things may be beginning to stagnate again. Will there be a slip back into apathy again, if this continues? Or will the changes you've affected already continue to hold?

Only time will tell, really.

That doesn't mean that nothing has changed, however - thankfully enough, the slugs seem to be settling. Or...well, more accurately, once in a while they stop huffing at each other long enough to drive up piles of snow with their heads and stare at them like they're trying to work out what they're attempting to create, but at least it's a collaborative effort. Are they attempting diplomacy? It's difficult to tell; after all, they are just slugs. But at least there seems to be a little less open hostility. Improvement...? Perhaps.

The local ghost Pokémon also seem to have taken an interest in you lately, though precisely...how is a little mixed. They don't seem overly mischievous or malicious - they seem about as odd as the rest of the wild Pokémon in the region - but they do seem more inherently trusting of you and your traveling group. They've taken to following you from time to time, and taking a general vague interest in what you're doing. So that's...new.

CURRENT LOCATION: SNOWPOINT CITY
POKEMON AVAILABLE: WITHIN CITIES

SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY
[OOC: Welcome to week eight 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.]

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You'll be fine once it gets going. After a while you just let it do its own thing - you just can't leave it alone unless you want to risk burning the place down, because sugar does some fun things when you expose it to heat.

[...Anyway.]

Just turn the heat up and let that boil while you work on getting the berries ready; it should be ready for you before too long.

[...]

To answer the question, I was always really big on apples. You usually make this stuff with things you have nearby, that's just what we happened to have. A lot of apples, not a lot of money.

I can show you how to preserve fruit and stuff too sometime, if you want. Make jams and stuff so you can take them with you without worrying too much about them spoiling.

Alright.

[Turning on the stove is the easiest part of the operation, so Rey gets the boiling process underway and returns her attention to the berries as Jake talks.

...the first berry may be disappearing into her mouth (fruit, fruit is so good...), but the others slowly end up in a tidy, processed pile. The mention of being able to hold on to her fruit for longer periods of time clearly gets her interest, as-]

That would be amazing! I keep gathering all of this fruit as we travel but it always spoils so quickly, so my Pokemon and I just end up eating within a few hours.

[...or a few seconds, but that isn't the point. Nor is the fact that some of said fruit was very clearly not intended for human consumption, as Rey discovered the hard way. Not that that's put her off trying every damn berry she finds, though.

...]

...did your mother teach you those techniques as well? The preserving, I mean.

Yeah. She always wanted to make sure I was provided for, and that involved making sure I knew how to fend for myself. So I can make a lot of stuff that isn't too hard and saves as much money as possible. I liked learning how when I was a kid.

[...]

I mean, she was kind of sick a lot? So it was good to be able to make stuff for her.

Edited 2018-07-24 01:16 (UTC)

...that sounds really nice. It's good she was able to teach you such useful things.

[It's difficult, and involves focusing all of her attention on pulling the leaves off one particular berry, but Rey manages to force down the powerful pangs of jealousy and sadness that course through her body as Jake talks about his mother. She wants to hear more about her, and if she turns into an emotional mess every time Jake brings her up, he'll just stop. Which would make her feel even sadder.

...

...she is. really going to focus on peeling this damn berry.]

Is jam hard to make?

[He pauses for a moment before he continues; he'll shrug, though.]

Ah, hell no - jam is one of those things you can make with two ingredients and scale it into infinity if you like. Equal parts fruit and sugar, something to cut stuff with, something to break stuff up with, and something to cook it in. That's it.

Edited 2018-07-24 01:38 (UTC)

[...okay, that's actually going to make her smile and turn away from the (now kind of mangled) berry she's peeling.]

Do you know any recipes that aren't just fruit, water and sugar? Not that I'm complaining if they're your speciality.

Hey, the jam doesn't involve water.

[...jesus.]

But yeah, I know a few that I can show you once you've mastered the fruit. Or if you don't feel like whatever Ignis is making some night.

[Okay, okay, have your giggle, you. That was funny.]

I'd like that. Although I'm afraid you won't be getting any recipes in return - this might surprise you, but I'm not exactly a masterful chef.

To let you in on a secret that's gonna shock no one here, I'm not either; there's a reason I let everyone else do their thing for meetings and stuff.

[Oh, that reminds her-]

...how are you feeling, in regards to the recent meetings? I'm in no hurry to repeat the one with Jupiter any time soon.

Yeah, that one went like shit - it's actually pretty good that I wasn't feeling all that great, I would have been nearly getting my face ripped off right along with Bucky.

[Like. Dude had a point. Jupiter also kind of had a point, as much as it kills him, but... It's complicated.]

I don't know, though. As much as she pissed me off, I feel like I trust her more than Saturn in some ways. If I hand her a box cutter, it's absolutely going to end up buried in one of my kidneys, but at least I can trust her to pull a stunt like that. Can't say the same for him.

...I think she just makes more sense to me. Doing evil shit because of power or boredom or personal gain makes sense, I can follow that logic. I've done some shitty things myself for money and kicks. With Saturn, I don't really get what's going on in his head outside of Cyrus hurting him real bad in a lot of weird ways.

[Rey grows silent for a moment, obviously pondering Jake's words; Jupiter had indeed been a terrifying individual, but there was truth to what Jake was saying. She'd been clear about her motivations and did not apologise for them, while Saturn...there was still something about him that tugged at her.

Perhaps it was similar to the difference between General Hux and Kylo Ren; one clearly doing ill for his own gain, the other.....]

...I see what you're saying, but I think I'd rather keep Jupiter away from any sharp objects. Particularly if you're around - Bucky too, obviously.

[There was a very awkward HEY I'D BE UPSET IF YOU GOT STABBED BY JUPITER ALRIGHT! in there somewhere, if you can dig through all the...the awkward.]

Someone mentioned that they're named after planets in your galaxy - is there any significance to the names, or do you think Cyrus just...really likes planets?

The planets were named after gods. Jupiter is king of the gods - definitely king, too, not queen or something ambiguous - and he's also god of light and sky. Saturn is in charge of time and cycles, kind of like the whole death and rebirth thing. Mars is the god of war.

So they're all named after pretty powerful gods in their own right. I guess Saturn is pretty fitting, given what he...does.

[The whole...reintegration. Thing.]

Jupiter wasn't completely unsuiting, either, he was pretty known for doing his own thing regardless of how it affected anybody else.

Needless to say, not looking forward to Mars.

[Well, Rey was not...really expecting that-]

...if you're right, and they have been assigned planets based on what they represent...

[.....um.]

...should we be warning the others about Mars? If Jupiter was bad, I don't know if I'm all that keen to meet the woman named after the god of war.

I'm actually surprised that anybody's named after Mars in the first place, given the apparent peace and love, no-conflict narrative they've got.

Considering how much pain Cyrus has caused both within his organization and out of it, I don't put much stock in his 'peace and love' ideology.

[Admittedly, though, at least the man knows what planets are.]

Besides, every tyrant needs an enforcer. Maybe she's his, if it isn't Jupiter. Saturn did mention they both focused on fieldwork.

I don't put much stock in it personally, but I kinda wonder-

[He stops himself, though; there are comparisons he could make here, but he really doesn't like the idea of making them.]

...It doesn't matter, I guess. What matters is whether you're right about this Mars person or not - an enforcer would make sense.

I suppose all we can do is be prepared - if we've met 2 out of the 3, I can only assume Mars isn't far behind. I just hope she's got similar restraint to Jupiter, because if not, we're going to have to watch our words.

[How about we all work on not getting ripped to pieces by the Team Galactic staff, alright

...]

...what were you going to say? Was it about Cyrus?

...Sort of.

[He's quiet for a moment, thinking for a moment before he just kind of...goes for it, really.]

So there's this kid, right. Raised by these people to be a good little soldier for them, brainwashed as fuck into staying with them. They don't do shit for him outside of abuse the shit out of him. He grows up like that. He finally gets away from them after more than thirty years, realizes he's been fucked over. Tries to live a normal life now that he's out, but eventually he gives up because he can't relate to anyone.

So this guy hasn't known actual human kindness for most of his life. By the time he finally experiences any, he's too fucked up to understand it. So he decides to do something about it.

He does something to himself, makes himself into an inhuman monster. Then finds a way to kill most people on the planet, but leave a few still alive. The ones that are still alive will all be monsters like him.

He considers this plan saving the world. No more humans, no more abuse. Peace and love. Because humans haven't done anything but abuse and beat the shit out of him, so naturally they've got to all be doing this shit to each other, right?

[He shrugs once all that's out there.]

I kinda wonder if Cyrus is like that. It doesn't matter if we buy into the bullshit. The thing is that maybe he does.

[Rey falls silent again, rolling one of the untouched berries between her fingers.]

...so you think all of Cyrus' actions might be coming from a place of pain, rather than...well, evil intent?

[...

It's not impossible. What makes Rey uncomfortable is that it doesn't just feel possible, it feels probable. Stripping everyone of spirit and free will, pushing an agenda of peace, determining this to be the true solution to the problem of human emotions...

...it adds up, in a way she doesn't like. Feeling sympathy for Saturn - a man driven to horrible acts through brainwashing from a higher power - is different to feeling sympathy for his master. It doesn't...feel right.

...]

...Cynthia was adamant that we weren't to hurt him. I know many of us don't trust her but I do, and if she's so intent on defeating Team Galactic...why instruct us to leave Cyrus unharmed....?

[...this is making more and more sense by the minute, which is frustrating. How do you fight someone you feel sorry for?]

...Yeah. I can see that being a damn good reason why she'd want us to leave the guy untouched, and why she kept trying to vouch for him by saying he's not going to try to hurt us.

[He isn't one that trusts Cynthia, but he does know that she isn't openly malicious.]

I haven't seen this whole song and dance play out personally. But I know shit like that happens.

...it does. I've seen it first-hand.

[That clearly isn't a good memory, because her expression hardens and her gaze is having trouble leaving the closest wall.]

If Cyrus is as damaged as we're assuming, I don't know how I'm going to be able to fight him. I certainly can't hurt him.

[Cynthia would be happy, at the very least. Speaking of which...]

Perhaps we can leave him to Cynthia, and just make sure his associates don't interfere.

[And maybe Cynthia will have more luck than she did, back in Snoke's throne room.]

You won't have to hurt him. Damaged or not, I can hate him enough for both of us.

[...Yeah.]

[...

...]

...as long as you don't get hurt too.

It'll be okay.

[It's not promising anything. Not really.]

You can probably put the berries in. Just by themselves, let them boil for a while.

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greydients - 2018-07-25 01:41 (UTC) - Expand

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bloodspent - 2018-07-25 01:43 (UTC) - Expand

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