Week 1.

[azumods]

WEEK 1. As Cynthia had promised, the sun does indeed rise the next morning. Whether you slept or not (and sleeping inside the Pokémon Center you were in before seems totally fine by the attendant), it seems Cynthia kept her word; she left sometime shortly before sunrise, and you haven't been bothered by Team Galactic and those that work for it in the interim. It isn't advisable to return to the headquarters building, however. At least not for the time being. However, a new day does dawn, and with it comes the knowledge that you're in an unfamiliar city, completely on your own. There are several things to be done before you can leave: gathering supplies and provisions, finding maps, obtaining new clothes... Of course, your new "companions" are still with you, and they don't seem willing to leave your side; they'll follow you dutifully, but they still seem...wrong, horribly so, and it doesn't seem to be wearing off. Maybe if you work with them a little...? Try to talk to them, train them, teach them to do things... Who knows? It might do them some good. CURRENT LOCATION: VEILSTONE CITY POKEMON AVAILABLE: WITHIN CITIES MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY [OOC: Welcome to week one 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. Don't forget that a write-up is due this weekend! Feel free to investigate the city as you see fit this week; we ask only that you try to stagger investigations and be mindful of what's already been checked. If you wish to investigate, notify the mods in your comment subject for your top-level and we'll get on it as soon as possible!]

Comments

[hyruglyphics]

I am certain that there are rare fruits or flowers to be found, perhaps an animal or two with a special property when cooked into a dish... oh, or honestly my... partner?

[ . . . She needs a name for you, Beldum ] Appears as though it may be strong enough to smash some ore deposits open.

[eudaimonikos]

That seems like a lot of work just to turn down a gift.

[Because you could frame Cynthia giving them money like that, right?]

[hyruglyphics]

... I could not possibly impose this much. Not when she also protects us.

[eudaimonikos]

Well, if that's what you want to do.

[He's not gonna do it.]

I wonder why she's still normal, out of everyone here?

[hyruglyphics]

There is no telling, with what little we know... it could simply be that she was destined to oppose Cyrus.

[ From her wording, Zelda is 100% totally serious about this, not even sarcastic.

Also she is crouching down to examine the Purrlion ]

[eudaimonikos]

Destined? Seems like a crappy destiny.

[He sits up a little at that.] It was actually a little hard to get her to eat that. I wasn't sure if it was because she wasn't hungry, or because she just generally lacks the will to live.

[hyruglyphics]

I honestly haven't worked out if mine... does eat?

[ It doesn't have a mouth? But she falters a moment at that first part and - crappy... destiny? That doesn't compute to her. ]

... If it is a destiny, it simply is.

[eudaimonikos]

If destiny exists, doesn't that rob you all of agency?

[oh god it's coming. philosophy.]

Maybe it eats through its eye.

[hyruglyphics]

[ ... A voice inside her reminds her of that thought, the one she had for years, the one which caused her so much grief. The thoughts, the resentment, the despair, the ... the crushing, crushing weight. A hand comes up over her heart, and then the other comes up over that one.

She glances up to Beldum, to focus instead on the idea of it eating through its eye. That sounds so silly. But it's easier than to answer the question even sure isn't sure her own is own answer is sufficient for ]

... Perhaps.

[eudaimonikos]

.....so are you going to try to make that happen, or am I?

[The concept of this thing having an eye-mouth is entertaining enough that he'll let the other thing drop.]

[hyruglyphics]

[ . . . Uuuuh.

she holds out a hand. ]

I shall, it... is my partner, I suppose.

[eudaimonikos]

[He scoops up a bit of Pokekibble - from the bag, not Purrloin’s dish - and puts it in her hand.

This is hilarious, holy shit.]

[hyruglyphics]

[ . . . Okay time to hold it out to... the Beldum...

And it!! ... Well, the thing does float closer to her as it is prompted to, and then after examining the kibble shit and with some resigned look in it's eye, it leans in and... seems to suck the kibble into either its eye or that little black spot next to it. Either way, it sucks in and vanishes quickly.

... Err ]

[eudaimonikos]

Aaaaaah!

[Michael claps a hand over his mouth as he lets out a delighted squeal that doesn't seem like it should be able to come out of someone who looks like him.]

It ate it!

[hyruglyphics]

It really did! ... Oh, that confirms that at the very least it must use more conventional food as a power source! I had read that some Sheikah technology functioned similarly!

[ That squeal is infectious. She can't help but be delighted too, albeit surprised. ]

[eudaimonikos]

[Oh, he is so into this!]

May I? [Scooping out another handful of Pokefood, he nods at the Beldum.]

[hyruglyphics]

As long as it is agreeable.

[ Which it... is? sort of? It does float closer, still sort of line-eyed but ... it does suck up one or two of them. ]

[eudaimonikos]

Ha! It's sort of suction-y, like a vacuum.

[fun]

You say you have technology that runs like this?

[hyruglyphics]

There may be! I've never seen it, but there is documentation that there may be another divine beast, one which can be powered by almost anything.

[ Which his cool. ]

[eudaimonikos]

That's interesting. One of my best friends is an artificial being, of sorts, but she actually can't eat.

[Purrloin has either finished her meal or simply lost interest in it; she sits back and curls her tail loosely around her body, staring blankly in Michael's general direction.]

Is that it?

[hyruglyphics]

Oh- What sort of artificial being, if I might ask?

[ Also sorry cat. That said, Zelda is going to be taking the Beldum closer to her as she takes up a seat on the floor here with Michael. ]

[eudaimonikos]

She's a repository of all knowledge in the universe, built to assist in maintaining a comfortable environment for humans in the afterlife.

[He glances between Beldum and Purrloin for a moment as Zelda joins them, but the cat is predictably uninterested in the other Pokemon.]

Her name's Janet. They're all called Janet.

[hyruglyphics]

[ She goes slack-jawed at that. what is... this man talking about? She can't - she doesn't entirely understand other than the idea that all the knowledge in the universe is a phenomenal thing and.. ]

That's... awe-inspiring.

[ That feels like too little. ]

[eudaimonikos]

[ohmigod are we talking about how great Janet is]

She's probably the most advanced Janet in existence! They compile and build upon what they've learned every time they're rebooted, which...has happened to her a lot.

[He grins, both because he likes this topic and to gloss over that use of passive voice.]

Once she picked up my old boss by the throat and threw him into a wall. Cracked it and everything!

[hyruglyphics]

That sounds somewhat violent, doesn't it? For someone with so much knowledge!

[ Rebooted... ]