Week 14.

[azumods]

WEEK 14 Sunday is a rough day all around; it's for the best that you remain where you are for the day, for the sake of regrouping and recovering, and perhaps getting some sleep - assuming that any will come. However, as difficult though it may be (and as futile though it may seem) Monday is likely best seen as a day to depart - a day to start to take whatever actions can still be taken, and to assess where to go from here. A good place to start is Canalave City; it's where you were going to meet with Cynthia, and where you were planning on looking into the legends of Sinnoh. The city itself is beautiful, a massive port town split down the center by a large canal system filled with boats and clear water leading out to sea; however, the recent changes to the world have affected this place as well, perhaps making it a bit difficult to enjoy the city in its entirety. However, the library is here, as are several other points of interest; as difficult though it may be to see the world like this, the trip here will hopefully be worth your while in the end... CURRENT LOCATION: CANALAVE CITY POKEMON AVAILABLE: WITHIN CITIES SURROUNDING ROUTES: PLAINS/FOREST / NEAR WATER MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY [OOC: Welcome to week fourteen 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!]

Comments

[discutio]

[It took Ignis a minute to collect himself, and the fact that it didn't take 0.0005 seconds was already a massive red flag that something horrible had transpired.]

I...was checking the upper floors to see if there might have been anything useful lying around. When I heard someone walking around, I thought it might have been some local resident, or at worst a few ghosts up to one thing or another. So I followed them to find out who else was there, and-...

[He took off his sunglasses, pressing a hand to his eyes in unmistakable exhaustion.]

I don't...remember what happened when I walked through the door I heard it enter. I must have been knocked out somehow, and I-...I woke up just a short time ago.

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael never returned to the Pokemon Center last night - a little strange, considering that he usually bunks there instead of with a random townsperson. But he's often off at odd hours doing weird ghost things, and his things are still where he left them, so it's not all that noteworthy.

In the morning, though, he bursts in through the Center doors. His hair and suit are in disarray, his glasses crooked, and he's breathing like he just ran across town.]

Guys? [He sounds - and sort of looks - like he's on the verge of panic.]

[azumods]

[Those of you that spend time in the library will notice that there's someone new in there today, someone you haven't seen before; he doesn't look like one of those that you see around town regularly, though he's obviously not a member of Team Galactic, either - he's sharply-dressed, with long hair and tinted glasses, though even with them on it's obvious that he's one of the affected. He's incredibly blank, and he doesn't seem to be doing much on his own; it's sort of a wonder that he's here at all, seeing as he doesn't seem in much condition to decide to do anything for himself, though eventually it may become...a little more apparent why when someone else comes by to check on him.

Cynthia will join him eventually, sitting next to him with some books in her lap, letting him look them over individually as though trying to gauge his interest in them (as though trying to see if he has any interest in them at all); bluntly put, there isn't any, but that doesn't seem to stop her from trying, and it takes her a little while to look up and realize that someone else is there.

She definitely does still have her emotions intact, however; that much will become extremely clear when she looks up and notices anyone from the group standing nearby, one of those books sliding out of her lap and falling heavily to the floor (completely failing to pull a reaction out of the man she's with in any way whatsoever on impact). Her hands come up to rest over her mouth, and while she normally doesn't have reactions like this - she normally doesn't allow herself to have reactions like this, not in front of people - she honestly both looks and sounds so relieved she might cry. She'll hold it together for now, but...]

Oh... It's so good to see you, I... Well, I was hoping you would make it here, but...

[...Give her a moment.]

[discutio]

[Ignis practically jumped a mile in the air and out of his seat at the tone in Michael's voice, half-ready for a fight. He hadn't been in the Center all that long either, and was very obviously still on edge.]

[...Kinda looks like a mirror image of you plus the five minutes it took to put his glasses on straight.]

What, what happened? Are you alright?

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

...Yeah.

[Not for the first time, the mental image of all his friends and teammates stripped of spirit and soul comes to mind.

It's something he doesn't want to dwell on for long.]

Then...whatever it is, we need to figure out what it is and keep doing it?

[Beat.]

That sounded better in my head, honestly...

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

...I guess that means the world he wants has no feelings in it?

[Which makes sense, considering the whole "world without spirit" thing he kept going on about.]

...And, uh. We feel too much for him, apparently.

[bloodspent]

Oh, holy shit-

[Jake is usually on-edge, he doesn't sleep much on good days and the past several days have not been good days; he's been keeping as much of an eye on everyone as he can since, you know, the world fucking ended, and he'd noticed Michael's absence but he'd assumed it was ghost things and needless to say, he's on his feet even before he fully registers that something is going on in the first place.]

What the fuck happened, are you okay?

[It's harsh, but it isn't panicked, just very, very startled.]

[eudaimonikos]

Ignis!

[Michael hurries over and grabs both of Ignis's shoulders, rather tightly. It's a gesture you might make when looking a friend over, except that he...doesn't seem to be letting go.]

I'm - I'm okay, I think, is everyone else okay? [He's still catching his breath. But while his mind's clearer now, he's not feeling at all balanced yet.]

[discutio]

It's alright--everyone's here last I knew, we're fine.

[He didn't push Michael's hands off, instead gripping his arm in return almost automatically. Honestly, the physical contact helped a little.]

...You went looking around the inn, didn't you?

[takestheblame]

...that's a mental picture I didn't need.

[Regigigas trying to do the possession thing, that is. He's imagining Regigigas physically moving Candice like a puppet]

[takestheblame]

Do we even know the commanders are at? Last I heard Cyrus had them with him for some reason.

[Judging by Kiryu's expression, Ignis' argument is persuasive. Too bad you can't see his face, Ignis]

[eudaimonikos]

The - yeah.

[He's catching his breath again, and both the contact and the assurance that everyone else was still present do help. Also, he remembers being in the inn, just as clearly as he'd expect to. And he knows who Ignis is, remembers the last time they talked...]

Yesterday, I...think.

Waterside

[anythingforyou]

[Camilla had honestly attempted to come out here after a day of training, just...to kind of maybe try to take Michael's advice to chill a bit, but seeing Atsushi out here gets the Big Sister Instincts to go into full throttle. She doesn't have any of her partners out, perhaps thankfully, but...]

Atsushi...?

[Her voice is definitely soft while she walks up, her gaze worried.]

Would you mind some company?

[gekkaju]

[For perhaps the first time since all of this happened, Atsushi chuckles. It's very weak and there's not much real humor in it, but...it's there.]

It's okay. ...thanks for coming over here, by the way. I thought I just needed to be alone, but...I've gotten too used to being around other people, I guess. I'm not really ready to give that up again.

[niceoppai]

No feelings, but still the traces of feelings that history left behind. Like that creepy old hotel! No one's there now, but it's gotta be someplace people wanted to go, someplace they had fun. There's reminders like that everywhere. Same with the ruins. He said himself that they were relics of a past that wasn't gonna matter once he was through with us. Which, despite his best efforts, he's kinda not. What do you think it means?

[discutio]

I think it's only been a night, yes. For whatever that even matters lately. Here, sit down before you collapse.

[niceoppai]

Yeah, but if we're all going around in a pack, we're sitting ducks. Cynthia found us the same way: rumour mill. Ditto with the Commanders. He's gonna hear about us if we always go around in a big pack like we used to, which is why your plan's a good idea. Even if it's a little terrifying.

[discutio]

I don't, but Cyrus wasn't exactly forthcoming with where he spends most of his time either. We also can't forget they've teleportation at their disposal, as well.

[He tends to have that effect.]

And though we're more conspicuous together, we're more vulnerable in smaller groups.

[eudaimonikos]

[He nods, for all the good that does, and lets Ignis go to take a seat, where he promptly folds over on himself, one hand absently pressed over his mouth.]

How did you know, I...I didn't see you there. Did I? [It's very unlike him to question his own memory like that.]

[discutio]

I didn't hear you, so I don't think we crossed paths.

[He sank into a chair himself, Hemera inching a little closer to his feet.]

The only steps I heard were ones I didn't quite recognize, so it wasn't any of us.

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

Well, I needed to clear my head a bit, too...

[Still, he can't help but give a small, sad smile.]

I think this world's already gotten lonely enough...don't you?

[gekkaju]

[Ah, mm. Atsushi is quick to pull himself back together when he realizes he isn't alone, scrubbing his face against his shoulder and sitting up a touch straighter. He glances up to see Camilla, hoping that his tousled bangs sortof hide how red his eyes are.]

N-not at all, Camilla-san. I've...probably been by myself for long enough as it is.

[eudaimonikos]

I heard that, too! And I saw a shape, or a shadow, but it didn't really look like anything. I don't even remember it coming at me -

[There's a series of assorted thunks from the door, before Cat Janet trips the motion sensor and lets herself, Jane Doe, Quaver, and Lena inside. He may have released them all outside the inn to check that they were still there before just sort of...running off...]

Oh, uh. Sorry, guys. [There's varied flapping and toe-click sounds as they gather around him again.]

[discutio]

[...michael good lord.]

You just walked through a door and suddenly woke up this morning. Is that an accurate guess?

Mart

[anythingforyou]

[Ah, hey Sena. Camilla's honestly just here to pick out some potions and the like, but she can't help but smile just a tiny bit at all of the accessories his partners have picked out.]

Oh my, your dear partners look so cute, Sena. They really do know how to pick what makes them look stunning.

[So much cute shit, she approves.]