strategicnaps | IC INBOX FOR CONSIGNMENT

[ It's still not right. He never thought about it even after the fighting, but why would he? But it's that exact carnage that makes it sting now. ]

But he's not just a tool. He's still alive. He's not like your compass or a gun.

[ And he can't brush that aside, regardless if what the guy is trying to say would be considered more important. ]

[Darling, we're all tools here--]

That's true, too. So you'll protect him more than a compass or a gun, right?

[He's back to smiling, if that means anything.] If you're careful, things might never come to that. Prevention is better than the cure, or something.

[ DON'T GET DEEP ON US. ]

Of course I will! [ Bro don't even try him. There's no question about it.

But if it means anything either, Red isn't as bothered as he was to begin with. (Despite the face on his icon.) ]

I don't know what you mean by that. [ Is it a saying? ] But what did you mean about the CDC pushing us to our limits in the first place?

[HE WON'T... NOT IN THIS LIFE, NOT YET........]

Make sure you stick to your word, then! [As for that--] Oh, the CDC wants us to improve. Get better at our job, if you want to put it that way. So, they'll put us in situations right out of our comfort zone. There's even a training simulator that pits our greatest weakness against us.

[Hanbei still can't figure out his, but he hated the Black Box. So, so much.]

But nothing's as authentic as the real thing, so that's probably why they dropped you onto Macha out of nowhere. [A beat.] At least, I hope it was on purpose.

[While he's speaking, a... thing peeks through the bushes. What the fuck is that.]

[ Sure, the CDC are a group that can bring out people from anywhere and everywhere to do their bidding and Red's an example of that, but the boy's mind is still a simple thing, so when Hanbei says about a training simulator pitting them against their greatest weakness-?

He wonders how it would do that, and then doesn't get to think further when Hanbei continues. ]

Well, I came after a woman--

[ But as he's talking he's looking around, and his 'there's an odd creature around' senses tingle that lead him to lock eyes with the guest, and Red freezes completely.

And then quickly unfreezes, just to shhh Hanbei and to wave a hand at him. Hanbei hanbei hanbei there's an unknown pokémon right in front of him!! ]

[It is simple, yes, which is truly a shame. Complex thought is the biggest advantage of sapience! ...He'll talk about that another time.]

A--?

[When Red waves a hand at him, he stops in his tracks. Hanbei only turns to look at where Red is looking after a moment, only to spot the lothlo creeping out from the bushes towards them.

They are kind of creepy, but this pack has grown on him, okay.

Hanbei casually draws a luppu fruit from under his hat and waves it behind Red, at the lothlo. How did his hat not fall off during his stunt, by the way--?]

[ Please teach him how to be a good human, senpai.

But first, let's learn more about these creatures that Red stands still to watch. He's not going to move, not when the offer of fruit from Hanbei brings out the one peeking through the bush, and that in turn leading the others with it out from the greenery. He doesn't know what's safe to do that won't scare them -- but Red notices too that while there's a curious look on their faces, their ease in coming out and their movements show an ease. If they were timid, their movements would be more reserved.

...plus, they're not only curious in the food. Some of them look up to him, one lothlo chewing away at a leaf at the corner of its mouth. Those sure are some teeth you all have there, guys.

Still, Red isn't sure if to reach out and touch. He turns his head to look back to Hanbei, seeing how he's getting along. ]

Hey, if there anything I should know...? [ Let's use our soft speaking voices that only humans can hear. ]

[You're in the CDC, kouhai, that's useless here.

Hanbei bends his knees, rolling the luppu towards them on the floor. He doesn't seem too worried himself, if that's any comfort. They sniff at the ground and walk out of the foliage-- first, two more, then three, than six, then--]

Just don't hurt them, and they won't hurt us. [Simple enough. One of them decide to run for the luppu, rushing right in front of them to sink its teeth into it.]

[ Noted. Very much noted. Red studies that the way that each part of their body moves, how one's head oddly twitches seemingly uncontrollable for a while, then stops it without continuing. They've got fur like a mankey almost, more covered though and not occupying the same body shape, and with protruding head pieces that remind Red of tree branches than anything he's seen on a pokémon.

Trying to make a comparison makes him further curious. ]

Have you seen anything like them where you come from?

[ And what do they think of the sound, though he'll refrain from asking that. ]

[Hanbei... actually has to think for a moment, because he doesn't exactly know. The dimensional world is still so new to him, and he wouldn't be surprised if some of these made its way to his home.]

No. They're native to this planet.

[But he goes with that instead, because a real answer would be way too complicated.]

Some people think they're scary, but they can be really cute.

[ He could see why someone would think them scary, but it was a sentiment shared so far. They're a fun watch, but a thought comes to him and he looks back the way they came, looking back to Hanbei as he speaks up. ]

You mentioned berries before - they're around here?

[He keeps his compass away, so they don't try to play with it.] Look up in the trees. You'll spot some eventually.

[Huskberries, luppu, dyum, and perhaps patches of laurienn with some shille roaming about-- this place is nice.

Too bad they'll have to destroy it, right?

Hanbei pets the closest lothlo.]

[ Hanbei wouldn't even need to remind Red of that. What the CDC plans for the planet is forever an itch in the back of his mind.

But Charizard's stomach is his priority for now. The group of lothlo are a small crowd around their feet (but more Hanbei than Red; they know where the food is) which Red carefully steps over, examining the treetops above. They stand tall, so the plan is either climb or cheat and use Charizard...

...be right back, let's get nearer to this decent looking tree over this way and start looking for the best way to climb, testing his shoe with a few taps on the surface. (Geez, what he wouldn't do for some more of his pokémon... they've made him so lazy.)

if this goes badly find a way to tell his mom he loves her ]

[They're smart, and their fur is soft, so while they aren't exactly cats, Hanbei can't resist petting them. And perhaps hiding them in his hat. He brings them back after a while at least.

Which means that is also not paying that much attention to read other than the occasional glance to make sure a Khapri isn't emerging from the bushes to bite his head off or something.

godspeed red]

[ And that was the end of Red.

Except deciding to move further in the foliage and on the inner side of the tree leads him to the gathering of huskberries sticking out at a lower level, clustered in a mess of their own growth. Huh. Should he touch them? ]

Hey, there's a load of orange and green things here! They look like bulbs! [ A+ description. ] Are they safe?

[RIP, Red.

That still applies, because Hanbei waves his hand and yells:] Just pluck them and roll them towards the lothlo. If they eat them, then it's safe.

[And he will also be swarmed by them, but w/e.]

[ It's not very nice to test out the safety on food on the cute lothlo, Hanbei.

Except- if they don't eat it, then it goes to say that it's not safe to eat. That's what Red's figuring when he plucks one off, then noticing as he's rummaging that not all of them are orange. Was there a difference between the two colours?

Well, here they come, Red poking slightly out of the bushes to let them go bouncing over into a light roll towards the group. Your verdicts? ]

[They have strong stomachs! ...Well, actually, their belly areas are really soft, but--]

Aww, they like you! [They chow down on the huskberries without hesitations, and begin to rush closer to wherever Red found them. They're A+ scavengers. How have the entire place not run out of food yet...?]

Be careful, though. Sometimes, the plants might be alive.

[what does he mean by that]

[ And soon enough comes the cries of- ] H-hey! Leave some for me!

[ He drops some down anyway for them to pick up, and for him too to use the distraction - as small as it is - to pluck some for himself to shove into the pockets of his pants.

But oh, what was that about plants. It makes Red stop, but thankfully- ] I don't think this one is!

[ Plants being alive? No big deal, unless they're a victreebel. It doesn't stop his return to the challenge of climbing up a tree, now this time accompanied by a lothlo or two who want to follow the guy going towards the food. Food they probably know is already there, but hey.

(Really, how is there any still left.)

One lothlo on the side of the tree facing Hanbei will give the guy an indication of where abouts Red is in his life-changing ascent, the creature peering over to make sure to stay on level with the boy. The other lothlo is staying right with him. Unfortunately. ] Do you have to sit on my head! Come on...! I'll drop you some down!

[ By the sight of Red when he finally... finally gets to the bough of the trunk, that lothlo does have to sit on his head. It makes it easier for it to grab the berries right overhead when Red stands up tall, resting an elbow on what's to the side of him. ]

Uuuurgh! [ Oh, hey down there Hanbei. Why aren't you doing this. ] Hey! Do you think these things will mind Charizard?

[Right, this is when Hanbei actually begins to pay attention to Red. Why isn't he doing this. Well, Red has to learn, right? (Not this way!?) And also, it's cute to watch people try so hard.

Cuter still when they screw up. Unless they screw up permanently, but that's another matter altogether.]

I don't think they will! Unless he sets them on fire. [IT'S A LEGITIMATE CONCERN] They really like you!

[Hanbei's already got a lothlo of his own hiding in his hat, and he stands up to get a better look at the horde of lothlo. Which is only increasing in numbers, by the way.]

[ I would like to see your PHD/Masters in being a Japanese military strategist from the past/and or other worlds, please.

Were there that many when he set off on his grand tree adventure? Surely not, but other than squinting at the sight it's not like there's much he can do (or would want to) about it.

There's the one lothlo still picking away at the few huskberries of the plant that's mingled with the tree to even reach up to that point, like a cobweb tangled up. ] Remember to share!

[ Greedy! But it doesn't seem to mind being out of range of the berries when Red leans down to reach into the pocket only filled with Charizard's pokéball, leaning again to get his balance back and then grabbing a handful of his already picked huskberries to scatter with a throw off not directly towards the lower lothlo, but a little to their side.

Thankfully they like the idea of playing catch, and with them mostly distracted he throws out in the other direction far from them, with a good morning call: ] Okay, come on out, Charizard!

[ With the same light that had absorbed him in the other day the ball springs out to release it, Charizard's shape coming together in the air -- and then dropping with a loud crash, feet first. The lothlo are going to hear that, as well as the yawning roar that follows and the flapping of the pokémon's wings, but other than looking other to them when he takes in his surroundings after spotting Red upward (back with the ball in hand), he's not put off by the sight of them. Seeing new creatures is just a part of being with Red. ]

Catch! [ But pay attention, Charizard! Red throws down one of the ping pong-sized berries, which Charizard swallows down with a snap of his jaws. ] What do you think?

[ The answer is another roar, which seems to be a fine answer enough when Red throws down another- ] Here, have another! Wait, leave this one for the other guys!

[ Which is going to be a gnelit fruit, to see if it's alright. Probably going to be better to feed Charizard too. ]

[never went 2 a formal school, stop rubbing your privilege in my face

If anything, it's a fun sight. Much better than picking up broken pieces after killing whole colonies of Neraki, and much better than weaving through harpies with tentacles following close behind. He backs off a bit when Charizard comes crashing down, with a comical 'aaah' as the flash of light produced a fat orange dragon. (It's muscle, dammit.)]

...Twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six...

[...And it looks like Hanbei's trying to count the amount of lothlo rolling around in his field of vision right now. That's not all-- with the ruckus they're making, a few bushes in the nearby area begin to rustle and move.

The plants are alive, and they're adorable.]

You're good at this! [At what? Attracting animals to pillage your gatherings???]

[ Harpies and tentacles?? Spoilers there, buddy. (All muscle and big bones okay )':) ]

Huh? [ Did he hear him right? But Red's aware of their growing family and as well what appears to be moving plants, wondering first if he's not seeing things but then if that's what Hanbei had meant before. One scoops up the fruit dropped, piercing in a claw inside to start digging in for the centre.

Which Red can't actually see, due to his perspective. ] Hey! Is it eating that thing I dropped? --alright, okay, have some more!

[ Fiiine greedy bellies, here come more huskberries from the sky -- and a few for you too, Charizard. ]

[The lothlo are good climbers, but man, who doesn't want someone to rain food down from the sky for them? They snap everything up greedily, with the shille joining in a bit more shyly.]

...Thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three...

[Hanbei steps a bit closer to the feeding frenzy, being careful not to step on anything living.]

Wow, I think there's even more than before! [Staring up the tree, he makes sure there's no Soldier's Wife strangling anything. Eating that would be...

The lothlo will know to avoid it. Maybe.]

How many more are up there? Maybe you can break a whole branch off.

Uhh-- [ Great, making him work. And the thing is, is that Red starts to examine for a branch that looks like it'll be the easiest to break while also not breaking his back in a fall.

So yeah, you enjoy your counting while Red climbs higher. Charizard watches his trainer with interest and a hungry belly, lightly swaying his tail until the lothlo start coming closer to even him as the surrounding space becomes lacking.

It takes a few minutes, a lot of groaning and struggling, but some of the large fruits get thrown down with next a whole branch following (and nearly a trainer with it, but we're not speaking about that heart attack). ]

Charizard, get one quick! [ It comes out breathy (arceus he nearly fell backwards) but he doesn't trust those little critters not to go darting for it. The lothlo once on his head now hangs on by his shoulders, until climbing back up his face at his expense. ] Oww ow ow--!

[ Dangit, whatever-- he's getting down now! There's a first thump of something falling on the way down, which thankfully isn't Red, but another lump of the gnelit fruits clumped together on the end of a branch that Red's holding out of the way of his guest. ] You've already got one, come on!

[ The other passenger picks off a leaf on his hat and pops it in its mouth, and Red appears certainly more tired than he did when waking up when he... stares at Hanbei's direction, but definitely does not approach him. ]

Where did you get all of those...?

[ Because he can't. ]

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<span style="font-family:courier;"><B>FROM:</B> lastname.firstname@cdc.org <B>TO:</B> takenaka.hanbei@cdc.org [[200 max character message here]]</span>	<span style="font-family:courier;"><B>CALLING:</B> LAST NAME, FIRST NAME</span> [[3 minute max message here]]	<span style="font-family:courier;"><B>(1) VOICEMAIL:</B> LAST NAME, FIRST NAME [[3 minute max message here]]

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that fucking gif... rest in pieces red

the power of friendship is being suicidal

literally crying

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you are a tagging machine

what else do i do while waiting for my sword boys to heal

good point

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