strategicnaps | IC INBOX FOR CONSIGNMENT

[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. ]

[If it's any comfort, Red, if you did fall, Hanbei would've tried to catch you. If he didn't succeed... well, he has an epi-pen. Even though he's been saving it for himself. Because he's a jackass.

Kinda.]

They might follow us back to camp if they like us too much. They'll probably all be eaten if they do follow us back, though. [Y...yeah.] Wasn't that fun?

[no nevermind he's 100% a jackass]

Does your Charizard eat other animals too? [Or is your fat orange dragon a vegetarian? Hanbei can't really vision that.]

Edited (tenses!!!) 2015-03-12 11:33 (UTC)

[ Jackasses for company, what a change.

He's making his way round to his Charizard, muttering to the lothlo on his shoulders if they want to get off (no, they don't) and then smiling into a tiny laugh at the sight of the brown insides of the gnelit fruit on the end of Charizard's snout.

That's wiped off his face by the subject of eating their company, and his lips are strained by the time for the question. ]

He doesn't go out and eat wild pokémon. I buy all his food myself with our winnings, just like I do for all my pokémon. [ The subject of eating pokémon is a delicate one ~~for any roleplayer.~~ ] There's no reason for any trainer to make their pokémon eat another pokémon when there's stores everywhere. It's wrong.

Anyway, fruit is fine. [ Red looks down to the bundle on him, taking a thumb up to the hard outer skin and scraping it along it. ] We'll need to get plenty so he doesn't go hungry.

[...VEGETARIAN POKÉMON, THEN. Maybe it's just a thing in their world. W/e, he won't question it as it is. ~~I understand.~~

Okay, no, one question:]

But what if you weren't good at winning? [The way he phrases it, though-- it's like you beat up people in a competition and just mug them of everything. (Which isn't too far off.)] There's enough fruits here to last anyone for a long time!

[Hanbei pulls out a bag from-- somewhere, some place, under his hat, who even knows-- and hands it to Red.] This should be big enough, right? Maybe it'll be too big if we wait for the leftovers, though.

Not everyone battles with their pokémon. If your pokémon are hungry and you can't feed them, there's plenty of people that will help.

[ He sounds very sure of that too. If not a stranger, then the pokémon centre would. No one with good intentions wants a pokémon to suffer.

The bag surprises him when it's handed to him (a bag... H-hanbei-senpai...), and he looks at it a while before looking at Hanbei. ]

N-no, this should be fine. Thanks. [ Actually, while we're having this moment- ] Oh, I keep meaning to ask you -- what's your name? We didn't introduce ourselves, did we? What should I call you?

[Maybe it's because he's a kid, but he sounds so sure--]

Is your world a nice place to sleep in, too?

[In another universe, Hanbei lives in a world just like Red. But he doesn't, and that's why he's here.

Destroying other worlds to make his own better.]

We didn't? [Hanbei seems genuinely surprised at that. (Didn't he do this to Akame, too? When was the last time he was so proud of his name?)] Oh, I'm Hanbei Takenaka! Nice to meet you.

[ Red tilts his head, amused at that question. ] I guess?

[ What an odd question. But hey, introductions. ] Nice to meet you, Hanbei. I'm Red.

[ He smiles some. The early morning has been nice and all s far with Hanbei, but there's still an endless wailing in the background that he can't exactly tune out. Dealing with Charizard gives him something else to focus on more. ] I was thinking about it last night. You said something about a glass too... and our contracts.

Oh, Red. Is that why you're wearing red?

[It's a joke, honestly...! (Inb4 he joins Red Team in the future. Red on Red Team, Green on Green Team!?) But he drops the smile for just a moment when he mentions their contracts, though he looks at the ground when that happens.]

Our Blackglass, yes. Did you want to ask anything? [...] The Instructors aren't too open with our contracts, and they're the biggest authority here. But I guess you could try, too.

[And don't ask him about it. Because he. Doesn't want to think about that. Even though he's thinking about it all the time.]

[ Huh- ] No?

[ And it even makes him pinch at his shirt for a moment. But, moving on. ]

To be honest, I wouldn't know what to ask... I've never seen a contract before. I don't know anything about them. [ He frowns, and then he's looking down himself, prompting a lothlo on him to touch his chin that makes him look to it, then to the other lothlo. ]

I just want to know... [ He trails, huffing with agitation- because he's sure the things he wants to know are the kind of questions that can't be given answers, and now they're all flooding back to him from where he left them in the night. ]

Why? Why do they want to destroy planets for? Can't they just leave them alone? And why would you bring people in like this to do it?

[ He shakes his head with his next words. ] It just doesn't make sense.

[Hanbei stares for a moment, before just shaking his head.

Even the lothlo seem to notice something's up, sparing a glance at them for a moment.]

I may be a genius, but I don't have the answers to those questions.

[A pause.]

The only thing we're very sure of is the consequences of what will happen if we don't follow the CDC.

[He should've done something, when he was in the same room as Optimus, he could've--]

I'm sorry.

[But nowhere else in the universe feels as hopeless as this place.]

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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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