FIRST ERRAND ➣ VIDEO / ACTION [GOLDENROD CITY]

[deaftly]

[ ACTION - GOLDENROD CITY ]

[Hey, Team Rocket, how's it going? Has the base been peaceful lately? Because it certainly isn't going to be today. In fact, if you're unfortunate enough to be walking the hallways, you might see a Grunt get tossed into a nearby wall (or you, if you're really unfortunate). Thankfully the poor guy's alright, just a little stunned, but the shrieking that follows implies that this wasn't some sort of horrible Pokémon-related accident.]

Give me some answers, fucker! I don't give a shit about Pokey-mon or whatever the fuck you're talking about!

[The guy doing the shrieking is... actually fairly tiny. He's about 5'8" and doesn't look like he could toss a guy his size down a hallway. He's wearing a white suit and actually looks presentable, if not a bit pissed off.

...Okay, "a bit pissed off" is a horrendous understatement.]

Are you working for the fucking doves? Is this some kind of a fucking joke? If you shitheads think you're going to capture me again--!

[Naki bends down to grab the poor Grunt by the collar, hoisting him up over his head without much difficulty. The Grunt tries to say something, but Naki doesn't even finish his own thought, much less let the Grunt get a word in edgewise. Instead, he turns and tosses the Grunt down the hallway. Again.]

I'll fucking kill you! I'll fucking kill you all!!

[...Someone please save that poor Grunt.]

[ VIDEO ]

[Well, it's almost a day later and it seems someone has finally managed to get Naki to sit down and listen to reason. Somehow. Now that Naki isn't in the base anymore, he's actually much calmer. The video doesn't reveal much in terms of background and is shot from a low angle, revealing the sky and... not much else. Naki is standing, leaning in a bit to look at the camera, and holding a Magikarp by the tail. He shakes the fish at the camera and glares into it accusingly.]

This thing sucks.

[...Thank you, Naki. Surely no one has figured that one out.]

What's the point of Splash? It doesn't do anything. That's all this useless thing knows.

[The Magikarp flops around a bit at the word "useless", like it's responding to being called by name. Naki looks disgusted and shakes the fish before dropping it unceremoniously to the ground. The camera follows the fish before turning back up to face Naki.]

Where do I get something good? If these things are our only weapons here, I want something powerful.

[Did you just miss the part about training Pokémon to make them stronger, or...?]

Oh, if anyone's got any information about getting home, that would be great too. I just got here so I'm still trying to figure this place out.

[...]

And what is with this stupid music?

Comments

action - I am so sorry

[cawsforalarm]

[Though he probably didn't notice in his fury, Naki's picked up a spectator. A very... unusual spectator. There's a young man in a Rocket grunt uniform and a cape with a golden collar, standing nearby and clapping enthusiastically.]

Whoo! Do it again, do it again!

[Maybe the other guy will bleed this time!]

never apologize this is beautiful

[deaftly]

[Naki is advancing on the poor Grunt again when Henry's words reach him and he pauses, turns, and stares at the intruder. That... sure is a fancy cape, what does he do with the rest of it.

(Thankfully, the distraction gives the poor Grunt enough time to run away, but Naki doesn't notice that.)]

Who the hell are you? You don't look like a dove.

[Technically neither did the Grunt, but maybe the doves just switched to really ugly uniforms lately or something.]

sob

[cawsforalarm]

I wish I was a dove. It would be so cool to have wings! But nope, I'm just a plain ol' human. Name's Henry.

[He smiles and waves pleasantly.]

i'm so glad they got in the same app round

[deaftly]

That's... not what I meant.

[But alright, if this guy wishes he was a bird, that's... something. Naki's not sure what it is, but it appears to be a thing.]

...Oh, I'm Naki.

[Well, you've done a good job calming him down from sheer confusion, so good job, Henry!]

What's with the cape?

[#priorities]

I just love everyone in this round tbh

[cawsforalarm]

What did you mean, then? [Henry tilts his head. He can't think of any other kind of 'dove'...]

And the cape is part of my outfit! They made me wear the shirt and pants, which is whatever, but I like having this on too. [He wraps the cape around himself.] It's comfy!

there are so many great ones

[deaftly]

[It occurs to Naki that maybe he shouldn't be going on about the doves since he doesn't know if this guy is a human or a ghoul. That's actually a great cause for concern, since he can usually tell by the scent alone, but he's not getting a reading period. Did someone mess with him while he was asleep?]

Oh, wait, did you wake up here today too? I got a note that said to put on that hideous outfit, but there's no way I'm going to be caught dead in that. Besides, who the hell do they think they are? They've got no authority over me!

I love the amount of warning labels the intro posts require

[cawsforalarm]

Really? I don't think it's too bad. [He clutches a bit of the shirt fabric in his fist, and inspects it thoughtfully.] It's a little bit heavy for the temperature in Plegia, but I like the colors.

i like how so many of our ooc intros had opt-out posts in them

[deaftly]

...Plegia?

[Hang on, what's a Plegia? Naki looks horribly confused and wonders for a moment if he misheard that.]

Is that a country or something? I don't know shit about geography.

[Probably because he never had any formal education, or more importantly, because he doesn't care.]

[cawsforalarm]

Yeah, country. That's where I grew up in, but now I work for an army that's based in Ylisse, so that's kind of my home now. I still keep my Plegian clothes, though, because... [He drops his voice.] ...the stuff they wear over there? Way too fancy.

[Henry knows a fair amount about geography, but only because he went through one hell of a schooling.]

[deaftly]

[Naki's hearing is absolutely awful, so when Henry drops his voice, Naki gets something else entirely.]

Wanton fan sea? What the hell does that mean?

[...Naki, did you even try.]

I've never heard of Plegia or Ylisse. I'm from Japan and I don't do much travelling.

[cawsforalarm]

...Nya ha ha! Sorry! [He jumps back to a louder speaking voice -- possibly a bit too loud.] I said "way too fancy". They have, like, a million layers of clothing and little metal knick-knacks everywhere. Armor is a fashion statement down there. [He shakes his head.]

I've never heard of Japan, either... maybe we come from different universes or something. [If Cynthia and her friends came from a different universe where everything is slightly different, then maybe Ylisse is called Japan in one of them, or something.]

[deaftly]

[Thank you, Henry, he does appreciate that.]

Armor? Wait, you mean like that medieval shit that knights wore?

[There is another possibility, but he figures he'd better play it safe and not bring up ghouls, just in case this guy is a human.]

Different... universes? Is that even possible? I mean, there's shit like that in movies all the time but... there's no way it's real, right?

[...Right??]

[cawsforalarm]

Med... what? [They don't have the word 'medieval' in Medieval Fantasy Europe.] Uh, yeah, knights wear armor. But clerics do too, over there. Like, why do you need armor? You're a cleric, your job is to heal people and then run away.

And nope, the universes are real.

[deaftly]

Well, maybe it's to protect them from getting hurt.

[...]

Wait, wait, what is this, some kind of video game? Clerics and knights... don't tell me you've got mages running around too. This is some serious Final Fantasy bullshit here.

[...Well, he's never actually played a Final Fantasy, so he's assuming it's some Final Fantasy bullshit. That's the only one he knows off the top of his head anyway.]

And how can you be sure the universe-hopping stuff's real?

[cawsforalarm]

I'm a mage! A dark mage, actually! ...They found out some way to sap out my power, though, so I can't show you anything. [Henry sighs.]

...And I can be sure because I've met my daughter from another universe! Plenty of other people in my group have, too. They all came together and jumped through a time-space portal or something, I never got the full details. But point is: it's a thing, mm-hm.

[deaftly]

...What.

[He's not even sure what part of that he's so fundamentally offended by, but it's probably the "daughter from another universe" thing that has killed his suspension of disbelief.]

You really expect me to believe that?

[cawsforalarm]

...Uh, no? You're some random stranger, I don't care if you believe me! But it's the truth.

[deaftly]

[Well, Henry does have a point. Why would he bother lying about something like this to someone he doesn't know and can't get anything from? So clearly he's telling the truth!!]

So you think the same sort of thing happened to us to bring us here?

[cawsforalarm]

I wouldn't be surprised. [Henry hums thoughtfully, putting one hand to his chin.] Whoever did it would need a buttload of power, though. I mean, they needed a god just to move a few kids over, yanno? So I can't imagine what these guys are pulling! Nya ha ha!

[deaftly]

A god? Just one?

[He's not very good at religions, but he's pretty sure a lot of people would be horrified of the idea of more than one god.]

But I guess it's possible. It's a better explanation than anything I've heard so far.

[cawsforalarm]

Yup, just one. The other god was kind of busy being channeled through a human, I guess, and also being super evil.

[Plegians are supposed to worship this god, Grima, but Henry literally could not care less. (Nor could most Plegians, for that matter.) It made things a little bit easier on him when some idiot tried to awaken Grima from its slumber and use it to take over the world.]

What else have you heard?

[deaftly]

[...Pretty sure that would get some peoples' panties in a twist, but sure, whatever!]

Well, that's just it, I haven't heard anything. The guy I was talking to just said it's something that happens here sometimes.

[Speaking of that guy... Naki looks around only to find he's long since vanished.]

Shit, I let him get away.

[cawsforalarm]

Aw, he's gone?

...Well, if you still wanna punch people, I'm right here! [He points at his face. Look how punchable that grin is.]

[deaftly]

[...uh]

Are you a masochist? Do you like getting the shit kicked out of you?

[Naki's looking very interested now, which is never a good sign.]

[cawsforalarm]

Normally I don't like ouchies, but for some reason my nerve damage is gone! So I can feel stuff again.

Come on, pleeeeeease?