004 // Video + Action

[actsmagnificent]

Yo.

[ Here's Haruka Tenoh's face on your Warp Band. Don't worry - she'll pause and grin long enough for the imaginary theme music to subside. ]

Gaming news today. The Rhyhorn arena's hosting a big Pokémon race. If it runs, and you can fit on it, you're welcome to participate, though there'll be other races for the smaller ones too.

We'll be putting up flyers with the details. [ It's hard to read the flyer that's being waved about onscreen, however. Probably because the Pokémon doing the waving isn't much bigger than the flyer itself. ] Sewa!

[ ...Yes, you're a big help. Haruka slowly pushes Sewaddle out of the frame. ] I'll be seeing you all in the wind this time, kittens.

[ A wink, and she's gone. Why is it always her. Why is she always the one doing advertisements? Could it be she's a naturally gifted salesman? Is this her true calling?

She doesn't want that... ]

[ action ]

[ As promised, Haruka and her Sewaddle are plastering the town with flyers - or, well, Sewaddle is putting them up at bug-level with silk while Haruka wanders around with another pile tucked under her arm. Every now and then she hands one out.

You could also encounter one of the following pairs of Pokémon helping to advertise elsewhere:

-- A Murkrow slapping people in the forehead with flyers to get their attention while a Cubchoo tugs on others' shirt hems and bashfully offers a flyer with a quivering "Cub?".

-- A Pidgeotto dropping flyers much more gently than Murkrow while a Rotom looks on in amazed admiration. Mother is so clever.

Or, if you're a Divine Theater member, you can meet Haruka collapsed in a mess hall chair after the fact! Sewaddle is fanning her with a folded-up flyer. He is innovative. ]

Comments

[actsmagnificent]

[ Oh, he does hope it's roses. Your roses are so beautiful. And no matter how many petals they shed, they stay full! Lulu can create eternal art. Sewaddle fans his friend to show her what he's been up to. This cheers people up! ] Wad!

[ Haruka doesn't look cheerful, however. She looks like there's something on the tip of her tongue and she's not quite sure how to get it off. But staring at this glass of lemonade is bound to help her find the answers. ]

Am I.....showy?

[incousinswithyou]

[that's so smart, Natto! Oh, that's a nice, refreshing breeze.

...Yup. There we go. That's a couple of rose petals on the wind.

Michiru raises an eyebrow.] As opposed to modest?

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More like... [ Haruka lifts her head to think, just in time for those petals to blow past. This was purely coincidental.

Okay, she's got it now - and even grins since she knows this is silly. ] I keep being asked to advertise. Cheap, right?

Sewaddle! [ Natto congratulates Lulu on her petal timing. They make a good team. ]

[incousinswithyou]

[that gets a quiet smile]

Perhaps you ought to stop being so good at everything. [therefore making you famous enough to be recognizable.

Her smile widens into a smirk] Either that or they understand the drawing power of a pretty face.

Roooose! [Lulu accepts the compliment with modesty. No, no. It was all Natto's fanning prowess!]

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Swa? [ Sewaddle offers Roselia the fan. Would you like to try? It's easier than the spoon, though he's also been practicing dexterity ever since he figured out how utensils work. But your arms are so long now! You should be fine.

Haruka rotates her glass so the ice clinks against itself again; she'd look bashful if it weren't for the way she's got her head tilted. ] You'd know best.

[ Maybe that means you're pretty. Maybe that means she knows you know she's pretty. (It's probably both.) She'll take another drink around her smirk so she doesn't have to explain. ]

[incousinswithyou]

[Lulu takes it carefully. The fan isn't in the firmest grip ever, but it'll do. And it's a step up from when she was a Budew! So yup, apparently it's Natto's turn to get fanned.

Heh. Have a fond look.]

You could always say no to them.

[actsmagnificent]

WaaAaaAaaA...

[ Sewaddle that air is not moving nearly fast enough for it to start distorting your voice. Stop that. (He's having fun, though - head back in the wind and little arms outstretched and everything.)

Haruka gives Michiru a sidelong grin as she puts down her glass. That she could. She's not sure why she keeps failing at that. ] What about you? Any takers?

[ Have a silly flyer and an even sillier smirk. Personal feelings aside, when she agrees to do a job she does it right. ]

[incousinswithyou]

[Lulu giggles and fans harder. A couple of stray petals drift towards Natto, though maybe that mouth is open a little too wide.

A slight eyebrow raise, but she'll take a flier and glance over it.]

Me? [racing is your thing. And she'll be damned if she enters a competition where she knows she won't be at least as good as you.

Hmm.] Perhaps one of the Pokemon will want to try.

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[ It would be such a shame to eat one of Lulu's petals. Seeing them coming, Sewaddle tries to close his legs over the one aimed right at his face, and while he succeeds in that...

He also falls over backwards. But he's okay! Don't worry! And he saved the petal! He waves it around. ] Sewa!

There's a water course. [ If only it were for humans. Maybe it's just Haruka's, yeah, racing passion, but she does love watching Michiru swim. Even the Artist Formerly Known As Ugly Fish can't top her grace. ]

[incousinswithyou]

Liaaa. [Lulu looks seems concerned for a moment, but yay! He's okay! Sorry about that though...]

I suppose Melody could use the exercise. [of the two sea serpents, Milotic probably has the greater competitive spirit.

...an Ugly Fish that sparkled with Inner Beauty, thank you very much.]

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[ She doesn't suppose you're detecting Inner Competence in her Sewaddle or anything now, right? That might come in handy. ] I'll make a note of that.

[ And she does. She has a little memo pad in her pocket and everything, and when she closes it you might notice it only has two leaves stuck to it. Her assistant restrained himself for the sake of tasteful art.

He also is now wondering what to do with this petal. Oh, he knows. He'll affix it to the spot above Lulu's eye where it looked good when she was a Budew. Don't mess with what works. No hard feelings, either. ] Sewaddle.

[incousinswithyou]

[...that might take some digging. Or training. Or brain washing. One of those.

A chuckle.] So it's official now?

[a-aww, Natto remembered! At least now that she's evolved, Lulu is more than capable of giving hugs.]

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[ A hug! Sewaddle does his best to hug back, but he still suffers from the curse of itty bitty arms. They should go play somewhere! ] Wad!

[ Haruka replaces her notepad. Could anything written in a book like that be anything less than official? ] I'm expecting great things from both of you.

[incousinswithyou]

Rose! [Lulu agrees wholeheartedly! Let's go see what the others are up to! It's got to be more interesting than sitting around chatting.]

We'll try our best to meet those expectations. [so if she ends up spending more time than usual at the Water Level, it'll be mostly your fault.]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Smiling, Haruka allows herself a long pause to drink in both more of her lemonade and the sight of Michiru sitting there - which is really very relaxing after a long day of wandering around smiling at people when there are scrolls to examine - but thinking about Milotic needing a new training regimen jogs her memory. There's something she hasn't given you yet. ]

Ah, right. [ Haruka digs in a pocket as Sewaddle begins leading the way to the edge of the table (you may use his silk to descend, Lulu, if you so wish). Have you met his Trainer's new Machop?? He's kind of lazy. Sewaddle is not sure he's noticed the welcome leaf bestowed while the recipient was napping yet. ] Caldera's got great artisans....

[ Where is that. Oh, here it is. A tiny box emerges, the sort one might keep jewelry in, and she passes it over. She didn't splurge on wrapping or a gift label or anything, but it's for you. ]

[incousinswithyou]

[...the obvious solution is that Machop should get more welcome leaves. Just in case!

And this is a pleasant surprise!] Hotaru wasn't the only one to do some shopping, I see.

[she reaches for the box with a smile, and opens it to take a look.]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Haruka shrugs and makes a noncommittal sound, though she's watching Michiru out of the corner of her eyes while affecting modest nonchalance. She didn't shop so much as special-order.

Because there's a pair of earrings made out of a luminescent material that can only have been, at one time, a Prism Scale. Nothing else has quite that vibrant a luster.

Sewaddle, meanwhile, is so on board with the way Lulu thinks. Let's go find Machop and greet him properly! ] Sewa!

[incousinswithyou]

[that's a quiet laugh of pleasure. She holds up one to admire in the light, and then she's putting them on.

Turning to you, an immensely fond look on her face.] Well?

[actsmagnificent]

[ ....beautiful. Absolutely stunning.

Oh, and the earrings aren't bad either. Haruka blinks a lovestruck expression off her face. ] You aren't an ugly fish, either.

[ She needs to stop pushing her luck with this Feebas thing. Maybe if she leans in, good things will happen. ]

[incousinswithyou]

[well, at least you've got good timing about it]

Oh? So what am I? [and she's leaning in too, hand curled on top of yours.]

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[ This is a trap. Haruka's instincts prickle - or maybe that's her skin reacting to being so close to Michiru. She will have to proceed with caution and reason.

Which is totally doable for her, since she is this mature adult. She smiles smoothly, leaning in even further, lips pursed and ready. Michiru.... ]

Fishing for compliments. [ How was that? ]

[incousinswithyou]

I'm not hearing any. [at least she's not denying it.

That's a smile, as she closes the tiny distance between them with a kiss.]

[actsmagnificent]

[ And you're not about to, because she's too busy kissing you. She already used a variation of this particular seduction technique at the hot springs, anyway. And she plans on never becoming repetitive or boring.

...it's probably good the kids aren't here to see this, given how Haruka keeps leaning further into this kiss. ]

[incousinswithyou]

[lack of compliments or not, Michiru is hardly complaining. Her other hand slips forward, fingers carding through your hair.

Thats probably a smile you can feel.]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Funny how today suddenly seems so much more okay. Haruka is slow to break the kiss, and when it finally winds down she leans her forehead against Michiru's and mimics her partner's motion, cupping Michiru's head behind her ear to watch the earring catch the light.

And she just smiles. Hello. You're perfect, did you know that? ]