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]

[ ....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.]

[actsmagnificent]

[ 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? ]

1/I'll let you know (no i'm not sorry)

[threemoms]

[ Hotaru didn't know what she had walked into. What did she walk into? What is this? What is she watching? ]

2/??

[threemoms]

[ She was just thirsty.

She wanted a drink.

This isn't what she signed up for! ]

3/??

[threemoms]

[ They were kissing, weren't they? Like the heroes and heroines of the plays?

Was this "Haruka's seduction technique" that she always heard whispered about? ]

4/5

[threemoms]

[ .......Okay, they're done with the kissing. Finally.

How long had that been? ...Long. That was a long kiss. The ones in the play didn't last that long.

....And they still hadn't noticed her. ]

5/5 done

[threemoms]

[ Hotaru cleared her throat.


Loudly. ]

1/...3

[incousinswithyou]

[sheesh, Haruka. You're going to spoil her.

Heh.] Thank you.

[she'd like to keep this perfect moment forever, but. Huh. That sure is a loud, throat-clearing type sound.

She glances over and.]

[incousinswithyou]

[......






...........ffffffffffffffff]

[incousinswithyou]

[her chair scrapes across the floor as Michiru unceremoniously scrambles backwards. And she stands up, trying. Trying...what is she trying to do? Find an excuse? Run away? Pretend nothing is wrong?

Savior, when had she last been this embarrassed? She manages to look anywhere but Hotaru’s general direction, and at least her arms are folded across her torso, in lieu of hiding her face. Haruka can take care of this, right?]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Unlike Michiru, Haruka's response isn't to spring away so much as to just freeze in place, lips still parted even as her partner's face retreats. Belatedly, she looks at the hand that up till just a moment ago had been running through Michiru's hair -

And curls it into a fist, then coughs into it. ] Y-you're early for dinner.

[ This smile totally isn't carefree, isn't it. She was really hoping it would be.

Drat. ]

1/2

[threemoms]

[ Hotaru can feel the awkward radiating from the other two. Honestly, she didn't expect this big of a reaction. It made her feel more awkward now.

Maybe she should have been thankful they didn't notice her originally. Walked away. Pretended she never saw anything.

Too late for that now. ]

I, um... I just wanted a... drink.

[threemoms]

[ And, then, everything else comes out in a rush- ]

I'm sorry! I didn't mean to walk in on you two!

[incousinswithyou]

That's - [quietly taking a deep breath, and then Hotaru gets a composed smile. She's going to pretend this never happened in three, two, - ] that's alright.

You said you wanted a drink? [she is not above using this chance to escape to the kitchens.]

[actsmagnificent]

Get a snack, too. [ You escape, Michiru. One of them should fly while they can.

Haruka will...keep the kid here for you in the meantime. She already has a drink, so clearly she needs some cookies or something to go with it. Besides, kids like cookies. Yes.

She's working up to being able to look Hotaru in the eye. ]

[threemoms]

[ Hotaru, meanwhile, is going to pointedly not look them in the eyes.

Taking a seat. Yes. Too late to retreat. ]

[incousinswithyou]

[oh Haruka. You're going to spoil her.

She'll take a few moments for herself, but it's not like she'll abandon them or anything. Grabbing the pitcher of lemonade and that box of assorted cakes (apologies to whoever used to own those), she'll sneak a peek at them before heading back.

And she'll be sporting the slightest upward quirk of her lips because yeah, that could've been a lot worse, actually. At least it isn't quite as false as the smile she previously had on.]

[actsmagnificent]

[ This isn't an awkward silence. It is weighty. With responsibility. Their destiny is heavy. That is what is happening here, yes.

So cake is a welcome intrusion. Haruka rises to accept the box, placing it between them on the center of the table. ] Thanks.

[ She'll help herself, then sit back down, legs crossed. Just a normal gathering of allies, that's all. ]

[threemoms]

[ Hotaru takes one of the cakes, giving a nod of thanks to Michiru as she does. She seemed to mull things over as she munched on it. What she had walked in on......

She blushed hard, sinking back into her chair. Maybe she could learn Minimize if she tried hard enough.

She hasn't mastered "Don't think about it don't mention it" yet. ]

[incousinswithyou]

[she sits down, perfectly content to ignore that blushing, and takes a moment to sip at her own glass.

Wow, Hotaru. You are red.] Are you alright?

[no she's scarred, Michiru. Leave her be.]