bravenewworld | Action [The Lake Shrine]

Action [The Lake Shrine]

[The lake had seemed like as good a destination as any to Kariya for his first real adventure away from the city. It was farther out than he'd been before with or without company, yet not so much so that he'd worry about finding his way back home. And, even if there wasn't any shot at stumbling on an iron vein lurking nearby, at least he - and the Seedot riding shotgun, tucked in snug at his coat's chest - would be bound to run into some Pokémon they hadn't seen before.

All good, right?

Except, when he comes into view of the the Shrine there, the posts surrounding it and the stone structure at its heart, he can't deny he starts having second thoughts. The place is pretty in a way, with its papercrafts hanging near the water's edge, but...Kariya can't decide if "hallowed" or "freaking spooky" is the phrase that first springs to mind for its atmosphere. (Who even hung those things up there, anyway?)

It feels like he's dangerously close to intruding (on something), either way. And so he creeps his way along the shrine's perimeter quietly, as though trying to escape the Shrine's notice...

Or, well. He tries. It's kind of difficult, with Quercus deciding to start wriggling and fidgeting to be put down.]

Tch, would you hold on?

[Kariya hisses down at his coat and does his best to hurry on.]

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[The shrine is way too spooky it's true Kariya certainly has no business being in such an ominously sanctified place. The spirit of the shrine frowns down upon him and his Seedot shenanigans.

The spirit of the shrine will cast its first curse. As Kariya struggles with Quercus, he'll walk straight into a large patch of something thick and slippery.]

Edited 2014-01-22 03:58 (UTC)

Would you just keep still, I need to unzip my --

Yi-ipe!

[Kariya's balance is usually excellent, but between the sudden slickness beneath his feet and the antsy, little acorn shoving up against him, he very nearly takes a tumble in the...whatever it is. His feet skitter across the ground, fumbling for purchase, until he drops low, one hand going to the ground to keep himself from falling on his rear.

In the process, Quercus finally hops down from his coat, sidling around to look every which way. What's all the commotion about, huh?]

[The substance, whatever it is, is quite thick and also smells... sugary? There comes a soft chittering noise from nearby as Kariya flails on the ground. The second curse of the shrine!!!

Clearly something is waiting to suck out his bone marrow and has brought its own seasoning.]

[Augh, not his bone marrow, he needs that...!!

I-it's probably nothing, though, right? He just slipped, and he's getting paranoid because of the atmosphere around the shrine. Just imagining...that sound that he can totally, definitely hear, not too far off to the side of him. Quercus turns to face it, too, confirming that he's not completely losing it out here.]

...Hey, come out where I can see you already...

[He manages, getting himself back upright. If his marrow's going to be sucked out by some sugar-scented shrine ghost, at least he won't be taken by surprise!]

Edited 2014-01-23 03:34 (UTC)

[Surprisingly, the bone marrow sucking monster will obey! Peeping around from behind a patch of reeds comes a small, blue head...

A wild Surskit has appeared!

It seems to be quite shy as it immediately attempts to backtrack into obscurity again.]

[Oh crap, is that bit on its head what it uses to suck the marrow out --

Wait.

Kariya's not really getting a vengeful sugar-demon vibe here. The thing's actually kinda cute? In a bug sort of way. And it looks decidedly unprepared to attack, so...]

Uhm. It's alright? You can come out.

You surprised us, is all.

[Yeah, Quercus wants to meet this thing, too! He's waddling over towards the reeds the Surskit is taking cover in. After a moment, Kariya will step (carefully) closer as well, trying to draw some of them to the side to reveal the little, blue creature again.]

[The blue creature is not terribly good at disguising itself and is caught completely out in the open when the reeds are shifted aside.

...It seems to be going off the principle that maybe if it stays totally still they can't actually see it. Or maybe it will suddenly learn the move Perfect Invisibility if it tries hard enough.

Surskit tries hard.

The only thing that happens again is a glob of sticky liquid spews from the top of its head in its fright.]

[Ohhh, so that's where that stuff came from? That explains a lot. (And also leaves Quercus, who's wandered a tiny bit too close, somewhat sticky.)

Not to mention making Kariya feel really, really dumb. Being out on his own must've gotten to him more than he'd thought, ugh.]

We're not going to hurt you or anything. We were just looking around.

Quercus, back up a little, he's nervous.

[The acorn doesn't need to be told twice, after ending up sugar-coated, but he's still going to continue regarding the strange, blue thing with curiosity. Does he always spray that sweet stuff around? It's even better than getting a drink from an oak tree!]

[Surskit chitters softly for a few moments, but doesn't retreat any further. It seems to understand what Seedot is saying - It only happens when it's scared, OK? Have you seen the size of the thing you're traveling with?

What are they doing around here? Why are there so many humans here lately? Ever since this building appeared...]

[Kariya is just going to keep still for now, watching the pair of Pokémon communicate. He thinks that's what's going on, anyway, what with all the chittering and Quercus' more easygoing replies.

(Who, him? the acorn-mon seems to say. He's alright. He's way huge, but he's never stepped on him or anything! Most of the other humans are bigger, anyway.)]

...Are you two getting along or what?

[Maybe not, the bug Pokémon still seems jittery. But he's not running away, either! So...maybe this is a good opportunity?

He'll reach one hand out, Warp Band at the ready, and let it activate, sending out its pulse of light towards Surskit. Ugh, hopefully that doesn't spook him...]

[Surskit rears back on its two back legs and lifts its front legs way up high the human is thiiiiis tall! It could probably squish both of them under the same foot! Under the same toe!

Did it really live with humans gosh it couldn't imagine. It would be like --

And caught up in inane chatter, the Surskit doesn't notice when Kariya activates the Warp Band. When the light strikes, it promptly dies instantly of fright.

...Or it just skitters back a lot and radiates fear and panic and squirts more thick goo everywhere.]

[Oh jeez, the thing is so scared.

Kariya half-expects it to dash all the way through the reeds and out of sight, but it looks like it's too panicked to even do that. Either way, it's too freaked out for him to hope that it'll just bond easily with a smile and a hand held out -

So, he ends up throwing out the empathic equivalent of something like "it'sokayit'sokayit'sokayi'mnotgonnahurtyouhonestreallylet'sbefriends" along the Warp Band's link, instead. Ugh, he feels so bad! The little guy probably thought he was after his...bug marrow or something, too.

(Because he's pretty sure it doesn't have bones.)]

Can you come back over? Here, look -

[Crouching down, now, before finally sinking to sit on the snow-dusted ground. That's cold, but see? No longer towering up in the sky!]

[If only it could weaponize its goo as a projectile. Alas evolution had not created it as such and thus its attempts to spray Kariya in the face don't really succeed as such.

In any case, fear aside, Surskit seems vaguely disgruntled that Kariya thinks it's stupid enough to think that the human thing is somehow any different now that it's kneeling down. It has knees, too, you know. well. maybe.]

[Wow, he's just trying to be non-threatening here, no need to be rude about it!

...Okay, so sulking might not be the best strategy for winning over the terrified, little bug, either, but Kariya doesn't seem able to help it. Arms folded over his chest and shivering slightly, he glares off in Surskit's direction.]

How are you scared of me, when you live by this stupid, creepy shrine?

[Ughughugh, he is the worst at this, this whole thing is going to be a huge waste of time. And now there's terror-goo all over his pantlegs...

He's a chilly, green-haired ball of peevishness.]

[Surskit seems surprised. ...It glances towards Seedot momentarily before waving its front legs around, some equivalent of a shrug.

The shrine had only shown up recently. It wasn't like it had planned to live here.

Besides, it made it feel calm. Sometimes, it slept inside if it was raining too hard.]

...I guess it's not that bad.

[The place does feel less eerie overall, now that he's been focused on the Bug-Type spazzing out for who knows how long. If he was going to get eaten by a lake monster or something, it'd probably have happened by now.]

It's not like living around people is worse, though. Most of us are too dumb to be dangerous or anything. The City's probably a lot safer than it is out here.

[Quercus is just going to toddle back over to his trainer, with what sounds suspiciously like a Seedot interpretation of a snicker. These two are just silly.]

[Surskit once again helpfully brings up that Kariya could roll over in his sleep and murder it without a second thought. It probably wouldn't even see it coming, being stuck as low to the ground as it was.

It wasn't easy being so small.

Seedot will get a special wad of goo ejected in his general direction.]

I wouldn't!

[Kariya huffs, snapping straight back from calming down to worked up. He's not going to sleep-murder one of his friends, gosh --

Okay, okay, deep breath.]

If you wanted to come with me...we'd look out for each other. All three of us.

[He nods sideways towards Seedot, who is too busy sampling that serving of goo to give more than a quick affirmative. Did he mention this stuff was delicious?]

[Surskit looks very offended that Seedot finds its goo delicious and in an act of protest, squirts out even more.

...OK it's exhausted its emergency goo stores now. It was distracted enough that it only catches the last part of what Kariya is saying though.

.......'three of us' wait what

W-Why does he want it along? Isn't it obvious it's not really that useful?]

[Jeez, it's obvious that the little bug is a huge pain in the butt at least! He wouldn't have asked if he wasn't serious, so what's with all the second-guessing?

Besides, the Surskit seems pretty smart in spite of its nerves, and...it just feels like they'd get along alright together! It's not like he needs much of a reason besides that.]

Well, do you want to come along or not?

You don't have to, but...

[A shrug. This is going to be really awkward, otherwise.]

[Surskit stares blankly at Kariya for a moment or two.

...Then it stands up on its back two legs and waves its front legs again, seeming to gestured pointedly to the top of Kariya's head.

He has to do something for it first. Given all the preceding conversation, what it wants may be easily guessed.]

...ah, did you want up?

[He thinks that's what that waving means, as hung up as Surskit's been about his height. Maybe it'd feel a little better after getting to tower over everything for a while?

That's his best guess anyway, so he's going to bend even lower, chin almost to the ground, to let the Bug-Type clamber aboard on his own. He's pretty alright with the thought of a waterbug in his hair.]

Just, uh, hold on.

[Surskit will slowly clamber up Kariya's face, its thin legs tickling him as it goes up. When it's perched on top of his head, it will tap Kariya a few times.

Stand up!!!]

Okay, okay - here I go.

[Kariya's snickering to himself the whole time as he goes back to his knees and then carefully rises back to full height.

Gosh this is silly, he's not even tall for his age.]

There. Better?

[yes good

Surskit will make a few chirping noises that, for once, don't sound terrified as it surveys the lake before it.

It is the master of all it sees. All shall bow before it and its mighty vehicle.

Kariya has bonded with Surskit! It is Level 7 but the rest of its stats may be chosen at your discretion!]

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Action [The Lake Shrine]

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