009 // dream event - what does the fox say?

[actsmagnificent]

Haruka's Dream

[ Look at Haruka. Now back to you. Now back to Haruka, now back to you. What's that she's wearing? That's right, it's a bright blue racing jumpsuit. Its durable expanses fill your vision as you stare across her broad shoulderblades.

Look down at yourself. You're wearing one too. The color depends on how much of a jerk your unconscious mind has decided to be, but that's hardly the most important thing right now, because a Bulbasaur off to one side has just fired off a Bullet Seed with a loud "pop" and now you find yourself lurching forward.

It's another day at the races. And you're on a Rhyhorn. ]

Vulpix's Dream

[ Throne rooms are hard to come by in these more enlightened times, but there's no mistaking this setting for anything else: the red carpet lined with flickering torches, culminating in a broad set of steps and a chair with an extremely luxurious cushion upon it, leaves little to the imagination. At the top of the steps, Haruka's Machoke and Spritzee flank the carpet, bowing deeply; on either side of the chair, a Mr. Mime fans the chair's occupant while Super Beauty the baby Rhyhorn stands still for once, a platter full of Berries resting atop her broad head. Oddest of all, Ferrari the Nidoran crouches in servility at the foot of the chair. Oh, his Queen! His marvelous Queen!

Atop the chair, the world's most beautiful Vulpix gives a dainty yawn. Mr. Mime selects a Berry for her and places it in her mouth. Life is so dull when you're the top at everything. ]

[[ooc: There's a trick to Vulpix's dream! Anyone who sets foot on the steps and beyond will find themselves madly in love with Vulpix and burning to swear fealty to her. Feel free to use her dream as a mingle post so unaffected people can deal with trying to get their brainwashed friends off the stairs. You can "fix" the dream by convincing Vulpix this setup is a bad idea, but....good luck. ]]

Comments

[actsmagnificent]

[ Once you get the hang of their cadence, Rhyhorn are pretty rhythmic creatures. Haruka, already pulling ahead of the crowd, looks more like an extension of her mount than an individual in her own right. That's it. As long as she keeps running....

Can you hope to compete with an opponent like this at her best sport, Melaka? ]

[makeitquick]

[ Not under the power of something which isn't her body. That's her immediate thought: make this a footrace, and she'd win. Make this any contest of strength of agility, she's handle this and be victorious, even against someone amazing like Haruka. But in a race where she has to rely on this Rhyhorn...

But that isn't a thought you should have, especially in a dream. While she does ready her seating, it messes up as her Rhyhorn picks up speed, and starts to buck a little bit. she's nearly thrown off for that, but the beast below her seems to have more confidence in it's abilities than the rider ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Hopefully Melaka will learn to get in sync with that Rhyhorn quickly, because the first obstacle on this racetrack is looming large in front of them: a winding hedge maze populated by Tangela, where walls may very well move on you at the slightest provocation but crashing through the undergrowth is grounds for a penalty.

Haruka's Rhyhorn charges into the maze undaunted, but the narrow corridors and necessity of choosing a path will slow it down. This is a make or break situation, potentially! ]

[makeitquick]

[ Maze tho why is it a maze?

... Okay no it wouldn't do to just crash through the whole thing, even if she is tempted. That would be running over and probably against the rules - so. She mutters something to the Rhyhorn which is probably urging it to cooperate and digs her heels into the side of the pokémon. Miraculously, they do make the first turn, at all.

And she can't help but cheer a little to herself for it ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Haruka and her Rhyhorn should be visible up ahead for a bit. If Melaka's paying attention, she should be able to see Haruka steering her Rhyhorn by pressing her legs against its hide and shifting its center of gravity. This gets the creature to respond faster and make sharper turns.

They're reaching a fork in the path, though. Haruka's taking the right-hand corridor, but not without a moment's pause.... ]

[makeitquick]

[ !!! Well then she'll...

Try to copy it. The movements of the racer, and make the turn. Thing is, she doesn't go along the same path Haruka. She actually swerves the other way, mostly to try and pass her ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ ...She's lost her tail. Haruka smirks. So that's how it is, huh? This should be interesting. With neither of them able to see the other's movements, getting out of the maze before their opponent will be a pure test of their judgment and skill.

Haruka has yet to run into a dead end, which has her feeling pretty good about her judgment...but then Drillbur start popping out of holes all over the place and she has to avoid them without scraping her Rhyhorn along the sides of the maze. This part must be the skill! ]

[makeitquick]

[ Did Melaka choose well in her path?! Well, no dead ends, but - but then the walls start to have vines shooting out from them. Melaka looks over at them and those are: some sort of grass pokémon using vine whips. Trying to slow down her and the Rhyhorn? Well balls ]

Come on, come on-! [ She's going to tug on some of them to pull the things off the walls to make it through ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Haruka successfully gets past the Drillbur, but a shadow falls across the maze as she turns. There's something large blocking her exit from the maze. And it's yawning. ]

Snooooooooor.

.....you're kidding.

[ If you wanted to try and gain a lead, Melaka, now's your chance!

As long as this thing, or one of its friends, isn't blocking your way, too... ]

[makeitquick]

[ Oh, you'd think this would be her chance, particularly with her having forcibly dragged some grass types with her to make her move! But, through the maze, while she was managing to not get stuck, she wasn't keeping mental track of the navigation. Instead, it turns out both paths are meeting up here to go back down to a new central path. So that junction -- has that Snorlax blocking them both from getting out of the exit.

Oops.

And she has to kick her Rhyhorn hard to not charge into it. ]

Are we even allowed to toss it?!

[actsmagnificent]

They probably want us to wake it up.....

[ Easier said than done, huh. Her Rhyhorn noses the Pokémon's bulk and its horn bounces off. Haruka looks up and thinks, but she's perplexed about more than just the Snorlax. ] This isn't a normal track.

[makeitquick]

'Course it ain't! I'm not a racer and I'm here.

[ Melaka-- wait, she'd be disqualified if she got off her Rhyhorn wouldn't she. So she looks down at her Rhyhorn's head, and then tries to whisper to the thing asking if it's okay if she gets on top of its face, if it can hold her up. As it turns out, the answer is a growl she doesn't understand. But it might be perplexed. Oops ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ What is Melaka planning? Haruka frowns, confused, then turns her attention back to the Snorlax. ] Attacking might make things worse, huh.

[ Snorlax's huge bulk shifts slightly. It's got an itch on its back that it can't....quite....scratch.... ]

[makeitquick]

Lose if I'm off this, right?

[ The Rhyhorn, that is. Okay, balance... balance... ]

[actsmagnificent]

You're climbing it?

[ That's.....possible. Maybe. Now Haruka's intrigued. ]

[makeitquick]

Well, can't reach this thing to wake it if 'm on the 'horn's back.

[ Okay, carefully, carefully. Got it. Okay, now he cocks back a fist, to aim at the Snorlax - ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Haruka moves her Rhyhorn to the side, watching. She wants to see what you do, how you do it, and whether it works before she tries anything herself. ]

[makeitquick]

[ Okay... Inhale, exhale. Inhale. And then he fist glows. First with a little power, and then once it seems to be a solid blue color where her biological "gloves" are, she zips forward, taking only a half step forward to keep the balance, but his fist flies from zero to blinding as she swings a Mach Punch into the Snorlax's belly. That'll move it or wake it up, right? Probably! Hopefully ]

[actsmagnificent]

Snoooooooooooooooor. [ That was a funny sensation on its stomach. Indigestion? No, worse than that....Snorlax scratches its stomach and shifts itself to try to get a better look. Who's there?

Haruka's Rhyhorn paws the ground, waiting for an opening. Give it time... ]

[makeitquick]

C'mon! You felt me, right! [ And, joyed to have landed that, this time Melaka swings out with a wide kick, balancing on her increasingly agitated Rhyhorn's face with one leg and one hand as she spin to deliver the blow again on the gut of the Snorlax ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Snorlax is perplexed by this behavior. This small creature is shoving its limbs against his stomach for some inexplicable reason. Slooooooooowly, he begins to sit up. There was a very important nap happening here, you know...

...huh, look at all that greenery back there. Maybe it's edible. ] Laaaaaaax.

[ A hand reaches out to grab the closest piece of maze and as soon as he rips it free, Haruka's Rhyhorn is charging through the opening. Chance! ]

See you.

[makeitquick]

[ WHAT ] Oh come- that's che-! [ Thing is, between the snorlax moving and he trying to protest Haruka's movement, the dream Rhyhorn she's on can't help but move it's head. And Melaka is thus thrown off, going airborne and finally collapsing next to the Rhyhorn. Ooops ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ She's riding a Rhyhorn. A path cleared itself. Haruka sees no issues here - but when she notices Melaka tumbling off she can't help but look behind herself. ] Are you alri--

[ She's debating wheeling back - is it her issue? Maybe - when the scenery begins to wobble all around them. Not much of a race with one racer unseated. The dream is falling apart.

And yet that stupid Snorlax is just still sitting there, placidly devouring the hedge maze. As you do. ] Laaaaaaaa.

[makeitquick]

Huh whatz-- [ Melaka might have fallen, might have bruised up her arm a little in the process, but she's standing again pretty quickly. Oh, the landscape is shifting. She considers calling in Guide to make sure she knows what's going on, but... ] You waking up?

[actsmagnificent]

[ Wak...oh. Well, a dream would certainly explain a course that makes no sense. Haruka looks around, noting Snorlax is still here. He's getting fuzzy around the edges, though. ] That or you broke me.

[ She grins. Ah well...whatever. ] You rode well.