015 // action - forest shrine, verdant forest

[actsmagnificent]

[ action - forest shrine ]

Let's get to it.

[ Haruka is in one of her Rhyhorn racing jumpsuits with the sleeves rolled up (though not quite to the scar she got botching her portion of the Sanctuary liberation efforts). She's facing down a member of the Divine Defense Force, light on her feet and ready for anything. If they're going to keep splitting up for missions, she needs an accurate assessment of her whole team's abilities. She can't respect what she hasn't seen in person.

So she's going to try to beat the crap out of them. All of them. One by one.

Passersby are welcome to stay to observe or challenge her, though responses to the latter may vary. The Divine Defense Force, however? Had better not hold back.

Haruka won't, either. ]

[ away from the sparring ]

[ Close enough to reach Trainer telepathically but far enough that the sparring shouldn't disrupt their afternoon, Sky the Beartic has spread a (leaf-embroidered) tablecloth across a tree stump and outfitted it with a variety of goodies for an outdoor tea party. There's plates of Poffins and PokéPuffs, as well as piping hot Berry tea from a fancy china teapot - Passion the Vulpix has accompanied them, and deigned to heat some water for their tea. There's also plenty of teacups, so anyone stumbling upon Sky, Passion, and a very confused World Shaking the Rhyperior is welcome to join their quaint assembly.

A word of advice, however: the teacups (and teapot) are sized for Beartic paws. Come thirsty. ]

[ later - throughout verdant forest ]

[ As the sun sets and the cool evening air wafts in, Haruka can be found on World Shaking's back, eyes half-closed as she navigates the Rhyperior through the trees. They haven't gone on one of these runs in a while, and after the scare she gave him in the caves, he deserved a treat. And she deserves to cool her head, too. They're all right. They passed another test. A respite's been earned.

The fact that she heard a god was spotted in this area from Snor-Lord and his human friends is utter coincidence. ]

Comments

tea party time

[incousinswithyou]

[Stradivarius the Nidoqueen is moving even more carefully than usual. She has finally evolved! Even if her tail got really long and she's trying her best not to trip anymon up with it.]

Nido. [she's actually really glad Sky got these new cups! She is starting to become very impressed that Sky had been able to handle the normal sized ones.

She lifts up a cup to examine it, only for it to meow. A blink and...yup. She's putting it back down and slightly to the side. This one is apparently occupied by the Shinx kitten. Nobody put hot tea in this one.]

[actsmagnificent]

Bear! [ Sky's usual shyness is nowhere to be seen around her friend Stradivarius - well, aside from the fact that Stradivarius's new evolution is quite charming and impressive, and she can't find the proper words to express her happiness for her friend. Hopefully she'll think of a properly ladylike congratulation by the end of this picnic.

In the meantime, aren't the cups delightful? They're custom. She's very grateful to Trainer. Here is a new cup, and she'll fill it....as delicately as she can. ] Bear.

[ Passion is peering into that occupied teacup with a guardedly skeptical look, trying not to shudder. Doesn't this risk them all getting Shinx fur in their tea....?

The smell of the tea being poured attracts World Shaking, who stumps over and grunts. There's stuff on the log. Why? ]

[incousinswithyou]

Nido, ni. Queen. [they are rather nice, aren't they? The subtle patterning gives it just the right ambiance. Oh hello, there.] Ni? [would World Shaking like some tea?

...meanwhile, the kitty sees Passion's nose as sudden intrusion and will take a swipe at it!!]

i think i've used this icon more for passion than for haruka

[actsmagnificent]

Vul. [ Said nose wrinkles, and Passion lifts a paw to attempt to squash baby further into the cup. If you simply must nap on their tea table, do stay in one place.

World Shaking looks from Stradivarius to the tea and sniffs. There's food on that table. But there's also a lot of other stuff. Weird.

From the way he's making sure he gets a good smell of the tea and the goodies, though, he does seem interested in joining the party... ]

Da Woodz

[rainsrespite]

[They aren't alone in the woods today, either. It's the start of a long week for Yuuna. She's doing a lot of soul searching this week, just...getting out of that cave, getting out of everything that resembles Union. The forest is as good a place as any to start, and as dusk creeps through the trees, it's difficult to miss the sound of World Shaking.

From her campsite, just to be on the safe-side, the Ranger calls out Ishikawa and Kuroshi, climbing up on the Golurk and letting the Rhydon trundle through the forest towards the noise, eventually leading them on an intersecting course. So, Haruka? Is going to run smack into a gigantic ghost robot.]

Oh! So that's what the ruckus was.

Lurrrrrrrk

[actsmagnificent]

[ Excuse you: the brakes on this Rhyperior are better than most. She's going to encounter a giant ghost robot and pull World Shaking up short with just a thought. ] You're out late.

[ World Shaking smells another Rhysomething. His head swivels towards the Rhydon, and Haruka drops off his back so he can go snort dust all over his fellow Pokémon in greeting. ] Ranger work?

[rainsrespite]

Personal, actually. After everything this last week? Needed to get out of town for a few days. Fresh air for me and the boys.

[Yuuna slides down off the ghostly machine and pats him casually on the leg. The big bot lowers itself into a seated position, still towering over most things but a little less “head stuck in the canopy” than before.]

What about you? Out looking for more overgrown Wailords to punch?

[Ishikawa looks up at World Shaking with vague…bleary eyes. That’s a big rock. It’s a familiar smelling kind of big rock. How nice. It’s almost like her father. Only bigger. Huh.]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Haruka smirks. World Shaking sniffs Ishikawa too and rumbles deep in his chest. Standing next to this Rhydon is comfortable. He likes being around other Rhythings. Which is good, since Haruka has a small army.

Glancing over at the two, Haruka gives Yuuna an appraising look. ] Shall we race?

[ That's Harukaspeak for "I'm here for the same reasons you're here". Also, they were lucky that was just an illusion. But oh well. ]

Sparring time~

[lunchleader]

[Right grins as he cracks his knuckles. It's been long enough since the trial in the tunnels (and Yuuna's Awakening shortly afterwards) that he feels fit enough for a sparring match. He's even gone so far as to munch on as many healing Berries as he could get his hands on, just to help speed up the process. His sword remains sheathed, and is propped up against a tree trunk; right now, it's just fist-to-fist.]

Ready when you are! [He falls into a ready stance, already feeling the effects of Work Up kicking in.]

[actsmagnificent]

Hm. [ Haruka smirks, looking at Right pumping himself up. That's his style, isn't it? Get caught up in the moment and let it carry him. Full energy, all the time. No wonder he eats so much. Well, there are more kinds of fighting than just that.

So she closes her eyes and waits, tipping her chin up and calling on Cosmic Power to settle her mind. The air around Haruka warps slightly, but she still doesn't move.

Looks like you get the first shot. Her hands are even in her jumpsuit pockets. ]

[lunchleader]

[And as Haruka may suspect, Right is just charging forward without a second thought. She had advised him to not hold back, and he has no intentions to do so. But while it looks like he's just going for an full-on charging attack, he pulls a Feint at the last moment in order to help him try and land that first hit.]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Not bad - that move has guaranteed accuracy, too. Haruka smirks as the hit slams into her, then grabs whatever limb he'd hit her with. The problem with physical attacks is you get close to your opponent.

So now he gets to join her for a Sky Drop. Up they go into the air! ]

"Sparring"

[celebrity_commentator]

Yeah...thanks, but I'll pass. No one takes me along for my fighting skills.

[Rise bows in supplication. Her skill is knowing when not to fight.]

If you beat up anyone too badly, though, I'll hang around and my ability should be able to patch them up a little.

[actsmagnificent]

[ Haruka chuckles. That's a good skill, too. ] There's snacks over there.

[ She nods towards where she'd last seen Sky disappear with an oversized picnic basket, wisely choosing not to wonder where her Beartic, who lives in the Habitat, managed to procure an oversized picnic basket. ]

[celebrity_commentator]

Thanks, but I think I should at least observe, right? The more I know about our guys, the better I can use analysis to direct people.

[That's not going to stop Rise's small cadre of Pokémon from wandering off to tea party funtimes, of course.]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Good point. Haruka nods, indicating the various fallen trees about. ] Make sure you stay clear.

[ She trusts herself not to deal collateral damage, but....the last thing she wants is for the healer to need a healer. ]

FISTICUFFS

[thewindything]

[Sparring sounded like a pretty good idea to him. He really hadn't had a chance to cut loose in a while and he hadn't had a chance to really see what Haruka had on the table either. If someone was going to appoint themselves as head of the team, he wanted to make sure she could kick his ass.]

[The theater was important as hell to him, so he had a few opinions on how it was gonna taken care of, sue him.]

[Either way, he's dressed in something loose. He drops his hammer, head first and leans against the handle. The flying-typed hammer itself looks like a garish blight on society, but if you asked John, that was part of Zillyhoo's charm. It was an heirloom and it was his favorite weapon.]

[He grins.]

Ready when you are, boss.

HOW SPORTING

[actsmagnificent]

[ ....that is the most Union-looking weapon Haruka has ever seen. Given the city's propensity for talking instead of fighting, it's surprising a weapon could be "Union-looking", but as far as she's concerned he has their society perfectly encapsulated. As such, she fully expects that hammer to hurt once the opponent's done laughing at it.

She'll just have to make sure not to get hit with it, huh? ]

All right. [ And here she comes, using Agility to kick up her speed before moving in to try and punch John in the gut.

She has not factored John's typing into this as much as she should have. ]

action

[taudriver]

[Takuto doesn't waste time, lunging at Haruka with the wooden sword held in his right hand]

action

[actsmagnificent]

[ He's chosen a swordfight? Fine by her. Haruka sidesteps the attack and kicks up a Sand-Attack. She's hoping the decreased accuracy will give her time to draw her own (Enhanced) sword.

What? She's not going to cut him with it. It's got other uses. ]

Re: action

[taudriver]

[A steel pile dashes in front of Takuto and releases a burst of Psychic energy to block the sand as he dashes in low under it and sweeps both blades outward at Haruka's midsection]

action

[actsmagnificent]

[ Shoot. Haruka backflips out of the way, crouching to land and shoot off an arc of Fairy-type energy from her sword. Her aim isn't great, though - Takuto's block had taken her by surprise. ] Not just the swords, huh?

later!

[wishingalone]

[Mami is, once again, flying via her ribbon-leaping. She goes tree-to-tree, her ribbons sending her flying through the air. She slows, though, as she spots Haruka and her Rhyperior. She pauses for a moment -- then she drops down in front of her, and she raises a hand up in the air.]

Good evening, Miss Tenoh.

[There's a brief smile. She remembers her from the beach vacation. Seems awhile back, now, after the incident in those caves.]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Whoa for once if Haruka nearly runs somebody over it won't be her fault.

Nah, she and World Shaking have got this. The Rhyperior slows to a stop and Haruka raises a hand too. Give her a moment. Citadel. Projectile weapons. Much more tolerable than most other Valkyries.

--Mami Tomoe. Got it. ] You get around.

[wishingalone]

I am a Valkyrie. I can flight. After a fashion, at least. I saw you down there and thought I should say hello.

[She does a short bow, before she stands up straighter. She feels a little towered over because someone riding a Rhyperior... well, that's a big height difference. And she's already short.]