006 | Video

[samsa]

[The sound of rain hitting terra cotta tiles can be heard as the video starts up, revealing a wide shot of the front of Sprout Tower. Kaneki can be seen sitting in the dry grass beneath the overhang with his hair damp and wearing a blue jacket that's darkened along the shoulders, evidence that he just recently got caught in a downpour. There's a Ratatta on one of his shoulders, curled up as close as she can get to his face and shivering from her whiskers to her long tail wrapped like a loose scarf around his neck.

Also, there are sheep. How many sheep?

So many.

Mareep, to be exact, each one of them with their wooly bodies wet and causing them to shiver a little, too, all clustered near and around Kaneki beneath the overhang. His Bouffalant is lying in the grass a few feet away with his hooves beneath himself and even more Mareep huddled up against him, seeking the warmth of his massive bouffafro.]

I thought I would be able to make it back without getting caught in the rain, but...I guess I should have expected as much.

[Kaneki laughs a little, currently petting the head of a Mareep nestled between his knees. The little sheep bleets softly at the contact, bumping its nose into his hand.]

I feel bad for these little guys, all caught out in the rain like this. They, ah...don't seem to like it very much.

[That's said with a slight jerk as he pulls his hand back from the Mareep's wool, shaking his hand slightly when he feels his fingertips get a slight shock, like one might after rubbing their socks on carpet before touching somebody on the arm. All of the sheep are loaded with static, but with all of this water around...it's living dangerously having so many of them congregated under one roof, so to speak. But he can't bring himself to shoo them away, and it's raining too hard to leave just yet...]

Does anyone know just how long they might be around? It feels like every time I look there are more of them...and it doesn't look like this rain is going to stop any time soon.

[He's already lost count of how many he's seen today alone, not to mention all of the ones with him now. Still, he doesn't mind staying out here with them for a while. It's better than staying cooped up in the hotel all day, after all.]

Comments

[scratchitti]

I bet they smell pretty awful. Nothing worse then wet wool.

[samsa]

Yeah. Hercule isn't in much better shape, really.

[He turns the camera a little so Neku can see the Bouffalant, who snorts out a breath as the Mareep huddle closer.]

I'm hoping they'll dry off soon, but the humidity is pretty bad out here.

[scratchitti]

Once it stops raining and you pat them dry, try some distilled vinegar in front of a fan. Does wonders for dog smell so I bet it'll work on livestock too.

[samsa]

Really? I'll have to try that...maybe with just one or two.

[He pets the Mareep in his lap again, who doesn't seem interested in going anywhere any time soon.]

I wonder where they all came from, though. I know they were around before, but...not nearly as many as this.

video;

[irenicly]

I was wondering about that. I found one the other day. The poor thing looked so sad in the rain, so I took it in.

[He didn't even both to capture it in a Pokeball. He just scooped it up and brought it home....]

video;

[samsa]

The ones I've seen in town have been trying to stay dry all day. It makes me wish I could keep all of them.

[...he won't, of course. That would be a terrible idea, and even he knows that. But...maybe one or two wouldn't hurt...]

They're very friendly at least, aren't they?

video;

[irenicly]

They are.

I think they're just appreciative of being out of the rain.

Who wouldn't, especially with all of that fur?

[Video]

[endsuffering]

[Oh! That's the Sprout Tower! And that is... the many, many Mareep that have been hanging around lately. Has Madoka seen this boy before, though? She can't quite remember. The Violet Pokemon Center's interior is the background of her reply, with plenty of rain pattering just under the BGM.]

I'm not sure how long they might be here, myself, but- do you need an umbrella? There are a few in the lost and found I could bring you...

[She's not sure if Joy will let all these Mareep take shelter in the Center, unfortunately, but at least she can help Kaneki.]

[Video]

[samsa]

Oh, thank you, but I'll be okay. I think I'd rather sit out here for a while, anyway. ...as long as it doesn't start lightning, of course.

[He doesn't expect for it to rain forever, and he's already gotten pretty wet as it is.]

Did you get caught in it, too?

[Video]

[endsuffering]

If you're sure, then. I haven't heard any today, so I think you should be alright there...

But, ah, no, I've spent most of the day inside here. It's supposed to be nice tomorrow, so I was planning to maybe befriend a Mareep then... Right now it's too wet for me.

Were you just walking around when you were caught...? Do you want a towel, maybe? [LET ME HELP U KANEKI.]

[Video]

[bylight]

[That... is a lot of Mareep. A ridiculous amount of Mareep. Well then, time to share personal knowledge of having had one.]

It's safer to pet them if you still have the rubber gloves everyone starts out with. Whatever you do, avoid prolonged contact on the wool with skin. It makes the static shock even worse. It might also paralyze you, which with all of those Mareep around, could be your undoing. Now...

[This might seem like a bad idea to this boy.]

They'll follow you wherever you go. Try and find a building or a larger overhang. The Pokémon center might let you take some of them in. As for them being cold, their wool might be waterlogged. Do not let them use an electric attacks under any circumstance. The moment one goes off, it'll hurt itself, cause a chain reaction, and that overhang won't exist anymore. So keep them calm.

[A lecture brought to you by the pink haired savior.]

[Video]

[samsa]

I probably would have gotten some gloves on if I had my other bag with me...it's back in my hotel room right now.

[Ah, such is life. He is being careful of that wool at least, trying to keep his hands on the Mareep's head instead of elsewhere.

He nods slowly, though the last part of that does cause him to frown a little.]

Hopefully that doesn't happen...I'm not sure how I would even begin to explain it. But I'll try to get to the Pokemon Center once the rain lets up.

[Video]

[bylight]

My Mareep took a long while to dry when she got wet. They'll leave puddles on the floor of the Pokémon center. I don't know what you'll do about that.

[Wet wool smells awful.]

[audio]

[nullorvoid]

[Well, there's no video confirmation because that's just how Ginti rolls - all audio all the time, unless he's texting poorly - but he sounds slightly more done with everything than usual, if that's any indication of how things are going.]

There's sheep making all sorts of bad decisions in Cherrygrove too. No idea how long they plan on sticking around here, either.

[audio]

[samsa]

[That's fine with him. It's a bit of a challenge keeping the Gear situated on himself as it is, what with sheep bumping against his arms every now and then.]

So they really are everywhere, then...they picked a bad time to show up.

[He says as the sheep around him continue to shift, their wool crackling and popping with even the tiniest of movements.]

Is it raining this hard in Cherrygrove, too?

[nullorvoid]

Yeah, it is. At least it's on the coast so there's somewhere for the runoff to go, I guess. Landlocked cities must be going through hell.

[And there's some sort of terrible wordplay in there to be made, something about hell or high water, but thankfully he's going to refrain.]

Makes me wonder what they think they're doing. I'm gonna guess "their best" is somewhere in the middle of that answer, but the result either way is way too many sheep in the hotel room.

[soundmind]

Haha, gee, you sure look like you're in trouble over there, need some rescuing?

[It's said in a teasing tone, but really Kaneki don't let those sheep smother you.]

[samsa]

I'm afraid that if you do, you'll need rescuing too. These sheep are relentless.

[Baaaah goes the Mareep in his lap. Kaneki you don't know her, you don't know her life.]

[soundmind]

It's a risk I'm afraid I'll have to take, no soldier gets left behind in my platoon.

...Besides, I want to pet the relentless sheep, too.

[They're too cute for life.]

[in_praetego]

If it's a swarm, I'm willing to bet a few days... probably a week at the most.

[ But that's mostly an intelligent guess. Yeah, rubbing them down might not be a good idea given their being electric types and all. But then he does remember when Pikari was once a sparky sheep. It seems like only yesterday.

But his curiosity does get the better of him. ]

Are you planning to keep them?

[samsa]

O-oh, no. I don't think I'd be able to take care of them all.

[He glances back over at the group sitting next to his Bouffalant, who has long since given up the ghost and is allowing them to pretty much do whatever.]

I'm probably going to keep this one, though. She's pretty friendly.

[The Mareep in his lap lets out another little soft bleat, resting her head against Kaneki's knee.]

[in_praetego]

[ Ah but he does feel you, Kaneki, he really does. Unlike a certain someone he knows who picked up twelve dedenne... ]

At least you know your limits. But if you've never had a mareep before, I think you'll find it's a pretty good addition to your team.

They're pretty mild mannered and respond easily to commands... which I think you've probably figured out from that one you've got.

[fourwayconnection]

Try not to drown in all those sheep, man.

[samsa]

I'll try. I'm more worried about them drowning in all of this rain, to be honest.

[fourwayconnection]

Can't sheep swim? ...Or float? You'd think they could.