007 | Text/Action for Goldenrod

[samsa]

[Text]

[There have no doubt been plenty of people broadcasting their displeasure at the appearance of these creatures that have shown up, and even more talking about strange changes that have suddenly begun to take over their bodies within the last day or so. With each passing hour, the affliction seems to have affected more and more trainers.

At this point, though, Kaneki isn't interested in complaining about the situation on the Network, so he instead has a different question to ask.]

How long do you think this will last?

[That's assuming, of course, if this will even wear off...]

[Action near the edge of the city]

[Staying indoors is a solution that can only last for so long when your body is rapidly changing beyond your control. It started slowly as all things like this seem to at first, beginning with his aching leg and traveling outward from there to the rest of his body. While it wasn't particularly painful any more than the cut had been, it was an ache that settled into his bones in a way that was a little too familiar for his liking.

It wasn't like he had a whole lot of time to think about what was happening, at any rate. His first reaction to the change was initially to contact someone, but that never made it past being just a thought. For some reason, talking to anyone while like this was too daunting to think about, so he didn't. By now, though, he's wondering if maybe that wasn't the best idea.

Kaneki eventually has to leave his hotel room and wander outside thanks to a myriad of tentacles that now protrude from his shoulders and back, making it difficult to avoid undue property damage from being indoors. Not to mention the thick, purple substance that occasionally drips off of them, only to hiss and sizzle wherever it lands. At least going outside closer to dusk and away from the town's center made it less likely that he'd be spotted...maybe. None of his Pokemon are out with him, either, all either in their balls or back in his room. His Gear was left behind as well, so anyone trying to reach him right now won't get a response.

But now that he's out here...he honestly doesn't know what to do. He's had a day or so to actually quietly panic about the situation in private as the changes really took shape, leaving him at a bit of a loss afterwards. He doesn't want to be alone, not really...but he hasn't even gotten to a mirror to see what he looks like. He can't imagine it's good, and just not knowing for sure has his hands (which are blessedly still intact, compared to some) shaking a little at his sides, particularly when he lifts one up to hesitantly run his fingertips along the hard substance that has grown from the crown of his head down over his forehead and the bridge of his nose. It doesn't help that the growth has made it significantly harder to see in any direction that isn't straight on or slightly to either side, meaning that he wouldn't even be able to see if someone decided to approach from behind.]

Comments

[samsa]

[...oh my god if he ever actually meets Soul he's going to punch him in the face. ...or not. Maybe.

...MOVING ON.]

Hide probably wouldn't be surprised at all. He'd be more surprised that I managed to get myself on a dating survey in the first place.

[soundmind]

Hide?

[That's his Smeargle isn't--?

Oh.]

Ohhh...you named Hide after your friend, too. ...Geez, I hope you didn't think I was insulting you with complaining about Soul's Alakazam.

[Maka, Kaneki probably didn't take it personally at all, calm down.]

In retrospect, even if I didn't submit myself to it, I'm glad it happened--otherwise I wouldn't have found you.

[samsa]

No, it's okay. I don't think Hide would really mind...he'd probably tease me about it, if nothing else.

[But hey, what are friends for?]

I am too. I think you might be the one person I've met who loves books as much as I do.

[soundmind]

Ah? As much? No way, it's definitely more, I'll fight you on that.

[Still teasing, of course Maka wouldn't fight him on that. Time could be spent reading instead.]

I didn't have any friends that liked books back at home. Liz would pull me into shopping trips or helping with her makeup, Tsubaki would be chasing after Black*Star the whole time, Black*Star is...someone that studies but still fails, Soul just talks about jazz music nonstop. ...Even Kid didn't, at least not in the same sense I did, he'd just relentlessly ask questions and do his own investigations, like the most obsessive compulsive junior cop in Death City.

[So it's pretty safe to say that even if Maka had a fair amount of friends, she still felt a fundamental lack of anything in common with them. Books. The most important thing.]

Ah, sorry, I rambled again.

[samsa]

[Kaneki shakes his head a little, making him more aware of the weight that still sits heavily on his skull right now.]

I don't mind. It's better than worrying about what's going on with us right now.

...but I'm still pretty sure that I like books more.

[soundmind]

We'll have to see when this is over and we get back to my house, I do have a library there.

[Yeah. This is the good part about spending time with someone in this...uh, thing. Mock arguments and talking about books.]

Scar actually contacted me asking what he should get a friend for her birthday. I found out she likes mysteries, too. Seems like we've got more competition than just each other.

[samsa]

I don't mind. That means you'll just have more people to join your book club.

[...and, well, all she had to do is breathe the word library to make him anxious for all of this to be over so he can go hide in it.]

[soundmind]

She is part of it, actually. Her name is Lust, I think she runs a radio show now at this point too.

[Being in familiar bookish territory is the best thing to look forward to.]

Man...it's been such a while since I've done anything with that. There's been so much going on.

[...]

It's your fault, you know, you're an incredibly distracting person.

[samsa]

You'll probably have plenty of time, once all of this is over.

[He lets out another sort of laugh under his breath, shaking his head a little.]

Sorry. I don't mean to be.

[This seems to be a bit of a recurring theme in his life, actually...]

[soundmind]

Pft, I was just kidding--but then, considering our mutual lack of luck, I can believe this being a...thing with you.

[People tend to be inexplicably drawn to her, too, but outside of Johto it...wasn't exactly a positive thing. It was more like "being targeted."]

[samsa]

You can't really get away from that sort of thing...even here, I guess.

[But here it doesn't have such...heavy consequences, at least.]

[soundmind]

For the most part it's okay, you can't get anything really bad out of it.

[...]

Except Clair probably still hates me for taking down her Gyarados with Bolt...and saying Gyarados isn't even a Dragon type.

[samsa]

[MAKA...]

Well...you aren't wrong. It isn't a Dragon type, is it?

[soundmind]

No, it's Flying and Water, I guess it's just an aesthetic sort of thing? But really, Gyarados is more like a giant oarfish than a dragon. I don't get people who are obsessed with appearances over logic.

[samsa]

Maybe she figured that if a challenger didn't do their research, they'd assume all of her Pokemon were Dragon types...and end up at a disadvantage when Gyarados showed up.

[soundmind]

Yeah, probably...I heard she and Lance, her cousin and one of the Elite 4, were both pretty unhappy with the discovery of Fairy types. Fortunately they weren't discovered when I battled her, so at least her grudge is against a flying squirrel and not a pink ribbon fox. Miss Clair has a lot of pride, so she doesn't like getting beaten period.

[Well that, and she kept comparing her height to Maka's for some reason, calling her a "little brat" repeatedly. Weird.]

[samsa]

A gym leader is an interesting position to hold if you get worked up that much over wins and losses, don't you think? I would expect that you'd want trainers to win, so they could progress...

[soundmind]

I can understand her being proud of her status, but if it's to the point where you throw tantrums and call someone a "little brat" when they beat you it's...time for you to grow up? It's so weird how all the adults here seem prone to throwing tantrums, they remind me of Kid and his symmetry fits.

[samsa]

[Kaneki mulls over that for a moment, trying to imagine how that gym battle must have really gone.]

...do you think she ran into these creatures, too?

[soundmind]

...Nah, she's already so much of a dragon, they'd probably acknowledge her as their own kind.

[Clair's scary. And likes to emphasize that she is bigger than a at-the-time 15 year old.]

Come to think of it, I know you're not really committed to the badge thing, but you don't have a Fairy type, do you?

[samsa]

A Fairy type? No, not yet...why?

[soundmind]

Well, I was just thinking...as appropriate as it is for Eowyn to be keeping tabs on Angmar, and for all the willing Cadence is to help, it might benefit you to have a Fairy type yourself for keeping him in check.

...I know you're scared of him, it's not going to get any easier if he evolves, even if he'll be able to see you once he does. I think, also, you've been bitten enough for my taste.

[samsa]

[Ah. The terror that is Angmar, destined to terrorize him throughout his life as a Pokemon trainer...he awaits the day that he evolves, because that day will not be a good one. He'd probably just fit an everstone on him like he did with Peter...if he wasn't scared he'd be bitten in the process. Or that Angmar would just tear it off and eat it.]

Hm...I've read that since Fairy types are new, there aren't that many of them. What would you suggest?

[soundmind]

Haha, for you? There's no Ghost/Fairy types, so I don't know if I could think of something that's actually fitting for you. Cadence is the only Fairy type I have--

[A pause.]

Oh, actually, no she isn't. When Fairy types were discovered, some Pokemon were reclassed as Fairy types, too. My Gardevoir, Aine, she's Psychic and Fairy...the Fairy part buffs out any problems she'd have with Dark types, so I guess there's that.

[The downside is that it makes her doubly weak to Poison types, but let's not...mention that.]

[samsa]

Ghost/Fairy sounds a bit counter-intuitive anyway...

[Reclassed? That's...a bit strange. Did that mean that existing Pokemon just suddenly changed their typing out of the blue? ...then again, this place has done weirder things.]

Did a lot of Pokemon get reclassed?