Just got to chase the pain away

[superordinary]

Who: Makoto Naegi (superordinary) and Kiyotaka Ishimaru (ardent)
Where: Ice Path (and Blackthorn later)
When: February 13th and onward
Summary: Two dangans and a bloober versus a cave full of ice. This will end in idiocy.
Rating: PG at the most. Also, spoilers for DR may come up.
Log:


[ When Mondo left Johto, Ishimaru couldn't stay there in the Dangan house anymore. He had to leave. So Naegi decided to go with him — letting him wander off on his own would be one hell of a bad idea and Naegi was quick to suggest that the two of them should go to Blackthorn City. He's heard many great things about the city's famed hot springs and getting the chance to soak and relax in the water would do them both good, he thinks. They've definitely earned it.

Now, what stands between them and their destination is the Ice Path and as the name implies, it's full of ice and snow. The inside of the cave is practically one giant thick sleet of ice with frosted stones on the ground and icicles adorning the ceiling, sparkling in the sunlight coming in from outside. It's actually rather beautiful, if you don't mind the perpetual chill.

The slimy little bloober that's been in their company for a total of thirty minutes seems to mind, however. The poor thing's freezing but for some bizarre reason it seems insistent on braving the cold instead of turning back. ]

...Hey, uh. That thing is still...following us, Ishimaru-kun.

Comments

[ardent]

[It's been a hard several days, really. Ishimaru's been doing what he can to not just...lock up again, though the temptation is strong; there are some days where he doesn't eat because he simply doesn't see the point, opting instead to just stare at whatever's in front of him until he can get up and wander off for a while without causing too much fuss, and some nights sleeping isn't a thing that's going to happen in the least. But he always manages at least one or the other, and even if he's been a bit more subdued than usual since Mondo's disappearance, backsliding a bit into silence and having not much to say overall, it seems that being outside and active is proving to be good for him in some ways, and Naegi seems to be keeping him at least halfway on track most of the time.

The ice caves are beautiful, though Ishimaru isn't paying them much mind; it's kind of been one of those days where he doesn't seem to be paying much mind to anything in particular, though he does notice the cold. He's underdressed for it, still in that white gakuran that isn't doing much by way of providing warmth; he sort of likes it that way, even if the cold stings more than a bit. At least it's something, some sort of sensation that's keeping him here in a way that matters.

He turns back when Naegi calls to him, though, looking at the slimeball in question.]

...I wonder where it's going. Maybe it's looking for something in particular?

[It makes as much sense as anything.]

[superordinary]

[ Meanwhile, Naegi is dressed decently for the cave; he is currently sporting a warm coat over the hoodie, combined with a scarf and a knit hat. His cheeks are tinted red and his breath is turning into wispy smoke in the cold air. ]

Food, maybe? But I don't think this is its natural habitat.

[ardent]

[Ishimaru just keeps staring at the thing, as though trying to work out what he thinks of it; he's doing that thing where he's going quiet for a bit too long again, but he'll speak up eventually.]

Should we just...take it with us, then?

[superordinary]

...That's a good idea. Maybe somebody in Blackthorn knows where it belongs?

[ardent]

Maybe...

[He'd tried Dexing it when he noticed it; the machine hadn't brought up anything but a lot of ?????]

It looks really cold, either way.

[superordinary]

It kind of resembles a slug, doesn't it? And I think those are cold blooded...

[ Granted, this is Pokéland and bizarre biology is kind of the norm here... ]

Maybe we could wrap it in a towel to keep it warm.

[ardent]

It'll probably be best if we carry it anyway; the floor in here seems unsuitable for it!

[By which he means slippery as hell because look at it, and he can't imagine this thing faring very well.]

Either way, you're better at handling these things than I am.

[superordinary]

Okay, got it.

[ He shrugs off his backpack and rummages inside for the towel. He then carefully approaches the bloober as to avoid scaring it with sudden movements and crouches down to get a better look at it.

...

...Well, it doesn't seem to mind being picked up and wrapped in the towel like a slimeball burrito. ]

[ardent]

[...huh.]

...We are not using that towel again after this.

[superordinary]

...That's probably for the best.

[ He certainly doesn't want to use it again. ]

What should we call it? 'Slime thing' is an accurate description, but it'd be kind of rude...

[ardent]

...Do we have to call it anything?

[That's just asking to get attached to it. We are not getting attached to it; we're taking it to Blackthorn or...finding its herd or something, and then we are letting it go.

But since "slime thing" would, in fact, be pretty rude...hm.]

I don't know. Jutarou, maybe?

[superordinary]

[ Maybe it's because of the cold, but Naegi seems to tense up when Jutarou is suggested. ]

...I don't like that name.

[ardent]

[...Ah.]

Is there any particular reason?

[superordinary]

That's the name of a person I met who has a grudge against me.

[ Yes, such people do, in fact, exist. ]

[ardent]

I find that hard to imagine, Naegi-kun - but if you insist.

[He's not going to call you a liar or anything, but really, what could you possibly have done.]

[superordinary]

He got arrested because of me.

[ ...Might as well start telling the entire story behind that grudge. ]

[ardent]

[That would be apprecia- ...wait what]

...How so?

[Naegi-kun did you actually exact justice on someone]

[superordinary]

...Do you remember hearing anything about a hostage situation on a bus in Suginami? It was in the news.

[ardent]

[He has to think about it for a moment, but...]

I believe so, yes - that was some time ago, though, wasn't it?

[superordinary]

Yeah. It was before we entered Hope's Peak.

[ ... ]

I was the hostage.

[ardent]

R-Really? But...!

[Naegi, what did you do - ]

What happened, exactly?

[superordinary]

I went to return a cellphone to an old man who forgot it. But I ended up tripping and I grabbed onto a bag. It was torn open and a bunch of jewelry spilled out.

[ Naegi's life, everyone. ]

It was all stolen jewelry and he wasn't happy to be exposed like that.

[ardent]

...The more I hear about this sort of thing, the more I start questioning the odds of someone getting as ironic a title from Hope's Peak as you did.

[superordinary]

[ Ishimaru... ]

...It happened on the day I received the acceptance letter to Hope's Peak.

[ardent]

[but is he wrong, though]

I'm not normally one to believe in such things - that's more Hagakure-kun's specialty - but that's an omen if I've ever heard one.

Were you all right? After all of that...