route_1065 | log. closed.

log. closed. | mahogany

Who:

futariniousama
Where: SOMEWHERE IN MAHOGANY probably in front of the Pokemon center because I'm creative like that.
When: Right after this enlightening conversation.
Summary: In which there is no tennis involved.
Rating: PG-13, for Niou. Because Niou gets his own warning.
Log:

[He emerges from the Pokemon center, feeling more than a little amused and also more than a little annoyed. Speaking with Niou tends to have that sort of effect, he muses. Not that he would know, since he's actually never spoken to the boy at length before now, but he has a feeling that that's the case. He's not sure how Yagyuu deals with him, until he remembers that the Gentleman is known for mimicking the other perfectly, and forgets about that sort of thought.

The Misdreavus chatters in his ear, directing his attention to his left. He turns, smile already plastered on his face like instinct. Razor-sharp, because it's Niou, and dealing with Niou generally takes something a little more than just pleasantries.

He raises a hand in greeting, and is amused when the Misdreavus follows in mimicry, raising a small bit of tentacle hair in tandem.]

Strangely prompt, aren't you. And here I thought you would go for being 'fashionably late".

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[ Niou is in an interesting getup: his school uniform shoes, pants and jacket over his Rocket shirt, turned backward to hide the R. He looks warm, anyway. And nonchalant. He's wearing his Yagyuu wig, carefully styled into something slick and businesslike. ]

Nothin' fashionable about not bein' on time. Not in my house, anyway. Maybe you do things different in Seigaku? [ His tone is innocent and his voice is not his own again; it's a smooth, clipped baritone with a hint of an arrogant drawl.

The purple briefcase in his hand warps itself into a purple Misdreavus with no warning. Niou seems unsurprised. ]

[... well, on the bright side, there could be worse voices to go with.

On the other hand, the on voice that could be worse would be that nameless manager on his brother's team. His smile tightens.]

I was thinking more of Hyoutei, actually, Niou. Or was it Yagyuu?

[He seems to be trying to recall something. Like your name, for example.] The two of you switch so often, it can be a little hard to keep track of.

[On the other hand, the Misdreavus is ecstatic to... see another misdreavus. Well, not really. She just likes the fact that he's purple. Floating up to you, Sugar, derp. Have general chattering.]

Either works. [ He seems wholly unconcerned. With his hands free, he pulls out his 'Gear from inside his jacket and checks it briefly. ]

Still no word on this Surf business. I wonder if Johto has a Safari Zone. [ Suddenly, he refocuses on Fuji. ] Did you ever play the games?

[ Sugar is happy to be floating! He chatters back at Misdreavus, but it's probably a mixture of nonsense and insults. He's not very good company. ]

[He notes the movement. So the other's sent out a message already.]

Briefly. Can't say I was any good at it, though. Pokemon was more of Yuuta's thing. [You know. He was the sort of trainer who collected pokemon based on their appearances and color schemes and played only once in a while between practices or when Yuuta bugged him about it. Didn't stop him from trumping Yuuta entirely, but some things never change.] But I wouldn't be surprised if there is one. Games like these tend to recycle old elements that worked.

On the other hand, if there is one, it could be across the region, for all we know. It's not very helpful.

[That only endears you to that Misdreavus, bby. Now she's amused. Like trainer, like pokemon? Doing a little barrel-roll in mid-air just because she can. Copy that!]

Sounds about right. Always did think your brother was cooler than you, even if you did play better tennis. [ He tucks the 'Gear away. ]

It'll be helpful to at least know where it is. Do you seriously have no sense of forward-planning? [ He doubts that's the case, and suspects that Fuji's only being contrary to try to piss him off. It isn't working yet. ... Yet.

Very much so. Sugar will see you that barrel roll and raise you a loop-de-loop. ]

[He supposes he sees no reason to disagree, and so he doesn't. Merely nods along.]

Not really. Isn't the adventure half the fun? Besides, why practice forward-planning when I have such charming people around me to do it for me? [He steals a look towards the misdreavus, who's... loop-de-looping all right, before making for a wide circle and settling down in Fuji's hair.

Promptly starts chewing on the strands, because this is a terrible habit that the thing's developed, and Fuji has yet to see a reason to stop it.]

[ Okay, fair suck. Niou raises his eyebrows mildly. One point for Fuji. ] Yeah, all right.

So if there's no way across the water without Surf, the only way outta here is southeast. Gonna have to pass through the Ice Path. Any... [ a brief pause as he recollects ] ... Fire, Fighting, Rock or Steel types in your team?

[ Sugar is just as happy to mimic this. He settles onto Niou's head, prompting a slight frown, and begins nibbling on his hair. It's not like Niou's hair isn't already trashed from all the bleaching, so he ignores it. ]

You really are serious about all this. [There's a little element of wonder in his voice, but that may or may not be feigned. He ignores the question for now, rather, preferring to shift his focus to this interesting development.] And what do you plan on doing once you get through to the other side? Collect all the badges? 'Catch 'em all'?

[Pause. Okay, the latter would actually be pretty amusing. He shrugs.] Then again, I never really pegged you for the type to follow conventions.

[And oh man, Sugar, you are a ditto after that misdreavus' own heart. Have excited chattering through a mouthful of hair, because she's ladylike like that.]

Better than not bein' serious about anything. [ His voice slips for a moment, sharp, accusing tenor, and he doesn't bother to fix it. He speaks in his own drawl. ]

I dunno, but I'll go balls-crazy if I just sit around here with my thumb up my ass. Gotta do somethin', right? I figure trainin', stealin' some kid's Pokémon, that's a good start. [ He seems mildly defensive.

Sugar mocks the chattering, too. Word for word. ]

[... that accusation bothers him more than he is willing to admit. He pauses as he considers going on the defensive, but eventually lets it slide. Doesn't bother covering up his pause because there really isn't any need.]

Fair enough. Boredom is something I can sympathize with. [He seems to consider something.] There's a nice cave over on Route 42. That should be a good of a place to start as any.

[Drifting out of Fuji's hair! Clearly, she's trying to see how far this mimicry goes. Heading towards the Ditto's general direction is a go!]

Haven't been out that way yet. [ Niou's touching his 'Gear now, studying the map. ] Better'n trainin' at the Lake of Friggin' Rage, though. Jesus. Lucky Rex is about to evolve. I think I'd kill 'im if he stayed a Magikarp much longer.

[ Sugar drifts forward as well, right on cue, until he's face-to-face with Misdreavus. Then he makes this face (http://blog.kanojo.de/files/2009/12/awesome.gif)... only purple. Clearly, Niou's been teaching him some things. ]

[Well, despite not knowing screech, this misdreavus has a healthy set of ectoplasmic lungs on her. To be fair, that face appearing in purple-blob format would have surprised anyone. It just so happens that when a misdreavus becomes startled, she shrieks.

Loudly.

And while Fuji's just about to return a passing remark, the screech effectively cuts him short.

There is a loud, lingering blast of misdreavus-brand screechiness before the misdreavus deflates and quickly darts behind Fuji's back, out of sight.

Well.

He pauses, as though in consideration, his ears ringing, and rubs at his right ear absently.]

You know. [Pause. Straight faced--] I'm not so sure if I want to become a grandfather before I finish high-school. It really is a heavy responsibility.

[ The screech earned a mild surprised look from Niou. He wasn't expecting that, but aside from raising his eyebrows, he doesn't seem bothered.

Sugar, now with a Ditto face on a Misdreavus body, feigns a very convincing puzzled expression, shrugs in an eerily human-like manner, and poofs himself into... a purple screwdriver.

Niou barely catches the screwdriver before it drops out of his reach. Once he does, he tosses it so it flips in the air and lands back in his hand. ]

You kiddin'? Sugar's a pimpmaster. Gonna breed the shit out of anything I can get my hands on. [ He's not particularly looking at you, Misdreavus, but that doesn't mean you're safe. ]

[Should of figured. The Misdreavus, on the other hand, has attached itself to the back of Fuji's shirt and probably won't let go for some time. He finds some amusement in this. That Ditto's a real piece of work, though. He wonders how much of it's Niou's influence, and how much of it's the pokemon's original personality. Nature vs. Nurture has always been an interesting topic of consideration.

He eyes the screwdriver!ditto with interest.]

Someone's promiscuous. [Brief chuckle as he waves his hand.] At any rate, Route 42 should be to the west. If nothing else, you'll appreciate the floating rocks.

[ Niou spins the screwdriver nimbly in his fingers. If Sugar's getting dizzy, he doesn't show it. ]

Floating rocks? — like, Geodudes? Might do me some good tactically. [ He looks thoughtful. ] Wanna catch a Tangela and a Lickitung. You seen any?

[What a brave ditto.]

Can't say I have. [/cheerfully] But finding one shouldn't take too much effort. Not for someone like you, at any rate. What was the saying-- birds of a feather flock?

[ He stops the screwdriver and eyes Fuji suspiciously. ]

... Did you just call me a Lickitung?

[Insert smile of utmost innocence here]

Me? Nonsense. You have quite the imagination, Niou. Or was it Yagyuu?

[Chuckle, and he'll just be gesturing forward.] Well? We have a bit to walk before we get there, and, granted, the distance isn't going to walk itself.

[ With a soft 'huh' sound, he pitches the screwdriver like a throwing knife, right toward Fuji. Halfway there, it morphs into a Ditto, and it plasters itself over Fuji's face with a cheerful noise before sliding off and hitting the ground with a plop. ]

You're right. We should get going. [ Niou returns Sugar to his ball with a grin.

As he begins to walk past Fuji, his voice drops again, hard and deep and stern. ]

And it's Tezuka.

[... being beaned in the head by a ditto is not a pleasant experience. For one thing, it used to be a screwdriver. For another, the ditto has a texture akin to a mixture of bubblegum and plastic. Understandably, it shocks him into relative silence.

The voice change, however, is the straw that breaks the camel's back.

He follows after Niou, laughter spilling over. He won't stop laughing for a while, either. Not until Misdreavus un-attaches herself from his back and starts mimicking the motions.

He has tears in his eyes when he straightens again, following genially.]

Maybe I should just call you 'Niyuu', since it shortens nicely. [Whimsical.] Or 'Yagiou'. You have to admit, it has a certain ring to it.

[ Despite his intention to remain detached, Thank You Very Much (since after all, the kid's from Seigaku, and he's one of those weird leap year babies, so he's only like three years old, and Niou isn't sure he wants any part of that, actually), he ends up laughing, too, and turning to look over his shoulder at Fuji, amused and a little incredulous. ]

'Niyuu.' Man, why didn't I think of that? That's pretty awesome.

[Well, for one thing, he has been rather bored this past week, and it really is refreshing to speak to someone who actually know what he's talking about when he says 'tennis'. Of course, he wouldn't bring that topic up, but it's the thought that counts, and he supposes that the age-worn tradition of making alliances when your remote ally has less in common with you than your approximate enemy really does apply in this case.

It helps that Niou is refreshing. And not a teammate. So if this gets boring in three days, or a week or a month, he's free to leave. On the other hand, he gets the feeling that life has just gotten that much more interesting.]

Who knows. [Insert mirth here.] Is that going to be your name from now on? Or have you taken on the time-honored tradition of stealing aliases from teammates?

[ It hadn't been Niou's plan to have allies, here. He'd intended to be a one-man dog and pony show, but... he guesses it isn't so bad. He just hopes he doesn't end up having to shoot Fuji because he decides to turn on him later, when he already knows too much.

He does have plans, after all. And the problem with bringing in a new guy on an established plan is always this: will the new guy roll with it? Seigaku being a bunch of goody two-shoes like they are, Niou wouldn't think so, but if any of them can roll with Rikkai, it's Fuji, the crazy bastard. ]

Hey, call me whatever you want. [ He shrugs. ] There's a hot chick in Mahogany with six hot sisters. She only knows me as 'Yukimura.' [ Snort. ]

[Yukimura. Their captain, if he remembers correctly. How bold.]

Setting your captain up with predetermined dates in preparation of his arrival? Thoughtful, aren't you. [He looks wistful.] I kind of wish I'd thought of that. You don't think it's too late to start?

Hey, man, if he shows up, I'm not standin' between him and a little T&A, you know what I mean? The guy deserves it, for Chrissakes. [ He shakes his head. Yukimura deserved way more than that, but there were too many things Niou couldn't give him, and he just wasn't going to think about it. ]

Depends. How many people know your real name?

[Given that Fuji knows the barebones about the details for Yukimura's lack of appearance during the matches and the general respect his team seems to show for their missing captain, he picks up a little on that. But then, because he is a tactful teammate if nothing else, he also understands that that's one of the topics that he shouldn't breach.

He merely grins, wryly.]

Touché. Be it beyond me to spoil fun for your captain. [Amusement goes here!]

The interesting ones and the ones that ask questions. Still, though, the number is negligible when compared to how many people are actually here.

So from now on, start givin' every third person a different name, or somethin'. [ He shrugs. ] Never too late to start, really, just works better when there's less people to call you on it.

No one on the network's seen my face yet, either. Just the ones in Mahogany. [ He seems proud of this. ]

I'll consider it.

[He gives Niou a look of utmost consideration.]

The mysterious Yukimura. Charming and mercurial. Also faceless to boot, and if I had to guess, voiceless too.

[This seems to amuse him.] You don't suppose you might want to consider investing in a mask? You wouldn't want to disappoint Yukimura's fans.

Hey, what the hell are you tryin' to say? [ He half-laughs, swinging a hand lazily in Fuji's direction to smack him in the shoulder. The other boy might be petite, but Niou's not worried about hurting him. He's seen that lob, and he knows how easily a lob can translate into an uppercut. ]

Nah, I talk sometimes. Even video, just not with the camera on me.

... Anyway, I can pass as Yukimura. I do Yukimura almost as well as Yagyuu. We're actually closer to the same height and build.

[Ah, and here comes the obligatory shoulder-pat. He skirts out of the with the amusement of someone who's very, very used to skirting out of the way of direct physical contact.

He looks curious at this.]

Mannerism and voice, that I can see. It's the sort of thing people generally go for. But what about his tennis?

[ Niou makes a small, muffled sound and considers the sky at length. ]

Yeah, well... tennis is... you know.

[ No, he can't mimic Yukimura's tennis. What, you wanna fight about it? ]

[Considering that he kind of abhors general physical contact to begin with? But he's found something new to tease you about. You can be sure that he'll bring it up later.

However, he's never necessarily cruel. He hums.]

The cavern should be just up ahead. [He pauses, and points to the beginnings of a small clearing up ahead.]

The last time I was here, there were trainers here. I wonder if they're still there.

[ Ngl, Niou's glad for the change in topic. He glances at the trail ahead of them and shrugs. ]

What were their teams like?

[Have a sly look.]

Finding out for yourself is a part of the experience, isn't it?

T'ch. Funsuck. [ He doesn't really mean it, though. It is more fun going in unprepared. ]

[Chuckle. It's then that Shane the Poke Maniac rushes up to them and starts on his programmed speech about showing him their pokemon in general. In which Fuji smiles and smiles and turns to Niou, thoughtful.]

How does a game of doubles sound to you, Niyuu?

[ Niou grins, slow and wide. Doubles would sound a hell of a lot better with Yagyuu, or maybe Renji, but still — doubles sounded pretty damn awesome. (Okay, tennis sounded pretty damn awesome, and this was not tennis, but whatever, all right?) ]

Sure. Sounds like a plan.

[ He jerks his head at the trainer, still grinning. ]

Let's have 'em both. Might be more fair that way.

[ But as soon as he sees the Nidorina and Nidorino, he knows it isn't going to be fair. He walks his fingers back two spaces on his belt and plucks a Pokéball free to release — ]

[Oh. It's the giraffe scorpion. Somehow, he's not too surprised -- a pokemon that sports two heads seems like the sort Niou would like, given his reputation. It helps that the giraffe is cute and looks like it could be easily underestimated.

He doesn't reach for his own pokeballs for the reason that he only has a single pokemon, and that pokemon is already drifting off onto the battlefield, guided by unspoken cues. The misdreavus chatters, amused, and makes good of its ability to levitate in order to get a higher vantage of the battlefield.

Fuji, for his part, blinks, and eyes the Nidopair with amusement.

He'll wait, of course, until the first punch is thrown before he does anything. There's a reason why he's counter-puncher. Idly--]

A ghost, a giraffe and a pair of genetically-enhanced rabbits. I can see how this will go well.

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log. closed. | mahogany

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