VICTORY ROAD INBOX

[seacub]

[NOW YOU TOO, CAN MESSAGE EMPORIO'S DIRECT POKEGEAR LINE...]

Comments

During Runaan's post

[fingersandteeth]

Emporio, mijo, there's no use trying to talk sense to Runaan. He hates all of us because he assumes we're all human and it doesn't matter that we aren't the awful humans of his world. As far as he's concerned, all humans, no matter the world, have to pay for what the ones of his world did.

Of course if you're not human and never were, then it doesn't matter what your people have done. He doesn't hold that against you.

As for us former humans—well, you're no better than any other human, even if you're categorically no longer human.

[Bitter? Him?]

[seacub]

[uUUUUUUHHH-]

I...take it you've talked to him before?

If you're worried about him saying stuff to me, it's alright. I mean...whatever it is, if it's not true it's not true. He can't convince me of that either!

But how is he supposed to actually know who's what? For real, I mean. If he guesses wrong and someone corrects him, there's only so many ways that can go right..? ....couldn't people just lie to him about that after a while?

[fingersandteeth]

Unfortunately, yes. It was a favor to Thace, his one actual friend. He wanted to help him make more friends and show him that not all humans are awful.

It really didn't work.



... and I have no clue how he decides these things, although I suspect it's just that he assumes human until proven otherwise. I'd have to ask Thace about how he proved he was an alien to Runaan and right now I don't particularly want to bug him about it.

Emporio your standards...

[seacub]

Oh.

Well... I guess I'll find out? I mean, he sort of assumed already, but we're still talking at least. His pokemon are pretty nice too- I met some of them during that fishing contest a while ago! Bow was showing off to his rowlett.

....

I guess mostly I talked to his rowlett. In a way this is a weird improvement.

You already expected this

[strings_theory]

So a little birdy told me you might be near Goldenrod soon.

[seacub]

[ -!]

Huh?

Wait, who told you that? Are you going to be in Goldenrod then?

[strings_theory]

I said a little birdy, didn't I?

Uhhh. Well, not yet, it'd still be about four-ish days or some shit if I started riding now.

'Sides, been a while since I've really seen you in person, hasn't it?

[That's totally why, yep.]

[seacub]

....

....Louie..?

[no-]

Yeah! It's been ages...

Uh

Did you see

[He wanted to not send that actually, shoot. Eeeeeugh.]

forward-dated to December 25th

[ripetuto]

[Somehow, either given in person or delivered because who knows where they'll be on Christmas itself, Emporio will find two gifts from Abbacchio. One is an ugly Christmas sweater with shiny Mareeps in the pattern, and the other...is more clothes, in the style and sizes that Emporio picked out when they went shopping. Also a gift card so he can treat his boyfriend.]

forward-dated to 12/25!

[nellacerniera]

[Whether this gift is given in person or delivered, there will also be packages from Bruno! There's an Expert Belt, a box of cookies... and more clothes, similar to Abbacchio's gift to Emporio. Bruno may have asked him for help.]

12/26 or close enough to then, I don't know if this is in-person or not though

[nellacerniera]

[Considering the chaos that ensued the previous day, Bruno crashed pretty damn hard when it was finally time for him to sleep.

But, you know, hindsight is 20/20. There had been things Bruno was more concerned with in the moment--making sure the candy was okay, and trying to get the tequila away from Jolyne, and then checking on Leone and Narancia afterward, processing his own reaction to the matter, but... there were things he had realized, after he'd had the space to think about it. How unconcerned Emporio was. How unconcerned Jolyne had been until she started getting testy with Naeva, a button inadvertently pushed by the older woman. How unconcerned Carly was until Jolyne had gotten the tequila.

"I kind of feel like everyone's overreacting?"

Hm. Maybe he should... at least have a talk with Emporio about this.]

Emporio, do you have a few minutes?

It's probably in person I mean, they still travel together and he's not set out yet hjkgfhg

[seacub]

[Emporio is...currently looking between a large pile of eggs. God. This is so many eggs, where does he even begin.

The boy looks up, kigurumi hood slipping a bit.] Huh?

Oh. Sure. What is it?

FAIR

[nellacerniera]

I wanted to apologize for yesterday. Or... at least, the magnitude of my own reaction.

[... Says the one who probably had the most subdued reaction of the gangster trio whoops.]

Re: FAIR

[seacub]

Oh.

[Well.] ...Thanks. ...Honestly...you weren't that bad? You seemed pretty upset, but you weren't exactly shouting either...

[strings_theory]

[SHE'S GOING TO BE NICE AND JUST USE TEXT FOR NOW. Sometimes she has tact, thank you very much.]

Soooooooo

what's this about moving to the islands and with a boy?~

you weren't gonna just hide this from me, were you?

[seacub]

[NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-]

How did you hear that?

[The answer is 'tent walls are tent walls' lad.]

[strings_theory]

[TOO BAD, SHE'S HERE TO RIB THE HELL OUT OF YOU, CHILD.]

a little birdie told me, duh

but come on, tell meeeeeee

don't keep secrets from meeeeeeee

[Is she whining through text? Absolutely.]

[seacub]

How? It was literally me and Louie?

And it's not that serious, I'm just going to be staying for a while since Louie's gotten a job at Armin's Gym.

[action, late july]

[pennyloafer]

[Well, Louie's had some time to sit on what people said to him on his anonymous network post-- And the message was pretty clear, really. People seemed to generally agree that emotionally relaxing and being more open with someone close to you, even if it was scary, was a good idea. Louie had kind of known that would be the answer, if only because he'd really hoped it wouldn't be. And that's how it tends to go when he asks for advice, he's noticed.

He's still not sure what all of this is going to look like with the different people he cares about, but truth be told, Emporio feels like the priority. He's got others here who mean a lot to him, but the only ones who were ever on the same level as Emporio - albeit in very different ways - were Rei and of course Huey. Neither of them are here anymore, and with Rei in particular there's something he's been regretting; a gift idea he'd never acted on. It's not too late for that with Emporio, though, who the idea also came up with in the first place.

Of course... Now that Louie's standing outside the door to Emporio's room, one hand poised to knock and the other in his hoodie pocket twisting some thread around his fingers-- Well, he's faltering a little. This feels sort of dumb, sort of immature. He forces himself to knock anyway.]

Hey, Emporio, are you there right now?

[seacub]

Huh?

[Emporio, for his part, is not especially busy as of late. Sure, he's helping out where he can with the aquarium; it's the least he could do while living in this place after all, even if he probably isn't expected to pick up any work. But he's had a lot of free time that would normally have been spent running around the wilds of the country, and the free time has mostly showed in attempts at planning. When Louie comes around to the door, he's in the middle of that- pokegear on the bed that he's laying on his front on, visor askew as he tries to sort out Gym plans yet again.

He looks up and barely keeps said visor from actually falling off, narrowly adjusting it as he speaks.]

Huh- Yeah, sure. Uh-

[He sits up. At least he's not in nothing but boxers or something, not that it's a Problem but it probably wouldn't help right now.] Come on in?

[pennyloafer]

[Louie opens the door to step in and gosh, it's dumb and sappy, but he swears just seeing Emporio helps him relax a little. He smiles a little, and waves - like some kind of awkward loser - with the hand not in pocket.]

Is it a good time to talk? Not like a "we need to talk" thing! Well...!

[He's just going to plop down and sit at the foot of Emporio's bed.]

It's nothing bad, just something kind of tough for me.

[cyberseraph]

[Special delivery! Through the Pidgey post comes a blue envelope, addressed to both Emporio and Louie. The return address is a small little inn located in Blackthorn City, and comes from Mr. and Mrs. Arlert. Inside is a very festive postcard. On the back is a short by very delicately penned note, thanks to Armin!]

Emporio & Louie,

We’ve been in Blackthorn for a few days now and it’s an incredibly beautiful place. And the snow is easy to enjoy when you know you’ll only be in it for two weeks! We’ll make sure to bring back some souvenirs.

Hope the gym is still standing and remember you can ask Shiro for anything you might need.

We’ll see you again soon,
— Armin and Angel Arlert

p.s. Tell Louie to recycle all his soda cans. Ed will try to eat them and choke. He won’t learn.


[Also included is a little Polaroid picture of both Angel and Armin hard at work building a snow Lapras. Angel is working hard on carefully crafting a fin, while Armin has lovingly rendered the graceful creature’s head! How cute!]

29th of December

[phdepression]

The Water Labyrinth, contrary to its name, is relatively simple. It's a series of sea rocks that tower out of the ocean, close enough to be impassable but far enough to be defined, separate structures. Jotaro would be tempted to dive down and have a look at the sea floor, to study the ocean and these natural formations closer, but he's not alone. Emporio is there with him. It's been a few days into their adventure, and he supposes now the time to have their talk.

Jotaro casts his fishing line from the ride Pokemon out an impressive distance. The Good Rod lure bobs in the water, stationary thanks to the tauntness of the line.

"So you killed Pucci," Jotaro says quietly once they've settled.

[seacub]

Emporio spends a good bit of time making use of his new fishing kit. Opening it, looking over the various accessories, setting up his rod...

The line is out in the water, and he settles in to simply...sit.

...And then of course he winces, because...well.

"...Yeah." This is apparently when they're having their talk! He knew it was coming at some point, but oof.

[phdepression]

Fishing has a lot of downtime. Downtime is a good time to talk.

Jotaro knows his intros need a little work though.

"... You knew his plan, right? And how he came up with it?"