determinator | ♕ FIFTH COMMAND | TEXT / ACTION [ILEX FOREST]

Entry tags:

♕ FIFTH COMMAND | TEXT / ACTION [ILEX FOREST]

[An anonymous text has been sent out to all of Johto. All replies will be anonymous as well ~~unless he screws up and anonfails which is highly likely~~.]

How do you deal with the loss of a close friend?

[For those of you in Ilex Forest, Archer is currently busy training his Pokémon. Or at least, that's what he'd like you to think he's doing. Every so often he'll check the Gear to see if there's a response to that anonymous text.]

[Today really isn't a good day. Archer definitely seems more distracted and agitated than usual, and he's been snapping at his Pokémon all day. Why? It's January 28th. Kimbley would have been twenty-eight today.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Don't be. It isn't something I feel the need to shout in front of the entire network, but it also isn't anything I'm traumatized by. I died knowing that I made an impact on the world; it was incredibly satisfying, actually - if I must die, best to go out doing something I found important to do, after all!

Whether it's false hope or not really has yet to be seen; for now, keep them in your memory but don't allow it to become debilitating. The world doesn't stop for anyone who's died, nor will it stop for anyone they left behind; if you were at all close to your friend, I doubt they would want you to be pained by their memory. Always look forward; accept the past, but don't live in it.

[This is actually some really damn good advice. If he didn't know better, he'd say Kimblee was texting him. But come on now, Kimblee's not dead.]

Well, that certainly is good to hear. I can't imagine winding up somewhere like this after death. At least you managed to do something with yourself. ...Thank you very much. This has been very helpful. I hadn't thought of it like this.

[...honestly, it doesn't even occur to Kimblee that his phrasing or typing style might be horribly obvious; these are things he likely should think through once in a while, but Amestris isn't exactly big on typed mediums of communication like this, so...]

Of course.

Might I ask what happened, in your friend's case? How they died, I mean; was it terribly unfortunate?

It was. He died in a battle against a fugitive my department was in charge of catching. I can't say I blame myself for that, though; the fugitive has evaded capture for quite some time and has been very good about covering his tracks. My friend was sent in before the troops I was commanding to provoke an attack against us, so we would be justified in attacking.

[A pause, then a second text.]

He promised he would be back before morning. He couldn't keep that promise.

[The troops you were...commanding...

...oh my god.]

...my condolences, then. Did this happen just before your arrival?

Yes, it did. I'm not entirely sure what happened. I woke up here in the middle of the battle.

[Well, it wasn't really a battle, but you don't need to know that!]

[...are you serious

Archer is this you]

Have you been keeping this to yourself this whole time? Most of us have some sort of partner that we're traveling with, if not an entire group - is there no one you can talk to about these things?

Yes, I do have someone I'm travelling with. This isn't the sort of thing I would want to talk to him about. I imagine he'd find me weak for being bothered so much by all of this.

[The typing style here is really familiar, but come on. It can't be Kimblee.]

[...all right, there's a way to solve this, isn't there? He knows where Archer was training last; it's just a matter of finding him without being seen, sending him a text and seeing if he reacts at all. Right?

After this realization is made, Kimblee will just be picking up his new bff pinecone for the sake of locating Archer; he's still in the very Blofeldesque habit of carrying his Pokemon around, and this one doesn't seem to mind, even if it is a bit more difficult to tote around than Dorian. He remains a decent distance from where Archer is training, approaching from behind him such as to keep himself from being seen; he sets the pinecone down and fires off another message once he's there.]

That's a bit of a shame, I suppose; at least you still have the network?

["Training" currently consists of having his Houndoom burn everything it runs into, and the helldog is having a grand old time. He's going to run out of Embers soon, but Archer doesn't particularly care.]

[He doesn't notice Kimblee's approach, and he doesn't try to hide the fact that he's constantly checking the Gear. Once Kimblee's message is sent, Archer reads it over and immediately begins typing a response.]

Yes, that would be why I sent this text out. I'm tired of having no idea what to do with all of this.

[...OH. GOD. DAMN. IT.

Kimblee pauses for a moment before slipping the Gear out of sight for now and picking up that pinecone again; it seems rather content to be carried around, and the fact that it's so chill can really only benefit what Kimblee is trying to do.

"What he's trying to do" being approaching Archer and acting like he hasn't the vaguest idea what's going on; he's perfectly casual as he approaches, his expression and tone even and relaxed.]

Still where I left you, then? Training must be going well for you here.

[Archer turns once he actually hears the sound of footsteps, slipping the Gear into one of his pockets as he stands. Totally trying to be discreet about this!]

I suppose you could say that.

[...Kimblee. What is that thing in your arms.]

[LINEFACE.]

...Kimblee, what did we talk about before?

[Glancing down at that pinecone before smiling in the most nonchalant manner possible!

...resulting in both Kimblee and his pokemon kittyfacing at you. This is about the point where no one envies you, Archer.]

Believe me, Archer, I haven't forgotten. At the same time, I believe this one could prove rather beneficial.

[It's kittyfacing at him. A fucking pinecone is kittyfacing at him. What does he do with this outside of stare. His whole brain might be crying.]

What makes you say that? What type is it? What can it do?

[The most skeptical thing right now.]

Well, it appears to be another bug-type, which is...unfortunate in terms of type, given that gives me two of them and increases the susceptibility to fire, but it doesn't have Abdiel's weaknesses to rock, ice or electricity, either.

As for why I selected it, let's just say that this species likes to greet those who disturb them by exploding rather violently. Outside of that, its defense appears incredibly high - which is, with the exception of Carlisle, admittedly something that my team has a bit of a problem with. Its stats appear reasonable for one so low in level; if it gets an evolution, I think it should do nicely.

[tl;dr - HE'S DONE HIS RESEARCH, YOU JERK, CAN HE KEEP IT]

[...Okay, he's actually impressed. Good job, Kimblee! You're actually trying now!]

[...It's only because it explodes, isn't it.]

I really shouldn't be surprised. That said, you seem to have some sort of idea what you're doing in terms of your team. Fine; see if it's any good.

[Yes, yes, fine, you can keep it.]

What is it called?

[And with that, we'll just be digging around in that bag - here we go! A book on the various creatures here in Johto!]

Pineco, I believe - clearly whomever came up with the naming scheme for things in Johto was running low on ideas that day.

[...wait wait what is this book, this is an interesting book, he'll just be looking at that over your shoulder, if you don't mind.]

That is a rather unfortunate name...

[Pineco, Pineco... Ah, here we go! Archer glances over the brief entry on it.]

It does have an evolution. Let's see here...

[He flips the page to look at the evolution and... stares.]

Kimblee... What... am I looking at?

[MY WHOLE BRAIN IS CRYING]

[...you are looking at sheer awesome, Archer, holy shit. It's a living landmine!]

Oh, that is excellent, isn't it.

[And from his tone, he's very pleased with this.]

Although honestly, the fact that it evolves at all pleases me; gives it a one-up on some of the others I've trained, at any rate.

You do seem to have had terrible luck with that.

[Here, you can borrow the book to look at your living landmine. It's just making Archer not want to live on this planet anymore anyway.]

[He'll just wait until you're engrossed in that before checking the Gear again! No new messages? That's unfortunate.]

[...actually, he will be rather engrossed in that before too long; there doesn't seem to be much, if anything, on the other capture he's made that he doesn't intend to tell Archer about anytime soon - that's unfortunate - but he might as well check on some of the things he has in the box...some of them are from Kanto, aren't they, so let's...

...

... ... ...]

...Archer, what do you know regarding Dorian and evolution?

[His tone is very calm, actually, when he asks that. That sort of calmness that implies he kind of wants to snap your arms off? Yeah. That sort of calm.]

Dorian and...?

[...Uh oh.]

I believe it evolves by a stone?

[Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. You're going to snap his arms off, aren't you. Okay, hang on, let's just find that stone and hand it over!]

Happy birthday.

[That's not sarcastic at all, actually. Since today is your birthday, right? It's Kimbley's birthday, so obviously it's yours too!]

[...uh.]

Happy...birthday...?

[Well, any desire he may have had to snap your arms off is completely gone in favor of sheer, unadulterated "wat." He's not an idiot - he'll take the stone, and if you think you're getting it back then he will snap your arms off, but what are you even talking about.]

But it's not...

[...and then suddenly, everything makes sense. Why that text hit the network now, why Archer has been so restless today...

...oh.]

...it would have been your friend's today, wouldn't it?

[What, you don't celebrate your birthday or something? Actually, that really wouldn't be surprising.]

[...No, apparently it's not your birthday? What...?]

Yes, he would have been twenty-eight.

[He pauses for a moment to reflect on that before shaking his head and quickly changing the topic.]

It's not your birthday today? When is your birthday, then?

[Anonymous Text]

[Anonymous Text]

[Anonymous Text]

[Anonymous Text]

[Anonymous Text]

[Anonymous Text]

[Anonymous Text]

[Anonymous Text]

[Anonymous Text]

[Anonymous Text]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[YOU KNOW WHAT ACTION FOREVER]

[THIS WORKS]

no subject

no subject

1/2

no subject

no subject