[open] because i can only be me

[simulatio]

Who: Goro Akechi and YOU
What: catch-all for august
Where: heavenly blanc, wall market; others tbd
When: yes
Content Warnings: threads with p5r spoilers will be tagged as such! please toss a comment on my spoiler opt-out post if you'd like me to avoid mentioning any p5/p5r spoilers in tags with your character.

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🖌wall market

[simulatio]

[Somehow, Akechi's managed to befriend a small group of the strange creatures living in the market underneath Mt. Silver. He's no artist, but he's rigged together several paintbrush-like objects from various detritus around. Whatever kind of bodily fluid these weird creatures are "painting" with, it's interesting enough that Akechi's seemingly taking part.

There's no art to what he's doing, not really. It's almost violent, how he splatters paint against the wall, wielding the brush as if it were a can of spray paint. But it's a rare, gentler side of him as he speaks to the strange animals, pointing out places they can paint to bring the whole mess of graffiti together.]

[pinwheels]

[ If there was anyone Rinoa imagined spending time with the creatures that are-but-are-not Moombas, talking to them and decorating the walls of the cavern-encircled market... well, actually there are a few people in this place she wouldn't have guessed to be the type. Akechi comes to mind, with his not-quite-right smiles, dislike of small talk, and his apparent determination to keep the conversation on their situation. A solid conversation over drinks later and all she knows is that he's a detective from some place called Japan.

So... no. Definitely not the type.

Yet there he is, just a few short paces away, an uncharacteristic (she supposes, from what little she knows of him) gentleness in his tone as he speaks to the creatures. And so it's with a smile that Rinoa approaches, announcing herself with a call of his name as she draws near. She doesn't want to spook him and end up covered in paint. ]

[simulatio]

[The lighting might be dim, but he can hear the approaching footsteps. It keeps him from being too startled at the sound of his name being called, allowing him to turn and smile as if embarrassed to be caught.

One of the little paint-creatures slinks behind his legs to hide as the rest scatter a few paces away, warily watching.]

It's good to see you, Rinoa-san. For relative values of "see," I suppose.

[Upon closer look, he's absolutely got paint on his face, though miraculously it doesn't look like he's managed to get any on his shirt just yet.]

Did you have any trouble finding this place?

[pinwheels]

[ She smiles at the way the creatures dart backwards in their caution, and for a moment she addresses not the young man in front of her, but them, her voice gentle: ]

I'm sorry for scaring you. I'm not here to hurt anyone. I'm just talking to your friend here, okay?

[ Only then does she turn back to him, a quick shake of her head in answer to his question. ]

I ended up at the top of the mountain when we got here, remember? So I guess... once I heard about this, it wasn't hard to figure it out. [ A pause as her smile turns into a grin, the girl noticing - but not yet mentioning - the smudges of paint on the detective's face. ]

What are you painting?

[simulatio]

[The creature behind his legs stays firmly there, much to Akechi's chagrin, even as a few others cautiously come back out, looking between the two humans as if searching for their proper cue. She sounds gentle, prompting a few of the braver ones to approach closer and stand on their hind legs to look at her curiously.]

If you've already seen the top, why not delve underneath? [he responds with a smile and a nod. It makes sense. Once one knows how to get through the caves, they aren't too terrible to navigate.]

Ah, this...? [He turns, careful to step around the creature that's glued itself to his legs, even as a few more emerge from their hiding places to pose in front of their collective art. He looks over it for a moment before glancing back over his shoulder with a wink.] Perhaps I could call it chaos?

Only joking. I'm no artist, so perhaps it's best to say it's just random splatters.

[pinwheels]

[ The way one of the creatures stays close behind him just makes her smile; it shows that it trusts him, which is a good sign in her eyes, especially when dealing with someone who clearly likes to play his cards close. She notices the creatures coming forward, but doesn't pay them too much attention just yet - unlike Felix, they're shy, and she doesn't want to spook them.

She smiles in response to Akechi's comment, something tinged with amusement and reminiscence both. ]

Apparently I'm not, either. [ Rinoa laughs, but there's some sadness there behind it, something she can't quite hide. ] I made a model train once... it didn't turn out that well though.

[ She doesn't want to dwell on feelings centered around people who aren't here. She squares her shoulders, smile finding her lips again as she steps forward to join him, movements slow so as to not disturb the things that seem like Moombas and yet are also so far removed from them. Then she reaches up a thumb to brush it across his cheek. ]

You made chaos of your face, too, you know!

[ Not that her action helps; rather than remove the paint, it simply smudges it further up his cheek. Rinoa stares, and then giggles. Whoops? ]

[simulatio]

[He has his mouth open to reassure her that the ability to craft something with one's own hands isn't something to disparage -- but then she's breaching his personal space. His eyes go almost comically wide, his whole stance stiffening as she reaches out to touch his face.

It isn't as though he's unused to it; before going on television, he had to sit and let makeup artists do their work, multiple times a week at the height of his popularity. But beyond that professional context?

A beat too long, then he remembers to laugh, tilting his head away from the offending thumb and pulling off one of his gloves to reach up to try to take care of it himself.]

How clumsy of me. At least there are showers in that nearby bathhouse.

[pinwheels]

[ When he tilts his head away, Rinoa has to hide a chuckle behind the hand in question. He hid his expression after just a beat or two, but it was long enough for her to see and understand it, even in the dark. She doesn't comment on his reaction or the way he hides it, though, just drops her hand back to her side a few moments later, the too-obvious amusement still there in her smile, if he looks for long enough.

It's an expression that gives way a few minutes later for a look of surprise, though; she hasn't really explored the space down here that much, apart from first finding it and then watching the Moomba-like creatures in their actions. ]

The water in there works?

[ Not that it probably helps them that much when it's so dark in here, but... ]

[simulatio]

[The amusement visible in her smile irks him, but he'd rather be laughed at than pitied. His own efforts to remove the paint don't do much at all -- in fact it just feels like he's managed to smear a solid line of green across his face -- so eventually he just sighs and tucks his glove into his pocket. This is just his style for the moment, apparently.]

This is your fault, I'm sure, [he tells the little creature still tucked behind his legs. It looks up at him, then hides its green-hued paintbrush tail behind it as if to say nope!

A sigh, then he returns his attention to Rinoa with a nod.]

Surprisingly enough, it does. At a guess, I'd say it relies on water pressure rather than electricity. The bath itself may be warmed from underground. I'll confess, without light, it's difficult to investigate further...

[pinwheels]

[ There's another giggle at the way the paint ends up smeared in a solid line over almost the whole of his face; she feels almost bad for her obvious amusement at his expense - it's never anything mocking from her, never intended to be cruel. And so when he tucks his glove away, she peels off the blue knit arm-warmer that covers her right forearm, offering it up to him. It's probably a better material to fix his problem, and it's not like the paint won't wash off later, right?

(Even if it doesn't, her clothes have taken a pretty significant beating at this point; they can probably handle a little bit of paint.)

The idea of having a proper bathhouse is interesting, but there's not a lot they can do without light, right? She frowns, pursing her lips. ]

It's tiring, isn't it? Being in a place where nothing wants to work right.

[simulatio]

Hm? Oh... thank you.

[He stares at the offer of her arm-warmer, almost taken-aback by the small kindness. He certainly wouldn't offer a piece of clothing to anyone without expecting something in return, after all, even if it's just good will. He almost doesn't know what to do with it, though he does end up taking it rather than leave her arm outstretched.]

Ah, yes. [Back to the task at hand, though he doesn't do much with the arm-warmer just yet other than hold it. The little creature at his legs comes around and stands up a little taller, reaching to try to give it a sniff.] If there were just some logic I could find in this world, perhaps it would be the key to solving it. For now, everything simply seems to be random.

It's strange, isn't it? How our eyes seem to adjust without any visible light to adjust to?

[pinwheels]

[ Of course, Akechi just standing there and holding the arm warmer is not exactly what Rinoa had in mind, but she does think it's cute, the way one of the Moomba-like creatures comes around to try and sniff at it. For a moment, she almost gets distracted watching it; his voice catches her attention though and her eyes lift back to him, a thoughtful nod after his words.

He's right - it feels like every new place that appears introduces more mysteries to the world. Even Rinoa, who's never really been one to spend too much time thinking about the intricacies of the universe and how things work, has been wondering about it. ]

Yeah. I was down here before and... it doesn't make any sense, you know? Nothing here does.

[ She's not sure she'll ever get used to it, especially at the rate that things seem to keep changing. ]

[simulatio]

[He folds the cloth over to let the creature have at, and while it reaches with gentle paws to bring it closer for a sniff, Akechi doesn't let go to let it have it. Instead, tentatively, he brings his other hand to gently pat the top of its head, as if expecting it to dart away if he moves too quickly.]

I can't even say it's a product of our cognition, because changes aren't instantaneous -- if we initially assumed that we were unable to see due to the darkness, I would expect that to persist without the addition of light.

[Finally, he does fold over the arm warmer, but hesitates before bringing it to his cheek.]

My apologies, I know you offered, but I would hate to stain your clothing. It isn't as though things are easy to replace, here.

[halloflamer]

[With a bit of difficulty and tenacity, Blue had ventured down here a few times after Red's tales of the mysterious, wide marketplace in the basement of Mt. Silver; he had heard of the strange Smeargle-like Pokémon and wanted to meet and observe them. He'd in fact been doing some sketching of his own lately, inspired by the meeting with his (sort-of) grandfather.......]

[Returning on another of those trips, what he didn't expect to find with the pack of "Smeargle" on this occasion was Akechi, madly going at the canvas of a broad wall at the side of a marketstall, looking somewhere between vicious and exhilarated with the fun he was having. Blue stops and stares, watching for a few moments, and then scopes out the pack of the Smeargle, looking to spot one he recognized. You could tell Smeargle apart by their unique paint colors, amongst other things, and he spots one or two he'd met before amongst them, smiling as he now feels confident not to spook the pack if he calls out.]

Oh, Akechi-kun! [He brightly calls, waving a cheerful hand. The last time they'd met was at the party............. To Blue, all of that had been nothing but the kind of casual back-and-forth he'd forget about by the next time, nothing to hold grudges over or remain soured about, so there's no sort of apprehension in his body language that would suggest he expects Akechi to still be upset. As far as Blue is concerned, he's just greeting an acquaintance once again!] You're here, too? I didn't know you were an artsy type, hahaha!

[simulatio]

[Akechi was having such a nice time, and then some loudmouth had to go and ruin it. He pulls his brush away from the wall, takes a moment to compose a smile upon his face, and turns as if nothing at all had ever occurred between them.]

Blue-san.

[He notes with some surprise that although the pack rustles slightly at the intrusion, they don't scatter and flee. Perhaps Blue's already met some of them? Well, that's good at least, that they have some concept of memory. It would be quite annoying to have to befriend them all over again.

A beat, then he gestures behind him to indicate the splattered, chaotic mess of paint.]

I wouldn't say I'm artistically inclined, no, but there's something to be said for expressing one's thoughts in a concrete manner, don't you think?

[halloflamer]

I don't got a creative bone in my body, but I've started out drawing a little since I got here too, [Blue muses thoughtfully, smiling as the brightly colored Smeargle gather around he and Akechi.] You might be on to something!

[Indeed, as Blue draws closer, he waves to one of the creatures in particular, and receives a lime green smear on his arm for his troubles. He takes it with a cheerful grin as Eevee pads over behind him on foot, giving a little trill of greeting to the pack, which seem to at least greet him in return.]

I don't think they speak Pokémon language either, but they seem pretty smart, huh? I think they can understand other species better than some of the ones on the surface. Humans, too, [Blue observes, letting some of the paint drip from his arm in a wave of it, like he's drying his hands of water. Little flecks of green fly off carelessly as he shakes- watch your nice suit, Akechi.]

[simulatio]

Be careful.

[Akechi steps sideways to avoid Blue's paint splatter. He'd already taken off his uniform jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves to avoid getting paint on himself, but he'd rather not test to see if river water can wash out paint.

He can't help but be a little resentful that the little pack of creatures he'd assembled seem to like Blue. And Eevee for that matter. Typical that he can't have anything for himself.]

But you're right, they do seem rather intelligent. Tell me, can Eevee and Pikachu normally communicate fluently?

[halloflamer]

Hm? Oh, sorry.

[He says, casually enough he's probably not that sorry at all; rather, he's just used to apologizing like that!]

You mean, with each other? Yeah- from observation and communication with Pokémon that are able to understand humans well, Pokémon seem to be able to communicate with each other with a common language that we call Pokémon language.

[Blue raises a thoughtful hand to his chin.] I don't know if these guys use the same language or not, but they at least seem to understand the intent of us humans and Eevee, as well- better than those Pidgey I've been studying, at least.

[Maybe a certain level of general intelligence or critical thought was necessary for that 'creative spark'? Indeed, they seemed to use their paint for purposes beyond simple territorial markings.]

I bet gramps has some other observations too, so I should tell him to come down here with me, sometime....

[simulatio]

Ah... "gramps?"

[Forgive Akechi for being a little surprised at, well, all of that. His impression of Blue hadn't been that he was the studious type, after all, so hearing a concise and easily-understandable summary wasn't something he expected.

Let alone the revelation of family. There's only one person old enough that Akechi has met who could meet that description. Narrowing it down between knowledge of Pokémon and age alone, that would have to be-]

Are you referring to the professor?

[halloflamer]

Oh! You've met him?

[Blue brightens considerably, albeit there's some kind of vaguely forced energy to it, like he's forcing himself to behave about it, or something........]

Most people in my world know of him right away, but nobody knows here, so I haven't really bothered mentioning it around. Professor Sam Oak, right? He's my grandfather!

[No one would blame Akechi for being surprised, considering Blue's general showing around this place so far; but then again, unless Pokémon are involved, Blue's not likely to find a reason to use his brain.]

--Sorta. [Blue says after a moment, remembering, and appending the technicality with a bit of reluctance. He rubs at the back of his head with a slight twist of his mouth.] Ummm, it's kinda complicated, and I don't really get what's going on in this place, but even though he's definitely my gramps, it seems that we don't come from the same ...place...

[simulatio]

I helped him bandage himself after he was bitten by one of those robots, yes, [Akechi confirms with a nod, mentally congratulating himself on that. He wasn't expecting a return on that investment so quickly, but good. Not that he particularly cares about Blue or the well-being of his family, but having his good-will is a powerful force. In spite of his general. Everything else.

He hums and nods once, not at all surprised by the reluctant admission.]

Displaced in time, you mean?

[halloflamer]

Eh-- you did!?

[Blue stutters, surprised, and for a moment his face is an open book of anxious worry before he manages to twist his mouth to steel it away again, and stiffly gives a little bow.] Thanks... for that. Gramps is such a reckless guy, even at his age! Even after I told him to take it easy, and even told him to take Eevee along with him....

[He runs a hand through his hair and tries to shake it off, adjusting his bag. This particular conversation wasn't exactly any more comfortable, but....]

Um, a little more than just that, I think. It's almost like he isn't from the same place as me at all. [He's not exactly willing to go into the specifics; admitting out loud that his grandfather didn't even recognize him.] There's a lot of details that are too different for it to just be that.

But he's definitely the same person....!

[simulatio]

[Akechi will absolutely treasure that bow. It's just such a rush of power, to be appreciated for something. Now Blue owes him a favor, whether he knows it or not, and Akechi will certainly collect when the debt comes due.

For now, he focuses on the more pertinent (to him) information.]

Damien-san and I had discussed Tegmark's multiverse theory before. It's possible it's something like that, though it's rather curious to think about it being so specific to people who might be related.

[Could it explain the gap between his and Ren's memories? That's a train of thought he'll pursue much, much later, raising all kinds of uncomfortable questions like if this is the Ren he fought beside? If it's not merely a displacement in time, but of space as well?

A disturbing thought.]

Still, he is your grandfather, no? It must be reassuring to have family by your side, whatever the capacity.

[He. guesses? That seems like what a normal person would feel. It seems like a safe bet considering Blue was grateful that Akechi helped him, after all.]

[halloflamer]

[Literally none of those names were familiar to Blue, but he supposes there must still be people in this place he hasn't met yet; certainly, he'd seen many people at the party at Heavenly Blanc that he hadn't seen previously, and he's sure he didn't get around to chatting all of them up....]

I don't really know anything about that, but I know there are Legendary Pokémon who supposedly can travel between time, between dimensions. Pokémon who shaped the world, [He explains, trying to put those two braincells to use.] And if those are true, and there are Pokémon capable of things like that, then I guess it has to mean that 'other worlds' have to exist, right?

Some people even say Ghost-types use spaces between dimenions to travel...

[Blue throws his hands up in a shrug.] There's people I know, who I bet could tell you a lot more about stuff like that. [Kukui's wife, Professor Burnett, came to mind-] But they're not here. Gramps specializes in biology and sociological studies, but there are Pokémon professors who study the powers of Pokémon on a physics level- that's what you're after, right?

[Speaking of Oak- Blue hesitates, just the slightest amount, and shrugs out a sigh.] Well, of course..... [Of course he should.]

[Look at these dumb lying liars lying at each other!!]

[simulatio]

Raihan-san said something similar.

[Pokémon again... such a strange concept, and not at all impossible, considering the presence of Pokémon here already. A legendary animal as a god isn't unheard of, anyway, and if something like that is responsible for bringing them all here? Ren is living proof that gods can certainly be killed.

Akechi adjusts one of his gloves as one of the painting creatures shuffles closer, looking up at him as if wordlessly asking if they're going to continue their graffiti. He leans down and gently pats its head as he looks back to Blue.]

We have all the evidence we need that other worlds exist, solely from the people gathered here. What remains to be seen is who's responsible for it. If it is one of your legendary Pokémon, as you say, then we'll need to learn how to defeat it.

[The creature waves its paintbrush tail, and with a sigh, Akechi takes off one of his gloves and allows it to smack his open palm with paint. Sure. Fingerpainting. Why not.

At least Akechi isn't about to call Blue out on his relationship with his grandfather. He really doesn't care.]