Ai Nanasaki (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
koiwamizuiro) wrote2013-04-08 06:33 pm
koiwamizuiro) wrote2013-04-08 06:33 pm
Entry tags:
2nd Dive: Exploration [Action]
[Some time has passed since Ai first entered Luceti, and even now she was growing accustomed to life in the village. Slowly, but steadily. It was a much quieter place than what she was used to back in Kibitou.
The draft had come and gone, but the girl hadn't taken part in it, and she was thankful for that. Her recent entrance into this peculiar world was enough to deal with on its own, though she had kept herself as informed as she could as to what exactly was going on.
Today, she had initially tried to simply soothe herself with another walk around the village. It had developed to be a certain routine for her that she often practiced, and the weather was more pleasant than it had been before, warmer. She was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt and blue denim jeans, along with her yellow jacket on top that she had regained possession of upon entering Luceti.
However, curiosity got the better of her and she ended up heading to several places that she had intended on checking out earlier, diverging from her walk a bit.]
Action I.
[Firstly, Ai found herself near the Bakery in the morning, a certain scent inviting her to come even closer and see what was available that day. The girl had wondered whether she would be able to find anything like her favorite Imagawayaki dessert here to buy later (or get, rather), so she would inform herself of what was offered here. Besides, she was also feeling hungry now, so her timing couldn't have been better.
One may find her right at the time she has an inner discussion with herself as to what to get, or they may find her wandering close by later with a croissant in her hand, already eating it contentedly.]
Action II.
[Then, Ai found her way to the front door of the Battle Drome. From what she had understood, this fascinating facility wasn't just a combat simulator, and she wanted to test out its capabilities for herself. She had read about it and already had a few scenarios in mind, but that didn't necessarily mean that she couldn't use the help of somebody around offering to help her understand it a bit more.]
Action III.
[The Library was also a place the girl wanted to check, the last location on her route today, though she didn't have anything particular in mind upon entering it as she simply went on browsing. Maybe there was something informative as to the worlds of the other people she met here? Or perhaps there were different works of fiction made by authors from these other worlds that could intrigue her? Regardless, she wouldn't mind having some reading material to go through before she went to sleep each day.
Ai would spend quite a bit of time here, thinking as to what she would get and what would spark her interest the most.]
Action IV.
[Finally, when the sky has already darkened, Ai would take a small break near the river close to her new come, Community Housing Building #2, and clear her head some with her eyes watching the stars and her body resting on the grass. Anyone wandering around this late would be able to catch her there.]
(OOC: You can stumble upon her anywhere along her route. Reading the reflections post I have linked to is not necessary as it simply shows her initial thoughts and impressions of Luceti right after she gets herself an apartment.)
The draft had come and gone, but the girl hadn't taken part in it, and she was thankful for that. Her recent entrance into this peculiar world was enough to deal with on its own, though she had kept herself as informed as she could as to what exactly was going on.
Today, she had initially tried to simply soothe herself with another walk around the village. It had developed to be a certain routine for her that she often practiced, and the weather was more pleasant than it had been before, warmer. She was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt and blue denim jeans, along with her yellow jacket on top that she had regained possession of upon entering Luceti.
However, curiosity got the better of her and she ended up heading to several places that she had intended on checking out earlier, diverging from her walk a bit.]
Action I.
[Firstly, Ai found herself near the Bakery in the morning, a certain scent inviting her to come even closer and see what was available that day. The girl had wondered whether she would be able to find anything like her favorite Imagawayaki dessert here to buy later (or get, rather), so she would inform herself of what was offered here. Besides, she was also feeling hungry now, so her timing couldn't have been better.
One may find her right at the time she has an inner discussion with herself as to what to get, or they may find her wandering close by later with a croissant in her hand, already eating it contentedly.]
Action II.
[Then, Ai found her way to the front door of the Battle Drome. From what she had understood, this fascinating facility wasn't just a combat simulator, and she wanted to test out its capabilities for herself. She had read about it and already had a few scenarios in mind, but that didn't necessarily mean that she couldn't use the help of somebody around offering to help her understand it a bit more.]
Action III.
[The Library was also a place the girl wanted to check, the last location on her route today, though she didn't have anything particular in mind upon entering it as she simply went on browsing. Maybe there was something informative as to the worlds of the other people she met here? Or perhaps there were different works of fiction made by authors from these other worlds that could intrigue her? Regardless, she wouldn't mind having some reading material to go through before she went to sleep each day.
Ai would spend quite a bit of time here, thinking as to what she would get and what would spark her interest the most.]
Action IV.
[Finally, when the sky has already darkened, Ai would take a small break near the river close to her new come, Community Housing Building #2, and clear her head some with her eyes watching the stars and her body resting on the grass. Anyone wandering around this late would be able to catch her there.]
(OOC: You can stumble upon her anywhere along her route. Reading the reflections post I have linked to is not necessary as it simply shows her initial thoughts and impressions of Luceti right after she gets herself an apartment.)
action I
The Munchlax tugs at his trainer's pant leg after accepting the breakfast, and then he notices her. Very sleepily. With a yawn and a wave of his bandaged right arm. He's too lethargic to register the small pain.]
Aaaaai. Good morning, Ai.
[Action]
Diamond-san. Good morning. [She then glanced at the Pokémon at his side and tilted her head in his direction with a grin, recalling the name of the peculiar creature.] Morning, Lax.
[The girl hadn't failed to notice the bandage, however, and her expression changed to one of concern as she regarded Diamond again.]
You are hurt. Did something happen on the draft?
[Action]
[Precisely so. Lax happily munches on his twist.]
I kind of let my guard down... [... after seeing the battlefield from eight feet up with bodies littering the ground from doing what's necessary--] But I'm okay! It just needed some stitches.
[Action]
She gave him another smile, his answer to her question reassuring her. He did look fine - more sleepy than anything else, really.]
It should heal soon, I hope. From what I have been hearing, the mission you went to was really dangerous.
Are all of your Pokémon okay? [She then glanced at the Munchlax once more, beaming at him.] Lax seems to be fine, at least.
[Action]
Mmhmm! Other than some bruises and hair cuts, they're fine. I had to clean Moo up really well, since he's got a ton of fur and Ruby almost had a heart attack at the state of it... Ruby's one of my friends who likes to dress up Pokémon.
[Action]
And then, when she was just about to say something else, her mind registered a certain pattern that made her expression turn into one of confusion and amusement alike.]
...Ruby? [She scratched her cheek a little.] ...Is he your brother or is everyone from your world named after various gems?
[She did not remember such a trend in the Pokémon show, for one thing. Perhaps the real thing was different.]
[Action]
[Seriously.]
But I'd rather have Missy as my sister than Ruby as my brother.
[Action]
[She then turned her head back to the bakery, or rather, the selection of food that it offered, her eyes still looking it over thoroughly while she voiced her next question.]
Is Missy from your world too, then? [Seeing as she did not seem to follow the trend herself, there was a chance he could have met her here.] Is she here?
[Action]
[Which is close enough to Platinum, he thinks, and so he nods. When she's looking at the food, he studies her momentarily and stops Lax from grabbing something on a lower shelf. No stealing.]
Yup. I've got both my friends here. Are our names odd to you?
[Action]
The fact that Diamond had made acquaintance with all those people in Luceti was a curious thing for Ai to hear, though - usually, when there were more people from a given world, they seemed to already know each other from there beforehand, even if that was not always the case. Earth and, now the Pokémon world, seemed to be among the few exceptions. That, and she had to remember that people were taken from different times as well.]
Have you also seen Pokémon here that you hadn't encountered before back home?
[She had to let out a chuckle at his next question, however, as she proceeded to look at him with a smile.]
It is mostly how common it seems to be there for people to be named like that which is curious to me, Diamond-san. Do you not find it a strange coincidence? [Unless, of course, there was a cultural reason behind it.]
[Action]
I've seen tons of them here that I haven't back home! Some of them are actually kind of familiar, since they're in Sinnoh too, but there's still plenty I've never met...
[... And now that she's mentioned it, it does seem kind of odd? Hm. Diamond just shrugs, taking a croissant for himself and picking it apart. He gives some to his Munchlax too.]
I guess so... Most of them are very powerful too, like Mr. Red stopped Team Rocket from taking over Kanto and Gold, Silver, and Crystal did the same thing... Even if you can't tell, Ruby's actually pretty strong too. Ms. Blue's really smart, and Mr. Green's super tough, and Ms. Yellow can talk to Pokémon. Pearl's got really good eyes and he can tell what kind of move a Pokémon's going to use based on its stance and Missy's smart enough to be an encyclopedia.
[He's nothing special compared to any of them, just a boy with strong beliefs and a heart forged of steel. But that doesn't bother him because he's done things none of them have. Like died. After that whole thing though, he glances over at her with a small smile.]
I don't know about most of them, but Pearl, Ruby and I are named after our birthstones.
[Action]
They all sound like talented people. [Perhaps that was the link between the names and the people who wore them - individuals who were special in some way or another.
She gave Diamond another smile, speaking after she had swallowed that piece of the croissant. It tasted quite nice; she didn't regret her choice.] M-mm, this is good. [A comment that she made mostly to herself before she asked him further about this.]
What about you, Diamond-san? [She hadn't failed to notice the omission of his name among these and that only made her curious.] You seem to be taking very good of your Pokémon as well.
I have heard that each month has its own birthstone. Is it the same for you? [Though she had not bothered to find out more, and neither did she know what her own birthstone was.]
[Action]
Though he did do that he did in order to protect the ones he cared for, so he can't say he's not like them at the same time. It's best to answer this truthfully.]
Well... Everyone has something they're good at. Like, really good at! Pearl's eyes are just a part of that, but his true strength is in his will - he never gives up and finishes what he starts no matter what. I'm really good at cooking and I'm good with Pokémon too, even ones that belong to other trainers, but I wouldn't say I'm like the rest of them. [He was inspired by a television show to save the world. He's just a kid. He's not as strong as Pearl, or as smart as Missy, but...]
Neither Pearl nor Missy can cook very well, so that's that, and both of them tend to look at their feelings before someone else's... They're better about it now. I'm pretty ordinary, as far as my friends go~.
[It's cheerfully said, and he takes another croissant to give to Lax. Strawberry filled.]
It is the same! I was born at the beginning of this month, so that's why I'm called Diamond, and Pearl was in June... Ruby's is in July then, huh.
[Action]
Ai only spoke after Diamond had said everything he had on his mind on the matter, keeping the smile on her face as she did. For as young as he was, the boy certainly had what to take pride in.]
As you said yourself, everyone has something they are good at. That seems to be the case for you as well. [She nodded her head as she said it, having gulped down another piece of her croissant before doing so.] And you are still pretty young, too. With time you can become even better at whatever you would like to be good at, Diamond-san. [It had certainly taken her a long time to become as proficient at swimming as she was now, for instance.]
I can cook some things well enough myself. I managed an oden stall for a while back home, too. [And she had volunteered to do so as well, having had fun with the activity, which had left her happy with how much her classmates apparently liked what she had prepared.]
[She then gestured towards the door of the bakery, an inquisitive expression on her face.] Would you like us to head outside?
[Action]
Oh.
Not so, not really anymore, since they'd decided to put it on hold here, too... Diamond turns his gaze away, trying to push the thoughts away the best he can, and nods.]
Mm, let's go outside... Maybe when it's winter again, we can make oden together! We'll share it with everyone too.
[His voice doesn't really match up with his words, since it's kind of sick sounding from the thoughts that keep pressing into his mind uncomfortably, and Lax scurries outside as if to hurry them.]
[Action]
That sounds like a good idea, Diamond-san. [She still answered, giving the boy a smile as she did.] I would like that. Perhaps there are even things you can teach me. [After all, she wasn't that skilled to manage everything on her own, and she would not be opposed to finding out more about potential otherworldly delicacies either.]
[But then she also wanted to ask as to what had brought the subtle shift in the boy's tone, doubtlessly caused by something she had said.]
...What is on your mind? [Another piece of her croissant was about to be gone while she waited for his answer.]
[Action]
Oh, well, see... Pearl and I do manzai, right? [It would've come around.] Well... Back home, we put our dream of being the best on hold so we could protect Missy, but after that we started doing out acts again. And now here, since we've, um, seen the draft and all [for better or for worse] we've decided to stop again...
[It's not that he's hesitant to talk, persay, but the meat of the matter is slowly being exposed. He wants to have something to occupy his mind. Manzai does that, but now that it's stopped that's one less thing to keep thoughts away. He touches his right arm slightly.]
It's because I got hurt, too. He got really angry-- [Diamond cuts himself off, because he doesn't want to think about it or talk about it, and shakes his head. His hands are trembling a little.] He's a real worrywart sometimes.
[Action]
One thing was for certain: Diamond wasn't the only somewhat scarred by the draft, and while she was not one to talk about this, seeing as she wasn't there herself, she could still take a guess as to how he might be feeling.]
...To protect Missy again? [She blinked curiously while she took another bite from the croissant.] She cannot take care of herself?
[Certainly the draft would have made whoever went there even more aware of the dangers Luceti posed, especially a relative newcomer to the scene like Diamond. And herself, for that matter.]
[She saw him getting a tad distraught over thinking about Pearl, so she interjected concernedly.] It is okay, Diamond-san. That is in the past, right? You are both over this.
We get a lot of time to ourselves here in Luceti. [The girl looked forward as the two of them walked side by side, Lax not too far from them either. There was a thoughtful expression on her face as she went on speaking.] Even if things like the draft happen sometime... I think you should still continue doing manzai. As a way to relax and so you can have... something good to contrast the bad things that come with living here. [She was, of course, thinking of her own passion at this, which was what gave her confidence in what she said.] Otherwise you might end up just living in fear, or... always dreading the next misfortune that can happen to you.
[Action]
[Yeah, that's it. She wouldn't have to be alone either anymore, not with he and Pearl here.
He listens to her - in the past, both over it... maybe - and smiles brightly. Overall, despite everything, Diamond is first and foremost an optimist. Just one who's been scarred slightly by a war not his own.]
Not everything's bad here, so it's fine! After all, I have my friends and I've made a lot of new ones here, too, even ones who're from completely different worlds like you. And if I can't do manzai, I'll cook or do the puzzles Mr. Layton makes up. I'm planning on making a big maze puzzle for my friends.
[Action]
Yes, that is a better way to look at it, Diamond-san. [Ai liked to be optimistic about things herself, determined, and seeing her manage to better Diamond's mood made her smile. She then tilted her head a bit curiously.] Do you mean one of those paper maze puzzles, or something else?
[Action]
A proper maze one! It'll be as big as a bedsheet. [He's got ambitions okay. But unlike Pearl, Dia probably won't finish it unless someone cheers him on.]
[Action]
[The girl then chuckled a bit in response to the boy's enthusiasm about what was essentially a paper maze.]
Well, in that case... I am sure that would be one tough puzzle to solve.
[Just what kind of classes did they really teach over at that school? She still needed check it out further, more so than just reading what was said on the guide. Then again, she had to acknowledge that they were probably different depending on age, too.]
[Action]
And besides, it wasn't just a paper maze, but something his friends could do the unwind.]
I just wonder how I'm going to make it challenging enough for them... Missy's really smart, and Pearl never gives up on something if he starts it, so it's got to be super hard.
[Diamond himself isn't exactly attending classes, really, but he's a bodyguard that stands in the back and looks "imposing". While learning. Or he will be.]
[Action]
[Frustrating tasks were never enjoyable to do, after all, and that would apply for her as well, though she had yet to see a paper maze which was that hard to do.]
I think having a good sense of orientation is the most important thing about solving a maze, not necessarily smarts or will.
[One would have to wonder just how good of a job Diamond of all people would do at looking imposing and being a bodyguard. Perhaps his Pokémon can fill in for him, though looks can certainly be deceiving.]
[Action]
[He's too fond of his friends, really, and he chuckles at the thought of Pearl and Platina staying up all night just to finish a maze.
And knowing Missy, she'll make Diamond attend as a student anyway...]
[Action]
[Action]