02?. [Action/Text - Fourth Wall]

[explosivecombat]

[Kimblee has just kind of accepted this sort of thing, regarding those odd weekends where, for some completely arbitrary reason, everything is beautiful and nothing hurts (assuming that no one happens to get in the way of the explosions he's usually laying down); however, this time around he hasn't seen Archer all weekend, he's been unbelievably agitated for some reason he can't work out, and about the only saving grace is that he seems to have awakened in the Lake of Rage area today.

He can't say he minds.

He's got his gloves off today, if anyone is in the immediate area through either intent or chance; surprisingly, he isn't transmuting...obviously, though what he's doing makes it rather clear that something's going on before too long - he's never been any sort of particular genius when it comes to chemistry, but he knows certain things when he sees them, and he's currently picking up rocks along the shore, appearing to assess them as he holds them before a flash of blue fires off and he throws the result into the water.

It's surprisingly easy to get a good transference going, to get sodium out of the rocks by the waterfront; of course, sodium in water is known to make one hell of a bang. Admittedly, it's not a very aesthetically pleasing bang, but he's working on it, okay.

Of course, there are some other signs in the area that his activities haven't been quite so docile (if blowing up the surface of a lake filled with terrifying sea serpents can be considered docile); there are some rather impressive swaths cut into the ground by what look like something ripping it all up from within. However, for the time being he seems pretty content to be bored, seeming to have calmed down from the earlier...fit that caused all that; he'll be having at the whole sodium thing for a while tonight.

Granted, for those not in the area, he'll be showing up over the device later - not via video, but via text, as per usual.]

I trust you've all been enjoying playing with your toys. Some of my most prized ones weren't returned to me this time around; I'm assuming this means they're still in the region somewhere.

I imagine I'll find them eventually.

However, for the time being I find that I really can't complain; the most relevant part of what I can do is functional again, and if I had to select between having my abilities with no enhancements and no abilities at all, choosing the latter to spite the former would be tantamount to solving the problem of a low doorway by cutting off my head.

Indulge me in my curiosity, however: were things like this weekend to be something controllable, something you could do at will, what would you bring here and what sort of abilities would you retain from you world - given power like this on a regular basis, what would you do with it?

Comments

[kingsgreed]

[Greed is observing Kimblee from a nearby tree. It's... not very interesting to him, but hey he's got nothing else to do with his time.]

Is there a point to all of that?

[Yeah, he's trying to start a conversation here.]

[explosivecombat]

[He doesn't seem too fazed by the newcomer at least, though he doesn't recognize him; a native of Xing, if he had to venture a guess, but it's extremely likely that this one isn't from his world in the first place.

Then again, maybe he is; people tended to find each other during these weekends somehow, it was a bit uncanny. Amusing, but uncanny.

Either way, he'll give this one his attention for now.]

Simply getting to use skills I haven't had in a while; this place tends to suppress them normally, you know.

Just arrived?

[kingsgreed]

[Well, Greed doesn't really recognize Kimblee either so they're on equal ground here.]

Sounds like a dull place. Wouldn't want to get stuck here for too long.

[Losing his abilities? No thanks. He was the one taking things from someone. He wasn't supposed to be the one losing anything.]

You could say that.

[ACTION]

[glaciates]

[It doesn't take long to find the source of the explosions, and it certainly doesn't surprise Isaac to see that Kimblee's behind them. That was what he was hoping for, after all.

It's been quite awhile since he's seen Kimblee, if the calendar is any indication. It doesn't feel like it's been a long time, but for Kimblee, it probably has.]

I take it you're having fun?

[And as always, he'll just sneak up on Kimblee like a ninja, sorry about that.]

[ACTION]

[explosivecombat]

[The voice is familiar and not one he registers as a threat, nor is he sensing any malicious intent; just the same, it's one that his mind glosses over, something he's so accustomed to - even after all this time - that it legitimately doesn't occur to him that he should be finding it highly unusual to be hearing it at all, at least at first.

He feels secure enough to not turn around; he smirks a bit when he replies.]

You know I am, Isaac; this isn-

[Later, he'd probably look back on this and rue the fact that he didn't have a more dignified reaction. For the time being, however, his words cut off abruptly, and when he does turn to look at him his expression is that strange, wide-eyed expression that he tends to get when he has no idea what to do with his face; his body is undeniably tense and it takes him a moment to recover from the verbal falter moments before.]

...So you're back.

[His words are strange; there isn't much tone behind them.]

[glaciates]

[Isaac's smirking when he responds, but it's rather obvious that it's only because he's not sure what to do with his expression.]

Yeah, I am.

[He doesn't point out that if Kimblee has his alchemy, then he's only back for the weekend. He didn't wake up in New Bark Town, so he's not here permanently. It's not something he wants to think about - going back to nonexistence.]

It's been awhile, huh? Sorry about that; I wouldn't have left if I'd had a choice.

[Video]

[caster_blaster]

Personally? Give me my grappler ship and my guns, and I'm one happy guy.

[text]

[explosivecombat]

[...oh, goodness, you sound fun, don't you.]

I can't say I know what a "grappler ship" is - I've never heard of it before - but I think I can understand the sentiment.

Military man, or just someone who enjoys his job?

Re: [text]

[caster_blaster]

[Gene likes to think he's MISTER fun.]

I don't like authority much. Outlaws kind of do our own thing out in space. It's exciting work, though. We just do whatever pays the bills. Bounty hunting, freelance repair work, jailbreaks, whatever.

As for a grappler ship.

[He pans around his cockpit and out the porthole, showing the houses cruise by below.]

Right now I'm in it. The "Outlaw Star".

[roseblooms]

[That is quite an impressive level of devastation, there; it looks as though there's been a fight. However, being that there only seems to be one person lingering down there by the waterfront, that leaves a few options:

> the winner got away
> the loser got away
> the loser's corpse was so utterly destroyed that it's basically particles floating around the general landscape right now
> there was only one person involved in the "fight"

Given the explosions rocking the water, he can probably narrow those options down to a likely one or two.

There's a breeze playing at the ends of his hair as he walks quietly along the shore toward the bomber, which could certainly explain why the remaining grass seems to waft in his direction with every footstep. It's a possible interpretation. It's also not the right one, but so it goes.]

That's an impressive trick.

[As openers go — well. He's curious to see how the man on the shore takes to the idea of what he's doing being classified as a trick. That should give him some idea of what he's dealing with here, for starters.]

[explosivecombat]

[Well, at risk of sounding morbid, the idea of walking around in air thick with the mist of his opponent is more than a little disgusting and he'd really rather not, thank you.

He doesn't seem too fazed at the "trick" classification, though that's more due to having been here for so long; he's heard what he does classified as trickery or flat-out magic so many times that it no longer offends him. A while back, that would have gotten bristling and agitation; as it stands, however, he just kind of smirks, turning to face the newcomer, his gaze steady.]

If that's what you'd like to call it. I prefer to think of it as science; it's incredibly basic, really.

[roseblooms]

[Well, there's science and then there's science. Sometimes you're making a piece of litmus paper turn colors; sometimes you're a demon scientist transplanting organs into people's foreheads with excruciatingly painful methods just so that they can spy on their long-lost sisters.

Truly this will be a meeting of some of the most calm and well-mannered brutally efficient murderers out there.]

...Sodium, is it? The ensuing reaction splits the water into its component hydrogen and oxygen, which ignite and explode. Or something to that effect; it's been some time since my last chemistry class.

[darksings]

[Ren was starting to get annoyed over being tossed around by this world. It made actually doing anything almost impossible.

There wasn't much he could do about this though. It's not like he had been given anything usual to travel so he was mostly hanging around in the places he was tossed to.

This time had ended up to some lake and it looked like he wasn't alone. He isn't really going to bother the guy, unless he's talked to. There's really no point. This man wasn't Hijirikawa or a Signer, so it had no meaning for him.]

[explosivecombat]

[While Kimblee has a very vague understanding of what Signers are, courtesy of Crow - and even then he hasn't heard them referred to as "Signers", not really, but he has some idea of what they do - he most definitely isn't one; however, what he is is blessed with a photographic memory and a definite idea of what people should and shouldn't look like, and he's pretty sure that black sclerae aren't normal, bro.

But then, who knows. Maybe it is where you come from and this is just what you look like.]

...Mr. Jinguji. A pleasure, as always.

[darksings]

[Oh, great, another one. Why did people here know him? He had never met half any of these people and all of a sudden he's known all around. Yes, he's aware that he's in a completely different world right now, but this shouldn't be possible.

Unless they're all from the future where he's made his name known. He knew.]

Not sure if the feeling is mutual, since I don't remember ever meeting you.

[He's grown tired of pretending he knew what was going on, really.]

[Video]

[boomby9am]

You mean this isn’t controllable?

[The voice on the feed appears to be coming from some masked guy who appears to be wrapping wire around an Electrode because well, look, if this place wants to give him some sort of bomb thing, he’s going to figure out how to improve it.]

Ain’t that a shame. Don’t know what you mean by abilities, but the first thing I’d do is bring the Commander here. And my bike. Probably play it by ear after that.

[Video]

[explosivecombat]

[...honestly? He approves of your...whatever it is you're doing there. Admittedly, if he knew you were trying to build a better bomb or something, then he'd volunteer the information that that isn't going to, ah, work, but as it stands, Electrodes are kind of the bane of his existence and if you are wanting to torture yours, then by all means, sir.]

Unfortunately not - I assume you're one of our newcomers, then?

[He's actually managing to not sound as amused as he actually is; if anything, his voice is reasonably pleasant.]

I only know of one "Commander" in the area; I've worked with him a few times, he's an interesting fellow. Here's hoping you find yours among all the chaos; it's not usually this...interesting around here.

Action!

[itsjustdust]

[He was, amazingly, already in the area from visiting with Sasuke earlier, and the explosions had made him curious enough to wander this direction. It wasn't what anyone would call the soundest of decisions, but he couldn't say he regretted it once he spotted the person in the middle of the various rubble.]

Heya Kimblee!

Action!

[explosivecombat]

[...oh...goodness, look what we have here.]

Ah...Obito. A pleasure, as always.

[Sorta, anyway. Kid, why are you coming out here while he's blowing shit up, you're going to get jumped one day.

Not by Kimblee, mind you, unless he has good reason. Just by showing up in the wrong time and the wrong place. As it goes.]

video;

[papshooshing]

I don't give two fucks about powers or anything like that. Honestly? I'd be thankful to just be me again.

video;

[explosivecombat]

...Well, I can certainly understand why, if for no better reason than I'm sure it'd be far more comfortable; I consider it the same way with the powers and abilities, myself - they're a fundamental part of who we are, back where I'm from, it's strange being separated from it.

Not nearly as much as shifting species entirely, however, I'm sure.

[action]

[snapandscoot]

[There's a sharp pause between one explosion and the preparation for the next, and it's in that silence that a voice rings out from close behind Kimblee, familiar and chirpy as always - her accent is stronger, having returned with a vengeance once she was immersed back in the hustle and bustle of London, Johto left far behind, a blank photograph that she could've sworn had a picture in it. Nothing but a non-existent memory.

Until now.]

Well, that's one way to spice up skipping pebbles, but I prefer the traditional manner, myself.

[Emmy is standing only metres from him, arms behind her back, leaning her weight on one leg, seemingly impervious to the battered landscape. She'd seen Pokemon battles leave far worse; in a way, it's pleasantly nostalgic.

She wondered why she had been brought here, of all places; not that she was complaining, but it seemed an odd choice. As beautiful as it was, there was nothing here for her at Lake of Rage. Or so she thought.

Emmy greets him with a playful wink - it seems easiest, and she'd rather not get too emotional just yet.]

You may be able to convince me otherwise, however...Mr Kimblee.

[action]

[explosivecombat]

[Kimblee had known she was gone as soon as he'd returned; hers had been the second number called, immediately after Isaac's. In a way he had almost expected the recording he'd gotten; it didn't make the experience any less agitating.

But here she is, and he's fully aware of the implications behind the way that she's so suddenly here now, during one of those stretches of time; however, for the time being, he can't say that he minds. When he smiles, the expression isn't exactly natural - there's still something slightly wrong with it, the warmth that probably should be there largely absent - but it's sidled a bit closer to genuine than it gets with most.]

Miss Altava - believe me, Johto's missed your presence, as have I; I'm glad to see you again.

[ACTION]

[terminarcher]

[The sound of explosions immediately puts him on edge, but it's not because the sound is a familiar or expected one. The last explosion he heard was a grenade, and that one had severely damaged the human side of him. He was damn lucky he was half-automail, otherwise he wouldn't have survived that blast.

Not that it really mattered in the end; he was killed by Hawkeye. Shot in the back of all things. He was still furious about it.

But it was nice to be back in Johto. He remembered this place well, even though it felt like it had been years since he was last here. It couldn't have been that long, Archer knew that, but that didn't change the feeling any.

He finally calms down when he realizes that this must be one of those weekends when everything goes weird - that would explain the explosions, wouldn't it? Or maybe it's just a Pokémon using Explosion? No, he doubts there would be that many explosions if it were just Pokémon. Besides, the only ones nearby are in the old base, and he doubts anyone would bring the Electrodes all the way up here.

Archer moves toward the explosions, finding that his movements are as smooth as they were when he was operating at peak efficiency. The damage his automail sustained has been reversed and everything is back to normal. He smiles, a genuine expression that looks even creepier than his usual smirk.

That smile widens when he recognizes the man causing the explosions. Kimblee. He has very fond memories of Kimblee as well. They weren't just friends, they were much closer than that. They were a superior and a subordinate, but that makes the relationship sound far more distant than it actually was. He was closer to Kimblee than he had ever been to anyone else, something he had forgotten all about while he was at home.]

I'm surprised you aren't doing anything more destructive.

[The words are humorous, though Archer doesn't move his mouth to talk. His voice is tinged with a mechanical quality the automail can't quite get rid of, but Archer doesn't even notice it anymore. It's normal. This is what he's like now. It doesn't even occur to him that Kimblee hasn't seen him like this.]

Shouldn't you be trying to fight the Pokémon yourself?

[He tips his head a bit, automail adjusting with the motion flawlessly. It feels good to have it react accordingly again.]

It's good to see you, Kimblee.

[explosivecombat]

[Well, speak of the devil.

It's been a couple of days since Kimblee's seen Archer; while he'd been okay with that, for the most part (not comfortable, really, but at least he'd been functional) he can't deny that it would be good to know that at least Archer is still around. Hearing a voice he recognizes as Archer's in general, then, is definitely a good thing - or at least, it would be, were it not for that odd, mechanical quality behind it. It's not unpleasant to listen to, exactly, but it's so jarringly unnatural that it might as well be nails on a chalkboard as far as Kimblee is concerned.

He's quick to turn around, and he isn't at all prepared for what he sees.]

...Archer?

[He knows that he's staring, and from the words Archer's giving him Kimblee knows that he won't expect him to be so startled; if anything, he's speaking to him in an incredibly familiar sort of way (meaning he knows him, and the horror of that realization will settle in later), as though nothing is wrong, as though he's completely oblivious to the fact that everything is hideously wrong.]

Don't misunderstand me, it's good to see you, too; I just wasn't expecting...

[He gestures a bit toward that automail.]

That.