004. [Text/Action for Goldenrod City]

[explosivecombat]

[ACTION]

[Three days gone, with no explanation.

Kimblee had awakened strangely on Tuesday, feeling as though he hadn't slept much at all, and throughout the day he'd been unable to shake it - it's the same sort of feeling he gets when when he's been overstimulated, maybe, or spent time on a particularly difficult assignment. He would have chalked that up to a simple failure at restful sleep - he's not immune, and it happens - but then he'd checked the Gear for the time and date.

Three days gone. No memories from those three days whatsoever.

That. Doesn't. Happen.

He'd spent most of the day more wary than usual; he doesn't like this any, nor does he like the fact that there's nothing he can do about it. Even the normal solace he finds in sound isn't coming to him; he usually finds the music in Johto to be a nice constant, but now it's just grating on him - hell, he can't even be sure that anyone else is hearing it at all, and that's no use to him whatsoever.

Bluntly put, he's been feeling disoriented, Johto makes next to no damn sense as it is, and this entire thing is leaving him just a bit irritable and not wanting to stay in one place for very long. So! Today he's out wandering around Goldenrod; he doesn't seem too terribly bothered by the snow, though the heavy coat he has on over his suit and the long, pale scarf he has wrapped around his neck and shoved into his collar is definitely helping, as are the gloves he usually wears. He's determined to find something to clear his head; after a while, he finds himself in front of a building that's both stupidly loud and gaudily done-up. He kind of tilts his head at it for a moment; the place is pretty much an exercise in sensory overstimulation, isn't it.

It's perfect.

He pauses for a moment before entering; the music playing softly through the streets is the same as it always was. He doesn't want to ask if anyone else is hearing it; that's just asking for trouble. However, there are ways to get some sort of response without asking directly. He pulls out his Gear briefly, sending out a quick message via Text before entering that...casino. Game Corner. Thing.]


[TEXT]

Has anyone been able to locate the source of the incessant stream of music, or is that another of those mysteries that we're encouraged to not think too much about?


[OOC: Action-wise, you're more than welcome to catch him outside the building itself...otherwise, he fully intends to spend the next good while wanting to kill a slot machine in the face, so he won't exactly be hard to meet up with if he's seen.]

Comments

[TEXT]

[sadisticwarfare.livejournal.com]

[You're not the only one feeling disoriented, Kimblee! Archer's currently out looking for him, but it seems Kimblee's determined to hide today. The text is unexpected, and Archer promptly replies.]

It is irritating, isn't it? Unfortunately I have no idea where it's coming from. Where are you?

[Text]

[explosivecombat]

[There's a bit of a pause before he responds; Kimblee normally tolerates Archer's presence reasonably well, but he isn't entirely sure how much he wants to deal with him at the moment.

However, the quickness of Archer's own reply - and more specifically, the demand to know where he is - is telling; Kimblee knows better than to ignore it.]

That...casino in the center of town. I assume you know what I'm talking about; it's certainly gaudy enough to catch attention.

[TEXT / ACTION]

[sadisticwarfare.livejournal.com]

I'll be there in five minutes.

[And indeed he will be; he's quite familiar with that casino after all. He enters, locates Kimblee, and joins him at the slot machines, taking a seat beside him before speaking.]

...Why the sudden interest in the music?

[Okay, so he has no idea what to even say now that he's here. He can't just launch into "so I actually had dreams" or anything.]

[explosivecombat]

[And Kimblee is certainly going to town on those slot machines when Archer arrives; he's giving the one in front of him the most focused look in the world, because clearly winning at slots is a matter of willing the damn machine to give you a good combination.

...well, for the time being, it appears to be working for now, holy shit. Clearly his luck is average-to-bad until it comes to games of chance; either that or he's been seriously tilting the machine. Either way, he's actually doing decently, though he's not winning by any huge amount; he glances at Archer when he arrives, smirking a bit, though the expression is a bit of a tired one.]

Sometimes I question the things that happen in this world, Archer. I'd think it would be natural to question that as well.

[Action]

[king-of-flames.livejournal.com]

Gambling?

[Roy is standing a little farther down the street. He doesn't have a Poké Ball in either hand, but Kimblee should be able to tell that the man has tensed up.]

I never expected you to be the type.

[Action]

[explosivecombat]

[Oh, he can tell, Mustang. Reading these things has never exactly been difficult for him; some situations are decidedly easier than most.

Kimblee isn't going to shy away from eye contact, however, turning to face Roy and burying his hands in his pockets. Roy has some very valid reasons to be angry with him, but he doesn't seem overly defensive.]

Normally? Not really. But I doubt you're here to express concern for my financial well-being.

[Action]

[king-of-flames.livejournal.com]

Of course not. I was just lucky enough to be passing by. If you want to bet yourself into the poorhouse, by all means be my guest.

text, to start; because Kimblee is probably tired of face-to-face Hughes time...

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ Maes is only sitting a few buildings away, in his room, when he gets the text. He's been a little disoriented, himself, but he's taking the time to analyze this, rather than punching slot machines in the face... ]

I think it is probably better to not think on it.

[text]

[explosivecombat]

[So Hughes is hearing it too. This is good; at the very least Hughes is closer to sane than several of the others Kimblee's dealt with here.]

In some ways, perhaps.

At the same time, you can't deny that getting answers for some of these things might be...nice, to say the least.

[text]

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ Why yes, he hears it loud and clear... and Maes is as sane as they come, really.

There's a lag between texts though, because he's uncertain if he should write the next part. ]

Yes, I would like to know where my weekend has gone.

[ He's wondering if you know what he means by that, Kimblee. Or if you just think he's gone crazy and went out drinking and was just shitfaced the entire weekend... ]

[text]

[exeggutorhead]

nobody's found out about the music, so far as I know.

recall any dreams from the last three days?

[Having been through the 'three missing days' thing for the third time now, Envy's not too surprised by it, even though it's the first time he's woken up in another city. But he is curious about how much other people remember or don't, because maybe there's a pattern to it.]

[text]

[explosivecombat]

I don't know if I would call them 'dreams', exactly. But yes.

[Honestly, they're closer to hallucinations, given the content, but Kimblee doesn't experience those particular...issues, shall we call them. This wouldn't be nearly as disturbing if he did.]

[text]

[exeggutorhead]

out of curiosity, what would you call them then?

[Action]

[fullmetalbro.livejournal.com]

[A Pikachu runs out into the street in front of Kimblee. He stops suddenly and cocks his head at him. He doesn't look like one of those NPCs walkin' around. And then....in the distance.]

GODDAMNIT, AURUM, GET YOUR FURRY LITTLE ASS BACK HERE!!

[The Pikachu grinned and ran to a pile of snow on the side of the road and made a little snow ball. He then beckoned towards the man in white. Distract his trainer, see him get another snowball in the face?

At that moment, Ed rounded the corner. There was still some snow clinging to his hair, and he didn't look too happy.]

Where are you, you little-

[He spots them.]

Aurum, get away from him, NOW!

[Action]

[explosivecombat]

[Oh, well, that's certainly new, isn't it? Kimblee will just be headtilting at the Pikachu for a moment; he's actually not terribly familiar with the species - it's obviously a rat of some sort, though it doesn't look like the...decidedly more ratlike purple thing that had been harassing Hughes a while back.

...however, Fullmetal's voice is rather obviously recognizable, and...oh dear, this thing is yours, isn't it. Given that it's both small and yellow, he isn't surprised - and judging from the snow, it's clearly got a bit of a mischievous streak, too.

Ed, he may not be fond of you, but he approves of your rat-thing already.]

Oh, come now, Fullmetal, you act as though I'm going to do it harm. Really, I think it would be capable of doing more to me than I am to it at this point - or have you forgotten how this place works?

[Action]

[fullmetalbro.livejournal.com]

No, it's not that. I'm more worried that you'll rub off on him than anything.

[Aha! His trainer is distracted with the white man! Aurum tosses the snow ball...

Which Ed just side-steps to dodge. Curses! He almost had three for three today!]

Nice try. Now get back here.

[The Pikachu huffs and returns to Ed, climbing on his shoulder.]

I got your message by the way. I think the only way to make the music stop is to destroy your own eardrums or invest in some good earplugs. I also noticed that I don't remember what happened the past three days either. It's like Johto decided to skip it or something.

[Action.]

[hasearthbooks.livejournal.com]

[Gorthan, now back in his perfectly human and terrestrial body, doesn't get you, Johto. Which is... quite alright, since he loves being surprised. Why is the paramount attraction for the loftier classes in Goldenrod... this? A casino, of all things? And the music, dear Evron! Who would ever want to listen to this? The fast, cheery sounds make Gorthan's head ache, before he realizes that there is no way that tune is ever getting out of his head now, so he might as well enjoy it.

He doesn't quite see Kimblee at first, since he's too dazzled by the bright colors and dazed by the brain-adhesive tune. Is this really what Earthlings believe is high-class entertainment nowadays?]

[action]

[explosivecombat]

[...not...high-class entertainment, no. More like entertainment for those with money to burn - there's a difference.

Of course, Kimblee doesn't exactly have a whole hell of a lot of money to burn, but he's here anyway. Constant stimulus tends to have an odd effect on him, calming him down instead of winding him up; he can simply shut his brain off for several hours and not have to think, though he never really loses himself in it - Pride had discovered that well enough, hadn't he? That had been amusing; he can't say that he hadn't died satisfied with himself.

He's at a point where he's not frustrated with the machines just yet; rather, he's morbidly fascinated by them, perfectly content to be overloaded by the constant barrage of colors and motion and sound. It's almost hypnotic, really; that said, his gaze remains there rather than on those entering and leaving the place.

...the fact that he surprisingly doesn't suck at slots is helping immensely when it comes to holding his attention. As little as one can actually be good at slots, his luck is actually holding up rather well, and he's currently in the process of trying to figure out line combinations and how they work; however, as the volume within the place is keeping most of his thought process internal, for all intents and purposes Kimblee appears to be just kind of zoned out in front of a slot machine. Once in a while muttering something to himself or reaching out in a vaguely dazed manner to trace something over the screen, but for the most part just kind of spacing hard.]

[action]

[hasearthbooks.livejournal.com]

[Finally, Gorthan spots Kimblee. His step as the alien approaches him is slow and leisurely. Eventually, he opts to stand a few feet behind Kimblee, hands joined behind his back as he always does when he's just standing idly.

How interesting that Kimblee would be into this kind of thing. And even more than that, what is interesting is the fact that he seems to have chosen a fairly methodical way of going about it.

The thing about Gorthan today is that there's quite a bit of... stuff on his mind. And as, as is often the case with him, he's halfway between wanting to share said stuff with more or less the first known person he sees and wanting to keep it to himself at all costs.

... As always, quoting lines from the Bard, followed by a small comment, is always a good way to test the waters before deciding to go in either direction. So, Kimblee, there will be a fairly long bit of murmuring going on behind your shoulders, the sound just loud enough to be heard alongside with the music as opposed to over it.]

"Wine loved I deeply, dice dearly; and in woman out-paramour'd the Turk;
false of heart, light of ear, bloody of hand; hog in sloth, fox
in stealth, wolf in greediness, dog in madness, lion in prey.
Let not the creaking of shoes nor the rustling of silks betray
thy poor heart to woman..."

... Women as temptation from some form of demonic force. ... Then again, this is from King Lear, a world where beauty and sin go hand in hand. But is that truly always the case? I think not.

[islandshore.livejournal.com]

[explosivecombat]

At this point, I can't say I'd be surprised if the latter proves to be the case, as nonsensical as it is.

[islandshore.livejournal.com]

[Action?]

[bent-causality.livejournal.com]

Lady! Please can you stop? Mousy really doesn't deserve that!

[Action works fine for me!]

[explosivecombat]

[Well, at the very least he catches the flying white thing through his peripheral vision; he's not quick enough to dodge it, but at the very least he manages to throw one of his arms up quickly enough to block it. He's mildly agitated for a moment, his first thought being that it was thrown by some upstart of a child, but his gaze soon falls on the pair of Pokémon having it out in the snow.

The sound of the voice soon draws his attention away from the little scene in front of him; oh, well! He recognizes this one, though he hasn't met her in person before.]

Ah, are these yours?

[His tone is more amused than anything, really, though he isn't being mocking.]

Re: [Action works fine for me!]

[bent-causality.livejournal.com]

Oh I am so sorry! Here um, let me help you clean off. They can really be a handful you know. I mean they're always fighting and um, I don't know what set them off this time but its always something! I don't think they like stopping until something's destroyed, you know?