tentacletrainer | Chapter 33; Accidental Video

[[Today, when the gear turns on, you get a lovely view of the sky and the calming sounds of water nearby. It's a beautiful day, for those of you not outside.

This serene setting is broken by a squeal from a Pokemon and a splash, then all falls quiet and calm again.

It's a few minutes before you hear something again. This something being another splash. And then on screen appears a Dratini with a quite pathetically wiggling Magikarp in it's mouth.

With a happy chirp it disappears off camera again, only to return a few moments later to rub all over the 'gear. And then off it goes. There's a squeal, a splash, and a few minutes later the familiar sight of this Dratini with another Magikarp, struggling in it's grasp. It disappears, it reappears to smother the Pokegear, rinse, wash, repeat.

This show goes on for some time, until finally - during one of its rubbing sessions - it stops and looks up. And then it simply begins to trill in excitement. Almost like if it doesn't make noise, it'll explode. It's also wiggling.

There is so much wiggling from this Dratini.]]

...V-vodka...what are you doing?

[[It seems this Dratini is none other than Vodka Derptini - also lovingly known as John - belonging to resident Rose Lalonde. And said trainer has found the little dragon Pokemon.

She appears momentarily on screen, picking up the 'gear, before turning to look at...oh.

It seems all those Magikarp the little wiggling dragon type had been collecting are in quite the pile of flopping. Meanwhile, the aforementioned culprit of this karp congregation is sitting next to said heap, wiggling as if waiting for praise.

Apparently those fish are a gift for his trainer.]]

...That's...very nice of you, John. Thank you very much. How sweet.

[[A few pats to the Dratini's head, followed by a multitude of elated chirps, lilts, warbles and purls, and the 'gear is shut off.]]

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Right, some freaky twin thing.

[ He leans one way, catching a branch with his hand to keep himself in the tree as he peers up through the branches. ]

I'd say 'first one to the top,' but 'top's pretty fucking ambiguous.

Not too ambiguous for a Strider though, right?

Well, we're gonna argue over who wins either way.

[ He steps sideways, onto a different branch that's roughly level with the one they were on. ]

True enough. So whomever reaches the top then? Will there be a prize for the winner?

We've gotta stop betting lunch dates on shit like this or you'll go broke.

[ He chuckles a little. ]

I'd say you can have a valuable moment of my time, but it's not like I've been limiting your supply. What else do you want from me?

Hmmm...

[[Now this actually gets sincere serious thought. She has all the time in the world to spend with him, obviously. He apparently doesn't plan on cutting her off. He already owes her sushi and she owes him thai...

And then she thinks back on part of their conversation earlier...]]

Will you take off your shades for me?

[ He glances down at her, a little surprised, even if he doesn't look it. And he shouldn't be, really; since it was brought up earlier, she was bound to be curious all over again.

The stigma's not broken — despite everything they've been through, yeah, his eyes are still a little weird. That's not the worst of it, though. He knows how much they must give away behind his shades, since he never has to worry about anyone seeing them. And at the same time, it's Rose. There's been enough give on her end for suitable blackmail; he's sure he's already seen more of her than she'd like. Fair's fair, right?

Not really, but if he doesn't take the bet, he'll look like a chickenshit. ]

... Sure.

[ Probably best to pretend it doesn't matter, he thinks, so he doesn't ask her what she'll offer him to balance the scales. ]

[[And a small smile.]]

And should you win? Or are you expecting to lose?

[ His eyes flicker briefly up the tree again as he considers. Money's hardly an object with them anymore; he only needs to ask sweetly enough to get her to buy him things. But while his time is relatively unlimited for her, it's often difficult for Dave to catch her away from John for very long. And anyway, there's someplace he's been meaning to visit— ]

You'll come up north to Ecruteak with me for a week.

[[Both of her eyebrows raise in a mixture of curiosity and surprise at those terms.]]

A week huh? I suppose that's do-able. I do warn you, it will have to wait a bit. John has plans for a date upon arrival in Goldenrod, after all. So if you think you can stand waiting in line for a bit, then I'll gladly accept those terms.

Yeah, I can live with that.

[ He steps a bit further to one side, to a branch only slightly lower than the one she's on, so that they're on virtually opposite sides of the tree trunk. ]

So, you ready to get left in the dust? Just so we're clear, that's dust bunnies, squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, possums, and probably fucking deer, too.

Only if you're prepared to be pleasantly surprised.

[[Finding herself a branch to use as her next move up, she glances around the tree at him.]]

On three?

[ He gives her a cursory glance before looking upward to plot his course. ]

One... two... three.

Chapter 33; Accidental Video

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