Session 53

Moth looks at the party, awaiting their answer.
Sam Spade: "…Um. What would you like us to do about it?"
Sam Spade: "I mean, I've never really heard of a cure for…um…clinical death."
Max Thorn: "I really don't want to have to say this, but…that body" —Max points to the mummified husk— "is dead. Irretrievably so. The only way to recover from that is through becoming a ghost pokémon."
Max Thorn: "And since that body's soul is still bound, that transformation isn't available."
Max Thorn: "Unless Lin has any ideas…?"
[OOC] Sam Spade: Mummified husk? Moth looked pale, but…
Moth: "Ghost? GHOST?!? Ha!"
Esme: "I mean, binding a soul isn't exactly /hard/."
[OOC] WC GM: Husk maybe, but no more mummified than the party is. Still, it's just an exaggeration.
Esme: "Maybe being constantly encased in a psionic field?"
Linnea: "Let's start with binding wounds instead of souls first, okay?"
Sam Spade: "…Would *he* let you?"
Sam Spade looks at the MewTwo.
Linnea starts digging bandages and potions out of her pack.
Sam Spade: "When did the doctors tell you that you had…you know?"
Linnea: "You know, the death."
Max Thorn: "I can't really speak to the metaphysics involved, but…decay can be kept at bay through a variety of techniques, including taxidermy and such."
Sam Spade: "And those are hardly relevant, Max, seeing as how those would require that the body not move. And Moth is moving all the time."
Esme quietly bums a bandage off of Lin to apply to poor Gervy, noting she'll reimburse her later.
Esme: "He's kind of a…unique case."
Moth: "Hmm." The MewTwo places hand to chin, though the voice still feels like it comes from the floating human. "A long time ago. Shortly after those tanks came to visit. I was much younger then."
Sam Spade: "Ah."
Max Thorn: "All it takes is some downtime, though. And his ability to move around /now/ hasn't anything to do with embalming techniques done years ago."
Moth: "They were wrong then, as they are now. I have even had a son - cloned, of course."
Sam Spade: "Yeah, but cloning doesn't require the parent to be alive."
Max Thorn: "(…Then again, self-deception can do a lot.)"
Sam Spade looks down at her hands.
Moth: "Would embalming have allowed me to still grow? When I say I was much younger, I mean I was not even an adult yet."
Sam Spade: "He's got a point, Max."
Sam Spade: "…In any case, irrelevant. Embalming would require that you let them embalm you."
Max Thorn: "And you have proof of this, right?"
Sam Spade: "MAX."
Sam Spade: "WE SAW IT."
Sam Spade: "HE SHOWED IT TO US."
Sam Spade looks at her hands again.
Max Thorn: "(We saw what he wanted us to see.)"
Sam Spade: "…We felt the attack with our own hands…"
Moth: "That I am an adult now?" Moth stiffly gestures to himself. "What proof do you need?"
Sam Spade: "Besides, Max, what good would it do to lie about that?"
Sam Spade: "We know Moth was a boy when Amoda attacked."
Max Thorn pinches the bridge of his nose.
Sam Spade: "We know he's full-grown now."
Sam Spade: "Because in the first case, he was newly-bonded with a MewTwo."
Sam Spade: "And in the second case, he's right here."
Sam Spade: "Unless he's under an illusion, which seems unlikely since the faceful of tea dropped the telekinesis."
Linnea starts applying bandages and a revive patch to Lulim, letting the rest of the more-informed party speak about the Mewtwo-puppeted corpse. Shit's weird, yo.
Moth: "No illusions right now. Last time I showed you history. Did you like it?"
Sam Spade looks directly at Moth, then at the MewTwo. Tears are shining in her eyes.
Sam Spade: "No. I didn't. But I appreciated it."
Sam Spade sniffles.
Esme does the same for Gerv as she listens to the ongoing conversation. "It was informative, at least?"
Moth: "Then you are welcome."
Sam Spade: "…Do you know what the bullet that Anna's dad shot you with did?"
The Mewtwo's head tilts, but still the voice comes from the human. "No. My Jaegers have not been able to find any records of it. But we know it ultimately came from Sandbar Harbor."
Sam Spade: "Ah."
Sam Spade: "…May…I have a closer look at your forehead?"
Moth floats down, feet dragging on the ground a bit, close to Sam. "If you wish."
Sam Spade closes her eyes, gulps, then opens them and inspects that blind third eye closely.
Yep, it's a bullet hole.
[OOC] Sam Spade: Healed up? Deep? Jagged? Anything I can tell about a wound that was made literally before I was born? Rolling Perception if that helps.
[OOC] WC GM: Do it.
Sam Spade rolled up 4d6: 16 (3 4 6 3) (Perception)
It is scabbed over somewhat, but Sam sees a glint or two within that could be the bullet. Way too deep to reach in and pluck by hand, though - and the power glow fades off right there, as if MewTwo's telekinesis can't touch it.
Sam Spade: "It's still in there."
Sam Spade is rather horrified.
Sam Spade: "…Did…"
Sam Spade gulps.
Sam Spade: "Did they ever try to get it out?"
Moth: "Did who ever try?"
Sam Spade: "The doctors. The ones who said you were dead."
Sam Spade: "Or…anyone else, really?"
Moth: "No? The doctors said I was dead. Not many others ever brought it up."
Moth: "It still hurts."
Linnea lets out a sigh as she finishes her bandaging work, letting Lulim rest for a moment. She turns to Sam- "Wait, what exactly are you digging into now?"
Sam Spade gulps again and takes a step away from Moth.
Sam Spade: "So. Before you joined us."
Max Thorn: "Could you show her the history lesson you gave us, please?"
Sam Spade: "We met Moth in the Pillars. And he showed us. He showed us the…"
Linnea: "Oh boy."
Sam Spade: "He showed us when the Amodans came with weird crystal bullets to try to take out Dojji's MewTwos before they became a threat."
Moth smiles. "Actually I prefer to hear you relate it, to make sure you understood it."
Linnea: "Right, okay…"
Esme: "In poketanks."
Sam Spade: "And we saw Anna's dad. Younger. He took out…Nine, I think. Another boy, just like Moth."
Sam Spade: "But we - in the vision he showed us - we couldn't do it, and he told us that was just like when it happened."
Moth: "Indeed. Nine of my brothers and sisters fell. But not me."
Sam Spade: "And then Anna's dad got out of his tank, and he used a gun, a small gun, and he shot…"
Max Thorn: "Amoda was divided about how to handle the mewtwos, and it affected even that battle."
Sam Spade is shaking, and having difficulty talking.
Linnea: "Okay, okay. Enough, Sam."
Linnea: "This… gentleman. Can tell me."
Moth: "And more, that I did not know that day."
[OOC] Sam Spade: Also, that was to cover up me looking at the flashbacks.
Sam Spade: "…I don't actually remember him shooting."
Sam Spade: "…which makes sense, if it was your memory you showed us. How could we see what happened right after you were shot…?"
Moth: "This bullet was…well, let us call it 'psychic feedback'. It was designed to hijack the bond between MewTwo and trainer, with unpleasant and fatal effects."
Sam Spade: "And the tank version worked."
Sam Spade: "And the handgun version…not so much."
Moth: "Actually, it appears to have been because I, well, 'intercepted' it in just the right spot."
Moth: "In a way I was dead from that, I suppose, breaking the link and preventing the effect."
Moth: "And yet…" Moth regards his arm as he moves it. "…here I am."
Max Thorn: "Lin…you're the expert here. Would you be willing to examine him?"
Sam Spade: "Yeah."
Max Thorn: "I…well. Shaymin invested in me some power to rejuvenate, but…I don't know if that power's meant for individuals or, um, regions like Dojji. And I didn't have that power when I was in Dojji or I'd have taken action *there*."
Sam Spade: "And…if the MewTwo's power can't touch it, I don't know if Shaymin's could."
Sam Spade: "…And there's enough power in Moth that *I* could feel it."
Sam Spade: "Except where that…bullet is."
Sam Spade hesitates.
Max Thorn: "It may require expertise from another being. Arceus, perhaps."
Sam Spade: "…Linnea?"
Sam Spade: "…Do you think it would come if you Doused for it?"
Esme: "Well, it's an anti-psychic bullet."
Esme: "I'd estimate that's why the Mewtwo can't do anything to it."
Sam Spade: "Yeah, that follows."
Linnea: "Well, this wouldn't be the first time I've seen a body dowsed…"
Linnea grimaces a moment, then moves in to inspect the area.
[OOC] WC GM: Roll Med Ed
Linnea rolled up 6d6: 16 (2 1 1 4 3 5) (Med Ed)
Esme takes this opportunity to check what's in that pouch she snatched up as opposed to staring into the skull of a possessed(?) child soldier.
Sam Spade: "Here I am, talking to you, and I still have no idea which possibility is true."
Linnea: "Huh…okay, so…"
Linnea: "This is some high-level Weird Shit going on."
Linnea: "First and foremost, this man's still alive."
Linnea: "Vegetative, but alive."
Esme: "Confusing but intriguing, go on."
Sam Spade: "So the doctors were wrong, which does answer your decay question!"
Linnea: "The material in that bullet is a countermeasure to Mewtwo. I'm not sure how extensive it is, since, well, look at this…"
Max Thorn: "…Also means my assumptions were wrong."
Linnea: "The wound's freshly scabbed, so there's still blood flow."
Max Thorn: "And that Shaymin's power isn't even remotely relevant, so that's out."
Linnea: "With no real offense intended, this man is essentially…uh…a meat puppet."
Linnea: "Chilling."
Sam Spade: "Yeah, but it makes sense."
Sam Spade: "Moth can't move his body."
Sam Spade: "But his MewTwo can read his mind, and move his body for him."
Linnea: "I can see the bullet, but no way in hell is anyone getting it out without some high class surgical equipment."
Sam Spade hesitates.
Max Thorn: "And without removing it, we don't know if removing it is going to be good or bad, yeah?"
Sam Spade: "Do you know if…your…partner? has regeneration powers?"
Esme finds two objects within the pouch: a badge made of a small smiling mask/crying mask pair on a grey wavy field suggestive of a curtain, all three elements seemingly made from sea shells or coral; and a pearl. Unlike gemstones, pearls are common treasures that most stores will buy; Esme estimates this pearl is big enough to be worth 10,000 pokeyen.
Esme: "Neat, and neat."
Linnea: "My partner? You mean, Miator? She's got the strength to send some pretty intense healing pulses but I'm not sure it'd work on something like this."
Esme: "Well, good job on Lin, mystery solved!"
Linnea: "It'd keep people on their feet but doesn't do anything for their more critical wounds."
Sam Spade: "Not your partner. His."
Max Thorn: "I…think that was directed at Moth."
Sam Spade nods to Moth.
Linnea: "Ooooooooooooooooooooh."
Moth: "Enhanced regeneration is not among a MewTwo's powers, no."
Linnea: "Isn't that more the alien's thing?"
Linnea: "The uh."
Linnea: "Deoxys?"
Esme: "Technically."
Sam Spade: "…Ah."
Sam Spade: "I'd been wondering if…well, best not to risk it, yes?"
Sam Spade hesitates.
Linnea: "Well, you can talk about it, at least."
Sam Spade: "…No point. Rather discuss the stuff that actually might help."
Sam Spade: "So…do you know where we might find a high-quality surgical…thing?"
Linnea looks like she's about to say something, pales a moment, and thinks better of it.
Max Thorn: "If I recall correctly…Moth's mind was transferred to the mewtwo as a result of that whole shindig. Hence, well. This. But where'd the mewtwo's mind go? Hopefully not into the human body, and hopefully not subsumed…"
Linnea: "There was that lab where we did the last shrapnel adventure…"
Moth: "Why, do you know where we could find a deoxys?"
Linnea: "No, just…"
Linnea: "Thinking out loud."
Max Thorn: "Closest thing for that's the rocket, and only if the deoxys deigns to appear. Arceus might…"
Linnea: "That's the longest of long shots on both accounts"
Esme: "Got any shorter shots?"
Linnea: "I'd have to sit down and do some serious thinking."
Max Thorn: "I think…we may be in a better position, on all fronts, when we get back from Gaela."
Linnea: "Like. I know what we might be trying to do. But why."
Max Thorn ponders, and taps an inquiry into his pokédex.
Moth: "Ah, you need time to research, then?"
Moth's face seems to flash into a grin.
Esme: "…Proooobably."
Linnea: "Sadly. This is hardly the best place for it, I'm afraid."
Max Thorn: "Yes. I don't think we can give you a definitive answer regarding your problem at the moment, in any event."
Moth: "I'll let you be. I need to have some words with that gym leader."
Linnea: "… Welp."
Max Thorn: "See if you can get him to quit using Metronome while you're talking to him."
Sam Spade: "I think, Max, that'll be up to us."
Linnea: "My condolences to next of kin."
Max Thorn: "It's, um, hardly sporting."
The MewTwo and human drift off quickly toward the exit Dramaticus took. "That is among the words I intend, yes."
And then the party is alone.
Linnea: "…I'm too sober for this."
Esme: "I'd say that went better than last time."
Sam Spade: "Back to the bar?"
Linnea: "Please."
Sam Spade: "Okay."
Sam Spade puts an arm around Linnea and starts walking back to the bar.
Sam Spade: "Everyone else?"
Linnea sighs and allows herself to be led off.
Esme: "Not like we have anywhere else to go, at the moment."
Max Thorn: "…Scale Mount's probably his best bet. Sandbar Harbor used to be able to give 'em a run for their money, but with the way the psychics have all been gathered up by Jaeger…"
Esme: "Ugh."
Sam Spade: "Mmm. I'd rank Linnea here up against any of those fancy surgeons and their years of experience."
Max Thorn: "The league HQ's hospital would also be competitive, but…well y'know."
Sam Spade: "Quite."
Max Thorn stands, then makes his way toward the exit…
Linnea: "Ha ha ha…I'd be more along the lines of a first responder. But when it's down to the count, we all gonna buckle down and try…"
The party gets more than a few looks as they head back to the tavern. Then again, the party is among the few who do not openly wear Jaeger uniforms. Even the young children running around have something approximating the uniforms.
Max Thorn: "I think we did pretty good with Nurse Joy when we picked the shrapnel out of her…"
Max Thorn: "And this is kinda the same thing, only the stakes are higher."
Linnea: "Technology, eh."
Sam Spade squeezes Linnea, then lets go and follows her into the bar.
[OOC] Sam Spade: Is Accordion Jaeger back?
[OOC] Max Thorn: Nobody grabbing Max's packet on the way out?
[OOC] Max Thorn: Cos *he* certainly isn't going to.
[OOC] WC GM: Esme grabbed it, yes?
[OOC] Sam Spade: Sam, actually.
[OOC] WC GM: Or was that Sam - ah, K.
[OOC] Esme: ^
[OOC] Sam Spade: It's in her bag, next to her own.
[OOC] Max Thorn: Okay, good.
Upon finally getting back - the previous song leader is no longer present, but Tim is leading a cheer.
[OOC] Max Thorn: Juuuuust checking.
Tim: "…two, three, four, who do we all work for?"
Tavern Goers: "JAEGERS!"
Tim: "Darn right. And who's gonna win our fight?"
Tavern Goers: "JAEGERS!"
Tim smiles and poses, to a round of applause. "Alright!"
Linnea: "… Aheh."
Max Thorn: "…Y'know, I always wanted to try a Jägerbomb…"
Tim spies the group, waves, and approaches. "Hey there! I thought some morale boosting was in order. How'd your match go?"
Linnea: "It went."
Max Thorn: "Explosively."
Max Thorn: "And then your dad showed up and ruined it. We had a nice chat, though."
Max Thorn: "A much more pleasant one than the last one we had, even."
Esme pins her badge into her case, showing it off to Tim. "I wouldn't say 'ruined'. Awkward though."
One of the Jaegers gets a large slab of raw meat from the bartender. She opens the door and tosses it in the air. A sharpedo leaps over the plankwalk, snatches the slab mid-jump, and is already gnawing on it before reentering the water.
Max Thorn: "Come, now. We lost. I don't care what Dramaticus says, giving us the badge to spite Moth is wrong."
Sam Spade: "Eh. We kinda lost, but your dad decided he wanted to challenge the gym, and then Dramaticus got all dramatic on us and said we'd already won so he didn't have to fight Moth and. Yeah."
Esme: "Pfft."
Esme: "I'm taking it as an advance on 'dealing with things above our pay grade'."
Tim: "Huh. You lost but got the badge anyway? …are you going to rechallenge?"
Sam Spade: "YES."
Max Thorn goes over to the bar and takes a seat. "Of course I am."
Sam Spade clenches a fist.
Linnea: "I mean, yeah."
Sam Spade: "Besides."
Sam Spade relaxes her fist.
Sam Spade: "He…Dramaticus…is in pain."
Sam Spade: "Isn't that something we should do something about?"
Esme shrugs. "I /guess/ we are."
Tim: "Let's take a night to rest first, then. I checked on the local pokecenter and it kind of, well, isn't."
Max Thorn: "Could I get, mmm…a jägerbomb, then a pina colada to follow when I'm done with that, please?"
Max Thorn nods to Sam. "Yes. But we need to be able to sit down with him to discuss that."
Max Thorn: "Which we can't do while he's occupied with Moth."
Sam Spade looks at Tim.
Sam Spade: "…Do you know where we can stay, then?"
Linnea: "Jägerbomb and something firey after that. I know I'm gonna have regrets later but it's gonna be better than the weird shit I've already been through."
The bartender nods, adding another pair of glasses after a trio of…yes, it looks like he was about to jägertrain. Knocking one glass into the next, toppling bomb-shots into glasses of beer one at a time, the bartender mixes up three glasses, serving one to Max, one to Linnea, and the others to the seemingly-brother-sister pair from before.
Esme takes a seat, and dumps a handful of blue shards onto the table, getting to work. "While we aren't dealing with weird stuff and I'm still thinking about it…"
The bartender then gets to a pair of pina coladas, adding an unidentified liquid to Linnea's.
Sam Spade slides down next to Esme. "What are you working on?"
Tim: "Well. There are spare rooms above this place that no one's using. The bartender says we can use them tonight, so long as we clean up after ourselves."
Esme: "Just something for Gervy. He's a big boy now but…" She sighs with a smile. "…if our last two matches are any indication, he's still not used to it. So something to help him balance!"
Tim then stage-whispers to Sam, "Just don't ask the bartender's name. Trust me, just don't."
Max Thorn addresses his jägerbomb…
Esme weaves her hands doing her usual lightshow, her artifice ending with a-*Twing*??
Esme: "Huh. Less noise."
Max Thorn: "Must be getting better at it."
Sam Spade winks back to Tim.
Sam Spade: "I'm…really more interested in the Jaeger who was playing an accordion earlier. Do you know what his name is?"
Max is well aware of the sourcing of ingredients. The jäger part is a recipe of Dojjian origin, and between Team Jaeger's invasion and how long they last, this brew may well have been made in Dojji. The beer comes from Amoda, most likely Metro Beach or Dugburg.
Max Thorn finishes the jägerbomb in fairly short order, then sets the glass down and transfers his attention to the pina colada, which he takes more slowly.
Tim smiles and shakes his head. "Like you can't guess?"
Sam Spade: "Is it Comeditus?"
Sam Spade: "Or was he being overly dramatic earlier?"
Max Thorn: "Certainly isn't 'Musica'. I hope."
Tim: "He doesn't go by a name when he's here, because…" Tim eyerolls, still smiling, and air-quotes. "'Names imply identity. Identity means consequences. From consequences come draaama.'"
Esme looks over the small blue bracelet she's made. "Eh. Same level of efficiency in shard use. Probably something weird."
Esme: "…though not as weird as that guy, apparently."
Sam Spade: "Ah. I'd been wondering if he had a personality…thing."
Max Thorn: "Probably waiting for Dramaticus to quit being a drama queen."
Max Thorn: "Or king, I guess."
Tim grabs some pineapple juice and sips. "He does. That's why this town likes him."
Sam Spade: "…Seriously, Max?"
Max Thorn looks innocent.
Tim snickers, then coughs briefly - looks like that was not the best idea while sipping.
Sam Spade: "Sometimes I wonder about you."
Tim: "I heard he's only a drama baron at most, though."
Linnea: "He's never gonna move up if he doesn't broaden his horizons."
Sam Spade: "Perhaps a drama count."
Max Thorn snorts.
Max Thorn , meanwhile, asks his pokédex about hotels or whatever available in Shady Narrows…
Tim: "How does that ranking system work? Is a baron more than a count? Oh! If it's alphabetical, then what's A-rank? Archsomething?"
Esme: "Aim for drama duke!"
Tim nods. "Archsomething, baron, count, duke…earl?"
Max Thorn: "King or queen, prince or princess, duke or duchess, count or countess or earl, marquis or marchess or something…baron's the second lowest, after lord or lady. I think."
Max Thorn: "The actual hierarchy varies from region to region."
Max Thorn: "Some have viscounts."
Linnea: "And then you have the drama anarchists…"
Max Thorn: "Archduke?"
Shady Narrows lists two small hotels: the Easy Egress near the eastern, ocean end of town; and Gem's Point, at the southwestern end, advertising easy access to Onix Peaks and Sandbar Harbor. Both of them charge more than "free" , the presumed price of the tavern rooms.
Esme perks. "I should dowse, if we're going to be hanging around here for a bit."
Max Thorn: "So…our choices are…here, Easy Egress, and Gem's Point. Gem's Point'll take us to Onix Peaks and Sandbar Harbor."
Linnea: "I'll be with Esme, then. Can't just pass up bits of treasure."
Max Thorn: "Both Easy Egress and Gem's Point charge, though."
Esme: "How much?"
Max Thorn checks…
The prices do not come up on Max's pokedex. However, both are within walking distance: Shady Narrows is one of the smallest proper towns, possibly the smallest, in Amoda.
Sam Spade grins.
Sam Spade: "But this is the one that our conversational partner is going to visit, isn't it?"
Max Thorn: "Doesn't say, but we can go ask. Shady Narrows isn't *that* big."
Sam Spade: "I mean, the other person we've been talking to - he won't come here. But we can't help him right now, that'll be later."
Tim: "If you want to check out the city, go ahead. I'll hang around here for a while."
Sam Spade is going to…eh, wander around with the group.
[OOC] WC GM: Sticking together, or splitting up?
[OOC] Linnea: I'm gonna dowse with Esme.
Max Thorn: "I'll check Easy Egress, I think."
Esme: "I'll make a way towards the other while I dowse then. Gem Point, was it?"
Linnea: "Gem Point."
Max Thorn: "Yup. Easy Egress is east, Gem's Point is southwest."
Max Thorn finishes his pina colada and puts some Pokéyen down to cover the cost of the booze.
[OOC] Sam Spade: I'll go with Max, keep him out of any verbal gaffes.
Esme: "Southwest it is then." Esme rolls out.
Max Thorn heads on out to the eastern hotel…
Linnea steps out alongside Esme.
It does not take long for first Linnea's, then moments later Esme's, dowsing to start pinging. A bit off the main throughway, toward…well, this WAS a building, and not in a pillar. Which is good, because it is now burned to the plank level - somehow without more than charring the planks. But there are shards within.
[OOC] Esme: Chug a lug
At about the same time, Max and Sam come across the ruined, looted, decaying shell of what used to be the local pokecenter.
Esme rolled up 10d6, success >= 4, exploding >= 6: 1 1 5 2 3 6 5 4 6 2 2 4 (2 explosions)
[OOC] WC GM: Perception checks from Linnea & Esme to find out what this building used to be, though you can probably guess.
Max Thorn: "…And that's why we wanted to prepare to go without."
Sam Spade: "Yeah."
Esme rolled up 2d6: 10 (6 4) (Can't see anything but dollar signs)
Linnea rolled up 2d6: 3 (1 2) (Perception)
[OOC] Sam Spade: Pokemart?
Esme finds a half-melted police badge among the ashes and shards.
[OOC] Sam Spade: Oh, right.
Esme points it out to Lin.
…the large, sturdy clump of ash it is near could possibly be a burnt skeleton, left to the elements for a while.
Linnea: "Oh dear…"
Max Thorn continues on.
Esme rolled up 1d6, success >= 4, exploding >= 6: 6 1 (1 explosions)
Linnea rolled up 8d6, success >= 4, exploding >= 6: 5 1 6 2 1 2 5 6 4 4 (2 explosions)
Linnea rolled up 8d6, success >= 4, exploding >= 6: 6 4 4 5 6 6 3 4 1 4 6 2 (4 explosions)
Linnea rolled up 8d6, success >= 4, exploding >= 6: 4 1 2 3 6 4 4 5 3 (1 explosions)
Esme rolled up 10d6, success >= 4, exploding >= 6: 4 4 5 1 3 1 1 5 3 1 (0 explosions)
Esme rolled up 10d6, success >= 4, exploding >= 6: 6 3 6 4 6 5 2 5 1 4 3 5 2 (3 explosions)
Sam Spade: "Why…did it get so bad here? We're on the far side of Amoda from Dojji."
Sam Spade: "I'd expect something like this in Fort Blaston."
[OOC] Esme: 19 hopefully violet?
Max Thorn: "Proximity to Sandbar Harbor, perhaps?"
Sam Spade: "But Sandbar Harbor isn't like this, is it?"
[OOC] WC GM: Yeah, violet shards here.
[OOC] Linnea: 25 successes, myself.
Esme claps her hands together. "Finally!"
Linnea: "Oh?"
Linnea: "Favored type?"
Max Thorn: "Haven't been to Sandbar Harbor for a while now, but I don't recall hearing much about any trouble there."
Sam and Max reach their hotel destination first. Built between two shafts, the Easy Egress has elevators down to a floating dock, the exact level shifting with the tides, with maps posted of the local shoals. The smell of the sea is especially strong here; the lobby has a small restaurant to one side, that specializes in seafood.
Max Thorn: "Beyond the whole 'catch all the psychics' thing, that is."
Esme: "W-well yes, but also the only type I was missing." She crouches down and etches out a circle. "So now…"
Max Thorn: "Parents went into hiding 'round when that started, too, so…"
Going up, the Easy Egress seems a bit ramshackle, but supports two floors of rooms above the lobby floor.
Max Thorn steps up to the front desk. "Excuse me…how much would rooms for five be?"
Esme's circle overlaps what was probably the local jail area. No ex-skeletons here, though.
Linnea quiets down, and watches with interest.
The clerk looks up. "Arr, which ship're you with?"
Max Thorn: "No ship; my group's pokémon trainers."
Sam Spade: "We got a ride in, but she already left, actually."
[OOC] Sam Spade: HA! They'll think 'she' referred to the boat we came in on.
[OOC] Esme: Pfft
The clerk - a bearded type with an eyepatch - narrows his remaining eye at Max. "The Egress's for seafarers. Five hun'red a room per night fer landlubbers like yerself, an' fer five you'll want three rooms."
Sam Spade raises an eyebrow at Max.
Sam Spade: "Does it really mean that much to you to be here?"
Clerk: "An' if yer ship's sailed without ye, yer a landlubber."
Max Thorn: "(No. I hope they have better luck at Gem's Point.)"
[OOC] WC GM: Indeed, the clerk does have that perception.
Max Thorn: "Mmm. Thanks anyway, we'll be in touch."
Sam Spade rolls her eyes at Max. Still, she's not here looking for rooms, when Tim has that in hand. She's here looking for Dramaticus. Or Dramaticus pursued by Moth, which-
Sam Spade: "…Crap, I forgot to ask. Hey, do you know why Moth is so angry with Dramaticus?"
Esme then places two of each shard color along its edge in order. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and finally Violet. "And then just give it the right touch~!" She flicks her wrists, and light etches between the shards. They vibrate, before slamming into each other at the center in a flash and *Twing!*.
Sam Spade: "And vice-versa?"
Max Thorn about-faces, and pauses.
Sam Spade looks at the clerk, looking curiously and not looking like she's looking intently even when she is.
A small sphere, swirling with a rainbow of color, remains where the shards once were.
Linnea: "…What's that, then?"
Linnea: "Other than quite aesthetically pleasing."
Esme: "A Rainbow Gem!"
Linnea: "Huuuuuuuuuuuuuh."
Linnea: "But does it…do anything? I know the other stuff you made boosted type specific powers or certain abilities..>"
Esme: "It's like a focus gem, but typically much rarer and more adaptable. Anyone can use them, though-" She picks it up, and the colors immediately align themselves to a bright silver sheen. "-Uh. Anyway, anyone can, but someone more versed in the occult can adjust its strength to their needs." She sockets it into the choker around her neck.
Linnea: "Intriguing."
Clerk: "Hmm. Well. So Dramaticus's an honorary Jaeger. He kinda cracked wit' the invasion."
Esme: "Stumbled across them when I was doing research on Plates." She looks Linnea up and down. "You'd probably be able to change yours, if you had on-Oh right!."
Esme quickly sets up another circle and repeats the process, leaving the gem for Linnea. "For the medicine!"
Linnea: "Ehh?!"
Linnea: "Oh uh…oh, thanks!"
Clerk: "Surrendered, straight up. Put on plays wit' the comedy an' the sorrow o' what all went on."
Linnea: "Though, speaking of gems…"
Clerk: "An', well, y'know what happens wit' those who speak truth t' power, don'tcha?"
Linnea: "We still have that hotel to look into, right?"
Sam Spade: "Ahhhh."
Sam Spade blinks.
Sam Spade: "And Moth visits and gets to hear truth and…shows as much appreciation as those with power usually do."
Clerk: "Moth ha'n't been out this way much, an' Dramaticus's always been scarce when Moth was here before."
Clerk: "It'd take somethin' important t' drag Dramaticus into one spot long enough ta…"
The clerk blinks.
Leaning toward Sam and Max, the clerk whispers, "Did ya say ye were…pokemon trainers? Here t' challenge the gym?"
Esme: "Oui! No more distractions!" She heads out of the charred station. Productive!
Max Thorn: "We did challenge the gym, yes."
Sam Spade: "…Yeah."
Max Thorn: "Explosions were involved. And then Moth came in and Dramaticus gave us the win to spite him, despite said explosions."
Sam Spade: "It was going…well, it was going, till Moth showed up."
Clerk: "Y'arr, ha ha. That'd do it. Loony he may be, but Dramaticus still takes 'is gym leadin' seriously."
Clerk: "So, is Dramaticus still alive, or…?" The clerk draws a line across his neck with one finger.
Max Thorn: "Still alive, as far as I know."
Sam Spade: "He left. We talked to Moth for a bit. He seemed…calm, but emphasis with Moth is always on the 'seemed.'"
Sam Spade: "Then Moth left, to have a word with Dramaticus, as he said, and we haven't seen either since."
Gem's Point is…shiny. A pillar, but a pillar of…no, those can not possibly be gems, surely that is a pillar of colored glass. It positively blings and gleams in the sunlight, especially compared to the rest of Shady Narrows, though fortunately the brightest beams of reflected light are all directed away from plank level.
Clerk: "Arr? Well, then my money's on Dramaticus bein' alive. He's always been a wily one."
Esme: "…Stands out."
Linnea: "No joke."
Clerk: "Master o' disguise. Why, 'e could even be ME!" The clerk points to himself with both hands, wide-eyed. He relaxes a moment later. "I mean, 'e's not, but 'e coulda been."
Sam Spade grins.
Sam Spade: "Thanks for that, then."
Clerk: "Y'arr. 'E's actually th' secon' boat from the left downstairs, if ye wanna…"
Dramaticus's voice comes up from below. "Hey! Now I have to find a new hiding spot!"
Clerk: "Sorry!"
Sam Spade blinks.
Sam Spade runs downstairs.
Esme manages to find the door amidst the shininess, and attempts to head inside to make inquiries.
Inside is slightly less bling, though that is an easy bar to clear. It is not exactly posh, but allusions to posh: red leather, comfortable seats, the very faint scent of incense pushing out the smell of the sea.
Max Thorn decides to chill in the lobby for now. "So…500 per room per night, huh?"
The Egress clerk nods at Max. "Aye."
Max Thorn: "Nonnegotiable?"
Egress Clerk: "I don't set the rates, mate. 500 if ye don' 'ave a ship docked wit' us. 100 if ye do…'course, then there's dockin' fees."
Max Thorn taps in a note to Esmé and Lin. "Easy Egress is 500 per room per night, with three rooms for the five of us. Assuming Tim joins in, that is."
Egress Clerk: "An' I tell ye, I t'ink that's the real scam. I worked it out a couple times, an' it roughly comes ta 250 ta 300 per person. That includes fuel an' all, but still. Ya look like th' type what can math."
Esme takes note, and taps back, "Just got to Gem Point! Checking their rates. Looks fancy, though." , adding in a quick snapshot of the lobby before she heads up to presumably the front desk.
Max Thorn: "Yeah. They always make it up in fees, and I'm sure the restaurant bilks ya too, right?"
A tuxedo-clad lady stands at attention behind the Gem's Point's desk, and looks at Esme and Linnea as they come in. "Hello, and welcome to Gem's Point. May I be of assistance?"
Egress Clerk: "Y'arr. Though no' THAT much; we serve th' townsfolk too. Honestly, these days we just charge all meals t' the Jaegers; it's close enough."
Egress Clerk: "Tha' said, it's a bureaucratic charge what few people look at." He eyes Sam. "An' YE look like the type what know exactly what that means, aye lass?"
Esme: "Ah! Bonjour! I am Esme Duval, of the Fontaine-Duval estate, and this is Linnea-" She pauses. "…Maylithos! We were wondering if you had any rooms available, and the pricing!"
[OOC] Sam Spade: Sam ran downstairs to try to catch Dramaticus?
[OOC] WC GM: Downstairs is still visible from the lobby.
[OOC] Sam Spade: Ah. Is Dramaticus? =p
Sam finds an open slot in the second berth from the left.
Sam Spade hesitates, then calls back up.
Linnea: "Maylithos, yes."
Sam Spade: "I have absolutely no clue what you're talking about. None whatsoever."
Max Thorn: "…Could you bill the Jaegers for our rooms? I mean…our minder's with us…"
Otherwise this is quite an impressively docked-up marina, though most of the boats have a familiar "J" on them. Which is a bit surprising - Team Jaeger does not look like the type to sail - but at least the Js may have been applied in the past year or two, if not the entire boat constructions.
Sam Spade: "And if anyone asks, you can feel free to tell them that I had no more clue about it than you…"
Sam Spade hesitates.
Egress Clerk: "Oho? A Jaeger team? Well, I'd need yer minder ta be 'ere an' do it, but if 'e 'as th' Team pay, sure th' Team could pay."
Sam Spade: "Um. When you said Dramaticus was the second boat to the left, did you mean…he was ON the second boat to the left, or is he just that good at disguise?"
Max Thorn taps in an inquiry with Tim.
Gem Clerk: "Ah, very good. Are you…registered?"
Esme: "…Ah?"
Tim does not immediately respond to Max.
Gem Clerk: "With the Miners? Or the Navigators?" Esme and Linnea can hear the capitalization.
Max Thorn: "Mmm. He seems to be occupied just now."
Esme: "I'm registered as…a Trainer?" She holds up her pokedex.
Linnea: "We're miners, of a sort…"
Egress Clerk: "'E's just that good. Gone already, is he?"
Sam Spade: "Maybe because he went to the effort to secure us lodging and you told him it wasn't good enough?"
Sam Spade: "Still, if Dramaticus has left, then I should…hmm."
Egress Clerk: "Aharr. By th' way, you two not bein' from 'ere…'ow much do ya know 'bout shipbuildin'?"
Sam Spade looks around, finds a boat hook, and carefully pokes it into the empty berth. It is empty…right?
Max Thorn: "Enough to know I should hire someone to do it for me?"
Gem Clerk: "I…see." She squints. "…I do not recognize that last badge. Is it Bay Island's?"
Esme: "Oui! Newly acquired."
The berth is indeed empty.
Gem Clerk: "I see. Then are you an acquaintance of…ugh…Gem John?"
Sam Spade: "…Okay, he's skedaddled."
Linnea: "Uh…we'll go with that."
Esme: "Gem…Oh!" She claps her hands together. "Yes, we met him briefly before leaving."
Sam Spade: "I'm gonna see if I can have a few words with him."
Sam Spade forces herself back up the stairs.
The Gem's Point clerk rolls her eyes hard. "If my idiot brother will sponsor you, fiiine, 100 per person per night."
Linnea: "Whoa."
Gem Clerk: "But ONLY if he's sponsoring you."
Max Thorn: "Well. I guess back to the tavern for now."
Sam Spade: "Mmm. If he's hiding from Moth, he's probably not going to go back to the tavern immediately. I'm going to keep walking around town for a bit, to see if I can figure out his patterns."
Linnea: "(I mean…funding us is kind of like sponsoring us, right…?)"
Esme taps in a note to Max, relaying the cost. '100/person/night. Gem John's Sister is the clerk here!'
Esme: "(I guess? We left on good terms and everything…)"
[OOC] Sam Spade: But he said he was gonna help cover up for us stealing from Lugia, so he may not want to admit he knows us.
Max Thorn responds, "Probably a better deal. Maybe raise Gem John in a bit and see how he feels about it?"
Gem Clerk: "I'll ask him right now." She pulls out…you are not certain, but it looks like a stylized pokedex…and calls. "Oh brother dear, this is your sister. …yes, Gem Jane; you don't recog…yes, yes, I suppose I could buy a better connec…ANYWAY. I'm calling about a pair of trainers who say they met you?"
Esme counter-responds. "Actually the only reason she's considering it is if he's 'Sponsoring' us. Was asking before if we were registered 'Miners' or 'NavigShe's calling him now!"
Gem Jane's face pales. "They. WHAT?!? Umm." She eyeball Esme and Linnea. "Yes, yes, I've got two of…the second and third." Then her jaw drops.
Esme tap tap taps. "It's going… well?"
Gem Jane: "Uh. If they have HER favor…"
Linnea looks just about as pale as Jane before she just sort of goes 'oh' and recovers a little.
Max Thorn taptap. "…'Well' in what sense?"
Esme just smiles innocently.
Gem Jane sighs. "I will. But PLEASE consider moving your shop, alright? I heard about the dunking, and I worry about you! Well obviously you didn't dro-…look, I've got to deal with them, alright? Later." She disconnects.
Sam Spade starts working her way down the street, keeping a careful but subtle eye on the passerby. If Dramaticus is THAT good a disguise artist…
Sam gets the impression that any one of the planks that make up the street could be eyeing her, judging her, looking right up at her as she steps on it.
Gem Jane clears her throat and tries to regain her cool demeanor. "So. I have been given information that changes your situation."
Gem Jane: "I am willing to offer free rooms one one condition!"
Esme: "Oh~!"
Linnea: "…That being?"
[OOC] Sam Spade: Sam isn't paranoid! Really. ….Much.
[OOC] Sam Spade: Did that guy really say Dramaticus WAS a ship!?
[OOC] Sam Spade: Can't trust anything anymore…!
[OOC] WC GM: He did. Probably just a dinghy, though.
Gem Jane: "Once you have done…whatever business you have in town, you head immediately to Onyx Peaks and assist my brother there, Gem Jim."
Gem Jane: "Let me know when you wish to leave town. I can give you…let's just say, rapid transportation."
Esme messages. "We could stay for free! But she asks that we go to help out their brother in Onix Peaks after; Willing to provide transportation as well."
Esme: "…What kind of help does he need?"
Linnea: "Sounds like an adventure."
Gem Jane: "He can brief you better than I can, but as I recall it involves some crystal onyxes going wild."
Gem Jane: "I highly advise bringing sunglasses."
Max Thorn relays that to Sam.
Gem Jane: "Or at least goggles."
Max Thorn taps back, "We were gonna go do that at some point anyhow."
Linnea: "Advised."
Esme rubs her chin. "I'm honestly surprised I don't have any yet. But sure!"
Sam Spade grimaces. If Dramaticus is really THAT good at disguise, then he could be anywhere, and her eyes aren't going to be good enough to recognize him.
Max Thorn heads out into the street, walking slowly as he thinks things over..
Gem Jane: "You swear, then, that you will assist my brother?"
Sam Spade blinks. Finding him would be difficult, if not impossible. But…his name is Dramaticus, after all. Finding him may not be necessary.
Esme gives a thumbs up, after checking her return message from Max. "Looks like!"
Sam Spade clenches a fist and raises it in front of her. "I swear, Dramaticus, we will face you again in battle, and soon!"
Dramaticus: "But first could you please get off my face?" …that came from right beneath Sam.
Sam Spade steps to the side.
Sam Spade: "You really were a plank!?"
The plank Sam was just standing on leaps up, shakes off…that was Dramaticus, hiding as the missing part of a broken plank. (One of the larger ones, more than large enough to contain his body's volume.)
Max Thorn: "Nah, he was just board."
Linnea: "…………………"
[OOC] Linnea: Oops, wrong locale.
As it happens, this is just outside Gem's Point, close enough for Linnea to overhear the exchange.
[OOC] WC GM: Me? Unsplit the party? :P
Linnea: "You're despicable, Max."
Sam Spade hesitates.
Sam Spade: "…He and I, at least, want a rematch. But…maybe with less histrionics?"
Max Thorn looks innocent again.
Esme: "Oh hey, everyone else is here!"
Gem Jane hands a keyfob to Esme. "Third floor, suite D. When you are ready to check out, let me know and your transportation will be our roof."
Max Thorn: "Metronome is hardly dramatic, either."
Max Thorn: "Real drama is planned meticulously, not off-the-cuff."
Dramaticus looks around. "…can we at least retire indoors before Moth catches up?"
Sam Spade: "Certainly."
Sam Spade: "That's a kind of drama I think we'd all like to avoid."
Max Thorn: "Indeed."

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