victory_road | [Video]

_{[When on video, Wrath is typically seen running loose and wild on the streets of Goldenrod, but today he's in a house. A house that seems empty except for him and various Pokemon that occasionally wander past in the background. He's sitting on the couch in the living room, surrounded by general clutter (empty Swirlix-Pop bags, loose papers, assorted clothing that may or may not belong to him) that shouldn't really surprise anybody who has known him longer than a day. There's some noisy slurping noises from off-screen where his Granbull is licking a hamburger wrapper.]

[And also there's a huge hole in the wall. It's jagged and bits of drywall are sticking out. You can see the yard (and more Pokemon) through it.]

[Wrath does not acknowledge this.]

[Instead, he pulls a Swirlix-pop from his mouth with an audible smack and taps it on his chin thoughtfully, leaving ominous red splotches.]}

Sometimes in life, you have to make choices.

But other times, you don't.

Those are just some of the times that happen in life.

Thoughts.

_{[Who left him alone in their house.]}

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

....Wrath?

[Lust really isn't sure where to start. Obviously, some...escapades are to be expected, with Wrath having access to the house and no one there. It isn't as though they can have someone watch him - who could they possibly ask? Who would he even listen to? He can generally take care of himself, and she has been checking in with him. It isn't as though he's some helpless normal child left alone.]

[But major destruction of the exterior walls had not once crossed her mind. Nor come up in conversation prior.]

Is....everything alright at home?

_{[Wrath perks up when Lust comes on the screen, as he always does. Kind of like the house Eevees.]

[But he just tilts her head at the question, as though mildly confused about why she might be asking.]}

Yes.

Are you sure?

[Lust purses her lips. Having these kinds of discussions with Wrath, they require very special thinking.]

You know in those magazines with all the activities and games in them that I like to do with you?

[By which she means what she passes of educational workbooks as, in the hopes of actually educating Wrath properly.]

Where they show a picture, and we have to point out what's wrong or unusual or shouldn't be there? Imagine the room behind you is one of those pictures.

What's wrong with what you see? What shouldn't be there?

_{[IT'S NOT THAT HE'S STUPID. JUST. UNIQUE-MINDED.]

[Obligingly, he stands right up on the couch (be glad that he continues to be allergic to shoes, otherwise he definitely would have been wearing them) and looks at the scene behind him.]

[He looks for a really long time.]

[Then makes a !! noise, hops OVER the back of the couch, and heads in the direction of the hole!]

[Where he rights a vase that had been laying on its side on the table nearby. WHEW, good thing he noticed that or ALL the water might have run out! Only most of it did.]}

[There are a great many things Lust is thankful for, when it comes to Wrath.]

That's one of the things wrong, yes! Very good for spotting it. But remember there's always more than one thing wrong.

[Lust is prepared for that sort of response - there are indeed, technically, multiple things wrong. Some smaller than others. Enough time with Wrath and it was easier to understand the way he thinks.]

Can you see what else is different in the room? Something...big, perhaps?

[And right there.]

_{[He looks.]

[He points questioningly to the door.]

[Which has nothing wrong with it.]}

[To her credit, Lust turns the 'gear away - toward Guttle, in fact - to bury her face in her hands and growl quietly in frustration.]

[Her face is pleasant and calm when she turns it back.]

The hole, Wrath.

The hole in the wall shouldn't be there, should it? It wasn't there when I left.

_{[It's going to be okay, Lust.]

[Realization dawns on Wrath's face when she finally reveals what she's talking about.]}

Oh, that.

We were playing.

Then we remembered everyone saying that wall needed to go away for the new pieces, so we made it bigger.

Then we got bored.

[Lust needs to take a moment to pull the various ideas apart and put them together in a way that explained anything.]

I...

New pieces?

[Nope, she can't do it.]

Wrath, my dearest little one, I'm afraid you've lost me. Just...please don't put any more holes in the wall. What if it rains? What's going to keep the rain out?

[Most people might be worried about burgalers, but Lust would like to see the thief that tried to take on that house. Even with only Wrath and the pokemon there.]

_{[Shark House never has, and never will, need to worry about burglars.]

[He tips his head again.]}

It's very sunny out.

Also, there aren't any holes in the roof.

_{[Expecting him to think about weather hypotheticals is apparently too much.]}

It's sunny right now. It won't always be. And when it rains, the rain will get in - like when a window's open during a storm.

... Hmmm.

_{[That does make sense...]}

I guess if it starts raining I can stand in front of it.

I don't mind getting wet.

I mind you getting all wet. You're a child, human children shouldn't be wet for very long. I read somewhere it has ill effects. Especially at night.

And being sick is very miserable. I had a cold once and thought I was going to perish.

[Thankfully, Envy has taken on the task of walking Wrath through a temporary fix. Lust doesn't need to bother with that.

I remember that.

I tried to make you soup and you threw it away.

_{[He has the audacity to still sound mildly offended that she did that.]}

Yes, I did. The thought and effort were very sweet, and I appreciated them very much. But eating it would have poisoned me.

I've thrown out soup I made for the same reason.

Cooking is difficult.

I don't understand why we cook.

There are plenty of humans to do it for us.

_{[THE SOUP HAD BEEN A ONE TIME THING. Wrath has not tried his hand at cooking ever since.]}

Sometimes it's just nice to make something yourself.

And sometimes...having someone else do it might not be an option. It's rare, but it's possible.

If you have money, it's always an option!

_{[THAT IS ONE THING HE'S LEARNED ABOUT HUMAN LIFE: BEAUTIFUL CAPITALISM.]}

[Lust almost laughs. It's an argument she's made so many times herself...]

[Which is why she doesn't bother to point out there could be a time when he had no money. It's such an unlikely scenario, and...there's just something warming and endearing to hear him sound so much like herself.]

I certainly can't argue with that.

_{[The counterpoint to her unspoken thought is that when you're a thief, you'll always have money. And Wrath is certainly not above pickpocketing. It's his job!]}

Of course not, it's just true.