victory_road | ⊕ 001 & action option

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⊕ 001 & action option

[ he's not into showing his face off. once he verifies there's a public network and an audio option, he begins to opt for that. but then he looks at all the videos of people and their pokemon, and decides o a different option.

the video opens on the sandy beaches of cherrygrove. his rockruff, bandit, is in the surf, chasing what looks like a stick. he brings it back to jack, who pets his head and then throws it again. his location will also ping as cherrygrove. ]

The name's Jack.

[ his voice is distinctly older, and very rough. it sounds like he may have damaged his throat at some point in his life. his hand, when he throws the stick or pets bandit, is gloved. ]

I've been looking around this place and it looks like the consensus is that people can't go home on their own. I'm not here to ask how to get home, since it seems like that's been covered pretty well.

I wanna talk to those of you that have gone home, or know people that did. And... for those that don't, how you're dealing with not being able to.

[ he ends the video on that note, throwing the stick again for bandit. ]

( cherrygrove )

[ for those actually in his vicinity, they can likely hear jack make the post. other than that, he's spending some time on the beach, playing with bandit and getting his energy out. he's just as open to a battle if you two have similarly leveled pokemon.

or maybe bandit, with all his energy, comes running up to your pokemon and headbutts them. at which point jack follows. ]

Bandit. Come back here.

[ the wagging of his tail doesn't amuse jack. ]

Sorry about him.

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[Lucky Jack. Sasha is just very wary that poking her nose where it probably doesn't belong will mean she loses one of the best things about this place. Sure, the nightmares still come on strong, but at least she can eat her feelings in the middle of the night. Besides, she's never been in the habit of asking questions about food. If she can chew it, it's going in her mouth.

A sudden hand on her shoulder has her tensing up a bit. Not because it's unwelcome, but because she's still unused to physical affection. Hugs from Shiro are one thing, but complete strangers showing they care is still an alien concept.]

It's okay. It is what it is.

[Her reality. Their reality. Pretending it doesn't exist does no one any good, especially when any of them can get sent back at any moment. When she can get sent back again.]

I'm still alive. That's all I can ask for.

Edited 2019-01-29 18:12 (UTC)

[ when she tenses, he's quick to pull his hand back. he doesn't know sasha well enough to read it, so he'd rather give her the space than make her uncomfortable.

either way, 'it is what it is' is a shitty answer. if she looks up, she'll see his expression is stormy, but he pushes it aside quickly. the kids won't understand why that's not a good answer. the kid doesn't get his anger. ]

Sometimes that's the thing we have to be grateful for.

[ hell, after the bomb? that was definitely not what he'd expected, was to wake up.

bandit licks her fingers again, giving a gentle ruff at her. ]

[She does see that expression, but she can't read the reason behind it. It's a shitty answer, but she's had a shitty life. Of course she wouldn't actually use that term to describe it, but after years of being broken down and molded into the perfect soldier, some things run deep.

For what it's worth, though, Jack isn't the only grey haired adult here who's gotten angry on the 104th kids' behalf.

That warm tongue on her fingers brings her attention back to the present and Sasha raises her eyebrows at Bandit. Omelette waddles over to join him in begging for more goodies because two against one is more likely to be successful.]

What? You want another one?

[Before either of them can make a sound that's close to a yes, Sasha's shoving not one, but two puffs at each of them. That'll hold them for a few minutes.]

What's your world like?

[ no you sweet fool, bandit is worried about you. he catches the pokepuffs and then tosses them aside, clambering up onto sasha's knees with his front paws to snuff at her face and lick her cheek.

well, he guesses his rockruff is a good boy, if he's ignoring the food the togepi is going to surely steal. ]

Be careful of the rocks on him.

[ just in case she puts her hands on him. but when she asks what his world is like, he has to tilt his head. ]

It's not as dangerous as yours is, I think. But because of that there's a lot of bad people who don't like each other. They fight over stupid things and whether or not certain people are considered real people. It's a mess.

[ he sighs. ]

But it's got people I care about back there, and it's my mess to clean up. [ since it is his fault the world is such a mess. ]

[Well, clearly, the dog doesn't want the treat so Togepi will just snatch them up and toddle off a bit to eat them by himself in peace.

Bandit's not the first Rockruff Sasha's petted, but she still heeds Jack's warning, carefully patting his bottom as she giggles out a question. The warm wet tongue is tickling her!]

Real people? How can people not be real?

[ bandit's tail wags even more and he bumps his nose against her cheek, careful to keep his spiky bits out of the way of her eyes.

that question is a loaded one, at least for answering. ]

Most people are born, I guess. Some of the people where I'm from are made - they're made of metal and electricity, but they still have feelings and thoughts. People think because they weren't born the way everyone else was that that makes them subhuman.

[Sasha tips her head away from Bandit's, narrowing her eyes at Jack. People made of metal and electricity? There's Shiro, but only his arm is metal. The rest of him is still flesh and blood, so Sasha can't quite make such a futuristic connection.]

But how can metal and electricity have feelings? Isn't electricity the thing that makes the light bulb in the fridge and the television go on?

[She's asking this in the most curious of tones, the kind that comes along from a kid who grew up in in the backwoods with no indoor plumbing or anything resembling current technology.]

[ jack's not about to bite her head off for not knowing. he crouches down to her level with bandit. ]

Electricity is the thing that makes the light bulb in the fridge and the television go on. It's also the thing that makes your Pokedex run, I'm assuming.

I'm not an expert on the kind of people I mentioned. But they have a brain like you and I do, [ he taps her forehead, gently. ] It's made of really complicated things that run on electricity and energy. But they still think and have feelings, like we do.

People think because they don't have brains that are like ours, that they aren't real people. Those people are wrong.

[ his voice is level as he explains it - he doesn't imply she's an idiot for not knowing. he tries to explain it as basic as he can, though. ]

[The tap to her forehead makes Sasha wrinkle her nose, but unlike the physical affection earlier, she doesn't shy away from it.]

Well, if that's the case, then nothing's wrong with them. Just because they are different doesn't mean people can look down on them. That's not right. It's hurtful and mean and they should stop because what if someone else looks down on those humans for not being as smart as other humans? They wouldn't like it either.

[Someone's speaking from clear experience. Sasha doesn't have to know anything about robots to know that if they have feelings and can think, then they deserve basic respect. Just like people from outside the big cities and bigger villages deserve basic respect. People like her.

They aren't like Titans, mindless and only out to kill and destroy.]

You probably wouldn't be surprised to hear people look down on people for that, too, as well as other shitty things.

[ but jack is not here to talk to sasha about civil rights, beyond what he just got into a little bit with the omnics.

she definitely is speaking from experience, that much is clear. ]

You shouldn't look down on anyone unless they're hurting someone. Then you can look down on them all you want, in my opinion.

I'm not. I know they do. I know they do very well.

[But unless Jack asks, Sasha will leave that subject there. Or she would if he didn't add that next part.]

No, because that doesn't fix things. It just makes you salty.

[Now where did she learn that term from? It's a sheer miracle Sasha doesn't litter every sentence with the slang she's picked up from a house full of modern day teenagers.]

You can't live without other people, so if everybody looked down on each other for whatever reason, we'll never get anywhere.

[Unbeknownst to her, Sasha's dad would be very proud of her right now.]

[ where did she learn that? that's from jack's youth. either way, her point is very well made, and he looks surprised, and then nods. ]

You know what, kid? You're right. It takes a lot of work to help other people understand.

[ ... work that admittedly, jack is no longer interested in doing. better to be stuck on revenge than trying to improve things, right?

cough, cough. ]

Sounds like you should be lecturing me, instead. [ he ruffles her hair a little. ]

[Sasha used to be stuck on revenge. Her version was a lot less violent and more like sitting back and hogging all the resources while the people who made fun of her people for their way or living and speaking suffered. Much like they did when Dauper suffered.

But she's matured a lot over time and learned that some of her former beliefs were all out wrong. Sometimes improving things, fighting to improve them against all odds, is the way to go.]

I'm not a kid. [Yet she's pouting and swatting lightly at his hand, looking very much like a kid.] I'm seventeen years old!

[Not old enough to vote or drink, but in her mind, totally old enough to join the military and probably get married or something.]

[ jack lets her swat at his hand, laughing gently. ]

And I'm over sixty, so you know - you're a kid to me, Sasha.

[ but he's grinning, in a good mood. bandit barks and tries to jump between them. are we playing?? he wants to play!! ]

Just because you're old doesn't mean everybody else is a kid to you. It just means I have to respect my elders more the older they are.

[Yeah, Grandpa! That means she has to help you cross the street and put in your teeth and mash up your food so you can eat when you forget to put them in.

Playing? Sure, they can play now that Omelette has finished both their snacks and comes and barrels into Bandit's side.]

And it means I get to be an ornery old man who calls people kid... or sport, or champ.

[ he's grinning at her still.

omelette barrels into bandit, who yelps but then wraps his paws around omelette's shell, rolling around. ]

Well, you have grey hair already, so it's only some time before you lose your teeth too.

[There's no spice behind her words, just honest to goodness amusement. Who knew sassing her elders could be so fun? Especially when said adults don't yell at her just for existing.]

Omelette, be careful or you'll kick his butt too hard!

[Even though she gives a warning, Sasha lets go of Bandit so he can take the Togepi down properly. She isn't afraid Omelette will get hurt. He might be half an egg, but his little feet and hands are giving Bandit as good as he's getting it.]

Oh, yeah? Then I'll just get some wooden teeth and chase you around with them in my hand.

[ he sounds like he's enjoying this sass she's giving him and giving it back.

bandit gives a little yell - he's gonna beat this egg god darn it - as he playfully paws at the togepi, getting repeatedly smacked in the face by his hands. ]

[Sasha grins and tucks her legs closer to her, not closing off, no, but loosening up. Getting comfortable around Jack. It's a good thing.]

You shouldn't run at your age. You could break a hip, you know.

[Or so she's heard. Not too many old people where she's from to really ask about it, but she's heard a lot about broken hips on TV!]

[ it's definitely a good thing. jack remembers how shy fareeha and gabriel's kids had been at first, so he's glad sasha is comfortable with him to a degree. ]

I'd bet you I could outrun you in a race, actually. We'll save the hip replacements for when I'm ninety, thanks.

Sixty is closer to ninety than seventeen. Even I know that. You don't have that much time left to race me.

[She at least knows how to count. We'll leave the algebra to Armin.

In the meantime, a cloud of dust rolls by between Jack and Sasha, a dustball consisting of Bandit and Omelette continuing to horse around like baby Pokemon do.]

Guess we'll have to get started soon, eh?

[ he reaches up to tap her shoulder, teasing. the pokemon go rolling past, and he reaches in and plucks out bandit, who's panting and still flailing his little paws around. ]

All right, come on, you're not winning, buddy.

[When Bandit is plucked off of Omelette, the little egg stands up on his tiny feet and cheers as if he won fair and square instead of Jack breaking them up.

Sasha leans over and pats him on the head, but her eyes are on Jack, a dangerous glint of competition in her eyes.]

You're the one not winning unless I go easy on your old bones.

[ bandit gives a protesting bark but settles down when jack puts him back on his feet, licking omelette's head and then sasha's hand.

that dangerous glint of competition? it's met in jack's eyes as well. is he really going to race a seventeen year old girl?

you bet your bippy he is. ]

You know where the exit to Route 30 is? We can do first from here to there and back.

[Yes, is he really? Grandpa, please. You can't cut it with the whippersnappers anymore.

Sasha stands up and shakes her legs out, arching her neck until it cracks. If this old fart wants a race, he's going to get the race of his lifetime.]

Yes, I do. What will I win when you don't make it back?

[Not if, but when.]

⊕ 001 & action option

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