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victory_road2020-03-20 07:04 pm
indigo_events) wrote in victory_road2020-03-20 07:04 pm
Entry tags:
Po-ta-toes! Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a... curry?
Who: Everybody! The Snorlax! The Munchlax! The Mystery Guests!
Where: Route 39
When: March 20th and 21st
Summary: Lets cook some curries.
Rating: General.
Log:
Early spring brings with it bright sunshine and slightly chilly air, green shoots of new grass poking up from the earth as farmers survey fields that have laid bare all winter. Across Johto and Kanto (and who knows where else?), windows and doors are thrown open to air out spaces closed up for the winter, the commencement of a mysterious rite known only as ‘spring cleaning.’
At MooMoo Ranch, it heralds an additional rite: the yearly tradition that precedes the tilling of those fields and the sowing of seeds:
THE GREAT CURRY COOKOUT
Let’s just be up front about this: the entirety of Route 38 smells absolutely amazing. Traditionally (you’re going to hear that word a lot here), the curries cooked up by the locals are made of whatever leftovers from the previous year’s harvest that may be found kicking around the various parlours and cellars, but because humans can’t eat the berries that Pokemon can, and because they want to eat too, and because once you let humans at a recipe, they can’t not experiment with it...
If you can imagine a curry, someone has either made it, is in the process of making it, or is preparing to make it right the heck now. There are some dishes that don’t seem too out of place: sausage curries, curries with tinned meat or beans added to the mix, mushroom curries, curries decorated so cutely that they flood your Poke-Instagram page, potato curries, herb-laden curries, spice-tastic curries, coconut curries, curries accompanied by savory burger steaks...these all at least seem like normal curry variants, right?
And then there’s the odd stuff. Curries topped with swirls of spaghetti, boiled-egg curries, instant-noodle curries loaded up next to curries topped with a medley of fried foods, toast slices resting on beds of curry, leeks grilled and whole on curries, apple curries, salad curries, curries with whole bones kept in them to add additional flavor, tropical curries with decorative flowers added on the side, cheese-covered curries, even...whipped cream curries…? Uh...sure, okay! There’s even the rare smoked Slowpoke Tail curry, the tail packages labeled with “CRUELTY-FREE SLOWPOKE TAIL” and seals of legal and bureaucratic approval. Dry, sweet, spicy, bitter, sour - you name it, there’s a curry for it!
It’s a little weird, though, right? All this curry, and, uh, all these Snorlax… and Munchlax… wait, actually, when did those start to show up?! Is this… safe??? The locals don’t seem surprised in the least, but there sure are a lot of them…. did they all really come down from the mountains?
Is this part of the tradition, too?!
Good question!
Lucky for YOU, any trainer (un?)fortunate enough to be caught standing still for one second too long by one of the elderly locals (or walks too close to one, or accepts a curry offering from one) will be treated to a retelling of the story behind both the Snorlax and the curry. Turns out, the salivating Snorlax and the just-as-hungry baby Munchlax are not just part of the tradition -- they’re the reason for it!
Long ago, in the day of so-and-so’s grandmother’s grandmother’s grandmother, the Snorlax and Munchlax were a downright menace. Every year, once the snows would start to melt, they’d start coming down from the mountains to the north in droves, descending upon the farms and fields just as that year’s planting began to sprout like a plague of very hungry caterpies, gobbling up everything in sight until nothing but barren earth remained. They even busted down fences and barns in their pursuit of fresh food! Proper menaces to society, right here.
At first, the farmers tried to battle the Snorlax, but it did not end well. Their Miltank and Tauros herds weren’t meant for battle, and Snorlax are as mighty as their appetites! Then one year, a young farm girl had an idea! (Depending on who's telling the story, it might have been a farm boy. Or just a farmer, gender unknown. It is always, mysteriously, someone in the teller's family tree.) Rather than trying to fight off the Snorlax, this mysterious individual suggested inviting them all to one big dinner. They could cook up all the leftovers from the last harvest, have a big feast out of it and feed the hungry Snorlax so they'd leave the seedlings alone.
And it worked! The Snorlax were happy, the fields were left alone and the fences and barns kept standing strong.
(Well, except that one year with ol’ man Gregory’s barn, but that had very little to do with the Snorlax, and far more to do with ol’ man Gregory’s fierce enjoyment of the special sake brewed by the monks of Sprout Tower, a very terrible bet, and one prized herd of Miltanks and really, if you don’t watch it, you might be stuck listening to that old tale as well.)
Obviously, since the current farms and fields are still intact and going strong, the feast not only worked, but held strong as a tradition. But hey! It’s a fun story, and the curry is good! And oh my ARCEUS, you have heard this story so many times from so many old farming folks you are so tired, please, you just wanted to find a bathroom, yes, thank you for the bowl of curry, you really must be going now-
Only… there’s something weird about this year’s gathering. Something unexpected.
In addition to the Snorlax and Munchlax lumbering down in droves for a good meal, another kind of Pokemon has emerged, lured by the delectable scents, and it’s not one that many folks have seen before. Keen-eyed trainers can spot them just about everywhere: lingering under the eaves of the roofs, peeking out from behind bushes and tree branches, but most of all, slowly drawing close to the source of all those delicious smells, their voices ringing out like clear little bells.
That’s right, Milcery are swarming!
Unfortunately, the Snorlax and Munchlax don’t seem too keen on sharing their special once-a-year treat. Hangry tempers are starting to flare up, the bubbling of many pots and pans joined by low grumbling as the Snorlax and Munchlax are starting to stake claim against these strange newcomers. In fact, someone should probably get out there and try and calm the situation down.
Which doesn’t mean take out your pokemon and start any battles! Anyone trying to do that will get a right scolding by one of those inescapable geriatric storytellers. Do you want to cause some sort of stampede here like what claimed ol’ man Gregory’s barn? No sir! (Who’s sir? We’re unclear.) There will be no battling here. Put on your best smile! Break out that cheery personality, and try to actually peacekeep. Or if that isn’t your thing, maybe try and help out with the cooking. With this many cooks around, there is always someone who needs an extra hand to peel some potatoes or dice some carrots, right? If you got a particular hankering, why not claim one of those may pots and pans for yourself and start preparing your own prized curry?
Because judging by the mass of Snorlax, Munchlax, and Milcery? We are going to need a bigger curry.
Where: Route 39
When: March 20th and 21st
Summary: Lets cook some curries.
Rating: General.
Log:
Early spring brings with it bright sunshine and slightly chilly air, green shoots of new grass poking up from the earth as farmers survey fields that have laid bare all winter. Across Johto and Kanto (and who knows where else?), windows and doors are thrown open to air out spaces closed up for the winter, the commencement of a mysterious rite known only as ‘spring cleaning.’
At MooMoo Ranch, it heralds an additional rite: the yearly tradition that precedes the tilling of those fields and the sowing of seeds:
THE GREAT CURRY COOKOUT
Let’s just be up front about this: the entirety of Route 38 smells absolutely amazing. Traditionally (you’re going to hear that word a lot here), the curries cooked up by the locals are made of whatever leftovers from the previous year’s harvest that may be found kicking around the various parlours and cellars, but because humans can’t eat the berries that Pokemon can, and because they want to eat too, and because once you let humans at a recipe, they can’t not experiment with it...
If you can imagine a curry, someone has either made it, is in the process of making it, or is preparing to make it right the heck now. There are some dishes that don’t seem too out of place: sausage curries, curries with tinned meat or beans added to the mix, mushroom curries, curries decorated so cutely that they flood your Poke-Instagram page, potato curries, herb-laden curries, spice-tastic curries, coconut curries, curries accompanied by savory burger steaks...these all at least seem like normal curry variants, right?
And then there’s the odd stuff. Curries topped with swirls of spaghetti, boiled-egg curries, instant-noodle curries loaded up next to curries topped with a medley of fried foods, toast slices resting on beds of curry, leeks grilled and whole on curries, apple curries, salad curries, curries with whole bones kept in them to add additional flavor, tropical curries with decorative flowers added on the side, cheese-covered curries, even...whipped cream curries…? Uh...sure, okay! There’s even the rare smoked Slowpoke Tail curry, the tail packages labeled with “CRUELTY-FREE SLOWPOKE TAIL” and seals of legal and bureaucratic approval. Dry, sweet, spicy, bitter, sour - you name it, there’s a curry for it!
It’s a little weird, though, right? All this curry, and, uh, all these Snorlax… and Munchlax… wait, actually, when did those start to show up?! Is this… safe??? The locals don’t seem surprised in the least, but there sure are a lot of them…. did they all really come down from the mountains?
Is this part of the tradition, too?!
Good question!
Lucky for YOU, any trainer (un?)fortunate enough to be caught standing still for one second too long by one of the elderly locals (or walks too close to one, or accepts a curry offering from one) will be treated to a retelling of the story behind both the Snorlax and the curry. Turns out, the salivating Snorlax and the just-as-hungry baby Munchlax are not just part of the tradition -- they’re the reason for it!
Long ago, in the day of so-and-so’s grandmother’s grandmother’s grandmother, the Snorlax and Munchlax were a downright menace. Every year, once the snows would start to melt, they’d start coming down from the mountains to the north in droves, descending upon the farms and fields just as that year’s planting began to sprout like a plague of very hungry caterpies, gobbling up everything in sight until nothing but barren earth remained. They even busted down fences and barns in their pursuit of fresh food! Proper menaces to society, right here.
At first, the farmers tried to battle the Snorlax, but it did not end well. Their Miltank and Tauros herds weren’t meant for battle, and Snorlax are as mighty as their appetites! Then one year, a young farm girl had an idea! (Depending on who's telling the story, it might have been a farm boy. Or just a farmer, gender unknown. It is always, mysteriously, someone in the teller's family tree.) Rather than trying to fight off the Snorlax, this mysterious individual suggested inviting them all to one big dinner. They could cook up all the leftovers from the last harvest, have a big feast out of it and feed the hungry Snorlax so they'd leave the seedlings alone.
And it worked! The Snorlax were happy, the fields were left alone and the fences and barns kept standing strong.
(Well, except that one year with ol’ man Gregory’s barn, but that had very little to do with the Snorlax, and far more to do with ol’ man Gregory’s fierce enjoyment of the special sake brewed by the monks of Sprout Tower, a very terrible bet, and one prized herd of Miltanks and really, if you don’t watch it, you might be stuck listening to that old tale as well.)
Obviously, since the current farms and fields are still intact and going strong, the feast not only worked, but held strong as a tradition. But hey! It’s a fun story, and the curry is good! And oh my ARCEUS, you have heard this story so many times from so many old farming folks you are so tired, please, you just wanted to find a bathroom, yes, thank you for the bowl of curry, you really must be going now-
Only… there’s something weird about this year’s gathering. Something unexpected.
In addition to the Snorlax and Munchlax lumbering down in droves for a good meal, another kind of Pokemon has emerged, lured by the delectable scents, and it’s not one that many folks have seen before. Keen-eyed trainers can spot them just about everywhere: lingering under the eaves of the roofs, peeking out from behind bushes and tree branches, but most of all, slowly drawing close to the source of all those delicious smells, their voices ringing out like clear little bells.
That’s right, Milcery are swarming!
Unfortunately, the Snorlax and Munchlax don’t seem too keen on sharing their special once-a-year treat. Hangry tempers are starting to flare up, the bubbling of many pots and pans joined by low grumbling as the Snorlax and Munchlax are starting to stake claim against these strange newcomers. In fact, someone should probably get out there and try and calm the situation down.
Which doesn’t mean take out your pokemon and start any battles! Anyone trying to do that will get a right scolding by one of those inescapable geriatric storytellers. Do you want to cause some sort of stampede here like what claimed ol’ man Gregory’s barn? No sir! (Who’s sir? We’re unclear.) There will be no battling here. Put on your best smile! Break out that cheery personality, and try to actually peacekeep. Or if that isn’t your thing, maybe try and help out with the cooking. With this many cooks around, there is always someone who needs an extra hand to peel some potatoes or dice some carrots, right? If you got a particular hankering, why not claim one of those may pots and pans for yourself and start preparing your own prized curry?
Because judging by the mass of Snorlax, Munchlax, and Milcery? We are going to need a bigger curry.
no subject
And she does appreciate him not prying, maybe one day she'll actually feel up for discussion it, but not while it's still as fresh as it really is.
Luckily the conversation about the name brings her back and she can't help a bit of a laugh.]
Someone had to at some point, yeah. And can't say I feel much different on that part. Or, well, used to feel that way. Shit can change pretty quickly under kinda dire circumstances I guess. Not that I can muse on that too much here or anything.
[As far as she's aware, everyone she knew is dead and not here. Why she got another chance and no one else did might be gnawing at her just a bit in the back of her mind. In the privacy and silence of traveling alone.]
no subject
so johnny finds himself in a similar boat as jolyne. although, truthfully, not nearly as awful... sorry, jolyne...... ]] It was hell to go through it, but... I can't say it wasn't worth it.
[[ he recalls their first conversation, looking over at her with a small smirk. ]] That's just me, though. I can't speak for you, obviously. Won't try to, either. [[ he's being... kind of nice! it's a johnny joestar brand of nice, but still, better than nothing. maybe. ]]
no subject
... Curious question. Did you have a Stand before coming here? 'Cause I know that was some family bullshit or whatever. Kinda sucks ass to not have access to that anymore. Not that there's a whole lot of physical fighting going on here or anything...
no subject
But, still. Didn't have anything to do with my family. You could say I kinda picked mine up, in a way. Something that anyone coulda come across, technically.
[[ the power of jesus. ]]
no subject
... Guess they gotta come from somewhere first. It was a family thing for me. Dad had one, grandma died, great grandpa... Dunno if the two before him did. But it's all from the same side of the family at least?
no subject
oh well! too late now! ]] I don't know how I feel about being the 'first in line' for this... I guess I ain't got a choice, though. I'll try to remember to ask Jonathan about him havin' one or not, I gotta talk to him later. [[ he looks a little uncomfortable as he says that... ]]
no subject
At least Stand shit seemed to vary in the family from what she's hard and seen at least.]
Don't mean they'll have the same Stand you do. Like dad's did a lot of punches and shit but also could stop time or something? Mine could do the first part but also lemme turn myself into string if I needed to. Was kinda read as fuck, actually.
Also what the FUCK did you do to be worried about talking to him?
no subject
'stop time'.
he feels his blood turn cold. no, there's no god damn way. everything else jolyne says sort of turns into white noise as he starts thinking this through. she looks nothing like him, right? and she's from so far in the future compared to them, it wouldn't (shouldn't) be possible. but still, he has to ask. he can't not ask. ]]
Wait. Wait, hold on -- Your father's stand. It stopped time? [[ there's a knot in his throat. ]] Do you know what he called it?
no subject
She's quiet for a moment before shrugging.]
Star Platinum last I remember. Kind of a dumb name but whatcha gonna do, I guess.
no subject
[[ although, that leads him to ponder even more... ]] Do you think it's common for two Stands to have, well... Really similar powers? Your dad isn't the only one that can do that. There's another one. The World. It belongs to Diego Brando. [[ a pause, and then a small hand wave as he quickly adds: ]] Uh, not the one that's here! That asshole just turns into a dinosore.
There's -- Okay, this probably doesn't make any sense, sorry, but there are multiple Diegos. There are multiple mes, too, in other 'universes'. [[ another sigh. god, he can't avoid these stupid bullshit stories no matter how hard he tries. ]] The President when I was alive, Funny Valentine? He was a Stand User, and his ability was being able to travel between those universes and bring back whoever he wanted. I guess, really, there are infinite versions of... everyone. Even people who died [[ ow his heart. ]] could still be alive and well in a different universe. It was... a terrifying ability. [[ he seems to space out for just a couple of seconds before clearing his throat and moving back to where he started. ]] B-But, that's where that Diego Brando came from. The one who could use The World.
no subject
[Then he's moving onto the universes thing and she's visibly sobering and going silent for a moment or two, gaze fixated out in the field.]
It makes perfect sense. The guy that I was fighting before I got here had a vision to "make heaven" or some shit according to a guy named Dio who was long since dead by then. Basically wanted to recreate the universe in his own image. That wasn't the name of the Stand he used to do that, though. And I think he succeeded given I'm here.
no subject
I kinda get what you were saying before, then. About not having anything to go back to. [[ a painfully awkward silence as he remembers how he reacted to that. ]] Sorry. About what I said to you. Asshole move, on my part.
[[ more silence from him, and then ]] ... His name was Dio, huh? That's weird. That's Diego's nickname. [[ they're so FUCKING CLOSE TO GETTING IT. ]] Wears it on his stupid hat and everything.
no subject
She can't help a small snort in turn and waving a hand like it's nothing. Not like she can do or change anything here now, right? Right.]
Not like you fucking knew or anything. Pretty sure I was dead before all this, too. So it's been a hell of a thing to adjust to. 'Sides, I'm used to dealing with assholes.
[Oh for fuck's sakes. She's quiet again as she ponders over that.]
Dude seemed chill so I doubt they're related. That and Dad kinda murdered the bastard I'm talking about.
no subject
... I can imagine that'd be hard to deal with. The... 'bein' dead' thing. [[ lucky johnny, he managed to finish SBR with his life, which is more than one could say about 90% of the cast. there's a sense of survivor's guilt tied to it, especially in the case of gyro, but he figures that jolyne isn't there to hear him sob about it. ]] But, there's somethin' to be said about second chances, right?
no subject
Just a little when you go at nineteen. Didn't get to do a whole lot with my life up to that point. [She shrugs a bit and just lets out a small sigh, it doesn't really matter now. This place has treated her well so far with having a chill life without her past coming to haunt her and managing to somehow end up with a girlfriend. She's not doing so badly in hindsight.
Lot more calm here, too.]
I don't mind this place, really. Lot calmer, don't gotta worry about my past coming to bite me in the ass, that sorta thing.
no subject
It's calmer here than where I -- We're from, too. I've known Diego for years, and we have never really gotten along. Recent shit we went through didn't really help. [[ he quickly exhales from his nose, a stubborn huff. ]] I doubt you wanna hear about it, though, so whatever.
[[ he takes a moment to really think about what she said. nineteen, didn't do much with her life. it's amazing to think that only a few months ago, for johnny, he really didn't feel much need to keep on living. even if they were the same age, he thinks that if he had died before the race, he probably wouldn't have minded too terribly much. what an awful thought. ]] It's good that you got to come here, then, huh? Might be calmer, but hell, I bet that Pokemon didn't show up after I died, so you have this new shit to keep you entertained, too.
no subject
Ain't like I'm doing anything right now other than kind of chilling out here. [Ear for an ear or whatever, probably. And she really is doing literally nothing else at the moment other than letting her Pokemon have some time to roam before getting back to traveling and training.]
Thought the one I woke up to was a different version of my Stand or some shit. Still feels weird without her around. [It was a short time but felt far longer than it actually was.
And she wasted a good chunk of her life being a damn criminal. Not that she's saying any of that right now.]
Far more interesting than being in a prison at least, so there's that?
no subject
... [[ does he really want to get into this? is it going to punch him in the gut like last time? maybe if he's careful with his words... ]] Diego and I are jockeys, I think you know that. So, we've always been really competitive with one another. When we were younger, he always beat me, and that was shitty for a few reasons. [[ his voice gets a tad bit softer. ]] My dad, he, uh... He didn't mind tellin' me that I wasn't as good as Diego. It was actually pretty constant. That -- I think that really planted some serious issues. I know that ain't his fault, but he was never one to shy away from gloatin', either.
[[ although, of course, that isn't all! ]] But, before we came here, we were apart of this race. The Steel Ball Run. If you're not into horse-riding, maybe you haven't been told about it, but it was a race across America. [[ yeaaaah, that's why she wouldn't hear about it. totally. ]] It was pretty violent. A lot of people died, and Diego and I absolutely went at each others' necks a few times during the whole thing. Actually... Diego did end up dying, but not by my hand. And so did -- So did my best friend. [[ fuckin' valentine.
he takes a deep breath, cleansing himself of the shitty feelings creeping up on him. ]] But, that's why we don't get along! For the most part. I also just think he's an obnoxious prick. [[ johnny, relax. ]]
no subject
She's quiet as she listens to him, attention never leaving the field but at the same time she doesn't seem to be particularly bothered about it. Even if some of it is a bit similar in some ways, which might be why there's a slight bit of a frown crossing her lips. She'd absolutely never heard about that race for Reasons that she's not entirely sure of, but she's just shrugging it off as being more akin to the time period and how little of a shit she really gives about history in general. Even if the bloodshed aspect might've caught her attention at some point or another.]
Believe me, I'm familiar with the concept of shitty fathers. Though, at least, mine made an attempt to make shit better and explain, so there's that... [Does she still have a few scars from all of it? Of course, but she's not nearly as mad and frustrated by all of it as she once was. For how short of a time period everything was, it sure was A Lot.]
Is it better or worse to be the one left alive instead of dying along with all of the others? [There doesn't seem to be any sort of joke, any sort of accusation in her tone. Merely sincere curiosity than anything else, she's not entirely sure of the answer herself.]
Despite what the hell happened elsewhere, maybe try and look at thing a little more objectively, I guess? Dunno how well that's gonna be comin' from someone like me, but people can change. Especially in a place like this where we're all startin' the fuck over, y'know?
no subject
but now, in the calm of it all, it really sunk in and stuck. it wasn't... false. after all, he changed, didn't he? even before he came to this world, he had dealt with enough emotional shifts to send other folks spinning. and yet, here he was, gripping onto a vision that he refuses to look away from. ]] I mean... You might be right. [[ he's too prideful, and too scared of being proven wrong, to be more concrete than that. but it's something. ]]
And I don't -- I don't know if it's better. Or worse. [[ this is going to be tough. congrats, jolyne, you might be seeing crybaby joestar soon! ]] I don't think Gyro -- My friend. I don't think he'd want me to think that way. Hell, I know he wouldn't. [[ ugh sigh ]]
But, I can't help but wonder if it's worth it to keep going without him... I'm still standing, obviously, I ain't goin' nowhere, but... It's always a thought, y'know? Just... there.
no subject
Everyone comes around eventually if they want to, after all. And it's not her place to push it on him.]
Was it just him, then? Or were there others around you that got fucked up in that race, too? [She needs the details here, man, clearly. But she's humming for a brief moment, because of course this is the road she sort of expected they'd end up at.
Despite everything, despite how much she could run her goddamned mouth, she has a chance to actually listen or once and mull things over. Whether that's a good or a bad thing, well, that's a potential problem for future Jolyne.]
As fuckin' cliche as it might sound, there's gotta be a reason you're getting another chance with what's essentially a reset button. Or, well, that's how I'm fuckin' taking this shit. Whether someone died or not, you get a chance to do things differently here and if you didn't like how you were or how things went back there, you can change that shit here. If that makes any sense, fuck if I know.
no subject
It does. [[ a spoken affirmation, finally. ]] I guess I don't really have a choice but to look at it that way, really. Not much use at lettin' guilt eat me up. [[ easier said than done, but still. ]]
And, about the race -- No, it wasn't just Gyro. [[ the fatality count would make most modern-day folks' heads spin, but johnny knew it was going to be a bloodbath even from the gate. if you weren't going to be beaten to death by a fellow racer, you have decent odds of dying of thirst or being mauled by some animal... but it was the 1800s, what could you do? ]] A lot of people did, in a lot of different ways and for... A lot of different reasons. [[ truth be told, blaming gyro's or diego's or hot pants' deaths on the race alone wouldn't be entirely accurate. there was a lot more context there, after all. ]] I was beat up pretty bad, myself. Literal miracles are the only reason I made it here.