victory_road | 132nd moon [video]

[A box of very strong black tea, two large porcelain cups, a bag of coffee grounds and a fancy coffee machine are set on a counter, some distance away. Looks like the Bisharp and the shiny Pangoro that have taken over the Lunar Gym's kitchen have plans for the evening. As gently as possible when one has pointy metal hands, the Bisharp pokes the box and bag in turn, then nods. Satisfied by his choices, the Pangoro turns towards the nearby fridge, opens the door...

...and takes out three whole cans of PokéMonster energy drink, dumping them all in the coffee machine's water reservoir.

At the same, the Bisharp carefully picks two tea bags from the box and sets them in place, before sitting down to wait. And wait. And wait, until the coffee maker finally stops. The resulting dubious liquid is promptly poured into both cups. Somewhere offscreen, someone chokes.

But our intrepid duo is not done! After all, what else is necessary for a good tea? Honey, of course! And milk! And... chocolate sauce... Salsa...? Wait, is that rice vinegar? Orange juice?? Are they even old enough to drink that red wine?

It's only when the Bisharp takes out a bottle of salad dressing and starts squeezing a generous dose in each cup that Cecil finally comments the scene, his voice both awed and horrified:]

Should... Should I stop them, or let nature run its course?

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Either because they can, or because their rivalry has progressed beyond battle. Potentially both at once.

[A lot of Cecil's Pokémon are just Like That, and he has long accepted that fact.]

They're rivals?

[And... this is the form that rivalry is taking now?]

Ever since I caught them. No, before I caught them; I stumbled upon them in the middle of a very spirited argument.

[Then, like an idiot, he decided catching them was a good idea.]

And... this is how that's currently manifesting.

[She considers for a moment.]

What is the point of the drinks?

Exactly.

[It's a step up from their 'loudest kiai at 6AM' competition, at least.]

As far as I can tell, they are trying to determine which of the two has the stronger stomach. They might genuinely enjoy the flavor, but if that's the case I've no idea how they discovered it.

If their rivalry's been going on for long enough, this probably won't solve it, will it?

Oh, of course not. It'll be settled for a week or two, and then they'll want to know who has the best singing voice. Or who can stop breathing the longest.

And it'll all start all over again.

How long have you had them with you?

Two years and a half. Their rivalry is not the first I've had to deal with, but it's certainly the most spirited.

And they do things like this a lot?

[For two and a half years?]

Edited 2021-02-12 05:33 (UTC)

Oh, yes, for a very loose definition of "like this". They once spent a full week competing over the title of Best Window Washer. A very pleasant week, that was.

...Window washer?

Yes. As it happened to be time for spring cleaning, I thought it best to let them carry on. They've competed over cleaning, training, gardening... They once attempted to compete over the number of moves their offspring would know, but Sula refused to get involved.

No, that would be... a terrible way to compete.

Sula?

Edited 2021-02-13 04:41 (UTC)

My Mienshao. As she is compatible with both of them, she was the ideal partner for such a test... until she made her disapproval of their petty games clear, that is.

I don't blame her.

Like the majority of my team, she has more common sense than they do. ...No, that's unfair. Those two have plenty of common sense, but only for matters that do not involve each other.

I think there were warriors in my world who had those sorts of rivalries.

[Not that Cassandra had interacted with them. Most other warriors had been afraid of her for one reason or another.]

Were those rivalries limited to combat, or did they spread to every aspect of their life, even the most innocuous?

[A combat-only rivalry would be a step up, as far as he's concerned.]

...Combat was our lives.

Ah.

[He's known such people. He knows what that means, to a limited degree.]

A shame. Cooking rivalries are tastier, and are less likely to end in death besides.

Toxins don't really affect us unless we let them anyway. Or... didn't. For me.

A useful trait, whether against monsters, enemies with poisoned blades or dubious recipes. Is there ever a reason to allow them to affect you?

[Cassandra shrugs.] Some warriors like to be able to get drunk.

It affects alcohol, too?

[Now that he thinks about it, it does somewhat make sense.]

Allowing yourself to become drunk when you wish, yet returning to sobriety at will when needed would certainly interest many people.

(no subject)

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