2nd Match // [video | action] Ecruteak

[fuelthefire]

[VIDEO]
[There's a Combusken on your video feed, today, face pressed close to the device, head tilted curiously to one side, one red eye peering deep into your soul the camera. It looks like someone's just evolved and is making use of his new hand...claw...things! That eye stares unblinking for several moments before the pokemon tilts its head the other way to stare some more with its other eye.

Just as the whole thing might be getting totally unnerving, a growling voice speaks up from off-camera:]

Who's ready for a barbeque!?

[Murder Chicken finally blinks and looks away from the camera - presumably up at the voice - with a delighted exclamation of "Combusken!"

And then immediately proceeds to demonstrate its new Flame Charge move, cloaking itself in a sudden and dramatic ring of fire and singeing the 'Gear - which then shuts off seconds later when it's unceremoniously dropped.]

[ACTION]
[When he's not rambling around the town, Krieg can be found hanging out with Murder Chicken most days on Route 37 or Route 42 near the edges of Ecruteak. The trainer/pokemon sparring matches are way more intense now that MC can scratch and kick. Feel free to interrupt - or to be interrupted. Combusken may be Torchic's awkward weird teenage stage, but despite its new look Murder Chicken is just as friendly as ever, and Krieg doesn't really mind when people say hello.]

Comments

[atlasrising]

[ Ooh, now it hurts. It hurts a lot more, to be honest? In the span of like a minute, it feels like his arm has just gone numb. Good news, he's not crying! But his voice is tense and he just really, really wants to get out of here and go home. Or something. Somewhere that's not here and close to a center so he can get this poison out of his system.

He wants to say something, but the psycho tells him to suck it up! Like he's been dealing with scary self-inflected pain and everything his whole life. That's what psychos do, right?

He's kind of hugging his arm a little close, but he's pouting. Fine! He'll just keep quiet during the rest of the trip. Like a baby. ]

[fuelthefire]

[...Well what do you know, he's actually sucking it up! Krieg turns back to lead on with a satisfied grunt.

Murder Chicken has more sympathy for Rhys' plight, at least, and reaches a gentle claw up to pat his metal arm with a soft little squawk.]

Combusken!

[atlasrising]

[ He's growing more uncomfortable by the second until Murder Chicken comes over and taps his arm. That makes him smile, at least! Rhys pats his head with the arm that isn't on fire right now. ] You got a good, uhh. What's, what's his name?

[ Rhys is sucking it up, but at least trying to make good conversation! Yeah, he's going to be bitter about that for a while. ]

Chicken something?

[fuelthefire]

Murder Chicken!

[Regular conversation, Krieg can handle. He's just not used to dealing with whiny pissbabies, and honestly, he doesn't think he has the patience.]

He's a good chicken.

[Murder Chicken squawks happily beside Rhys at the praise.]

[atlasrising]

[ rhys is the definition of a whiny pissbaby to be honest ]

Murder Chicken. Right.

[ He looks way too cute to be a murderer, though. Chicken, sure. But why murder? Rhys looks over to Krieg and just...gives him a very odd look. ] But why Murder Chicken? Did he...kill anyone?

[ There's no way. But he asks, just to be sure. ]

[fuelthefire]

Mnahaha! No! It just sounds good!

[...Only a Psycho, right, Rhys?]

You got any monsters, Beanpole?

[He knows most people keep their pokemon in those little balls. He'd thrown Murder Chicken's away. He hadn't realized he should have kept it at first, but even once he learned that he should have, he's sure he would have tossed it anyway.]

[atlasrising]

Right! Sounds good. Right.

[ What in the hell. ]

Yeah, I got a few. I got Loader, I got Gortys, ow... [ Okay, his arm is like, seriously on fire right now. ] Money Shot. Are, are we almost there? This hurts. Like, this seriously hurts...

[fuelthefire]

[Back to complaining already? Krieg pauses to look over his shoulder at the man again, because, seriously??

...Except, okay, he does look pretty pale. Like. Really pale. And also a little green? Whatever, he doesn't look good.

We may be masochistic, but most people aren't.

He rolls his eyes, but stops completely to turn and face Rhys.]

Only way to get there faster is to run. D'you feel like running, Beanpole?

[atlasrising]

[ Oh my god. If this guy was going to make him run, Rhys was giving up. Let him alone to suffer in the wilderness, where he'll stay until this venom wears off. He's not entirely sure, but he can kind of feel himself turning green. Not because he's jealous or anything. Rhys feels like he's gonna barf. ]

No... [ He takes in a very shaky breath. ] O-okay. You go on ahead, and I'll just wait here. Can't last too long.

[ Moral of the story: always have antidotes on you! ] I'll be fine, okay?

[fuelthefire]

[Alternative story moral: Don't run blindly into Skorupi nests.

He's not surprised Beanpole doesn't feel like running. The guy definitely looks like he's ready to vomit - though from pain or from the poison, Krieg has no idea.

Well, nothing for it, then. He takes a deep breath and lets it out, exasperated but resolute.]

C'mon, Beanpole.

[He doesn't give Rhys an option. He just steps right up to him, drops his shoulder briefly, and sweeps Rhys off his feet - princess style. This way, if the guy pukes, it'll be more likely to get all over him, rather than all over Krieg. Not that he minds a little vomit, but he likes his pants, and would like to keep the staining on them to a minimum if at all possible.

With Princess Rhys secure in his arms, Krieg turns back toward town and jerks into a run.

Don't say Krieg never did you any favors, Rhys.]

[atlasrising]

Wait, Beanpole? I- whoa wait no no! [ And all of a sudden he's being swept off his feet! And not in a good way.

And then Krieg is running! And Rhys is trying so hard not to throw up, because the way he's angled, he's going to get it all over himself, and that would just be the cherry on top of the Embarrassing Cake. Rhys honest-to-god focuses on the pain in his arm, because that makes him feel a little less sick, anyway. It's still bad though.

Things somehow get especially bumpy, and Rhys lets out an extra loud complaint, his head shamefully flopping against Krieg. ]

Oooh my god, why didn't I replace both my arms? Why?

[fuelthefire]

[Some people must just be born to complain, Krieg figures. They're always the ones who are soft and mushy and easily squished. He does wonder how a guy like this wound up working at Hyperion. As far as he knows, Rhys is the sort of guy Handsome Jack would eat alive, without warning, in two or three bites.

Or maybe he'd unhinge his jaw like a snake and swallow him whole...Krieg wouldn't put that past Handsome Jack, either.

When Rhys' head flops, he shifts his grip a bit, trying to steady the guy and prevent more sad head flopping. Just because he likes snapping necks doesn't mean he wants this guy's neck to snap!]

Why'd you replace your arm?

[Look, Rhys, here's the road, now - This will both smooth out most of the bumps and also allow Krieg to run even faster. They'll be there soon-ish!]

[atlasrising]

[ Ooh, what an interesting question. If this guy was one of the Vault Hunters who killed Handsome Jack, he would probably think Rhys' answer was somewhat psychotic. But then again, he's a psycho! Maybe chopping off your arm for the sake of the company would be somewhat funny to him. Or maybe he'd relate. Only not in regards to Hyperion, but something he really wanted? Who even knows? ]

I needed a promotion. My dream was to be just like Handsome Jack one day. [ Before all of this happened! And then before he came to this world, where he's been introduced to a Jack who's completely different than the AI he's had stuck in his head for the pats like, week. ] I needed to find a way to hack into things, so I got my arm replaced. My eye and my arm, actually. Along with this ECHO port too. [ Rhys just points to the side of his head. ]

It's pretty nice, I guess. Beats having a fleshy arm sometimes. [ His arm still hurts, but not as much! Conversation is good! ]

[fuelthefire]

[Psychotic, no. Stupid, though? Hell yes.]

You're too squishy to be like Jackass!

[In every possible meaning of the word. Squishy feelings, squishy body, squishy gag reflex...Which is, to Krieg's mind, actually a good thing.]

Didn't getting the robot parts hurt?

[For some strange reason Krieg's having a hard time picturing this guy willingly going in to have his arm chopped off and his eyeball scooped out.]

[atlasrising]

[ Rhys isn't...sure how he's supposed to take that. It's not every day he was called squishy! He offers a smile, although it's honestly pretty stressed. Whether it's from pain or the fact that Krieg is seriously freaking him out, it's not sure. ] Uhh, I mean...thank you?

[ Oooh man. Back to the days of his surgery. Rhys nods, swallowing lightly. ] After surgery it did. I was knocked out for most of the thing. Just like one or two times they woke me up to make sure I wasn't like, brain damaged. That was when they were installing the port, though. The arm was fine.

[ As if to prove it, he raises his right hand and moves it around a little. ] It sucked afterwards 'cause I had to relearn how to use my arm and everything, but it was worth it. For the most part.

[fuelthefire]

Mngh...I think you may have been brain damaged already.

[There probably isn't anything they can do at the Pokemon Center to fix brain damage...if Krieg even remembers to mention it...which it's likely he won't.

Oh, well.

Now that he's on the road and really able to settle into his distance-eating run, he's breathing a bit heavier with the exertion. He'll probably be panting before too long, now. Not quite there yet, but soon.]

So what's the eye for?