Second Spell: Across Time. [Partially backdated.]

[behindblueskin]

Who: Keldor and...
Where: Hisui or Johto
When: The past or the present
Summary: Backdated stuff from the Hisui event and some current day things.
Rating: Unrated
Log:

Hisui #1: It'll be a few days yet before everything's fixed and people are sent back to their proper time, but before that happens, Keldor's making yet another attempt to catch one of the native Growlithes before time runs out.

The clock Keldor should be worrying about right now is the "day clock". It's already sunset, and that means the diurnal 'mons will soon be punching out while the night shift punches in. Already a flock of Zubats and a few Golbats are heading out with a big case of the munchies. Their Crobat leader hasn't arrived yet, but when it does, it's gonna notice Sakura and recognise her as a potential enemy.

Rocks will need to be deployed, but unfortunately for Keldor, there's a Voltorb amongst them, and when he grabs it, the result is predictable. It might even look like the taserings from Despicable Me 2, but we won't confirm that.

While he's recovering from the shock of a lifetime he might need assistance. First to drive off the 'bats thinking he's now been zapped into a lunchable, then to help him back to consciousness, and then hopefully to help him catch his Growlithe.

---

Hisui #2: One day and one electrocution later, it looks like Keldor's made a fast friend with the Voltorb he accidentally grabbed last night. He's not quite sure what to make of it, but the Voltorb doesn't seem inclined to want to leave [despite all efforts to shoo it away], so it looks like it's going to be part of the team for the foreseeable future.

---

Johto: It's good to be back, even if where he is isn't his original home. Ganpi, Fukiran, Gingko and Momiji are eager to get to know their new friends before Keldor's pokegear informs him that he's got one too many pokemon on-hand and the limit is six. As much as he'd really like to work on training Sakura and his second Growlithe, he did spend a lot of money trying to get Fukiran's egg, so he'll be kept while the other is sent to the box [as will Sakura].

Now that that's out of the way, it's time to get to work.

Everyone is behind on their training and they need to make up for lost time.

Comments

[crystalmaster]

[Radley brushes Lily and talks to her for a while. When Keldor starts mumbling again, he starts and comes to attention.]

... Well, one thing's for sure. Even if you'll be okay, I'll feel all the more justified in avoiding Electric and Fire types....

[This experience has pretty much been his fears come true and validated. He sighs, hoping Keldor will become aware of his surroundings soon.]

[behindblueskin]

[It might not be distinct enough to make out the words, but the words don't need to be clear to know what he must be seeing that's prompting the mutterings. Memories. Old ones. Miro's endless stream of disapprovals. Amelia trying to console him. Randor making attempts at trying to understand how his half-brother feels after suffering yet more abuse from the populous he's supposed to rule over.

And somewhat newer ones. The battle with Marzo. Marzo jettisoning Miro into some unknown dimension. Amelia dying suddenly. Randor not even bothering to try to get to the bottom of things; just exiling his brother. Meeting and being mentored by Hordak. Finding the havoc staff and learning of Hordak's true identity.

They're familiar images.

It's the one where he finds himself being swarmed by a flock of Eternian bats that's new. Some of them are carrying ... something.

A skull.

It says only one thing to him when he can see it clearly.

"I am your future."]

...no...

...no, I do not...

[Sure looks like he's having a bad dream.]

[crystalmaster]

[Radley is haunted by the mutterings and what he gleans of them. A life filled with so much sadness.... And the full story must be so much darker and sadder than what he can tell from the mutterings.

He decides to try again to get through.]

Hey! This is all past now. It's not what's happening to you in the present day. You're with me now. You're with ... a friend....

[Is he being presumptuous? For his part, he does consider Keldor a friend.]

[behindblueskin]

[Poor Keldor. Canon has never been kind to him, which is sad, because he has so much potential and deserves so much better.

The skull says nothing; just gives a high-pitched cackle as it comes closer...]

...no... NO! STAY AWAY—

[He's bolt upright now, breathing hard. Wild-eyed.]

Where ... am I? [then confusedly] ...Radley?

[That was horrible. Especially because he's afraid that it was true; that it was a vision of the future.]

[crystalmaster]

[Radley jumps a mile. But the recognition of him at last fills him with such immense relief.]

Keldor?!

[He sighs and smiles.]

It's really good to see you awake. That Voltorb did a number on you.

[Lily warbles.]

[behindblueskin]

I feel like I have been punched, but by magic, not a hand.

[He scrubs his face for a moment, then notices the bandaging. Carefully, he moves it out of the way to see what has been covered up, and wishes he hadn't.

Ohhhh that's going to scar. He can see that much.]

[crystalmaster]

Yeah, you just proved I'm not crazy to not want Electric types.

[Radley winces at the burn.]

Fire types too.

I was worried you wouldn't be okay.

[behindblueskin]

I have sparred with many men, including R'quazz himself.

[The aforementioned Beastman.]

And came away with some bruising or fractured bone. And yes, even rendered unconscious.

That creature's attack. I can only liken it to being struck by R'quazz when he actually means to inflict damage.

[In other words it bloody fucking hurt.]

[crystalmaster]

[Radley grimaces.]

Yeah, I am never going near one of those if I can help it.

Aside from that, how do you feel?

[He's not sure whether to bring up all the mumblings and their content.]

[behindblueskin]

With any luck it will feel as though whatever point it wished to make regarding being picked up by potential enemies has been made, and has decided to venture somewhere else.

[Lying back down again.]

I believe I shall make a full recovery, though given there isn't as much Gar in me as there used to be, and thus I am not as resilient as I once was, it may take a little longer.

[You might mention the mutterings, but he might not be too keen to disclose all that he saw.]

[crystalmaster]

It had better.

[Radley sighs, running a hand through his hair.]

And this is probably the worst place to get hurt, without modern medical help....

[behindblueskin]

So it is. I suppose I should ... thank ... young Cara Liss for not sending us back into an even more primitive time period with even more lethal creatures inhabiting it.

[He eyes his bandaged hand.]

Or I would not be able to even have this.

[crystalmaster]

... Yeah, I hate to think what this place would have been like even farther back.

[Radley sighs, debating with himself.]

... So ... I'm guessing you probably don't remember anything after being hurt.... You ... said a lot of things.... Private, personal things that you probably wouldn't have wanted to talk about. Don't worry, though, I won't ask about any of it. I ... just wanted you to know I won't go blabbing any of it around. I'm good at keeping things quiet.

[He smiles a bit.]

[behindblueskin]

[Wait. What?

Eyes narrow.]

How much ... did I disclose ... during my temporary debilitation?

[Already he's wary. More than that, he's afraid, and he doesn't do fear well. Keldor's inattention might've led to him sharing more information than he wants to. And if he has, then Radley might know more of his secrets than even his allies back in Eternia know.

Things even Lyn—the one he cares about the most—doesn't know.]

[crystalmaster]

[Radley holds up his hands in a non-threatening manner.]

Honestly, it was mostly bits and pieces ... talking to people.... Things that don't make much sense by themselves. I really have no idea what it meant.

[behindblueskin]

[Keldor relaxes a little. Good. Nothing of importance was shared unwittingly. He can rest easy. He can wave it off.]

Yes. I ... suppose that can happen when one's mind is addled by injury. Cause you to think you are speaking to people who are not there. Must have been little more than simple delirious babbling.

[Still, he's going to make a note to watch where he puts his hands so he doesn't come into contact with anything like a Voltorb that could hurt him so much his tongue comes loose.]

[crystalmaster]

Yeah, it sure can. Hey ... I'm sorry if I shook you up there. I thought you deserved to know. Back in April, a bunch of us were forced to spill our darkest secrets to each other. It was hard enough doing that knowing it was happening. I would have been really upset if I'd ever said something without knowing it, but I would've wanted to know.

[behindblueskin]

[Wary again.]

Is it possible that such an occurrence will come again?

[If it does... He's gonna try and avoid people for the duration.]

[OOC: Fucking ESPotify started playing the Most Appropriate Song.]

[crystalmaster]

((LOL.))

... I honestly don't know. This was during Prom, a yearly event that always goes wrong, but the stuff that goes wrong at it always changes from year to year.

I doubt anyone really remembered what anyone said after the fact. They were probably all caught up in their own pain and memories. It was all a blur to me. I tried to check on people afterwards, see if they were okay, but I think most of them just wanted to be left alone.

[He doesn't mention that no one checked on him.]

[behindblueskin]

[Would it be better if he preemptively disclosed some of his own problems; shared them with another? He's thought about it quite a lot once Lyn entered his life. He's only known her a few months, but somehow he feels like he can tell her things and she'd understand. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to confide in others as well.

Not now, of course, but later. He's already been vulnerable, and he's aware that sharing sensitive topics makes a person vulnerable to more hurt. But if he learned how to talk about it, it might help him in his cause back home if he knows that he can trust them enough to tell them anything, no matter how much it hurts.]

I will remember that, for when this "prom" comes around again.

[Awwww... Poor guy.]

[crystalmaster]

((Yeah, gah. He did find some solace with one person who accepted his company, but otherwise he was pretty much alone the rest of that day.))

[Radley honestly longs for such things. Sometimes he's found himself spilling a few things here and there, but the deepest pain is still locked inside him. He wanted someone to confide in. He never felt he could tell the guys he looked after. They needed to be happy with their chance to live freely; he couldn't burden them with more pain. But ...]

It happens every April. I don't know if I'll go again. Things keep going wrong, and yet people keep going. Some of them go to protect others. I might go for that reason, but eh.... Probably nothing I would do would make much difference anyway, so I'd probably be better off staying home.

[behindblueskin]

[Give them enough time to feel comfortable with it, and there will be tea and sympathy sessions.]

From the way you describe it, I am not sure I wish to go even for a first time.

[The variables are more than he's comfortable with at the moment.]

[crystalmaster]

[Radley would love that!]

Yeah, maybe we should stay home and have a little non-Prom party for anyone who doesn't wanna chance it again.

[behindblueskin]

A small gathering. Yes, that sounds better than risking whatever the magic of this world might subject us to.

[crystalmaster]

Sometimes it wasn't even the magic. Team Rocket has attacked and tried to steal Pokemon, and this year we accidentally crashed some legendary birds' vacation spot and they put some of us through the confessional.

[He sighs and shakes his head.]

Everything's pretty unpredictable here. I'm definitely going to work on planning this little shindig, though. We can have it at my restaurant.