kokoko-ko

[kokoko-ko]

melemeleguardian​:

Surprisingly they weren’t carded when they entered the bar. Well, it was more surprisingly that Hanale wasn’t carded. Koh could, most of the time pass since he was so tall and muscular, most people assume that he was of age. However Hanale was quite short and skinny, the diety was afraid that he would be mistaken for a teenager, but for some reason didn’t. Perhaps it was the scowl he had on his face that made people not want to ask. Not that Koh noticed this mind you.

Anyway, after entering the bar Koh found them a table in need the back and the two sat down. Someone was already singing Karaoke, he looked be a tourist and he was currently singing a cover of one of Ryuki’s songs. He wasn’t a bad singer, but it also wasn’t anything special. Although he didn’t look like he cared about being a mediocre singer. The fun of Karaoke was having fun singing with friends after all.

“So, do you want anything to drink? I know that you drank a lot at that party I went to that one time. Though if you can’t drink alcohol now there are lots of non alcoholic beverages on the menu. Feel free to order anything, it’s all on me.” Koh ordered a Pina Colada. Virgin of course, as alcohol really didn’t do anything to him.

“Oh, looks like he’s done. I’ll go up next. Cheer me on okay?” Now the question was, what song was he going to sing. Decisions, decisions.

[⚡] Hanale wasn’t even aware he might be carded.  If he had, it might have been to his advantage, though if Koh was anything like his Tapu, he probably had a few tricks up his sleeves to bypass any inconvenient human law either way.

Being lead inside, Hanale’s nose wrinkled the moment he set foot into the establishment.  The stench of humanity hit him immediately, a smell of sweat and rot and decay as their withering bodies exuded the scents of the putrid food they consumed all their lives.  To make matters worse, the pungent smell of the sorry excuse for alcohol the humans concocted was mixed in with all of this, the stench getting worse the further they got away from the door.  Perhaps he had been pampered a bit, able to remain beyond the veil for a good number of centuries up until this point.  Yet, in his memories the scents of blood and death were sharp and sweet compared to the horrid stench that permeated this stagnant air and threatened to clog his lungs.

Somehow, he managed to keep a straight face regardless, successfully batting down the urge to plug his nose with his hand.  This was going to be a very interesting trial indeed...

He took a seat at the table Koh picked out, not making any special effort to sit close to him.  Everything here right down to the seats themselves had this greasy, unclean feeling to them.  He wasn’t one to shy away from getting dirty every now and then, but being in filth in the heat of battle and simply sitting in it just because were completely different situations.  He kept his hands in his lap for the time being, but knew ultimately there was no escaping all of this.

When Koh offered to get him something, Hanale shook his head, ❛❛ No...I’ll pass. ❜❜  Alcoholic or not, anything that came from the humans tasted absolutely terrible.  It baffled him to this very day about how his Koko could even stomach it.  Plus, a drink or two in the company of his guardian was different.  Being inebriated would probably make this entire situation more bearable, yes, but he felt it was for the best he remain sober and alert around this one.

Koh’s request to be cheered on would be politely met to the absolute bare minimum.  He would give Koh his attention while he was up there singing, but Koh would be laboring under an outright delusion if he expected Hanale to whoop or expressly cheer for him.  He waited quietly as Koh made his choice, not minding however long he took.  Every moment spent in waiting was another moment he didn’t have to hear a grating voice or be made to sing...forced to take in lungfuls of rancid air to comply with Koh’s selfish request.  Plus, it was another moment closer to their agreed time limit, one Hanale was dead set on enforcing.

[kokoko-ko]

hatsudenki​:

ghostlysands​:

       [♚] — 𝐻𝐸 𝐻𝑈𝐹𝐹𝐸𝐷.  Though the end result hadn’t changed much, with Koko coming along, it was less of a matter of an amateur researcher deciding she had the right to study him out of the blue because she was so special to…just another day of training.  Relax…he willed himself.  With Koko around, nothing bad was going to happen.  He could handle a little observation, a little data collection…it wasn’t as if he were guarding any of the far more fragile ghosts under his care here.  He wouldn’t be trapped, dissected, tagged, or killed…or worse, be made into someone’s Pokemon…like his old man had.

He’d be fine.  So…relax.

He couldn’t outright deny that he had some interest on where he stood in regards to his power, but having some entitled stranger gage that for him out of their own self interest &&. service didn’t sit well with his pride.  But, Koko had convinced him it would do him some proper good to find out too, so he would put up with it for now.  He set down the bottom half of his sarcophagus finally, laying it flat on the altar room floor.  This would be no different than going to the doctors…something he had avoided at all costs up until this point.

But then she started up again, Clarissa’s continued hostility &&. aggression doing nothing but dig that hole of distrust deeper &&. deeper with Greed.  But he could go toe to toe if that’s how she wanted to play it, much to Koko’s detriment.  ❛❛ Does he look like the type t’ half-ass anythin’?  ‘Cause I ain’t doin’ jack fo’ you, this is still between me an’ him an’ tha’s who I’m doin’ it for.  Go ahead an’ get whatever data you want outt’a this, but you ain’t in charge, you ain’t involved, an’ all’a this still ain’t none’a you’re fuckin’ business!  An’ guess what?  You’re wrong,  again.  ‘Cause believe it or not, I don’t got all th’ time in th’ world t’ be fuckin’ around either!  Especially not wit’ some dime a dozen, nobody-ass ‘researchers’ who think they’re so god damn special that they’re the only ones who can unlock whatever it is I’ve got, cause you ain’t about t’ tell me this is all just for shits an’ giggles.  So do me a favor an’ just get to the when, where, an’ how so we can hurry up an’ I can burn whatever it is you fuckin’ want me to or some shit. ❜❜

  Koko gives her that look and Clarissa scowls right back. The whistle keeps getting blown at her for violating the rules in this game that nobody told her how to play before she was dragged into the arena, in a box no less. She does know that meaningless results to her tests won’t help anyone, Greed included.

  Her constructs require time and care to craft. An experiment that doesn’t pan out and both it and its results end up doomed to her “void” folder, or that goes unused when Greed decides not to partake…the possibility for net-losses of her time, money and work such as those is simply part of the field. But she can’t commit to a project of this import and not bring her A-Game to the occasion, and she’d feel more confident to know Greed intended to take this seriously.

  Maybe she was a little harsh in her wording, but she’s always harsh. That shouldn’t be news to Koko. They’ve come this far without her bluntness having managed to perturb him until now. She’s just…being herself.

  But then Greed has to go and twist it into a slight against the guardian. Ironically, the deluge of verbal rage that rushes past her serves to give her the confirmation she wanted that Greed intends to take the investigation seriously, but she’s beginning to question herself how good an idea this all is.

  Even if Greed consents, is that enough? Can she really work with a test subject who’s going to fly off the fucking handle if she doesn’t tread on eggshells in her own environment? Who’s participating only for Koko’s sake and–for as much as the concept makes her head reel–doesn’t give half a damn about the results of his own testing?

  Her reasons for wanting to study Greed weren’t wholly altruistic–she has no problem to call them selfish, even. But she’d also thought that she could help. That Greed would want to understand himself and that she could, to some small extent, offer to Greed what Colress had to her a little over two decades ago now.

  But she doesn’t have the scientist’s upbeat and amicable way with people that had allowed a good working relationship to grow between them in spite of her hair-trigger teenaged temper. Every time she opens her mouth it only serves to infuriate Greed more. And maybe given the chance they could push through to something better, but Clarissa doesn’t know that it’s the responsible or enjoyable option for either of them to try.

  She considers silently for a moment before she eventually shakes her head.

  “No,” she says calmly. “You’re right. It’s not my business to be involved. Thank you for agreeing to working with me, Greed–even if it wasn’t for me. But I don’t know if our collaborating would be ethical or responsible regardless of how productive. If nothing else it wouldn’t be kind, expecting you to comply for anybody’s sake but your own. If your time is limited then I’ve already eaten into your meeting with the Tapu long enough.”

  She turns to leave, raising her hand in parting but not looking back as she steps towards the light of the main chamber. “It was…weird to meet you, Greed. Good luck with the whole finding your humanity thing–I do mean that sincerely. Koko, please stop by when you’re feeling well enough, there’s a matter I’ve been needing to discuss.”

[⚡] Clarissa’s glare rolls right off of him, though it was because he would have been more surprised if she had backed down instead.  It wasn’t in her nature to handle anything with kid gloves.  She was blunt and harsh, and those weren’t necessarily bad qualities.  In a blunt and harsh world, sometimes they were necessary ones.  Against someone like Greed, thick skin was definitely required...against him, though.  But to get through to him took a different approach.  That’s why when his efforts to get Greed to comply and calm down went out the window in yet another flurry of swears, his exasperation at the situation showed through that little pout of his.

Sure, he might be being a little unfair here with who he was ‘fighting’ and who he was ‘appeasing’, but he could at least reason with Greed and leverage their relationship to try and get him to be reasonable despite his anger.  Clarissa on the other hand was...just being herself.  She was an unstoppable force that would kneel to no one for any reason, even him, evident by her returning that glare in kind without missing a beat.  But all that force was going up against Greed, an unmovable object that wouldn’t budge so easily against bullies or abuse, or for things he didn’t want to do or agree with.  Even when they first met, Greed had stood his ground against him when he’d mistaken the ghost for a normal Pokemon.  Their strong spirits which Koko had come to find charming were now exactly what was fueling this nightmare, both digging their heels in against one another so hard that even rock bottom might give way beneath their quickly deteriorating relations with each other.

Maybe it was because of how novel this sort of conflict was to him, of two good friends fighting each other so earnestly...but having to endure their arguing and watching as them getting along became more and more of an impossibility was starting to make him feel...sick.

He liked one just as much as the other, but they were no good together.  He definitely wasn’t going to ask them to put up with each other for his sake either, but he would have to do something-

It was like a sudden light clicked on in the darkness when Clarissa’s tone comes back calmly in the face of Greed’s outburst.  As she turned to leave without looking back, she likely did not see his crest settle low in resigned defeat at having to leave the situation as it was, but the sentiment rang clear in the tiredness in his voice, ❛❛ Right, we’ll talk...soon. ❜❜  He had been genuinely happy when he realized Clarissa was here, but they’d hardly spent a good moment together while she was.  It wasn’t wrong to have hoped both of his friends would get along, but if things weren’t going to work out, they just weren’t.

It was a bad note to leave things on but she and Greed were right.  Time was ticking on Greed’s end...but so was it on Clarissa’s...and then so was it in regards to Wrath and when he would choose to strike next.

He had trained armies and waged war before.  Being in high stress situations wasn’t anything new or anything he couldn’t handle.  Yet, this whole situation was making his head swim.  He huffed, giving a sigh and a quiet, uneasy crow in the same breath.  He wasn’t satisfied to let her go like this, but at least the distance would keep them from going at each other any more than they already had.  He could talk to her later, he had already arranged this meeting with Greed after all, and in promising to help Greed regain his humanity, he has some obligation to stick to that arrangement.

[kokoko-ko]

hatsudenki​:

ghostlysands​:

       [♚] — ❛❛ Yes. ❜❜ he shot back, ❛❛ Unless you’re a fuckin’ liar ‘bout what you can an’ can’t sense, on your own you ain’t gonna get any oth’a shit outt’a me ‘sides what you could outt’a a Ghost, but that don’t mean jack ‘bout what I am.  Just ‘cause you got lightnin’ comin’ outt’a your finger tips, that don’t make you a Pikachu now does it? ❜❜

As she continued to speak, that old animosity continued to trickle back in bit by bit, setting them right back to square one with one another.  A dark expression knit his brow as she flicked her hair over her shoulder, seen as a cocky gesture.

❛❛ Thought not trustin’ you was a given but if you wan’ me t’ say it out loud for you then yeah, I don’t trust you worth shit!  Good fo’ you if you’re good with gettin’ your ‘power’ studied by strangers, but you ain’t entitled t’- ❜❜

He was cut off as Koko came closer, whispering something into his ear.  What exactly was being said wasn’t entirely clear, but the furrow of Greed’s brow softened as he listened.  His mouth pressed into a thin line, his expression becoming reluctant.  Just as the guardian seemed to be brewing up a bit of mischief, Greed’s eyes shot wide, giving Clarissa a quick glance before looking at the guardian incredulously.

He sighed, recomposing himself after the shock of whatever the guardian had just told him.   ❛❛ You��� ❜❜  Letting his shoulders drop, he ruffled the Tapu’s crest, ❛❛ …’re lucky you’re cute. ❜❜

Turning to Clarissa, he put his hands back in his pockets.  ❛❛ Still stand by what I said.  I don’t trust you…but I trust him.  ‘f you still wanna put up wit’ me, then I’ll go along wit’ whateva’ you’ve got planned so long as it ain’t too crazy, ‘k?  But this don’t mean you’re suddenly in charge ‘a me, an’ he comes with, got it? ❜❜

  The pressure drops as malcontent piles behind Clarissa’s narrowed eyes, her statue-still form thrumming with anger despite her complete lack of motion–whatever anomaly was behind her showy little gesture back there having since moved on.

  Declarations of no trust and attacks on her character roll right past her, it’s Greed’s flagrant lack of appreciation for knowledge that galls her. She’s about to snap at him that the fact that his brain rotted away years ago doesn’t excuse the empty-headed idiocy with which he’s missing her point, when Koko steps in.

  She watches, curious, as Greed appears to go through five different realisations and changes in his stance within the space of a couple of whispered words. When Koko addresses her she raises a brow, the expression she gives him equal parts grateful and questioning. She has no idea what magic the Tapu just wove or how, but she’s not going to complain about getting what she wants.

  Clarissa nods slowly.

  “This was never intended to be a strictly private party anyway,” she tells the Tapu. “I have no objections, so long as you won’t be straining yourself. I know you’re as enthusiastic as I am for some good qualitative data.” If not even more so…considering Greed is his handiwork, and yet the guardian doesn’t seem to understand the totality of Greed’s situation either.

  Willing to brush past his flared temper of moments ago, Clarissa looks back to Greed. “I’m not a mad scientist. I want information, that’s all. You won’t be endangered and you’re free to refuse or opt out of a test at any point.”

  She pins him with a stern look. “However. I don’t want your cooperation if you’re going to play along half-heartedly. If you commit to a test then you complete it to the fullest of your ability. Elsewise you’re just wasting, mine, yours, and Koko’s time, and unlike the two of you I don’t have forever to get fucked about. But if you can agree to give it your best shot then I’d be happy to work with you.”

[⚡] Koko nodded happily at the confirmation of this new arrangement.  He would be there as assurance for Greed that nothing would happen to him by participating in Clarissa’s tests, and that gathering some proper information on his powers would only benefit his quest to grow stronger.  That, along with an extra bit of persuasion, seemed to sway the otherwise incredibly stubborn ghost into compliance.  Crisis averted, Greed and Clarissa would get to know each other more and then perhaps they’d stop being at each other’s throats every other second...

...not.

He understood, it was natural to throw anger for anger, but this little game of back and forth trying to settle Greed down enough in face of Clarissa’s verbal assault ( be it on purpose or on accident ) was starting to get incredibly grating.

If they were just going to keep bickering and fighting like this all the while, he was starting to reconsider whether or not he actually wanted to tag along.

He pinned Clarissa with his own stern look.  Not helping!  He wanted them to get along.  Genuinely.  But if they were just going to sling abuse at one another, he wasn’t going to keep waiting for a miracle to happen.

[kokoko-ko]

hatsudenki​:

ghostlysands​:

       [♚] — 𝐷𝐸𝑆𝑃𝐼𝑇𝐸 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝐻𝐸𝐴𝑉𝑌 𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑃 𝑇𝐴𝐾𝐸𝑁 𝐼𝑁𝑇𝑂 𝐹𝑂𝑅𝐵𝐼𝐷𝐷𝐸𝑁 𝑇𝐸𝑅𝑅𝐼𝑇𝑂𝑅𝑌, 𝐺𝑅𝐸𝐸𝐷 𝑊𝐴𝑆 𝐴𝐿𝑅𝐼𝐺𝐻𝑇 𝐹𝑂𝑅 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑀𝑂𝑆𝑇 𝑃𝐴𝑅𝑇.  After so long, he had learned how to pull himself out of these otherwise inescapable downward spirals of questioning &&. thought.  That wasn’t to say being reminded of the large gaps in his memory felt any more pleasant than it did when he first became aware of just how much he actually was forgetting, but it was manageable nevertheless.  It hadn’t been bad enough this time, but when his anxieties &&. fears got the best of him, sometimes he couldn’t help but wish to be small again.  Desiring to be that troublesome little Yamask no different than the others, to go back to the old days where his old man was still in charge, to have someone who had walked in his shoes &&. understood more than he did about himself to lean on.

But, the face in the mirror wasn’t worth dying over, &&. with Koko’s help, though those same, inhuman eyes stared back at him, that face became just a bit easier to look at.

The overconcern was a bit unwelcome, even if it was from the guardian, but he set it aside.  If he wanted to prove he could manage on his own, he would just have to keep training with Koko, otherwise it wasn’t as if someone as weak as him could expect not to draw concern from someone as strong as the guardian deity.

On the subject of study, the guardian didn’t seem to have any objections, but according to the souring of his expression, Greed did.

❛❛ Yeah…I can see that… ❜❜  He was rather fortunate that his old powers had come through during that fight.  He didn’t actually know if they would.  More likely than not, he would have had more than a sore spot on the back of his head at this point had they not.  Preferably, he would learn how to fight with this new body well enough to avoid having to use his own abilities ( &&. in the future, maybe even have his own ‘team’ to battle for him in situations where fists wouldn’t cut it, though the very thought of it was still in the realm of impossibility in his head ) but for now, he would just have to make do it seemed.

❛❛ No dice. ❜❜  he replied curtly.  Two ghastly hands came forth from his shadow, reaching across the altar room to retrieve the two halves of his sarcophagus, the lid placed down beside him &&. the other half held upside down behind him, carried as if they were no heavier than a standard book.  ❛❛ Ain’t nothin’ different ‘bout my ‘power’ now from w��en I was in this.  Just ‘cause I let you put your hands all ov’a my face don’t mean I’m free game.  ‘sides, ain’t like you’ll find anythin’ different between me an’ any other Ghost. ❜❜

  Koko appears to consent to the idea, but her would-be test subject crucially does not. Clarissa suppresses the instinct to step back defensively, suffering a flash of concern that Greed might be about to shove her back into the sarcophagus as the spectral hands of his shadow pull the two halves close. But now she understands how Greed was able to trap her and carry her to the altar room so effortlessly. (Some manner of ghostly manipulation had obviously been in play, but witnessing the shadow-hands in action still fascinates her once the spike of paranoia has passed. Actually, this is her first time seeing a Cofagrigus, even if Greed is a little…unconventional of an example for the species).

  Greed makes his little excuses in lieu of telling her outright that he doesn’t trust her. That at least she could respect. After all, she did just mildly beat him up, and she had asked him to keep her own abilities a secret, knowing well that her Dyanmo power is an unshielded lamp in the dark to draw her enemies unto her location.

  But nobody knows about Dynamo. Even Sabrina, Saffron City’s feared and esteemed psychic wonder-child, had only been able to offer her a name and a definition of the Dynamo power that wouldn’t take up half the space on a post-it note. She’s always desired more knowledge about her power, and offered her spiky cooperation to the likes of Rocket’s research team, Colress, and (recently) the artificial life designated as LA-02 in order to get it. Uncovering the secrets of Dynamo energy and understanding both it and her own body was the only way she could be as strong as she is today, and learning more is necessary if she wants to continue to grow.

  Even if Greed’s excuses are just that–excuses–the plainest idea of him not being interested to learn more about his current state cloys at her.

  “Ghost?” Clarissa’s dull gaze darkens with irritation, like an already cloudy sky swelling a moody blue-grey in portent of the incoming rainstorm. “I thought you were human, or at least on your way to becoming one. I can understand if you don’t trust me, but you cannot tell me you don’t see the significance in a human breathing flames, or that you cannot see any use in tracking how your abilities might change the closer you move towards true humanity. I won’t believe you earnestly don’t care about any of that.”

  She flicks her hair back over her shoulder with her hand, the gesture uncharacteristically animated considering the lack of “needless” movements she’s displayed so far, giving an exasperated shrug of her shoulders. “I won’t push you to change your mind, but you should know that it’s a waste not to wish to understand your potential.”

[⚡] Watching their exchange, the guardian seems relatively unperturbed.  He expected as much from Greed, and honestly, he might have even declined himself if he were in that situation...might have, because he did like Clarissa a bit, perhaps enough to sway his usually staunch stance against being studied or experimented on.

Clarissa might be willing to back down, but the opportunity was too perfect for finally getting out of the ruins.  Casually, he glided over to Greed, and muttered something into his ear, getting a devious little look on his face at one point before backing off.  ❛❛ So, how about it? ❜❜  

He looked to Clarissa,   ❛❛ It would be helpful if you could put him through whatever tests you had in mind.  But I’ll have to tag along for this. ❜❜

[kokoko-ko]

hatsudenki​:

ghostlysands​:

        [♚] — 𝑇𝐻𝑂𝑈𝐺𝐻 𝑇𝐻𝐸𝑅𝐸 𝐼𝑆 𝑁𝑂𝑇𝐻𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝐶𝐿𝐸𝐴𝑅𝐿𝑌 𝐷𝐸𝐹𝐼𝑁𝐸𝐷 𝑇𝐻𝐸𝑅𝐸, 𝑇𝑂𝑈𝐶𝐻 𝑇𝐸𝐿𝐿𝑆 𝐴 𝐷𝐼𝐹𝐹𝐸𝑅𝐸𝑁𝑇 𝑆𝑇𝑂𝑅𝑌.  There is undeniably a bone——or something acting as bone——structure beneath his ghost like features.  The expected softness in the usually fattier cheek area of his face gives way to something more firm as she trails to the center.  Though it isn’t as defined as it would be on a fully human face, there is something akin to that bony structure his nasal cartilage should have been anchored to.  Whatever it may be, instead of the sharp drop where the nasal cavity would be present in the bone, it seems to level off into the structure of his upper jaw instead.

Having his head turned every which way made him feel a bit like a doll, but having agreed to let her look his face over, he complied with her whims at that moment.  At her casual comment about his appearance, he didn’t react much…externally.

He may or may not think about it later, though…a tepid victory for team Not-A-Total-Freak.

His brows raise a bit when she mentions his lack of a nose.  Well, he supposed that interested her, considering the fact that she went for that area of his face immediately.  The fact had not bothered him as much when he first looked at his face in that strange, reflective gem in the bathroom…mostly because he just hadn’t had a nose for a good amount of time by now.  Subconsciously, he had accepted that as normal.  What had bothered him the most was his eyes…blood red &&. inhuman.  Being told they could be passable as contacts made him feel…marginally better about them, but not by much.  All in all, the report was sound: Pretty…

…pretty weird that was.

Being given his face back, he straightened with a casual ❛❛ Sure… ❜❜ in response.  When she asked about his face, what he looked like now compared to back then, a bit of unease flashed in his eyes for just a moment.

…was it?

This body, this face——or the vague implications of one that he had——were they really what he looked like in life?

Living in such a far gone era, he never knew how tall he actually was.  He had to admit, being this tall now was a bit jarring, but that was because he had been much shorter as a Pokemon, that height having no correlation to his height as a human whatsoever.  Maneuvering this build didn’t feel too clunky or airy…so, he assumed that it was right, wasn’t it?

But…his face.

He thought about it, the memory of looking at this new face of his gaze back at him in the gemstone coming back to him.  Even further than that, the memory of seeing himself in the mirror for the first time after becoming Pharaoh…those blood red eyes staring back at him in the dark above a monstrous maw of teeth…that same monstrous quality still present now in this new form, albeit to a lesser degree.  Then before that…a smaller monster in the reflection of his mask as bloody tears dripped &&. clung to its shiny, golden surface-

And before that-

…before…that-

…HE COULDN’T REMEMBER HIS OWN-

He looked down at the mask in his hand for a moment, its vague features staring back at him, indifferent to his mental plight.  It was a DEATH MASK, one that was supposed to look like what he had before his death.  Among the Yamask, there were subtle differences in their masks to be able to differentiate between one &&. the other…but at the end of the day, they were just shapes with fading memories attached to them, along with the empty promise that they were the truth.

With a calm tone that did not betray the anxious dread he was pushing down ( ignoring, forgetting ) he gave her a shrug,  ❛❛ Yeah, ‘sides all’a that…s’ about right. ❜❜

  These two make for an unsubtle pair. Even if Greed succeeds in masking his emotions when he responds, the anxious flicker of Koko’s crest coinciding with the momentary look on the ghoul’s face alerts Clarissa to the touched nerve. Truly she cannot know full weight of her faux pas, but similar to the intangible but telling something that she felt from the masked stranger she confronted in the ruins, she knows there’s some deeper truth below the surface that isn’t being spoken.

  “I see,” she replies in her serious, even tone. No hesitation to imply she might be doubtful in the least about Greed’s answer… “I suppose that even if you had looked differently before, it would be inconsequential. For better or worse, this is your face now. I was just curious.”

  Even so, there was no denying that Greed’s current look could use some fine tuning, at least if he were to ever live authentically as a human again. Not an easy thing to achieve if you can never remove your mask and have to live in fear of anyone ever seeing your face.

  Koko had suggested that he was aiding Greed with this state of imperfect humanity. She can’t help but feel her interest plucked by the question of what comes next…not only because of Spectre’s stake in OZ2′s tedious philosophical pondering on the matter of Life and the soul, but because she (Kyanite) fought to the point of both of their near deaths to tear her humanity–her mortality, her flaws, the limitations of an organic vessel–from her being like it was some kind of rot that needed to be exterminated. What would it even look like for someone moving in the opposite direction?

  “So what happens now? If this isn’t the extent of how human he can become again.”

  She looks between Koko and Greed, turning her steely gaze up into the ghost’s face once more. “I’d like the chance to study you properly, Greed. If you don’t mind, and if Koko has no objections to me stealing you away for a while. Nothing too painful or invasive…I’m neither a doctor nor an expert in the occult, but I would appreciate getting to put your power to the test, at the very least.”

[⚡] He couldn’t help but worry a bit.  After all, Greed was his ward.  Questions like these would be inevitable as he ventured further out into the world on his own.  If they brought about too much mental distress then that just meant what little humanity remained in Greed was far too fragile to expose to the wider world just yet.  But Greed had managed to maintain his composure, on the surface at least.

The realm of death and spirits was more of his sisters’ area.  Beyond that, prior to this, all he had ever done to transform a soul was to break it up, not put it back together again.  Just as Clarissa wanted to perform her own experiments to sate her curiosities, Koko too was performing his own, a stress test of just how put together this scrap book of a vessel was for Greed.  He wanted to have faith in Greed’s resolve, but he also didn’t want to go risking what little hold he had left over blind faith.  It might seem like his concern was a bit much, but just because Greed’s fragility didn’t manifest physically as his did after Wrath had nearly killed him didn’t mean it didn’t pose just as much of a risk.

They would take things as slowly as they needed to...using glamours to mask the fact that anything was wrong at all.

❛❛ Now, it’s just a matter of getting him back in touch with his humanity, enough so that the rest of him can be brought out again. ❜❜  he stated matter-of-factly.  Simple enough to sum up, harder in practice, but it was a challenge Koko was willing to take on.

Mentioning the testing out of his power, Koko’s crest perked up.  ❛❛ Oh!  Actually, I’ve been a little curious about that myself. ❜❜  He turned to Greed with an eager expression,  ❛❛ We haven’t sparred yet with you in this form.  It’d probably be for the best to make sure you’re still at full strength like this.  You’re not exactly out of the woods yet you know, you might still need to battle. ❜❜

[kokoko-ko]

hatsudenki​:

ghostlysands​:

        [♚] —  𝑇𝐻𝐸𝑌 𝑆𝐻𝐴𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝐼𝑁 𝑇𝐻𝐴𝑇 𝑆𝐸𝑁𝑇𝐼𝑀𝐸𝑁𝑇.  Though at times the guardian’s high energy was difficult to keep up with, there was something charming about his mannerisms, all amounting to what was essentially a larger version of a small bird.  That pointed look of his softened immediately at the guardian’s trill, smiling a bit despite himself.

He had half the mind to reach out &&. tussle the deity’s crest for his endearing mischief, but turned his attention away when Clarissa approached.  Bringing her hand so close, he instinctively moved his head back, looking at her inquisitively beyond her fingers at her request.  As a Pokemon, even as a much more approachable Yamask, he never liked being pet or touched out of the blue.  That sentiment grew even more so when he obtained his golden exterior, taking excellent care of himself, as well as the mask that once adorned his sarcophagus.  But over the past few days, he had been touched &&. examined &&. put in all sorts of positions, partly for medical reasons… ( partly for fun… )  He had started to sink into it like routine, letting himself be taken by the tides of fate rather than try &&. change them.  What was a little more poking &&. prodding?  It’d only be for a moment anyways.  Plus, he was curious about what was on her mind.  She hadn’t reacted much when he had taken off his mask, but if she wanted to touch his face, there must be something she found interesting about him.  He wanted to know, from as human of a perspective as she could provide…what was he like?

Indulging her in this might not get him the direct answers he wanted, but it might at least give him a bit of insight.   ❛❛ Yeah…sure, I guess… ❜❜  Being a bit taller than her, he tipped his head down so she’d have an easier time doing…whatever she was planning…&&. maybe be less likely to poke him in the eye ( on accident. )  Speaking of, not really knowing where to put them for the time being, he looked somewhere off to the side, holding still for her.

  Clarissa doesn’t waste any of her time questioning why Greed is so amenable to her whims. The anger and distrust between these two appears to have been whipped out of the door to the ruins entirely, swept away in a minor storm of fire and electricity…helped in no small part, of course, by the negotiations and sneaky well-meaning tugging of a treasured mutual friend.

  Curiosity burning hungrily within her, Clarissa’s calloused fingertips alight on Greed’s face, pressing lightly into that strange flat plane of dark, featureless skin. Her plying investigation creeps upward to where the cartilage of the bridge of the nose would ordinarily join with the protrusion of bone at the very top of the structure–ordinarily the only part to remain after a body decays. She probes carefully for signs of that tell-tale raised firmness beneath Greed’s flesh. It’s a curious sensation how much touching the front of his face feels like touching one big cheek, though Clarissa has no idea what else she could expect Greed’s eerily vast and flat face to feel like.

    That’s precisely what makes it so interesting. She doesn’t know anything, and yet she has everything she can learn.

  She takes his jaw in her fingers, gentle but commanding as she tilts his face to drink in all of his angles–the flatness of his profile, the blood red of his sclera, the wrappings around his neck. His strong jawline, dramatic eyes framed by a ethereal trim of ghostly white lashes.

  “I mean…he is a little bit handsome.” Her comment is obviously directed at Koko, though her searching gaze doesn’t leave Greed’s features. The dryness of her tone bares no hints as to whether she’s joking around or being truthful…though Koko probably knows her serious nature and the hidden wit that sometimes spikes from beneath it well enough to detect it’s someplace in the middle. “I’m extremely interested in why there’s no nose. I don’t mean to nitpick your hard work, Koko, but it is a little hard to look past. The eyes you could probably pass off as contact lenses, it’s the nose that really sticks out. Or, you know. Doesn’t….”

  Despite treating Greed like Koko’s craft project, she is…is impressed the right word? She has no metric for what constitutes a “good” revival from the dead, and certainly no room to cast judgements. She couldn’t even succeed in turning herself into a digital lifeform, let alone resurrect another. This is bizarre new territory the likes of which she doesn’t expect to ever tread again. But it was probably no trivial thing to take a human so far corrupted (Greed’s unstable energy sings all the more keenly with the mask gone and with him within range of her touch–and right up inside of her field) and make them into this. Greed might not be perfectly human but in terms of physical form alone he’s at least pretty close.

  At last she allows Greed his face back, not satisfied (far from it) but feeling as if she’s gleaned all she can from such surface level observations. “Thank you,” she tells him, nodding her head to him. “This form…is it similar to how you looked when you were alive? I assume that you did originally have a nose, and that the red eyes are something new as well…I mean beyond those. Height, build, facial structure…?”

[⚡] He watched curiously as Clarissa made her observations.  Though he was the reason Greed had the form he did now, the finer details ( and lack thereof ) were not entirely by his choosing.  Regardless, he still got that slightly nervous feeling of being under examination in his gut, wondering too what she thought, crest standing slightly in anticipation.

When Clarissa addressed him, he tipped his head, ❛❛ Hmm...I’m not sure myself.  I helped him achieve that form, sure, but what resulted was based on his own perception of himself.  It’s not like you’re aware of your own nose all the time, so after so long of not having one...well- ❜❜  he shrugged, leaving it at that with a casual air to his tone.

He had to leave it at that.

Because if he said anymore...

If he said the truth...

He might accidentally tell Greed the truth...of just how little of himself there actually was left.

...so after so long of not having one...he forgot about it.

To not even remember your own face beyond vague details...just a silhouette in the mind, corrupted by what would come after he had withered away entirely...

The fae did not do favors lightly, even if in return Koko had now obtained Greed’s true name.  As a guardian, he shouldn’t have done what he did, and he might find himself in a bit of trouble for it down the road...but he did it because he felt a bit of pity for Greed.  To exist as an immortal being that would not die, but to be dying anyways.  To have such a will to fight despite an inevitable end.  It took great focus and care to remember when you were meant to forget...a task as impossible as fighting back against the decay of the mind at the end of life...but Greed wanted to, and through that tenacity to live, so too did Koko want to see him succeed at it.

When Clarissa pressed him for details about his former self, his crest flattened with a bit of concern.  She didn’t know of the dangers that even thinking about their past lives possessed of course, so careless questions like these were unavoidable from a curious mind.  But, he worried about how Greed would react, watching quietly.

[kokoko-ko]

melemeleguardian​:

“Alright, alright.” Koh said as he gently put Hanale down. Although he was also handling him like a board for some reason. He then watched as the spriggan dropped off his groceries. 

Actually, now that he thought of it, why was Hanale the one who had to buy groceries? Sure there always the possibility that Hanale was the only one in Koa’s world that could turn into a human. However, i Koa really wanted someone to run errands in the human world, why didn’t he just ask Hala or even Hau to pick something up for him?

Really the more he learned about Koa’s world, the more questions he had. Oh well, now wasn’t the time for him to think of it, now was the time to have some fun!

“Okay so only an hour or two of singing huh? Yeah, that’s fine. Hmmm, well since the Karaoke bar I’m thinking of is on Ula’Ula, it’ll be faster if I flown you there.” 

Well, get ready to be manhandled again Hanale, because Koh quickly transformed and scooped him up to fly to their destination. Once they were close, Koh flew into an ally to transform back into human form without anyone seeing.

“Alright! Let’s get to singing then!”

[⚡] A single moment of freedom was to be had.  As he placed the bag of sweets before the altar, the idea of just slipping past the veil and making his escape was sorely tempting.  But, he didn’t have confidence that Koh wouldn’t just follow suit, considering his speed and proximity.  It was like being faced with the blinding void that stood between oneself and the light switch across the room, having sanctuary be so close, yet so far.  He would just have to bear with it, preferring to be trapped in some human occupied place for a time with their smells and metals and strange artificial lights than risk letting Koh past the veil, what with Koa being in the state he was.

Only for an hour or two, he said.  He’d be gone just that much longer, but at least it wouldn’t be for too long.  He hardly got a chance to say anything in response before he was picked up again, shrinking himself down into Koh’s hold.  If he had been given time he would have transformed himself back into his actual form, being less conspicuous than his human one was, but to do so mid-flight was a terrible idea for many reasons.  He held on for the time being, not exactly afraid of being dropped from such a height ( he could simply transform and hover out of harms way ) but wanting to avoid the hassle.

His aggravation grew by the second, not only cross about being forced to be another’s playmate, but because of Koh’s unknowing carelessness.  He had never been picked up, nor had he ever been carried so deliberately, not by anyone, and especially not by Koa.  To have these quiet desires of his be actualized now, by someone who was, yet wasn’t the guardian he had known for millions of years at this point made him feel defiled, like a less grave form of having a first kiss be stolen.

All the nuisances of his anger failed to print onto his face, however, all of it coming out as the mildly annoyed expression he wore by default.  As they touched down and Koh transformed again, he could only begin to imagine what these next few hours would have in store for him.  They were going to a karaoke bar...

He hoped Koh wasn’t expecting him to drink anything.

He would follow Koh’s lead despite his reluctance, giving a small sigh, ❛❛ ...right... ❜❜

[kokoko-ko]

hatsudenki​:

ghostlysands​:

       [♚] — 𝑊𝑅𝐴𝑃𝑃𝐼𝑁𝐺𝑆 𝑂𝐹 𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑁 𝐶𝐿𝑂𝑇𝐻 𝐴𝐷𝑂𝑅𝑁𝐸𝐷 𝑊𝐻𝐴𝑇 𝐹𝐸𝐿𝑇 𝑂𝑇𝐻𝐸𝑅𝑊𝐼𝑆𝐸 𝐿𝐼𝐾𝐸 𝐴 𝑁𝑂𝑅𝑀𝐴𝐿 𝐻𝑈𝑀𝐴𝑁 𝐻𝐴𝑁𝐷.  There was a bit of an unusual warmth to his skin, felt even through his wrappings, although considering Clarissa’s own higher body temperature he probably felt no different to her, rather than having a cooler grip like most other humans might from her perspective.  A warm Ghost.

Being asked to keep her ‘secret’, he gave her a firm nod, ❛❛ Sure.  Ain’t like I got anyone else t’ tell it to. ❜❜  Despite her hints, he wasn’t sure what to expect as she stepped back.  Something electric based most certainly, but just what he couldn’t fathom, the reach of his imagination limited by his own form of ‘common sense’.  Humans weren’t particularly known for their ‘particular’ powers like Pokemon were, nor were they known to be quite as shock proof as she would soon prove herself to be.  Half expecting her to pull out some sort of tool, he was nevertheless quite surprised when she began to glow, all the little oddities he had noted before suddenly clicking into place.  He straightened as electricity flashed &&. sparks flew, leaving lights dancing in his eyes as everything settled back into the dim of the altar room.  A little more than impressed, he exchanged a glance with the guardian as he looked between him &&. Clarissa.  ❛❛ H’okay-!  Damn… ❜❜

He was reeling a bit from it all.  He knew psychics &&. mediums were a thing in their world, but he had never heard of a human possessing the powers of electricity.  Dynamo, generator.  The guardian had never tried to blow him up from the inside out during their little sparring matches, so he didn’t know where exactly her powers stood in comparison to his, but he was nevertheless a bit relieved to have avoided being on the receiving end of it regardless.

He was pulled out of the tumbling rubble that was his worldview crashing down all around him by the guardian addressing him.  You’ve got your own tricks up your sleeve, don’t you?

❛❛ Wh-?  What is this…show an’ tell? ❜❜  He knew what the guardian was referring to, but considering the circumstances, it would hardly be as impressive of a display as what Clarissa had just demonstrated.  ❛❛ ‘sides, if I gotta do that then that means I have to take off my- ❜❜  Hearing the guardians reasoning, he shifted his jaw.  He trusted Koko, undoubtedly so…but another human was a different story, whether or not they were friendly with Koko as well.  Humans weren’t as honor bound as the fae were.  Lying was a natural part of their natures.  On top of that, he couldn’t fully grasp the gravity of Clarissa sharing her abilities with him, unaware of her history as an agent of Rocket.  But it had been something she considered secret, regardless of what her reasoning may be.  It wasn’t as if he would be going into this with an uneven hand.

Shifting his weight to one foot, he made his decision.  ❛❛ You know what…fine.  Fair is fair…❜❜  Reaching up to his face, he took a hold of his mask, pulling it away from his face…

❛❛ Secrets for secrets…ain’t like I could just half ass it an’ leave you with only part forever. ❜❜  One vaguely human facade was exchanged for another, motionless golden features moved away to uncover the ghoulish ones beneath.  With the mask gone, so too was the ward, &&. the full extent of his nature was exposed without any trickery to hinder or muffle it.  He grew a bit sheepish, his brow knitting.  There was nothing all that spectacular about what he was about to do, but he assumed the guardian had brought that up partly for his own amusement.  It was a part of himself that he needed to get more in touch with anyways, so why not use the opportunity to exercise it?

❛❛ Listen…I mean…you know what I am, so it probably ain’t too surprising that I’d be able t’ do- ❜❜  He turned his head, aiming somewhere open as to not set anything ablaze on accident before opening his mouth.  A stream of fire burst forth with a startling intensity, staring out blue before ebbing into the more familiar reds &&. oranges of the flames usually produced by Fire types.  Closing his mouth again, the flames died out just as quickly as they had come, leaving nothing but after images &&. a residual heat in the air as testament to their intensity.  ❛❛ -somethin’ like that…but, ❜❜ he turned to the guardian, pinning the deity with a look,  ❛❛ I know you get a kick outta that. ❜❜

  Even after all these years she still gets a kick out of people’s reactions to seeing the Dynamo power in action. She still doesn’t know why she has this ability…though some combination genetics and dumb chance seems the most likely (if pedestrian) explanation. Perhaps others in her position would come to resent their abilities for overshadowing their other strengths or skills…she’s certainly been told many times in her life that she’d be nothing if not for her rare, electrical disposition. Maybe a small part of her still believes them, even now.

  And yet, her power has never been any short of a gift, a random lightning strike of awesomeness in a life that however well she’s rolled with the tides has mostly been an on-going shit show of cruelty and disappointment. It’s her secret weapon, and the key that’s opened doors to things she’d never have believed possible. It was her power that drew Tapu Koko’s curiosity. That alone is more than precious enough to make every hardship she weathered on her path to Alola worth it.

  She wears the faintest smile as she watches Koko dance about excitedly, her steely expression softened by the fondness clear in her eyes. Her gaze shifts back to Greed when Koko eagerly  pushes him to show off what he can do. Her smile evaporates like a mirage the moment she looks away from the Tapu, but a keen intrigue lifts her features.

  The mask comes away and Clarissa knows that she made the right call in sharing her power. She’d made no assumptions about what could be beneath, so the reality of Greed’s face is an equal mix of not/surprising. Outwardly she hardly reacts to the big reveal in spite of the violence with which she’d demanded this exact sight, but her heart skips a beat when she finally meets those devilish red eyes and smooth features. Why is there no nose? It seems unlikely but still, did Koko just…forget?

  Anticipation thrums quietly in her head and chest even as Greed tries to temper her expectations for whatever he’s about to show her. She doesn’t believe for a second that it’ll be something so boring as he seems to assume she’ll find it, and she’s right. Though it’s possible Greed might think her unimpressed from the lack of an obvious reaction such as he showed to her power, the colour-changing stream of fire from Greed’s mouth is undoubtedly some of the coolest shit she’s ever seen.

  “…I actually wasn’t expecting fire,” she says finally. The heat dissipates but the impression stays with her, twin plumes of light flashing in her own vision when she blinks.

  Like some outside force is pulling her obediently forth, she steps across the stone floor to Greed. Stopping barely even a foot from him she gazes up into his face–her eyes fixed on him as her hand raises absently towards his face as though caught in a trance. Clarissa stops with her fingers mere inches from Greed’s face.

  “May I…?”

[⚡] Righting himself, Koko gave Greed a bit of space for what would be coming next.  Greed would be right, the mischievous god having brought up his new talents in part for his own amusement, but also because he knew what Greed would have to do to show them off.  There was a certain bit of satisfaction in the Tapu’s expression when Greed removed his mask.  Keeping secrets from an entire world would eventually start to weigh heavily upon Greed if nothing was done about it.  By coaxing the ghoul to remove his mask before a proper human, some of that burden would be removed and his existence, as imperfect as it was now, would take its first tentative steps into settling back into where it belonged.

With a casual air, the light of hellfire lit the altar room for a brief moment, come and gone quickly.  Koko had already witnessed this power on a grander scale, the day he played his trick to steal Greed’s soul from the marching lines towards oblivion, yet it all still excited him.  The realms of hell and the demonic and that of the fae were more closely linked than many would believe.  As denizens of that damned realm, Greed and his ghosts were favored guests among the courts...whether or not that favor would actually play to their favor was another story entirely, though.

He gives Greed a pleased little trill in return, not denying that he took particular delight in seeing Greed utilize his flames, as inexperienced as he was with them at this point.

As Clarissa approached, he gave her a curious look, her intentions becoming clear as she reached for Greed’s face, only to stop just before making contact.  These were matters that were outside of his rightful control.  Though Clarissa definitely wouldn’t be doing the...most exploration of Greed’s abnormal figure, Koko wouldn’t hold it against Greed if he decided to deny her request.  They were recent acquaintances after all.  Not many people were very inclined to let near strangers touch them so deliberately.

[kokoko-ko]

melemeleguardian​:

And just like Koh said the two quickly reached the ruins of conflict much quicker than Hanalele would on his own. Hmmm, now that he thought of it, Hanalele human form was small because he was a Cutiefly right? Huh, wonder what would happen if he evolved. Actually why wasn’t he a Ribombee now? Did he just wanted to remain cute and small? Well, that’s probably a question he should ask later. 

“See, I told you, we’d get there faster.” Probably faster than Koa too. Actually, while he knew that he was stronger than Koa, he didn’t know if he was faster. Got to challenge him to a race one of these days.

“Uh… So, now what do we do exactly?”

[⚡] ❛❛ What we do now is...you put me down, and I can drop off what I have... ❜❜  He spoke curtly, though for his aggravation, he was being quite compliant in being held as he was.  Matters of strength and speed could be contested at a later date.  It definitely wasn’t a good mark on his Tapu’s reputation to have suffered such a devastating defeat, but Wrath was beyond mere matters of strength and speed.  He was a menace that would undoubtedly be back one of these days, a menace they had to be prepared for, lest such carelessness cost them more than they had already lost.  Hanale would love to do that no good alternate in himself, but he wasn’t so prideful to the point of idiocy.  It would take more than just this island’s court to take him on...but just how much more, who could say?  Those matters were exactly what he should be tending to at the moment rather than being whisked away to karaoke or whatever this less charming alternate had in mind.  He was starting to see Tapu Fini’s point, honestly...

He took a breath to settle his emotions, resigning himself to his fate.  His voice was soft with his growing despair as he made his admittance of defeat in this situation, ❛❛ ...then...then I’ll...accompany you to karaoke.  But that’s it.  I don’t have all the time in the world to be dragged about like this, you know. ❜❜

[kokoko-ko]

hatsudenki​:

ghostlysands​:

       [♚] — 𝐻𝐸 𝐿𝑂𝑂𝐾𝐸𝐷 𝑇𝑂 𝐻𝐸𝑅 𝐻𝐴𝑁𝐷, 𝐻𝐼𝑆 𝑂𝑊𝑁 𝑅𝐸𝑀𝐴𝐼𝑁𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝐼𝑁 𝐻𝐼𝑆 𝑃𝑂𝐶𝐾𝐸𝑇𝑆 𝐹𝑂𝑅 𝐴 𝑀𝑂𝑀𝐸𝑁𝑇.  Don’t hold it against him.  It wasn’t meant to be for his character, but against the very nature of his existence itself.  He was human, through &&. through.  He had been, &&. still was, even when he was a Yamask himself.  Even now, as his memories faded &&. his hold on that truth slipped more &&. more day by day, he was still just as sure of it as he was the day he had ‘woken up’…even if it took more convincing than it use to when he thought about it for too long——not that he should be in the first place, it brought up too many questions &&. brought up far too many overlooked gaps in memory to light.

Don’t hold it against him…but that was something impossible to ask of her for the exact reasons she stated.  He felt like a Ghost.  She could agree to call him human, but the fact would remain that he didn’t feel like one.  It’d be no different than trying to convince her something soft felt harsh, that something sweet was bitter, or that a dark room was actually lit.  Even through his mask, she saw right through him, but still, he held his tongue, against his usual nature.  But if you say you’re human then I’ll respect that.  He knit his brow, but again, refused to say anything despite how instinctual it was for him to defend that vital part of himself.  It wasn’t so much because he said so…it was because it was so…but for the aforementioned reasons, he let it go, knowing he wasn’t going to convince her any time soon.  Not to mention, fighting her about it would drag Koko further into this.

They had spoken about this before.  As much as Koko blamed himself for what Greed was, it was his own fault too, for the same unintentional reasons.  No matter how powerful something was, there was no way to return what just didn’t exist anymore…not unless you were the Great Creator, &&. it was because of that very maker that he had ended up like this in the first place.  He had lost a good amount of himself over this decade &&. a half of new life.  Trying to piece him back together from that would likewise result in something that was missing a good amount of itself too.

He was satisfied with this form…for now…&&. immensely grateful.  Even if it wasn’t perfect, he couldn’t say his situation hadn’t improved greatly from where it had once been.  Saying otherwise would be disrespecting what the Tapu had gotten him, &&. it had all been a hell of a lot more than he ever deserved, truthfully.  Clarissa was ‘convinced’ he was human, &&. he’d leave it at that.  Letting the tension in his shoulders go, he took her offered hand, still a bit wary she might try &&. make a grab for his mask.  Friends, for now.  It would probably be for the best that he get along with the other people Koko associated with.  Not to mention, making other relations with humans ( as uneven as they might be ) might do him a bit of good in regards to this quest of his.

❛❛ Oi…speakin’ of ‘power’, ❜❜  he gestured to his sarcophagus with his head,  ❛❛ How’d you manage t’ do that anyways? ❜❜

  She shakes Greed’s hand firmly, noting how the bandages that wrap his palm and fingers feel against her own.

  Who knows whether the “friendship” she offered him will amount to anything greater than their current unspoken agreement to stop trying to kill each other, but she’s open to whatever comes. For a scientist she sure does spend a lot of time debating the existence of the afterlife and the human soul. Porygon developers were extremely interested in the question of what it means to “be”, even if Spectre herself has always scorned the idea that a person exists beyond the culmination of memories and experiences that exist in the brain–vulnerable to outside change and doomed to die alongside their body. Greed’s mere existence isn’t enough to flip her stance but she might be able to learn something new from him…if she can ever find a way past the obvious boulder that is his fragility regarding his humanity.

  In the meantime, she’ll settle for a truce between them. For Koko’s sake…and, she supposes reluctantly, her own. She’d rather not go back in the box, thanks but no thanks.

  Speaking of that damn sarcophagus, Greed asks after its condition and Clarissa has half a mind not to tell him. After all, he never shared his secret–what lies beneath the mask. If he had then she wouldn’t have had to attack him just to get her hands on it… But what’s done is done. While probably most of Po Town’s residents have clocked on by now that she’s a little unusual (throwing yourself off the Shady House roof over and over will do that), and her powers are something of an open secret around Team Skull just as her former associations are…she doesn’t just run around telling people about her Dynamo status. Her powers are too rare, too easily identifiable for a prolific crime syndicate agent trying to keep her whereabouts on the DL, and she’d rather keep them as an ace up her sleeve for when she needs it.

  …But she wasn’t exactly subtle with them during that scuffle. It’s actually a bit surprising Greed hasn’t pieced together the clues on his own. She glances at Koko. She hopes that he would be understanding if she didn’t tell Greed…but not sharing what’s already obvious might be read as animosity.

  “If you’ve been training with Koko then consider me shocked if you didn’t figure it out already. Well…I suppose it’s only fair that you know my secret now that I know a part of yours. Please keep it between us.”

  Releasing Greed’s hand, Clarissa backs up a couple of steps. 

       And begins to glow.

  Her heart-rate is still high following the fight and being trapped in the boiling prison of that coffin, so it’s easy to pull her energy to the surface. Flashing ribbons of blue electricity lick and jump around her body, coiling around her arms and catching in her hair. She claps her hands together and white light explodes between her palms like a tree branch falling on a power-line, sparks bouncing off the floor of the ruins. She might be showing off a little bit thanks to a certain someone watching…the display of power at least shows what Koko can already sense, that even if she’s not quite 100% herself yet, she’s in a much better state than when they met in the flowers.

  “The clue’s in the name.” The glow fades from her skin as the last of her sparks flicker away and die in the air. “Dynamo. Generator.”

[⚡] As he catches her gaze, he gives no obvious opinion on what approach she should take, tipping his head to one side curiously.  Secrets are secrets.  Whether she wants to keep hers are up to her, and if Greed took exception to such a decision, well, it’d only be fair he point out that Greed himself had secrets to keep too.  They all did.

He gives her a bit of a look at that little bit of wordplay, trying not to look as amused as he was.  Watching as she stepped back, his crest stood in anticipation for what she was about to do, watching eagerly as she begins to glow with her own power.  Electricity excites the air, and it is both the expression of her power and the implications of this example that delight him.  He had sensed it when he felt her presence in Greed’s sarcophagus, a current that was far greater than what it had been when they had last met.  It meant she was on the mend, easing some of his own concerns.

Though her power was only a fraction of his, even at full strength, his tail feathers flickered about excitedly as her glow died down, genuinely impressed by her showy display.  He flit about like a small bird on a branch, looking to Greed for his reaction.

❛❛ Hey. ❜❜  he piped up, looking at the ghoul expectantly, ❛❛ You’ve got your own tricks up your sleeve, don’t you?  It’ll be fine to let her know, you know.  You'll keep her secret, and in return, she’ll keep yours... ❜❜  

❛❛ Right-? ❜❜ His tone was playful, but the innocent inquiry held deeper implications.  He trusted both of them, and didn’t expect either of them would go and cause trouble for the other, but if either of them planned to be careless with each other’s secrets, that being Clarissa’s Dynamo power or Greed’s lack of perfect humanity, he wasn’t above using the siphon to blot that sensitive information out.

[kokoko-ko]

How adorable are you?

[⚡] ❛❛ ~🎵 ❜❜

[kokoko-ko]

ghostlysands​:

hatsudenki​:

  Clarissa gives Greed a shrug as he yells about the state of his damn sarcophagus. You’re the one who locked me in there, dude. Those burn marks are on you.

  She rests with her arms balanced upon her knees, waiting in patient silence and watching with vacant, opaque eyes while the two confer inside of Koko’s shell. The feeling of missing out settles quietly in her chest as Koko’s bright orange tail feathers wag around all soft and inviting. Really she’s much too sweaty to want anybody touching her right now, but…still. Looks cosy. It feels really childish to admit, but she could use a soft and warm Tapu Koko hug after what she just saw. The visual of him torn in two cloys at her mind like a bad taste stuck in her mouth.

  Honestly, though…this entire clusterfuck situation makes her feel like a helpless little kid…sitting on the floor being lectured on how she can’t do shit all to help, because she’s as good as useless. No, obviously she knows Koko doesn’t mean it in that way, but even so she can’t help but feel irrelevant. Her time in Rocket quickly taught her that there’s always going to be someone bigger and stronger out there ready and raring to kick her ass…battles she cannot stand to win, threats are just too big for her to handle. At least not on her own, or without a little extra ingenuity. But there’s the rub. There’s maybe only one other time in her life she’s ever felt this powerless, and it’s worse for knowing something so important to her as Koko is on the line.

  Still, it’s senseless to argue with gods that a brittle, temporary creature like her should be allowed to take up arms for them. “…Alright.” She says, knowing full well that she won’t be able to keep that promise.

  She pushes herself up onto her feet, careful to avoid giving herself a head-rush, dusting off the butt of her jeans with her hands. Priority number one for when she gets back to Po Town is to take a fucking shower and throw on some clean clothes anyway, but she needs to get back to Ula’ula before then. She feels strange to be introducing herself to this remnant after trying to kick his ass and while he’s extremely pissy at her for ruining his stupid coffin (like…who could even care, it’s an utterly miserable place to be inside of).

  But he appears to be a trusted friend of Koko’s, which at least tangentially puts them on the same “side.” Even if she wholly disagrees with the masked complainer’s assessment that all of this is solely her fault, it’s good enough news if he was never a threat to begin with and this was all just one big misunderstanding. At very least she should make an effort to be cordial.

  “Uh, sure. My name is Clarissa. Koko is a good friend of mine. I’m the only human in this room, but I’m pretty good at detecting things, as you’ve gathered already. I…don’t know what else I can possibly add…I invent stuff sometimes? Yeah, that’s it.”

        [♚] — 𝐾𝑁𝑂𝑊𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝑆𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐴𝑆 𝑂𝑁𝐸 𝑂𝐹 𝐾𝑂𝐾𝑂'𝑆 𝐹𝑅𝐼𝐸𝑁𝐷𝑆 ( 𝑂𝑅 𝐴𝐶𝑄𝑈𝐴𝐼𝑁𝑇𝐴𝑁𝐶𝐸𝑆 𝐴𝑇 𝐿𝐸𝐴𝑆𝑇 ) 𝑀𝐴𝐷𝐸 𝐻𝐼𝑀 𝐴 𝐵𝐼𝑇 𝐺𝐿𝐴𝐷 𝐻𝐸 𝐷𝐸𝐶𝐼𝐷𝐸𝐷 𝑇𝑂 𝑁𝑂𝑇 𝐷𝐸𝑆𝐼𝐶𝐶𝐴𝑇𝐸 𝐻𝐸𝑅 𝐴𝐹𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝐴𝐿𝐿.  He tried using that point of view to get over the damage done to his sarcophagus, but the truth of the matter was that, at the moment, the sarcophagus itself meant a lot more than a meaningful stranger to him.  He had spared her life with the guardian in mind, but being the materialist he was, he kind of wished he had gone ahead &&. taken care of things his own way anyways.

Not getting over this well deserved ‘slight’ on his own any time soon, the guardian stepped in.  Greed shifted his jaw, arms still crossed, but it was a bit difficult to stay mad, being nuzzled as he was &&. with the guardian’s promise that there was a solution to this predicament on their hands.  He heaved a sigh, the tension from his shoulders falling away as he touched the guardian’s forehead with his own, agreeing to yield for now.

They both took their licks from the guardian, Greed likewise responding with a meek  ❛❛ …A’ight. ❜❜  If he had called for the guardian in the first place, this probably would have gone a lot smoother than it had.  It was pointless to think about the ‘could’ve’s and ‘should’ve’s now, though.  There was only dealing with their current present.

In a much calmer state of mind, he could accept some blame for what happened to his sarcophagus.  It was only natural that anything that got unexpectedly trapped inside would try &&. fight their way out.  Remembering the residual heat he felt from touching the outside, he was a bit grateful he hadn’t been on the receiving end of whatever she had been doing in there at all——although he had yet to learn he was just about heat &&. fire proof as it got.  They had gotten off on the wrong foot, &&. though it may be a bit awkward to after all that had transpired, if they could set things right between the both of them, he’d prefer being amicable…

That was until she said that.  I’m the only human in this room.

His expression may have been hidden by his mask, but his ire translated very well into his change in posture.  Any amicable intentions went out the window as he resumed a confrontational stance.  Despite that, he would try &&. at least be a bit gracious, if only for the Tapu’s sake.

She was wrong about what she had said, but there was no way he was convincing her that he was a ‘normal’ human at this point, so he would submit to his present truth for now, ❛❛ Th’ name’s Greed.  I’ve been trainin’ under this guy for a while now, an’ he’s been helping me sort through some stuff fo’ now… ❜❜  What else?  He huffed, putting his hands back into his pockets,  ❛❛ …an’…my bad fo’ shovin’ you in th’ box…an’ fo’ th’ ‘psychic warfare’. ❜❜  Had it coming, he added, internally, but such comments would only serve to escalate things.

[⚡] Koko foresaw Greed’s reaction to Clarissa’s little comment coming the moment it left her mouth.  To his surprise, that reaction was much more subdued than he expected it to be, and the ghoul held his tongue when he had the chance to retort.  Still, he couldn’t quite be so satisfied with that.  He knew it was a sore subject for Greed, and as living, grieving ghosts, denial of their humanity could cut deeply.  It was his fault that Greed had ended up that way at all, having been unable to return Greed’s lost humanity to him completely...it didn’t feel right if he didn’t say something in defense of it.

❛❛ That’s not right... ❜❜ Clarissa had no way of knowing, so it wasn’t as if Koko was holding that comment against her as he explained,  ❛❛ I don’t know exactly what you’re sensing from him, Clarissa, but believe it or not he’s actually just as human as you are.  Maybe he’s not as completely human as he should be right now, but that’s part of what I’m helping him with.  His mask and his form...are my doing. ❜❜  It was all his fault after all...

If he had been more capable, Greed might have been fully human today.  Coming to the ruins wouldn’t have roused such suspicions from Clarissa, and they wouldn’t have fought.  If he had been more capable, Clarissa wouldn’t worry so much about him, and she wouldn’t have tried to fight the suspicious figure that came to visit for his sake.  If he had been more capable, he wouldn’t have lost to Wrath, and the toxins still lingering in him wouldn’t be hindering his recovery, and he’d have been able to visit Clarissa on his own time.  If he had been more capable, he wouldn’t be worrying Hanale with these whims of his he couldn’t help but follow.  If he had been more capable, there would be a firm line between his world, and theirs, just as it should’ve been...just as it always should’ve been.  But here he was, reaping the results of several poor choices all coming to fruition.  A sorry excuse for a guardian deity being pitied, and causing trouble yet again because he just couldn’t get things right.

The look on his face was apologetic, showing some of the shame he felt for the trouble he’d caused, ❛❛ Any oddities you’re sensing from him are on me, not him, so don’t hold them against him. ❜❜

[kokoko-ko]

ghostlysands​:

hatsudenki:

  Steam tumbles from inside of the casket and rolls across the altar-room floor. Clarissa takes an unsteady step out from Greed’s sarcophagus…the innards of which are scarred with burn marks all across the stonework, including some suspiciously hand shaped ones plastered on the inside of the lid.

  Clarissa, red in the face and with her bangs plastered to her forehead, sucks in a big, raspy chestful of fresh air, plopping down to sit on the temple floor. She’s not injured in the least, just…really, really hot. Sitting down seems the wisest option, rather than risk making more drama for Koko by passing out in the ruins. The Tapu has already had more than enough trouble for one century…Clarissa hadn’t needed to see him pointing at her from within the sarcophagus in order for her to cringe inwardly when he implicated her in this mess.

  She raises a hand in hello and gives him a tiny smile. “Good to see you’re looking better.” He feels so much better. Even if she feels a little guilty for pulling him out here like this she can’t help but feel glad to see him…to see him recovering. The concern that brought her to the ruins in the first place has been eased.

  She glances over her shoulder across to Greed. No feelings to spare either for the guy-slash-Ghost who forced her to watch Koko gutted like a tube of gold paint and then held her prisoner.

  “I tried to stop him from coming in here,” she states plainly, no trace of emotion in her face or tone to betray how she actually feels about any of this mess (tired, sweaty, pissed off…a little embarrassed…but also glad to be wrong). “Because he was acting damn suspicious, and I sensed something abnormal from him. With the…circumstances being what they are, I wasn’t going to stand by and let him just come in here do whatever in your temple. We got into a fight, I kicked him, he psychic-warfare’d me and shoved me in that stupid box. I think that about sums it up.”

  Clarissa sighs, running her fingers through her damp hair. “I didn’t know you were his friend. Sorry about the knee.”

       [♚] — 𝐻𝐸 𝐽𝑂𝐿𝑇𝐸𝐷 𝐴𝑇 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑆𝐼𝐺𝐻𝑇.  The steam that comes out is almost as opposite to what normally would come out as it gets.  His mind immediately snapped to ‘how?’, only to have that very thought shoved out of his mind as the steam subsides &&. he gets a proper look at what else she had done while inside.

❛❛ Oi-!  Oi-!  Oi-!  Hey ‘ey 'ey!  Th’ fuck! ❜❜  Not exactly too concerned for the stranger who had attacked him moments prior, seeing the interior of his usually well taken care of sarcophagus all scuffed &&. scratched as it was made his heart drop.  It was just as distressing as having a stranger trash what was once your childhood home.  The sarcophagus itself was not as important as it once was to his wellbeing, but it still held some sentimental value, despite being his reluctant prison for a good decade &&. a half prior.  He put his face in his hands, his voice muffled behind them &&. the mask,  ❛❛ This is why I don’ keep no one alive in there-! ❜❜

As the odd woman begins to explain herself, Greed meets her gaze with similar indifference——although the truth of his expression is impossible to tell behind that mask of his.  He crossed his arms, letting her finish her side of the story before pitching his to the guardian,  ❛❛ Uh huh, that’s the thing, ❜❜  he tapped his mask,  ❛❛ This doesn’t work on her…she can see past it.  I didn’t just wanna let her go if she suspected me already… ❜❜

Turning his attention back to her, he had half the mind to shove her back into the sarcophagus for what she’d done to the inside.  ❛❛ Very convenient how you left out the bit about how you started all’a this mess.  Talkin’ ‘bout how you ain’t lettin’ me in over your dead body, threatenin’ t’ take my mask off… ❜❜

The sentiment behind her apology sails right over his head, much more riled up about the state of his sarcophagus,  ❛❛ Who cares about th’ damn knee, look what you did t’ my box-! ❜❜

[⚡] He perks up as he witnesses steam burst forth from the sarcophagus.  Though she could be better, he’s glad to see Clarissa wasn’t seriously injured.  Plus, it was nice to see her again, that sentiment easing away that somewhat irate expression he was wearing.  At her comment, he gives her a proud little nod.  He wasn’t back to full strength just yet, but he was certainly feeling much better in the recent days.  Hanale was still keen on keeping him resting up as much as possible, though, but having Greed around had made being under what basically amounted to house arrest a bit more bearable.

Speaking of the ghoul, at his outcry he looked between the ghoul and his sarcophagus.  The amount of damage done to the interior wasn’t exactly easy to overlook.  His brow furrowed, tipping his head to one side with a sigh.  Ululani wouldn’t be very happy to have the sarcophagus back in her workshop so soon, but there really was no way around it at this point.

He heard both of their sides, looking a bit more upbeat for a moment when Greed mentions Clarissa can see past the ward on his mask.  Of course, knowing Clarissa wasn’t exactly a threat, the news wasn’t as concerning to him as it was to Greed.  He turned to Clarissa, an intrigued twinkle in his eye,  ❛❛ Really?  Well, I guess that’s not too surprising, you can sense me past my own glamours too. ❜❜

That positive mood of his didn’t last as Greed pinned the blame for the whole situation on her, his posture drooping.  In truth, this was all his fault.  Probably.  Maybe.  Somehow.  Everything ended up being his fault somehow.  It would likely be easier to resolve if everything was his fault.  He bristled, a surge of electricity crackling about his form for a moment,  ❛❛ Alright!  Enough! ❜❜

He took Greed into his shell for a moment, the two of them obscured beyond Koko’s tail waggling about as he tried to appease the ghost, ❛❛ We’ll fix your coffin...ok?  It’ll be fine.  Don’t be mad...  C’mon.  Promise.  It’ll be good as new, alright-? ❜❜

Moving away he huffed.  So far as first meetings went, things could have gone a lot worse...but they also could have gone a lot better.  To think a simple misunderstanding would go this far.  Actually, thinking a bit harder about it, he wasn’t surprised at all based on his own experiences.

❛❛ So, this was all one big misunderstanding. ❜❜  He turned to Clarissa, his expression softening,  ❛❛ I understand what you were trying to do, and I appreciate that...but that isn’t your role to take.  If he had taken a different judgement on how to handle the situation, I’d probably be looking at a corpse right now...and I don’t want you putting yourself into those sorts of situations, especially if they’re for my sake.  I know it might be difficult to ask after...everything that’s happened but, have a bit of faith in me that no matter what, things will be alright, alright? ❜❜

❛❛ And you, ❜❜ he spoke, turning to Greed, ❛❛ you’re lucky she isn’t actually a witch, or a sorcerer.  You’d probably be in a whole lot more trouble now if that were the case.  If you’re in over your head, call for me, okay?  It’s much easier to cloak you in the moment than it is to wave away the vision of you using your abilities or shoving people into your sarcophagus from the minds of anyone who happened to see it.  Got that? ❜❜

❛❛ Right! ❜❜  he gave himself a little nod, his mood lightening up considerably,  ❛❛ now that that’s sorted...why not introduce yourselves? ❜❜

[kokoko-ko]

ghostlysands​:

hatsudenki​:

  Eventually the banging and struggling cease. Clarissa relents to simmering in her cramped little void. To her own detriment, the stone surrounding her has become scalding hot to the touch, burning her skin through her clothes when her body contacts it…something unavoidable for how little space she has in here. Even with the natural built in heat resistance of a person whose body can generate such hot power to begin with, it’s more than a little unpleasant. She didn’t feel the lid shift even a minuscule amount despite quite literally throwing her all into it…

  No, she’s only managed to turn the inside of the coffin into the world’s worst sauna. She braces herself against the walls as she feels herself and the box being lifted, gritting her teeth as the burning stone presses on her scars. Her wounds may be healed, no longer at any risk of pulling themselves open, but the skin and scar tissue are still sensitive.

  The heat and motion–as well as perhaps her dwindling oxygen–are starting to make her woozy, but her mind snaps to clarity when the muffled sound of her masked captor calling for Koko reaches her ears (“Koko” specifically, interestingly enough–no Guardian honorific).

  Sure enough she feels his incredible electric power wash over her, immediately smoothing out any concern that she might actually die here in the dark. She’d known Night Shade’s horrible vision was a fiction the moment she’d been released of the attack’s effects, just like waking up from a nightmare (even if the afterimage of Koko’s gold-soaked body will remain stuck in her mind for a time yet), but it’s a relief still to feel his current and hear his voice, even as the pieces of the situation’s embarrassing truth fall into place.

  “Koko,” Clarissa lifts her voice to be heard from within the sarcophagus. “You know this guy?”

       [♚] — 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝐺𝑈𝐴𝑅𝐷𝐼𝐴𝑁'𝑆 𝐴𝑊𝐸𝑆𝑂𝑀𝐸 𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑆𝐸𝑁𝐶𝐸 𝑀𝐴𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐼𝐴𝐿𝐼𝑍𝐸𝐷 𝐼𝑀𝑀𝐸𝐷𝐼𝐴𝑇𝐸𝐿𝑌.  It washed over the altar room, like an echo of the day of his transformation.  After having the guardian’s power flow through him directly, his senses had become much keener to it than they had been prior.  With it, a sense of relief followed, knowing that whatever the situation may be, it’d be taken care of with the Tapu now present.

He quirked a brow at the guardian’s confusion, before getting knocked atop the head, the blow only serving to reaggravate the dull pain at the back of his head from the fall he’d taken.

❛❛ Ow-!  Wh-?! ❜❜ Let her out, he said,  ❛❛ But she-! ❜❜ he heard her call out to him from inside the sarcophagus, everything falling into place somewhat for him too.  Maybe she was telling the truth about not being a worshipper, or a researcher, but neither was he.  Yet that didn’t change the fact that they were both linked to the guardian in other ways.  What hers was, was still a mystery, but if the guardian demanded he let her out, there was no other way about it.  He threw his hands up in resignation, backing up a bit from the sarcophagus in case she tried to lunge at him or if something might burst out when he’d open it.  ❛❛ A’ight…if you say so. ❜❜

The sarcophagus lid would swing open unceremoniously, balanced upright by the foot shape present at the base of it.  She was free to come out unhindered into a world untouched by the NIGHT SHADE’S illusion, where the guardian was waiting for her, unharmed, contrary to that frightful vision.

[⚡] His crest perked as Clarissa called to him from inside the sarcophagus, before it pressed down.  He heaved a sigh, starting to piece things together himself about what was going on here.  The two of them were fighting each other, for what reason, he wasn’t sure...but he doubted the reason would be good.

❛❛ Yes.  I do.  Very well actually. ❜❜  He grumbled in reply, fit to put his face in his hands.

He pointed a claw at both of them ( somewhat pointlessly as Clarissa couldn’t see it from inside the sarcophagus ) ❛❛ Both of you are lucky you’re still alive in there.  What even happened?  I thought you were both in trouble.  Why is she in there??  What were you both doing? ❜❜  He assumed the answer to his last question was nothing good as Greed backed away from his sarcophagus before opening it.  He watched curiously as the lid swung open, prepared to step in and keep things from escalating any further than they already had between the two.

[kokoko-ko]

ghostlysands​:

(hatsudenki) ???​:

  Molten gold trickles down her forearms and pools across the temple walkway. Her body trembles within its bonds as she gazes at Koko’s lifeless body. Wrath’s presence becomes inconsequential. There’s nothing to hold that creature back now, and if he kills her, it won’t matter a single damn in either the grand scheme of their fates or to her personally. She only wants to see his face one last time.

  Something sickening rocks her as she, the temple, and Koko’s corpse all remain fixed in place and yet her entire being lurches.

  “Gh-!!” Clarissa slams into a hard surface, the force knocking a grunt out of her and snapping reality back into place just in time for her to see the last slither of outside light snap out of existence. The heat of Koko’s blood on her cheeks evaporates as the sensation of being trapped in a tiny, dark space presses upon her.

  Her head jams against the top of her prison–it’s forcing her neck into an uncomfortable position, but being comfortable is the least of her worries right now. What worth is there in a cushy coffin? She didn’t see what trapped her, but as her palms trace the insides of her prison in a panicked flurry, she might as well be fucking buried alive.

  She slams back and forth against the invisible walls, darkness wrapping her on every side and shoving into her, choking, oppressive. A flash almost blinds her as she pounds the side of her fist against the surface and her frustration bursts out of her in the form of Dynamo electricity. Nice one, genius. You forgot that you’re a fucking glow-stick.

   She struggles some more, pushing against her prison by pressing her back against the surface behind her and her hands and knees against the one in front. She succeeds in working up her power enough that her tan skin hums with a soft blue-white glow, illuminating the insides of the box. Being able to see helps dispel some of her panic, but otherwise all she’s managed to achieve is verify visually that she is, indeed, entombed in a tight cuboid space.

  The subject of how much air is available to her in here is a growing concern, but she knows for sure at this point that she wasn’t wrong about the thing out there. Ghost Pokemon. Hell knows how it came to take that form, or what it wants with the ruins…or with her for that matter, but she won’t just stand here and wait to die. Squeezing her eyes shut against the burning white air she puts her hands upon the surface before her and shoves power into it, the interior of the coffin becoming burning hot as lightning snaps around her. She’ll escape this prison or suffocate trying.

        [♚] —  𝐴 𝑆𝐴𝑅𝐶𝑂𝑃𝐻𝐴𝐺𝑈𝑆 𝑊𝐴𝑆 𝑁𝑂𝑇 𝐷𝐸𝑆𝐼𝐺𝑁𝐸𝐷 𝑇𝑂 𝐻𝑂𝐿𝐷 𝐿𝐼𝑉𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝐸𝑁𝑇𝐼𝑇𝐼𝐸𝑆.  Most, if not all things that had been placed inside the golden casket over the years found it to be their final resting place, turned to dust &&. crumbled away, otherwise turned into yet another mummy that would line the confounding halls of the pharaoh’s crypt.  Indeed, as things were, if Clarissa were to remain ensnared within this gilded prison, she would suffocate, &&. raising the temperature to blistering levels definitely wasn’t helping matters.

He felt her bang around inside, the sarcophagus remaining upright despite its jolting movements as she bashed against its interior.  There was no use in trying to force it open.  Things that were plenty stronger had already failed.

A muffled bang, ❛❛ Oi, quit scr- ❜❜ bang,  ❛❛ Q- ❜❜ bang-

He closed the distance between them, giving the top of his own sarcophagus a few bangs with the side of his fist, ❛❛ Grgh-!  KNOCK IT OFF already! ❜❜  He had half the mind to rattle her around in there, but something more concerning caught his attention.  Built up over those brief moments of contact, the side of his hand felt warm.  He furrowed his brow, listening to the odd snapping sounds coming from within for a moment.  Where she was, it’d be easy to desiccate her &&. be over with it, but he felt the resident Tapu would take some exception to him killing humans on his grounds all willy nilly.  So, he’d just take her to him instead.  He expected Koko to settle her down, wipe her memory or explain things away, &&. then she’d be set free like the ensnared animal she was acting like &&. that would be the end of that.

He shifted his hold on the sarcophagus, causing it to tip back somewhat as he carried it along behind him using his ghastly hands,  ❛❛ Dunno what th’ fuck you’re doin’ in there, but you ain’t goin’ anywhere, ya got that?  So sit tight an’ quit messin’ around! ❜❜  With his sarcophagus trailing after him, he made his way back to the altar room, properly entering it this time.  Standing at the base of the altar’s platform, he set down the coffin, grumbling a sigh.

❛❛ Oi-!  Koko!  Got a bit of a situation ‘ere. ❜❜

[⚡] Even if Greed had not called him, he would have appeared.  Called initially by the sound of a familiar voice, he expected the worst when both of them were calling out to him, never mind any thoughts about how the two crossed paths here.  His presence materialized, seemingly from the statue upon the altar platform, in a crackling wash of electricity.  He’d come out guns blazing, expecting some sort of attack, only for the excess electricity to fizzle right off when he came face to face with Greed calmly standing about in an empty and unscathed altar room.

Looking at Greed quizzically for a second, his attention was pulled away by the sarcophagus next to him, buzzing with electricity...her electricity.

❛❛ ...?  Wh-? ❜❜  He looked between Greed and the box.  Undoubtedly, Clarissa was some kind of distressed in there.  He would be able to ask questions later, right now the situation at hand needed to be addressed.  He shook his utter confusion out of his head, giving Greed as sharp bonk on the head.  ❛❛ Oi you.  Let her out already, will you? ❜❜

[kokoko-ko]

    Anytime that you will fall, I’ll be there to pick you up.

 💽  HATSUDENKI  ex/Rocket OC CLARISSA by Locke      ⚡  KOKOKO-KO HC-based TAPU KOKO by Canti         👑 GHOSTLYSANDS Cofagrigus OC GREED by Spirit Sign

[kokoko-ko]

augurhound​:

   02 shrugged. Maybe friendliness just wasn’t meant for everyone. Being nice was hard on this island–which was really ironic, given Alola’s procilivity for kindness. “Wow. That’s harsh.”

   (Un)fortunately for Hanale, 02 was persistent and a tenacious monster. He followed close in the other’s heels, tapping him on the shoulder. “Already tried the [ TAPU ]. He’s not fond of me. I think. Unless you think I should try again.”

[⚡] Such a pain.  He could kill this one, couldn’t he?  No, there was something weird about his life force.  It wasn’t natural...and he stank of metal.  It could be dangerous trying anything right now.  Being touched without permission was another annoyance that was begging him to push that more logical train of thought away anyways, but his decision remained firm.

He didn’t want to be around this person any longer than he already had, so he just kept walking away...that was, until he mentioned that the guardian didn’t like him.

He stopped, turning and giving the shorter man his full attention now,  ❛❛ Not fond of you?  What makes you say that?  Did you do something? ❜❜