#pearlylamp

[prisonicmorality]

Murmurs could be heard among the trees, certain oceanic hairs lit up with the afternoon. A short person in a yukata was holding a peach and seemed to want to take more, but ended up falling on the grass. His giggle dispersed, an embarrassed and smooth one, squatting down.

Who is Akari looking at and why has he seen those golden hairs in some dream?

''Oh...'' Akari had only said that, lost in his thoughts and of course, a bit shy.

The beloved of Arceus, what a destiny he was naive about, if only wanted to take a walk on one of his many trips (rarely leaves Sinnoh as he stays in the library most of the time), what would happen to him later. Had spent centuries, millennia, to end up marveling at a world he did not recognize, caressing that peach, one of his first contacts with the environment, those crystalline eyes reflecting a genuine sparkle, so ephemeral.

If only he could stay a little longer like this.

Hisui was lovely in the last days of summer.

Sorry. Sinnoh.

He should be used to calling it that by now, but the name always felt wrong on his tongue. It was essentially the difference between a coffin and a sarcophagus: both meant similar things, but were vastly different in various ways.

He hadn't been there in a long time.

Last time he'd seen it, he had sworn to never return unless he had no where else to see. But nostalgia had called him back. Or maybe it had been Arceus playing some vicious prank on him, toying with his impulse or planting the seed in his brain to return all to see—

"Akari?" The name, like Sinnoh, felt poisonous and wrong on his tongue as it escaped him in a gasp as if he'd been punched in the gut. He wished he'd been able to stop the shocked utterance from escaping him in the first place, as the name felt cursed the way he'd said it.

There was no masking the conflicting emotions crossing his face as the color drained from it. Confusion, shock, discomfort.

That damn kid—

—Why was he there?

Why? Why?! You should be dead! Dead of old age, buried or propped up in some museum, heralded as the great hero, Arceus's Chosen! Not here! Maybe... maybe this is a descendant... ?

He opened, then closed his mouth, uncertain as to what he wanted to say or what he was even supposed to say.

Yeah. Yeah, that has to be it. It can't be him.

Finally, the shock fell away from his face, and he forced a tight smile. "Ah— sorry, haha, you just looked familiar. Need some help there?" He offered, despite every nerve in his body telling him to run and not look back. Maybe he would get lucky and the other hadn't heard the name at all.

[soulprompts]

I had a few quick thoughts in the middle of the night when i read your prompts and comments, so, i thought: ''Just made this roleplay blog a week ago and i'm too insecure to ask anyone for roleplay''

But here i am, reading to get some inspiration even if i don't roleplay right now or have mutuals because everything is foreign to me, thank you very much, at least i can daydream about silly scenarios :")

hi my friend! let me start by thanking you for sending this in, i'm so glad you like my prompts, and i'm very touched that you reached out! i also wanna say that you can absolutely skip the next two paragraphs, i'm waffling, i love waffling, i refuse to change this about myself!

now i wanna respond with a few little-known facts about myself. when i first joined tumblr, years and years ago, i made a natasha romanoff blog because i thought it'd be the best way to start up in the rpc. it took me a month, a MONTH, to so much as follow another soul on that blog. and it was a mess, like i didn't have a rules page, i didn't have a bio, i had very limited understanding of the rpc, i was just this teenager who was beyond pumped to write with people! then i realized my anxiety outweighed the excitement and i did nothing for a solid month.

then, after that month, i guess i just chose a rare moment of confidence to start following people, and they helped me massively, i still write with them to this day! but part of the reason that i wasn't hitting it off with a lot of people was because i really didn't feel comfortable writing natasha romanoff. like, it felt like an obligation. and i suppose i picked her to please people, and i'll always stand by this, it was the dumbest thing i ever did! so then i started writing my female OC, and i am still so lucky to have surrounded myself with friends who love and support her to this day, and because i was passionate about writing her story, i began to gain more mutuals! bc people can pick up on that, yk? they can always tell when you're really invested in something. i wrote five paragraphs about my OCs moisturiser (nivea) and honestly i'm very proud of it!

'blue, why are u talking about this?' excellent question! it's because in the month i was literally taking a vow of silence, i still scrolled through the dash. i wanted to understand the rpc in my own space! i read prompt lists, headcanons, ooc posts, threads, drabbles, metas, you name it. and while i was reading them, like you mentioned, it DID feel foreign!! and that's the BEST way to describe it! it's a whole new language, a whole new set of rules and norms and systems to understand! isn't it absolutely wild how we just expect people to figure it out over night?? madness! you're doing so so well just by being here and getting yourself familiar with this place! even if you spend the next year just reading prompts and thinking of scenarios, you're still doing a fantastic job!

tumblr can be a fantastic place, but it's still a brand new experience, and most of us have been here for so long that we understand the general gist of what's going on. we know the good, the bad and the ugly sides of everything. and what i always strive for in this particular blog is to have a space where people can ask for help and support one another, because let's be honest, if we can't do that, then why on earth are we calling ourselves a community? so if you have any questions, or if you want some help, please don't be scared to ask! i can already tell that you've got the perfect mindset for the rpc!

[prisonicmorality]

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, starting out with just doing stuff where there don't tend to be a lot of people is a pretty good way to start."

Volo paused, looked up at the sky in thought for a second, then added, looking back down at Rose and holding a finger up. "Just... like with your Pokemon. And only if you know how to get back to civilization. maybe learn the back-roads first before doing anything like that actually."

It wasn't like they were in any danger of Team Skull causing them trouble, but there were still other unsavory types around.

He needed to remember that modern time was a lot more peaceful than back when he was a kid, but there were still plenty of people looking to take advantage of people wandering around alone.

"But... yeah, those sound good. I'll try one."

The little store's over the door bell jingled as they entered. "Go head and order whatever you want, enough that you'll be full, not just satisfied, alright?" He told Rose, eyeing the food options. They were all pretty cheap... definitely going to break the bank. He'd thought they were more expensive when he was there last, but maybe he was just more broke back then.

“Break the rules…?”

Seems like that’s a thought that’s never crossed their mind. The kid bounces a little bit as they roll the idea of that over in their head, before tucking it away for later.

“You have to be sneaky to break the rules. I don’t wanna get caught,” they finally decide after a moment, “so I have to get good at it first.

Anyway! …Musubi is tasty! It’s rice and sometimes egg and chicken and spam and whatever you want! Sometimes it’s big enough for two meals if I’m careful. And it’s not expensive!”

[notjustdrwhoboards]

Pokémon moodboard: Akari - Shrines & Ukiyo-e Paintings (requested by: @pearlylamp)

[prisonicmorality]

—So, this is called in spanish ''Agua'', it's simple when you can deduce from ''Aqua'' —points to the water. Akari didn't usually feel like an expert in something like Spanish, but at least could teach the basics. —''Vaso'', means the glass, what's in it. —explains.

—Um...so when you have to remind someone to drink the water. —pauses, writing on the note: ''Bebe el vaso de agua.''

What... when did I ask this guy for Spanish lessons?

He hadn't. Not even in passing. He was perfectly content to just bullshit his way through conversations in Paldea... so why was Akari teaching him Spanish? Why did it feel like he was being scolded? He drank plenty of water...

...

Well, enough.

It wasn't like he was going to die of dehydration unless Arceus really wanted to have a laugh about it. Wouldn't that just be his luck? The most humiliating way to die if he was thinking about it.

"... How do you say 'I didn't ask?'" Rude. It wasn't like he made any effort not to be rude around him though.

[prisonicmorality]

Arceus, what kind of enemies did Ree make that people are whipping out fucking Gods to try and take them out? Maybe they should move to a different region because he wasn't sure they were going to even make it to their twenties at this rate.

Not that he was worried, but—

"Diagla and Palkia— what?!" His voice cracked a little.

He stared at Ree for a solid minute, brain practically needing to be rebooted as two things became distinctively clear:

That was the fucking Red Chain and it was destroyed.

Volo's brain clicked back into gear.

"Ree— You destroyed— But— Wha—" Maybe his brain wasn't fully back on track. He pinched the bridge of his nose, took a deep breath, and tried again. His hands almost settled on Ree's shoulders because he really needed to lean on something, but he stopped himself, instead scrubbing them against his face.

While considering screaming into his palms.

Not because he wanted to use the Red Chain at all but because maybe it would have been, you know. A thing he thought about using at some point in the future when he inevitably got tired of being alive. You know. Backup plans.

"Do you know what that is? Was? That was— that was old! That was the Red Chain! That belonged in a museum!" His voice was definitely cracking. "Where did this guy even find that?! I can't believe you just destroyed it... you could have at least kept it."

“Look, I would love to have handed this off to the grownups. Actually, I tried to get advice on how to deal with it. But the mother fucker decided to jump me with his two gods, so I didn’t have a choice.”

… Ree slips a hand into their pocket, and pulls out a singular link of the Red Chain.

“You know th’sinnoh legendaries, right? Dialga and Palkia? Somebody was controlling them with this. I broke it up into a hundred pieces after I almost got killed by them.”

[prisonicmorality]

Volo was glad to relieve himself of the burden of the incense when they finally reached the shrine, the journey having been filled by an uncomfortable silence with Volo staring at the back of the young man's head and trying to, once more, figure out what to do. Had this been him a hundred-fifty years ago, he probably would have wanted to wring his scrawny neck just for having the same face as the Akari from Hisui.

But as it was, all he wanted to do was leave.

He took a stick of incense down to the shrine, went through the steps to cleanse his hands, rid himself of filth and negativity, let thoughts of his fallen Pokemon and Ginter fill his mind rather than the bitterness of disgust and uncertainty.

Nothing else mattered.

He lit the incense, stuck it in the sand and ash, pressed his palms together and breathed.

It was short, he didn't have much to say, just regrets that he'd spent so long wallowing and hadn't moved forward until it was too late for them. That hopefully they knew he hadn't meant for things to end so foolishly, that he wished they could see him now. He had moved forward finally, taken the first step, and then the next.

Volo wasn't a good person.

He probably never would be.

But he was a person who wasn't standing still anymore.

Standing, Volo muttered farewells to his Pokemon and his old friend, and turned away, heading back up the hill - only to pause when he caught sight of Akari tearing paper up and rubbing at something on the back of a memorial. He should go. It wasn't his business.

"What's got you all weepy?" Volo asked, halting behind the younger man and turning his attention to what Akari was trying to remove. "Someone graffiti a grave or something? Need a hand with it?"

Averted his face, suggesting that the younger man was accustomed to this kind of special treatment, from local citizens to foreigners from elsewhere. Contrary to the opponent's reaction, Akari possessed the patience of a saint. If the other farmers and those close to him were in the area, they would have readily agreed to abandon the stranger for one of the snowy mountains (even if he were the only one defending someone they all considered a sick villain). The young one was able to unmask the stranger's true intentions and feelings, right?

Continued on his way, taking the trouble of this vain moment. Maybe it wasn't worth it, maybe it was. He didn't have the heart to leave the other there either. The young man was endearingly kind and even, somewhat innocently, surprised by situations the people didn't understand. If the blond had been sincere, he couldn't have been that cruel, something preferable to his gentlemanly approach, which was even frightening. While performing mundane tasks like carrying incense, the Pearl of Sinnoh began to suffer from an intense headache. He remained still for a few moments, caressing the fruit carried with him. Remembering to make his way through the forest, every time, no matter the means, the same result occurs.

That summer's sun began to lazily fall on the landscape. They both arrived at the shrine. A timeless aura lovingly draped the verdant Eden. The melody of the wind whispered the past, but Akari can hear more than that. Perhaps not every time, but that tune was there; he sensed it. The hero had to signal to the man that he should go to the cemetery for a moment, to make sure the other could go next.

Descending the steps from the hill leading to the shrine, apologizing for bothering him. He went down carefully, taking a moment for the stranger so could leave him alone with the incense. After all, the time for offerings or any other activity was sacred. Akari came across a worn note attached to the memorial where he usually went so he could take good care of it. ''Fujino'' was the surname of his family clan, whose father and mother had passed away some time ago. His eyes trace the lines, swallowing the heart, he has always stopped to stare at the memorial, without any reaction, without a soul, he had bottled up all his own essence years ago.

He silently tore the paper, being kind to himself as returned to the shrine and made this event go away. Until peered behind the memorial, his hands trembling, unable to stop looking at the other notes hiding repulsive, disgusting comments. Akari could tolerate them; after all. However, seeing the filth of those words written behind his family's memorial made him want to get rid of it all. The more he tried to remove it with the sleeve of his yukata, the worse it got. For the first time, a single tear had fallen on his cheek.

[prisonicmorality]

What the hell kind of cryptic bullshit was that?

It was all a bunch of nonsense honestly. He wasn't praying to God or anything, and he didn't care if the stars fell and the world burned up on impact. He just wanted to pay respects to his fallen Pokemon. That was it, and he was only helping this guy with his chore because it was just on the way, and he really didn't want to stick around in the region for long.

Especially not now. Sticking around now just felt like he was courting death, or, at the very least, an agonizing migraine.

Can't wait to get out of here and head back to Unova. Or back to Alola. Literally anywhere but here.

He sighed, irritated.

"Yeah. Alright. Whatever you say." He muttered, scrubbing a hand across his face before hefting his bag higher on his shoulder. "Let's get this incense thing over with. I have things to do and not a lot of time to do them."

Like running as fast and far as his legs could carry him.

Though, in all honesty, he wanted to find his way back to where he and Cogita had stayed before she vanished and he left for his soul-searching journey. Had Cogita returned? Or would he just find crumbled remains of a place he'd, for a while at least, called home?

Where did Cogita go anyway?

Thinking about it, she probably saw this coming... him coming back, and him running into a sickeningly familiar face.

What a fucking pain.

If taking courage in this situation was the only thing poor Akari could do, then maybe it was okay.

Did the other notice it?, was it so obvious? Well, at certain moments, he had to admit that also perceived something from the man.

Akari checked the note once more, since it was written down where they should collect the incense, held the note, his thin hands were a little shaky, it's not because of nerves, it was a reflex.

''I want, i want your help, could we?'' nods, his oceanic hair moving slowly. ''I'm scared of you, but i also want to help you'' answers quietly, his note crumpling as says. ''No...Uh, it's not much, really''

The man he saw in certain dreams, some dreams, many dreams...

What a pain.

Why does the blonde who is speaking is so similar to that person? If he was going to go, then, Akari would promise himself that he would make way for the new circumstances that could happen, even if at times it gives him chills and a headache to remember.

That forest of Sinnoh like everything around, the fauna and flora had not changed much, even with the influence of modern architecture, the world of the God of beasts and men was protected for some reason, this was Arceus's world, Eden. In some way Akari was a key piece of the game, started with nothing and ended with nothing...

Was the Eden of beasts and men so bad? Arceus's muse and pearl, was the only one who could defend the old Sinnoh and the earthly plane by mere divine whim.

The muse, the pearl, also yearns to know that Eden he once protected in ignorance and if only he could find the cure for that name that was forbidden between his lips, if he could hear and say those four words of that someone on his lips...

How foolish, he only felt a fluttering in his chest, longing, fear, guilt, anticipation, curiosity.

To live in the Eden of the great Sinnoh, what kind of flower should be born to avoid those human feelings?

And on the other hand, he wanted to hear a: Come here.

Was it too much to ask? Maybe his gaze could light up, he wanted to shout to the winds that: I miss you, that he would not go anywhere, because if his mind, soul and existence were not in sync, if that is the case, was not worth it either.

Akari looked at the landscape, among the mystical flora, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, squats down, picking up another peach, one of a peculiar sweet pink, putting it in his bag. After that, he walked a few more steps, turning around, saying to the man:

''Tonight, even if the stars fall from the sky, if you believe and pray with your heart, it may come true... I'm not sure, but, you could, we could''

His delicate features were noticeable, even when he is a little far away, those sky-blue hair, that starry gaze, that smooth voice, even if his mind were a mess in this plane of existence, it was him; absolutely.

Pouring the balm on an immortal and cynical, a little faith was like the most useless attempt to heal, but, what's done is done and the young man, the pearl of Sinnoh, was so hurt and vulnerable that he only let his misunderstood kindness fill that cracked bowl he carried in his heart.

Those words, he also needed to hear for himself.

[prisonicmorality]

Volo had been in the middle of making note of the phrase in one of his pocket notebooks when Akari's stunned words made him pause.

He finished his thought without looking at the page, clicked the pen, and snapped the notebook shut.

"What's with the shock? I'm worldly." He said it like that explained a damn thing. The guy had such a dopey expression it was a little grating. Was he that surprised that Volo was a quick learner? It wasn't like he had anything to do but learn how to pick things up quick. Besides, it was just a phrase. It wasn't like he was speaking it fluently.

He scoffed, reaching over - and flicking Akari lightly between the eyes.

"Quit looking at me like that. Your face'll get stuck like that or something."

He also looked curiously at one of the clouds, thinking there was something there, until heard the man imitating spanish perfectly, Akari's eyes widened in surprise and went very pale...

—¡A la verg-! —exclaims, almost leaving a ''bad word'', considering that should lower his voice and be polite. —Sabes hablar español, now you can tell it to someone who doesn't know, i guess, in spanish sounds uglier. —mumbled, wanted to say, it came out naturally, he'd even be embarrassed to show him the millions of insults that exist. Akari shook his head, maybe should stop overthinking.

[prisonicmorality]

Why did it feel like he was being laughed at all of a sudden? Maybe he'd misunderstood the situation to begin with. He scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking up at the sky as if expecting an answer to be written in the clouds or something.

He also felt a little itchy hearing the guy say his name. Kind of like an allergic reaction.

"Right, right... no te pregunté... nadie te preguntó..." He was going to have to remember those. Those phrases would come in handy honestly.

Akari opened his eyes in genuine surprise. Had the man drink the water? He could barely breathe at how strange the situation had become. A fleeting giggle escaped his lips as waved the hands apologetically. A curious memory surfaced through his blank space.

—No...um, it's just so you could drink water, Volo.

Akari paused for a moment, quickly taking the note, his cheeks had a light, tender pink. He kept to himself the fact that he'd said the blond's name, which was both endearing and silly. —Oh, of course...you say ''No te pregunté'', if there are several people, it's ''Nadie te preguntó''. —a certain nervousness was noted in the voice, and then he turned his face so that the blonde wouldn't see him.

[prisonicmorality]

Volo didn't move closer as the younger man stumbled back, feet feeling rooted in place.

A flurry of emotions coiled tight around his chest like a Ekans constricting its prey, but he couldn't place a name to any of them right away. Was he angry? Scared? Confused? This Akari-lookalike had the nerve to be scared of him, so that certainly made him feel angry. Volo was the one that had been put through the fucking wringer, why did he get the right to be scared?

Volo was so lost in his own thoughts and the bitter sting of bile at the back of his throat, that he nearly ignored the offered note. Gold eyes flicked down sharply to the paper, scanning the words without accepting it.

Just thinking about touching the paper made goosebumps rise on his skin.

"..."

He was quiet for a moment.

Help him bring incense to the shrine? Was he being serious?

The only reason he considered it was the fact that he had been planning to go to the shrine anyway, though... The idea of going with him made him feel conflicted more than anything. If he was so scared of Volo, why ask for his help? Maybe he really was just... a lookalike. That was the only thing that made sense.

It at least chased some of that anger and frustration away, leaving him feeling more uncertain than anything else. He fidgeted with a lock of hair, twisting it around a finger nervously.

Curiosity won out in the end after a long stretch of silence.

Volo breathed out a sigh, the tension leaving his shoulders. "Alright. Sure. I needed to make an offering anyway while I was in the area. Though," He shoved his hands deep into his jacket pockets. "Are you sure you want my help? You seemed pretty spooked there for a second."

If he looked at the blasphemer a little longer, could at least inquire more into his hardships? Even if he daydreams night and day, it seems that only by laying those crystalline eyes on the tallest, would find a certain answer that was looking for so long.

The man's hair, that honey-colored hair, Akari wanted to get closer to inspect, as perhaps, a nymph or a mermaid would do. But, if he were to inspect, it would hurt, why does feel like he's burning inside?

His hand trembles, holding the fruit and placing it behind his back; Akari gets up clumsily, taking a few steps.

Bewildered to have heard his name, but what else can he do when that heart of his is exposed to so many emotions. The steps on the grass are barely heard, seeming as if he weren't there.

Akari is not faithful to destiny, he never has been, time is only invisible to those who firmly believed that it would be so, that includes him, because his soul belongs to old Sinnoh. But, that constant feeling of shame and observation has been chasing him since long ago. The young man is frustrated, everyone assumes his feelings and knows things that he does not.

His lips open and then close, he backs away further, until crashes into one of the medium-sized peach trees. With light steps, he hid behind, paying attention to the man and his curious words taken from some fairy tale. After an uncomfortable silence, Akari expresses, in that almost understandable voice.

''So-Some people usually say that peaches germinate immortality in those who consume it...'' stops for a few moments. ''Well, they usually say'' inhales slowly.

Can he escape?

He could do, at least continue on his way and pretend that nothing happened.

But, Akari has problems communicating, he is not completely an idiot, nor does he have the contrary feelings to be able to run away, so decided to burn himself in the fire, if he does not do it, no one else would do it, no one would do the acts for him.

Stands in front, the cool wind begins to make itself present, he stops hiding the peach, but, needs time, it was not a big deal. He takes out a note from his yukata, it was well cared, giving it to the man that he had perhaps seen in a dream, some dream, many dreams.

The written said: ''I'm sorry, i must bring incense sticks to the shrine for tonight, could you help me?''

A simple request, all so that he would stand with his head down and take something of courage.

Everything he knows is dead, except him, Akari is just a stellar of a old Sinnoh, but it was still the natural world of Arceus. His god, of beasts and men, has blessed (cursed) him with the ignorance of an odyssey he has never wanted.

It was just a matter of embracing memory and facing consciousness.