[Game Thread] Pokerole: Mount Coronet Mystery

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

HAHA, 'suck him dry like a bottle of bird soda', best describtion.
Let me also change 'acidic crystals' to 'alkaloid crystals', good and appreciated input!~ Where Kee got them from to keep his smol vampire-catbat poison that potent I don't know, he just has then. Darknet

Why thank you, dearest! I aim to please with my dialogue, and I'm glad you took my suggestion well!

(...)He[Randolph] was then cut off by their Abomanite being reveal and lobbed straight at him, causing him to fumble to catch it and nearly tip over the side of his chair. It takes him a good minute to recover from that and staring at the Mega Stone (During which he missed Draven taunting him - it's for the best, really!), a look of confusion on his face that didn't disappear when he turned toward Kee.

"......I'm normally not one to look a gift Ponyta in the mouth, but.....why are ya just......handing the Abomanite over to me?  Treating it like it's nothing more than fancy trinket that can be handed out willy nilly, instead of the invaluable babble it is? Recall rather distinctly you weren't being sly with how much you enjoyed getting it in the first place, or Taunting me about it, what's with the Heart Swap all of the sudden."(...)

Hah, what a fun reaction, Kee took a full minute to enjoy the confusion and befuddlement of the blacksmith before he'd reply in a nonchalant manner, joyous voice and overall It's-Not-That-Much-Of-A-Deal -way, giving Draven some affectionate scratches behind the ears and cheeks: He appears to enjoy the gesture as he begins to faintly purr while continuing to enjoy his alkali and chocolatey drink with obvious glee. (I now want to draw that)

"You're asking why? Because!~~ C'mon Ran, show some delight over that gift. I COULD just as well go 'n sell or trade it for stuff, but I do know that these stones are freakishly sought-out by Trainers in most cases. Sure, that'd mean more profit for me.... But I'd surely feel horrible sooner or later if I'd go that way with the knowledge that you've got that Snover AND, as I said, give off an image to me like value your own Pokemon high, as in 'so much more than being able to fight for you and be useful to you'." He pauses for a little to let the words take in. "Stuff to sell and trade can be found almost everywhere if keeping one's eye open for 'em, so there's that. So put that stone into good use or I'll be very disappointed, OKAY?" He says that in a firm tone and his piercing stare at Ran suggest that he won't accept a 'No' as an answer, but that was just playing-around indicated by the laughter that came a few seconds later.






"And NO, Kogeki's words didn't really affect this decision. I enjoyed the gesture of being gifted the stone by him and the words that came with it more than the gift - this stone - itself, and my reaction after he took these words back was nothing but charade 'cuz I didn't want to show how.... how much it actually hurt me. You TOTALLY fell for it, Ran, hehe~"

(...)As for their none too charitable but admitably justified comments on the masked shinobi, Ran let out a low *Sigh....* and shook his head, before he made a modest attempt at defending what was likely his only true friend and partner he didn't have a problem with at the moment (Not counting Lucas, of course).

"That's just the way he is, Kee, from what I can tell. He makes his decision in a snap and on a dime, and doesn't seem to consider the consequences of his actions much, and wastes even less time executing them. He just does, far as I can tell. *Shrugs* Probably comes from his......ninja training and the culture's he's from so don't hold too much a Grudge against him. He really hasn't done anything to piss on your bran flakes in me that deserves you start fortifying his own breakfast cereal in my opinion, so don't make a mountain out of a Diglet hill. "(...)

Concerning that, Kee just all calmly takes a sip of the cup of blackest tea available that he got from somewhere, his second this morning. "I don't hold grudges. That'd be against my....let's call it 'code of honor' to keep good vibes up. If you piss me off, I'll me mad at your for some hours, may stab a knife into your back maybe - not literally, you see -, but I catch myself rather quickly. Then we're good again!~ Want some?" He began to nom a bag of skittles, because sugar for breakfast. And they're so nicely colorful.

(...)"And that hypothetical ya presented ain't making me sympathize with ya much over the girl in it, when it's likely the only reason she left you high and dry is because you did the same to her emotionally. *Shrugs* Could be her way of coping with learning she'd never be able to hook up with ya due to your orientation, or you just plain disinterest in having a relationship with her, so I can't say which side is the hurt party in that scenario. Or more hurt, as it were. Hypothetically speaking, of course."(...)

Oh fffffffuuuuu, now Kee's giving you an unimpressed gaze, then looks to the side to not face Ran as he brings up something that sounds like "Oh, you think so?~ You're rambling, and my orientation shouldn't have been - be - an obstacle, because queer relationships are a thing, but NOOOO, appearantly too complicated." He holds back a sigh, looks around, then drops something to Ran in a more quiet voice. "And I'm solely telling you now, Ran, I'm not against one. I'm not actively looking either though. It's just sooo complex,  the ladies can be sooo tricky and sly, so I rather don't dabble into that field too much and enjoy happy single-life. I've got my dear Pokemon, and you can't force chemistry, that's the way it is."

(...)His attention is diverted away from analyzing the story the sour dandy told he to the matter of their assistance  before he could dig further into it, giving them a quick nod to their first question and a.....curious frown to their second.

"Yes, I do. You're the only one I know that can do the job I'm asking, and while you're a pain in the arse to work with,(...)

"Oh, am I?~ Well, I'M SORREH, so VERY sorry that you have to deal with me then." *massive sarcasm* "You're a fun guy actually, we should enjoy some drinks at some point. Maybe not on...the job though."

(...)that won't top from working with ya to get the job or an important objective over and done with. Once I get the Arm built and set up, I'll get in touch with ya to finish up the rest of it. As for the Concert, don't ya remember me bringing it up to ya back in the Temple? Need for ya and Beethoven to play her some songs, as part of the reason and price for she coming aloig with me with me is cause I bargained I made to convince her otherwise. If I don't deliver on my promise, I'll be making a dishonest oathbreaker and pissing her off something fierce, so please help me with thist, Kee...."

(Honestly can't remember outta-chara that you asked for that towards Kee, maybe I overread it accidently? That means can't remember either, but that's not much of a problem actually.)

Towards both concerns, Kee just responds with a waving handgesture that can be easily interpreted as easygoing agreement. "Yeahyeah, that's both fine, will do, AS LONG as you please provice the fully built and set-up arm and quiet place for me to work on that, and the sheets of music ya want me to play as you can guess better what type of stuff she may enjoy. Or enjoy most. Suited for electric guitar at best, no lyrics and if ya want me to play any other instrument, you have to provide it. (Anything with strings is something Kee can play or will learn fastly.)"

"I usually don't hold free concernts, but I'll just will 'cuz I don't want to be the cause of a promise broken, least of all to a Pokemon." His concealed smug smile also indicates that he kinda likes that Ran soft-begs for his help.

".........."

Ran was officially left speechless at the colourful musician's entirely self satisfying, feckless, giddy, yet strangely compassionate and understanding answer. His entire demeanor and personality they were displaying to him random and darn near indecipherable to the midget man, which completely defied (Well, modified) his establish notion of just what kind of person Kee was. Unlike with Candice's hidden serious persona, this side of the punk youngster music techie was just baffling to see. After getting to know the man as a mostly typical-to-above-average snark/sarcasm and broody/defiant teen that was way in over his with the situation he found himself in, but damn it if he wasn't going to let that stop him from solving his own problems, seeing him act like a overly cheerful and generous fool with none the less startling Insight and practicality......

Baffling. Truly baffling.

Except.....now that he thought about it a little, this 'new' page their character was showing him wasn't so new after all. He's displayed such behavior or hints abundantly in the Temple, particularly when they dressed him down for letting Beethoven scream like an Golem about to Explode (Which roughly has the same power) and threatening the safety of Stella's then Eggy condition. No, what really surprised him was that they were, have been, and likely was going to continue being nice and sociable in their own confound-it annoying way to him, despite him doing everything he could politely and sometime rudely dismiss, undermine, or more/less telling them to Buggy fuck right off. His gruff, Swak Serious Attitude, and hard arse bastard attitude was often a repellent towards the young, foolish, and/or overly polite/prideful (and just as often a welcome one, too), and Kee was just the sort of teenage punk he usually drove or chased well off by now.

But no, they continued to persist. Persist in trying to be his friend, when they had every reason not to be. Most of those reason being provided by himself, naturally.

Perhaps.....he had misjudged him?

He took a good look at the sour dandy, and almost snorted in incredulity and derision at that idea. No, no, he had them pegged pretty well, alright. It was that he missed or didn't know there was more depth too him, or that he had the bloody cheerful persistence of a Growlithe puppy. 

'Interesting character, this brat Kee is. Guess that comes from him being a awkward rockstar musician and techie from another universe, though. .....I can't believe I just thought that, or it's actually the truth. Heatran light my forge, what has my life turned into? Rrrrrrgggggrrnnn.....'

Ran stared at Kee in silence for nearly three minutes, his expression blank and serious with the occasion twitch , and when it seemed like he wouldn't answer he put away the Abomanite into his Inventory, and slowly inclined his head towards the teen punk music techie.

"......Dankeschön"
Thank you
Only one word, but it said so much. Deliberate, neutral yet surly, and reserved, but....genuine too.

He then rolled his eyes and grunt - Sighed at the colourful musician's preemptive justification and defense (if you could call it that), and all was back to normal for the bristly blacksmith. It was brief, but.....a spark was shown. Of what, though?

(...)

Their admittance to being an easy going sort about being wronged again nearly had him snorting in disbelief/laughing contempt about that, but it was enough to get Ran to loosen up a bit and continue the conversion as he nodded to them.....in his own abrasive way.

"Oh, wie edel von dir, wie ein Bisharp mit einem Messias-Komplex. Well, good for ya, and I mean it. Me, however?"
Translation: Oh how noble of you, like a Bisharp with a messiah complex.
At this, he let out Chuckle. A deep, dark, bitter Chuckle, that showed his opinion well on that matter.

"Heh......I hold a grudge like no other. You won't find anyone or bastard more Willing, persistent, mean, and resentful with the ill will they hold against others. I don't begrudge often - rarely, even -, but if someone manages to get on my real deal Shit List......"

Ran smiled, and there was nothing friendly about it.

"They've made an enemy for life until they take their last, miserable, and wretched breath. And sometimes, not even that stops me from holding a grudge. *Snorts* Sometimes, I think Diam's proud of me for that, but that ain't anything to take pride in. At least, I hope it never does."

He goes silent for a short moment after that.....frank admission, before he looks back to his notes and waves off the offered candy.

"Perhaps I'll tell ya later about some of them, if ya morbidly interested in another man's hatred like that. Be nice to get it off me chest, and it might inspire some new song lyrics for ya."
Before he could refocus on his design doccos/notes, though, the young punk's acerbic comeback to his critique on their hypothetical causes him to bite back a *Sigh* before looking back up at them, looking distinctly neutral.

"You've already drawn your own conclusions, so what's it matter what I think anymore? *Scoffs* Like I said before, lad, but I don't mind nor care about that aspect of yours, so ya don't need to harp on me about it like a Speal play the instrument on a ice rink. Ultimately, only your opinions and experience are the ones that matter there, not anyone else's. *Light Chuckling* Heh hah hah, and believe me, I'm the last person you should come to for advice and discussion on that topic. I mean, look at me! Who'ed ever want to be in a relationship with someone like me, the angry wee little old bastard?"

Somewhere, somebody is having a sneezing fit right now. Or laughing at him. Either or.

 "*Huffs* 'Sides, I wasn't even trying to goad you about it in the first place, just picking apart your justification for treating Kogeki like that is all, like what any good scientist or manager does. Don't have to read much more into it than that, and I'd prefer you not too, to save us all a headache."

(...)

Okay, at this Randolph actually does snort, at first in ire as they shot the sour dandy a unamused look, before a look of realization hit him and a smug grin of his own graced him.

"Yeah, it's a heavy burden, but somebody has to, or otherwise you'd get nowhere but open mike night at on a Monday morning lad. Glad ya finally owning up to your unbelievable behavior, though. First step to becoming a decent, civilized folk with some sense in them, and while it'll be a long journey for ya, I think you'll get there. Someday. Maybe. Pray to Heatran, you will."

He finishes his glib remarks with a sagely nod, and tries to get back to work. Nothing to say about the offer to drink, but it was not rejected at least. Good...?

(...)

(Fair enough, and fine by mean!)

"Will, and can do. Plenty of places ya can do that, either her or in the wild, so don't worry none about it. *Sighs* .....And thank you. Don't really have anything in mind for music, so go with whatever ya like and can play the best. You're the professional musician here, not me, so I'll let ya do your job without me trying to Muk about in it. When ya ready for that, tell me, and I'll get Beethoven to 'play' with ya for her."

He then, without warning, handed them $5000 Poke, looking them in the eye and quirking an eyebrow as he did so.

"And who said I was going to make ya work for free, now? *Looks thoughtful* ....There's a Jewelry Store in Snowpoint that sells Evolution Stones for reasonable prices, so take that cash there and buy ya one of them to Evolve Stella or Draven later. *Snorts* Or get yourself some bling, to help add to your stage persona. *Shrugs* Whichever suites your fancy. Oh, and while you're out there, you might want to also buy Tent for the group, if Lucas hasn't already got one for us all. Should ask him about that 'fore you head out and do whatever else business ya have to do. By the time you're done, I should be finished with the Prosthetic, and we can work together finish it." 

With that last thing said, the dwarven craftsman finally turns his full and undivided attention back to his note 'n doccos, resolutely ignoring Kee in the process. Well, until Diam gives Karen the scare of her life, which serves as a effective disruption to his concentration and only served to raise his tempers again. Oh dear....

That's neither here nor there, though. For now, let the wee little man and the sour dandy 'enjoy' each other's company, shall we?

*Flashback End?*