Vertigo

Symphony on High

I didn't go out of hiatus for this because I wasn't on a hiatus, but I am in if there's still room.

POKeMON: A Mystery - Always Open

Just letting the people I interacted with know I'm bowing out of the rp, so they don't wait for me. We can say Joshua ran off after his Shuppet and was never heard from again.

Expedition to Isekai

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“We’ll start by splitting that in half.”

Duncan blinked, tracking her gaze to the punctured tree behind him.

... Was she fucking with him?

Whether she had been or not, an hour into their work, Duncan was far past caring. Even with Rin's abilities on an apparent cooldown, they'd worked fast, efficient, and hard. Duncan's body felt heavy with familiar strain, a comforting warmth enveloping every muscles and joint. His face was flushed, speckled by beads of sweat, shirt stuck to damp skin — a feeling he once found uncomfortable, but which he now welcomed with open arms.

Literally, Duncan realized, as he stood atop the watchtower with arms spread wide, letting the wind fan the heat from his skin. To the extent a warm summer wind could, anyway.

From this high up, everything really did seem different. The mountains, the lake, the forest; in the light of the day, without a monster in sight, the world spreading out in front of him seemed less like an uninhabited hellscape and more like a world full of potential. A land yet to be explored or charted. Yeah, there were the monsters lurking somewhere out there, but honestly, those existed in the real world too. They were just more difficult to spot.

Would Yuki have liked the view? Found the mountains nostalgic?

Glee threatened to drain from his face. Would have, if he hadn't suddenly been seized by the pants — and unceremoniously tossed off the damn tower.

... Rin was definitely fucking with him!

That was the only thought that had time to register before dread set in. It didn't matter what your merits were, or how tough you'd proven to be. During the few heartbeats of a sudden free fall, with your stomach sinking and floating all at once, every human felt mortal.

Duncan didn't know much about falling, but he felt like the gasp that tore out him upon impact should have been his last. Should have filled his lungs, probably trapped under at least a few broken ribs, with water that did him in. But though the impact stung, it was the way a slap in the face did, just delivered to the entirety of his body at once. It left him a little stunned, but more in shock than any real pain. For a few seconds he just floated there, motionless. Then the water he'd gulped registered in full and he started coughing, slipping underwater in his panic.

He sunk, but only for a moment. The pain subsided as quick as it'd come, and it didn't take Duncan long to realize that the light beyond the lake's rippling surface wasn't the light at the end of the tunnel. That he wasn't just alive — he was absolutely fine. No bones had broken, no joints snapped, no organs torn. Hell, it didn't even hurt anymore. Because he was no longer just human.

And, honestly, he should've bitched less and enjoyed that fact a bit more.

Duncan emerged from the lake with a few more coughs and a gasp, struggling to wipe hair from his eyes.

"Holy shit, that was awesome!" He took in the scenery with rediscovered vigour, quickly spotting a familiar pink head that stood out from the green that surrounded him. Distantly, Duncan remembered he still had to thank the guy. Well, here was his chance. He raised an arm from the water, waving to get the other student's attention — as if belly flopping right in front of him from like thirty feet up hadn't already done that. "Yo, Asahi! Did you see? We got a diving tower!"

Duncan reached the shore with a few long strokes, pulling himself up with a splash. He was already making his way back towards the tower as he started to struggle out of his soaked clothes, nearly tripping on a pant leg. "Hurry up bro, get off your scrawny ass and come on! You gotta try it."

If Asahi wasn't willing to follow and not fast enough to avoid it, Duncan was going to grab the guy by the shoulder and drag him with, if he had to. Asahi would not miss this.

Pokemon: Dream

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_{Camphor's Lab}

Despite what it might've looked like, Chloe was, in fact, not late.

What had been late was her ride from the docks to the laboratory. And to top it all off, the old man had the audacity to claim it was her fault for wanting to stop just a couple of times to snap pictures of the sights. Like? What, was she just supposed to ignore everything pretty they passed because he couldn't hit the gas properly? Like just drive faster then!

And none of that would have even happened if the assistant that was supposed to come pick them up from the docks hadn't also been late. So late, in fact, that they never showed up! Chloe had waited for what felt like a fair amount of time, gotten bored, and headed to the tour the nearby shops — only to return an hour later with still no sign of any assistants, meaning she'd had to take a cab that turned out to belong to like the slowest driver ever.

Ugh!

Well, whatever, she was here now.

Chloe adjusted her handbag strap, careful not to wake up Snuggles dozing off inside. The fairy type's head was poking out, drool dripping as she dreamed of what Chloe assumed to be treats and comfy pillows — but might have just as well been murder.

Not wanting the sounds of battle to agitate the Snubbull, Chloe gave the battling trainers outside a wide berth as she made for the laboratory's door. It wasn't locked, so when a few rounds of knocks yielded no results, she strode right on in.

And found the place empty.

Seriously? They hadn't waited for her or anything?

"Uh, hello?" she called out into the lab. When no answer came, she brazenly made her way past the reception desk and through the open doors, looking around for... anything. The professor, mostly, though she wouldn't mind greeting a cute Pokémon or two either. "Anyone in here? It's Rothschild! As in, Chloe? Like one of the people you were going to hire?"

Pokemon: Dream

Chloe Rothschild

Name:

Chloe Rothschild

Age:

17

Gender:

Female

Appearance:

A little taller than average, Chloe stands at 5'8'' without heels — so, really, chances are she's at least a good few inches taller whenever you see her. Her fussiness over appearances has kept her physically active throughout the years, even long after she quit her various active hobbies, lending her a slender build. Her eyes are a striking purplish pink and hair blond with a red gradient towards the tips. Though her hair is very long, reaching past her waist, you'd be hard pressed to find a single strand astray on most days.

Partly by nature, partly by design, Chloe tends to be very expressive, sometimes exaggeratedly so, and you can usually read her mood well enough from her face. Though usually smiling and bubbly, once annoyed, her glares can freeze running water and scowls make grown Aggron jump. Or so her friends have described her, anyway.

Chloe is very particular when it comes to the image she portrays, and treats every jog and shopping trip like a modelling tryout. If she doesn't look her best, she isn't leaving the house, period. This means that whenever people do see her, she's a polished sight; neatly done hair, hand-picked jewelry, meticulous makeup and latest trends for clothes. With that said, she does prefer clothing she can actually move in comfortably, such as skirts and shorts. She saves long, beautiful dresses for contests and formal occasions, much as she loves them.

She will wear shoes with high heels at absolutely all times however, and no threat of broken ankle will convince her otherwise.

Personality:

Despite her well-crafted appearance, Chloe can hardly be accused of being fake. Confident and outspoken, she wears her thoughts and emotions on her sleeve, letting you know exactly what she thinks of you at any given time, for better or for worse. And boy, can that wary from moment to moment. Her moods can fluctuate from one extreme to the next alarmingly fast, though never without reason — it's just that to anyone else than her, the reason might seem minor.

At her best, Chloe is upbeat and friendly, ready to talk your ear off if you give her the go, or to listen if you'd rather do so instead — to an extent, anyway. Extrovert to the core, she is far more comfortable talking and being the center of attention than standing at the sidelines, waiting for her turn. Or, well, waiting for anything, really, and it's when she wants something she can't have that you'll catch her at her worst. She's never had to learn patience, and doesn't take rejection or setbacks well. She hates being told what to do or being forced to dance to someone else's tune, and doesn't take insults - ones that actually manage to wound her, anyway - lightly.

With that said, her attitude does extend to her friends as well, as she does care deeply for those closest to her, and will fight for them the same way she does for herself if she feels someone's wronged them. Of course, the same goes for her Pokémon companion as well.

Though Chloe finds it hard to fathom a life without luxury nowadays, there is still a spark of that curious, adventurous girl who loved nothing more than visiting new places and seeing new sights hiding behind it all, and that's part of the reason she dared fly across the globe to a new region at the drop of a hat. She does still want to see the world. Just... nowadays, she'd prefer to do it from a ventilated tour bus.

Hometown:

Goldenrod City, Johto

Background:

Born as the only child to an affluent couple in the heart of Goldenrod City, Chloe grew up privileged and pampered, never left wanting a thing. Her father in particular treated her like a princess, catering to her every whim - which meant that by the age of twelve, she'd gotten to try a dozen different hobbies, owned a rare Galarian Ponyta at the local ranch, and gotten to ride the train to Saffron City in first class whenever she wanted to shop at Celadon City shopping center. Which, for the record, was often. Chloe was a curious, active child who loved seeing new places and trying new things.

Chloe's mother, a Pokémon trainer until the incident ten years ago that turned Pokémon against their trainers, was less accommodating to her daughter's whims, but also far busier than her husband and often not at home to put a stop to his coddling. The one thing she did insist on, however, was that she wasn't to be left alone with Pokémon without supervision. The only exception to the rule was the Snubbul which, over the years, had proven herself to be an able protector of her daughter, much as her mother had hated the thing at first.

Come her teenage years, Chloe's interest in her old hobbies and adventures waned, replaced by an admiration of various contest and movie stars, as well as the fancy life they lived. She had a lot of what they did, from money to fashion sense and looks, but what she didn't have was fame. And if Chloe had learnt anything during her formative years so far, it was that if she wanted something, she would have it.

And perhaps she would have, had her father remained in the picture. Unfortunately he, too, harbored an admiration for beautiful young contest stars, and it was one of them that he eventually left with. Understandably angered by the betrayal, Chloe's mothers wanted to hear nothing of contests or Pokémon in her house, the latter which she still feared. Chloe didn't take the new rule lying down. Argument after argument ensued, with Chloe insisting she wanted to get into a contest school, her mother declaring that she would not fund such an endeavor.

It was then she received the job offer from professor Camphor, who'd probably sent it to her due to her mother's reputation as an elite trainer back in the day. Or maybe the prof was simply one of Chloe's fans! Who knew? Who cared? Not her. Chloe saw it as an opportunity to stick it to her mother, prove that at almost eighteen years old, she was practically an adult who could make her own decisions, and to fund her contest career.

Besides, how difficult could filling a Pokedex or whatever be, anyway? Oh noo, she'd have to walk around the warm, picturesque region of Eidda and take amazing pictures for a few months! What an awful fate!

Sign her the fuck up, like, yesterday.

Kind of Pokémon you like:

Cute, pretty, tough, though she also has a soft spot for Pokémon others might describe as "ugly cute". Just keep anything creepy and crawly away from her, thanks.

Quirks/Talents/Aspirations/Other:

♡ Chloe's main aspiration, and the reason she left behind not only her hometown but her entire homeregion, is to become a world famous coordinator. To that end, she needs money, talented Pokémon and fans, all of which she intends to acquire on this trip. She's vlogging her adventures in hopes it'd garner her some pre-contest fame and buzz.
♡ Can, in fact, run in heels.
♡ Knows a few self-defense techniques, due to his father's insistence, and the help of his Hitmonlee.
♡ Has never slept outdoors — yet.
♡ Believes ghost Pokémon aren't real ghosts, because those do. Not. Exist.

Items:

1x Potion.

Pokédollars:

1000p.

Snugglebutt, or Snuggles for short

Species:

Snubbull

Appearance:

Nothing out of the ordinary, other than the giant orange ribbon between her right ears — and whatever other accessories or pieces of clothing Chloe has deemed look good on her at any given moment.

Level:

5

Gender:

Female

Type:

Fairy

Ability:

Intimidate

Moves:

Charm, Fire Fang, Ice Fang, Scary Face, Tackle, Tail Whip, Thunder Fang, Close Combat (egg move)

Personality and Nature:

Don't let the silly, cutesy name fool you - Snuggles is as vicious as they come. She's ill-tempered, prone to barking and lashing out at everyone and everything she doesn't like. She does listen to Chloe however, and can be calmed down with only a few choice words from her. Treats help, as well; she's particularly keen on sweet foods and can eat a lot when given free reign. In fact, her first reaction to everything new is to take a bite out of it, as many unfortunate strangers have found out.

Quirks/Talents/Aspirations/Other:

♡ She seems to favour interacting with girls, and enjoys being petted by them. Guys? Keep your hands away if you want to keep them.
♡ Aspires to one day take down an actual dragon Pokémon, preferably a fully evolved one. Unbeknownst to Chloe, Snuggles was bought from a breeder specializing in producing Granbull for battles and hunting dragons after all, not performing at shows.
♡ Likes to watch others do battle. The more intense, the better.
♡ Leppa Berries are her favourite.

Held Item:

n/a

SPIRITUM

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Some complained about their speed, some seemed mostly indifferent to it, and then there was Silje, hooting in glee from her 'seat' atop the roof. She'd planted herself directly above the driver's seat, shouting words of encouragement and pleas of acceleration down at her friend. Most of it came out a muffled mess from the wind, though.

Of course, with the roof not meant to be seating a person — a shame if you asked her, it was only the best place to feel the wind ever — Silje'd had to get creative to stay on board. But with Mist at her fingertips, both figuratively and literally, she'd made-do well enough. There was a handle in the metal by her legs, moulded from the roof with fingers made hot by Mist. She'd held onto it for a while, letting the rest of her body swing any way the wind blew. When she'd grown tired of it and her back had ached for a respite, she'd created a wall of Mist behind her to lean against — the most she'd ever used her barrier magic so far.

Now, she'd literally glued her legs to the roof with Mist as the adhesive. It made her bare, usually colourless legs, sticking out from equally colourless shorts, glow a faint, pleasant blue.

Silje tipped her head back and emptied the rest of the can down her throat. Grape soda. Justice had forbidden her from touching alcohol for whatever reason, and considering how foul beer tasted to her, she didn't mind. It just meant she had her own personal stash of drinks that the others wouldn't touch! Not that she minded sharing her stuff. The shirt she was wearing, long enough to reach her thighs with ease, had been likewise 'borrowed' from one of her friends. She hadn't asked, but she'd also not been told no, and that's what really mattered.

The unfortunate thing about her seating arrangement was that Silje barely heard a thing from the wind. When a conversation broke out over something said in the radio, though, she sure did try to listen. She caught bits and pieces; a princess, the capital, vacation, kidnapping, offing, and—

"A bomb up a dress!" was the part she honed in on, loud and amused, a grin cracking her face. She wasn't sure how much the others heard from the wind, but she didn't mind talking to just herself, either. Before she'd met the others, before she'd met Kalina, she'd done that a lot. "That's such a good idea! Oh, but, hmm, it'd be more efficient to just turn the dress itself into a bomb, I think. Like this!"

Even with a warning, it happened fast. Silje ran a thumb across the empty soda can in her hands, leaving a streak of red in her finger's wake. A deep, beautiful colour that seemed to seep into the aluminium itself, to bring the entire can into life against the monochrome that surrounded it. She pulled her hand back and tossed it forward with as much strength as she could muster — except, at 70 miles an hour, it was yanked backwards instead, detonating right above the rest of the crew behind her.

Oh. Well, at least she'd made the thing more for demonstrative purposes rather than to harm!

Silje whipped her head around to catch the last of the explosion, the quickly withering fingers of colour in the air, then let her gaze drop down to her companions. The sheepishness of her smile was ruined by the laugh that almost slipped past it. "Oopsie!"

An Alternate Universe Naruto Story

Assuming it's too late to hop in, since both teams are full? Unless we get two more genin and a jounin to go with.

Never finished Naruto (got a little past the timeskip), but it is nostalgic, and this doesn't seem to require having read the whole series. Would probably be looking to go for an Inuzuka.

POKeMON: A Mystery - Always Open

Edited post formatting a bit to show which of Joshua's Pokémon are out and which are in their pokéballs.

POKeMON: A Mystery - Always Open

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_{Cabins → Main Stadium
@Thunder999999@Teyao and ig @anothered, but unconscious...}

Joshua made his way abovedeck as fast as his legs would allow, half running, half skating his way across the frozen corridor. Even then, by the time he emerged, Klefki clutched against his chest and Shuppet giggling in his wake, he seemed to be late for— whatever the heck was going on.

He'd expected to find people in safety vests being guided across the stadium by the crew, ready to evacuate onto a waiting Wailord. What he found instead was a trio of weird men in even weirder getup, a glitching Lugia surrounded by fireworks and, before he could take the rest of it all in, the entire world seeming to spin in tune with the stadium's clockwork floor. He could make out the captain's voice through the chaos, but not her words.

Joshua was knocked off balance for the second time that day by the shaking, eyes forced shut by a blinding light. By the time he opened them again, the night sky above was gone, replaced by cloudless skies and a hot summer sun. The world had stopped spinning, but Joshua's head sure hadn't.

"Did-- did you see that?" he blurted out as he stood up, wobbling, and glanced over to Shuppet. She was gone. A few frantic glances later, he found her circling among the confused passengers, drinking in their emotions. Oh no. Hopefully, no one here was afraid of ghosts.

Joshua scrambled after his companion, only to finally spot other members of the crew among the chaos. Sugar, Garscon and Teddy, all from the restaurant. He considered calling out to them, but they'd already gathered a small crowd. No doubt people wanting to know what happened, and going to the crew for answers. He doubted they had any, but whatever was going on before, everything seemed to be fine now. Just some hiccup in the weather and the... time of day. No biggie.

Right! In times like these, as a member of the crew himself, he should be helping people find their bearings and tell them there was no reason to worry.

... Right after he caught his runaway Shuppet, who was currently circling above an unconscious, floating man and two people walking besides him. Oh, um, he should probably figure out what was going on there too.

"Hey! Excuse me, where are you taking that man?"

Through Darkening Skies - original weird fantasy sky pirate adventures

I'd be down, but likely only after the holidays.