[When Ingo and Shoka arrive at the forest, it's immediately obvious where they need to go. The sounds of battle travel far; following them, they soon come across a chaos of movement and color. Teams of Pokémon dart and weave between the trees, firing off attacks left and right at the hordes of gleaming dragons that have invaded the space: Arctibax.
Shoka is all too eager to drop whatever evasive small talk she'd been attempting with Ingo before and leap into the fray herself. The moment that the first unfortunate Arctibax gets within Play Rough range, all the tension that's been building in her over the past weeks finally snaps. The Arctibax may be relentless in their attack, but so is she, moving from foe to foe at dizzying speeds and swinging her tail-stick with wild, untethered violence. She seems to revel in the fighting, hardly slowing down even when she inevitably starts taking hits herself, leaving her disguise tattered and covered in frost.
To her credit, she still has the presence of mind to watch Ingo's back, her Fairy-type moves well matched with his Fire-type ones—but at some point, she gets distracted. She has one Arctibax pinned beneath her in a Draining Kiss, her hidden fangs sinking savagely into its scales, when another lunges at Ingo with its own fangs bared. Only too late does she see it and think to call out in alarm.]
[ Ingo turns, but not quickly enough to avoid the bite. He lets out a loud yelp of mingled surprise and pain; a super-effective effective attack from a dragon is bound to hurt! Flames snap to life along his back, forcing the Arctibax to let go. ]
Ah - I am alright - !
[ Steam rises from his mouth to mingle with the smoke as he pants hard. He is obviously in a lot of pain! Blood is harder to see against his dark fur, but he's certainly bleeding. ]
[That yelp and the glimpse of blood in his fur startle Shoka into focusing. Immediately, she feels a sharp pang of guilt. It was just too easy to lose herself in the thrill of battle—felt too good to force something beneath her, to shred and bite and feel the familiar sting of ice. They were supposed to be fighting together, but she didn't even see...]
L—like hell you are...!
[Seeing him injured, another Arctibax takes the opportunity to lunge at Ingo itself. The energy Shoka drained from the previous Arctibax gives her the strength to launch herself into its path, blocking its Bite with her tail-stick. Frost spreads through the grooves in the wood; she snarls.]
Bax—off—!
[An especially brutal Play Rough sends it flying. Fortunately, they aren't the only team present; the others can pick up the slack while they get away for a moment to recover. With a brief opening made, Shoka nudges closer to Ingo, trying to guide him out of the fray.]
[ Ingo nods, lumbering along in that direction. It truly isn't the worst that he's ever been injured, not at all, but he's not too proud to admit that he is still hurt.
Between the battle, the pain, and their attempts to escape, it takes him until they're clear to catch his breath enough to say much. ]
At least it was not one of my legs.
[ Though the bite, in his shoulder, is still hindering his movements somewhat. ]
[Shoka may not really breathe in the same way other Pokémon do, but she still sounds breathless when she replies,] I guess?
[At least it wasn't his legs, or his head, or his heart, but it still looks like it sucks pretty bad! She pauses, swiveling to search between the trees. Seeing no sign of the Arctibax, she slows to a stop and gestures for Ingo to do the same.]
Anyway, looks like we lost 'em, so just—take it easy for a second, okay?
[She takes a moment to look him over, then, eyes wide and fretful. It's probably immediately obvious in that moment that she has very little idea of what she should do in this situation. She was never well-versed in first aid, and she's since become so used to Oran berries as an easy cure-all and so used to being physically incapable of bleeding that she barely knows how to deal with an open wound. Some teammate she is.
But an Oran berry will still restore some of his energy, at least, so she fumbles for one anyway, extracting it from the hollow of her disguise-head and handing it over to him.]
Okay, Mr. Wilderness Expert... Please tell me you have bandages or something on you...
[ In lieu of response, Ingo turns rather stiffly to pull a small pouch from his travel bag, trading it for the Oran Berry. Shoka will find that it contains some basic first-aid supplies, including bandages. Once he's snapped down the Oran berry (in one bite, which he doesn't usually do due to how many sharp teeth it flashes), he goes on. ]
There is a small tin of salve in there as well.
[ It's some sort of medicinal herb paste. ]
If you could...help me, perhaps?
[ He might have been able to do it himself when he had hands, but like this? It's a no-go. ]
[Shoka is already searching the pouch for the tin as soon as he mentions it.]
Y—yeah! I got it...
[Her skeletal fingers soon find and draw the tin out. In her haste to open it, she nearly drops it, but eventually she manages to drip her claws in and move to apply the glob of salve to the bite, stretching her arm up to reach Ingo's shoulder. That part seems effortless for her, as if her arms are even longer than that, and her hands, savage as they were only minutes prior, are gentle now, deft and careful.
Guilt continues to gnaw at her. Without thinking, she mumbles out:]
[But she seems reluctant to explain herself, trailing off into silence as she draws her hand away, then closes up the tin and starts to unravel a length of gauze.]
[Her eyes don't meet his, glaring instead at the bandages in her hands.]
I mean we're a team. I—should've had your back out there—or at least noticed—but I was just...
[Distracted; lost in the sensation of hurting something weaker than herself—of being, for however brief a moment, in control again. And now she's clumsily trying to determine the right length of bandage to dress his wounds, nearly fumbling the entire roll when her overlong claws involuntarily flex. Could she be any more of a mess? She breathes out a sigh.]
[Shoka shrinks in on herself, static briefly flickering across the shadowy skirts of her form. Her plan is to say nothing, but all her stress—both related and unrelated to the issue currently at hand—is boiling over again. It slips out before she can stop it.]
It's not just this, it's—!
[It's everything. It's all of her—something rotten rooted deep inside her. This is just the latest in a long line of fuck-ups.
It's nothing she should be putting on Ingo, of course. He's seemed strung out lately himself. He's also literally still injured. She bites her proverbial tongue and tries to brush off the pang of humiliation, focusing back on his wounds.]
... It's nothing. Just—stay still, okay?
[Having finally managed to tame the bandages, she gets to work on dressing the punctures in his shoulder, stretching her arms out again to start winding the bandage around his upper arm.]
[ ...Ingo goes quiet for a moment, standing still as he's bid. He...didn't expect that. Maybe he's been a little too caught up in his own affairs lately. ]
[A snort escapes her. She doesn't know what she was expecting.]
Once in town, I think... Absolutely huge dragon, big fin on its back? Mean RBF? [There's no way he knows what that means.] Um. Kinda looks like it wants to tear you to shreds—and totally could—even when it's just relaxing, I mean...
Oh, they certainly can! It caught me right in the spine, deeply enough that I could not get back up! I would have died, no doubt, but there were some wild Blissey nearby.
[ War stories...he's pretty casual about it. This is one of the best ones any of the Wardens have! ]
You are doing very well! Do not worry about it overmuch - they will probably just unwrap it again at the clinic so that they can have a look.
[ It's still far better to have it properly wrapped for the walk back, of course! ]
Perhaps I ought to run a small course in field medicine sometime? I think we can all do this much by now, but I'm not sure anyone has had to set a bone or anything yet. [ DON'T. WORRY ABOUT IT??? ]
[With his approval, she finishes the bandaging job to the best of her ability, scuttling awkwardly around him to tie it off at his shoulder.]
Maybe. I'd try to show up, at least... In case it wasn't already completely obvious, I'm not exactly used to dealing with stuff like this. [She knew the common sense basics and had observed a few things during her extended stay at the clinic, but that's about it.] I mean, I don't even have bones...
Mmm, yes...there are certainly some Pokemon whom I could not provide much aid with. I'm mostly familiar with treating injuries of flesh and blood!
[ Anyway, there's so many different kinds of Pokemon. Ingo doubts that anyone could ever really know how to specifically treat every single one of them! ]
[Mightyena has kindly requested for everyone to forage for food. Foraging isn't Anasui's preferred means of getting food but he's not going to turn his nose up when there's clearly a need for supplies. So now he's just waiting for Ingo by the mouth of the woods, by the outskirts of what could be considered as the Bay, looking around.
The snow clings to the foliage delicately in a way that's very different to how it sits in the area around Icefall Lake. It looks like the woods are covered in a solid layer of snow, the usually lush green forest swaddled in white. Pretty, despite the chill in the air.
In response to the Winter chill and snow, Anasui is dressed to battle the cold.Ingo will see that Anasui is sporting both a warm hat and the beautiful scarf Ingo got him for his long-ass bird neck. Upon seeing the ghost Pokemon, Anasui will nod to him.]
[ As far as Ingo is concerned, foraging is a relaxing day's activity. It's important, of course! Any food-gathering is important, especially in the winter! But he has done so much of it, it really feels rather routine at this point. ]
Of course! It is good to see you!
[ He's gratified to see that Anasui likes the scarf! For his own part, Ingo is wearing a hat, but he's foregone any other clothing. With his thick fur, he's more liable to overheat, even in these conditions. ]
Ah... As you. It has been some time. [Has anyone said it's good to see him before? The question briefly appears in Anasui's mind. If someone had said it, it would have definitely been in the Bay and not said to him as a human. It's an idle thought but one has in that moment regardless. It's not something that Anasui shows on his face, and he turns to look out in the forest once more.]
...Lead the way. [He figures Ingo would know better than him. Anasui mostly knows theory when it comes to foraging. He assumes being the Warden from some mountains, Ingo would know better.]
[ Ingo ambles along, naturally falling into the lead. He seems to have an idea of where to go already; he walks past the areas nearest to the village without really pausing to look for anything. These parts are always cleared out by lower-level teams. Being more experienced, it's only sensible that they go farther afield.
He has one floppy ear angled back towards Anasui as they walk, and glances back to speak fairly quickly. ]
Did you enjoy the holiday? My world does not have one quite like it, but we do have a midwinter festival! I made some of those foods on the day proper.
[Not only are they more experienced but they also have the added advantage of being taller than a meter - they're not going to be neck-deep in snow like some of the other teams. Anasui strides after Ingo, a small smile coming over his face. Usually, Anasui's not one for small talk but... well... Ingo has touched one of his favourite topics.]
I did. My world has something called Christmas, which is not unlike the holiday we had here at the Bay. It was the first time in nearly five years I got to exchange presents and celebrate it outside of a prison cell. It was nice. The kid seemed to enjoy it too.
Right. You mentioned that... But I doubt it's that complicated. [It's hard to tell but Anasui definitely is flagging that he's happy to listen to Ingo talk about it, though also fine with dropping the topic if Ingo wants to.]
We would not easily be able to see one another again, if we did separate then. At least, I do not think we could. Maybe it would be possible, but...well. We have never really discussed it.
[ He doesn't know what Emmet thinks about it all. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
action
Shoka is all too eager to drop whatever evasive small talk she'd been attempting with Ingo before and leap into the fray herself. The moment that the first unfortunate Arctibax gets within Play Rough range, all the tension that's been building in her over the past weeks finally snaps. The Arctibax may be relentless in their attack, but so is she, moving from foe to foe at dizzying speeds and swinging her tail-stick with wild, untethered violence. She seems to revel in the fighting, hardly slowing down even when she inevitably starts taking hits herself, leaving her disguise tattered and covered in frost.
To her credit, she still has the presence of mind to watch Ingo's back, her Fairy-type moves well matched with his Fire-type ones—but at some point, she gets distracted. She has one Arctibax pinned beneath her in a Draining Kiss, her hidden fangs sinking savagely into its scales, when another lunges at Ingo with its own fangs bared. Only too late does she see it and think to call out in alarm.]
Ingo—!
no subject
Ah - I am alright - !
[ Steam rises from his mouth to mingle with the smoke as he pants hard. He is obviously in a lot of pain! Blood is harder to see against his dark fur, but he's certainly bleeding. ]
no subject
L—like hell you are...!
[Seeing him injured, another Arctibax takes the opportunity to lunge at Ingo itself. The energy Shoka drained from the previous Arctibax gives her the strength to launch herself into its path, blocking its Bite with her tail-stick. Frost spreads through the grooves in the wood; she snarls.]
Bax—off—!
[An especially brutal Play Rough sends it flying. Fortunately, they aren't the only team present; the others can pick up the slack while they get away for a moment to recover. With a brief opening made, Shoka nudges closer to Ingo, trying to guide him out of the fray.]
C—c'mon, we're getting out of here...
no subject
Between the battle, the pain, and their attempts to escape, it takes him until they're clear to catch his breath enough to say much. ]
At least it was not one of my legs.
[ Though the bite, in his shoulder, is still hindering his movements somewhat. ]
no subject
[At least it wasn't his legs, or his head, or his heart, but it still looks like it sucks pretty bad! She pauses, swiveling to search between the trees. Seeing no sign of the Arctibax, she slows to a stop and gestures for Ingo to do the same.]
Anyway, looks like we lost 'em, so just—take it easy for a second, okay?
[She takes a moment to look him over, then, eyes wide and fretful. It's probably immediately obvious in that moment that she has very little idea of what she should do in this situation. She was never well-versed in first aid, and she's since become so used to Oran berries as an easy cure-all and so used to being physically incapable of bleeding that she barely knows how to deal with an open wound. Some teammate she is.
But an Oran berry will still restore some of his energy, at least, so she fumbles for one anyway, extracting it from the hollow of her disguise-head and handing it over to him.]
Okay, Mr. Wilderness Expert... Please tell me you have bandages or something on you...
no subject
There is a small tin of salve in there as well.
[ It's some sort of medicinal herb paste. ]
If you could...help me, perhaps?
[ He might have been able to do it himself when he had hands, but like this? It's a no-go. ]
no subject
Y—yeah! I got it...
[Her skeletal fingers soon find and draw the tin out. In her haste to open it, she nearly drops it, but eventually she manages to drip her claws in and move to apply the glob of salve to the bite, stretching her arm up to reach Ingo's shoulder. That part seems effortless for her, as if her arms are even longer than that, and her hands, savage as they were only minutes prior, are gentle now, deft and careful.
Guilt continues to gnaw at her. Without thinking, she mumbles out:]
My bad...
no subject
Not at all! It only stings for a moment.
no subject
[But she seems reluctant to explain herself, trailing off into silence as she draws her hand away, then closes up the tin and starts to unravel a length of gauze.]
no subject
Whatever do you mean, then?
no subject
I mean we're a team. I—should've had your back out there—or at least noticed—but I was just...
[Distracted; lost in the sensation of hurting something weaker than herself—of being, for however brief a moment, in control again. And now she's clumsily trying to determine the right length of bandage to dress his wounds, nearly fumbling the entire roll when her overlong claws involuntarily flex. Could she be any more of a mess? She breathes out a sigh.]
Ugh. Just sorry I'm so useless...
no subject
[ Ingo's chiding, a little, but he doesn't really mean to scold her. The response is instinctive. ]
It was not your fault! It is a battle - things are always chaotic! These things happen from time to time, in spite of all of us.
[ Of course it isn't ideal, but you know. It is a risk of the work! ]
no subject
It's not just this, it's—!
[It's everything. It's all of her—something rotten rooted deep inside her. This is just the latest in a long line of fuck-ups.
It's nothing she should be putting on Ingo, of course. He's seemed strung out lately himself. He's also literally still injured. She bites her proverbial tongue and tries to brush off the pang of humiliation, focusing back on his wounds.]
... It's nothing. Just—stay still, okay?
[Having finally managed to tame the bandages, she gets to work on dressing the punctures in his shoulder, stretching her arms out again to start winding the bandage around his upper arm.]
no subject
....is everything alright, Shoka?
no subject
[It's terse and definitely not convincing. She loops the bandage around his shoulder—once, twice, looking at it and not him.
Sarcastically, she fires back,] How 'bout you?
no subject
I will be alright. It's truly not that bad. I've certainly wounded myself far worse through my own misadventures!
no subject
She seems to be searching for a distraction when she asks,] So what's the worst you've lived through so far?
no subject
Once I accidentally fell down a cliff and into a Garchomp's territory. Have you seen a Garchomp at all?
no subject
Once in town, I think... Absolutely huge dragon, big fin on its back? Mean RBF? [There's no way he knows what that means.] Um. Kinda looks like it wants to tear you to shreds—and totally could—even when it's just relaxing, I mean...
no subject
[ War stories...he's pretty casual about it. This is one of the best ones any of the Wardens have! ]
no subject
Yeesh... You really weren't kidding. Did you manage to drag your ass back up the cliff after all that, or...?
no subject
[ He was better by then! ]
no subject
Right. Duh...
[With Ingo's upper arm and shoulder wrapped, she starts to draw the bandage across his chest to keep the wrapping in place.]
Am I, uh—doing this right, by the way?
no subject
[ It's still far better to have it properly wrapped for the walk back, of course! ]
Perhaps I ought to run a small course in field medicine sometime? I think we can all do this much by now, but I'm not sure anyone has had to set a bone or anything yet. [ DON'T. WORRY ABOUT IT??? ]
no subject
[With his approval, she finishes the bandaging job to the best of her ability, scuttling awkwardly around him to tie it off at his shoulder.]
Maybe. I'd try to show up, at least... In case it wasn't already completely obvious, I'm not exactly used to dealing with stuff like this. [She knew the common sense basics and had observed a few things during her extended stay at the clinic, but that's about it.] I mean, I don't even have bones...
no subject
[ Anyway, there's so many different kinds of Pokemon. Ingo doubts that anyone could ever really know how to specifically treat every single one of them! ]
no subject
[He was a trainer before, wasn't he? Even if he didn't come from the same time period as Emmet did...]
no subject
I...did before the amnesia, apparently.
[ But that doesn't help him much now. ]
Action | Nutty Buddies
The snow clings to the foliage delicately in a way that's very different to how it sits in the area around Icefall Lake. It looks like the woods are covered in a solid layer of snow, the usually lush green forest swaddled in white. Pretty, despite the chill in the air.
In response to the Winter chill and snow, Anasui is dressed to battle the cold.Ingo will see that Anasui is sporting both a warm hat and the beautiful scarf Ingo got him for his long-ass bird neck. Upon seeing the ghost Pokemon, Anasui will nod to him.]
Ingo. Ready to get started?
no subject
Of course! It is good to see you!
[ He's gratified to see that Anasui likes the scarf! For his own part, Ingo is wearing a hat, but he's foregone any other clothing. With his thick fur, he's more liable to overheat, even in these conditions. ]
no subject
...Lead the way. [He figures Ingo would know better than him. Anasui mostly knows theory when it comes to foraging. He assumes being the Warden from some mountains, Ingo would know better.]
no subject
He has one floppy ear angled back towards Anasui as they walk, and glances back to speak fairly quickly. ]
Did you enjoy the holiday? My world does not have one quite like it, but we do have a midwinter festival! I made some of those foods on the day proper.
no subject
I did. My world has something called Christmas, which is not unlike the holiday we had here at the Bay. It was the first time in nearly five years I got to exchange presents and celebrate it outside of a prison cell. It was nice. The kid seemed to enjoy it too.
no subject
Well! I am very happy for you, then!
no subject
Mmm... It was good. ... If I'm lucky, I'll be able to celebrate it like that next year.
no subject
[ Ingo thinks for a second, snuffling along the ground. ]
I wonder if we are fated to spend another year here...?
no subject
[Now that Ingo is snuffling, Anasui starts using his long talons to skim through the snow in an effort to find food.]
no subject
I would not mind it so much, I suppose...
no subject
Nothing for you there either?
no subject
[ He didn't mean to imply that! ]
It is just...complicated. Emmet and I hardly came here along the same tracks...
no subject
no subject
[ He doesn't know what Emmet thinks about it all. ]