poly_chromatic | [#12 (video/action)]

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pocket monsters: best wishes! - nobori

[#12 (video/action)]

[Guess who's never been locked up before! Hint: he wears a hat, gloves, and is definitely not a cop.

Nobori's presently sitting in his cell, with his eyes closed, wearing a calm expression and ignoring the projected images of how he and Dr. House died, as a result of Chandela's flames causing the gas used by the Doctor to kill him to explode and claim them both. Big explosion. Repeat, once again, from the beginning...

Chandela's settled beside him, flames burning very low.]

Shandelaaa...

A kind thought, but a thought it will remain. Your powers are sealed here.

[Chandela looks down, disappointed.]

For now, we can only wait until we reach the next station.

[The messy ordeal continues to play over and over.]

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At least you weren't separated in this nonsense.

[Hearing a familiar voice and a welcome distraction from his crime, he smiles:]

There is that to be grateful for, yes.

[Chandela also cheers up considerably and awkwardly bounces, before rolling back into place, anchored by fire-bearing arms. Chandela makes a dismayed little sound. Flight is not allowed either, it seems.]

Since the place is in my 'neighborhood', I can pay you two a visit - if it's allowed.

That... would be nice. [A wider smile now.]

We were informed of visiting hours beginning tomorrow. I trust you will have no trouble with the guards? They seem to be fulfilling their duties as expected of them, but I do not trust them.

The zombies aren't an issue.

Then, we will welcome you.

[A touch ironic; there's nothing particularly welcoming about the place.]

[Two guards escort Shikieiki into the visitors' area, in the chamber opposite the prisoners. Nobori is on the other side, and while her face is very still, almost meditative, she is sure her magical aura is out and open. She is Not Happy with any of this, and despite her utter calm, she is ready to take control of the situation should anything break into active destruction instead of just quiet torment.]

Nobori-san, Chandela-san.

She places a hand against the window between them, peering through.

Edited 2013-04-28 19:13 (UTC)

[Chandela might sense her aura passing, faintly, through the glass with the sound.] Shandelashasshan! [An approximation of Shikieiki's name.]

[When Nobori opens his eyes for the more comforting sight of a visitor, he rises to stand, but Chandela does not fly up to join him as she usually does.]

Shikieiki-sama. [After acknowledging her, he carries his Pokemon in his arms, before he draws nearer to the glass. Chandela's own powers have been restricted to enough fire to live, but denied even the flight that allows freedom of movement.]

Edited 2013-04-28 19:38 (UTC)

[She sighs when she sees Chandela's fire so low.]

From looking at the Network...I endorse none of this. I already visited Utsuho, who is considered dangerous enough to be in solitary confinement and locked up more securely. Of course, they took her cannon, just as it seems they have taken energy from Chandela.

[Her eyes narrow, and she shakes her head in quashed disdain.]

The guards have no history at all. They are...effectively non-sentient. Tools. They cannot sin, for they cannot understand moral law. They are empty.

What is it that they believe you have done?

Utussho-sama, as well? [Nobori frowns.] I hope her cell is warmer than ours. [It's a rather defeated tone, because really, what kind of weak wish is that?]

These guards are what remain of those very same soulless creatures I mentioned before.

[At her question, he glances briefly at the projected images on the wall, before closing his eyes once more.]

Murder.

It is not simply what they... believe to have happened. I did intend to kill someone. We were promised, on that wretched boat, freedom if we take a life. The impermanence of death here meant it was less severe, well worth the price of freedom; that was what we were told. I was—

There is no excuse for my actions. [Chandela nestles in his arms.] Shaaan...

Chandela only wished to protect me. My partner's crime was accidental, but it resulted in our deaths.

[That isn't what she had hoped to hear. Utsuho had been taken in along with others, just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, as had some of the others here. She had hoped Nobori would be the same...but hope is just a pleasant fantasy. Reality must eventually take over.]

Utsuho has committed no crime, and was a victim of circumstance. Her being here is inexcusable.

You, though.

[She sighs.]

If you are speaking the truth, and you did cave into the promise of freedom were you to kill another, then what you have done is not erasable. Still...placing you here, alone and powerless, with an endless image, and having been through no trial or verification of your crimes...is at best poor protocol. While the loss of a sentient life is indeed a tragedy, and the taking of it is a crime, one must not be so hasty as to inflict a punishment purely for vengeance or short-sighted satisfaction...and one must determine both the reasons for such a sin and the intent of the perpetrator afterwards. This entire operation smells of vigilante action, no more.

How long are they keeping you here?

[He does not meet her gaze, even though he does open his eyes to look, vaguely, in her direction when she begins to speak. Her tone shames him and he can no longer look at her, lowering his gaze to the floor and pulling down the rim of his hat.]

I do not deny my crime. Even before the killing, I was prepared to accept any punishment should the promise fail to come true... which it did. This is what I deserve.

[If he were still in the same state had been then, he would have defended himself by saying he never intended to take the life of an innocent and planned to take that of a criminal, but those are all nothing more than worthless words at this point.]

It was a decision made in haste. How long? We were not informed.

... you call it vigilante, but it was decreed by the Deities.

As for the Deities, even if criminals were captured, so were the innocent. Casting a too-large net just to snare those who are guilty, is poor execution. Decisions made in haste, as you say, usually do go awry. Still, you speak honestly and do not strike me as a liar. It is true that your crimes cannot go unaddressed.

[The thought of curses is lingering in the back of her mind, and from what she has heard of these Deities, the local population considers them untrustworthy. If Nobori is indeed a murderer, he seems unlikely to kill again, and she wants to determine the truth of that; if he isn't, and is merely a victim of fate...she wants to know. Specifically, she wants a greater look at his decisions at the time, and why he made them, and what circumstances were surrounding them.

And if it was all just a sham, and the Deities set this all up...well, this will tell her quite a bit about the nature of the City and what she is to expect.]

Nobori-san.

[Shikieiki holds up the mirror, its pristine surface facing him. Behind the artifact, her eyes are gleaming eerie blue, pupils flooded with an icy paler light. The mirror is active, feeling much more like a prying silver eye than a simple reflection, and if Chandela looks, she too will be seen.]

[He looks into it, although he regrets it rather quickly. The prying is intensely uncomfortable, but he refuses to look away now. He might have been forced to accept the City's judgement, but he will gladly accept hers of his own volition.

Chandela, after looking up and following her trainer's gaze, does the same.

His first instinct to the letter's contents was to reject it as preposterous and senseless, but the possibility of a wasted chance tormented him. The letter claimed it was a time critical matter, so he could not waste his time considering it more thoroughly. He had to act quickly. He was (still is) unused to being apart from his brother and for so long... the desperation and loneliness clouded his judgement, until he began to rationalize killing. He believed the promise.

He intended to kill, but was particular about choosing a target who was not innocent: he never stepped foot out of the cabin he had taken to hiding in, he only opened the door because he did not stop to consider that the person outside was not a friend. He allowed his would be killer into the cabin, was gassed to death and only made his decision to kill his attacker at the last moment, Chandela taking over and blasting fire at the attacker. The gas happened to leak and the flames accidentally causes a small explosion, effectively finishing them off.]

[Chandela's reasons are simpler, more straight-forward: she chose to follow her trainer out of loyalty. The only reason she attacked in the end was in hopes of punishing the one who attacked Nobori.

His judgement was clouded and the circumstances of this particular murder are unusual enough that it could almost be considered half a crime of passion, half self-defense.]

[If she had any idea that Nobori was stricken by some kind of mind-altering curse...that has been dispelled.

Nobori did this of his own will, and that, she can see. He placed the desire to leave, placed a slim hope, above his better judgment and even his morals, and he justified it to himself by saying that he would only kill someone who he believed was already criminal. Her trained mind flips through the memories as deftly as a professor would flip through a text to find just the right line, and she pulls forward to herself the moment when he chose to go on the death-trap cruise.

He can see it, too, she knows. Now is the moment when the spirits shudder, their pasts laid bare at just the precisely wrong -- but right -- moments.

His justification was shallow. To end another's life was not his place, and she knows he knows that. To tell him that he has done wrong, now, is foolishness. He is already aware. As for Chandela, she is quite youkai-like in her own way, and those who do choose to follow humans are quite loyal (though in Gensokyo, not many do, perhaps Pokemon are different in that regard). Shikieiki is not surprised that Chandela did everything she could to return the attack on Nobori.

None of this was cruelly thought out at all. Just...a moment of weakness, a horrible opportunity, a dangled promise.

A single moment's stumble.]

In my world, Nobori-san, I stand before the gates of all afterlife. And yet, I do not believe that Hell is as useful as many would say it to be. Hell does not exist to punish sinners. Hell exists such that none would sin.

[She sets the mirror hanging at her belt again, her eyes fading back to their usual blue.]

Sudden decisions, crimes of passion, are always tragic cases in their own way. You saw the dangled promise of freedom, and of seeing your brother again, at the cost of another's permanent confinement in the City via death. You seized your chance and intended to step on another's shoulders to do so.

For a moment, you were weak. You were human. In that moment of weakness, was your error.

From my knowledge of the City, death results in a permanent stay. As a result...Nobori-san, you are already imprisoned. After all, the real prison is the City, where you are separated from your kin, where you are thrown here and there by the whims of the Deities. This building, here, this room, none of this means anything in comparison. After all, here...you have only the retribution, and no chance to make any good of the rest of your time.

Just by being trapped in the City once more, you already have what you deserve -- both your punishment and your chance to overcome what you have done and push aside your temptations the next time such a circumstance might arise.

I hope they release you soon. You have no need of this place.

[Glancing at the guards, she sighs. Such automatons, guarding a place that serves most of its residents no purpose at all.]

And Chandela -- your faithfulness is commendable. I wish you the return of your full power soon, though I can do nothing to help as far as I know.

I offer what apology I can, for not being able to do more to help.

Edited 2013-04-30 00:57 (UTC)

[He thinks that having his deeds and motivations laid bare for another to view makes the constant replaying of the crime seem like a minor nuisance by comparison. Her judgement is very fair, but the action still feels too invasive. He feels he should apologize for the ugly selfishness of his ill-conceived actions just as much as he wants to tell her to stop and leave him be. But in the end, he doesn't say anything; he only stands there, weighed down by guilt.

Setting down the mirror was a relief, but the guilt remained. The only thing that broke him out of his stupor were the words "permanent confinement":]

... w-what?

["From my knowledge of the City, death results in a permanent stay."

His heart sank.

He was unaware.

"Nobori-san, you are already imprisoned."

The words that follow are lost on him. He is too grief-stricken and shocked to make sense of them.]

Shandelaa-shan... [She sounds grateful for the praise and for Shikieki's visit, regardless of how she cannot change their situation, moving forward in a small bow, before turning her attention back to her trainer.

(Perhaps it's best to leave?)]

[He looks just like the spirits...exposed, incapable, quietly bearing an impossible weight. In respectful silence, she gives a small return bow to Chandela, turns, and begins a slow hover back to the door. Any sound here would interrupt the deep silence surrounding the cell behind her.

As she reaches the door, she glances back over her shoulder for just a moment.

Make the best of your time here, Nobori-san. That is all you can do.

The door closes behind her with a faint click.]

[ Lin does not know how to respond to this for a long time. ]

When did this happen?

[Fair enough; he does not know what to say, nor does he seem interested in saying anything. He's sitting on the floor now, in a corner, hugging his legs and looking quite pitiful. It is Chandela that responds:]

Shandela-shan. [... not that that makes much sense. Maybe she should ask yes or no questions.]

[ Yeah, that wasn't helpful. ]

Are they taking care of you?

[ If you have to be imprisoned, it should at least be a humanitarian one. ]

[Chandela looks at her cowering, miserable trainer and then at the walls to see the endlessly repeating depictions of their crime.]

...

[Chandela now looks back to Lin, flames crackling for a second, before burning very low again, as if they've been very nearly snuffed out. Take that as a "well, does it look like they are?"]

[ ...Yeah, maybe that was a stupid question. ]

This isn't right. I'm sorry, I'll do what I can.

[ She isn't sure what that is, but there has to be other people who feel the same way. Even if these crimes were committed by these people... they should be given a trial, and a sensible sentence. Not this. ]

[Chandela lowers her head in something that resembles a kneeling bow. Because if Lin can do something, she'll be able to help Nobori and that's all Chandela really wants.]

... Nobori? Why are you in there?

[At the time of the reply, only Chandela's engaging in any way. Nobori's huddled in a corner, hugging his legs and looking pitiful.

Chandela makes a slicing gesture with one long arm, cutting across where a neck would be if Chandela had necks. He killed someone, just like nearly everybody else here right now!

Chandela doesn't do anything spooky (but easier to read!) like write letters with leftovers or anything because, judging by how low those flames are burning and the marked absence of levitation or flight to come closer, powers are severely restricted.]

[It takes a bit for Raikov to understand what she means]

... Not sure if I read that right but... A kid shouldn't be in prison.

[Chandela looks confused.] Shan-dela? [Kid?

Who here's a kid?]

[Nobori looks young to Raikov.]

Keep him safe, okay?

[~~Yeah, well, Raikov's an old fart ♥~~]

Shan! [A determined answer, because that's Chandela's top priority right now.]

[crai. HE IS NOT.]

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[#12 (video/action)]

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[action; 1/2 -- apologies for the teal deer passing]

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[action; 'sall good, I like me some teal deer :P]

[action; oh, good! x3; I am a frequent supplier of them.]

[action; :D.]

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