Pokémon: Neo Genesis

[Phanima]

Being a person who normally demanded the attention of those in every room she stepped foot in, having almost every passenger merely nod at her existence, well, it pissed her off. She craved the attention, she demanded it, and now she wasn't getting it. Every other passenger who had now boarded the motorboat was too preoccupied with themselves and what they were doing. This was the case, until a particular voice suddenly rang out, on top of the others. It was another female voice, and it appeared to be defending the existence of the one who wielded the mechanical contraption known as a camera.

Her thoughts once again recollected, the amateur teen-aged samurai crept bellow the deck of the boat and into the small crowded cabin inside, which was filled up to around three to four people and a corresponding number of heavy looking luggage bags. Seeing this, she felt herself suddenly becoming very hot in the face and very angry once again. However this time, the cause for such a temper was actually herself…well, her memory to be exact, or her lack of one.

After receiving her invitation, she had become so fired up that she left the village almost immediately after reading it, in a heated pursuit of the letter's sender. She also now realised that after she had left, she had failed to bring along any supplies or belongings. She was effectively on her own, about to take on this exciting but dangerous adventure, and had nothing but the clothes on her back and a long bamboo pole (carved into a sword) at her side.

She continued standing for several moments, analysing the healthy load of bags, probably filled with beautiful clothes, expensive gadgets and delicious food. Of course, being as proud and stubborn as she was, she wasn't going to admit her blunder to anyone until it was absolutely necessary, and abruptly decided to alter the scenario by quickly flopping down onto one of the cabin's many seats and began addressing her new fellow companions.

There were seven other people aboard the ship and she made sure to take every one of them into account. The first one that caught her attention was undoubtedly the camera-bearing individual who was the cause of all of the commotion. He had neck-long brown hair and matching brown eyes. Then there was the second boy, nearby the first, who stood quite tall, slightly higher than herself. He appeared scrawny and rather fragile, but his hair was another matter. It exploded off of his head in all of its fiery glory, which made him seem quite intimidating with such an attitude as his. Following the first two, there was the latest arrival, a young boy with sharp blonde hair and shady sunglasses covering his eyes. He seemed suspicious to her, and could be a potential threat, but after hearing him speak, all doubt surprisingly left her mind. His impression wasn't very intimidating at all, and he seemed more reluctant than anyone else she had seen, but decided to move on regardless. The last person she could see from her seat within the cabin was the more mature looking teenage girl who had called for the others to cease harassing the camera-boy. She had bright yellow eyes and looked around her age and height. Seeing such a person, the novice samurai smiled and judgingly decided she would be a fine companion, the second so far.

"Oh, I'm Li Meiling, but I call myself 'Plum' because it's a lot easier to say and write," she spoke out with a bright smile but with a furrowed brow, contorting her cute round face. "There are so many people, I still haven't met the other three on the deck yet, but I guess we'll all be forced together soon enough by that Jade-bastard-san!"

Laughing as she finished her introduction, the sharp-haired brunette wriggled further into the comfortable cushioned sofa and propped her legs onto the small table bolted in the centre of the cabin, her large wooden Getas making noises resembling shattering glass rather than resting feet.

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Awwright, chomp is here so this next thingamablobber can finally take off. :3

EDIT: Dang, I just noticed.

I guess we'll all be forced together soon enough by that Jade-bastard-san!

Plum's a freakin' psychic. xD

IC:

Alex flinched inwardly at Susan's interjection. Great, he had gone and made himself look like a big bully in front of a lady now, so much for first impressions...ah well, he supposed that the best thing to do would

"Hey, easy." the boy protested, "I just wanted him to pay attention to where he lobs several kilograms of heavy backpack, that's all. It's not like I was beating him up or anything." the boy scratched his head, feeling rather embarrassed about the whole ordeal, "Sorry about that." he added in Johnny's direction, "It's just that that backpack was a real narrow miss. No hard feelings, alright?" he extended a hand to camera-boy, hoping that he would accept the gesture of peace without any further complications, "Oh, and I'm Alex, by the way, nice to meet you."

"You people are annoying."

Despite the cacophony of noises on the deck, this particular one was clearly audible. It was bored and purposefully monotonous, almost machine-like, but it carried strong even to the interior of the ship. At the sound Alex immediately forgot all about camera-boy and, surprisingly, even the good Samaritan girl with the...unusual fashion sense, rushing out onto the already crowded deck, despite the fact that there were way too many people there already.

It didn't take long to spot their temporary host in the crowd. Right in front of the steering wheel - at a spot which Alex was sure had been empty a moment ago - a dark-clad figure had appeared. He appeared to be a grown man, if his height was anything to go by, although due to the heavy, hooded gray traveling cloak he wore and the tall collar of his black shirt, the only parts of the man that were visible consisted of a pair of jade-colored eyes and the tip of a pale-skinned nose. His attire was hardly the fashion statement of the year, consisting of a pair of gray cargo pants, the aforementioned black shirt - the sleeves of which reached all the way to his wrists - a pair of heavy-looking, black, steel-toed boots and a pair of black gloves. The whole look of the stranger spelled bad news, and his attitude - which appeared to be that of someone looking after a group of particularly bothersome children - did little to improve the image. Even his arms were folded in that distinct 'I have so many better things to do' manner. Alex fiercely sought eye-contact, instinctively feeling a need to challenge the other male, but his demanding stare went completely ignored.

"Alright, settle down, the lot of you." the black-clad stranger remarked before anyone, "We're on a tight schedule, so everyone gather onto the deck, stop arguing and maiming each other, and listen up. I'm Jade, as I'm sure most of you have guessed by now, and I have been assigned to escort this..." he seemed to make very little effort in masking his distaste at this point, "...colorful group to Traverse Island. Now, for the purpose of this trip, there are three simple rules for you to follow. One," he raised his right thumb, "As long as you are aboard the S/S Wavedancer, my word is law. I don't care if you're a millionaire, a government employee, a hobby documentarist, a jumped-up samurai-wannabe with an aggression complex or a god-damn avatar of Arceus himself; my ship, my rules. If you have a problem with this, there will be plenty of sea for you to jump into at any given point of the voyage and I shall be more than glad to give you a hand in that regard. Two," the index finger dutifully joined its neighbor, "There will be no more fighting onboard. The seas around Traverse Island are treacherous, and I don't need any of you capsizing this vessel. Once we depart, just step inside, find a seat, and stay there until we arrive. And three." his middle finger completed the set, "No stupid questions. Given the level of conversation you've maintained thus far, this would make not asking any questions at all your best bet. My job is to take you to the island; not to indulge in your inane blabber. I am not paid to talk with you, I do not feel like talking with you, and quite frankly I do not even like you, so don't waste the time of anyone here by trying."

Jade unfolded his arms, giving the group a last, scornful glance, "As long as nobody does anything stupid, we will be arriving at Traverse Island in approximately one and a half hours. As such, it would probably be in your interest to secure a seat indoors. Dismissed."

With that, he simply turned towards the steering wheel again, completely ignoring the group. Well, needless to say, Alex didn't take this well at all.

"Hey, who do you think you are, anyway?!" he demanded, glaring at the black-clad man with obvious anger, "You can't just pop out of nowhere, insult everyone and then ignore us! Hey, are you even listening?!"

Jade merely sighed, giving him the briefest of glances, "What part of 'No stupid questions' didn't you understand?" he inquired, "Actually, don't answer that. Just get your insufferably loud self inside and quit bothering me." he walked over to the steering wheel, "In case you forgot, we've got a ship to steer."

"We?" the red-head barbed, "I thought you said you didn't want anything to do with us."

"I'm not talking about you, you obnoxious little trainer school dropout." Jade retorted, his voice now betraying slight irritation, "Tiamat, let the idiot see for himself!"

Before Alex could even begin posing the obvious question to this, the whole boat suddenly trembled violently, the water by the prow churning as something emerged. It was, the teen gathered after a few minutes of staring, a head. But not just any head; this one was almost the size of his body, covered by light blue scales which diluted to a yellowish hue around the lower jaw of the huge, gaping red mouth with two sharp fangs at both top and bottom. Grayish white fins protruded from both of the creature's cheeks, coupled with a pair of long, light blue whiskers, and above the mouth a pair of red eyes leered at the group from below a W-shape protrusion at the top of the creature's head, another length of greyish white fin running down the back of its head and along the length of the thick, serpentine body coiling itself up from the water.

"You've got to be freaking ribbing me..." Alex stuttered as the truth began to sink in, still clinging to the nearby railing in preparation for another violent jolt, "This whole ship is strapped to the back of a giant Gyarados?!"

"You're a very keen observer of the obvious." Jade replied, apparently pleased with the boy's reaction, "And that reminds me of rule number four: no more stating painfully obvious things like that. Now if your collective curiosity is suitably satisfied, please get to your damn seats." he addressed the last remark to all of them collectively, "This is going to be a bumpy ride."

OOC: Oh, I almost forgot: no controlling Jade yet. He has plot significance. *NodNod*

 

[Nigma]

OCC: Sorry, my post isn´t that long, eh? I can write more tomorrow! ^^

IC:
It wasn´t hard to tell that Su was completely surprised by the arrival, if you can call it arrival, of this Jade and the stupid but also intelligible rules a man of that sort had made. On top of that was the fact that this ship was the part of a giant Gyarados. She looked down at the Pokémon after the first shock. "Marvelous... strong and good trained..." where the only words she could say at this moments. What else should she say? After all, she was a nurse, trained to look on everybody's health. She went to the "camera-boy" as everyone kept calling him like that. "Hey. How are you? My name is Susan, but if you want, you can call me Su." she said to him with a soft smile on her lips. She touched him on his shoulders and got with her face near to his. "If ya want to talk, just do as you like." she said and smiled. Ignoring this Melissa Queens she then looked to this Samurai girl who had introduced herself kindly.

"Nice to meet you Meiling-San. Hope i said it right..." Su smiled. "I´m Susan. Susan Suman." and shook Plums hand. "Well, if you excuse me, i´ll look if i can get a seat on the inside of this -Ship-." she said and went into this cabin, leaving the other people behind. Would be better if i don´t start a fight now... if somebody wants something, they now know where to find me... Su thought, walking to wards a free seat. She sat down, hosting her backpack under the seat after getting an apple out of the backpack.

 

[Aegis]

OOC: Gah, PC wouldn't load for me for a while. Anyway...

IC: Melissa felt flattered by the women's kind words. She was about to introduce herself when a new voice spoke out. Melissa looked at this new, 'Jade' person. He was a far cry from what she was expecting. In fact, she was rather disappointed with him. Listening to him talk made Melissa a little irritated, especially since he added "millionaire" in the group of things he didn't care about. She would have loved to go up there right now and give him a piece of her mind, but she was to scared of him actually throwing her overboard. And it didn't help that they were on a Gyarados. Melissa began to shiver, and she could have sworn she felt a rain drop splash on her dress. Looking up, she didn't see a thing.

"I must be loosing it..." Melissa mumbled to nobody in particular. After giving the interesting group of people one last look, she turned to the Hispanic lady.

"Why don't we sit inside? I'm afraid I'm not one for...eh...Gyarados travel, hm?" Melissa spoke as sweetly as she could, and even added one of her classic-crowd-roaring smiles at the end. Melissa decided not to wait for a reply, if this lady was a fan of her at all (or had any common sense) she'd probably come into the cabin as well. So Melissa carefully trudged into the cabin, and delicately sat on one of the red seats. There were several other people in the room, all of which Melissa decided to ignore.

It was then Melissa noticed her backpack, squished in a corner in the edge of the cabin. Melissa raised from her seat, and picked it up as gracefully as she could, and sat back down to inspect the damage. Luckily, nothing had been broken except for a spare pare of sun glasses. She'd just buy some more on Traverse Island if she needed any, though she was beginning to feel that she wouldn't.

 

[Scarlet Weather]

OOC: All you punks, getting on before I do. You should be ashamed, being active while I'm in school. Oh well, at least I'll have a little more time to roleplay over the weekend...

IC:

Mark stepped onto deck, just in time to take inventory of the other passengers. Number one, the kid with the shirtless camera fetish, John Krinks. Alright, now that this kid was established as not being a nudist, Mark was fine sharing the trip with him, provided he kept that camera turned off while Mark was sleeping. Then there was the weird girl, Lemon Ming or something weird like that, who preferred to go by "Plum". Oh joy, a fruitcake on board, in clothing that appeared to date back to feudal times. Another girl, Susan. Meh, nothing much for her. Then there were the other passengers, a group totaling nine in all, counting him. What were the odds that any of the others would be fossil obsessors? Probably not great, a little voice in Mark's head whispered, And you're really driving yourself insane. Just introduce yourself and go back to sleep.

Pulling himself from the hold, Mark stood in front of the others, allowing his gaze to sweep across them. "As long as we're introducing yourself, I'm Mark. My last name, at this point in time, is none of your business, primarily because I'm headin' back to sleep. Now that we all know each other, I want to make just one thing clear: Don't wake me up. I get seasick way too-GWAH!"

The "Gwah" was, of course, the direct result of the sea-serpent Tiamat raising her head out from the water and rocking the Wavedancer, revealing the true nature of the boat. Mark had time for one quick look at the draconic face of the creature before he overbalanced and tumbled back into the hold, while the trap door closed over him.

OOC: There, that should take care of my character until we make landfall, so I don't fall behind. :3

 

[Kogenta]

"You people are annoying."

What the--? Stray stepped back and turned about in a single motion, his gaze darting toward the source of the unexpected voice. The boy's eyes narrowed slightly as they came to rest on a darkly-clothed man. How did he get there? I haven't left the deck at all, and yet I never saw, heard, or even sensed this guy's arrival. There's something about him . . . Stray listened quietly as the man spoke, moving his eyes once over the guide's shrouded form before focusing on his face in a vain attempt to discern something about this individual's hidden self. Even though he may talk big, I think he has what it takes to back it up.

After introducing himself as Jade, the rather irritable man proceeded to announce a set of rules to be kept during the one-and-a-half hour journey to Traverse Island. If eyes were anything to go by, Jade fit his name, though Stray found notably little in him to value. The fiery-haired boy that had recently emerged from the cabin was unsurprisingly offended by Jade's attitude toward the rest of the group and proceeded to confront him. And the consequence of this dialogue? The reveal of Jade's partner--a massive Gyarados who was doubtless as ill-tempered as his trainer. The discovery that the boat was attached to the back of a sea dragon appeared to shake up several passengers and, admittedly, was no great comfort to Stray either--though he did not let it show. After a last, long look at Jade, Stray finally made his way into the vessel's single cabin. He saw no reason to stay on deck. Following a brief glance about the crowded room in search of unoccupied space, the wanderer swung his backpack off his shoulders and deposited it on the floor before taking a seat on the bench behind it. Without a word, Stray closed his eyes and leaned back--making a silent statement that he had no current desire to speak to the others. Whatever he had on his mind before was still there, but new issues had been added. I don't know what type of person would be crazy enough to bring people like us together in one place, or send someone like Jade to take us to him--though I wonder if anyone lesser could control this group--but I'm beginning to feel more like a prisoner than anything else. Stray unconsciously began to finger the hilt of his knife. Even if I have no idea what's coming, I'm pretty sure that this "seminar" is going to be a lot more interesting than I first imagined.

 

[Random_Fan]

Jade's arrival had shortly caused Johnny to go numb. It was a three second numbness that died down quickly. It hit him now; this was the beginning of their journey. He picked up his camera, turning it on. Unfortunately, as soon as the screen was ready for recording, he heard Jade make a comment about him. First of all, Jade sounded like someone who wasn't nice, and the way he said the comment about a 'hobby documentist' was enough to tell him that filming would probably piss him off.

He had the camera by his side at all times. And when the Gyarados that the ship was evidently plastered upon rose from the water, Johnny only wished that he had his camera on to catch it before it had risen. It would have made such a great shot, and the more he thought about it, the more he would have wanted to press the recording button.

But he did not. For a moment, he stood paralyzed. Someone introduced herself to him, but he wasn't paying attention at who it was. The moment he turned to see where the voice had come from, she had vanished. Now he stood transfixed on absolutely nothing. He saw this pianist girl leaving, going to most likely look for her bag he had cared for in so horrible a fashion. For a split second, he thought of going over there and starting over again, believing he and she had started on the wrong foot.

His mind changed quick as the third person he had seen when he stepped foot on the boat introduced himself and in a clumsy fashion, fall down a trap door. It was a small distraction, but enough to change his mind of going to speak to the pianist.

Now, he had absolutely nothing in particular in mind. He stood, and looked down on his camera. The question in his mind was whether he should turn it on or leave it off. He smiled as the answer was obvious to himself. No Jade was going to scare him off of making his documentary.

The light on the camera blinked; the story has now begun.

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: You tell them, ACC; university student (With his first lecture day behind him) wants some sympathy too. ;_;

Nah, it's only good to see that people are posting here. ^-^

IC:

"Sheez, talk about attitude problems..." Alex sneered, casting a last, disapproving glance over his shoulder at the continuously unbothered figure of Jade at the prow. Their black-clad 'captain' didn't seem to have any interest in operating the steering wheel, but instead he seemed to be intensely focused on directing Tiamat's movements, a constant stream number of incomprehensible and nearly inaudible orders escaping his lips as the giant sea serpent set into motion, hauling the tiny dinghy of a ship with it. With the initial shock gone, Alex soon found that the ride itself wasn't nearly as insufferable as he had first thought. Oh, sure the boat lurched up and down as it followed the Gyarados' movements, but Alex was no stranger to boats; and many of the ones he had been far less comfortable than this. Had he not held such spite against Jade for his haughty manner and the inexcusable act of calling him a 'trainer school dropout', the redhead might actually have felt inclined to ask how one raised such a magnificent beast, let alone controlled it with such precision. Alas, the redhead's wounded pride was currently covering this spark of curiosity beneath it, and the boy merely harrumphed, turning his head away from the black-clad grouch in an attempt to ignore him.

Most of the people on the ship had already gone inside, but one of them - camera boy - was simply standing there with a slightly glazed look in his eyes. One might have mistaken that for some kind of last-minute regret, but seeing as how the shoreline had all but disappeared out of view after only a few minutes - courtesy of Tiamat's formidable swimming speed and the ever persistent mist - Alex got a feeling that this was about something else altogether.

"Hey, you still with us?" the teen inquired, walking over to the boy and giving him a light tap on the shoulder, "There will probably be stormy weather ahead, so you might want to get inside before that camera of yours has its fill."

That was about all the caring one could possibly show without doing something uncool, and when he didn't receive an instantaneous reply, Alex merely shrugged, "Suit yourself, then." he remarked, "I'm going inside."

With that, the redhead turned around and proceeded into the interior of the ship - the belly of the beast, one might have said, were it not for the fact that said belly was located a bit below them. A girl, rich-looking one at that, had already found herself a seat and was currently inspecting the damage to the backpack which camera-boy had nearly maimed Alex with. She was certainly attractive enough to make a pass on, but right now the teen just wasn't feeling up to that sort of thing, still too preoccupied with plotting out a way to get back at this Jade character as he was. The guy sitting on the sidelines seemed cool enough to interact with, what with having that scar and all, but at the moment, claiming a seat for the trip was more crucial. He'd have plenty of time to talk later, when there was a bigger audience inside to impress.

With this in mind, Alex strode over to the spot where he had left his backpack, once again slumping down next to it.

"Some cruise this far, huh?" he remarked to no-one in particular, the sarcasm quite clear in his voice, "You'd think that for all the arrangements and the posh invitation, they'd at least give a slightly warmer reception. Oh, and I'm Alex, by the way." he added, "Since we'll be stuck together in this boat for the next one and a half hours, I figure we might as well get to know each other a little. What are your names?" the last question, like the rest of his speech, was addressed to everyone in general.

 

[Phanima]

The arrival of their fated caretaker for the voyage immediately caught Plum's attention. She had decided not to relieve herself from the spot she had taken residence in thus far, but was promptly addressed by the new passenger nonetheless. It was the bastard Jade who she had so adequately mentioned in her introduction, but after finally meeting him in the flesh, she couldn't help but become smitten. However, it was only after the blacken-clad individual with the emerald eyes, had left the group on their own before she spoke out.

"He's freaking cool!" the brown-haired teen exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air as the calm inside the cabin returned…briefly. "He's very cute too, and he has pretty eyes and he-"

She suddenly hiccupped as the small modern boat lurched to the side due to the subdued flailing of Tiamat, Jade's pet Gyarados and the prime propeller of the small watercraft. It was at this point that most of the other passengers began to seek shelter within the boat's interior. They had already begun moving and Plum was all but happy for the rendezvous, except now she had lost her train of thought and completely dismissed what she had previously been stating when one of the other passengers greeted her.

"Nice to meet you Meiling-san. Hope I said it right..." the girl started, and to the surprise of Plum, she saw that it was the girl she had assessed earlier as being one of the first friends she would make. "I'm Susan. Susan Suman."

"You pronounced it funny, and your name is weird and hard to say," she replied blatantly and with a laugh, but gave the girl a bright smile afterwards. "Please call me Plum, 'Meiling's' too formal for me."

It was then that the explosive fire-head entered the cabin once again and resumed his original seat across the table from where she had seated herself. Retrieving her legs from their rest on the small table, she gave Susan a small wave and wink before preparing to jump over to meet the boy who had so obviously been insulted by the bastard's presence. It was time for her super special alluring technique to make its appearance, a powerful technique that Plum rarely utilised to tease the enemy in the simple hope of making them become flustered. It was actually just simply a way of building tension just for the sake of it, and she was not prepared to spend the whole trip to Traverse Island in any form of peace and quiet, despite her new idol's wishes. However, before she could even move, her target suddenly spoke out, forcing her to retreat back into her seat.

"Oh, and I'm Alex, by the way." He added after opening so sarcastically, a tone of seriousness returning to his voice. "Since we'll be stuck together in this boat for the next one and a half hours, I figure we might as well get to know each other a little. What are your names?"

Plum levelled her eyes and leant her head next to the other nineteen year old, Susan. With her head rested on the girl's shoulder, she gave the canary-eyed teen a sadden pout before whispering her true intentions on the situation.

"Aw, he spoke up before I could, and I was going to pounce and everything," she spoke in a hushed tone, her lips only inches away from the girl's neck. Then, as suddenly as she had retreated, the teen-aged samurai pulled back up with a dangerous smile and a furrowed brow, adorning her previous expression of intimidation. Slamming her fist onto the small table in the middle of the cabin, causing the iron bracelets on her arm to shake, her sharpened smile widened as her eyes narrowed. "As I've said before, I am Li Meiling," she began in a matter-of-factly tone. "But call me 'Plum', and I'm here to kick some bastards' assess."

 

[Aegis]

Melissa stopped inspecting her bag to look up at the boy who was speaking. On any other day she would have been quite shocked by his appearance, but after the people she'd run into today, it didn't phase her. Then he asked for there names. Normally Melissa would have responded to a repeat question such as this with some snappy remark, but she figured she'd made enough enemies today.

"As I've said before, I am Li Meiling," said a matter-of-factly tone. "But call me 'Plum', and I'm here to kick some bastards' assess."

Melissa nearly jumped out her skin when she heard the remark. She whirled to the speaker, it was some samurai looking chick. Where on earth did she come from!? The feudal era?! And what is her problem, is she drunk? Melissa decided to scoot away from this, 'Plum'. After giving the inhabitants of the cabin one last searching look, Melissa decided to respond.

"I'm Melissa Klarice Queens. Just...just call me Melissa though." She swallowed, "It's...it's a pleasure to...meet you." Melissa choked out the last part. As much as she hated lying, she wanted these people not to kill her. She might actually have a chance of getting out of this alive!

Why oh why did I agree to come on this.. nutty voyage!? Melissa let out a tired sigh, and buried her face in her hands. Tears began to well up, but Melissa refused to cry in front of these people. She would be strong until the end, and she would be able to say she was one of the people to find the missing Traverse Island.

OOC: Meh.. short post. That was about as much as she could say at the moment.

 

[Kogenta]

For a time, Stray took little notice of and even less interest in the actions of those about him. Hearing Plum's glorification of the already self-glorified Jade mostly served to annoy him, and Alex's conversation starter only mildly caught Stray's attention. At the red-haired boy's introduction and request for others to do the same, however, Stray opened his eyes to match faces with names. Only then did he notice his hand resting on his knife hilt. After consideration, he lowered his hand to the narrow space beside him.

"Alex, huh," the traveler thought, briefly studying the name's owner. Somehow, I expected something stronger--more bold sounding. He certainly looks it. A movement to the side drew his gaze as the resident samurai rejoined the central conversation. At the rather spirited introduction that followed, Stray felt one of his eyebrows twitch upward slightly. This 'Plum' will be one to watch. Definitely a wild one, though I'm not entirely sure who she is planning on fighting. I wonder if she knows either. The amused smile that almost crept into Stray's scarred features never had the chance to fully establish itself, however, rather losing its humor at the next introduction. Despite having introduced herself earlier, the piano girl stated her name again: this time without her former haughtiness. And this time Stray bothered to remember her. After she finished speaking, he continued to observe her for a moment. Looks like Jade's little performance did a number on the girl; or maybe it's the general insanity of this situation. Who knows, really. During his lifetime, Stray had met a few people that reminded him of Melissa. He had never liked any of them. But with some of her former attitude now dissipated, he found that he disliked her slightly less. And as Melissa's head lowered into her hands, confusion temporarily replaced the remaining hostility, allowing Stray's faint, humorless smile to vanish. What is she doing? She's not crying already, is she? I'm not expecting another Plum attitude from her or anything, but . . . He paused to take in a silent breath. Anyway, might as well. Like Alex said, it's one-and-a-half hours to Traverse Island. And even if I jumped overboard now, with my record I'd just be Gyarados bait.

Stray's eyes glimmered like ice in the morning sun as they deliberately slid a single time across those present. Then, seeming to adjust his gaze so that it encompassed everyone at once, he spoke. "The name's Stray."

 

[Nigma]

OCC: @Alter: You are right! It´s very good to see people posting here! Finally an Alter-RP! Yay! ^^

IC:
As the cabin was slowly filled with the other persons, Su just watched everything for a while. It definite could be a funny trip. Plum rested her head on Su´s shoulder, than whispered something very near Su´s neck. "Aw, he spoke up before I could, and I was going to pounce and everything...". Ah, you are such a girl... Su thought while focusing Plum with her yellow eyes. Susan had to grin in a very unnaturally way. She wasn´t a normal girl by herself too but the way Plum did all this was the best way to get a cat fight in some way.

After Samurai-Plum had introduced herself again, the fine looking girl did also. Melissa Klarice Queens? Su thought. It wasn´t the first time she had heard of this name. Of course! Nurse Joy was a great fan of this piano-girl. Su didn´t had much experience with music, only the experience with her E-Guitar. She stood up to get to this Melissa, and while standing up she stroke Plums face a bit. "Don´t overdo it, Plum-Chan..." she whispered with a offense smile on her face and a catlike vista. Su had chosen the Chan- part because of a very good reason. Then she went over to this Melissa. While walking the few steps she said: "Nice to meet you all. My name is Susan Suman, hobby Guitarist and Nurse as assigned job." She sat down next to Melissa. "So, you are Melissa Klarice Queens, the famous pianist, eh?" Su asked with the warmest smile a nurse could do. Of course she didn´t had overseen her reaction before, so she did what a nurse had to do, but she also felt sorry for her.

"Sister Joy keeps talking about you all day. Say, what´s a famous pianist doing here on this... ferry? I can´t imagine that you are doing this for a vacation trip or something..." Su didn´t take care at all if her appearance was fitted to her. After all she was wearing her leather clothes. Perhaps she should have chosen something... normal.

 

[chomp]

OOC: Another chomp brand short keeping-up-with-the-story post.

The boy with the camera was now the only one on the deck with Johan; the rest of the trainers having gone inside on Jades instructions. Joe was gazing in wonder at 'Tiamat': the majestic Gyarados which Jade had called forth to propel the SS Wavedancer to its destination. He had ever seen a Gyarados before; living in the country nowhere near any sizeable bodies of water he had never really got the chance. After a few minutes of gawping at the sea serpent, however, Johan thought it best to venture inside; try and get acquainted with the strange group of people he was joining at this increasingly interesting 'seminar'. Trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to disturb the rather tempered Jade; he crept over to the hatch, opening it slowly and hoping it didn't squeak.

Say, what's a famous pianist doing here on this... ferry? I can't imagine that you are doing this for a vacation trip or something..." It was the nurse again, talking to a girl; an apparently famous girl. Johan took a second to look her over, but he couldn't say he knew her from anywhere. Pianos weren't really his thing anyhow. Once again trying not to draw too much unnecessary attention to himself, Joe walked between the seat to where he had tossed his bag earlier. Moving it carefully onto the ground, he sat in its place and glanced about at the rest of the people in the boat. There was the samurai-girl; who, despite having a sword hanging from her belt, seemed t be quite nice. The nurse; who came across as the most level headed person here so far, the strange man with the big scar and smiley mask, and some other people who he never really paid much attention to the first time.

"I think I should introduce myself before you all start to think I'm some kind of outcast." Now is not the time for jokes "I'm Johan, but could you please call me Joe. Pleasure to meet all of you, I'm sure." He smiled, looking around again. A little politeness got you everywhere these days; something which Johan had learned thanks to his sister. She would refuse to do anything unless it was sandwiched between a 'please' and a 'thank you'; no matter who had told her. He chuckled a little, imagining what she would have been like with this Jade character. He would have thrown her overboard twice by now.

 

[Alter Ego]

Alex was, quite frankly, feeling a good bit jealous right about now. 'Cool?' he fumed within the interior of his head. The brown-haired samurai girl's (Nah, better make that the hottest girl on the whole freakin' boat) comment had not gone unheeded, 'What is it that's so inherently cool about jerks in black, anyway? I'm twice as cool as he is, three times even! So he's got a big pokémon, so what? So he's got that whole tall dark and gruesome thing going on, SO WHAT?! Give me a few more years and a Gyarados the size of a small train...' Had Jade been around, the teen would have been staring defiantly at him by now, but as it was he kept his expression at its usual level to mask the thoughts.

Just then, the girl in question spoke up and introduced herself, followed by a decisive pound on the table - which caused said table to tremble slightly, rooted though it was - and a declaration of being there to kick some 'bastards' asses' as she so eloquently put it. Given the situation, Alex was torn between his survival instinct - which was telling him that right about now would be a very good time to seek cover before the samurai chick started swinging that sword of hers - and a certain other primitive, but just as influential, instinct which kept informing him that the girl's outfit was quite low on material...and in several fascinating places too. Before Alex slipped into gawking at Plum's cleavage, and looking like a complete idiot while he was it, something else overrode both instincts. The other girl (Mentally pegged as runner-up for hottest female on board) had finally spoken up, introducing herself as Melissa. It was not the introduction that had caught Alex's attention, however, no; it was the way she had said it. Even though she was doing her best to conceal it, the girl seemed to be on the verge of bursting into tears.

Alex was a sucker of pretty girls in skimpy outfits, yes, but he was even more of a sucker when it came to pretty girls crying. He might have fancied himself a big player, but when it really came down to it Alex's one big weakness had always been playing the knight in shining armor, and despite the somewhat snobbish manner that Melissa had carried herself with before, the boy couldn't help the impulsive need to comfort her. Before he could do anything to that end, however, the nurse - Susan - had spoken up, inquiring what a famous piano player would be doing on board.

'That was uncalled for, really.' the boy noted in his mind, 'Judging by the look of her, the girl's already asking herself that very same thing. Point out just how out of place she is and add to the pressure, why don't you? Then again...' his mind wandered to the peculiar collection of people aboard the equally peculiar ship, and something dawned to him.

"So it's Plum, Melissa, Stray, Susan, and Joe." Alex spoke up at last, his glance travelling to each of them in turn as he made an effort to memorize each of their faces, nodding at the end, "Alright, nice to meet you all. Concerning your question, though..." she added in Susan's direction, "The same could really be said about any one of us here. I think the real question here is: what do a nurse, a pianist, a government official, a hobby documentarist, a samurai, a guy who apparently likes to dig holes, someone who is almost as social as Mr.Sunshine up there, and a trainer school student have in common?" he took a pause, leaning back in his seat for a moment to allow the others to ponder his question before he dug around in his back pocket once more, procuring the rather crumpled letter of invitation, placing it on the table, a small grin of triumph on his face "You've all got one of these, right? Did any of yours have any kind of explanation or even a proper name for this 'L.A' guy?" it was a wild shot, but it was the best he could think of right now, "What I'm getting at is...someone has obviously gone through a lot of trouble to assemble us and us specifically here. I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather find out all I can about our mystery host before we get to Traverse Island." Alex paused, his serious moment once again giving way to his usual attitude, "No need to worry, though." he added, mostly for the benefit of Melissa and the other ladies, "Traverse is my home turf; if this turns out to be a trap, I'll spring us out of it. No sweat."

 

[Nigma]

"So Mr. Strong Guy Alex, huh?" Su answered him directly. She couldn´t stand the rebel-ish girl inside her. "A trap? You are some fighter guy or what?" Su for herself didn´t really look like a nurse in her leather suit, nearly like a rock chick, and the hole day she had shown her kind side of person. But now the "big" guys keep coming, like the Samurai-Plum and the Strong-Alex, so the added names in mind.

She turned to this Alex, a strong looking guy who thought to be automatically the leader of the group cause this island was his home. "Look sweetheart, i don´t know why this L.A. did choose us to come here, but i think we are all one of a kind, so this is what´s so special about us. I don´t really look like a nurse, but i am one. I´m much talented in different ways, you know..." she said coming near to Alex face. "... but i couldn´t stand to take the change of a little adventure trip." her voice was nearly wild, nothing more of the nurse like warm voice.

She looked at him playfully some moments, then got back to her normal seat position. "Look, i just think we all should just enjoy this little trip. It´s funny to meet such special people like you, really... But i think before we start to think about conspiracy theory's, we should just know each other better and look what awaits us..."

She lent back to her seat, observing the others. It was just natural to be surprised for sure. I mean, who thinks a rock chick is a kind nurse which turns out wild some moments later? Su had to grin by this thought, but it was obvious that her other "person" had shown herself for a moment. She couldn´t stand it to be a wild "thing", but it was OK, and suited herself fine. What am i thinking? I´m dressed in leather and doing a nurse job all the time? Phew, now the free time starts!

 

[Random_Fan]

"…and what of those dark clouds overhead? If that's not enough to foretell the future of this adventure, then I'm not sure what is."

Johnny paused, thinking of what else he could add. All this time, he had been filming on the top deck. He had introduced himself again and told of the invitation with no name but L.A. He even told of what happened upon his arrival, believing that he was on the wrong boat and the clothing incident. He had explained it all in full detail while slowly stepping around the boat to let the camera show the atmosphere of the area, and the nearing dark clouds that might have been a warning that it was about to rain.

"I believe it is time to meet the rest of the crew," Johnny whispered to himself, having the camera facing where Jade was located. Before he headed inside, he kept the camera steady and began to talk about Jade. "No one knows much about our little host here, other than the fact that he's managed to train a Gyarados to steer this boat onwards. It adds even more to the dark and ominous feeling I was talking about earlier. But, as I also stated earlier, I have other passengers with me."

He was thinking of naming them all at that second, but when he opened his mouth to say a few, he realized he knew none of them by name.

He paused the camera and entered the little boat, not wanting to be one of two that were left up there (being him and Jade). There were voices; he wasn't expecting this. When he entered, he found the others. And it appeared as if they were all speaking to one another. Johnny turned a little shade of red on his face; he couldn't believe he was the only loner up there while everyone was down there either having fun or formulizing some skeptical comments of their host. He knew it might have sounded a bit selfish, but it would have made great footage for the documentary.

He slipped into a seat near the group, still holding the camera. He wanted to jump into the conversation, but he was lost as to where to start. So instead, he decided to let it roll and find a way to squeeze in. Unless, there was someone else who decided to force him into the conversation, as in, by speaking to him. Yes, if anyone would try talking to him, he would go ahead and answer. For the time being, he wanted to get to know everyone before he went ahead and started interviewing them.

 

[Kogenta]

A guitarist nurse, huh? Well that's interesting. As Su moved over toward Melissa, possibly in an attempt to comfort her--Stray could never really tell with that type of thing--another person entered the cabin and introduced himself as Johan, but asked to be referred to as Joe. Stray's eyes flicked once over the newcomer. Compared to everyone else here, he almost seems . . . normal. And in this case, that makes him unusual. But he appears friendly enough. After a moment of thought, Stray concluded that he had no definite reason to dislike Johan yet and proceeded to turn his attention to Alex, who was now beginning to speak.

Alex briefly confirmed the names of everyone who had spoken before raising a question somewhat akin to the one that had been in Stray's mind since he had boarded the SS Wavedancer. What were all these people who were so different doing in one place? Why were they chosen? What was the factor that made them candidates to attend this "seminar"? While Jade was definitely not at the top of the list of people Stray would be willing to be compared to, he satisfied himself with allowing a look of silent irritation to pass over his face (that probably confirmed Alex's reference more than denying it) while remaining silent to hear the rest of what Alex wanted to say.

Before he had time to consider the fact that Alex was a native of Traverse Island--and seemed rather confident because of that--Su spoke. Not just in her words, but in her tone and mannerisms, the nurse's personality appeared to have performed a complete about-face. As soon as she mentioned that each of the ferry passengers were "one of a kind," a smirk crossed Stray's features. "So we would hope," he murmured. Leaning forward, Stray rested his elbow on his knee, allowing his glance to shift toward Johnny as he entered. Alex had been to trainer school, and Su had named herself as a nurse--mentioning Nurse Joy moments later. From this, Stray had gathered that both of them probably liked Pokemon. While this hardly made him feel any more favorable toward them, he had grown a little curious.

"I don't think our mystery host told any of us very much about himself. And until we reach the island, we'll probably only know what he wants us to know. But, seeing that some of us aren't too concerned with the situation at the moment . . ." Without turning, he looked at Su. ". . . I'd like to throw out a question. Why are you all here, anyway?"

 

[Aegis]

Melissa managed to pull herself together enough to look up at the woman who had sat down next to her. She said her name was Susan, and she said some kind things to help Melissa cheer up. In fact, it did the opposite. The very question of what she was doing here had haunted Melissa's thoughts since she disembarked the helicopter, and they had reached a peak at this moment. So much in fact, Melissa felt that she would swim back to shore. But then again, Melissa never did learn to swim. So instead she turned to Susan, and tried to even her voice.

"Thank you..." she managed to whisper, and even managed to pull off a weak grin. This lady gave off a very motherly feel, and Melissa felt reassured by her. It was then she noticed that a couple of the people had been watching her. Melissa's cheeks began to redden, she hoped they hadn't seen her in a weak moment! She was about to tell them what a pleasure it was (even thought it wasn't) to meet them, when camera-boy walked in; camera filming and all. Annoyance and anger brewed inside Melissa like the storm outside. The room began spin a little, and she was beginning to feel claustrophobic.

Questions asked by the fellow passengers vaguely wandered into her thoughts. Something about why she was here, maybe? That was a hard question to answer. She wasn't even sure herself. She tried to think of something non definitive to say. Melissa had to take several breaths to steady herself before she could answer.

"I'm here.... because I'm curious about the island." Melissa was alarmed at how weak her voice sounded. It was if she was a little baby, and nothing would come out right. She desperately hoped the other passengers didn't think that way of her, and even if they didn't, what about the people who saw camera-boy's film!? Melissa felt even more claustrophobic then ever, and decided she needed some fresh air.

Melissa began to stand up, "I...I do believe-" she was cut off by a sudden lurch from the Gyarados, and Melissa toppled over into her seat. Her hair was a wild mess, and it was strewn in every direction. The embarrassment of the moment seemed to intensify when Melissa couldn't manage to get up. She had to brace against the wall with her feet before she felt herself become free from the chair's grasp. Melissa felt utterly made fun of, and tried to regain some composure by straightening her hair and clearing her throat.

"I do believe I need some fresh air. If you'll excuse me..." Melissa spoke with a more confident voice then before, but she wasn't sure if she was really confident or just eager to get out of the cramped cabin. She went over and opened the door, and carefully hauled herself out.

Wind sliced through the air, and almost sent Melissa right back where she'd come from. The clouds up above looked as if they'd burst any moment, drenching the tiny vessel as it continued it's slow voyage. But, the air was clear out here. So clear in fact, Melissa felt as if she could never inhale enough of it. She found herself taking gulp upon gulp of air, and had to grab the rail to stabilize herself.

"Stormy sea air never felt so good!" Melissa couldn't help but let loose a yell of joy.

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Awright, sorry for the delay in posting, peoples. I've had university lectures and a bajillion other places where I also promised to post. (Though you know, some of you other lazy people could also have made a post here...[/Guilt trip])

Anyways, I'm going to have them arrive on the island in my next IC, just to keep the pace up. There's a heads up for you all. :3

IC:

In all honesty, Alex didn't quite know what to make of Susan's outburst, but the tone sounded like a challenge so he responded in kind, "If I have to." the boy retorted defensively, "Look, I've lived on that island for the better part of my life and I've never even heard of anyone called L.A., yet now he's apparently the only one who can get a word out of there and I'd like to know how. This might be just a fun trip to you, Susan; but in all fairness you're not the one whose hometown was wiped off the world map without as much as an 'excuse me'. So sorry if this is not all fun and games to me."

He leaned back, arms folded over his chest and head held high, his mood now dead serious. It was then that Stray spoke up, inquiring about their motives for heading to Traverse Island. Surprisingly, Melissa was the first to respond, citing a lame response about curiosity before quickly excusing herself. She was obviously still shaken up, so Alex decided to give her some space, speaking up in turn.

"I'm here to kick the sorry asses of whoever decided to mess with my hometown." the redhead remarked, "That, and..." he hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether to share his main concern with the others or not but eventually seemed decide that it would come into light eventually, "...I've got friends there, family too. My parents used to be professional trainers, so I'm not worried about them, and my friends are no idiots either, but I have a little sister there." he hung his head just a bit, painfully aware that this probably wasn't the cool thing to do but not really caring at the moment, "I promised to keep her safe, and I'm not going back on my word. That's why..." the boy regained his previous determined look, almost seeming to dare the others in the room to make fun of him, "That's why I came even though this whole business smells fishier than Slateport harbor."

It was then that Johnny caught his eye, standing there with his camera and not making a sound. There was just something about that boy that made Alex's blood boil, the way he had ignored the offered handshake, the way he always seemed to be staring out into space, but above all: the way he always clung to his freaking camera. "Any time you feel like joining the conversation, camera boy." the redhead remarked tartly, "Unless, of course, you think you're too good for that sort of thing?"

 

[Phanima]

"I'm here to kick the sorry asses of whoever decided to mess with my hometown."

The statement rung in her ears and all conscious thought left her mind. She had suddenly become extremely excited, aroused and in a simpler term, pumped about what the situation had just presented. Alex, the boy who had made the remark, had suddenly become quite serious after Susan's interjection, but Plum cared little about how or why he had become so stern. She was much more interested in his current attitude, the fire that burned in his eyes and in his explosive red hair, and not to forget the most important contributing factor; his reason. Dialling back into the rather serious discussion that was unfolding, Plum remained silent in order to allow the boy to finish his rant.

This boy seems stupid enough… She thought to herself, hypocritically. But he's fighting for his family and friends, and that's enough of a reason for anybody. I'm the same…

Plum's heart began to sink and her mood fell as she processed what she had just heard. Her own situation was very similar; her reason for coming to Traverse Island was to discover the connection between this 'L.A.' person and the sudden halt in communication between her and her own family for over the last year. Of course, her situation wasn't as bleak as Alex's, and she often kept in high spirits to avoid moments such as this, where she might be seen as vulnerable or weak, both being two things she hated. Realising this and how much she hated being seen so helpless, a flag was triggered in her mind and a new flame erupted within her, and came out in the form of sheer adrenaline, anger and determination.

The redheaded boy had finished his rant and was beginning to irritably acknowledge the camera-boy Johnny, who had remained quite silent during the cabin's festivities. But after becoming so worked up, she realised she couldn't hold back, and let loose her emotions.

"That's what I'm talking about!" she cried as she leapt up off of her seat, one bare leg perched on the top of the cabin's table and an accusing finger pointed directly at Alex. Her expression had once again regained its initial contorted composure; her sharp dangerous smile under furrowed narrowed eyes. Following her sudden outburst she paused for effect, letting her loose tattered robe settle against her skin and stared directly into the redheaded boy's light green eyes. "Damn all those wankers who get in our way, especially that bastard L.A.-san!" She paused once again, her eyes scanning the room before continuing in a way that brought all the attention back onto herself. "I'm not going to take this crap! Even if sexy Jade-chan gets in my way, I'll take them all d-"

Plum was suddenly cut off as she paused in response to the swaying of the boat. She had weak sea-legs, and the sudden lurch not only caused her to lose her footing, but also pressured the depths of her bowels. She suddenly didn't feel too well and fell back into her seat exhausted.

"D-Down…" she finished, her eyes lazily drooping as she slumped lower into her seat in an effort to find a more comfortable position. "Yeah…let's kick some lazy…things…"

OOC: Her sea sickness and reaction aren't to be taken seriously, but you can if you want to, or if your character is exceptionally caring, but I would assume that most of you would treat it as a more Pokemon-ish moment of weakness.