[text/action] Job questions and... a bear near the Bay?

[lycoctonum]

Are the bounties worth doing? It seems that once someone claims one other things pop up to be taken care of.

Was wondering. Working at the grocery store really isn't giving me much.

[Lately there has been someone watching the Bay constantly in the afternoon and night. An almost constant if you were paying attention to the streets around the area. The culprit? A small bear, usually hanging around a corner in the shadows.

This has been going on for a few weeks now. The bear usually ignores people passing by. Though, it does raise the question. Why is the bear there instead of a more wild area? It's no bigger than a cub so maybe it's lost. Yet... it doesn't act lost at all. Still, maybe someone should do something about that.

Later in the night, the bear eventually just falls asleep watching the Bay as it often does.]

Comments

[koishi_komeiji]

Of course, someone else liked to hang around the bay. And it just so happened that, as the sun was setting, she came across a little sleeping bear. She hovered above it for several moments, her glowing eyes illuminating her face. Unfortunately, the bear wouldn't stay sleeping for long.

"Bear!" Quick as lightning she reached down and scooped the little animal into her arms, cradling it close and laughing. She spun around once. "Cute little bear! Cuuute!" She paused, holding it under the shoulders at arms length. "Are you lost little baby bear? I bet you're lost! Where is mama bear? We should find her before she worries too much."

[lycoctonum]

Ginko was a light sleeper most of the time, hibernation excluded. It's what came of being a criminal bear on the run most of the time. Though, she's surprised that someone managed to find her asleep let alone manage to pick her up. She's woken up by both the shout and the sudden feeling of being picked up.

"Growl! What are you doing?!"

Ginko starts struggling in her grip as she's spun around.

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[umadrobin]

course they are.

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[lycoctonum]

Why?

[koishi_komeiji]

"I'm picking you up silly bear." A pause. "Heeey! You're a talking bear! Are you a youkai like me? I don't get to meet many youkai animals!" She turned Ginko around in her grip so the bear was facing her. "And you're so cute! I just want to cuddle you forever!"

She pulled the little bear in to her chest, her third eye moving out of the way as she reached up to rub the little thing behind the ears. "Are you hungry? I can get you some fish. Do you like fish? It's my favorite and Sis makes the best fish in the whole underground!" She had already started walking toward Fayren. "I bet you'll like it too!"

[lycoctonum]

That's a lot of chatter to sort through. This person, this youkai... definitely didn't smell human and that wasn't even putting the fact of this 'third' eye. Ginko wasn't exactly sure what a youkai was. The bear kingdom was far more westernized than the human world. She does know something, though, and that was this stranger was stronger than a human. Her instincts told her that it probably would be a very bad idea to just attack even if she wanted to. "I know you're picking me up but you asked me a question so I told you--and I'm just a bear. They all talk where I come from."

But that ear rub felt so good, even if it made her crown slide a little. The crown was clearly just a toy made out of dented tin and covered chipping paint. Ginko's about to protest but her stomach rumbles at the mention of tasty fish. "I like salmon--wait, no, put me down!"

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[kindprincess]

Well it gives bounty hunters something to do at least. So I think they are worth doing. Also good practice as well.

[koishi_komeiji]

"Oh wow! They all talk? There must be a lot of bear youkai then! I bet sis would like it there!" She didn't put Ginko down, or even slow, continuing on her way toward Fayren. She wasn't just scratching her ears anymore but the entire back of her head. She was careful to avoid knocking the crown off.

"Salmon? We have salmon. Big delicious steaks of it. And lots of other fish too. Trout, halibut, eel, and a variety of fish that come from the underground. Those ones don't have names, but they're really delicious too. Sometimes Sis makes a disk with a bunch of different fish in it. It's really really good."

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[umadrobin]

what's the one thing better than beating people up?

getting paid to do it :)

[lycoctonum]

"Yes, we all talk. Let me go--"

That felt even better. Long fingers stroking her fur...wait. No. Now was not the time to start having a fantasy about Kureha. She was being bearnapped! Yet her stomach gave another loud rumble. "...growl. Why did you even pick me up?"

[koishi_komeiji]

"I picked you up because you're cute and you're very very soft." She continued to pet her, alternating between strokes and earscratches. "Also I've never seen a bear around here. It's not a normal animal. Therefore you must be lost. It's okay. Sis has lots of lost animals. She takes good care of them because she is a mind reader and can understand what they want. They really appreciate it. But you can talk! So you can hold a real conversation with her if you like."

Koishi had just passed through the gate to Fayren, floating along at a decent pace now. She paused by a tree to look down at the bear. "She'll never admit it but she's super lonely. So she'll be very happy to have you there with her." Pet pet. "And she can cook all sorts of things. We have a whole garden filled with sweet fruits and delicious vegetables too!"

[psychic_supremecy]

[Ever since the Bay's second entrance appeared, Mewtwo has been feeling... uneasy about it. In a way he couldn't really articulate. He's been coming by fairly often to check on it under the cover of darkness, and had noticed Ginko before, watching. However, he didn't really pay too much attention to her until tonight. Something about the way the crown glinted in the moonlight caught his eye and he decided to investigate. He wasn't sure what she was, but she wasn't human and that went a long way for him. On some level he hoped she was a Pokemon, a species he hadn't encountered before, but tonight he felt like investigating.]

[He floated over, keeping his cloak around him, quietly setting himself on the ground under a nearby tree, close enough that they could converse audibly if necessary, but not so close as to present an overt threat. He said nothing, simply watching the sleeping bear for the moment.]

[lycoctonum]

"Bears are dangerous, you know. Even if we're cute." Though, really, she's just a normal bear. Even if she could fight off a lot of humans she doubts this youkai would be so easy. So, so, so easy. "Hold on, though. Your sister is a mind reader?"

Wait. Does this mean, what? No. That can't be right. They were already in a different city--this wasn't good. "So that means--I'm not a pet!"

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[lycoctonum]

That does sweeten it...

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[lycoctonum]

What would they do without the bounties?

[lycoctonum]

[It's the fact that Ginko smells something different that wakes her up. She's a light sleeper and smelling that definitely woke her up. It wasn't unpleasant. Just a stranger, which was cause enough for her to wake up. She stretches out with a small growl...something that was more like a yawn than a truly threatening gesture.

She sniffs the air before she catches the sight of him under the tree.] Huh?

[psychic_supremecy]

[There's a moment of silence where the only movement from the cloak that covered Mewtwo was when it shifted as he cocked his head slightly. And then a voice - or thought rather - becomes audible. Mainly as a gentle probe to make sure she wasn't a Dark-type.]

...your quadruped stance would seem to indicate you are not of the Ursaring family, and you clearly do not have the markers that would place you closer to the Beartic line either.

I apologize for the the manner in which I ask but, what are you?

[koishi_komeiji]

"But you're a tiny bear! With tiny little paws! They're so cute!" She was smiling hugely. "But we have all sorts of 'dangerous' animals in Chireiden. They're happy to live there with sis and in harmony with the other pets. Because they all have a good life with Sis's reading and psychic training. They keep her company."

Koishi's third eye had drifted around front again, nudging the little bear's cheek very gently. "Yeah! Sis is a mind reader. All satori youkai are. Except for me because my eye is broken. So I can't anymore. The problem is our powers don't turn off so people tend to hate us because we can hear their thoughts. But when you can hear the sins of everyone you meet it becomes hard to judge people. It gets really same-y really quick."

She was heading toward a stone passageway with steps leading down. It looked really old. "And of course you're not a pet. Sis has to decide that, not me! We're almost there. You'll like the palace. There are lots of wonderful things to do."

[lycoctonum]

[She blinks right at him. What?]

I'm just a bear.

[lycoctonum]

"Growl... bears don't get too much bigger than me where I come from. I'm not a cub." Her ears twitch though at these words. She tilts her head to the side. It...really sounded what the bear church said of Kumaria. That, for the most part, Kumaria didn't care what sins were committed. Ginko had given up on the church but Kumaria--Kumaria was still important.

Ginko gave the eye a little shove back. Not hard but acknowledging it. "The world is a rough place, for both human and bear. It would be even more difficult for someone with that kind of power. I'm a criminal bear, though."

She really hasn't admitted this to anyone here. Yet, if this sister truly was a mind reader. Well. It wouldn't be hidden. "I did the one thing a bear isn't supposed to do."

Time for SCENERY PORN!

[koishi_komeiji]

"Really?" She tilted her head. "Where I come from bears get bigger than me." She began descending the stairs. "They're so big they couldn't ever fit through the doorway to get down here. And they have big claws and can roar. And then the cubs are tiny and cute. Like you!"

She began making her way through the tunnels. "Don't worry by the way. We're moving unseen. It's easy to do because you're so tiny. But don't squirm too much or it will be harder." The passages were only dimly lit with glowing blue-green lichen and mushrooms, though it seemed the youkai could see in the dark since she wasn't hesitating. Her eyes were bright enough to illuminate her face.

"And I know it can be very hard. That's why Sis lives underground away from all the humans. She doesn't like dealing with them." They passed a tunnel occupied by a large growling mass. It exhaled loudly, rancid breath wafting through the tunnel, but it didn't seem to notice them.

She made a few more turns, passing through a half decayed metal door to an abandoned pumping station, though the hinges had been oiled and didn't squeak. Much of it had rusted away. The mushrooms in this room seemed further cultivated, providing significantly more light. The blue green light mixed with a burnt orange light emanating from a portal set into the back wall. The frame was made from jagged chunks of a heavy duty reddish metal. It wasn't really sharp but it would certainly puncture the flesh of anyone who walked into it. The surface of the portal was rippling faintly, showing the distorted image of a massive building on the other side, silhouetted by a faint fiery glow.

She stopped short. blinking down at the bear and tilting her head. "Oh? I didn't know bears had rules. What sorts of things are bears never supposed to do?"

[lycoctonum]

"We're plenty dangerous this size." If only for the sake of her already broken pride. "Though... I wonder how it would have been if we were that size back home."

The humans wouldn't be able to kill them with one shot, that's for sure. She's about to say something to that but keeps quiet. She takes in the smells instead. The lichen, the mushrooms, damp air, the growling mass. She does stop struggling while they pass that.

That certainly was a portal, though. Ginko looks up to the person holding her. "I fell in love with a human."

More scenery porn!

[koishi_komeiji]

"Oh..." Koishi looked down at the little creature. "I see. That's against the rules for youkai too. I mean, not officially. But we all know it will end in tragedy." A shrug. "It happens anyway, of course, but it's a bad idea. Something like that can only end in heartbreak as youkai live thousands of years. I guess it all depends if that kind of the decades happiness is worth the decades of sadness later. We have very long memories."

She stepped through the portal without a second thought. The other side of the portal was built into the back of a massive obsidian obelisk, facing the large building. Koishi flicked her wrist and sending a spark of magic to ignite one of the many globes that dotted the pathway. It started a chain reaction revealing the landscape and warming the air around them.

Chireiden was a massive building and was a mixture of Gothic and Russian architecture. A huge decorative stone eye had been set above the double doors, staring down at whoever dare approach. Most of the windows actually appeared to be stained glass, depicting a huge variety of scenes, ranging from beautiful to frightening. The area around it was mostly grass, though the path Koishi stood on was slate. The air was fragrant and sweet. No doubt there was a garden nearby containing all sorts of ripe fruit. It was actually snowing currently, though the ice crystals melted ad evaporated before they hit the ground, repelled by an invisible dome of heat that stopped at the stone walls marking the outer edge of the palace.

There was a small sound the sleek form of a massive black cat creeping out from behind a decorative statue, its yellow eyes showing brightly. "Oh! Hello Kuro. Are you chasing the butterflies again?" Still carrying the bear Koishi walked right over to the panther, reaching out to ruffle its ears. Fortunately the animal didn't seem hostile, its eyes closing as it accepted the petting.

[lycoctonum]

"Love... is a difficult thing."

That's the entire reason why she was waiting at the Bay. Kureha. She wanted to make sure that she arrived here safely. Humans wouldn't accept their love and bears wouldn't. Ginko had to be there...would Kureha even be accepted by these 'youkai'? She didn't know. Maybe she'd ask this sister.

Though, that does seem to be pushed away a little as she smells that air. Fruit! That meant there had to be honey, too? Then there was the promised fish. Her stomach rumbled in protest at the taunting smells. The stone eye did seem very intimidating, though. As did that stained glass.

It was far too familiar to the stained glass of the church.

Ginko smells the panther before she sees it. The youkai might have sense her tense up at the strange animal. She gives a low growl in warning. It seemed like the large animal ignored her entirely, in favor of being petted. Had such a beast been tamed so easily?

"You're big."

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[kindprincess]

That I do not know really. Maybe something else, maybe they might cause trouble themselves. Who knows.