Set in the original region of Arciel, Legends Rising is a route-inspired, but not strictly route-based, Pokemon roleplay. Pick a faction, pick a class, and strike out into the wild to take on the League, master Contest coordination, research the mysteries of Pokemon and Arciel, and much, much more. Will you be a classic trainer? A criminal? A farmer? Choose your destiny on Legends Rising.
Yes! Irina did have a lot of practice! Or... she thought she did? She shifted a little, as if looking around for something before revealling the black book from earlier and flipping through it, colour pages flicking past before she settled on one that... looked to have been done in crayon? On pages that looked slightly old, too. There was a circle that.... maybe was supposed to imitate a leaf? With a line running through it, and a black line crudely pointing to the top. "I learnt it from this!" A grin then, "I haven't done it much before..."
Or... maybe it was muscle memory. Irina didn't know!Still, she put the book away and hoisted to her feet. There was a new mission to worry about, now! Flower crowns! Her getting up caused Puppy to whine, rearing back from his initial position and brushing against the side of her leg, a soft purr leaving him. Arecus, why was she like this? The leaves were pocketed before Irina turned to Elliot, who was getting up too!
"Flowers! We need more pretty flowers, and then we... put the flowers together!"
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 9, 2020 2:30:41 GMT
So she didn't have much experience at all! Or, did she? The drawing was in the book that Puppy so preciously kept with him. Was it simply a picture she drew a lot of inspiration from? Or was it a picture that she had made? After all, if she didn't even remember her own name, it was unlikely she'd remember her previous practice in the field of leaf-punching. Did she realize what she had worked on before? Or was Elliot just here presuming? Maybe it was safer to just not say anything about it at all.
"Wow! That means you're a natural at this!" Elliot decided to go with. "I bet you'll be a natural at making the flower crowns, too."
Noticing Puppy's whine, he looked down at the Litleo and smiled softly. "Don't worry, I have an idea," he whispered, shooting him a wink. He then turned to Irina, smiling softly. "I'm ready to get going when you are. But maybe we should take the walk a little slowly this time, you know? It's a really beautiful day out, so there's no need for us to go running right through it." There! That should do the trick to get Irina slowing up for a change.
Unless, of course, she pulled out one of those philosophical rambles that he could never really bring himself to disagree with. If that happened, he and Puppy would probably be SOL. But, hey. That was a risk Elliot was willing to take. Otherwise, today'd be hell on his leg!
Oh yes! Irina was sure she made all the best flower crowns! Her siblings have told her as such when she's come back home to give them to them! And Puppy loves them too! She couldn't help but grin at that. Puppy, meanwhile attempted to stay to Irina's side, and as Elliot spoke to him the Litleo could only let out a soft cry. He didn't know how much more stamina he would have to keep up with Irina, especially if she just kept walking and walking and walking.
Irina on the other hand was all but ready to start bouncing away, spring in her step, only to pause, confused at Elliot's words. Huuuh? Walk slowly? "But what if the smell dissapears?" She blinked rather owlishly for a moment, mind running circles before she let out a laugh.
"Maybe if we walk slowly, we can actually see the little hidden buds in the bushes! You're really smart!" whatever eager bounce she had to just begin sprinting in any which direction seemed to die down, and she instead slowed down to an Elliot-Friendly pace, gaze snapping from one bush to another. Puppy seems... rather happy with this outcome, his tail wagging every few moments.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 17, 2020 2:49:41 GMT
Wow! That actually worked! Elliot flashed Puppy a grin, noticing the way that the Litleo's tail waggled in response to his idea. "Good idea! I know with your sharp eyes, you'll have no trouble picking those buds out," Elliot said. "How about I look to the right, and you look to the left? That way we can spend twice as much time looking for flowers!" Splitting their focus like that would make this whole process way easier. "Or maybe Puppy could look to the left, I could look to the right, and you could check for the smell? That way, we can cover all of our bases at once!"
Even if they didn't have a ton of luck finding flowers, Elliot was just happy that the walk had taken an easier pace. If he kept running like he did before, his leg was going to be crying out for mercy! Now that things had relaxed a bit more, he turned to Iri, smiling softly. "So how long have you and Puppy been friends for?" he asked. Had the girl started their journey recently, just like Elliot did? Or did they have a lot more experience than he and Echo did?
Bud spotting! Irina seemed amazed at Elliot's idea, purple eyes practically alight in excitement. Yes! By having two people take on the spotting roles surely no spots would be missed! "Puppy has a better nose, he can smell! I'll look right!" There was a giddy bounce to her step and a childish, gleeful giggle that left her moments after. She was excited, and keenly took to analysing every item she came accross.
Rocks were upturned, bushes were all but lept into- she had debating climbing up a tree again but a yip from a watchful Puppy had kept her on track.Elliot's question though had the girl halting... Puppy... Puppy... When... had she met puppy? When did they become friends? It was at the back of her head. Pounding. Hitting. Biting. Scratching- she tried to grasp, tried to gently tug a little-
But she got nothing. She was used to this, though. "Sorry! I don't remember!" Puppy did not at all look sad by it, and let out a yip from besides her. "Dad said it was because i've got a thing- I don't remember the name but he said that it's normal to have big empty spots! Oh! Is that a bud?!"
It was not. It was just a weed. She pulls back from it then and continues forth! "Do you ever have blank spots?"
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 24, 2020 2:37:29 GMT
Whereas Irina's investigation style was very hands-on, Elliot's was a lot more distant and contemplative. For the most part, he waited on the trail, if only so Irina could head back towards him whenever she was starting to stray too far and get lost. Instead of diving right into the bushes on his side, he focused on watching the scenery to try and see where flowers would likely be. He checked the trees for the bright colors of fresh berries, knowing wherever fruit was blooming flowers couldn't be far behind. He looked over at bushes for flashes of color, squinting as he tried to see where they were most vibrant. He listened for the sound of rushing water, wondering if any fresh blooms could be sound by streams or blooming lakeside.
Yet his focus interrupted as he realized how his question could've been taken. Mentally, Elliot kicked himself, but Irina didn't seem to mind. In fact, she was very open about her amnesia, saying that it was actually quite the normal thing in her family's books.
Unfortunately for Elliot, things didn't end there. She then turned the question back on Elliot, asking if he ever had big, empty spots like that. What was Elliot supposed to do? Was he supposed to just say that he didn't have empty spots, and ruin the idea that it was normal? Or was he supposed to lie and say that he had something he didn't? The possibilities gnawed at the back of his head.
Fortunately, Irina never said how big of a blank spot it was. Elliot thought back to all the times he forgot stuff at home and Isaac needed to pack it for him, or that one stretch of time when he was younger where he blanked hard on names, or when he first got his walking stick and forgot it in the hospital. That one was awkward as all hell! "I have 'em sometimes too," Elliot admitted. "Not often a lot of big ones. But things slip up here and there, and you know what? That's okay."
Oooh, the upcoming bush has really green leaves! There could be a bud hiding in there, quite possibly! Irina was keen to check, quickly moving onto her knees in the dirt to push through it. Oh, the veins on the leaves were really pretty! For a moment the dark haired girl got sidetracked, ripping one of the leaves from the branch and tracing her finger over it... it was so pretty... so deep an emerald- oh! Maybe she could press it!
Irina was quick to pocket it and pull back from the bush, right as Elliot spoke once more. Wha? Oh! Right she had asked a question! She dusted off her pants and stood up once more, spinning to face him with an incrdibly bright expression. "Yes! It's normal to forget things! The brain is like..." A pause, she looks around and grabs a large fallen stick, moving to snap it in half against her leg and holding it up to show Elliot, "About this size, i'd say- width ways! It cant hold every single memory!"
Puppy was trudging on like the legend he was, sniffing softly at the air as his little paws carried him forwards, so Irina continued behind him slowly. "But yeah, I just forget- like- everything. Dad said i've had it since I was little- even the book said it. One day i'm gonna wake up, or just in the midst of something and boom- gone."
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 28, 2020 0:43:27 GMT
Elliot was pretty sure the human brain was a bit bigger than half of a stick. Even when it was a surprisingly big stick. That said, it was pretty much the usual to be expected from Irina. She said something strange and probably not quite correct, but with enough conviction, poetic imagery, and kernels of truth tucked within that he couldn't really doubt her. "And it always picks the ones you wish it didn't, too," Elliot added. "Like when you're trying to remember everything you studied for a test. But instead, all you get is song lyrics." Would that be a relatable experience for Irina? Did she forget things bit by bit?
Oh. Oh no, that was even worse. She literally forgot everything? At once? Sometimes right in the middle of doing something? Elliot's face fell, but he turned and coughed before the girl might see. The look on her face was so bright that you could almost call it pure. How in the world could he let his shock and worry ruin it? After his brief cough, he forced a smile onto his face. "I mean, if you think about it this way, it's like everything's a brand new experience for you, right?" he pointed out. "Leaf jewelry, flower crowns, it's like you're experiencing them all for the first time each time. And each of those times is more beautiful than the last. And if there's ever anything that's really important to know, Puppy and the book have you covered!"
He couldn't lie. The idea was frankly terrifying to him. But the last thing Elliot ever wanted to do was make Irina feel bad about being herself.
Trying... to remember everything she studied for a test? ...School? Irina's never gone to school, as far as she remembers, of course! School is just a little difficult, not that irina minds! It just means more time to explore the wonderful world around her, full of lushious greens and crisp plants, sparkling waves... the world really was so pretty. In getting sidetracked, Irina completly forgot what she was looking for, just grinning at Elliot as if she didn't just tell him the fragility of her amnesia.
She didn't register his distraught expression, smiling and waving her stick around before dropping it back under the tree. "Yeah! That's why the world around me is so pretty- i've never seen a tree like this before!" As if to prove her point, the girl approached the tree by her side and began tracing the pattern, "The bark's flaking away riiiight here-" Her finger moved to point it out, like she was a teacher, "And then here it's a bit scratched up! And i've never seen a scratch here near the flake!"
She moved once more to shuffle through her bag and pull out the aforementioned book, "It has so many crafting things in here! Recipes, stories- I read about them and I wanna go on an adventure to see them- like, lemonade? lemons?!" A blink, "I don't remember ever seeing a lemon, and I read all about this... lemon....aid.... last night!"
Post by Elliot Sunderland on Jun 9, 2020 3:15:17 GMT
Taking such a deep, primal fear, and spinning it into something so beautiful and poetic. Irina really was something, wasn't she? It was hard for Elliot not to be equal parts impressed and a little bit intimidated. "Huh. That is kinda strange, huh?" Elliot asked. He can't say he had ever checked trees that closely before. But usually the flaky bark was flaky bark, and if there were any scratches on a tree they usually weren't near those. At least, to Elliot's knowledge, they weren't. "What do you think could've caused it? A wild Pokemon crawling around on there, maybe?"
Oh yeah! Weren't they looking for flowers? Maybe they were at first. But right now, they were exploring the hall of forgotten memories. And apparently, lemonade was on top of those fallen memories. "Y'know, it's gonna be the summer soon. I bet you'll be able to pick up some lemonade over in town when the time comes," Elliot said. "That's one of those drinks that's really seasonal, y'know? You can't find it anywhere. And then suddenly, boom! It's everywhere!
Kinda strange? No! Not strange at all! It's something natural, the imperfections in a tree's bark, or in a leaf, or in a person. There's something just so... naturally beautiful about those sort of things, about nothing being alike to anything else unless sciene plays a part, or unless it was specifically coded to be. "Not strange- natural. It could be a pokemon, or a human accidentally stumbling into it- or... maybe even just natural decay!"
The girl had moved to begin fumbling through her book now, moving closer to Elliot to give him a view of the lemonaid page while he spoke, pointing it out eagerly after flipping past various pages of pressed flowers, both neat and messy handwriting, both crayon and ink and preserved charcoal drawings. "That's what the page says! It saaaysss..." A squint, it takes her a moment to properly read it. "It says... grows on... trees! And you squish them!"
A finger pointed to words that nowehere mentioned the term 'squish' and rather 'juice' and 'press firmly' and 'twist with all your might!' with a date going back three years, with a tiny pen drawing in the corner of a smiley red lemon. As he asked about her favourite food Irina looked confused for a moment, head tilting to the side.
"...Well... all foods are really good! All the foods that i've tried, at least!" She paused, having to crouch down and face her Litleo. "Could you find me the page? With the foods!" A soft coo left him and, with practiced ease as if he'd done this millions of times Puppy gently used his teeth and claws to push through the pages, coming to a small area with the side coloured pink. About fifty recipes were scribbled in coloured pencil with either smiley faces or frowny faces next to them, and a few others had ticks next to those faces.
Irina pointed them out with purpose, "Dad says that this was here when I arrived. I don't really know what the faces mean, because I tried a few with the sad or angry faces are really liked them! Dad's a chef, and so's my brother! So they make alll sorts of really nice dishes!" An excited grin was sent to Elliot before she continued speaking, "But all foods have all sorts of textures which are fun exploring, meats are chewy or firm, or grainy, some foods have peculiar tasting juices, some have little seeds and some don't have any at all! It's fun t try figure up what makes up a dish- as of right now thought I don't know enough about all the foods to say... but..."
A finger pointed down on one of the words highlighted orange with a star to it's right, a small '10' next to it. 'Chilli Curry'. "I think this used to be one of my favourites! What about you?"
Post by Elliot Sunderland on Jun 17, 2020 22:35:12 GMT
"Hey, hey, I didn't mean it like it was a bad thing," Elliot said. "It's just not the kind of thing you usually see, you know? But if anything, that just makes it even more interesting. Especially 'cause, well, you're right! So many things could've caused this." Okay, so natural decay was maybe the least fun of all those options. But clearly Iri had way less of a problem with it than he did.
Elliot peeked at the lemonade page, noticing the various drawings Iri flicked through on the way there. They were spread with seemingly no rhyme or reason, masterful artwork alternated with childlike scribbling. Then it hit him; was it another expression of her amnesia? Memory was painful enough, but losing his talents too? Something that took so much time, practice, and dedication, only to fade in an instant? The idea that such a clear, present reminder of someone's progress could just disappear overnight was heartbreaking. And was the difference in phrasing just paraphrasing, or could the poor girl not even read?
She was so vibrant, and cheerful, and happy. She didn't deserve this!
Better not to dwell on it. Besides, now there was food to talk about. "Maybe it's because your dad and brother are such good cooks?" Elliot asked. "Though even then, angry's kind of a weird rating for a food. Maybe it's, like, a mood diary or something? How you felt on the day you had that food for dinner? I know sometimes, if I'm not feeling good, something I really love can be just the trick to get me feeling better." It could've even been some attempt at re-triggering her memory. Pairing a food, an emotion, and a thought, perhaps? It was a long shot, but he could see where the idea could've arisen.
That said, a star and a 10? Those were definitely good things! "Sounds like that's one you gotta try again sometime! Relive an old favorite," Elliot said. "Me? Being honest, I'm a total sweet tooth. It could be candy, chocolate, fruit, even a perfectly seasoned piece of meat. But if it has that kind of sweetness to it, I can't get enough of it. Especially if you pair it with some salty . . . maybe a bit of savory . . ." Oh, no. He had that far-off look in his eyes. Irina, you fool! You made him hungry!
Irina hummed, gaze taking in the page before hr with unsated curiosity. Ellie was right! Ellie? No… uh… Right! Elliot! It could be a mood thing! “Maybe! There’s a lot of things in here I don’t understand, the faces just being some of them- like these faces are drawn but near the start there’s a page with stickers of all sorts of yellow faces, and they have nothing to do with food.” Irina shrugged her shoulders a little, gaze pulling back from the page to focus on Elliot as he spoke.
Hmm…. Sweet tooth? Fruit. …Fruit?! Irina let out a gasp then, brain fixating on the mention of the word. Fruit grows on trees or stuff, maybe- maybe she was looking for the wrong thing all along! Maybe the smell was fruit, and not just the smell of the season! Elliot was a genius!
An excited laugh left her and, without warning the slammed the book shut, bringing it close to her and all but dragging Elliot upwards, a stupidly huge grin on her face. Were they looking for flowers before? Nope. Now it’s fruit. “Fruit.” She repeated back to him.
A beat passed, and then the girl spun on her heel, glancing forward. Fruit grew on trees. Soooo- “Then we’ll findsome for you!” Oh- Oh- Oh she was gone. With a laugh and new fulfilled excitement, Irina Nikolaevna was full sprint into the very dense thick of the trees, pants getting caught on branched and hair getting snagged.
…Puppy let out a soft whine, glancing up to Elliot, and then began pawing his way forward slowly, sniffing at the ground to make sure he didn’t lose Irina’s scent altogether.
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